Misery Loves Company

Track 53: Safety in Numbers (Part III)

We're ill-equipped to deal alone

Lock our doors, shut off our phones

We think we're safe,

but wouldn't you know?

The real danger's in being solo

I feel safer when I'm with you

Need you to help me make it through

Even if I seem OK,

it isn't true

There's safety in numbers for me and you

-Safety in Numbers x  Blue Vendetta-

Misery Loves Company

By: theinkslingerr

Track 53: Safety in Numbers (Part III)

The day after I'd run into Julian in front of school, Chip On Your Shoulder records dropped "Safety in Numbers."

If Misery Loves Company had continued, we would've been three weeks away from the grand finale, where Blue Vendetta released the song and performed it on set. It would've skyrocketed Enid's views and subscriber count, and hyped up both new and old BV fans.

Since that couldn't happen now, releasing the song and music video ahead of schedule was obviously a calculated move to shift the focus from the band's many scandals to their music.

Too bad it didn't really work.

The song itself was strong. Jae's creamy tenor vacillated between vulnerable and hopeful, while Rocco's guitar took it to this haunting, dreamlike place. Eli's bass was deep and steady, and I thought it was some of Dom's best drumming to date.

The video was just as powerful. Shot in mostly black and white, the boys wore dark jeans and hoodies, their faces covered with masks reminiscent of Guy Fawkes. They were standing in a crowd of people wearing the same mask, but their's was blue (the only hint of color in the video) while the crowd's was white.

At the end, the boys and everybody in the crowd took off their masks as the music faded.

The song and music video had been written and recorded months ago, so it was eerie how appropriate they were given the circumstances. They left me a little shaken. I felt...alone and part of something all at once.

But I seemed to be the only one paying attention, because when I scanned the comments all anyone could talk about was me, Rocco, Sage, and Nic. There were also comparisons between Rocco's playing and his dad's— something I didn't think he'd ever escape now that people knew who he was related to.

The shade thrown at the label was apparent as well. People knew they were trying to divert their attention, so the focus was on everything but the music. And while some artists didn't care, I knew the boys would.

I listened to "Safety in Numbers" on repeat and talked to Sienna about it during lunch. After school, Josh caught up with me and asked if I wanted to volunteer with him again. Together we walked to Beechmill Elementary in the biting cold. I was actually at 26 hours now. Mrs Mayer would be proud.

During our walk, I thought about what Julian said yesterday.

"Tell him I'm doing this for his own good. He can't spend the rest of his life walking just because of a fender bender."