Short Stories

What Binds Us (Story #1)

Summary: For Margo it all started with a cassette, a cassette from her best friend Dylan. Dylan quickly ditched town leaving a ticket that he chose Margo to go to.

Molly, Chris, and Kahlen and I broke into the abandoned house. It was littered with old papers and bills from long ago. It actually looked like one of the houses you would see if this was the zombie apocalypse. The sad truth is this isn't the zombie apocalypse this is a foreclosed home that belonged to my best friend Dylan. We carefully stumbled over the scattered papers that belonged to the quickly packed up house. I was quite surprised that no one had broken into the house. We stifled through the clumsily left house and I found myself left alone walking up the stairs Dylan's old attic bedroom. There was an envelope left on the scattered desk with my name on it. It said in his messy handwriting Margo.

I opened the envelope it's technically to me.

Margo,

I don't have much time to explain with why I have to leave. But inside this envelope is a ticket to go see Rose Matter in concert. It doesn't make much sense now but just say Dylan sent you...they'll know you mean.

Dylan

I quickly shoved the gift from Dylan it my run down canvas backpack and quickly went to rejoin my friends downstairs in the vacant living room. No one could know about the letter Dylan sent me. I mean no one. No Molly, not Chris, not Kahlen not even my family. I would have to sneak to this concert to see what Dylan meant by Rose Matter and if they were even something I should be messing with in the first place.

"I'm going to miss Dylan," Molly sighed.

Kahlen patted Molly on the shoulder. Kahlen is Molly's older sister and is the one who introduced us all to Dylan. Kahlen was also Dylan's girlfriend before he booked town. "I miss him too,"

I ignored them, I know they would be pissed and hurt that Dylan didn't leave them the concert tickets. I liked Dylan the least we fought all the time yet here I am and Dylan left me the tickets. Chris ushered us out to the car and and we left the house just in case someone noticed someone was in the abandoned house.

"Dylan's gone," Chris said, as he got into the driver's side of the car, "Dylan's gone." He repeated this for the entire car ride home. I was uncomfortable because of the tickets that resided in my backpack.

I ran out of Chris's car and darted up the front steps to my house and entered. My mom greeted as I tried to sneakily get inside so I could go upstairs to study the ticket Dylan has left for me.

"Hi Margo!" my mom greeted me. "Where were you this evening? We were hoping we could have done a family dinner."

"I was out with Chris, Molly, and Kahlen," I said. "We were sad that Dylan had to move away so suddenly."

"I thought you hated Dylan," she said.

"You never realize how much you enjoyed someone until they're gone," I said.

My mom rolled her eyes, she obviously wasn't buying my bullshit. I ignored my mother's glare and ran up to my bedroom. I turned on my bedroom lights and took out the concert tickets and studied them.

Rose Matter.

I decided to go and look up and see who Rose Matter is for all I know they could they could be a cult. A cult capturing innocent young girls and doing who knows what!

My mind often goes to the morbid sense of humor I have. I'd really like to break away from that one day. Yet, I can't nor do I try. Chris once told me that it gave me personality among the other girls at are school who are simply lacking. Dylan used to think that it was the best part of me.

"Don't ever change, Margo," Dylan once said to me. It was a crisp fall day in our high school's parking lot. It was fall and leaves were all different shades of red, orange, and yellow. It was the first day of senior year I was nervous it was only my second year of this high school and my only friends were Dylan, Chris, Molly, and Kahlen.

"Why?" I scoffed. "I'd be much prettier like the other girls have more friends. I wouldn't be that weirdo who only goes here for two years and only makes five friends while being here."

"Maybe you should think less and act more," at the time those were the things that made my blood boil. Being over analytical of my peers made me aware of who I was. I knew the only way I could fit here was to be myself.

I snapped out of my daydream and continued to look up Rose Matter.

One month later.

It's been awhile since I checked up on this story and thought I would pop in to say hi. You've probably all been dying know about what's been going on with myself, Molly, Chris, Kahlen, and Dylan. No? Oh, the Rose Matter concert. That's what you want. Ask and you shall receive!

June 9th, 2017

The day of the Rose Matter concert I drove down the concert which was fairly close to my home about noon. It was right downtown and I managed to find the venue with ease. It was a rundown building that had paint peeling from its exterior and looked like a dump. I wondered if I would even be safe attending the concert by myself. Suddenly someone came up behind me.

"Hey," the voice said.

"Oh hey," I tried to remain collected.

"I like your hair," he gestured to my hair which I just dyed a fresh green color this past weekend.

"Thanks...I'm sorry do I know you?"

"Oh no sorry," he said. "Are you going to the Rose Matter show?"

"Yeah, are you?" I replied twirling a piece of my green hair. I was getting nervous this guy was different than every other guy I have talked to before. His hair was raven black and he had tattoos up to his throat and down to his first knuckles.

"I'm the lead singer of Rose Matter," he said. "My name is Raven."

"Sorry," I said. "I had no clue I've never really listened to Rose Matter before it's kind of a crazy story of how I ended up hear."

"Well," Raven paused. "What's your name and start beginning with the story."

"My name's Margo," I began. "My friend Dylan ditched town and he left me tickets to come to this show."

"Come with me," Raven grabbed my hand and pulled me to the backstage area. It was even more awful that the front of the venue it looked like the door opened up to the gates of Hell. Raven ushered me inside where it was dark lit with lights that should have been changed over thirty years ago. It smelt of a mixture of stale beer and weed.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked.

"Dyl!" Raven called. "Is this girl you asked me to bring?"

"Yeah, Raven," a familiar voice said. A voice that definitely belonged to Dylan the boy whose room I found the tickets in his bedroom. Just over a month ago Chris, Molly, Kahlen, and I were upset that he booked town.

"What the fuck are you doing here!?" I yelled, my emotions just poured out of me anger, excitement, sorrow, and frustration. All at once. Dylan ditched all his friends to join a band. A band that he thought I would only show appreciation for. He broke one of my best friend's heart! How could he? How could I hold back?

"Whoa, Margo, I thought you would be excited to see me!" Dylan said. Raven had sunk back into the shadows where he was probably talked to another bandmate.

"You never gave us closure!" I said. "You are a jerk."

"What do you mean?" Dylan asked.

"Molly, Kahlen, Chris, me--you never gave us closure," I said. "You just skipped town and expected us to be okay with it. You know what you broke Kahlen's heart and you destroyed your friendship Chris, your best friend."

"Well, I chose you Margo because I thought you could uncover what binds," Dylan said and then he went to join his band onstage.