"There you are!" Brody exclaimed.  He tossed the two drumsticks to Lucan who just waltzed in.  "Where were you?"

He waved his hand off to dismiss any curiosity the boys had.  "I just had to go to the bathroom.  So how's everything coming along?"

"It's coming along lovely!" Paris exclaimed, ruffling his hair in the mirror.  Cameras flashed and Lucan turned around, covering his face from the sudden flash.  "What's this?"

Ryland shrugged.  "The manager said we should let some paparazzi come in and see what we do as our 'warm-up' before a show."

"Oh."  Lucan cleared his head, keeping Delilah out of it.  He should've followed her but he did make a life for himself on Earth too.  Plus, she didn't want him to be there ever again.  Hopefully he wouldn't run into her soon.  She needed to let off some steam. 

Paris found the stereo in the room, cranking it up.  "How about some warmup boys?"

Brody jumped on a wheelie chair, and rolled across the room.  "Yassssssss. Let's rock this shit."

Their favourite song, a Fallout Boy song, came on and the boys started rocking it.  Paris and Ryland practiced their voice and laughter was exchanged.  Then it was time to get serious. 

"Boys you're on in ten," said a woman with a microphone and wire wrapped around her waist.  She wore a headset.  Security guards ushered the paparazzi away and soon the boys were alone. 

"I think one of them got a picture of my ass," said Paris. 

"Of course.  Everyone wants a pic of that ass," Brody said. 

Lucan studied Ryland who had been eerily quite.  "You okay, mate?" Lucan asked him, putting a hand on his friend's back. 

Ryland looked up and then gave him a smile.  "Yeah.  I'm fine."

Paris hooted and slung an arm around both of them.  "That's right bitches.  We're all FINE AS FUCK."  He stuck his tongue out and shook his head like a rock star and the boys did the same. 

They left the room, Brody pounding on the walls with his fists.

"The world better be ready for the boys of the dark," Brody said.  Lucan hooted and slapped the walls with his drumsticks.

Paris got a piggyback ride from Ryland and the boys made a hilarious ruckus as they made their way to the stage, following the crew who led them. 

It wasn't until they were finally below the stage, ready to come up on this platforms that'd spring them up when Ryland finally brought up the thing that was on his mind.  "Has anyone seen--"

"Show time boys!" the manager said, coming in with a big smile.  "It's about time the big world sees you talented lads!"

Paris hooted and gave him a fist pump.  "Hell yes."  They slapped each other on the back and exchanged grins. 

The sparks in Ryland's stomach came back again, forgetting about Delilah.  He started flashing back to when they all hanged out in his bedroom or in his garage or took over the whole second floor of his house to write songs.  It was crazy to see how far they came.  It made him smile and his cheeks started hurting at this amazing experience.  They did it. 

"We did it," he said aloud. 

The boys nodded and the manager gave each of them a pat on the back.  "Kill it boys.  I'll be in the backstage watching."  Their manager left them and finally, the boys were alone again. 

All of them were on their platforms, ready to spring up in the next few seconds. 

"You lads ready?" asked Lucan.

"Hell yes!" Brody said.

"Fuck yeah!" Paris exclaimed. 

"Let's do this shit," Ryland answered. 

A countdown was heard from a speaker and the boys bent down as instructed. 

The nerves in Ryland were trembling and sweat already collected at the back of his neck.  He ruffled his hair, adjusting the microphone attached to his collar.  They were going to do this.  He suddenly thought about the people in his life who helped him get this far: the boys, HB, Delilah---

"Delilah," he whispered.

Then he sprung up, the board shooting him up.  But he wasn't ready so when he shot up, he flew up sideways and fell on his side. 

The crowd roared with excitement and he shook his head, hands grabbing the floor. 

Laughter broke out and he heard Paris and the boys laughing in their microphones.  They exchanged some things that made the crowd laugh and he slowly crawled back up.

Paris made a joke and the crowd laughed.  Ryland saw Paris smiling at him and Ryland couldn't help but smile.  He stood up on his own, dusting himself off.  Then he looked up to the crowd and with an awkward wave, said, "Hi."

Immediately the crowd erupted in screams and shouts and he almost had to take a step back from the loud noise.  His heart pumped out of his chest, everything hammering and his ears started ringing.  "I..."  A hand was on his shoulder and he turned. 

"You okay, mate?" asked Paris, his microphone turned off.

Ryland gulped and Paris's hand stroked his shoulder.  "It's just you, me and the boys, okay?  Just the four of us. Having a fucking bitchin time like we always do.  Okay?"  He gave Ryland that smile---the one that Ryland knew was the reason he befriended him. 

Ryland nodded and he watched his friend turn his microphone back on.  Paris turned towards the darkness covered in flashing lights.  "Whose ready to have a bitchin time?!"

The crowd came to life and that nearly stole Ryland's breath away.  He turned towards his set, the DJ booth already set up for him.  He adjusted the microphone again and stepped into the booth.  He put the headphones on, and the boys already took their positions, their banter between each other already getting the crowd excited.  And they haven't even played yet! 

"Hey everyone," said Paris. 

More screams.

"I'm Paris."

"Brody."

"Lucan."

"Ryland."

"And this is our song, Lost Boy." 

They all waited for their cue---waited for Ryland whose fingers hovered over the keyboard.  "This is it," he told himself.  He mentally spoke.  "This is it.  This is what you've been waiting for.  Do it.  Do it.  Do it."  He pressed the button down and heard the comforting sound. 

The familiar warmth and glow from these sounds brought him to life and he clicked another button, picking the beat up.  The bass rocked the theatre, vibrating his heart and the ground under them.  Then he clicked the third button, Lucan following suit with a beat. 

Ryland closed his eyes, leaned in to reach for that magical grasp and began to sing.  The world came alive as Paris started playing his guitar, Lucan following after to complete the sound. 

It wasn't until the crowd started singing the whole chorus and that's when Lucan opened his eyes.  He got chills, hearing the voices of thousands singing his song that he once wrote.  It was haunting, it was eerie, it was phenomenal. 

And Ryland loved it.

He ate up the feeling, pumping it to the confidence that began to grow.  He controlled the song, heart used to the thumping sound and his body felt alive. 

They kept singing and Ryland even got out of the booth for one of the songs, taking the guitar leaning on the side.  He danced, played and sang next to his best friends and jumped and screamed and laughed. 

The last song, "Finally Found" came around and the last few words left his lips.  Suddenly he remembered something and he didn't even sing the next lyrics.  The boys choked, but luckily, the crowd carried the lyrics on and Paris came in to say the rest of the lyrics.  

Ryland's fingers felt numb and he didn't even remember leaving the crowd as he had his back to it all. 

"You okay?" asked Paris.

"Yeah," he lied and faked the rest of his way through until the party. 

"You okay?" Paris asked.

Ryland lied through his teeth.  "I'm never okay," he wanted to say but instead said, "Yeah. I'm fine."

"We fucking rocked the house!" Brody exclaimed, already ready to drag the roof down.  He and Lucan wrestled their way back stage, the thrill still high on all their hearts except for Ryland. 

He pushed that nagging thought and memory in his mind, trying to ride this tide of excitement that may never come back. 

He grabbed Paris's hand and pulled him down the hall, forcing to shove this happiness and shove it down his throat.  Ryland needed to enjoy this.  This was his day. He wasn't going to let Delilah get him down again.

The car was already waiting for them at the after party.  Not needing to change, they packed their instruments away and high fived their manager.  

'You guys were amazing!" the manager shouted and high fived each boy.

"Thanks," they all said but you could tell they were all eager to go to the party.  Of course, they were.  They were teenage boys.  They lived for the party and excitement and they knew this ride was far from over. 

Grabbing their hoodies that hung on the racks, they high fived and smiled all the crew members they passed, thanking them and thanking everything in sight. 

"Thank you," Paris said to the plant, shaking it's leaf. 

They left the building, running actually as camera lights flashed outside, trying to capture the boys as they exited out.  People screamed their name, waiting outside as they emerged.  They quickly got into the limo that waited on the side of the street and the boys laughed, their pants mixing in the air. 

"That was crazy!" Brody screamed.  Camera lights still flashed outside their window and Lucan stuck his hand out the window.  People started grabbing it and he laughed, trying to get it back in.  Paris had to grab a hold of him to yank his hand back in, the window quickly rolling back up. 

Paris pressed his nose and cheek up against the glass and waved. 

Laughter flowed throughout the car again until the radio turned up. 

Noticing the song, the boys exchanged looks and started screaming with the radio.

Paris heard his voice on the radio, their song blaring out of their speakers. 

"Yes!"  They started singing as the car took off to the after party.  Brody open a drawer, drinks displayed for them to take. 

They snatched beers and sparkling water, clanging glass a second later.  They cheered to their success and sang and tackled each other. 

This was the life. 

This was their life. 

And they were finally living it. 

The car parked, the lights of the limo floor flowing.  The door opened by the driver and the boys climbed out, some tripping on each other to get out. 

They ran over to the hotel, going through the spinning doors.  Paris kept going in the spinney doors---heck, all four of them kept going around and around in the spinney doors, shooting themselves out and they collapsed on the carpet floor, laughing.  The only thing Ryland was high on was happiness. 

A man came up to them, his moustache curled with a hotel uniform on.  "Boys of the Dark," he said.

The boy straightened up except for Paris who stayed on the floor, his head upside down.  "Yes?' he asked.

"I have to direct you to the party." 

Suddenly the chandelier shook and they heard the walls rumble, music playing from above. 

Paris shot up, the boys eagerly following after.  They took in the hotel, walls coloured in gold and people dressed in expensive clothes and logos that they saw in magazines. 

They took the elevator and Ryland couldn't stop shaking.  Hell, all the boys couldn't stop shaking.  "How long does this elevator take to get to the top floor?" asked Brody.

"Long," the man said. 

"Is there a floor below the basement?" asked Paris.

"No."

"If I press this button, will we explode?" asked Lucan, finger hovering over the red button.

"No."

"Are we there yet?" Ryland asked.

"I haven't even clicked the button."

"Oh!"  Paris's eyes lit up.  "I'll do it."

"Wait!"

But Paris already clicked all the buttons, thirty three buttons all glowing. 

The door went off in a ding and the doors shut.  Elevator music played for a moment before it stopped on the first floor.  Then the doors closed again and they went up to the second floor.  The doors closed again.

"What floor do we want to get to?" asked Ryland.

"Thirty two," said the man. 

The boys exchanged looks and then glared At Paris who sheepishly smiled. 

Once the fifth floor came into view, Ryland ran out and the boys ran after him.  He sped down the hallway, the man screaming after them to stop.  Lucan stole the elevator man's hat and tucked it on his head, laughing away. 

Ryland found the door he wanted and swung it open, finding the staircase.

"Stairs?!" Brody whined.  "Bro.  I haven't been to the gym in decades."

Yet the rest of the boys were already shooting up the stairs, long legs skipping up the stairs so they got up much faster. 

By the twentieth floor, they were panting and laughing and by floor thirty they were a sweaty hot mess. 

Finally, the number 32 came into view.  Paris pushed the door open, Ryland falling through it and they both collapsed on the floor.  Lucan panted, coming up seconds later with his hands on his knees.  "Why...why...why... did we choose the stairs?" 

He collapsed on the floor next to them and it wasn't until a minute later that Brody came up the stairs, crawling up them and across the floor with his tongue hanging out.  He fell on top of them, a pile of the boys created.   Ryland grunted, the boy at the bottom of the rock band sandwich. 

Suddenly he realized the floor had been vibrating and he glanced up to see two doors open. 

"May I help you?" asked a lady. 

They looked up and the lady's eyes widened.  "Oh my god!  Are you--"

"Yeap," Paris said. 

Lucan groaned and stood up, Brody rolling off of him.  Paris was next to stand, and he helped Ryland up.

"But the floor...the floor is so cold," Brody complained. 

The boys left their friend behind who groaned and slowly got up.  They all raked their hands through their hair and the lights were everywhere, people chatting and laughing and dancing with drinks in their hand. 

"All these people came for us?" Lucan said, a little breathless. 

"And no one wanted to come to our first show back in grade ten," Paris said. 

The boys laughed at the old memory, Brody slowly coming in behind. 

People turned towards the boys and faces lit up.   Drinks went in the air and people who the boys never had even seen came running up to them, touching their shoulders and backs and gave them kisses on cheeks and ruffled their hair. 

They laughed and got seated on a couch where Brody collapsed on, still out of breath. 

Overwhelmed by this attention, Ryland didn't even know how he got a drink in his hand. 

Hands flew around Paris's eyes and a laugh was let loose.

No one knew where that laugh came from until she removed her hands.

"The witch does have a heart!" Lucan shouted in triumph. 

HB smiled and jumped over the couch, squeezing herself between Lucan and Paris.  "I'm not gonna lie.  I'm a little high.  But I swear, I'm frowning on the inside!"

Paris laughed and grabbed her face, kissing her. 

"Young love," said Brody.  He held up his hand that now held a sandwich.  "Like me and this babe."

"You're gonna have sandwich children," said Lucan.

Brody took a bite and groaned.  "Fuck yeah.  That's a sandwich."

Ryland craned his neck around, his lips curling down. 

"You okay?" Lucan asked him. 

He waved his hand.  "Yeah. Yeah."  He took a sip at his beer.  "Totally."  He took a bigger sip.  This wasn't beer.  Some people came over and congratulated them but to be honest, Ryland wasn't paying attention.  

He got up when Paris and HB started getting cute, and Brody and Lucan were chatting up some ladies.  He held his drink, smiling at people who congratulated him again.  He didn't even know half the people here and started to feel a little uncomfortable with all this contact.  He moved towards the chocolate fountain---that a strange area that didn't hold many people. 

"But chocolate fountains are fucking amazing," he said aloud, to no one in particular. 

"I know!" exclaimed a voice.

He turned and saw a girl with a kabob of strawberries, approaching the fountain.  "You'd think people would be lining up for this beautiful invention!" 

Her curls were like ringlets, flowing down her shoulders.  A shiny white fabric held her body together, with the thigh high black boots.  She smiled at him and stuck her hand out.  "Addy," she said.

He shook it.  "Ryland."

"So I've heard," she said with a laugh.  She stuck the strawberry kabob into the fountain as they both watched the chocolate drown the fruits.  She pulled it out, using a napkin to hold underneath so it wouldn't drip.  "You want one?" she offered. 

"Sure," he said. 

He reached forward but instead she plucked it off the stick and moved it towards his mouth.  At first he tilted his head back, not ready for that quick movement, but then gave in, eating the strawberry out of her hand.  She ate one too as he chewed, studying her face as she ate it. 

"Good?" she asked.

He nodded and tried to speak but remembered he had to keep chewing.  She laughed and took another one out.  "Want another?"

With a nasty sweet tooth, he nodded and she was going to feed him again but then plucked it out of her fingers instead.  He shoved it in his mouth and made pleasing noise.  She laughed again, it warm like honey. 

Perhaps this night wasn't going to turn out so bad after all.