Prologue

-Tonight is going to be fire!

Jason said walking into the bathroom.

-Oh yeah, baby!

Mason replied bumping fists with his twin brother. I could hear the crowd getting crazier by the minute, screaming the band’s name while we sat all in the bathroom, waiting for Dray to get ready. And by getting ready, I mean snorting the thin line of powder he had just spent the last ten minutes setting up on the toilet seat.

I was leaning against the wall watching him on his knees, his head thrown back as the anesthetic rushed through his veins, sending jolts to every single nerve of his body. He could feel his tongue and throat becoming numb and his brain cells sparking up like a Christmas tree. His eyes flew open and they met mine, and I wondered if he could actually see me. His mouth split in a huge grin and he let out a single scream of pure thrill as he shook his head and straightened up. He stood up on wobbly feet and I found myself instantly reaching out to him, to help him.

-Are you okay?

I asked, and I wondered if he could hear or see my concern.

-Hell yeah I am! Never been better.

He said throwing one arm around my shoulder while slamming hands and bumping firsts with the boys with his other hand.

I was about to say something when suddenly the door opened and Kristen, Jason’s girlfriend, popped her head through the crack and said:

-Are you boys ready?

They all shouted their yeses and hell yeses as they followed her out the door. Dray dropped his arm from around my shoulders and pulled out a cigarette. He took two long draws before he started walking towards the door. But before he was out of my reach, I grabbed his arm and made him turn around to look at me.

-You promised! I whispered. You promised that you wouldn’t do this anymore.

-Relax babe, it’s just a onetime thing. It’s not like I’m an addict. You know how it makes me feel on stage. I can literally feel the notes on my skin when I play. Besides, it’s our last show before Spring Break!

Dray said squeezing my hand.

-But… I began to say but he pulled me in for a kiss to shut me up and said instead:

-Don’t ruin it! Stop worrying and just enjoy the show.

He then pulled his hand free of my grip and walked out, leaving me pleading behind a closed door:

-Please!

I could hear the crowd screaming his name as he made it up stage and the screams got even louder when the band started playing. Only, at some point, the cheerful screams weren’t as cheerful anymore. They sounded different, and I knew that something had gone terribly wrong.