Cassiopeia | H.S

Prologue

[Not Edited]

Whatever I put up top ^ is
what Cassiopeia is wearing
for the chapter (s)

——THE GUITAR FELT HEAVY IN MY HANDS, the strap from which it hung from, gripping onto my left shoulder as my fingers interlocked with the strings. A hand with a feather light touch, ushered me by the small of my back through a multitude of hallways that were crowded with people carrying all types of technical equipment. The security guard in front and behind me, led me to my destination while speaking to each other on their earpiece mics.

"Here you are Ma'm"

My head turned with a velocity that was ready to snack my neck, eyes widening as the security guard knocked on the door. From the outside I could hear a variety of voices arguing with one another, footsteps pacing the floors, and a single guitar playing quietly. I assumed that whoever was playing it, wanted out of the conversation.

When the door didn't open, the security guard attempted once more, and after a few seconds I heard the soft strumming of the guitar stop. I took deep breaths, my heartbeat in my ears as I waited for what seemed like minutes before the door creaked open a tad. I released a breathe I didn't know I was holding, eyes catching onto brown eyes and equally brown hair that was long and full. He held a guitar in his hands, careful not to pluck the strings, and I could only assume he was the one playing and drowning out the argument around him. Speaking of said argument, the voices dissipated, and silence consumed the small room.

"You must be the backup, yes?" He asked, voice gentle and arm now out to almost guide me in.

I nodded rapidly, voice dry and at the moment not trustworthy enough to carry out a single word in the presence of them. The security guards behind me nodded and left as I begin to walk in slowly, my eyes glancing to the few people that stared back at me. I immediately began to look for her, she was the one who got me in this mess in the first place, although I couldn't complain. She could break the ice, the awkward silence that now filled the room because everyone stilled within it.

"Uh, Mitch" I looked up to the man who let me in the room, a small smile on his face, hand out to shake mine. I mentally thanked him for speaking first.

I returned the favor, slightly moving my guitar to do so. A girl in the corner who I knew as the pianist, nodded in recognition, "Naomi, call me Ny Oh"

"Sarah Jones" Another girl I'd recognized as the drummer introduced herself, a drumstick twirling in her hand as a waving gesture.

"Harry" The voice that spoke was deep and low, but the room carried it out as smooth and a bit raspy. My eyes glossed over the handsome and uniquely dressed man. He was tall, taller than what I'd seen in interviews or photoshoots and he wasn't even standing next to me. He ran a hand sported with multiple rings over his curls of dark hair, smiling at me, but his emerald eyes showed a bit of edge to them.

I could only imagine it was because his bass guitarist had to temporarily leave because of family issues and the replacement, being me, was so sudden that we hadn't even had time to rehearse with one another. Of course I knew most of the songs, having learned them because of a certain someone.

"Opie!"

There she is.

The cheerful voice sprung, door opening and closing once more for her. I could only know the voice to be my cousins, the one who got me here after giving me a ticket to see the show, and the one to have me perform on stage in turn for their lost bass guitarist they had lost only hours beforehand.

The trust she had in me was definitely up there.

"Charlotte" I responded with a weary smile, turning my body to meet her hug that she threw at me.

"Guys this is-"

"Opie?" Mitch questioned in a teasing tone that made me realize he was the type to befriend someone as soon as he'd met them. I wasn't complaining though, ready to turn and make a remark back as that was my nature in conversation.

"Cassiopeia, actually" I side-glanced Charlotte who gave me a sheepish grin, my nervousness suddenly disappearing as I did so. This band I had come to barely know, had such a welcoming vibe to them, something I'd guess to be because of how many people they'd met on a regular bases.

"Just Cassiopeia?" Harry asked, his eyes mischievous and tone just as teasing as Mitches. He leaned against the wall furthest from me, hands in light blue suit pants with flower embroidery on it that seemingly matched his light blue suit jacket with the same decoration. He was truly an image for the eyes to look upon.

"Just Harry?" I decided to reply after stopping my stare, remembering how he introduced only his first name. But to his discretion, I did know his last name was Styles. Who didn't?

His eyebrows raised in slight surprise at my comeback before he leaned off the wall and took a hand out of his pocket to point at my guitar.

Subconsciously, I lifted it, watching as his full pink lips moved to speak, "Can you play?"

"Obviously Harold, or else Charlotte here wouldn't have brought her to play with us" Mitch scolded, Harry rolling his eyes with a light tipped smile. It was easy to see that the two were best friends, or something close to it at least. The others around us seemed to watch in amusement, the awkwardness dissipating further.

Harry removed his eyes from Mitch, glancing over to me and nodding towards my bass guitar for me to play. I inhaled a sharp breath and held the guitar properly, Charlotte giving me some space while Harry and the others jutted forward in sudden interest.

I gulped, deciding to play one of Harry's songs to show that I knew most if not all of them due to Charlotte, who constantly asked me to practice with her, and so that he wouldn't have to be worried to put me on stage. Although stage fright and messing up would definitely be a worry since I hadn't been on stage, let alone at a concert in two years after playing bass guitar for another band.

"You don't have to be nervous" A deep and honeyed voice spoke.

My eyes had been focused on my guitar and it's strings that I hadn't noticed Harry cross the room and stand in front of me. His eyes showed a kindness and calm that I didn't know a human could hold, lips pulled up into a soft smile that showed the infamous dimples he was known to have. If it hadn't been for Charlotte and the others I would have melted in his sincerity then and there.

"We aren't people to be nervous for" His voice was low, hands behind his back and eyes now waiting for my hands to move.

"Play Kiwi" Charlotte offered, an encouraging grin sporting her features that brought me out of my anxious state.

I looked up once more, glancing to the others that awaited my tunes, and found that courage was there for me to play.

And play I did.

Authors Note

Get ready for extremely long
chapters guys! I mean like
5,000 word long chapters.

Chapter one might only be 1,000
but the other chapters to come, contain
a lot of detail that make me go into the
2,000-5,000 words.

Thanks for reading!