i place another plate in front of a woman, getting a 'thank you' in return. i see a boy come up beside me, handing out another plate to the person sitting beside the woman. "josh? what're you doing here? shouldn't you be back stage?" i ask, looking at him and placing the last plate i had in front to a man. "yeah, i just wanted to help out a little, y'know?" he says, and we walk to the kitchen, getting more plates. "you don't have to," i say, smiling as i pick up 2 plates, balancing one of them along my arm, holding the other. i get a plate of 4 drinks, holding it in my other hand. joshua picks up 2 plates, one in each hand. "don't drop it," he says, smiling. "don't worry, i won't," i say, and we walk to the main hall again.
we hand out the last few plates, and i hear someone call out josh's name. we look over, seeing a woman on the side of the door. "we need to get your microphones attaches to you!" she says, beckoning him over. he turns to me with a smile. "i gotta go," he says. "thanks for helping out, i'll see you on stage," i say, smiling. "no worries, see you!" he says, jogging past the tables and going through the door that was being held by the woman.
i sit on an empty seat 2 tables away from the stage. luckily, the seat on my left was vacant, and i save the spot for may.
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(the hall!)
i look up as the curtains open, aunt may stepping out. i smile, clapping along with a few others that clapped. she walks up to the microphone, standing in front of it. "evening everyone, i hope the food's good," she says, looking around. "now, we have a very special guest who volunteered to perform a few of his songs for us tonight, he's a very sweet boy so please give your applauses to joshua bassett!" aunt may says, turning to the curtains as everyone claps.
the curtains pull open, showing josh and his band behind. he walks up to the microphone with a smile, "thank you miss parker," he thanks as may walks down the side stairs with a smile. aunt may sits next to me and we watch josh as he clears his throat. "thank you guys for having me today! i have the best band in the world behind me, so i hope you guys enjoy this little concert while you have dinner," he says, chuckling. "this first song is called anyone else." the guitar and soft drums start playing, josh looking down at his guitar before he starts playing the main guitar.
he scans the crowd, beginning to sing. "you say you gotta think it over..." i lean my elbows on the table, resting my face in my palms as i watch him. he catches my eyes, smiling and looking away.
he takes the microphone off the hand, moving the guitar to his side as he starts to sing the bridge. "the world melts away when i'm with you," he sings, closing his eyes, "and i know you're afraid to jump too soon,"he does a run. "but i promise if you would, i'd love you better than he ever could, girl we'd have it good, we have it good," he ends the bridge. "hey!" he yells with a smile, pointing the microphone up as he nods to the music. i softly laugh, picking up my coke can.
"coming up next is um, definitely got a special place in my heart," he says, adjusting the capo on his guitar. "i wrote this song over like 4 months, i've had his guitar part that i've been messing around with for forever and then," he says, clearing his throat, "eventually uh, i just wrote it in like ten minutes but it took a while messing around with the ideas, i just couldn't get it right but then it all hit so... anyway, this one's do it all again." he looks down, starting to play the guitar as his guitarist in the band plays along.
announcing this upcoming song was his last song of the night, he starts to tell the story of it. "so when we were putting together my ep, um, it was kind of a unanimous decision that the leading single leading up it would be this next song. i wrote this one when i was very angry, and it was one in the morning and i was in my kitchen in my underwear," he says, making the crowd laugh, "and playing my guitar, and i was just so mad and it all just like flowed outta me, and i feel like this songs really cathartic to play and it's really cathartic to jam your head to in the car, and these guys are really gonna kill it, it's gonna be great, it's called lie lie lie."
there was a musical interlude before his bridge, and he starts to talk. "i said it before, we've got the greatest band in the world, edison lo on bass, isn't that ironic?" the crowd laughs, including josh and i. "he's killing it, and of course, brook alexander, killing it on the drums! my guy, rhythm like no other. he's also got perfect pitch, which is funny for a drummer. we also have karina depiano, that is her real last name, not joking, and of course, nicholas... uh... veinoglou! his last names hard you guys, give me a break," he says, making the crowd laugh once again. "he's about to shred it on the guitar so everybody buckle up and uh, enjoy that." he says, getting ready to sing again.
i walk backstage a few minutes after josh thanks the crowd and heads off stage. "hey!" i say, smiling as i see him take off his guitar. "oh hey!" he says, turning around with a smile, crouching down and putting the guitar back in its case. "you were amazing out there," i say, smiling. "thank you! that was like my first concert," he says, chuckling and standing up. "yeah, i overheard some people saying you did great!" "god, i hope so," he responds, smiling.
we stand by the exit as josh's team talks to aunt may and martin. i watch, not realising josh tapped me on the shoulder. "y/n?" he says. i get out of my daze, looking at him. "oh, sorry! what's up?" i say, facing him. "i was just wondering if i could get your number, i think we could be really good friends," he asks, smiling. i smile, pulling out my phone. "sure thing," i say, going to contacts. i hand my phone to him, and he types in his details, and i do the same to his. "we ready to go?" a woman asks josh. "yeah! yeah, we're ready," he responds, looking back at me. "it was a pleasure to meet you, y/n," he says, smiling. "it was nice to meet you too, josh," i respond, smiling back.
we watch as josh gets into his black van, the streetlights letting me see through, even though the windows were slightly tinted. he waves to me with a smile, and i wave back, watching the van drive away.
