ELEVEN

Luc 

‘“IT’LL BE FUN,” he said.’ 

‘It will.’ Harry hands us each a masquerade mask as we approach the mansion at the end of the gravel drive. Silver for Jake, black and gold for me, and some kind of red, white and gold quarter-face mask for him. 

The house is lit up in front of us, party attendees visible through the huge windows.

Jake shakes his head and sighs as he puts his mask on. ‘You know, I would have dressed up a bit more if I knew we were going to a fucking ball.’ 

‘We’re rock stars. Jeans, shirt and a jacket is more than enough,’ Harry says, putting on his own mask. 

‘It’s a blazer, not a jacket. And when you said “party” and “fun”, I thought there’d be sticky floors and loud music. Not a damn string quartet and women with feathers sticking out of their faces.’ 

Harry sighs and shakes his head as we approach the door. ‘Have you ever tried just lightening the fuck up once in a while?’

‘How come you aren’t seeing Cerys tonight?’ I interject as we enter, adjusting the new addition to my face. No one bothers checking who we are. They seem to be expecting us. 

Jake ignores my question. Because it’s Jake. ‘Let’s get some drinks,’ he says instead, glancing up at the balcony in front of us housing the string quartet he predicted would be here.

Harry and I exchange a look before following Jake, who’s already making a beeline for the makeshift bar area.

There’s a surprisingly large number of people here. Everyone in disguise. Harry couldn’t have picked a better party for me to be at right now—one where no one will know who I am, or notice I’m here without Lexi.

She’d be perfect somewhere like this. Tight dress clinging to every inch of her. Some elaborate Venetian mask as a disguise. Long hair cascading down her back and over her shoulders.

I sigh to myself. Nothing can happen. I promised her. I promised myself. 

Besides, she’s definitely lost any starstruck affection she might have had for me. She’s cute when she’s pissed with me, though.

I wonder what she’s doing tonight…

Jake’s already got us drinks as I catch up to him and Harry, pulling my phone out to text Lexi.

‘So what’s this gig next week?’ Jake says to Harry. 

‘We’ve got a gig?’ I say without looking up, tapping in a quick message. 

What are you up to tonight?

‘Yeah,’ says Harry, taking a sip of something bright pink as I hit send. ‘At the Student’s Union. Gethin sorted it.’ 

I snort. ‘You say that as if he’s not always the one who sorts it.’ 

‘Only because he’s a control freak,’ Harry retorts. 

None of us argue with that. As I try some of the practically fluorescent pink drink that Jake hands me, my phone vibrates in my hand.

Carving pumpkins for Halloween of course! You? x

That actually sounds sort of fun.

Just some stupid masquerade thing, I reply. 

‘What are you smiling at?’ 

I look up to find Jake and Harry both watching me, their faces partially hidden by the masks.

‘Nothing.’ I shove my phone back into my pocket. 

Harry narrows his eyes at me. ‘Hayley?’

‘What? No. God no. Give me some fucking credit.’ I take another large gulp of the radioactive drink. It’s OK, actually. Bit too sweet. ‘So when is it? The gig, I mean.’ 

‘Thursday.’ 

‘This Thursday?’ says Jake. 

‘Uh, yes,’ Harry says slowly. 

Jake puts down his drink. ‘But that’s Bonfire Night!’

Harry looks at me, then back at Jake. ‘And?’ he says, putting his drink to his lips.

‘We’ll miss the fireworks,’ Jake says quietly, turning his head away. 

Harry nearly chokes on his drink with laughter. ‘The fireworks?! For fuck’s sake mate, it’ll probably rain anyway!’

I press my lips together to stop myself from laughing with Harry, looking down so Jake can’t see my expression.

‘Maybe I was planning on seeing Cerys.’ Even with the mask covering half his face, Jake looks defiant. 

Harry finishes his drink. ‘Yeah, but were you really?’

‘Well it doesn’t matter now, does it?’ Jake picks his drink back up and turns away from us. 

‘Just fucking bring her to the gig.’ 

Jake turns back around and looks at Harry. ‘For you to act like a twat again?’

While they squabble, I get my phone back out.

Got a gig on Thursday (Nov 5). The SU. Bring your friends.

A group of women squeeze past us as I hit send. One of them recognises Harry.

Must be the crazy hair.

The camera phones come out and a lot of excited squealing and laughter commences as he does his thing.

I slip away and head for a secluded corner at the far side of the room before they can catch me, too. By the time I get there I already have a response.

The Main Hall? Is this the first ‘thing’? x

Probably, and yes. I respond. 

What should I wear? x

I frown at that one. I haven’t seen her look anything other than hot yet. I’m not sure she could look bad even if she tried.

Whatever you want.

I hit send, then quickly type out another message to follow.

Just be you x

After sending, I realise I’m doing the stupid kiss at the end now, too.

OK :) Sam and Mylo are coming x

Ah, the two I haven’t met. I realise I should have been more specific.

Make sure you bring Cerys too.

I don’t even know if Sam is a girl or a guy.

I’ll try x

Oh Lexi.

There is no try, Alexis ;) I send back. 

‘Why are you over here?’ Jake is standing in front of me. ‘Leaving me with Big Mouth.’ 

I turn off my phone and lean back against the wall. ‘Harry? You’re the singer.’ 

He scowls. Then adds: ‘These masks are starting to grow on me. It’s great being out and not being recognised.’

‘We should get one for Gethin,’ I say, nodding. ‘Harry’s the only one who’s good with the fans.’ 

We both look over in the direction we came from. He’s practically being mobbed by a fucking legion of women.

‘Yeah, Leah would like that. Oh,’ he says, turning back to me, ‘the band that are opening for us next summer, Miseducation? Harry says they’re opening for us on Thursday, too.’ 

I finish my drink. ‘Didn’t him and Gethin used to be in a band with the two brothers from Mised?’

‘Yeah. Travers and…something. Can’t remember the other one’s name. Think that’s where Gethin met Harry.’ 

A high-pitched cheer goes up on the other side of the room. One of the girls has stolen Harry’s mask.

‘So,’ I say slowly after the whooping calms enough for Jake to hear me, ‘you were their second choice singer?’ 

‘Fuck up!’ 

I snigger. It’s too easy to wind him up.

‘I’m going to find the toilets,’ he says, then adds sternly: ‘Don’t move.’ 

My phone buzzes again as he disappears around the corner. Across the room, Harry’s still signing things for his new fan club.

Lexi’s latest message is visible on the lock screen.

Ha. Ha. I didn’t sign up to play matchmaker. Will we need tickets btw? x

Sarcasm.

Yeah you did. I type. Don’t you remember the reason you gave me your number in the first place? And don’t worry about the tickets, I’ll send some over. 

On the other side of the room, Harry seems to have retrieved his mask.

She’ll be there x Lexi replies. 

As Harry starts making his way over, I send one last message.

Miseducation will be opening for us. They’re on tour with us next summer. Get there early and you’ll see them, too.

Well she may as well become familiar with them. If getting Hayley to leave me alone takes longer than expected, Lexi may end up coming on tour with us. 

WE’VE BARELY FINISHED one song before Jake decides to fuck with the setlist. 

‘This next one is for someone important to me,’ he says to the audience. 

He must have seen Cerys.

Not surprising. Lexi was the first person I spotted when we walked on stage a few minutes ago. Her silhouette, at least. Cerys is probably right next to her, and he’s got the advantage of standing right at the front.

But even here, at the back, I can tell that Lexi hasn’t taken her eyes off me since she saw me.

Not that I haven’t been looking back.

Jake turns to tell me what he wants us to play.

I click us in and we start the song.

Gethin’s probably not happy about this, I think to myself. Gethin usually has the final say on what we play and when. All part of his artistic vision. 

Jake starts singing, and I realise that he wrote this song for her. I’d always assumed it was for his ex-girlfriend.

And, not even halfway through the first verse, he fucking stops. Harry stops. Gethin stops. I pause my drumming.

‘Wait. Cerys!’ Jake suddenly jumps off the stage, forcing his way through the crowd as a short blonde disappears out the door. 

What the fuck?

Lexi, after watching Cerys vanish, turns back to look at me, confusion and apology written all over her face.

Gethin pulls his guitar strap over his head and puts it down on the stand before taking the mic.

His words are apologetic. For the audience.

His tone is pissed. For Jake.

Harry slowly removes his bass guitar and puts it down, turning back from the crowd and walking over to me.

‘What the fuck was that?’ he says quietly, head tilted down slightly. 

I shrug. Cerys being here might be partly my doing, but I don’t control Jake’s reaction.

Gethin walks back to us. ‘Fucking Jake,’ he mutters. The audience are growing louder behind him. Obviously trying to decipher what just happened. ‘C’mon, I’ll see if I can sort something out with the promoter,’ Gethin says, heading backstage.

Harry follows and I stand up, still twirling a drumstick in my left hand.

Lexi is leaving. With the crowd.

Shit.

She has to stay. It’s still early days, but she needs to start playing the part now, if not sooner.

Although Jake has scuppered any real chance of us being seen together tonight.

It won’t really matter if she just leaves.

No. She’s staying, I decide. I’m calling the shots here. 

Lexi’s getting closer and closer to the exit.

I could jump down or call out to her, but that would draw too much attention.

And make me look needy as fuck.

Instead, I reach for my phone and quickly send her a message.

Stay. You need to come backstage.

‘Luc?’ Harry calls back from around the corner. 

She doesn’t need to come backstage. I should just let her go. It’s not like anything is going to happen.

I hang around just long enough to see Lexi pull out her phone. She can figure out the rest.

At least she can meet the band. They may as well find out now.

‘What are you doing?’ Harry says, walking back towards me. 

‘Nothing.’ I toss my sticks onto the seat. He starts back off the stage and I follow, turning to see Lexi still talking to two people just outside the exit.