Epilogue

*one week after the competition*

In the moment I felt nothing but happiness.

Now, I don't think I can do it anymore.

After thinking about it, I don't think I can be in the club anymore. I just can't get over how all this crap started, with my 'friends' selling me out and the people who I thought I could trust refusing to hear a word I said.

Before, I resolved to not blame them. After all, they'd been through a lot, and I was never the most credible person in their eyes, but I really feel it now.

The difference between 'Jake' and 'the Squad' is more obvious than ever. Of course, the competition helped bring us closer, and we definitely still work amazingly as a band, but I just can't do it anymore.

Things will never go back to how they used to be, they'll never really trust me again. The relationships I was slowly building up are now frozen in time. It's most obvious with Luke, I mean, he's nice to me, he's not short or even bothered by me, but he just had a kind of look in his eyes.

It's a look of courtesy, a look of 'you're a band member, you're dating one of my childhood best friends, you're important to someone I care about'.

I just- I can't stomach it.

Luke's just the most obvious example, but it's still true of everyone else.

Even if it isn't really true, it sure as hell feels like it, and it's absolutely fucking suffocating.

I really wanted to be able to continue on, we work so well together, after all. Musically, I fit together with them so well, everything's just clicks. We're like Rumors era Fleetwood Mac, excluding all the weird breakup stuff, of course.

Look, the point is, I couldn't keep it in any longer.

So, I called a meeting, after school, on a Friday.

The first one in was Hailey, of course.

"Jake, I'm gonna kill you. This better be the most earthshattering thing since Hendrix or I'll flay you." Hailey threatened me through gritted teeth. 

"I promise it's important Hails, just, take a seat?"

She still looked like she was about to wring my neck out like a washcloth, but still took a seat on the drummer's stool.

As the minutes passed by, everyone filed in. First it was Sean, then Luke and Zander, and last but not least, Milly. 

Everyone was either sitting or standing in their usual place for rehearsal, so I also took my place in front as lead singer and turned around to face my bandmates.

It was eerily like my first time in the club room.

The memories only steeled my resolve.

"So, you're probably wondering why I called a meeting after school on Friday, but I have something to say..."

Everyone looked at me in anticipation, but nobody dared to speak.

I guess it's now or never.

"I'm leaving the club."

Hailey audibly gasped. "Jake, are you serious? But the competition went so well, why would you leave?"

I chuckled dryly at Hailey's dumbfoundedness. Everyone else, save for Milly, had a kind of sad resignation on their faces. They knew it was coming, they just didn't know it was coming.

"After what happened last week, I've just felt... Uncomfortable in the club. Any time we weren't playing, I felt like an outsider, like I didn't belong. Really, it's not anyone's fault but my own, however I just can't. If you guys would be open do it, I'd be happy to rejoin sometime because I really think we sound amazing together, but for the foreseeable future...

I just can't."

I shut my eyes for a long moment, taking a deep breath, only revealing my windows to the world on my exhale. 

Hailey had a sad, but understanding look on her face, everyone else was looking away from me, either down at the ground, the door, or the surprisingly interesting analog clock behind me. 

Everyone that is, except for Milly.

She looked desperate.

"Jake, please stay, we need you. If we're gonna be great, we need you. Please, Jake?" Milly begged, tears welling up in her eyes.

Milly, bless her soul, has such a pure passion for music. She will go places for sure, and she definitely has the drive to, more than anyone I know except for maybe Hailey.

"Milly, if I could, I would. I just can't do it anymore."

I could see the Pink-Haired Devil start to take her over.

"So what, that's it? You're quitting music?" She spat, fists clenching.

I couldn't help but laugh.

"No Milly, no, I'm not doing something that dumb. I'm definitely gonna keep performing, I love it too much to stop."

Milly heaved a sigh of relief.

"Thank god! I thought you were gonna throw away your talent for a second there... Hey, we'll see you next year at the competition though, right?"

"Well, I haven't thought that far ahead, but I hope so."

After that, we all chatted for a while, about future plans, Sean's graduation, what they're gonna do after I leave the club...

I was scared when I woke up today, honest to god, but I'm so glad that I took that first step to try and move on.

Hopefully, I can finally find my people. 

---

It was all so familiar.

The stage, the venue, the crowd.

The only difference? The people up here with me. 

Last year, we were basically a small army, but now?

Hailey, Zander, Luke, Milly and a new kid, Wyatt, had all just got off stage.

"And that was The Rosemeadow Music Club from Rosemeadow Secondary School!"

The crowd went wild, and rightfully so. The club's performance was stellar.

The three guys in the club went around the long way to wait with the other contestants, while Milly and Hailey stayed back with me Daisy. Yeah, apparently Daisy knew how to play the drums, and pretty damn well, if I do say so myself.

We were a simple band, Hailey on bass and vocals, me on lead vocals, Daisy on drums and Milly on guitar.

We were a hot mess, but we worked surprisingly well.

Since Hailey and Milly were set up, and the drum kit was already there, it was just a matter of my throwing my mic on the stand and adjusting it to my height.

We gave the MC a nod, and that was that.

"And last but not least, please welcome, also from Rosemeadow Secondary School... The Freaks!"

With those words, I felt a blast of pure adrenaline flood throughout me. It was euphoric, like the 'first high' that all those crazy kids talk about. 

I felt alive.

The curtains opened, revealing an audience full of familiar faces. 

Sean, who was sitting front and centre, gave us a little wave, but was really eyeing Daisy. Henry, Liam and Drew, who I'd managed to somewhat make up with over the last year, were sitting in the front as well, looking much less disengaged than last year. Once again, my parents were there, but Milo wasn't there... Ah, he's sitting alone in the row behind for some reason, weird.

I looked over at Hailey and she gave me a nod.

The nod meant 'introduce us'.

"Hey all. We'll be playing two songs for you today. The first one's a cover, it's called Heaven Beside You."

As the crowd exploded with applause and cheers, a thought popped into my head. Never once had I felt more at home than I do on this stage, right here, right now. 

I glanced over at Hailey who was waiting eagerly for Daisy's cue to start.

Never once had I felt more at home. 

Click of the sticks. 1, 2, 3-

4. 

There's the epilogue. It's 5:20 am, the writing isn't good. Apologies, I'll fix it later.

For now though, that's all from me.