An Unkindness and Cloud's Departure

chapter 1 - glittered bats

CRASH. "Ah, Jerry, hurry, pick that up!" Yells a teenage girl, with disheveled white hair falling graciously down around her shoulders. Jerry, a teenager with probably too much jewelry in any place he could fit it, hurriedly nods. "Yeah. Alright," He sighs, his face scrunched up a little. He picks up the drum set he knocked over, fixing it in a somewhat clumsy manner while nervously sneaking a few glances to the helping crew. A girl with a large, puffy jacket shoots him deep, judgy looks but Jerry silently wonders off before she could make a retort. After the mess-up had been settled, people scatter around hastily again, assuring everything was in top condition, as well being placed correctly. As for me, I carefully paint the finishing, golden details on the wall behind the stage with swift, delicate motions. No mistakes could be made. Especially not for this particular band, "The Glittered Bats." I knew how important this concert was for Glittered Bats and in some way, it was important for me too. A week ago, I had received the news of music agents scouting for potential talent at this concert from the leader of Glittered Bats and my friend, Casper. He seems so excited about all of this. More happy than he's ever been in weeks, but also immensely more focused and serious now, too. At least, that would be one-hundred percent true if he didn't get distracted around Jerry over five times a day. Though, I don't say much about it. Unless it starts getting annoying. In all honesty, this concert is important to me too. Of course it is. I don't want to mess up this opportunity for him, or for Harlow. I just don't want to mess it up for any of my best friends in Glittered Bats. I feel like even a mistake in the art representing the band could cost them. Or maybe, I'm just being paranoid and want perfection so I can really amaze my boyfriend. I've been really excited to show my artwork to my boyfriend for weeks. I really want him to be proud of me. I know he's going to be, from the amount of effort I've put into the art backdrop. Imagining his surprised face as he sees my best work yet makes me feel all giddy and happy inside, like a firework about to burst. His nonchalant praises, compliments- anything positive from him make me feel like a carefree, happy young kid again, with countless amounts of energy ready to spend. "Harlow, hand me the white paint!" I yell slightly, so the white-haired girl could hear me from the tall ladder I stand on. My voice startles Harlow, as she was so focused making sure every instrument had not a single problem. Looking up at me with an ever so slight smile, Harlow gives a solemn nod, grabbing the white paint, and climbing up on the other side of the ladder to me. Once she reaches close to where I stand on the ladder, she hands me the paint, followed by a question, "It's pretty nice up here, huh? I can barely hear the dumb rambling down there." I hear her comment and laugh, climbing down on the ladder, to where my face is in front of hers. "No, I can still hear it. We're not that high up. I think you're just going deaf," I smirk, hoping this tease riles her up. I always find her reactions rather amusing, or hilarious. Of course, I don't go overboard, but I do have fun. This retort causes a sore frown on Harlow's pretty freckled face. "Bullshit! I am NOT going deaf, Raven!" She disagrees loudly, shaking the ladder too much for it to be comfortable, on accident, while trying to climb back down it. I try to hold my chuckles in, but it's useless. My laughter breaks through my lips, ringing throughout the stage. "I'm joking, Harlow! I'm sorry! Calm down, we're gonna fall off! For someone who seems so uptight, I can't believe you're not afraid of some over paranoid shit of us falling and ruining the concert!" I hesitate before I place my hand on her arm with a gentle but tight grip, to stop her from moving too much on the ladder, so we both don't fall off and break our arms. Her face suddenly twists from the words I spoke, but she also seems nervous, about something entirely different than crashing down to the hard floor. She's completely silent, as if about musing about something significant. From the shaken look on her face, and from the shrunken pupil in her wide beautiful olive eyes, I'd say she's scared. Harlow doesn't speak until a moment later. "I do not forgive you," Harlow snaps, despite crawling back up the ladder. The snappy, hollow mood in her voice makes me blink and ponder before I realize: she's actually upset. I didn't mean for that to happen. Did I tease her too much? I don't want her to be upset. To be honest, upsetting her would upset me, too. Seeing her sad just creates an empty pit in my stomach and waves of melancholy. I pull her up, to where her pleasing olive eyes meet my eyes and I slowly slide my hand off her smooth, soft, pale skin. "Harlow, are you actually upset? I'm sorry, I didn't know that would make you so annoyed. I mean, I'll stop if you want, Harlow- I don't want you to be upset, I was just messing with you-" I try to apologise, so she knows I would never actually try to upset her but my voice cut off by a sudden sullen, deep tone, shouting up to us from below. "Really, Harlow? I'd expect distraction from Robin, not from you! And Raven, stop scaring her! If you guys need a break, then maybe, take your break somewhere else and not on top of a wobbly ladder and don't chat while working on something serious? Please. I'd appreciate it." A boy, his sharp facial features making him look around sixteen to seventeen, suggests, his voice sounding almost irritable. He sort of seems in a bad mood. I wonder what happened, but I know I probably couldn't help, anyway. When Casper's in a bad mood, there aren't many things that could help him. He's about to stride away, until he pauses in his steps, shifting back. "Oh, and Raven, your boyfriend is here. He wants to see you. If he gives you any shit, let us know. Jerry's been working out, you know? And taking karate lessons. I'm sure they can take Elijah- if he wants." He flashes me a tired smile, before inspecting the microphone placed on the stage. I give a half-nod, sighing. "Thanks, Casper. But no need for that. It's fine. I can deal with it," I decline his offer, with a certain tone. The teenage boy strugs, his expression muddled. "I guess. But, honestly, just tell us if you need help. Don't hold it in. We're all your friends. We're here to help. Bye-bye, I'll be over by the exit on the stage with Jerry if you need me," He murmurs, his voice almost not audible. I don't respond, my eyes awkwardly fixated on the wall. I know Casper is just trying to help, everyone is, but I don't have a want or need for it. I don't even know what's wrong with my relationship myself, or even what I did to my boyfriend, Elijah, to make him resent me. So, how could I even ask someone to help, when I don't even know the situation? For months now, Elijah has been.. angry at me, sometimes? Annoyed with me? For seemingly no reason. I've tried to ask him about it, so we can work out whatever's wrong, whatever I'm doing that causes him to be an asshole to me, but he just ignores my questions about it. Once, he got angry when I didn't bring a thirty dollar gift basket on our date last Saturday, like he had done for me (which I said he didn't even have to do for me). It didn't make sense. I told him I didn't have the money for it beforehand, but my words didn't seem to get through to him. He gets on to me for little things, too, like me not wanting to take a stupid couples photo while I was doing an English test I had missed. I told him I'd take a photo later, but he insisted on taking one now. He ignores my boundaries and so many other things I can't even count on my fingers. I don't understand why he does all of this and why he's so angry at me, neither am I close to figuring it out. I'm starting to feel bothered, confused and extremely distressed, about all of it. "Raven, why don't you just break up with that- absolute asshole? He's so smug, and selfish- and pompous. He doesn't deserve you. There's not anyway he could ever deserve you," Harlow breathes in my ear, seriousness engulfing her voice.