A Year In The Dark (Tyler Carter)

“Stop walking so fucking slow!” Kadie shouted back at Sam, who was dragging her feet reluctantly from the venue Of Mice & Men had just played at. Even though their concert had ended over ten minutes ago. “Issues starts in five minutes! ISSUES STARTS IN FIVE FUCKING MINUTES OH MY FUCKING GOD!”

Sam finally sped up, and the two continued to walk to the opposite ends of the festival grounds. It was now 6:56, four minutes until their set began. Butterflies erupted in Kadie’s stomach the closer she got to the venue. She was about to see Tyler fucking Carter. Live at her very first Warped Tour, and not only that, but then go backstage after the concert to personally meet him. It took everything in her to keep herself from puking in the dirt from her nerves.

The crowd had already built up to about a thousand people it must have been. Even though more people continued to file in behind them, Kadie and Sam were almost in the very back. So it instantly became Kadie’s goal to crowd surf up into Tyler’s view, so she could be right up against the barricade, singing along to her favorite music in the world as she looked up into her hero’s eyes.

She was pulled out of her thoughts as the deep bass ran through the ground all the way to her feet, and everyone screamed, including Sam and especially herself. The notes of The Settlement began to play out and everyone started jumping to the beat. “What’s up Scranton?!” Tyler yelled out and the crowd screamed so fucking loud as he started to sing. His voice was perfection, he was perfection. And today would be the day Kadie would be able to tell him that.

Ever since she heard The Worst of Them, the first song she’d ever heard by Issues, she was in love for sure. It was a new kind of adoration, different from any other band she loved. And over time as she got to see how Tyler was as a person, through the numerous interviews she watched, her love for the band, her love for Tyler, only grew. He meant everything to her. Tyler was the one that motivated Kadie to get up in the morning and face the day with all the bullshit that came with it. When no one had succeeded in making her smile, he was there to fix that. Always. Kadie had dreamed of this day, dreamed of this moment when she would be screaming his lyrics at the top of her lungs at Warped Tour. And better yet, she had been able to get a backstage pass, one of only a few that were available. For months she had dreamt of the way she would walk up to Tyler, what she would say and how she would act. She imagined what he would say back, his smile, his arms around her as they embraced for a picture, or just a regular hug. The waiting was over. The day was here. 

“Oh how am I now to survive as a heart divided between the very hands that made me whole!”  Everyone sang out as Tyler held the microphone out to the jumping crowd. Oh god, they were so perfect live. He had the voice of an angel. This concert was the best day of her goddamn life.

A mosh pit appeared somewhere nearby, and Kadie and Sam ran right to it. They were some of the first people in it, and they got to feel and see the pit grow around them as more people entered. Pushing and shoving, running around to the music, this is why she loves moshing so much. It must’ve had about thirty people in it when suddenly a body was dropped from above, right onto her. Kadie’s always wanted to crowd surf right into a mosh pit, but she never considered the alternative, and having someone crowd surf right into her. The two crashed to the ground in a jumbled up twisted mess as many of the people continued to mosh. Her wrist bent at an odd angle, but she didn’t let it bother her. It was just a wrist right? Not too important or critical. With the help of a few guys who stopped to pick them up, Kadie and the crowd surfer got back on their feet and were able to make their way to the edge of the pit.

“Sorry about that, never thought I would land directly on top of someone.” The guy laughed, smiling down at Kadie. He was cute, long brown hair that swept across his eyes, some of it sticking to his forehead from sweat. He was tall and skinny, so he towered over her.