Instagram quickly became my "hub", followers climbing to the tens of thousands. At 15k, I began reading some messages.
I met Jerri, someone who posted too many selfies, all with the same beanie on. I met Ren, someone who posted about his cats and the occasional crazy-talented drum cover. He had the most followers out of all of us.
And thus, the Internet connected us, and on one January morning, we all sat in my living room, Johnnie hanging out in the distance.
But just as we all got settled in, Johnnie bailed.
"Think I'm gonna bow out." Johnnie tucked himself away, slipping through the doorway.
"Wha--" but just like that, he was gone.
A minute later, I got a text. I was reluctant to look at my phone, wanting to spend the full amount of my energy actually in the moment instead of having my world shrunk to a four-inch screen.
But something told me to look at said screen, so I did.
New text from Johnnie: let me know how it goes, k?
I felt my stomach clench into a knot. Why did he bow out? Why wasn't he here?
I quickly shook off the worries, breathing with my tongue to the roof of my mouth. Count to five. Breathe out. Hold it. Breathe in.
And then, I adjusted my guitar, beginning to play a few chords. Ren didn't even have a drumset; he just used the chair he was sitting backwards on, clanging drumsticks between the pillars that made up the back of the seat.
Jerri plucked the right notes; he knew his music theory.
But soon I got lost. I lost myself in the music, the rhythm, not even caring that I was singing in front of strangers.
And just like that, all too soon, our noise faded.
I smiled, my grin so wide I nearly felt my face break from all the happiness.
We had something. We had something good.
This was the start of something great. I could feel it.
END OF BOOK 1
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Cold At My Core | Johnnie Guilbert
FanfictionOne look. One look from across a mental health service's lobby. One single stare, and a small smile, was all it took for my life to flip upside down completely. COMPLETE
