Louis opens his eyes as sunlight filters through the window curtains. He lies motionless in bed, the weight of recent memories pressing down on him. The room is silent, save for the faint hum of the ceiling fan. He traces the spinning blades with his eyes, feeling the hollow ache in his chest. “I miss her…” The thought echoes in his mind like a broken record.
His gaze remains fixed on the fan. “Does she even miss me?” he wonders aloud, the words barely more than a whisper.
He replays the breakup in his mind, the way Roxanne turned away from him, her long indigo colored hair swaying with the wind. But something is different—her hair is shorter, now a fiery red. She turns back with a bright smile; it isn’t Roxanne that stands before him, but Sona.
She gives him a playful wave and begins walking away, toward the city. “Why am I thinking of her?” he questions quietly to himself.
The day feels slow to unfold, minutes dragging like hours. Out of growing boredom, he sits up. “I need some fresh air.”
He quickly throws on a fresh set of clothes and slips into his shoes before leaving the stuffy apartment. “Guess I’ll check out that new café near campus,” he mutters while descending the stairway.
The fresh air feels like a relief from the isolation of his room. Though the short walk feels long as he can’t take his mind off Roxanne, he keeps his eyes on the ground the whole way there.
Finally, he reaches the café, “Re.” A newly opened establishment near the conservatory, he hopes a cup of coffee will help calm his mind. Despite the change of scenery, his thoughts are still tormented by memories of her.
As he enters, he’s greeted by the barista. He walks to the front counter. “Hi, what can I get for you?” the cashier asks. “A medium black coffee, please,” Louis replies. After picking up his hot brew, he moves to a table at the front of the establishment. Taking a sip, he smiles slightly, delighted by the taste.
While enjoying his coffee, he notices a familiar face standing in line at the counter. “Isaac?” he calls out. Isaac turns his head to see Louis sitting at the table. “Louis!?”
After ordering his drink, Isaac joins Louis at the table. “Man, I haven’t seen you in ages. How’ve you been?” Isaac asks. “Not so great right now, dude. Went through a breakup last night and still feeling it.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Isaac tries to change the conversation to a brighter subject. “You still into music?”
“Yeah, I play at the conservatory down the road.” Isaac smiles as he listens. “Nice! I remember how talented you were in high school. That feels like forever ago, haha.”
They continue to exchange pleasantries and catch up on lost time, brightening Louis’s mood more than Isaac would know. “I miss our old friend group, it was always a blast hanging out. Remember how we tried getting the group to go see an underground concert when we were seniors?” Louis asks, lighting a spark in Isaac’s eyes. “It’s crazy you brought that up; I’ve been going to them a lot since we graduated.” Isaac catches Louis’s attention. “Dude, how? I looked and haven’t been able to find any for years.”
Isaac lowers his voice and looks around before leaning over to Louis. “Last year I stumbled on a group of roadies at a bar.” Louis looks at him in awe. “I joined their crew and help run concerts with them. But before one ‘suddenly’ appears, we spread a ‘rumor’ around the area.” Louis sits back in disbelief. “Dang, we really need to hang out more often!”
Isaac laughs. “Yeah, for sure! Oh!” He reaches over to a nearby napkin and takes a pen out of his pocket. “Here, there’s one this weekend and it’s the best band around.” He scribbles coordinates onto the napkin. “It’ll be on Saturday night.” He passes it to Louis, who can’t take his eyes off it. “So I just go here?” he asks. Isaac nods with a smile. “Yeah, before I forget to mention—they call the chick who leads the band the ‘Queen of Wrath,’ you’ll see.” Louis looks at Isaac with curiosity on his face. “I’d join ya for it but I’m busy Saturday, so make sure to enjoy it for me!” They finish their drinks and, with a farewell, depart on their own ways.
The seeds of excitement Isaac has planted grow with each step back to the apartment. Upon arriving home, he finds Mark getting ready to leave for the station.
“Not going to school?” Mark asks. Louis shrugs before giving him a reply. “I decided to take a break for a bit, work on myself.” Mark finishes tying his shoes before standing up to walk towards him. Placing a hand on Louis’s shoulder, “Your choices are yours to make, Louis. But just make sure they’re not something you’d regret, alright?”
Louis nods. “Attaboy, I’ll be home later. See ya.” Mark leaves, and shortly after, Louis pulls out the folded napkin from his pocket. He looks over at the calendar hanging on the wall, showing how the current day is Wednesday. “Saturday, huh?”
Louis spends the next couple of days reading about underground concerts. Dozens of national news articles debate over the morality of banning music genres. Videos of concerts being crashed by the police with dozens being arrested fill his screen. Louis contemplates if it’s worth taking the risk to go. The more he thinks about it, thoughts of Roxanne flicker through his mind from the last orchestra concert he played. He shakes his head to clear his mind. “Maybe this’ll be the refresh I need,” he says to himself. He looks over at the calendar on his wall. “Tomorrow, I’m going.”
The next day, he wakes up to find a note on the counter from Mark. “Won’t be home until late, don’t wait up,” it reads. A wide grin spreads across his face as he immediately looks up the coordinates from the crumbled napkin to reveal a location on the outskirts of the city. He spends the afternoon going around town, killing time until the sun finally begins to set. Wearing a casual outfit, he departs for his anticipated destination.
The drive feels short as he finally makes it to the location—an old warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Surrounded by endless acres of land, with the only notable landmark being the road he traveled. He closes the car door behind him to see dozens of vehicles sitting around the warehouse when he hears a noise coming from within. He hears music, but it’s something unfamiliar, an alien sound to his ears. The closer he walks, the clearer it sounds. Filled with adrenaline and excitement, he walks in. Fog covers the floors as lights flash through the entrance of the hallway. He ventures further until he is in a large room filled with a sea of rockers.
The loud music blares from the speakers, and Louis can feel the vibrations from the drums passing through him. The air is thick with the smell of excitement and rebellion. Hints of spilled beer and the smoky aroma of cigarettes fill his nose. As he works his way through the crowd, he catches sight of the band on stage, their passion visible in every note.
“THANK YOU, ROCKERS, FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT!” a voice shouts through the speakers. “WE’VE GOT ONE MORE SONG LEFT, SO LET’S MAKE IT COUNT! HIT IT!”
Louis strains to see over the crowd, pushing closer to the stage, and then he sees her. The so-called “Queen of Wrath”: Sona. Her presence is electrifying, commanding the attention of everyone in the room.
The way she sings into the mic, her voice radiating with such natural passion and the underlying emotions in her words. All the while playing her guitar, every captivating note fills the room. Sona moves with a captivating fierceness and grace as she plays the guitar. The resonance of the music feels inspiring to Louis, igniting a flame of passion and hope in his sundered heart. He can’t help but be lost in awe of her and the band. Halfway through the song, their eyes meet. Out of the sea of faces, she notices him. And in that moment, she smiles with their small connection to each other. A slight but noticeable change from her rallying persona on stage.
Wishing that moment would last forever, the song ends. “EVEN IF THE WHOLE WORLD’S AGAINST US,” she shouts into the mic, raising her fist towards the heavens. “WE ROCK ON!” The crowd of fans pump their fists in the air, echoing her cry. She stands confidently on stage as the lights dim, marking the end of the show.
The audience dissipates while Louis can’t help but stay with an irresistible smile stuck on his face. Handing her guitar off to a roadie, Sona lights a cigarette and descends from the platform. She glances through the crowd to see Louis still there. Without a second thought, she jumps over the railing and walks over to him.
“Louis, right?” He looks over his shoulder to see her standing there next to him, smiling as she removes her cigarette and crosses her arms. “How’d you like my show?”
“It was awesome!” he exclaims. She can’t help but smile brightly after hearing him. “Wanna join me backstage?”
Louis, at a loss for words, nods. “Great!” She grabs him by the hand and leads him through the halls of the old warehouse until they enter a small room. After settling in, Sona regards Louis with a mix of curiosity and warmth. “So, how’d you find out about the concert?” Louis responds genuinely, appreciating the moment of sincerity. “An old friend of mine told me about it. He said it was the best around, so I couldn’t help but go. Honestly, I’m happy I did; you guys were sick!”
Sona nods, her expression showing a hint of relief mixed with pride. “Thanks, that means a lot. I was just curious since underground concerts like this are tough to stumble on.”
Feeling more comfortable, Louis delves a little deeper, driven by the powerful impact of her performance. “For real, I couldn’t stop being in awe of your presence on stage—it’s amazing!”
Sona smiles slightly, her eyes reflecting a fierce passion. “Music is the best way to express yourself. I guess… it’s my way to fight against its suppression.”
Louis listens intently, moved by her passion. “I totally understand. Whenever I play, I can’t help but pour my emotions into the music.”
“Oh? You play?” Her interest piques as Louis can almost see an underlying hope in her eyes. “What instrument?”
Louis pauses; the thoughts of his orchestra unexpectedly bring Roxy to mind. Memories of the few occasions she’d watched him perform rush to him. He masks the flicker of pain quickly, but not before Sona notices the slight change in his demeanor. “The upright bass,” he manages, his voice steady but softer. “I’ve played since I was a kid.”
Sona observes him closely, sensing the undercurrents of his words. “That’s quite a while. I’ve been singing since I was little too.” Louis looks up towards her, his feeling of distress seeming to leave in her presence.
They continue to talk for hours, sharing stories of past musical experiences and other common interests. As they talk about music, Louis can’t help but feel as though there’s something hidden behind Sona’s stories. An abysmal hint of sadness in her breath when she speaks, until she changes the topic. “You know, we’re actually in need of a bass player right now,” she reveals, her voice carrying a note of sincerity.
Louis, with a puzzled look on his face, recalls the performance earlier. “But I saw that one gal play the bass tonight.”
“That was Isa,” Sona explains, her tone light but with an undercurrent of frustration. “She’s been covering the bass, but her true magic happens on guitar. I’ve been handling both lead vocals and guitar for a while now since it’s just the three of us currently.”
“That sounds tough, being the vocals while playing,” Louis says as he thinks about how tough it’d be multitasking to such a degree.
“It can be if you aren’t used to it,” Sona agrees with a small nod. “We’ve been looking for someone who can really own the bass part, to fill our void.”
This sparks an idea in Louis, an in-the-moment thought that sets his heart racing. Considering his own skills and the opportunity this would present. “I know it’s a different vibe than an orchestra, but I’d like to give it a shot, if you’d let me.”
Sona’s face lights up at his suggestion. “Of course!” Excitement grows in her voice as she thinks about it. “We should go meet up with the others and see what they say.”
Louis feels a surge of excitement and adrenaline. The opportunity to reform his passion for music into such a vibrant, raw setting is more than he could have dreamed of when he decided to attend the concert.
“Sounds like fun,” Louis responds, his voice steady but his heart racing with anticipation. “Let’s do it!”
“Great!” Sona beams, standing up from the makeshift couch. “They’re probably chilling in the other room. Let’s go introduce you.”
They both get up and begin walking towards the door. Louis takes a moment to look back at the dimly lit room that has transformed his night—and possibly his life. He can’t help but feel that this unexpected journey might just be the fresh start he needs.
With a deep breath, he follows Sona out of the room, ready to face whatever comes next with a newfound sense of purpose. As they walk down the corridor, the faint sound of music and distant chatter grow louder, creating a buzz of anticipation.
Just before they reach the next room, Sona pauses and turns to Louis, her expression serious. “You know, joining us means you’re in for a wild ride, right? It’s not just playing music—it’s about fighting for what we believe in.”
Louis nods, feeling a mix of excitement and uncertainty. “I’m ready,” he replies, hoping his voice sounds more confident than he feels.
Sona’s lips curve into a knowing smile. “We’ll see,” she says, placing her hand on the door handle. She takes a deep breath, her eyes locking with Louis’s. “Are you really ready for this?”
Before Louis can respond, she pushes the door open, revealing the band members waiting inside. The room is filled with an intense energy, a mix of curiosity and challenge hanging in the air.
And with that, Louis steps forward, the threshold to his new life before him.
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