Charlie.- Completed

twenty five

"What do you mean you wrote a new song and you're putting it on our set list?" Ryan crossed her arms. "We go on in like 3 hours."

"I know. I know. But just listen to it. It's all done. I finished it last night." I pulled my headset over her head and watched as her jaw dropped.  

"This is for him?" 

"Of course it is." 

"Jesus Loz." She looked down at my phone and I bit the top of my nail anxiously. "THAT DROP." She started bopping and I smiled. 

"It get's better." I looked behind her and waved at Oz and Fin. I put a finger up as Ry giggled and vibed along to the second verse. 

"WAIT. Do you you mean Greece?" I looked at my phone and nodded, beaming and she shook her head before letting her jaw drop some more. 

The boys were stood there with their arms crossed and Ryan squealed at the final verse.

"STOP IT RIGHT NOW THIS IS AMAZING." She slapped my arm and I threw my head back laughing. "Okay yeah you're doing this tonight." She laughed again. "My god that's the best thing I've ever heard you do." 

"What is?" She turned and looked at the boys who had gotten tired of waiting and were now stood beside us. 

"A new song Loz finished last night and is adding to our set list."  

"Isn't it late to do that?" Fin raised an eyebrow and I shrugged. 

"Maybe a little but it's 100% worth it." 

"Have you got the master tracks for it. I need to split all the vocals up for the stage crew." 

"Its all on the USB. I've already split it but can you check. Oz can listen because there's no lyrics on it." She nodded and handed me my phone and headphones back before pulling him off the stage. 

I smiled at Fin and put my hands into the back of my pockets. 

"There's going to be a lot of people here tonight." I walked over and sat on the edge of the stage and he joined me before continuing on. "I heard a rumour your parents are coming. I don't know how true it is though." 

"Let them. I'm so fucking proud of this set list I hope they die in the corner." I shrugged and Fin laughed. "You guys will all be here anyway."  Pointed to the 6 reserved seats in the front row. 

"6?" 

"Is he not coming?" 

"I don't think he was going to." I sighed and looked at him. 

"Can you get him to?" 

"You want him here?" 

"I need him here." Fin put his hand on my thigh and squeezed. 

"I'll get him here then." I laid my head on his shoulder and let out a breath as we looked into the empty seats. "So Gran Canaria huh?" 

"She fucking told?" I lifted my head up and he giggled. 

"Of course she did. She's worried you're going and we're all going to go with you and leave her here alone." I let out another short breath and grabbed his hand. 

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything." 

"Don't be. We just got a holiday home in a hot country. We're all good." I laughed. "Don't think we're not coming out to see you as often as possible either." 

"I wouldn't dream of it." I laid my head back on him and looked back out. 

We sat in that silence for a few minutes. 

"He doesn't know. About the new house. None of us have told him yet. We've hinted that you don't know if you're staying around here but that's it." 

"What did he say?" 

"That he'll follow you wherever he needs to so you're never alone again."

"He doesn't have to follow me out there." 

"He will Loz. You know he genuinely is never going to leave you again right?"  I nodded on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around me pulling me closer as we looked out at the sea of red fabric chairs. 

In about 2 hours these would all be full. A sold out show and I have never been so excited to sing in front of hundreds of people in my life. I think I had found my calling. I don't exactly know what that means on entails for me right now, but I had. I loved this. Writing and producing and singing my own songs. 

"Let's hear about this set list you keep talking about." 

"So there's 9 songs. Lived it twice I did at the beginning of the year. It's a cover. So is the second to last one but you'll know that when I sing it.  Then there's Nonsense which is like a pop bubblegum kind of song. Funny, some of the words in it you'll have to really listen to to understand. There's a good few songs that I've written over the past year that are a lot more intense though. Feel like shit and Do that again specifically are pretty deep. I kind of put those together months ago though so don't stress. And then there's Run and Hide, All again, Little Bit Louder and the new one. Ruin my life." 

"Which are you most excited about." 

"The new one." 

"Ruin my life?" 

"Yeah." 

"Is that what Ry was listening to?" I nodded. "She really seemed to like it." 

"It is a bop. I wrote some of it whilst we were in Greece but it's just been sat there in my notes. So I finally finished it earlier this week and threw it all together yesterday. I am beyond proud of it and I know you guys will be too." 

"We're all proud of you anyway Loz. Just getting through this year alone is major. Never forget that." He kissed my head and I breathed him in. 

"I'm going to miss you guys when I leave." 

"You say that now. Wait until we come see you and we trash your place." 

"Oh god. I'm making you all stay in hotels." I chuckled and he moved, standing up behind me and pulling me up with him. 

"Okay Loz. It's read for sound check." I looked at Ry who handed me a mic. "You guys have to go now. Byeee." She pushed Oz and then grabbed Fin pulling him too. 

"See you tonight girls." They walked off the stage quickly and I snapped the mic into the stand. 

"Okay let's go from the top." Ry stood over by the keyboard beside where an acoustic guitar stood for one of the songs for me. "I've got a stool coming for Do That Again and Feel Like Shit." I nodded and she started the music over the speakers. "Okay go for it." 

"I already played this out in my head. Every worst case way of how this can end."