Every Bright and Broken Thing

Chapter Twenty-Five - Liam

Bright and early, after checking out of the Super 8, we pile into the car and hunt for a McDonalds. Our performance isn't until 6 o' clock tonight, but we want to ensure that we have plenty of time to set up.

When we finally get to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, I'm blown away. As I step out of the car, my eyes are instantly drawn to the landscape. Rock formations point toward the sky and form a sort of wall around the venue.

We find an information booth and ask the lady there where we can go to check in. With a smile, she sends us in the right direction and soon we're hauling all of our gear backstage. The pressure and anxiety of being the opening act starts to undermine my peace of mind, but I swallow it and choose, instead, to focus on the fact that I'm standing in the middle of this place – not just a place where hundreds of artists and bands have earned their name, but also a place that is far from home, a place that's wild and beautiful.

From the stage, the lowest part of the amphitheater, I look up at the sunlight that spills over the rock, a waterfall of color and brilliance that sets the red earth on fire. Curious, I climb the steps to the very last bench way up at the top, my friends close behind. We all turn to stare out past the stage. The red rocks, the color of clay, point from the ground toward the sky at an angle, like sentinels guarding the Amphitheatre.

"Wow," I say, blown away not only by the size of the venue, but the landscape beyond it. "I've lived in Colorado my whole life. I can't believe I've never been here before." A warm breeze sweeps over the hills, sending goosebumps across my flesh. I think of Ez and all the places we promised to travel together, all the things we promised to do. And yet, here I am without him.

He chose to leave.

But part of me still blames myself. I wonder all the time if I did something wrong or if, maybe, I just wasn't important enough. With all his new friends and his new life, maybe it's not that he forgot about me – it's just that he forgot to remember me.

"Me neither. This place is... incredible," says Theo.

Hands on his head, Jace gawks at the world around us, mouth hanging open in quiet admiration. Leave it to something like this to make him speechless.

Will turns around and stares up at the dusty, green hills behind us. "This place is picture perfect."

"Can you believe that we actually get to perform at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre?" Theo says with a grin, eyes wide. "This is our moment – the moment everything changes for us. The whole world's gonna know who we are – Liam and the Landmarks."

For some reason, in my head, I remember something Mom used to say. What good would it do for a man to gain the world, but lose his soul?

All I can think about is the fact that the whole world could know my name, but not one single person would know me. They will know me for what I do; not who I am. And, in a quiet kind of way, this breaks my heart.