My Little Decoy

♪ Such Fragile Broken Things ♪ {5}

"What a shame we all became such fragile, broken things.
A memory remains, just a tiny spark.
I give it all my oxygen,
So let the flames begin." - Let The Flames Begin

"Okay, Lacey, say I told you so." Olivia pouted, her lower lip jutting out in irritation.

"I told you so." I said matter-of-factly, crossing my arms. But my response was half-hearted; I could almost picture my eyes still glazed over from the performance. Situated by one of the picnic areas by the playground, the gang and I were sitting on the picnic tables in a small circle. Carter had ran off with the rest of Within These Cages to try and get autographs from Tilt, and even though I wasn't half the crazed fangirl they were, some part of me wanted to meet the band too. It was if my whole insight on who they were drastically changed.

Tilted Reality had played four more songs after their cover of We Are The In Crowd, including two hits from All Time Low, a cover from Mayday Parade, and a song by We The Kings. Each time, I had stood rooted to the spot, staring up at the band in front of me as they poured their hearts out into each song, their skills surpassing my own.

My eyes were especially glued to Blake, their drummer. Each time he struck at the drum set, the muscles in his arms would ripple slightly, showing off his physique, and his tongue would stick out slightly in concentration. I would watch as he bobbed his head, causing the shaggy strands of dark hair to fall messily into his eyes. But his physical appearance wasn't what kept me interested in him. It was his style; the way that he drummed, the way he planned every beat and rhythm so perfectly that it kept the song together, and in a way, kept the entire band together too.

Icould tell that he felt the music pounding through his veins and don't even think that I missed that distant look in his eyes as he drummed. It was if he were transfixed in another memory, in another time. In a moment when there was no crowd in front of him; there was only him, his band, and his music. In a way, this Blake guy remind me of me.

But my favorite part of the night was when they did their cover of All Time Low's So Long, and Thanks For All the Booze. Just like when they sang Rumor Mill, I saw the desperation in their eyes as they practically yelled the lyrics to the backs of the retreating audience. As the night wore on, the large crowd that had come to see Tilted Reality diminished greatly.

And all because they caught a glimpse of the real band that was Tilted Reality, standing right in front of them.

Even The Twins and Olivia eventually left at this point to go buy ice cream, leaving me, Xander, Within These Cages, and a handful of loyal remaining Tilted Reality fans clustered around the makeshift stage. Vanessa grabbed the microphone stand so that it was tilted at an obscure angle, belting out an incredibly high note that even my own soprano voice could never hit, and the previous song finished. She tucked a loose strand of hair in her ear as the band panted a bit, analyzing the crowd (or what was left of it) in front of them. And as the dazed look in their eyes faded slightly, I caught a glimpse of disappointment in each of the four member's gazes.

But then Katerina had stepped forward, whispering something excitedly into Vanessa's ears. I saw a smile curve from the lead singer and rhythm guitarist's lips and she glanced at Zeke and Blake, mouthing something that I couldn't catch from the angle where I was standing.

The two male members nodded and instantly, Zeke's fingers were on his guitar, playing a smooth melody that I recognized immediately. The corners of my lips twitched up as I fought the small smile playing at the corner of my lips. Vanessa smirked and raised a hand, closing her eyes and singing passionately, "Pick yourself up off the ground. You're sure as hell too good to let them hold you down..." All sound stopped at that exact moment and I had leaned forward, anticipating the next entrance.