Meera's glassy blue eyes were struggling to stay open as the blinding white lights illuminated the stage in front of her; her ears nearly ringing from the multi-leveled, screaming crowd of thousands surrounding her. It was almost time for the most popular band, Mistaken Muse, to start their show, and it felt like a dream; though made from nightmares. Her best friend, Rebecca, was originally going to go to the concert with her boyfriend, but just as she walked into his apartment she saw him getting fucked by his co-worker, only 8 hours prior, so Meera was a last minute ask.
Because of this, she had absolutely no time to find anything to wear, instead, she was dressed in her everyday clothes; black leggings, black combat boots, and a baggy, oversized pink hoodie with a black cat decal plastered on the front. Her auburn hair was pulled into a tight ponytail, the only thing other than a rubber, neon-green bracelet tight against her wrist that had "I <3 MM" on it that matched the screaming crowd taking up the other seats in the stadium.
"Hey," Meera leaned in next to her friend, nearly yelling just to be heard. "I'll be right back, I have to pee!" Rebecca only nodded, her own brown ponytail bobbing as she moved, refusing to peel her stare from where the band was about to be. Meera gave her a weak smile before excusing herself as she escaped the craziness of the row she was in, her heart pounding to escape; She was overwhelmed and needed a break.
Meera's mind was racing as she tried to find her way to bathroom. She wasn't a super fan of Mistaken Muse, and had no business being as close as she was, but at the same time, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity; after all she was 22 already and had never even been to a concert before and now she was in the first row of the most popular band!
She stopped walking when she realized she had zoned out in her thoughts, shaking her head from side to side, the tail of her hair smacking her face lightly as she refocused. She was suddenly standing in front of a thick, metal door that had a woman stick figure on it. Somehow she made it, but without trying to figure out the how she pushed the heavy door open hastily, relieved to finally have a moment of peace.
But just as she released a sigh of relief walking through the door frame, she came face to face with 3 obvious super fans. They were standing in front of the mirrors fixing their makeup before they turned towards her, glaring at the sight of her. It was clear to Meera why, they all had VIP necklaces and they looked like they were ready for the runway.
Damn it! She thought to herself, panicking. She accidentally walked into the area even more exclusive than the front row seat she had!
"Who the fuck are you!?" The closes girl was enraged, but her wavy blonde hair was perfectly outlining her petite face making her look like an angry doll.
The second and third girl, twins, chimed in simultaneously, "you aren't supposed to be here!" If it wasn't for them having black hair, Meera would've assumed they were sisters to the blonde too.
"I'm sorry," Meera fearfully apologized, quickly twisting herself around to leave. But as soon as her dainty hands gripped the bronze door knob, she felt a surge of pain at every inch of her scalp.
"No you don't!" The blonde yelled out, yanking Meera's ponytail so hard she lost her footing, falling to the tile, hard; her head bouncing off the black and white floor.
"Ow!" Meera screamed, instantly gripping her head with both of her hands as she curled into a fetal position. To her dismay, her fingertips felt a warm liquid beginning to seep from her scalp.
"Let's get going," the blonde spit on Meera before leading the other two out of the bathroom, leaving Meera alone on the bathroom floor crying, while the laughter of the 3 grew faint.
Meera closed her eyes, wishing she was stronger, outgoing and not afraid to speak up. When she was a girl she promised herself she would be a brave adult, but now, she still felt lost.
Suddenly she felt a soft grip upon her shoulder, jolting her back to reality as her eyes shot open. They're back! Her heart was pounding and she instinctively sat up and scurried backwards on her butt before her eyes even adjusted.
"I'm not going to hurt you," it wasn't any of the girls; it wasn't a girl to begin with. Their voice was soothing, and deep; one that she instantly recognized by the goosebumps it gave her.
"Ren?" Meera was exasperated, her heart still pounding, but no longer from fear.
His gentle, golden brown eyes were locked onto hers, a hint of sadness to them as he furrowed his groomed brows. His blonde hair was perfectly styled into a fade like it was fake, and he was dressed in a black tuxedo with a dark green bow tie; though his collar was open to allow his double-rose tattoo to be visible on the right side of his neck. "Are you okay?" He stood up and offered his hand out to her to help Meera back up.
"Y… yes," she mustered, but as the tip of her fingers were only a centimeter from the skin of his hand, she paused. "I'm sorry.. I.."
"Are you really apologizing for bleeding?" He started to laugh, grabbing her hand himself and yanking her to her feet. "Are you still bleeding though?" He questioned as he collected himself.
Meera felt around her head. The cut had finally stopped leaking from her putting pressure on it, "I'm fine," she attempted to reassure him, though she doubted herself. She gave him a weak smile as she took her hand back and began cleaning herself up at the sink; Ren following suit. Attempting to make sure she wasn't hallucinating, she peeked into his mirror when he wasn't looking to be sure he at least had a reflection; she instantly regretted it, while her heart became excited.
Ren, the lead singer of Mistaken Muse, was really in the same bathroom as her, washing her blood off his hands. She didn't know if she needed to be thankful or embarrassed or both. "Thank you," she managed to squeak out, as she finished cleaning up.
"I heard a scream that wasn't bloodthirsty for once," he snickered, once again closing the gap between them. "I had to check it out," he grabbed her head with both of his hands, his body towering over her tiny frame, as he moved her around inspecting her scalp.
Meera's heart was beating so fast it was surely going to explode. Ren Lowry was so close to her that the fabric of her clothes was touching his. "Luckily it blends in with your hair pretty well," he joked as he stepped back, inspecting her fully. "Though you're not VIP?"
"I got lost," she attempted to explain, "I have a seat in the front row with my friend but I-"
"I'll walk you back," he winked, once again offering his hand to her.
Meera looked back into the mirrors to double check; he was still there. Her smile grew bigger, her reddened cheeks hurting from happiness as she took his hand, his fingers closing onto hers and intertwining into them.
This is a dream! She exclaimed to herself, feeing lightheaded and faint as they began their short walk back to the inner stadium.
The music of their hit single, Butterfly, began playing loudly, blasting throughout every inch of the building and only getting more deafening as they got closer to the live area.
The stadium lights dimmed with nothing but glow sticks, phone screens, and glowing accessories lighting it up; the cheering quieting as the crowd anticipated Ren's singing.
"Well isn't this perfect?" He chuffed, still holding hands with his damsel in distress as they stood at the top of the stairs leading down to her aisle; both unnoticed by everyone as the fans assumed he was going to appear on stage with the rest of Mistaken Muse. "Looks like you're my special guest," he whispered to her before he tapped an earpiece twice.
Before she could even think of questioning him, a singular light engulfed them, causing her to squeeze his hand like she was about to be lost. The crowd gasped, amplified by the pause in the song before Ren's angelic voice began to belt out lyrics about lost love.
Slowly, without the light faltering, the two began their decent with thousands of lovestruck eyes on him as he sang, while turning into jealous hatred when Meera distracted them by simply existing.
"I should've seen how bright she was, when I needed guidance in the dark. Instead I let her go, made her feel so fucking low… "
Ren stopped walking when they reached her aisle, never missing a beat the entire time he lead her there. But instead of letting her go as she began to walk towards Rebecca, he twirled her back into him, his other hand coming to a rest upon the nape of her back. He then let her hand go before caressing the side of her face as he leaned in close, their foreheads touching and his breath warm against her skin. Meera was so close to death that she could no longer breath, unknowingly gripping his jacket for dear life as he serenaded her.
"If I had one last chance to love her again, I'd be a man, someone who gives a damn; and I promise I won't pretend just to get another kiss from the light I let dim way back when."
The singer's head briefly lifted from hers, but only for a moment before the softness of his lips planted against hers, finally stopping her heart as his gentle, firm hand on her face moved to the back of her head, tightening within her ponytail.
The sound of them kissing echoed throughout the stadium while the band finished the music for the song, and Meera felt the molten, dagger like stares digging into her soul as she made out with the world's dream. But instead of feeling scared, she felt strong, like the kiss was making her forget about any fear she ever had before in her life.
If even for just a moment.