Sparks

Musiktown

Ember->

I walk up to the mike, my hands trembling. The crowd looks up expectantly. In the corner of my eye I see my brother giving me a reassuring thumbs up. How have I gotten myself into this?

It had started a couple month ago when my brother Ethan had told me he was starting a band with a couple of his friends, all they were missing was a lead singer. A couple weeks into their search, Ethan heard me singing in my room. I have always like to sing and I usually do it with the door and windows shut when nobody's home, but when my brother heard me he tried to convince me to be a part of his band. And when he learned that I write songs too, there was no stopping him. So after a lot of persuasion on his part (and some bribery), I finally agreed to try it out.

At first we were pretty bad, we really had no idea what to do, but with more practice we gradually got better. Ethan plays the lead guitar, his friend Sam plays the bass, and another one of his friends, Kyle, plays the drums. In the beginning it was sort of weird, as a socially awkward fifteen year old girl I don't exactly fit in with a bunch of seventeen year old guys, but after a while Ethan's friends became my friends and things settled down.

We practised, I wrote some songs, we practised some more, we named the band "Sparks", and then we got our first gig, at a youth club called Musiktown.

And now here we are, here I am, in front of more than fifty people, and I am overcome by stage fright.

"Ember", whispers a voice behind me, Sam I think. I shake of my nervousness and lean into the mike.

"Hey guys", I say. A couple people laugh. One shouts something abut finding my voice. I ignore whoever it was and continue speaking.

"We're Sparks, and we're going to play some songs for you."

A moment later Kyle starts with a steady beat on the drums. Then Ethan joins in on the guitar, and I hear Sam's bass take up the harmony. I take a deep breath and start to sing the first song, a fast paced one about a girl who goes on a trip around the world to discover who she really is.

Halfway through the song there is a vocal break. I look around me at the guys. Ethan, with his blond hair and blue eyes exactly like mine, fingers dancing up and down the strings of his guitar. Kyle, with his jet black hair and blue streaks, his drumsticks moving so quickly I can barely see them. And Sam, with his fiery red hair swept neatly of to one side to expose his perfect green eyes, and that face, that wonderful face. He looks up and I quickly turn my head away, not wanting him to realize I was staring. I hear my cue and lean into the mike.

"From ocean to ocean she traveled", I sing, "wanting to unravel, who she was."

"Ember. that was epic!" says Ethan, giving me a high five.

"It wasn't that good", I answer, blushing. It was after the show and we were hanging out in Kyle's basement with soda and junk food, all four of us squished on to one couch, the intruments taking up the other one. Luckily the night had been pretty uneventful, after my little incident at the beginning everything had gone smoothly, considering that was the first time I'd ever sang in front of anyone except the guys.

"It definitely was that good", responds Sam. He takes another sip of soda and find myself looking at his face again. Why always his face? Oh, right, because it's so amazing to look at. I force myself to look away before he notices.

"You guys were great too", I say, smiling.

"Of course I was", answers Sam. Ethan punches his arm.

"Hey, I'm lead guitar for a reason", Ethan says.

"And no congrats for the drummer?" asks Kyle.

"Okay fine", responds Sam, "we'd be lost without you." We laugh at Sam's serious face.

"What?" he responds, "Am I not allowed showing my appreciation?" We laugh again. I check the clock on the wall and realize it's almost eleven.

"Oh shoot", I say, getting up from the couch, "I promised my mom I'd be back by ten thirty."

"I better drive you then", says Ethan, grabbing his guitar.

"You don't have to drive me", i answer, wishing I was old enough to get my license, "it's only a ten minute walk."

"Mom would kill me if anything happened to you", answers Ethan.

"Fine", I mutter, "bye guys." I start to walk towards the stairs.

"Bye Ember, bye Ethan", says Kyle.

"Bye Ethan, bye Ember", says Sam, "and Ember? You look really pretty tonight."

"Thanks", I say, my cheeks growing hot. I quickly turn and walk up the stairs, followed closely by Ethan.

"What was that?" asks Ethan as we're driving home

"What was what?" I respond innocently, even though I know exactly what he is talking about.

Later that night, when I am almost asleep, I think about what Sam said. I don't think anyone has ever  called me pretty before, well besides Ehan, and that's his duty as an older brother. Could Sam, possibly, like me? No, he can't. He must have just been caught up in the magic of our first show. Sam is older, and hot, and way out of my league. I turn over and drift to sleep, comforted by the thought that Sam definitely, completely, does not like me.