Page 3 of Pieces

This team, this group, these moments, they’re everything to me. I guess now is as good a time as any to roll with the punches, because change is coming, whether I like it or not.

Chapter two

Daphne

Thewhitelightsoverheadglow like suspended stars, casting a dreamlike haze over the stage. Liv and I push as close to the front as we can to catch the rest of the support band set.

“This is perfect,” Liv says, leaning close to my ear to be heard over the music. The press of bodies around us feels electric, moving to the same heartbeat.

“I’m so freaking excited,” I squeal, my giddiness matching hers as I rise to my tiptoes to see over a few heads in front of us. Despite me and Liv both being five-seven, there are a few taller guys ahead of us. But I’m not mad, this view is still perfect.

I needed tonight more than anything. A distraction. My twin brother, Finn, left on his world surfing tour yesterday and I’ve been in the dumps about it. We’ve never been more than a room apart, and then out of nowhere, he decides in his senior year of high school he doesn’t want to do college. That instead, he wants to travel for a year, entering surf comps starting in Australia. The annoying thing is, he’s good too; he could really make a career out of it. He’s been competing casually for years, but being without him sucks so far. I miss him like a lost limb. Finn always had this way of making life feel lighter, easier. Without him, everything feels…heavier. Like I was supposed to be someone bigger, better, but I’m not sure I know how to be that way without him.

“Stop thinking about Finn. I know you are.” Liv nudges me.

“I’m actually just thinking about how this is going to be amazingdespiteme missing my brother,” I shout back. Fake it till you make it, right?

“If we could get beer, I’d totally cheers to that. But we’re stuck with water and soda. Living that high life.” She taps her plastic cup against my water bottle and takes a sip before grabbing my free hand to dance.

I laugh as she twirls me slightly, and the crowd around us moves in sync. The music is infectious, the perfect hype band for Gracie. I let myself go for once, swaying and spinning with Liv as the beat pounds through the floor, enjoying this feeling.

“The lead singer is so freaking hot.” Liv raises her voice just enough to cut through the noise, leaning toward me.

“Yeah,” I agree. “He’s definitely your type.”

I swear I hear Liv saying she’d eat him with a spoon, but I don’t totally catch it over the final notes of the song. The band wraps up and waves their goodbyes, promising to stick around by the merch table after Gracie. Liv turns to me, eyebrows wiggling. “Can we swing by the merch table later?”

I snort. “So you can see the hot guy up close?”

“Duh,” she says. “I at least want to get his number. Maybe he’ll invite me to be his groupie.” As the stagehands get to work behind her, she jumps in place, shimmying a little, like that’ll convince me.

She’s insufferable. Chuckling, I roll my eyes. “We can go to the merch table. I want to get a t-shirt anyway.”

“Yessss.” She grins. “I love you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I say. “Love you back.”

It doesn’t take long for the stage to clear and, before we know it, the lights are dimming and the crowd roars. The first strum of Gracie’s guitar sends a ripple through the audience. My skin prickles in anticipation, and then she’s there, center stage, bathed in soft, golden light as she greets her audience.

The first few notes of a song begin and, immediately, Liv and I grab each other’s hands because it’s one of our favorites of hers. “Risk.”The soft sound of her guitar echoes around us as the lyrics wrap around me, sinking into my chest. I can feel every note, every word. Liv leans closer, her eyes shut, singing under her breath, and I join her.

Gracie doesn’t disappoint with her next few songs, belting out “Felt Good About You,”“That’s So True,”and even some from her earlier albums. I’m obsessed. Liv and I spend our time dancing, swaying, singing at each other, throwing back to being in one of our bedrooms singing with hairbrushes together, completely caught up in the nostalgia of it all.

My cheeks start to ache from how much I’ve been smiling.

After what feels like the hundredth perfect song, Gracie takes a minute to sip some water and Liv glances around, her expression shifting. “There are way more guys here than I thought there’d be, you know.”

I scan the crowd too and realize she’s right. There are groups of guys even, some with girls too, but I love that Gracie has so many guy fans.

Then I notice a super tall guy, who’s towering over most of the people around him. He’s a few feet to my left and he’s really hot.

He’s leaning against the railing, thick arms restrained in a T-shirt, what looks like sun-kissed skin peeking out at the seams, but that could just be the stage glow. His posture is relaxed, but he’s completely focused on the stage. And it looks like he’s here alone, or at least he’s not talking to anyone around him. He doesn’t seem like someone who’d end up at a Gracie Abrams concert. He looks more like he belongs in a sports bar, not here. And yet, there he is, looking perfectly at home. I kind of love that.

Gracie starts another song, and Liv sways beside me. It’s an earlier song that’s not as popular as her new album, and still… this guy knows every single word. I’m mesmerized by the flex of his jaw as he sings along.

As if he senses me watching him, he glances up. Our eyes meet, and there’s something about him that’s pulling me in. The instant heat in his eyes sends a shiver through me. He holds my gaze just long enough to make my cheeks warm before smirking and running a hand through his hair, making it messier. God, he’s beautiful.

“What are you staring at?” Liv asks, nudging me with her elbow.

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