Battle of the Bands

Chapter 3| sweater weather

Karl POV

We start setting up, and I realize we left a mic in Q's car.

"I'll be right back, we left a mic in your car. Can I have the keys?" I ask.

"Want me to go with you?" Alex asked, still focusing on tuning his guitar.

"No, I'm good, can I have the keys?" I ask again, he plucks one more string then reaches into his pocket and tosses them to me.

"Thanks! be back in a sec!" I hum and walk out, but of course, it wasn't that easy. I walked towards the hallway to get to the door and there they were. 'The Dream Team'

3rd POV

"Sorry- oh hi Karl" Dream said bitterly, giving Karl a death glare.

"Hello Dream," Karl said back, in his usual honeyed voice.

"How was the last minute practice without Jonah?" Karl was trying to get under their skin as usual, but in the back of his head, he knew he shouldn't have asked.

"Fuck off" Dream huffed. "Don't you have a couple of 'friends' to be with? Or did you ditch them, too?" Dream said, rolling his eyes, he decided to shoot back, making this a bigger conflict.

Sapnap's eyes widened a bit at Dream's bitter tone. Karl looked taken aback, and for a second there was a flash of pain in his eyes before he spoke, in his normal voice.

"I'm just getting a mic, does that bother you?" He said innocently if you knew him well enough you would be able to hear the slight pain in his voice.

"Dream, I think we should go set up now. Come on." Sapnap said, trying to walk away from the situation, but Dream didn't follow.

"I think we have time, Sap." Dream's voice was laced with anger, he sounded like he might snap. You could see in Karl's eyes he was scared, but Dream wouldn't stop.

"Dream I really think we should go practice, please can we go." George whispered, He knew Dream would listen to him.

"Fine. He's not worth our time anyway." Dream said, starting to walk away but then stopped and turned around.

"I won't let you beat us this time Jacobs." Dream spun around and started to walk away, George following close behind. Sapnap stayed a bit longer keeping eye contact with Karl. He opened his mouth slightly, wanting to say something, but no words fell out. After a few more seconds, Dream calls for Sap, snapping him out of his trance and he runs after Dream.

Sapnap's POV

"Dream what the fuck?" I yell anger visible on my face.

"What? I needed to set him straight, he threw the first punch" Dream joked.

"Hypothetically, he hypothetically threw the first punch." George corrected, being the smart ass that he usually was.

"Shut up smart ass," Dream said back.

"Make me." George started crossing his arms over his chest, Dream smirked back at him.

"My God, get a fucking room." I laugh at my own joke as Dream goes to tackle me to the ground.

~time skip~

"Next up welcome to the stage 'The Diamonds'

"Let's go see our competitors." George said while running to the backstage area to see the stage. You could hear the claps and yells from miles away but the one you can pick out from the rest was Bad's.

Right when everything goes close to silent you can hear Skeppy start to play drums. The crowd started cheering louder than ever.

And all I am is a man

I want the world in my hands

Karl sings gaining everyone's attention, all eyes on him, the way he grabs the mic, and his lips moving and-

NO what am I thinking. I can't like him he- he hurt me-

(:Flash back:)

"Karl we'll be friends forever right?" I asked. We were in 3rd grade, swinging on the swings, and making empty promises to each other.

"Of course we will! I pinky promise!" Karl held his pinky out to me and I took it. "Let's go find Q!" Karl laughed and jumped off the swings.

Then in 4th grade.

"Let's play tag with Dream and George!" I yell at Karl.

"I already promised Q I would hang out with him! Tomorrow I will!"

Slowly we drifted. He just... forgot about me.

(:end flashback:)

Cause it's too cold

For you here

I snap out of my thoughts, hearing Karl continue to sing. I hear Q singing the back up vocals and Skeppy still playing the drums but louder than before. I never liked admitting it but they were... good. I didn't blame people for liking them. Skeppy's drum skills were really good, same with Alex's guitar but everyone knew the main purpose of their band was Karl's voice. Everyone loved it. When we were kids he'd sing to me when I was stressed and it always calmed me down and it still does.

It's too cold

For you here

And now, let me hold

Both your hands in the holes of my sweater~

Karl took a shaky breath while Quackity sang sweater. They started humming some of the words making the song more relaxed, and making people pay more attention to the drums. They had a nice formula for the music, it was well written and everything, a little inappropriate but it was good.

The hands of my sweater~

Karl whispered the last line into the microphone and let the music fade out.

I start to clap until Dream gives me a death stare so I stop, I don't know why Dream hates Karl but I just go along sense he kinda deserves it.

Karls POV

As I lost myself in the song and let myself come back to reality hearing the people clap and scream. I smile at Skeppy and Q and they do the same. I bow and say thank you to the audience and walk off stage. I see 'The Dream Team' watching us. I wave my hand and leave them there. I don't know why they hate me so much, but it doesn't bother me... that's a lie. I don't tell anyone but it still hurts. It's fine though.

Bad meets us backstage, I think he got Skeppy's pass.

"YOU DID SO GOOD!! Buuut that wasn't the most... appropriate." Bad criticised.

"Bad, we aren't kid friendly-" Skeppy said back.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom- um be right back." I say and walk out, I don't usually show people I'm stressed, mostly only Skeppy and Q have seen me like this, bad has maybe twice.

I go to the bathroom and splash some water on my face.

I shouldn't let them get to me.

Why do I let them get to me?

I hear them start to play heatwaves on stage.