MELODY

MELODY 15

┏ 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚑𝚎'𝚜 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎...𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚘𝚞𝚝 ┐

"And that's a wrap," Tay announced loudly over the microphone, earning a hiss from Adam. He was sitting on the edge of the stage close to the singer as he slapped his leg. "Ouch, come on man!"

Jackson moved to grab the microphone from Tay's hands, ignoring his whines as he turned it off. Bryan jotted down final notes from Francis about the sound systems, smiling when it was finally over. He glanced at the lead guitarist who was now busy packing his guitar up, jumping down from the stage to zip his case up. Doing so had elicited the girls from before coming to surround him. Somehow, they had multiplied.

Bryan continued to watch them, Jackson occasionally nodding and listening to one of the girls talk. And for a brief moment, he couldn't help but to notice that even though he was surrounded by people... he still stood out.

So differently.

"Thanks for your help today," Tay said, jumping down from the stage. "Wow, we took a while."

Bryan looked at his phone, noting that it was almost evening. He rubbed the back of his neck as he went to sit at the edge of the stage, placing the clipboard next to him. His eyes roamed back to the girls circling Jackson. The man was leaning against the stage, hands in his hoodie pockets as he spoke to them. He wasn't that close to them for him to hear what they were talking about. And for a second, there was a spike of bitterness when the girl laughed, her cheeks pinking. 

What had Jackson said to her to elicit that reaction? 

His heart thumped once, and the acidic feeling he felt before settled into his mind. Looking away, he dropped his gaze to his hands, taking in a deep breath. He needed to leave before he became weirder. Grabbing his clipboard, he jumped down from the stage, staggering a little.

"I'm heading out," Bryan said, hollering at Adam. 

His friend simply waved at him, smiling though he was sure that those eyes were analysing him. He wouldn't be able to escape his questions soon.

By the time he had stored the information in his temporary office and grabbed his bag to leave, it had been eight in the evening. He smiled a little when the cool night wind blew at his face as he exited the 'headquarters'. Shoving his hands in his jacket, he found his feet carrying him to the university hall, noting that it was void of people inside. 

Walking up to the stage, he touched the floor, looking at the covered instruments. Jackson Star had been there, playing his guitar, tuning it to a song that he had fallen in love with. His smile stretched wider before they faded at the thumping of his heart. Just what was wrong with him?

He remained there, leaning against the stage with one hand on the wooden floor when he heard footsteps echoing loud and stopping next to him. Snapping his gaze at the person next to him, he didn't expect to see Jackson.

With breath hitching in his throat, he said, "What are you doing here?"

Jackson remained quiet before he said, "I should be asking you that."

He pushed himself away from the stage before he shrugged. "Came to clear my mind." From you.

"Ah," Jackson said before he moved to jump and sit at the edge of the stage, a sigh escaping his lips.

A little confused, Bryan remained standing there, unsure of what the lead guitarist was doing. "No, really, what are you doing here?"

"Hiding," Jackson said, hunching his body with his elbows on his knees and looking straight ahead at nothing. "Just hiding."

"Hiding." Brian turned around, feeling a little braver to lean against the stage. "From what?"

"Everything," the lead guitarist said, quietly. "Clear your mind, huh?"

Brian wondered what it was exactly that had Jackson wanting to hide but he knew they weren't too close to ask about it. He shrugged. "I had a lot on my mind lately."

Jackson remained silent then, not saying another word. And Brian didn't know why but he... continued to stand next to him, enjoying the quiet. When the silence became a part of the atmosphere between them, he realised that they were together. Only the two of them with no one in sight and-- it was nice.

His face heated up and his heart raced, sending flutters echoing in his stomach. Immediately, he pushed himself away from the stage, eyes widening. While he knew he was close to figuring out what this feeling was, he didn't think he was ready to accept it.

"I hope whatever you're hiding from," Bryan said as he clutched the strap of his bag. "I hope they go away soon."

He could almost feel Jackson's eyes boring at the back of his head. But it could also be his imagination. His stupid self.

His want and need for this man-- who he didn't even know anything about.

"I'm leaving now," Brian said, tossing it over his shoulder.

Without waiting for an answer, he speed walked away from the stage, his feet carrying him away from there. And before he knew it, he was running back to his room, the wind screaming in his ears. As his lungs contracted for air, he desperately wished that he could turn back time to when he had searched MELODY up.

And never did that.

Because by the time he had slammed into his room, back against the door and the bag slipped from his shoulder to the floor, Jackson's face remained in his mind, sending his stomach squeezing and lungs aching for more air. He slid to the ground and knocked the back of his head against the door.

"Fuck," Bryan whispered.

Because by the time he was in his room, Jackson consumed his thoughts.

And he knew he had stumbled into a part of reality he wished he didn't belong in.

It was terrifying.

As his eyes landed on the bed that Jackson had lay in once, he took in a shuddering deep breath. Clutching his chest, he could only wish that he could forget about these feelings.

Jackson Star had pulled him into a world he didn't think he would enter. 

┏ 𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝙼𝙴𝙻𝙾𝙳𝚈 𝟷𝟻  ┐