Chapter Fifteen
Annie
We take our positions on stage, and I look out over the sea of faces, smiling, dancing, clapping—they are already with us.
Relief washes through me.
I plug in my guitar and glance at Ella. She smiles brightly back, steadying me. She’s okay.
Chad settles behind the drums, tapping the bass a couple of times, and that’s our cue.
I turn toward Aston. He catches my eye, grinning like this is the easiest thing in the world, like we’re about to walk into a backyard party instead of a stadium packed with thousands of people. “Let’s rock it, Lennox.”
My laugh comes out breathless as I nod.
The opening beat thunders through the speakers, vibrating up through the soles of my boots. The crowd erupts, arms already in the air, voices rolling toward us in one deafening wave, and every nerve ending in my body crackles to life.
This is it.
My first show.
I throw my hands up, feeding off the energy… and the back of my wrist clips the microphone stand. The microphone slams sideways, and a piercing screech rips through the stadium. Every speaker screams, and I swear the sound tears straight through my skull.
The crowd recoils as one, thousands of faces wincing beneath the lights before a chorus of groans and playful boos rolls back across the stage.
My heart drops somewhere into my boots.
No! No, no, no…
Heat floods my face as I lunge for the stand, fumbling to steady it with hands that suddenly don’t seem to belong to me.
I’ve been on stage for all of five seconds, and I’ve already made the entire stadium hate me.
A laugh cuts through the panic.
I glance sideways.
Aston’s bent over his guitar, shoulders shaking, a grin splitting his face so wide it’s impossible not to see it.
Hell of a first impression, Annie.
“Shit,” I mutter as the noise dies down and the crowd stands there, unimpressed.
Perfect. Haven’t even played a note, and I’ve already screwed it up.
“Lennox,” Aston murmurs. I look at him, my heart racing. “Your dad’s down there. Make him proud.”
I glance toward the front, where Dad’s smiling, giving me a thumbs up.
Right, I’ve got this.
I hit the guitar hard, pouring everything into that first chord. Aston and Ella jump in, and the sound explodes through the venue—loud, electric, alive—and a shiver runs down my spine as adrenaline surges through me.
I look out at the crowd.
Still… watching.
Waiting.
Judging.
Only the front row, our parents, are fully into it.
I swallow and glance at Aston, and he shrugs. Then Caleb bursts onto the stage, launching straight into the first verse of “Don’t Mess With the Best.”
I turn my back to Aston, instinctively, and a second later, he’s there, solid against me.
Everything clicks into place.
I lose myself in the music, the moment…
My fingers move without thought as I play, letting the music take over. I risk a glance at the crowd, where a few people are moving.
Then more.
And by the time we hit the chorus, the shift is undeniable. People are dancing, cheering, feeding off us, and energy floods through me, brighter and stronger than anything I’ve ever felt.
This is it.
This is what I’ve dreamed about.
My pulse pounds in my ears, fast and steady, like the music’s taken over my bloodstream. Every note, every beat—it’s all-consuming. And Aston’s touch at my back only intensifies it.
I feel unstoppable.
I glance out again, pulled briefly from the moment by the roar of the crowd, and it hits me all over again. I turn to Aston, and he’s grinning like he can’t believe it either.
Ella’s smashing it, not missing a note.
Chad and Caleb are completely in their element.
Girls are already screaming for Caleb, hands reaching toward him.
I mean… I get it, I guess.
He’s good-looking.
The reaction is wild. A couple of guys are eyeing Ella, too, but she’s so focused she doesn’t even notice.
I glance down at Mum and Dad. Mum’s crying. Dad’s cheering. Typical.
The song ends, and the crowd erupts in cheers and stomping.
We raise our hands together, feeding off it, pushing them louder.
“Hello, London!” Caleb shouts. “We are Staked! Thanks for being here for our very first live show. You having a good time?”
The response is deafening.
A girl in the crowd rips off her top, down to a black bra, and launches it onto the stage.
We all crack up laughing as Caleb strolls over, picks it up, and grins. “Thanks for that, sweetheart.” He shoves it into his back pocket as security moves in.
Her scream somehow cuts through everything.
I glance at Dad. He’s laughing, shaking his head, clearly enjoying not being the one getting things thrown at him for once.
“Now if everyone could keep their clothes on for a bit…” Caleb drawls, “… we can always take them off later.”
The crowd loses it.
I swear someone actually faints.
I laugh so hard I can barely think.
Caleb is going to be huge—there’s no doubt about it.
“This next song means a lot to me,” he says. “I wrote it with my awesome cousin over there. Say hi, Annie…”
I grin and wave, the crowd cheering again.
“It’s about someone special… and hopefully she knows who she is. This is “Saving Grace.” ”
We launch into the song.
Performing like this, it’s everything I imagined and more. The crowd, the noise, the energy is addictive. I lean back into Aston again, and we fall into rhythm, moving together like we always do.
I couldn’t do this without him.
I wouldn’t want to.
The rest of the set flies by without a hitch, and by the end of it, I’m certain we’ve just made our first real fans.
Not just family.
Real fans.
The final song ends, and I take one last look out at the crowd, soaking it all in. Sweat clings to my skin, my vest sticking to me under the heat of the lights, but I don’t care. I’d stand in flames if it meant I got to be up here doing this, feeling this moment.
We rush offstage, Aston and Caleb right behind me, the crowd still roaring.
My heart races, my whole body buzzing.
Ten thousand people.
I still can’t believe it.
I head down the stairs, shrug off my guitar, and pass it to a crew member before wiping the sweat from my forehead, and then I pause.
Close my eyes.
And listen.
The cheers. The stomping. The energy.
It’s still there.
Still ours.
Strong arms suddenly wrap around me, and I squeal, opening my eyes to find Aston.
He lifts me clean off the ground and spins me in a circle.
I laugh, clutching onto him as we turn, the world still buzzing from the stage.
When he slows, he slides me down his body, hands lingering as he steadies me.
Then he brushes a strand of damp hair from my face, shaking his head.
“That was amazing,” he says.
I nod, a little dazed, my attention drifting to his lips. His hand cups my cheek, and I lean into it, breathing him in.
“Are you okay?” he asks, brows pulling together.
I blink, realizing I haven’t said a word.
“Shit! Yeah. Sorry. I’m just… still in it. I can’t believe how good that felt,” I say, my voice a little breathless.
He’s still holding me close. “You were incredible out there, Lennox,” he murmurs, resting his sweaty forehead against mine.
“You’re incredible all the time,” I reply honestly.
The way he smiles, it hits me right in the chest.
He leans in.
I move to meet him…
“To be continued,” Aston mutters, stepping back just as Dad’s voice echoes down the hall.
Perfect timing.
“Holy shit! You guys were amazing.” Dad barrels toward us, grabbing Ella on the way and pulling us both into a crushing hug. “I’m so proud of you, especially you two.”
I laugh, peeking over his shoulder at Aston. His parents are already swarming him, but he catches my eye and winks.
My stomach flips.
“How’d it feel?” Dad asks, pulling back but keeping his hands on our shoulders.
I glance at Ella. She’s glowing. “I was so nervous at first,” she says, grinning. “But once we started playing, it just… disappeared. It was so amazing, Dad!”
“Annie?” Dad prompts.
I drag my gaze away from Aston and look back at him, shaking my head in disbelief. “Best feeling ever. You tried to explain it, but nothing compares. I want to feel that every day for the rest of my life.”
“I’m glad,” he says, pride written all over his face. “You did so well.”
I pull a face. “Except for the mic reverb at the start. They actually booed me.”
Dad laughs. “Sweetheart, if that’s the worst thing that happens on stage, you’re doing just fine. You won them back in seconds. Don’t even think about it.”
“Dad, is it true there were record labels out there tonight?” I ask.
Ella’s eyes go wide.
Dad’s expression tightens slightly. “Where did you hear that?”
“When I went for some air,” I say, carefully leaving out the chaos that came with it.
He exhales slowly. “I didn’t want to say anything yet. But yes, there were a few. I’ve already spoken to one. Still early, though.”
“That’s good, right?” I press.
He gives a small smile. “My lips are sealed.”
I nudge his shoulder. “Come on, give us something.”
He hesitates, then leans in slightly. “All I’ll say is we’re in discussions about possibly signing you with the same label as 12GAUGE-Slayed.”
Ella and I both scream, jumping up and down.
“Hey! Keep it quiet,” Dad warns, though he’s clearly enjoying this. “No one else hears until I know for sure.”
“Scout’s honor,” I say, grinning.
He chuckles. “All right, let’s get you all cleaned up. After-party time.”
Yes.
I fist-pump the air as we all start moving back toward the green room as a group. Peripheral and Red Velvet will be there, along with 12GAUGE-Slayed and us.
Ella and Chad will definitely be the youngest ones there.
And there will definitely be alcohol.
Not happening for me.
We reach the green room, and I spot a clothing rack filled with outfits.
I glance at Mum. She smiles.
“What’s this?” I ask.
“We thought you might want to change,” she says, pulling down a short black dress, very similar to what I wore for my birthday. “Everything’s in your style.”
“Thanks, Mum. I feel disgusting after that, so this is perfect.”
She hands Ella her outfit as well.
“There are showers down the hall if you want to freshen up,” Sia calls, juggling the twins.