The Winner Of Life

Three

I walked off the bus then gasped as I ran into someone, calloused hands catching my arms to keep me from falling.

"Whoa, sorry!" The male laughed then I looked up and smiled softly as I saw Jake Pitts from Black Veil Brides.

"Sorry, I was looking for Ricky. Is he here?" He asked, but I shook my head and stepped back.

"No, he uh, he went to the soundcheck with the rest of Motionless." I said and he nodded.

"Right, of course. You must be Kallista Hall, the winner of their contest." He said and I nodded.

"I-I am, yes. You're Jake Pitts, for Black Veil, right?" I asked as I shook his hand and he nodded.

"I am, yes." He grinned then I saw Ashley Purdy walking over, only he smiled as he saw me.

"Hi-"

"Kallista!" I turned and smiled as I saw Ghost running over.

"Hey, Chris sent me to get you for the show!" He said and offered me his hand, but I hesitated as I did with Jake.

"Uh, thanks. I-I'll just be a second, I forgot to grab a hair tie." I said and he nodded, dropping his hand as I went back on the parked bus to get a hair tie. As I riffled through my bag to find one, I felt a presence behind me.

"No one will care for you the way I do!" I heard Billy's voice whisper in my ear and shot around, breathing erratically as I saw an empty bus.

"Kallista?!" Ghost called as he came on the bus, but he seemed worried as he saw me.

"Are you okay?" He asked and I nodded, forcing a smile.

"Fine." I smiled and grabbed the hair tie on the small table, going towards him.

"Ready?" I asked and he nodded, looking confused as he followed me off the bus. When we got to their stage, I saw the band warming up for their show in about thirty minutes.

"Hey, Kallista- you okay?" Chris asked as he saw me and I looked at him then nodded, smiling as I pulled my hair back.

"I'm okay." I said and looked around, seeing the crowd that was back stage from fans with passes to crew members to the other bands here to watch the headliners.

"Kallista." I looked at Chris and smiled as I nodded once.

"I'm okay." I said, though it was an obvious lie as he frowned.

"Okay." He said and looked at the stage as the crowd got more excited when it got closer to time for them to begin performing.

"Chris Motionless!" I turned and smiled as I saw Andy Biersack and his band coming over, Jake smiling as he saw me.

"Kallista." I nodded once then clenched my fist when I felt my left hand shaking.

"Kalli, I'm sure you know-"

"Black Veil Brides." I cut Chris off then forced a smile.

"A pleasure." I formally said then Vinny came over and hugged my shoulders, which really offset me.

"And this is Kallista Hall, our contest winner!" He grinned, not noticing my shaking as I tried to keep from throwing him off.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Hall." I smiled softly at Jinxx then Vinny got off me and I glanced at him as the music for Motionless started up.

"Well, we should go out there." Chris said and I nodded as Vinny ran out with the others behind him.

"Kalli-"

"I'm okay, Chris." I smiled and hugged myself to hide my wince of pain as he went out, leaving me there with the other band.

"You sure? Looks like you got into a pretty nasty fight." I looked at Andy then nodded, trying to focus on the music that once calmed me. As I closed my eyes to just focus and listen, I felt my hands stop shaking as harshly and felt my heart rate slowing as I swayed to the classic Abigail and the newer Reincarnate.

"You're nothing without me!" Billy's voice hissed into my ear and I gasped, my eyes shooting open and my heart rate spiking again.

"Kalli?!" I heard someone yell from behind me, but I shook my head and turned, running from the stage to try and find somewhere quiet to just forget myself.

Chris' POV
I glanced over at backstage as I noticed Andy wildly waving his arms then, during a song break, I went over and noticed Kallista gone.

"Where-"

"She ran off halfway through Reincarnate, she looked freaked the fuck out!" CC said and I looked at the band, trying to think if 570, our last song of the show, was worth it when Kalli was out on the grounds probably panicking somewhere.

"Chris, what's wrong?!" Ryan asked as he came over, but he noticed Kalli wasn't here.

"Where's Kallista-"

"Is 570 worth risking Kalli?" I asked and he licked his lips.

"No, it's not, but we promised to play it at every show on tour." He said and I cursed.

"Dude, go, we will find her." I looked at Andy then took a deep breath.

"You call me the second you find her!" I ordered and he nodded, turning and running from the stage with his band to find our traumatized winner. As Ryan and I went back to the stage, we started 570, but I had never felt so... fake on that stage before. I wasn't sure why Kallista was taking over my thoughts like she was, why I was so worried about a woman I had only met yesterday, but all I knew was that everything in me told me to go and find her. The second the show was over, I checked my phone to see nothing from Black Veil and knew she hadn't been found.

"We need to find Kallista." I said, which was all it took for us to split off into the crowd. When I saw BVB on the stage performing, I knew they had been forced to stop to perform, but that was okay. We had an obligation to the fans, and there were five bands here to find the panicking woman. I just hoped we found her and not some predator.