Lost in Arcadia Chloe Price x Reader (Life is strange)

Part 10 Mic Check (Redux)

Classes had just ended, and my stomach was a churning mess of excitement and nerves. I grabbed my guitar and the rest of my gear, heading straight for the courtyard. Today was the day of our performance to show Chloe how much she meant to me and to make up for everything that had happened.

When I arrived, Steve, Jason, River, and Ainsley were already there, unloading equipment from Steve's van. The stage was set up outside in the courtyard, with the sun casting long shadows across the grass. The backdrop featured a stormy scene, with dark clouds swirling and lightning streaking across the sky. The contrast of the stormy backdrop against the otherwise calm evening created an intense, electrifying atmosphere.

"Hey, Y/N," Steve called out, waving me over. "Ready to rock?"

"Yeah," I replied, though my voice wavered slightly. I could feel the anxiety building, my stomach doing flips. "Let's do this."

We hauled our equipment onto the stage, setting up our amps, drums, and mics. The courtyard was quiet, the only sound coming from the occasional chirp of birds and the distant hum of traffic. The stormy backdrop loomed behind us, its dark clouds and flashes of lightning adding a surreal and dramatic effect to the stage.

As we set up, I felt my nerves getting the better of me. My hands were shaky, and I could feel a cold sweat forming on my forehead. The weight of what we were about to do settled heavily on my shoulders. I excused myself for a moment and headed behind the stage, trying to catch my breath.

Once out of sight, I bent over, dry heaving from the sheer anxiety. The world seemed to spin for a moment, but I forced myself to take deep breaths, focusing on calming down. This was for Chloe. I had to pull myself together.

I reached into my bag and pulled out a couple of shooters I had stashed there. I knew it wasn't the healthiest way to cope, but I needed something to steady my nerves. Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, I quickly downed the first shooter, feeling the alcohol burn its way down my throat. It wasn't long before I followed it with a second, the warmth spreading through my chest and easing the tension.

The alcohol took the edge off my anxiety, dulling the fear and giving me a brief moment of clarity. I wiped my mouth and straightened up, determined to face whatever came next. This was my chance to make things right with Chloe, and I couldn't afford to mess it up.

"Hey, you alright?" River's voice broke through my thoughts. He had followed me behind the stage, concern etched on his face.

"Yeah," I managed to say, standing up straight. "Just nerves. I'll be fine."

River clapped me on the shoulder. "We got this. Just take it one step at a time."

Nodding, I followed him back to the stage where the others were finishing up the setup. We started with the sound checks, making sure everything was perfect. Jason and Steve tuned their guitars, while River adjusted his bass. Ainsley did a quick run on the drums, the beats echoing through the empty courtyard.

"Check, check, one, two," I said into the microphone, adjusting the height to match mine. "How's that sound?"

"Sounding good," Steve said, strumming a few chords on his guitar. "Let's run through a quick warm-up."

We played a few scales, getting into the rhythm and making sure our instruments were in perfect tune. The sound technician gave us a thumbs up, signaling that everything was set.

As we went through the warm-up, I felt my nerves slowly start to settle. The familiar feel of my guitar in my hands, the sound of our music coming together—it all helped to ground me. I took a deep breath, focusing on the task at hand.