Believable (r.a.l.)

Epilogue

The video attached above is footage of what happens in the following text. Again, thanks for everything. And one last time for now...
Happy reading! -Bethany

--New York, NY - 2/27/16--

Riker's POV
"Ready set rock!" We all scream as we throw our hands in the air and break the circle. I can hear 'We Are Family' playing through the speakers and the R5 Family singing along, getting ready for the show to begin.

"Let's do this!" Rocky yells and runs off, being the first one on stage. The room darkens triggering deafening cheers from the fans. The rest of us run out as well and immediately start jamming on our assigned instrument. Blue lights flash everywhere along with the song's rhythm.

"You said what you said. When words are knives it's hard not to forget. But somethin in my head wouldn't reset; can't give up on us yet. No ohh."

I look out and see everyone dancing and singing along the entire time we're playing the song.

"Hello everybody!" Ross calls into his microphone with one arm in the air waving to the crowd. "Who's ready for tonight?" He asks and the fans get impossibly louder in volume. "I said who's ready for tonight!"

Rydel pushes down some keys in response to their excitement and everyone recognizes the song immediately. Ellington starts the beat and soon Ross is singing to the crowd.

"In the back of a taxi cab, one quick you were on my lap. We touched hands and we pulled them back. Yeah, I want you bad!"

More time passes. It's all a blur to me. I have the time of my life when I'm up on stage. It seems each time it gets more entertaining. I'm happy up here. Playing music was my dream and it came true. I couldn't ask for a better life. I'm doing what I love with the people I love. I've got a beautiful girlfriend. Everything is going as it should. Things are looking up.

The room goes black once another song comes to a close. The theater is dark but it's bright with positivity. The fans continue their chatter. Meanwhile I'm chugging down a new water bottle. Moving around the stage, stage crew quickly sets up a keyboard front and center with a chair and mic. They place another chair and microphone beside it.

Everyone screams with excitement. I glance back at Rydel and Ellington who send remarks back and forth. Each of their faces contain smiles not paying attention to what's happening on stage.

I've taken my seat in front of the keyboard, waiting for my brothers. Ross walks back on the stage guitar in hand. He sits down in the chair in front of me.

"So we like to change it up a bit every now and then," I claim, speaking into the mic, "and play a really really old song that we wrote."

"About five years old this song is," Ross mentions to everyone, sounding intrigued.

"It is. It is." I agree as I push my hair out of my face. "It was, I think, the first song that I had primarily written by myself," I tell everyone, thinking back to that year and trying to remember. "And then I was like, Rocky I need the chorus. And then he was just like, here you go. Do this. And then I topped it off."

"Wait wait," Ross interrupts me waving his hand telling me to stop. "Really fast. Really fast."

"What's up?" I look over at him.

"The girl that you wrote this song about is now married."

"Oh yeah. Weird," I mutter after a moment. "That's alright. There's other loves in life. So.. It's all good."

The girls in the crowd continue cheering. At the moment I don't know what to say. Being reminded of Justine kind of threw me off. I wasn't expecting it at all. I glance behind me and see Rocky walking around with my sparkling blue bass around his neck.

"Give it up for Rocky on bass everybody," I call and then finally start playing the old melody.

"C'mon. C'mon Rocky," Ross states and begins playing his guitar.

"I don't know what you're up to. But baby I see me and you walking round through the town, always." I start out the song. "We can sail around the sea. No one else just you and me. Lay in the sand, holding hands. Always."

Rocky finally stands between Ross and gets ready to strum the strings of the instrument. Ross prepares to start harmonizing, clearing his throat.

"'Cause I'll wait so long for you to tell me you love me too. I hope I'm not too late," we both sing together creating the perfect harmony. "To see your face, to tell the time. Stop asking questions and make up your mind. Let me take you out. Baby don't be shy. Just come with me darling and we can fly."

"Wherever you wanna go," Ross sings out over me a little. "And I'll always hold you close, always."

He plays a riff on his instrument for a few measures for the start of the bridge.

"Girl I'm yours forever more. My friends may ask but I am sure. I'll be right here for you my dear, always.

"'Cause I waited so long for you to tell me you love me too. I hope I'm not too late to see your face, to tell the time. Stop asking questions and make up your mind. Let me take you out. Baby don't be shy. Just come with me darling and we can fly. Wherever you wanna go, and I'll always hold you close, always."

All people in the audience sing the lyrics right back at me just like they did the first time I played live. It feels like it was just yesterday.

"I'll be everything you need, my love is so strong," I sing a little softer. My eyes close as I recite the words. "Don't pretend like you don't know I've been here all along. Girl, I waited so long for you to tell me you love me too. I hope I'm not too late."

All I can think about is Justine.

"And I promise I will wait."

All three of us pause for a moment. I push my bangs out of my eyes. I take a deep breath. Memories I have of and about my old girlfriend travel to the front of my mind. The audience cheers loudly and I start up again.

"To see your face, to tell the time. Stop asking questions and make up your mind. Let me take you out. Baby don't be shy. Just come with me darling and we can fly," Ross and I continue the song with ease.

Like how her cheeks got red whenever I looked straight in her eyes and said something nice.

"To the stars! We'll be all alone. No one can catch us 'cause no one knows I'll be your guy, you'll be my girl. We'll fly away to our perfect world."

Or the way she laughed at every joke I had for her.

"If there's one thing you should know, that I'll always hold you close." I proceed to the last few chords of the song. Slowly singing the last words with sincerity.

Or how she, in the end, never told me she loved me back.

"Always."

--The End--