Pixel Heart-to-Heart

Adrenaline coursed through my veins again as I picked up the pace, scrambling around, attempting to follow the 'STAGE THIS WAY' signs as best as possible.

This was probably the dumbest idea I'd ever gone ahead and carried out- sneaking backstage in an attempt to maybe get a glimpse of my hero up close? Yeah, like that would happen. It was a miracle no one spotted me until I heard someone behind me pipe up that I didn't have a pass

I swore as the loud jangling of my kandi nearly gave me away right away but somehow I'd managed to get right to where the man now standing less than ten feet away had emerged from about twenty minutes previous.

He turned and spotted me, and I attempted to wave before I felt two, strong arms restrain me and lift me up. I kicked and tried screaming before he ran over yelling at them to put me down and asking them where they learned to handle girls.

He put a hand on my shoulder after the two meat heads in black security shirts put me back down on the ground.

"You alright?"

I looked up and locked eyes with the older man and nodded.

"Okay, good... You can stay but you gotta keep quiet and let me finish the set, okay?"

Again I nodded, star struck at what was happening around me.

Any moment I'd wake up at home in my bed and I'd cry like I had numerous times I had before when I'd dreamt of meeting him. I pinched the inside of my elbow and yelped.

Nope. I was awake. Holy shit this was happening.

I sat down before I nearly fell over, staring at the older man as he danced along to his music, pulling on the mau5head for the last ten minutes, shouting some stuff and obscenities over the mic, pulling the mau5head off and smiling at me.

"Hey, princess, wanna like... Get out of here?"

It was a daze after he held out a hand, pulling us through the chaos of backstage and out into the cool night air behind the massive venue.

"So... Nice stunt you pulled back there- that took... A lot of balls to fucking do that" he smirked, patting down his pockets before pulling a box of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket.

He held the box out, a tempting offer but I shook my head. I don’t smoke but around him- had I not already felt like I was gonna throw up, I just might have. He shrugged and lit the one clenched between his lips, taking off a long drag before turning to me again, looking me up and down.

“Sorry, just kinda needed that… Now…. What’s your name? Because I’m just assuming it’s not ‘Trouble’- and if it is, that’s fucking sick.” He smirked as he pointed to the hot pink perler hanging around my neck.

I blushed and shrugged.

“Harmony…. Trouble’s just my rave name”

“Harmony… fuck- nice name, kid” he smiled and held his hand out.

“Joel.”

I shakily shook it and he laughed. I’d heard his voice and this exact laugh hundreds, if not thousands upon thousands of times in his interviews or on live stream- slightly sarcastic but still… one that never fails to bring a smile to your face as soon as it hits your ears.

“So tell me, Harmony-slash-Trouble…” he started, taking another lengthy draw off the cig, turning it to ash between his fingers before flicking it away, lighting up another.

“What was up with the whole stunt with security back there, eh? Had to get up close and personal with the mau5, eh?” he smirked and winked, and I felt my heart flutter and my stomach drop.