The opening riff ofI Love Rock ’N Rollrings out and recognition flashes through the crowd. They erupt, and I erupt with them.
I step back from the mic, letting my fingers fly while the audience belts the words for me. Magic. Adrenaline.
When I’m up on stage with my guitar, it’s like pure life’s surging through my veins. It’s freedom. In moments like this, it’s as if the guitar isn’t an instrument at all—it’s a vein running straight out of my body, carrying the lifeblood of every guitarist who’s ever lived.
But you can’t truly understand it until you feel it in your own soul. Words just aren’t big enough for this.
The crowd keeps screaming, keeps singing, and the anxiety that once made my heart race now drives the rhythm of my music. The tingling in my legs becomes fire, pushing me forward.
The next track is the very first Nirvana song my aunt Evelyn introduced me to. It’s the song that made me fall in love withgrunge. That’s why I chose Seattle to study music—the city where grunge was born and still breathes. It’s given me pieces of alternative rock I’ll treasure until the day I die.
I can’t help a smug grin when the crowd instantly recognizesSmells Like Teen Spiritas soon as my fingers start moving on the guitar.
Sam and Maggie spin into a mock dance-off on the floor. Aurora closes her eyes, phone pressed to her ear. Meantime Will climbs onto the bar with Nova, and the two of them dance like the night belongs to them while Steven stays seated, tapping his leg in rhythm, pride shining through his calm smile.
I cast one last glance at Nova and our eyes lock. “Let’s make some noise!” I yell into the mic.
She winks at me—and then the music swallows us both.
-*?? . ??? ? ?.-*??
I get off the stage after seven songs, still humming with energy.
Hands reach out to pat my back, and a boy and a girl slip me their numbers. I chuckle, tucking the scraps of paper into my jeans pocket before weaving back to my friends.
Sam and Nova are in the middle of the dance floor. They have taken over the music, heads close as they decide what to play next.
Steven presses a cold can of Cherry Coke into my hand. I pop it open immediately, savoring the fizz, and he gives me a firm pat on the back. His quick nod says it all:I’m proud of you, V.
Aurora’s still perched with Nova’s phone, her voice soft and her face lit red with embarrassment. She’s definitely talking to Max. I rest a hand on her shoulder, the specific pressure making her recognize me.
“Vincent just came from stage,” she says into the phone. “You want to talk to him? Oh... okay.” Her cheeks turn brighter.
Steven and I exchange a look, half amusement, half curiosity, as she finishes the call. “Okay. I’ll tell him. I miss you,” she mumbles before slipping the phone into her purse. I bite back the urge to tell her it isn’t her phone, but she’s embarrassed enough already.
She reaches out and I lean closer so her hand can find me. “Max, huh?”
“Leave me alone,” she mutters. Then she adds, “He said hey, that he saw the livestream on Instagram, and told me you were pretty good. But he also said you could’ve playedI’ll Be Your Dominoinstead ofSikamikanico.”
“Live on Instagram? Wh—”
“I streamed it,” Will admits, sliding drinks across the counter to a group of girls. “I thought you might like some publicity. Did it bother you? I’m so—”
I shake my head quickly. “No, no. Thank you. It was thoughtful. I’m just... not used to it.”
His worried look melts into a grin, and he tosses me a lemon wedge. “You’ve been great.”
“By the way, happy birthday. We got you a—”
“Birthday? My birthday’s in two mon—Hey! What did I say wrong?”
Will flinches when Maggie smacks the back of his neck. “The plan,” she hisses, but I catch it.
“Plan? What plan?”
Steven covers his face with his hands, Maggie mutters curses under her breath, and Will stares at me blankly before realization floods his face. He goes pale, guilty.
Then Nova and Sam appear again. He’s got an arm slung around her shoulders, both of them glowing with satisfaction. Their conversation dies when they see us staring.
