Page 9 of The Music of Greyson Hyun
I grimaced as he turned on his heel and left. He disappeared into the flow of students before I’d even realized it. Sighing, I made my way toward the library to start on my first major paper of the semester before I had to head to my next lecture.
I opened my phone with the intention of texting Piper and seeing what she was up to but stopped when I saw the notification from Instagram again. My thumb hovered over the screen for a second before I gave in and hit it. Instagram popped up to show me Grey’s feed. It wasn’t anything that exciting, just a picture of him looking dreamily into the camera, which I supposed could be considered exciting if one were into that sort of thing. Then I saw the caption.
Come see Dreamscape perform at 9 p.m. this Thursday at the Lake View Bar. Tickets only $15 at the door.
So he was performing this week.That’s…No, I couldn’t let myself fall down this rabbit hole again.
Going to my messages, I sent Piper a quick text. I would go on a date with her. As I put my phone back into my pocket, my mind began to wander. Well, Iwouldneed something for us to do on said date. And shedidsay at the party that she was a Dreamscape fan. A smile spread across my lips. My plan formed before I even entered the building.
Thursday night,Piper met me outside the bar. She looked incredible in a form-fitting dress. Her skin seemed to glow, and her dark hair fell in waves over her shoulders. Under normal circumstances, I would’ve been just as happy hanging with her outside as I would inside the bar. But these weren’t normal circumstances. Grey would be inside the building, and though I couldn’t see him yet, I could already feel his magnetic pull.
I really needed to figure out what it was about him that made me like this. A gorgeous girl stood right in front of me, and all I could think about was getting into the bar so I had a chance to see some guy in a band.
“You look amazing,” I said to Piper upon seeing her, forcing myself to focus on the present.
“Thanks. You clean up pretty nicely yourself.” She nudged me playfully with an elbow. “Should we go in?”
Booming music engulfed us as we entered the bar. A quick glance told me no band occupied the stage yet, just a guy playing in the DJ booth. Piper and I ordered drinks before settling down on an old couch in the corner of the room.
“This was a really great idea,” she said over the music. “I’m a big fan of Dreamscape.”
I laughed. “I figured after you gushed over Grey the other night.”
Piper flushed a bit but remained unashamed. “I was tipsy and caught off guard.” She took a sip from her drink. “Besides, he’s pretty hot.”
I couldn’t argue with her on that point, so I settled for drinking from my glass instead.
“But I’m glad you reached out,” she continued. “I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect when I gave you my number. Talking with guys feels a lot like Russian roulette a lot of the time.”
“Dangerous?” I asked. “Or a bad idea?”
“Bit of both,” she admitted. “Your gender is kind of crazy, you know?”
Considering I had spent nearly two weeks obsessing over some guy I had only kind of met twice, her words hit a bit too close to home. But I was proud of myself. Sure, I was at the venue where his band was playing, but I was with her. My plans I’d made over the summer were finally coming to fruition.
Right then, the music died down, leaving a ringing silence in its wake.
“I think it’s time.” Piper’s eyes brightened with excitement.
I shared the feeling. Ever since I’d seen Grey’s smirk at that party over a week ago, it had been prancing in and out of my mind—something it had no right to do. Getting angry hadn’t helped, clearly. So maybe seeing him on stage while I danced with my arms around a girl would fix things.
It made sense to me anyway.
We got up from our seat and moved to the center of the floor with the rest of the forming audience. Excited chatter rippled around us in waves. Everyone stared at the dark silhouettes getting into position onstage. One of those figures was Grey, and that knowledge alone made my stomach tense with anticipation.
The sound of a bass drum hit three times, sounding like a heartbeat. It hit three more times, then the lights came up onstage. The crowd cheered.
Grey stood at the front of Dreamscape, his lips inches from the mic, like he was about to kiss it. “We’re Dreamscape, and this song is called ‘You’ve Gotta Know.’”
Apparently, it was a crowd favorite because everyone went wild as he hit the first note. The music built with the bass and synth joining in, then Grey started singing.
“Round and round I find myself chasing you.
You’ve only let me down, but I’ve got something to prove.
It’s been a long, long time since I’ve seen your face,
And I know that I’m making a big mistake,
