Désobéissance - Palaye Royale

Chapter 1

I 

BIG NEWS

Life can seem tedious until you live it fully. When we're happy, light and joy emerge from the banality, so any perception, any emotion, any thought, any act brings us back to our own fulfillment. Life doesn't change: it's our look and our actions that determine what it becomes. I had integrated this concept for a long time to make it a real guideline in my existence.

At the dawn of my 24th birthday, I was finally going to stand on my own two feet. Let me live to my liking in a totally unknown city which is far from frightening me. A page had just closed behind me, with its share of memories both joyful and deplorable. But when I look back, I don't regret anything. I just can't wait to take my new flight towards this new life that makes me dream so much.

1 p.m. A distant church chime wakes me from my sleep. I don't have the courage to open my eyes despite the already well advanced time of the day. It's my cell phone, which I left on vibrate mode under my pillow, which forces me to get up. It's Ellie.

"Hello ?"

My hoarse voice immediately betrays my condition. 

"Lexie... Don't tell me you're still in bed?"

Yes and? Do I have to remind her that I already have a mother to lecture me.

"I was going to get up... I came home late from a party at Dimitri..."

"At Dimitri's? Was Estébane there?"

Okay. On that point, she's right to be concerned. But I wouldn't have taken the risk of going to this party if I had had the slightest doubt of his presence there.

"No, he wasn't."

"Well. So much the better."

She lets a long silence punctuate her sentence. My head starts to pound as I straighten up in my bed. I'm not in the mood to be blamed. I have to change the subject.

"Can we talk about this later?"

"Yes, excuse me... And I didn't call you for that anyway. So, are you awake?"

"Yes why? You have something important to tell me?"

"A crazy thing yes!"

I feel at the sound of her voice that she is still emotional for the news she's about to tell me and I'm getting impatient.

"How would you react if I tell you that Palaye Royale is going on tour after the release of their new album in the coming days?"

Did she decided to prank me or what?

"Where did you see that?"

"They officially announced it on their social media this morning!"

My heart leaps in my chest. Palaye Royale, I love them since the release of their first album. Only, I never had the opportunity to go see them in concert because it always was during a school/work day plus they mostly tour in the US. I hasten to turn on my computer. Not that I don't believe my best friend, but I want to see the big news with my own eyes. All social networks are on alert and apparently only talk about that.

"It's unbelievable..."

As I go through the article, I notice that they evoke a kind of "contest". Ellie is always on the phone.

"So? Have you read everything yet?"

"Well if I understand correctly, they want to recruit a band to be they opening on their European tour?"

"Hun hun! And a French band, because their first dates are planned in France!"

I feel that she has an idea in mind.

"Ellie... It would be awesome but you're not serious? The time is too short to reform a band."

The audition is set for July 18, just under three weeks from now.

"Don't tell me it scares you! We're absolutely capable of it. I'm sure you have a whole bunch of riffs just waiting to be exploited."

I smile. Indeed, she's right. I easily compose songs. Whenever I have the opportunity, I spend hours with the only company of my guitar and my recording software. And Ellie is always the first person I share my ideas with.

"Pfff that would be completely crazy..." I say with a sigh.

"Completely crazy, but not impossible!"

She's impatient that I give her my agreement to launch the operations.

"Alright... I follow you in your madness!"

"Yes! We wouldn't regret having tried I'm sure."

I still stay a few more minutes in my bed thinking about the news that my friend has just told me. You only have to look at the walls of my room to realize how important this bands is to me. I can't believe it. And this time, I'll go to see them no matter what. And even if we can't reform a band, we can still go to one of their shows.

After half an hour of intense reflection, I finally decide to get up.

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