Jack

I cheered along with the rest of the crowd, holding up my glass of coke and tipping it in Josh's direction. Warmth spread through me, and people were clapping me on the back and shouting me a few more drinks, as well as Josh. We were the happy couple of the night. A grin stretched across my face a mile wide, and I swayed along to the soft music, hearing Josh's liquid accent sing the first line into the microphone, my skin breaking out in goosebumps. Everyone quietened down as he sung, swaying along with me. As he reached the fourth verse, his sister joined in, looking out at the other side of the bar. Elissa had been obsessed with it, and I wanted to know why. As the song neared the end, the crowd pushed me forward, urging me onto the stage, several people whispering, 'Kiss!' at me.

Josh smiled as he strummed the guitar, and Elissa picked me up and hauled me onstage.

'And you always have your way.
For now it's too soon for you to say,
Will we be always, always?' Josh finished singing, his fingers ceasing to pick out the guitar melody, and Elissa sang the last line as he pulled me onto his lap for a kiss. My hands were either side of his face, and one of his hands was splayed on my back, the other on the neck of the guitar, holding it.

'You had your way.' The crowd cheered and we broke apart, me resting my forehead against his briefly, my eyes still shut.

'This is my boyfriend, ladies and gentlemen!' Josh shouted into the microphone, turning me around so that I was facing the crowd and taking a bow, thereby forcing me to as well. 'And that was my last song, so I'll leave the stage to Elissa.' He added as we walked off stage and the small gathering parted to let us through, back to our seats at the bar. Elissa's sweet voice filled the air, and we started to down the drinks that had been bought for us. A few people who clearly enjoyed Josh's music came up and asked for a few autographs and pictures, but we were mostly left alone.

A commotion started up at the other side of the bar as Elissa's set neared its end, and I stood up, craning my neck wanting to find out what - or who - it was that was causing the ruckus. Unfortunately, I only caught a glimpse of generic brown hair escaping out of the door a few seconds later. The person was closley followed by Elissa, who had abandoned her seat on the stage, her guitar in hand. She was shouting at them, and as soon as she was outside the wind carried her voice away and the heavy wooden door thudded shut.

'Do you mind if I go back onstage, Jack? These people were promised three hours of live entertainment - they've only had two.' Josh hurridly whispered in my ear.

'Oh, yeah, go, sure.' I said looking into his chocolate brown eyes. Josh gave me a chaste kiss on the cheek before wading through the sea of people and sitting on the chair Elissa had abandoned. He began working the crowd again, retrieving his own guitar. I spun around on my barstool, looking into my glass of coke and taking a sip. I had consumed too much liquid in too little time and was feeling sick. I placed it back down and listened to Josh's acoustic version of Liquid Confidence.

If only Alex was here to spruce things up. I thought, before shaking the thought away. I looked at my phone and saw the time was almost eleven. Surely now would be an acceptable time to leave. I caught Josh's attention and pointed towards the door and, with a nod to show he had seen me, I blew him a kiss and hurried out. I bundled my jacket around me as to ward against the wind and set off into the night, on the lookout for a taxi. I crossed the road to the side of the park and began walking, my breath condensing as I blew out the hot air. I caught snippets of conversation as I walked up and down in an attempt to keep myself warm while keeping my eyes peeled.

'John, what do you mean?' A woman's voice said almost in tears.

'The stars are beautiful, aren't they?' Another said a few meters away from the previous woman, speaking to someone else.

'No, they're aren't any. You're as high as a fucking kite, Katie.' Was her answer to the seeming odd comment about the sky. I continued walking, kicking a stray stone as I did so.

'You can't keep doing that to him.' A hushed voice said, sounding familiar.

'Well he's not helping either! Galavanting around with your brother!' Another whispered back fiercely. I stopped and started listening in, my heartbeat sounding loud, even to my own ears.

'I don't decide who my brother sees. He was fucking a million other men before your Jack came along.' It was a woman, I was sure of it. It didn't take a genius to know who was behind the high fence and the thick foliage. 'He didn't make enough money with his band alone, so he started selling himself. I guess that's the best way to put it. Going out to bars, picking up drunks who've gone through a rough patch or a break up and stealing money or anything valuable while they're sleeping.' Elissa said, her voice still hushed. My mouth went dry as I heard her confessions to Alex.

Surely he isn't using me - he doesn't know who I really am!

Elissa had continued talking while the thoughts had flown through my mind. 'Jack's the only one who's returned. Who he has stayed in contact with.' She paused, before taking a deep breath, 'I hate to say it, but I really think that my brother does like Jack. More than a friend,' she let out a sour laugh, 'but not a lover.' Alex stayed quiet, and didn't talk for a few minutes. A taxi zoomed past, and I yelled to grab the driver's attention.

'Hey! Stop!'

'Jack?' Alex said, sounding surprised. I winced at my American accent. I usually liked the way I sounded, but it had its downfalls in England. I dashed into the cab, throwing a few bills at the cabbie and telling him to drive back home. Alex needn't know I was here. He had to walk out of the park to find out the truth and see if it really was me he had heard, and I would be long gone by then.

Notes

(Ironic) Title credit: Follow My Voice - For All Those Sleeping
c0l0urfultears