Chapter 11: The Pre-Concert

*two weeks since we last saw Ethan and the Dunphys*

<General POV - Dunphys' House>

"Kids! Get ready! Kids!? Ugh, Phil, would you get them?"

"Yeah, just a sec," Phil replied, completely absorbed in a game on his phone and barely registering Claire's voice.

Claire, growing more frustrated by the second, dropped the sandwich she was making. "Phil!"

Phil snapped out of his phone daze just in time to hear the shift in Claire's tone. "That is so—Kids! Get down here!"

Haley entered the kitchen first, hair perfectly styled and makeup on point. "Sorry. I had to make sure I look good when we get to the concert. You know, you don't need to shout, right? You could just text me."

"Like I told you before, that's not going to happen," Claire responded curtly, before raising an eyebrow at Haley's outfit. "And wow. You are not wearing that."

"What wrong with what I'm wearing again?" Haley blinked innocently.

"Honey, do you have anything to say to your daughter about her outfit?" 

Phil looked up from his phone. "Sorry! Oh, yeah! It looks really cute, sweetheart."

"Thanks!" Haley chirped.

Claire gave Phil a hard stare before turning back to Haley. "No, that's too revealing. You're not going to wear that to the concert." 

At that moment, Alex enters the kitchen, her tone disinterested. "Luke got his head stuck in the banister again."

"I got it" said Phil. "Where's the baby oil again?"

All of this is being witnessed by Ethan who was just sitting in one of the chairs in the kitchen, thinking to himself if he somehow went back to the first day of his reincarnation.

"Am I the only one getting déjà vu here?" Ethan asked which no one answered since they're too busy preparing. 

<On the other side of town - Tucker-Pritchett Household>

"Aaaaahhh!" Cam's dramatic wail echoed from one of the bedrooms.

Mitchell poked his head into Lily's room, only to see Cam in full-on panic mode. "What happened, Cam?"

"I don't know what Lily's going to wear, Mitchell!" Cam waved two tiny dresses in the air, his face a mix of agony and confusion. "Should she wear this adorable sundress? But what if it gets chilly? Maybe this one's better... but it doesn't pop enough for an event like this! How do we know what the lighting will be?"

Mitchell, sensing the endless spiral of indecision looming, smiled and gently backed out of the room. "I'm sure whatever you choose will be perfect!" he called over his shoulder, making a quick escape to the kitchen to finish preparing the snacks they were bringing to the concert.

<On yet another side of town - Delgado-Pritchett household>

"¡Papi! Are you ready yet?" Gloria called out in a slightly exasperated tone, already dressed to the nines as she descended the stairs in a stunning dress.

Manny stood in front of his mirror, carefully inspecting a small collection of hats laid out on his bed. "Let me choose my hat first, Mom! I want to make sure I look as sophisticated as the occasion demands."

Jay, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed, shook his head. "Manny, it's a concert, not the Kentucky Derby. Just pick a hat, let's go, we're going to be late."

Gloria sighed but smiled lovingly at her son. "Ay, Manny, you're going to look handsome no matter what. But your Jay's right, we can't miss Ethan's concert."

Jay grumbled under his breath. "I still don't understand why we're getting all dressed up. It's just a concert, and we're only going for the kid, aren't we?"

Gloria shot him a look. "Ay, Jay. We're going to enjoy the concert to completion. And we are going to be there, looking amazing."

Jay rolled his eyes but softened a little. "Alright, alright. Let's get this over with before we end up sitting in traffic."

Manny finally settled on a stylish fedora and grinned at his reflection. "I'm ready!"

Jay muttered under his breath, "Great, we're going to look like the mafia."

<Back with Ethan and The Dunphy's - General POV>

As we were driving to the concert venue, the Dunphys' car was as chaotic as you can imagine. Luke and Alex were bickering—and like you probably thought, it's not an important debate but just who had dibs on the front seat for the way back. Their voices grew louder as each tried to outwit the other, while Phil, steering the car, attempted to calm them both down.

"Come on, guys," Phil said, glancing at the rearview mirror. "We're on our way to support Ethan! Can we have just one peaceful car ride?"

Claire sat in the passenger seat, eyebrows furrowed, visibly irritated by the noise. "Phil, you know that's never going to happen," she muttered, half to herself.

Meanwhile, Haley was surprisingly the quietest of the bunch, completely absorbed in updating her Facebook status. It was unusual seeing her so disconnected from the family chaos, and I briefly wondered if it was a sign of impending trouble.

I leaned back in my seat, trying to tune them all out, my thoughts wandering toward the day ahead. 'I hope everything goes well,' I thought to myself. Almost immediately, I felt a sense of dread creep in. 'That's not a red flag, is it?'

After what felt like an eternity—though it was really only about 30 minutes—we finally arrived at the concert venue: the Hollywood Bowl. It was still relatively quiet since the concert wasn't until 6 p.m., and it was just before noon. The Dunphys, true to form, insisted on coming early, dragging me along for the ride even though I'd suggested just taking a taxi. But they insisted.

As we parked, I said my goodbyes to the family as they prepared to find their seats. "Wish me luck," I said, half-joking, though nerves were starting to set in. "Oh, and say hi to the rest of the family for me."

"Break a leg, Ethan!" Claire called out with a smile. Luke and Alex finally stopped their squabbling long enough to offer me a thumbs-up, and Phil gave me his trademark goofy grin as he adjusted his jacket.

I made my way to the backstage area where the other performers were waiting, feeling a mix of anticipation and excitement. When I stepped in, I couldn't help but widen my eyes in surprise—Coldplay was already there, casually chatting with the members of Paramore. The energy in the room was electric, and it was starting to hit me just how big this event really was.

As I walked further in, Chris Martin noticed me and waved me over. "Hey, guys!" he said to the group. "This is Ethan Wilson—or, if you've seen that viral video, you might know him as 'The Second MJ,'" he joked, drawing chuckles from the rest of the band.

"Hey, everyone," I said, shaking hands with each of them. Their greetings came quickly—"Hi," "How's it going?"—and before I knew it, I was standing with Coldplay and Paramore, two of the biggest acts in the world.

Chris turned to the Paramore crew and added with a grin, "We'll be performing together later."

Hayley Williams, Paramore's lead singer, gave me a curious look. "So, are you playing an instrument too?"

"Uh, yeah," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "I think I kinda have to. Playing to a pre-recorded track might feel a little… cheap, right?"

That earned another round of chuckles from the group.

"What instrument do you play?" Jonny Buckland, Coldplay's lead guitarist, asked.

"I can play a few, but if I'm singing, I prefer the guitar," I replied, trying to sound casual, though I could tell they were skeptical. Couldn't really blame them—how many kids my age could realistically claim they played "a few" instruments?

Chris clapped his hands together. "Well, we've got a rehearsal coming up in a bit. How about you show us what you've got?"

"Sure, why not?" I agreed, trying to hide the nerves that were slowly creeping in.

Once the stage was set up, I grabbed one of the guitars available for use and turned to the group. "What do you guys want to hear?"

"It's rehearsal," Chris said, smiling, "so maybe one of the songs you're performing tonight?"

I thought for a moment before strumming the opening chords to Helena by My Chemical Romance. I started soft, my voice low and almost a whisper as I sang the first lines,

"Long ago, just like the hearse you die to get in again, we are so far from you".

But as I moved into the verse and chorus, I raised the intensity, belting out the lyrics with more power than I thought I had.

"Burning on, just like the match you strike to incinerate, the lives of everyone you know. And what's the worst you take, from every heart you break? And like the blade you'll stain. Well, I've been holding on tonight"

The room fell silent as I played, their eyes widening a little as I hit each note.

"What's the worst that I can say? Things are better if I stay

So long and goodnight, So long and goodnight"

The emotion of the song being felt by everyone who heard it. 

"Damn," Chris said when I finished. "That's just rehearsal, and you're already going all out."

The rest of the group chuckled, nodding in agreement. "You've got some serious skills. How about you show us your piano next?"

I stretched my fingers in preparation. "Actually, I requested to change the second song I'm performing."

"Oh, we heard you were going to do Famous Last Words. What's the new one?"

"I Don't Love You," I said simply.

The moment I said it, Chris, Hayley, and their bandmates clutched their chests in mock heartbreak, all in perfect sync. I couldn't help but laugh at the sight of these global stars being so down-to-earth.

I sat down at the piano, playing the familiar intro to I Don't Love You, losing myself in the music. As my fingers glided across the keys and my voice filled the room, I felt the weight of the lyrics,

"Well, when you go, Don't ever think I'll make you try to stay

And maybe when you get back, I'll be off to find another way"

the emotion pouring out with each note.

No one interrupted; the silence was filled only with the music.

"And after all this time that you still owe

You're still the good-for-nothing, I don't know"

"So take your gloves and get out

Better get out, While you can"

"When you go

And would you even turn to say

I don't love you

Like I did

Yesterday"

When I finished, there was a brief moment of quiet before applause erupted from behind me.

"Wow, that was awesome!" Chris said, smiling broadly. "Though, I have to say, it'll be even better with the full band, right?"

"Yeah," I agreed, "but I don't exactly have my own band."

Chris grinned. "Well, since you're already performing Viva La Vida with us, how about we back you up for the other two songs as well?"

I blinked in surprise. "Seriously? You'd do that?"

"Of course!" he chuckled. "It's nothing. Plus, we like playing with talent. Let's make this show one to remember."

I blinked, surprised, and I joked, "I mean, you guys won't get paid extra for helping me out."

Chris laughed. "Nah, it's not about the money. We're all here for the music."

We all chuckled at that, and I felt the pressure ease off my shoulders as we spent the next two hours rehearsing together. Every note, every beat, felt electric. It wasn't lost on me that this was an unreal opportunity—Coldplay, backing me up.

But what I didn't realize at that moment was that a certain country singer had been watching the entire time, and by the end of the day, I'd find myself playing one more song because of it.

*to be continued*