A Memorable Concert

It was the evening of the big day, and I wore the top and miniskirt I had chosen the day before. After that, I combed my dark hair and put it up into a ponytail. The last touches were sweet perfume, glasses, the necklace, and short white boots. I took my phone and money inside my silver handbag, just enough to repay Polly for the ticket and maybe a snack.

Oh, yes! I should take something for an autograph.

So, I tossed a mini notebook and a gel pen inside.

Taking the tram to the stop that was nearest to the venue, I checked my messages.

Polly: Where are you? The concert starts in 20 minutes.

Me: I’m almost there. Hang on.

As soon as I reached the stop, the hall was hard to miss. It was filled with light, and many people queued in front. The thrum of the music testing resonated as cigarette smoke mixed with perfume. I could see people with puffs of smoke, while others were on their phones or talking to each other.

“Did you listen to the last album they made? Without You?” asked a man.

The guy beside him shook his head before replying. “No, I simply listened to the title track and kinda gave up on it. It isn’t nearly as good as their early work. I really hope they won’t play it today,” he said.

Huh?! It’s one of their best work! It was also critically acclaimed by the critics. I could start singing ‘Lost Memories’ any moment now!

I scanned my ticket to enter. The entrance led to a door where many people stood while the queue moved.

“Thank you, enjoy,” said a man with tattoos.

“Thanks,” I said.

I found Polly and Rebeca standing in a corner. They both had the hollow star on a stick with a light inside. Polly had a black outfit on, her blonde hair twisted into a bun. Rebecca, on the other hand, had a full white outfit, and she let her brown hair down.

Should I have gotten a light-stick? Those are so expensive!

“There she is!” said Rebeca.

“Hi! Am I late?” I asked.

“Right on time!” said Polly.

We stood behind everyone else as Rebeca commented on Jackson’s muscles.

“I don’t know about all of you, but I have such a huge crush on Alan!” I said.

The two of them looked at each other and laughed.

“Really? Crazy Alan?” said Rebeca.

“Quiet, Rebeca. The Alan fans will hear us,” whispered Polly.

“Yeah, they’re just as crazy as he is,” whispered Rebeca.

I sighed.

“It’s too bad we couldn’t get mosh pit tickets,” said Rebeca.

“Ah, what a relief. I don’t want to be in such a crazy place. People don’t just dance in the pit. I heard that they push each other," I shuddered.

“Yeah, definitely. But I can’t get close to Jackson and Neo then!” said Rebeca.

We laughed after she said that. My heartbeat sped up, and I got goosebumps as we were finally let in. The stadium was enormous, filled with people who looked so tiny from afar, like ants. Blue spotlights circled around the whole stadium.

“Fully packed,” said someone.

As soon as we sat down, people started screaming. Platforms rose one by one. Jackson, with his headband wrapped around his orange hair, sat behind his drums while rising upward. He swung and spun his drumsticks while grinning and rocking his head back and forth.

My heart skipped a beat as Akash appeared with long hair and earrings, along with his white shirt and black pants. He strummed a few of the strings of his limited edition red guitar.

Everyone screamed at the top of their lungs.

Oh my God! OH MY GOD!

Then, Neo rose with a 76-key piano keyboard. His hair was dyed green, and he wore a graphic tee with jeans. He flexed his arm and cracked his knuckles.

Alan appeared with a smirk. He had a white graphic tee with black cargo pants. His hair was a shade of seafoam green.

“Let’s go!” screamed Alan.

There was cheering and whistling in the air.

In the center, Isaac appeared on the final platform with his ragged t-shirt and jeans. His blonde hair had sky blue ends, which were the same shade as his eyes. He also held a bass guitar, which was white and purple.

“Hello, Manchester!” said Isaac.

The crowd screamed louder than ever, and I joined them.

Jackson’s drum kit bore the logo of The Rockstar Brigade.

They’re all shining so brightly under the colourful lights…

“Isaac, shall we introduce ourselves?” asked Alan.

Akash chortled and shook his head.

“Do we even need an intro?” asked Akash, smiling.

“Come on, Akash. Let them know who we really are,” said Isaac.

“Okay, here it goes,” said Akash.

“Hello, we are The Rockstar Brigade, a global idol band. I’m Isaac with vocals and bass. I’m from London,” said Isaac.

“My turn. Alan here! Leader and lead guitarist! I’m from an unknown land. The world must obey ‘The Rockstar Brigade,’” shouted Alan.

He grinned ear to ear, cracked his neck, played a few chords, and said, “Let our music hypnotize you. Obey us!”

Okay… that is kinda crazy.

The crowd screamed once again.

“Hey there, I’m Akash on the guitar. I’m from Bangladesh.”

People yelled, “Go Akash!”

“I’m Neo, from Botswana. I love to play the piano and the keyboard,” he said, pressing some combinations of keys.

It looks like the shouting isn’t going to end.

“And finally, I’m Jackson Lu, and I’m from the Philippines.”

They began to request that their instruments be louder while testing them.

“Ready, let’s go!” said Alan.

“Yes! Let’s start with ‘Nightmare Love’!” said Isaac.

They began playing their instruments, and the rest of the fans chanted the lyrics, while my heart fluttered in my chest. I was completely silent.

“It was in the middle of July when I had to say goodbye,

But you wouldn’t let me go,

I stood there while you clutched onto me,

Holding a gun to my head,

Just end this nightmare already.”

Everyone’s light sticks flashed blue and red according to the beat.

I stared at Isaac as his eyes glistened as he sang his heart out, especially at the highest note. The riff made the band and the crowd bang their heads to the beat.

It was Isaac who wrote this song. Well, Isaac was rumored to be with Zoey J. I hope she didn’t hurt him! If Isaac were mine, I would never hurt him like this…

Alan played his guitar, and the people in the mosh pit began jumping higher than before.

“That guy is a beast at the guitar!” said someone.

“And so, let this nightmare end.”

The loud music soon made my ears hurt, but I only wanted to hear more of it.

When the next song, ‘Mercy’ began to play, we all began to sing softly along with Isaac.

“Show me forgiveness,

Give me a sign,

Give me a reason for you to be mine again”

I already had a headache, but I wished for the repetitive melody to never end. After a couple more songs, my friends and I swayed to the music.

When they played ‘Lost Memories’, the crowd screamed a little less than they usually did. However, as soon as they began playing it, I had a knot in my throat.

“Do you remember that December Night?

Back then, we were still young and full of life,

If I’m being honest, it still feels like a dream

Even if I took that leap, I know you would turn away,

Because these memories are lost in time

In the moment, I thought I would belong with you…

Forever, forever, forever….”

Soon, the crowd began to sing along. As I looked around, my vision blurred. The song reminded me of Tyson on that Christmas, when he promised he’d return to the country and pursue a relationship with me.

Was it all a lie?

A single teardrop rolled down my cheek, and I hastily wiped it away. I looked up, blinking, and saw the band from afar.

A couple of songs later, I watched the band from afar and could almost hear their life stories through their lyrics. The instruments played with catchy chord progressions, and we started to chant the names of the members at every break of the song.

“This is the last song for tonight! I wrote it myself, hehe,” said Alan.

“Alright, get ready for ‘The Last Message’!” said Isaac.

As soon as Alan started singing, the crowd grew in energy once more. His voice was deeper, but soft at the same time.

Is this the first time we’ve heard Alan sing?!

Jackson began his drum solo, and then the singing resumed.

“You were my last hope,” sang Isaac.

“A simple request from me to you…” sang Alan.

However, the song was over in the blink of an eye.

“Thank you!” said Isaac.

“Encore. Encore!” chanted the audience.

“Sorry, guys, peace out,” said Akash.

The audience groaned and continued asking for an encore. However, the curtains were lowered, and I looked at the clock on my phone.

No missed calls from Kareena yet?

I smiled at my phone’s screen.

“If you guys don’t have any other plans, you could join me at the fanmeet? I have two passes, and each can take a pair,” asked Rebeca.

“Definitely! Let’s go, Arisa,” said Polly.

I swallowed hard and looked at my own shoes.

“Sure,” I said. “I want an autograph.”

“Good luck with the other Alan stans,” said Rebeca.

I get the feeling that there’s something wrong with these two. Alan is a part of The Rockstar Brigade, too.

So, we waited in the queue for almost an hour, when Kareena began calling me. I cut her off, and we were inches away from meeting the band!

The five young men sat with wide, unnatural smiles, as if they were paid to do so, but didn’t want to even be there…

Oh, wait. That’s exactly what this is. They don’t want to be here.

“Excuse me, Alan! I’m a big fan of yours! May I have your autograph?” I asked.

I took out the notebook and pen.

“Hmph. What are you going to do with it?” asked Alan.

“What? I’ll just put it in my collection…”

“Hmm. Girls like you must be selling my autographs on secondhand sites!” said Alan.

I froze as I looked at Rebeca and Polly talking to Jackson and Akash.

Isaac stood from his chair and went behind Alan.

“Alan! Are you being rude again?” asked Isaac.

“No. Not really,” said Alan.

“He refused to sign my notebook because he thought I’d sell it…” I murmured, staring at the ground.

“Alan! How could you be so ungrateful? Sign it, for God’s sake,” said Isaac.

“I don’t think I want you to sign it anymore,” I said, placing the notebook and pen back into my bag.

I tried to stop a teardrop from falling and managed to do so. Alan lost all of his expression, and he dropped his head.

“Ah, did I hurt you?” said Alan.

I walked away and stood in the corner.

“There we go. Now, what’s gonna happen if she blasts you on the internet?” asked Neo.

“You should apologize. Properly,” said Isaac, with no expression on his face.

Was all of that beautiful music a lie? Well, at least now I know that Isaac is the good guy. Still, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

All of a sudden, I saw light reflecting off a silvery blade as a girl hid it behind her back.

“Isaac, I have a gift for you,” she said, smiling.

“Oh, what is it?” he asked.

The two of them locked eyes, and the girl’s hand shook as the steel kept gleaming under the light.

“Isaac, watch out!” I yelled.

He turned toward me, and this allowed him to dodge the knife by an inch.

Isaac backed away and yelled, “Security!”

“Security? Security!” exclaimed Neo.

Just then, a bunch of people began recording with their phones. Swallowing, the assaulter began charging toward me all of a sudden!

I dodged, and the knife pierced through the wall. Running, she followed me for a while only to aim at Isaac again.

“How dare you ruin my plan?” she yelled, aiming the knife at his throat and about to strike him.

My heart wants me to help him. I’m such a fool…

I grabbed her hand, which held the knife, but it cut deep into my hand, causing me to screech and release tears. I felt the jagged edge cut through my skin as I continued to ask her to stop.

Phones raised, flashes blinding, fans screaming… but no one moved to help. The spectators were only watching and recording as the security guards appeared. One of them held the assaulter at gunpoint, and she finally let go of the knife. They dragged her away.

Letting it drop down, dark red blood flowed out of my dominant left hand. I gasped, and my eyes widened.

The exam is tomorrow! Oh no, oh no!

My vision blurred. I cried rivers of tears, and I could taste them as they flowed into my mouth. The teardrops stained the lenses of my glasses.

Alan swore many times and said, “This is bad!”

“Guards, take her to the hospital. Now!”

“Will do,” said a guard in a blue uniform.

“Useless!” cried Isaac.

He took a scarf, which was a fan gift from Alan’s table, and wrapped it around my hand. Alan said nothing as his eyes bulged out.

“That should do. For now,” said Isaac.

People continued taking photos of us.

“Get lost!” yelled Akash.

Everyone rushed away from us after he shouted. The guards dragged me away and into a car.

“Where are we going?!” I yelled.

“To the hospital,” said the guard.

I could barely breathe.

What if they’re taking me elsewhere? This is scary.

I sat in the backseat and saw Polly and Rebeca watching my every move. We drove away.

The car accelerated after the traffic light turned green.

Once we reached the hospital emergency entrance, my heartbeat accelerated, and I trembled.

We’re finally here! That’s a relief.

A nurse wrapped gauze around my palm and put bandages on two of my fingers. I continued wiping my tears as I reached the payment counter.

“It has been paid for,” said the receptionist.

As it should be.

The band stood in the reception, and all of the members apologized profusely.

Alan stared at the floor and said, “Sorry, I really am.”

He didn’t look at me even once after that.

“It’s that damn security! I’ve said this before. We need better security,” said Akash.

“Calm down, Akash. Screaming won’t help,” said Neo.

“I’m not screaming.”

Akash crossed his arms and stared at Neo.

Jackson said, “Once again, we’re sorry. Isaac, I think you should tell her.”

Isaac stared into my eyes and said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” I said, smiling, with tears fogging my vision and my glasses once again.

The Rockstar Brigade is apologizing to me. This could have been a dream come true, but something feels really off.

I stared at my hand, and my voice cracked as I said, “Now what?”

“It’s late. We should drop her home,” said Jackson.

“Okay. Let’s go,” said Isaac, swinging his keychain around his finger.

Isaac led me out of the hospital and unlocked the car door with a beep by pressing the button on his keychain.

I sat in the passenger seat and didn’t say a single word.

“I really am sorry,” said Isaac, starting the car. “What can I do to make it up to you?”

“Nothing. Well, it’s not your fault…” I said, tears falling down my cheeks soundlessly.

After a few seconds, I said in a teary voice, “What have I done? My midterm is tomorrow.”

“Thank you for saving my life. Please give me your notebook,” he said.

“Why?”

He wants to give me an autograph now, out of all times?!

“I’ll write my email address there. You can contact me for compensation,” he said.

“Oh, alright. Can anything compensate for tomorrow’s exam? I wasted all of those hours while studying.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” said Isaac.

I gave him my notebook and he scribbled something quickly.

“Here you go,” said Isaac.

We drove away in silence, except when I gave him directions.

He is even more handsome up close. Even though he’s not making eye contact with me, his eyes are pretty. Isaac’s face is quite chiseled, too. I’m in a car with a celebrity, but I wish these weren’t the circumstances.

“Yeah, this is the place. You can just park here.”

We watched as Kareena stood outside the building.

I slammed the car door open and didn’t say anything to him.

“Goodbye,” he said.

“Bye,” I said softly.

I will probably never see him again. Such a shame.