Emre sauntered onto the stage last and paused as he was picking up the guitar. He looked to the left, into the crowd of people that had noticed them on stage, eyes searching. There she sat at the bar, her black wavy hair down her back as she laughed at something Mila had said. She looked like she was holding court, a princess talking to her entourage. He huffed out a deep breath, the sound catching Axel's attention.
"You okay, man?" Axel mumbled, next to him as he adjusted the guitar strap around his neck.
"Yeah, yeah...That girl I was telling you about, she's here," Emre puffed up his cheeks before exhaling. He ruffled his hair before he picked up his guitar and started fiddling with it.
"Dude, stop. We've already tuned everything just now," Axel chided. "You didn't know she'd be here?" Axel said looking at Emre with a sideways glance.
Emre shook his head, as he continued to fiddle with the guitar. Axel sighed; this was not the time to get into girl issues as much as he loved the gossip. Emre was the youngest member of the band, the only one still in high school. And perhaps the one person who has the talent of all the other three band members combined. As much as Axel doesn't say it, he knows that the day Emre walked into his garage with his tattered guitar case, was the day their music took a turn for the amazing. Emre could write and compose, combined with Axel's fine tuning they had managed to create a sound that was theirs. With all the time the two of them spent together, it was natural that Emre started spilling little details about his family, his school, and that one girl that he had been crushing on since he was 11. God, that's a fucking long time to crush on just one person, Axel thought to himself in disbelief.
Axel always found it difficult wrap his mind around the fact that Emre was in a band like theirs. Sure, their music could be categorised as pop punk; a bit more radio friendly than the hardcore stuff, but Emre...he was too good â too wholesome for this scene. He didn't drink, refuses to be in the same room if drugs of any kind were involved, never flirted with their groupies, his mother doesn't allow Emre to have any tattoos and the crazy part of it all is the fact that Emre actually listened to her!
"Which one is she?" he nudged Emre in the ribs. Emre groaned before lifting his head and nodding towards the bar.
"The one sitting by the bar, next to Ahad."
"Right, the one with the black hair and glasses," Axel nodded as he stepped up to the microphone. "I think I can see it, she's kinda cute," he said as he smiled charmingly, winking and nodding at the crowd gathered close to the stage.
"Wait till you speak to her," Emre mumbled under his breath, his hand poised as he strummed the opening chords to the first song of their first set.
Throughout the first set, Emre forced his eyes away from her. He didn't look at her as he played his guitar, supporting Axel with his vocals as they kept playing. He picked the 'EXIT' sign located at the front door and kept his eyes trained on it. There was an odd sense of trepidation to look at Kiara. He knew the kind of musical genius that Kiara truly was, and it made him nervous. He never brought up his music or gigs, because he was genuinely afraid of her reaction to it. What if she disliked it? What if she found the lyrics silly and childish? What if she figured out that it was about her?
They took a ten minute break between the three sets they were to play, and as they walked off to the backstage. Russell and Malcom picked up the chilled green glassed beer bottles and guzzled it down before anyone could say anything as they wiped the sweat off their faces with the towels set by the bucket of chilled beer bottles. Axel looked at them pointedly, and they both shrugged as it was already their last set. They knew Axel didn't really care if they drank or not, as long as they didn't mess up while onstage. Emre watched his band members as he chugged down plain water, feeling the sweat drip down his back.
Emre quirked his eyebrow as Axel sauntered up to him, "So, do you think she liked our music so far?"
"I wouldn't know," Emre answered quietly, looking through Axel.
"What do you mean? She was almost right in front us, next to Raine and another girl. You couldn't have missed her...," Axel frowned.
"I...I avoided...looking...at her," Emre said haltingly, feeling his face heat up even more.
Axel shook his head, disbelieving, "You know what, I am not even going to ask. We'll finish this set with "If It Means A Lot To You'."
"You want to do a cover?" Emre asked confused, especially knowing that he would be singing the song as well. It was their favourite warm up songs.
"Yeah, let's go!" Axel said, as he pulled both Russell and Malcom by their collars. They grinned and waved at the three young girls who were backstage.
Emre watched as Axel, told both Russell the drummer, and Malcolm the bassist about the song they will be closing with.
Emre looked at Axel and waited for his nod before he once again poised himself and started playing on his cue.
There was a short silence onstage, as all four members were quickly mopping the sweat off their faces before they got ready for the last song. Axel armed with his mischievous smile announced that they will be performing a cover, one of their favourite songs. Emre didn't have to look to know the effect it had on the large number of females they had in the crowd. He gritted his teeth, determined not to look at Kiara â not wanting to see if she was also affected by Axel's looks and charm.
Axel started by playing the opening chords of the song, and as the words started registering in Emre's mind he finally allowed his eyes to wander over to Kiara. He could see her, almost right in front of the stage. Her face was pink while her chest was heaving with excitement or exertion, he wasn't sure. But he felt his heart skip a beat when their eyes met and the smile that radiated through her whole body in response to that.
Slowly all the sounds blurred out, the only thing that he could see was Kiara in front of him, smiling at him like he made the world spin round. He sang the verses that before were just empty words but now sounded like promises of things that could be.
"I swear, I'll never be happy again
And don't you dare say we can just be friends
I'm not some boy that you can sway
We knew it'd happen eventually"
He watched Kiara's eyes widen slightly as she heard him sing the words they both knew were meant for them on stage. The pink on her skin deepened and Emre felt like his world had spun off its axis at the shy but knowing smile playing on her lips.
He flashed her a brilliant smile as he kept playing with the band the song swelling with the beats of the drums and everyone else joining in singing the chorus. Eyes riveted on Kiara, he watched as she sang along with the chorus, "La la la la la la..." he sang into the mic.
"So, what was that dude?" Axel asked, bumping shoulders with Emre as they walked into the bar.
Emre shrugged, unable to stop the smile on his face. He looked at his watch and saw that it was already 1.00a.m.. Biting the inside of his cheek he worried if he would miss seeing Kiara, if she would have already left by now. It always took some time for them to pack up their gear especially with the others being distracted by the girls who would come by for a chat or...other things.
He could feel people looking at them, and then the hoots and the hollers started along with the applause. Axel as usual would go around and meet a few of their fans, a term that Emre uses very loosely for now. He nodded at some of them as he kept walking to the bar, his eyes searching for Kiara.
He felt someone tap him on the shoulder and turning around he took a step back in surprise. He had Mila in his arms giving him a hug. He froze in shock, his arms stiff next to his body. He found himself looking at a giggling Kiara, she had she hands up covering her mouth as she continued giggling at the expression on Emre's face.
"That was so, so good!!" Mila shrieked holding on to Emre's shoulders as she shook him roughly.
"Uhmm...yeah thanks."
"I mean everything was so good!! You guys write your own songs and everything?!" she continued.
"Yeah, we do," he frowned at all the compliments from Mila.
"Mila, unhand him. You're freaking him out," Kiara said between giggles.
"Yeah, maybe stop gripping into his arm and shaking him. You might give him a concussion...," Robbie said as he gently removed Mila's hands from Emre's shoulders. Mila kept on going on raving about the band to Robbie, shocked at finding out how well they played.
"Hi...," Kiara said lightly as she bounced on the balls of her feet.
"Hey...," Emre said as he moved closer to her, a smile pulling at his lips. "So...?" he trailed, his hands opening next to him as he waited for her to say something.
"So...What?" Kiara asked, biting back a smile as she watched him looking at her expectantly. "Oh, you want to know what I think?"
He nodded slowly, his lips twisting as it set into a thin line on his face.
"You sure? Can you handle my completely unbiased opinion?" she asked again, eyebrows bunching together as she schooled her face into a stern expression.
Emre nodded again, taking a step closer towards Kiara. "100%. What did you think?"
"Well, I thought that...," she started slowly, seriousness dripping of her words, "you guys were so freaking amazing!!" she shrieked as she bounced on her toes again.
"I mean, the lyrics and the words...they were just beautiful," she said as she did the chef's kiss. "And that last song, the cover...I didn't know you could sing like that," she said as she looked into Emre's glittering pale green eyes. "You are really, really good," she said softly, for his ears only.
Emre looked down to hide the smile on his face and looked away. When he looked back at Kiara, Axel was standing next to her with his arm around Kiara. Kiara shifted uncomfortably under Axel's arm and looked at Emre for help. Clenching his jaw, he pulled Kiara over to stand next to him from under Axel's arm.
"Well, aren't you going to introduce us?" Axel asked, peeved at the way Emre had pulled Kiara away from him.
"Kiara, Axel. Axel, Kiara," Emre said shortly.
"Always a man of very few words," Axel tried to joke. He couldn't believe his eyes, when he saw Kiara softly bumping into Emre and Emre sighed as though giving in to some silent request.
"Fine, fine...he's the front man of our band. And he writes and composes the songs...," Emre said darkly. Axel raised an eyebrow, wondering why Emre didn't include himself in that.
"Well, I mean...I do some get help," Axel shrugs, as he looks at Emre sideways who slowly shakes his head.
"That's so amazing! I literally just started today...trying to compose an original and it's honestly so freaking difficult...," Kiara sighs, leaning her face on Emre's arm like it was the most natural thing to do.
"I mean, it always starts somewhere, right? Ours was pretty horrible two years ago," Axel said lightly, as he studied Kiara.
"What time do you need to get home?" Emre asks Kiara quietly, looking down at her.
"I have to be home tomorrow before my practice with Mrs. Jones," she says in an equally quiet tone looking up at Emre, he could see her coffee-coloured eyes glittering in the dimmed lighting of the bar.
Kiara squealed in shock as another arm slung over her in a sudden, making her break away from Emre who couldn't stop the frown on his face.
"Ahad! Stop freaking creeping up on me," he watched as Kiara roughly pushed his arm away. He found that he had a sudden intense dislike on how familiar Ahad was with Kiara.
"Okay, Papa ki Pari! We're all going to grab something to eat. The boys will usually be hungry after a gig. You want to join us? Then we'll probably head back to Raine's place to chill," Ahad asked, pulling Kiara closer to his side.
Emre waited for Kiara's answer and was surprised when he found her looking into her eyes as she tilted her chin up as though asking him if it was okay. He nodded his head, wanting her to stay. Wanting to have as much of her time that she allowed him to have. So yes, he wanted her to join them. He wanted her to seek him out in a crowd. He wanted her to feel comfortable with him and only him. He released a rushed breath through his nose, the sound harsh to his ears.
"Yeah, I don't think this is a crush anymore," he heard Axel say nonchalantly behind him as he sipped on water.
Emre glanced behind him and shook his head lightly rolling his eyes at the shrug Axel reacted with. "Come on, let's go. I'm starving," he said to the group, and they walked out the bar and waited for everyone at the sidewalk.
Emre watched as Kiara was introduced to Russell and Malcolm and how she moved closer to him as they exchanged hellos. He knew that both of them very dying to ask him questions about her with the way their eyes bounced between Kiara, him, and their closeness.
"So, where's all your gear and stuff?" she asked as they lingered behind, as the rest of the group walked in front of them.
"Robbie lets us park our car behind the bar and he has top of the line security systems in place. So, whenever we play here, we leave it there after loading it up. Saves us the trouble of lugging our shit around," Emre says, eyes forward hands stuffed into the pockets of his black bomber jacket.
"Besides, it's not like its the most expensive of equipments. Mine's a second hand I found on Craigslist," he shrugged. "One day I'll get a brand new, in box Gibson SG...or maybe a Fender...I haven't decided yet..."
"Wow...that kinda flew right over my head...I have no idea what guitar companies you are talking about. But piano, I am your girl!" Kiara laughed at herself.
There was a long silence before he heard her ask timidly, "You're not mad right, that I came to watch you perform...?"
Emre stopped abruptly and turned to face her. "Why would you think that?"
"I don't know...You've never invited me before..."
Emre ruffled his hair in annoyance, "Because...it matters to me...what you think about it matters..."
"...and you thought I wouldn't like it?"
"I mean...I know the music that you play and the music that you dance to..."
"...it's different..."
"It is."
"But it is still music. It's still something that is awe inspiring, that can give you chills, give you goosebumps; you know, the delicious kind that stays with you the whole day. That seeps into your soul and you find yourself humming it without even knowing. That makes you want to hear it or even play it over and over again...it's still music Emre," she said looking straight into his soul, he felt.
Emre released a harsh breath and took a step away from Kiara. She cocked her head to the side, as though puzzled at his reaction to her words. "Did I say something wrong?"
"No." He retraced his step, moving closer to Kiara as he looked down at her; his heart pounding in his chest, "Sometimes you say things that make me want to kiss you," he murmured watching the pink bloom on her cheeks as the meaning of his words enveloped them in a separate world made just for them.
"Oh," she breathed out, her eyelashes fluttered as she blinked up at him behind her glasses.
"Oi, lovebirds. Hurry the hell up!"
They both turned to look at Mila who had called to them loudly, making the others who were walking further in front stop and turn around. Emre could see Ahad watching them with a raised eyebrow and he frowned.
"We're coming," Kiara said in a singsong voice, she sounded breathless; the blush still painting her cheeks a pretty pink as they caught up with the group.