We Don't Have To Dance

Chapter Two

"Your on in ten" The manager of the venue tells us, so my eyes widen and I run to the backstage with anxiety flooding my chest

I lost track of time! Don't have enough time to-

I smile when I see everyone's almost finished, "I went to go get you, but you and Cc seemed to be really into the conversation so I decided to leave you guys alone"

"Oh" in nod "Thanks Lee"

She winks at me, then Grim declares, "here's your guitars, let's go get tuned up!"

So we head back and give our guitar tech our equipment. It only takes a few, then we roll everything onto the dark stage. I look out the audience, knowing they could probably only see the outline of my body. Anxiety fills my chest, and my breath hitches. So my eyrs widen and I grab my chest, then run off stage.

"Hey" Shane stops me "The shows in-" his eyes widen when he sees my face "What's wrong"

"I- I don't know" i choke, trying to breath

"Hey" he sets his hand down on my back and I squeak, faking over

The crowd feels back against me so I get on my knees, trying to stand up but I can't. "G-Get my inhaler"

"Where is it?" He demands and my eyes widen

"I-I d-do-don't-" my eyes water and I curl into a ball

"Shows in three!"

"Hey, she can't preform!" Shane shouts

"What?" He comes over, so I cover my face, the anxiety getting worse because now I'm embarrassed too "What's going on?"

"She's having an anxiety attack"

"Over what?"

"Shut up!" I scream "Just l-leave me alone, I'll be fine in a minute"

I put my thumb in front of my face and blow on it, my leg shaking. "I'm gonna get Andy"

Shane trudges away, and I spring to my feet, going in the corner and facing it. "Hey" Andy says, and I look back at him then look at the wall, "Hey look at me"

I look at him, my eyes watering and my breaths become even shorter. He frowns, then grabs my hand, making me flinch and pull away. "I'm not gonna hurt you" I sob a bit, covering my face

"Feel my heart beat" he coos, putting his hand on mine, my heart speeds up from the touch, then as I feel the slow and steady rhythm I start to calm down

"INDUL-GANSE! INDUL-GANSE!" The sounds start slowly coming back to me of the resting crowd, and the ringing fades away. My heart beat is still fast but slowing, and isn't loud.

"Deep breaths" he smiles, and I choke again, then he breathes in deep, and lets it out, so automatically I follow that too "Where is your inhaler?"

"I don't know" I mumble, then continue to breath with him and feel his heart beat for a good two minutes until I'm fine again

"Hey!" I hear Shane scream into the mic "Our guitarist is having a little bit of an anxiety problem, so I'm sorry but we won't be on for another five to ten minutes"

Everyone boos, and a sudden feeling of worthlessness feels my chest, but it's better then the panic I was feeling. "I'm okay now..."

"Good" he smiles, then hugs me, so I sink into his arms tiredly "Let's go get some water"

I walk into the room where CC looks concerned, which makes me look at the ground nervously, he odiously catches on, because instead of asking me how I'm doing he says, "Fucking penises"