Page 23 of Collision

“You’re not holding me back,” she stated. “You do whatever you want to do, but just know that you can stay with me for as long as you need to.”

“I know. Thank you for that.”

The first few strums of the guitar signaled that the band was ready, and the room erupted in screams. Girls positioned themselves right in front of the stage, undoubtedly trying to be noticed. The lights dimmed, and only the spotlights at the bottom of the stage illuminated the band. Chase unclipped the microphone from the stand, and walked towards the edge of the small stage. The screams got louder as he raised the microphone to his mouth.

“Big Nose Kate’s, it’s Friday night! Are you ready?”

The crowd’s cheers answered his question.

Chase began singing and I immediately recognized the first verse of my favorite Journey song. I watched him move around the stage with such confidence, singing effortlessly in front of the full room. It really should not have surprised me, since he was just as charismatic off stage. In that moment, I understood why girls had always treated him like he was a rock star, though I’d never admit it to him. His voice had just the right combination of smoothness and rasp, perfect for the genre of songs he performed. He jumped up and down to the beat while everyone in the bar sang along.

The guitarist stepped forward to perform his solo, and Chase hopped off the stage. The crowd cleared a path as he ran towards the bar and climbed on top. His eyes were fixed on mine while he sang, slowly stepping over people’s drinks. My heart raced faster as I became more nervous with each step he took. When he had reached where I was sitting, he knelt down and belted out the chorus one last time. Shelly put her arm around me, and we sang along into her beer bottle. He winked at me before leaping off the bar to return to the stage.

My eyes remained glued to Chase for the duration of his set. It was intriguing to watch this other side of him. Had I seen him perform prior to getting to know him, I would have viewed him as nothing more than an attention-whore who was full of himself. Now, I was able to see how happy performing truly made him. I felt saddened knowing that he gave up on his dream for his family.

“I’ll be right back,” I shouted to the girls. I headed to the bathroom while everyone’s attention was still on the stage. A window was cracked open in the stall, and there was a slight chill in the air. Summer weather was quickly disappearing, and it felt good compared to the stifling bar. While I was finishing up at the sink, a parade of half-naked girls burst through the door, which signaled that the band’s first set had ended.

“He looked at me while he was singing that last song, did you see?” one girl boasted.

“Totally,” the others agreed.

“That boy is lickable.” The first one reapplied lip gloss, and blew herself a kiss in the mirror. I rolled my eyes as I tossed the paper towel into the trash.

When I emerged, the bar was crammed with people trying to get refills before the next set. I pushed my way through, as best as I could while protecting my sling.

“Merritt Adams!” An already drunk Shawn was shouting my name as he stumbled in front of me.

“Hey. Happy birthday, Shawn.”

He hit the arm of his friend standing next to him. “Look who it is, Larry.”

Larry’s eyes widened. “Holy shit! Merritt Adams.”

“I told you she wasn’t dead, bro.” Shawn wrapped his arm around me, leaning almost all of his weight on my shoulder. “He thought you were dead after that accident on the news.”

I winced and tried to squirm out from under his arm. “Get off, you’re hurting me.”

“You look pretty damn good for a dead girl!” He was slurring his words into my ear as I pushed him away. Suddenly, Shawn released me as he was yanked backwards by the collar of his shirt.

Chase spun Shawn in the opposite direction, sending him back into the crowd.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I guess nobody was expecting me since I’m supposed to be dead and all.”

“Just ignore him. Is your arm okay?”

“It’s fine. I shouldn’t be here.”

“Of course you should.” He motioned to the dance floor. “Want to dance?”

I shook my head.

Chase started to shake his arms from side to side and gyrate his hips in a circle, all while wiggling his eyebrows wearing a goofy expression on his face. “Are you sure?”

I could not contain my laughter at the sight of his ridiculous dance. “With moves like that, I’m sure you can find someone else to dance with.”

He moved his dancing closer to me. “I don’t want to find someone else. I want to dance with you.”

---