Twenty-Five

The flight home was faster the second time around. I was thankful to be back in California away from my hometown in Colorado.

I wave a taxi down to take me back home, and stare our the window watching cars and city lights pass. A small weight was lifted from my shoulders after visiting, but it's presence was still there. I wanted to be back home. Home with my parents, together with Bryson.

"We're here." The taxi driver says, gaining my attention. I pay him and step out onto the curb and watch him drive off.

I can softly hear the hum of music when I finally reach my door. It sounded very familiar, my gut wrenched as I prayed it wasn't who I thought it was. To my dismay, Chloe had found my collection of music, including Corrupt Youth.

"Why have you been hiding this great music?!" She exclaims as I close the door behind me.

"I haven't?" I question and quickly change the subject. "Better question is why are you going through my things?"

"I've just looked through you music, I swear!" She exclaims, cheeks brights red. I eye her for a few moments before sighing.

"We have to see these guys in concert!" She brings up Corrupt Youth on her phone and my cheeks flush at the mention. "Don't say anything, but I already bought tickets to their next show!"

My whole body is on fire now as she bounces around. I force a smile out as my stomach knots itself into a pretzle.

"What?" is all I can get out. I was unaware of where they were touring exactly, I wish I looked into it more.

"They have a show right here in a week or so! I couldn't not buy seats!" She shakes her head and I just take it in.

Me, her, Bryson and everyone else in the same place. I had no good feelings about this at all. What if Bryson notices me again? He knows this disguise, surely he's not even me again? It is a concert though, dim and packed. I should just calm down, it's not as bad as it seems.

"You're not mad are you?" Chloe says breaking me from my trance.

"No! It will be fun! Can't wait!" I force out cheerfully. She eats it up and starts gushing about how she much adores them.

I never expected Chloe to find out about them, my previous life. Of course she wouldn't know that for sure, but who knows what the press could dig up later. Bryson and I could be the talk of the town next month, I didn't like the thought of the world knowing of my existence. I never in a million years thought my life would take a turn this way.

I'm happy that their band made it finally, I just never stopped to think what would happen to me.

---

I tried to pay attention at work, but my mind was still jumbled with this concert mess. In less then a week, I'd see them up on stage. I hadn't seen them all in person in years, I was nervous and excited.

Chloe couldn't stop talking about it, it was driving me mad. Work was the only place away from her, but my mind had to stress about it still. I wasn't safe from it anywhere.

"Here you go, enjoy." I say handing an iced coffee to some girl.

I was ready for today to be over with. My mind was a jumbled mess, I can't concentrate on anything. I've had to ask so many people today to repeat themselves, it's fucked. I hate that such a small thing is messing with me so bad.

I doubt I will be recognized, but it's that one percent that is clawing it's way into my mind. What if.

My shift ends in a couple minutes, but I choose to clock out early. They'd be fine I really wasn't fit to be working anyway, with my concentration and all.

I just had to get through this concert, then my life should be back to normal. I could focus on my life again and forget about them..

Who am I kidding? I can't forget my old life, it's all over my phone, Chloe is obsessed with the music and I can't get over him. I never escape my past, I'll always be looking back wondering what would've happened if I came home that night.

Him knowing I'm alive too, complicates things more. He'll go looking for me once it really sinks in. He'll torture himself until he does, I can't let that happen. But I also can't let him in at the same time.

I want to believe I could get a happy ending, but it's very muddy right now. I didn't know what to do, how to clear the path before me. I dug myself into a hole, I'm dead to this earth literally.

I wanted to let him in desperately but I wasn't sure I could. He moved on, it would be very rude to march back in like the last three years never happened now. It would jeopardize my whole operation and them as well. I was at a cross roads and I wasn't sure which way was correct. So much could go wrong, was it even worth it? I don't know.

I knew I had to stop stressing and stay on the down low. It's one concert, I could stress about making myself known to them later.

♡