✿

CANON REESE

It did not take long until a pair of headlights pierced through the darkness of the poorly lit street. The black van parked right across us.

"What's going on?" Nikon muttered under his breath as he removed his seat belt and stepped out of the truck. The windows were rolled down and I could see the familiar faces of the band, no manager or staff in sight. "Why're you all here? I thought the management would be the ones to pick me up?" Nikon walked towards them.

I could feel that something is wrong. I instinctively reached for the door handle but Cassidy stopped me.

"It's none of our business," she said through gritted teeth. "We should go."

"Wait," I reached for the keys before she could even turn the engine on, and I hopped off the truck to keep her from retrieving the keys from me. After having caught up with Nikon, I asked, "What's wrong?"

"They said they ran away from the company," Nikon failed to process what is going on.

"Who's she?" I heard someone's voice from the backseat of the car.

"Uh," Nikon paused, still conflicted and confused, with questions piling on top of one another, "I was lost and she, uh... found me." He shook his head, disbelieving, "Why did you escape? Where do we go now?"

My ears perked at his choice of words. Escape?

"We can't take it anymore, man." Jett leaned on the open car window. "When you left briefly, they beat us up with your drumsticks. We all know it ain't gonna get any better when we go back."

My heart throbbed. Was that the reason why Nikon had huge dark bruises on his back?

"Even so, where are we going to go?" Nikon asked, worried. With that question, all of them fell silent. Of course, being well-known artists comes with a price. It is already difficult for them to go out on their own since they are so easily recognized by fans and the press. "We can't even go back home! I bet that's the first place they'll search."

Home.

"Canon, get back in the truck, now!" Cassidy went after me, furious. "And give me back the keys!"

I held onto the keys tightly and kept it on my back. Looking her in the eye, I told her, unyielding, "Home."

The expression on her face tells me she is not amused. She tried to reach for the keys on my back but I kept dodging her. "Yes, it's time to go home so give me back the ke—"

"No," I stood firm. "You said we'd go to our hometown whenever I want. And I can bring friends along." My request only made her look at me dubiously. "You owe me, remember?"

Cassidy almost scoffed, "I'm sorry, I thought safely chaperoning this boy band member you found was enough to call it even." For the first time, she spared a glance at the boys who stayed silent as they watched us. "Also, I said you could bring your friends," she emphasized, "you don't know these people."

"I know them," I retorted, surprising both Cassidy and I. "I may not know the whole story but I know them through their music," I bit my lip to keep it from trembling. "I believe they are the music they play the same way I'm the lyrics I write. So, please..." My voice was shaking but my decision is rock solid. She knows she could not talk me out of this one. "Cassidy, you promised."

We were quiet for a moment. I could not read the expression on Cassidy's face.

"Canon Reese," Nikon gently placed his hand on my shoulder. He smiled softly, "I appreciate your intention but I don't want to cause any more trouble for you, girls. You've done so much for me already, the least I want is to come between you, two—"

"I'll do it."

My eyes grew wide as the words left Cassidy's lips. "You'll do it?"

"I despise people who don't keep their promises," she hissed. In my perplexity, she managed to retrieve the keys from behind my back. "Refusing the request would make me a hypocrite." She walked straight towards the truck, not even bothering to spare us a glance.

Awkwardly, I turned to the band. They had just witnessed an argument between my sister and I. Not quite an excellent way to leave a good impression.

"We came from the countryside," I explained, mainly to Nikon because he is the only one I could hold eye contact without feeling too embarrassed. "There are farmlands and fisheries, and there aren't much residents. Not many from the city visit there, either." I fumbled with my fingers as I went over the idea, "It's a very rural area, hence, their technological phase is very... unadvanced, I guess. I mean, you won't have to worry about people recognizing you since only a small percent of the population owns phones and TVs. Even so, the reception isn't that great for them to keep up with the trends."

"That sounds perfect," Nikon exclaimed, pulling me into a hug. When he pulled away, both of us were equally self-conscious and at a loss for words.

"Hold on," Marx finally interrupted, addressing Nikon, "you want us to trust these girls?"

"They seem like decent people," Jett interjected, slamming the car door shut as he stepped out. "We're doomed if we go back to the hotel and we don't have any other idea, anyway." He tapped on his wristwatch, "We don't have much time. I'm pretty sure the managers already caught on to our plan by now. We can only hope no one saw this van leave the hotel 'cause if anyone did, we're doomed." He nodded towards our pickup truck. "I say we get on the truck and trust these girls to take us to safety. Sound cool?"

Marx remained hesitant, as one would expect from the leader of the band. He looked like he was weighing the pros and cons of the options on hand.

"Come on, man," Jett tapped Marx's shoulder, "what do you say?"

✿

It is a little past two in the morning, all I could hear is the sound of the engine revving and the faint noise of the radio I reluctantly turned on about an hour ago to try to keep us awake throughout the ride. Although since our driver's choice of music is classical, the rest of us are leaning closer to sleep.

I glanced at Cassidy who is focused on driving. I could already envision the trouble I would get into after all of this is over. I was just caught up in trying to help the boys. I mean, their music helped me get through some of the darkest moments in my life, I cannot imagine leaving them when I know I could offer some help.

Speaking of the band, seated behind me is Jett Ryder. He takes part in the production and lyric writing of their songs. Most of their lyrics that resonate with me were written by him. He mainly raps but sometimes he also partakes in some vocal parts of their songs. He is sitting quietly, watching the scenery flash by the window.

On the opposite side is Marx Anderson, the leader of the band. Like Jett, he is a producer and an astounding lyricist. My favorite songs were produced by him, actually. Aside from that, he is the glue that holds the group together. Hence, I understand why he is struggling to trust us. Before he got into the truck earlier, he kept checking his phone and trying to ask for the location so he could check it out first. However, Jett reminded him that they could be tracked through their phones so they all decided to turn them off. Still, he focused on the ride, his eyes scanning each road sign we come across, possibly thinking of a backup plan as soon as things go south. Much to his relief, there is no other vehicle on the road since an hour ago. That could mean no one managed to tail us, not their managers, not the press, not their fans. There was no vehicle going towards the direction of the city either since, as I had said earlier, not much people visit nor leave our hometown that often. But since he does not trust us fully, he might not feel that reassured being driven somewhere with no other person in sight. 

Sandwiched between the two in the backseat of the truck is Nikon. I tried to catch a glimpse of him on the rear view mirror and I noticed his eyes slowly drifting away, possibly due to fatigue the previous night has caused us, but he still tries to stay awake. He insisted to sit with us just to make sure no further arguments would ensue. Cassidy is evidently disapproving of this scheme, so is Marx. But Jett is fully onboard with it. The rest of the members want to escape but are reluctantly depending on Marx's decisions. Since Nikon has no problems trusting and conversing with us, he elected himself as the speaker of the group for now.

When I watch their interviews, Nikon Warner always struck me as a very shy guy, which I know now that he really is. He said he loves music so much but is not that fond of the spotlight so he settled to stay with his drums right behind the group during their performances. He is the youngest member of the group, I could only imagine the worry the others must have felt when he ran off the stage last night.

"We're almost there," Cassidy spoke, shattering the silence.

I turned towards the road. The dark sky had light streaks of white, and it bled dark orange towards the horizon. As Cassidy covered the remaining stretch of the road, I could make out the ocean from a distance, the waters glistening as they reflect the moonlit skies.

However, instead of turning to our street, Cassidy went the other direction. Perhaps she sensed my confusion so she clarified, "We don't have anything at our old house. There's a small 24/7 grocery store here if I remember correctly." She bit the insides of her cheeks before shaking her head. "We're short on cash, though. I can't cover for you, boys."

"Oh, no, no!" Nikon suddenly jolted on his seat, "You've already done so much. We'd pay for the groceries. It's the least we could do." Cassidy just remained still.

Thankfully, the grocery store is still operational. We have not been able to go back to this town in a couple of years, small businesses other than farming and fishing rarely last here. Not much places open 24 hours a day, either. But I guess that is what is keeping this grocery store alive, not having any competition.

"Go check on your friends," Cassidy addressed the boys as she killed the engine.

They wordlessly hopped off the truck and went to check on the other members who had no other choice than to ride on the open back of the pickup. Thankfully, there were blankets there for when our family went camping for our last trip, which they used as pillows and cushions on the rough ride.

Before I could open the door on my side, Cassidy spoke, "Are you happy now?" There was no contempt on her expression, just worry and fear. I understand. After all, I had just invited seven people I hardly know personally into our old home. And all of this was made possible thanks to a technicality.

"It will be okay," I reassured her. "Trust me."

"I trust you. It's them I'm worried about," Cassidy appeared skeptical, still, "There is no transitive property for trust. Just because I trust you and you trust them, that doesn't mean I should trust them, too." With a sigh, she loosened her grip on the steering wheel and unlocked her seat belt. "I brought you here, I kept my word. We can stay for a day or two but we're going back to the city as soon as possible."

"What?" I exclaimed, tugging on her sleeves just as she was about to exit the vehicle. "What about the guys?"

Cassidy shrugged, "They can stay or leave as they please but they have to do it on their own." Her voice is laced with authority as she added, "They're allowed to stay with us at our old house while we're there but if they intend to stay in town, they should find their own accommodations." She heaved out a sigh, "You understand, don't you? I mean, inviting a bunch of strangers into our home is already extreme enough. Certainly you didn't expect to lend them the house indefinitely, right?"

I am not even sure what to reply to her. I obviously have not thought this through but I did not expect to be leaving the boys in just two days. Would they be alright by then?

"Come on, they seem to be waiting for us," Cassidy grunted as she hopped off the truck. All I could do is follow her. As she locked the doors, I noticed there were only three figures casting a shadow as they stood in front of the store.

"Crawford fell asleep during the ride," Nikon explained when he noticed my confusion, "Vinn volunteered to stay behind and keep watch." I just found myself nodding.

Cassidy already walked ahead of us. Jett was busy reminding everyone not to use any credit card since they might be tracked because of it. Instead, everyone pitched in all the cash they have left. They refused to accept my money, though, insisting that I have already contributed enough. Plus, I do not really have much to offer since Cassidy holds on to our allowance. After summing up their budget, we entered the store and began scouring for resources.

Nikon is the only one comfortable enough to walk with me by this point. However, we walked past Jett and Marx who seemed to be discussing the possible consequences of their actions. Noticing the tension, Nikon decided to intervene, asking the two to briefly step out of the store with him so they could discuss it in private.

I was checking the aisles by myself for a while. We should go for canned food and instant noodles, I guess. I am not quite sure if the stove and appliances back at the house still work since we have not used it in a while so sticking with easy-to-make food might be the best option.

While trying to reach for the packs of noodles, I felt someone lightly tap on my shoulder. I turned around only to be greeted by a mischievous smile.

"Hi," he beamed. He is wearing a shopping basket over his head like a helmet as he extended his hand towards me, "I'm Vinn."

Reluctantly, I went ahead and reached for the handshake, "Canon Reese." I was hesitant to ask but did it anyway, "I thought you were staying at the truck to watch over Crawford?"

"Ah, Nikon stepped out with Marx and Jett. He said they'd watch over him instead. Let me help you with that," he removed the basket from his head. His dark hair is long and curly, the type you want to caress softly. He looks radiant even in just his plain white shirt and jogging pants. When he leaned to gather the groceries from the shelf, I could almost get a whiff of his perfume. I could almost detect the smell of a midsummer night's lullaby, warm and comforting. "What else are we getting?" He smiled endearingly once again, his voice melts in my ears.

Vinn Kishimoto is the keyboardist of the band. Aside from that, his vocals range from deep and rough to warm and soulful. In fact, he is the most diverse vocalist I know. Whenever I have a bad day or whenever I struggle to fall asleep in fear of nightmares, I listen to his songs and not once have they failed to console me.

We were busy picking up groceries when he suddenly spoke, "Are you and your sister okay?" I turned to him and he kept nibbling on his bottom lip, probably trying to keep himself from saying more. "The two of you got caught in an argument earlier," he said in a low voice, "I'm sorry. We shouldn't have troubled you."

"No, no, we're okay," I waved my hands in the air as I reassured him. "But she said we can't stay for long... and that you, guys, might need to find someplace else to stay." His eyes fluttered as he analyzed the situation. "I mean, you're welcome to stay in town as much as you'd like. It's not mine to keep you from it, you know? But lending our childhood home for a prolonged time is a bit..."

He nodded in agreement, "Of course. I understand." He smiled genuinely as we strode along the aisles in search for instant coffee and sweetener. "Do you think we could get jobs here?" He shook his head after he said the words before he clarified, "Non-music related jobs, I mean."

I shrugged, "I don't see why not?" I reached for the boxes on the shelves and placed them in the basket that Vinn's holding carefully. "I can show you, guys, around town tomorrow," I said before realizing that it is currently dawn and tomorrow is actually later today. "We can look for job vacancies and some other place you could stay at when we leave."

"Sounds good," Vinn smiled, escorting me through the store.

We bumped across Marx when we went to pick up shampoo. I guess his little talk with Jett and Nikon is over. I hope it ended on a good note. He seemed cautious when he saw me but he relaxed soon after. He waved the product in his hand, "Do you, two, think I should dye my hair black so I wouldn't stand out as much? Jett, too?" Looking back, as opposed to the rest of the members who have dark hair at the moment, Marx had a silver toned hairstyle.

Vinn and I exchanged glances before nodding at him.

"Okay," Marx pressed his lips together into a tight line, unconsciously revealing his dimples. He took two packets before adding them to our basket. I noticed that he put in bandages, disinfectant, and other materials for a first aid kit along with the boxes of hair dye. "Uh, Canon, was it?" I just nodded as he addressed me. It felt awkward and he could not even look me in the eye that long. I understand that he still feels wary about my sister and I since we are strangers. "Do we need anything else? Bed sheets?"

"Ah, we have some at home," I pondered over what else we would need. Since Cassidy said we would not be staying for long, it might be useless to gather too many things. "Oh, we have sheets and towels but they might have been in stock for a while. We should toss them in the laundry for a round, I guess." Marx nodded on my comment before leaving us to look for detergent and fabric softener.

"He'll come around soon, don't worry," Vinn reassured me as we walked side by side. He paused only to grab a Twix chocolate bar from the shelf. He looked ecstatic as he discreetly places it in the basket. He brought his finger up to his lips in a small attempt to shush me. "We have enough budget for candy, right?"

I shook my head a little, finding his actions cute. "You like Twix?" I whispered.

"You don't?" He grinned, organizing the contents of our basket so that his bag of treats would be concealed by the other items.

I shrugged a little, "This might be a bit of an odd choice but I prefer Reese's peanut butter cups. Or, you know, maybe I'm just biased 'cause it has my name in it." I joked around and he just chuckled. As we turned around the corner, I caught a glimpse of Cassidy. "I'll catch you later, I've to talk to my sister."

Vinn just smiled and nodded.

When I managed to catch up with Cassidy, I noticed that her basket contained bread and various spreads. She picked up fruits like bananas and oranges, too. "Well, uh..." I fumbled for the words, "I kind of told them already about what you said earlier in the truck." I paused a little before correcting myself, "Well, actually, I told one of them. I'd tell the others later. But the bottom line is they seem okay with it." Cassidy barely glanced over me as she was engrossed in picking up groceries. "I'll help them find jobs and maybe a place to stay later. What do you think?"

Cassidy remained composed but I noticed her shoulders relax at the sound of good news. I guess she just wanted to hear that I have a decent plan, at least. "I'm done. I'll go pay now." She said, walking towards the counter. 

As I followed her to the cash register, we found Vinn and Marx already having their groceries checked out. They offered to pay for Cassidy's basket but she declined. Unsure of how they should approach her, they chose not to insist anymore. Smart choice. She hates owing people, that is what got us here in the first place. Insisting to pay for her could only lead to an argument and we are all exhausted right now.

"Who picked up the chocolate?" Marx asked, discovering the sweet Vinn tried to smuggle earlier. I almost giggled at his reaction when he shyly raised his hand.

"Just one, please?" He pressed his hands together, making it difficult to say no to him.

I guess even Marx could not resist his cuteness since he just shook his head a little before counting his money. "Alright, but no more next time. We're on a budget." To Vinn's delight, he gets to keep his candy.

When we finished, Cassidy led the way towards the empty parking lot and went to start the truck. It seems like Jett and Nikon decided to stay by the truck with Crawford while we went shopping. When they noticed us approaching with the groceries, they helped load them on the back of the truck before going back to their respective seats.

As I circled back to get to the passenger side, I felt someone tap my shoulder once again. I turned around to see Vinn, fumbling through the grocery bags. He pulled out a pack of Reese's chocolate and handed it to me.

"Thanks for today, Reese." He flashed a quick smile before hopping on the back of the pickup truck.

I walked back to my seat, confused. I thought he said he only picked one pack of candy. Did he manage to sneak another while Marx was not looking? Or did he swap out his Twix for this?

Cassidy began to drive off and I found myself smiling in the darkness. I just sat there, a pack of chocolate in my hands. My heart feels at ease. Even without his songs, he proves time and time again that he would always find a way to console me.

✿

As we pulled over to the side of the road, I could see the familiar frame of our old house. It might appear as a bit eerie since it still is a bit dark out. Cassidy locked the truck when we got off.

"I'll find the breaker and turn the power on," she announced, already making her way towards the back of the house with her phone as a flashlight.

"Hey!" Jett yelled, running after her, "I'll come with you."

They should be fine, right? I mean, Cassidy would definitely not be happy about the company but Jett seems like a nice guy. Still, I could not help but feel a little worried.

Just as I was about to step forward to check on them, they came back. Cassidy went ahead and turned the light on our porch. "It works," she muttered to herself before keying in the front door. Nikon, Vinn, and I helped carry the groceries inside while Marx and Jett teamed up to unload their bags.

After bringing in the groceries Cassidy picked up from the shop, I went back to the truck in case they need a hand carrying anything else. To my surprise, they have already finished and the only one left there was Crawford, still sitting on the back of the truck, his hair was tousled and his legs were tucked under him.

"Oh," he was startled the moment he noticed I was standing beside him. He fumbled with the blankets they used earlier to cushion them throughout the bumpy ride. "I just wanted to... tidy up." His voice sounded hoarse and his eyes were hardly open. He must have just woken up from his nap from earlier.

"I'll do it," I offered, pulling myself up on the truck. I reached for the blanket in his grasp, "The guys are already discussing room assignments. You should go and get some decent sleep."

He smiled, his eyes disappearing as his puffed up cheeks stretch. "I don't really mind." He sprawled himself across the blankets once again, "I could stay here, too." He stayed silent for a while, his eyes fixed above. "It's been a while since I've seen a peaceful sky." He, himself, looked calm and tranquil.

Crawford Keith is a vocalist of the group. He mostly plays the bass but he could also play the guitar and a little bit of keyboard. As I watched them along the years, I feel like I relate to him a lot. He admitted to being so hard on himself, even in the littlest mistakes. I, too, have struggled in loving myself for the longest time. Over a year ago, he released a solo song, some form of vow that even in the days when you feel alone... you should never give up on yourself. And I felt that with my whole being. For that, I am eternally grateful.

I turned upwards to catch a glimpse of the scenery when I felt him tug on the sleeves of my hoodie. I glanced back at him only to have him tap the spot beside him.

"You'll hurt your neck looking up like that," he yawned, tapping in his side once again, "Come lie down."

As I occupied the space next to him, I got a proper view of the heavens. I just realized that I have not been able to admire the skies like I used to when I was a child. I cannot believe I missed out on this view. A medley of different shades of blue freckled with yellowish white. A gentle reminder that no matter how dark it is, the light pours in.

I sat straight up when I heard the creak of the door. "We've sandwiches here," Nikon remarked as he stepped out. "Do you, guys, need any more help out there?"

"Ah, no. It's okay," I told him, proceeding to fold the blankets.

"I'll take care of it, both of you go grab something to eat," Nikon reached for the sheets. He turned to Crawford, "The guys said you all haven't eaten dinner when you sneaked out. Jett's still doing a quick check on the stove since they said it wasn't used for a while so we're just having bread for now." 

"I don't wanna move," Crawford whined, motionless.

With a sigh, Nikon stepped up on the platform, hovering over us. "Come on, man, everyone's tired," he reasoned out, reaching for Crawford's arms, "the sooner we clean up here, the sooner we could get some rest. Here we go." Nikon attempted to pull him up only to hear him groan in pain. "What's wrong?"

"Are you hurt?" I asked, surprised.

"No, no, it's nothing," Crawford could only chuckle as he stretched his back, "I must have slept in a wrong position, my back hurts a bit." He smiled before reaching for the sheets, "So... sandwiches. Let's hurry and eat!"

Nikon fell silent.

As the three of us finished tidying up, Crawford carefully got off the truck. "You, guys, aren't coming?" He asked, eyes soft.

"We'll be right there," Nikon waved, sitting next to me, watching Crawford step into the house.

It was quiet for a bit and I felt unsure whether it would be right to strike a conversation in this atmosphere. "Do you... want to talk about it?" I whispered, looking at the ground. I want to console him as their music consoled me but I already pried too much. If he wants to talk, I am more than willing to listen. If not, then that is alright, too. I just have to be there when he needs and wants me to.

He sighed deeply, "They beat them up because of me."

The words stung the moment they left his lips. "No," I countered, finally looking at him, "it's not your fault—"

"It is," he turned to avoid my gaze. The tremor in his voice tells me he is on the verge of tears, "I ran away and they faced the consequences of my actions."

"Nikon," I tried to reach out, "they don't have the right to hurt you or your friends." I could feel my heart caving in. How many times did their management hurt them for him to think like this? For him to be brainwashed into believing that this could possibly be his own fault? "You should never take the blame for the pain someone else had caused."

"We have a contract," Nikon sobbed, his back fully turned on me now. "There are clauses there that make it... I'd say impossible but... it's more like it's... unwise to stand up to them. If we've only known then what we were getting into..."

I remembered he signed with the company when he was only fifteen years old. Does that mean he has been enduring this since then? Unable to reach out for help because of a contract he barely even understood at a young age.

"If they find us," his words are slurred by now, "I wonder if they'll get back to beating us up or if they'll throw us in jail for running away." He chuckled bitterly, "You know it's messed up when I kind of prefer getting jailed than going back to the company. Same difference."

I found my hand reaching out for him from behind. I wrapped one arm around him, the other on his head. "You're here now," I whispered as I stroke his hair, "you're safe."

We stayed in that position for a few minutes until his trembling body calmed down. We did not speak a word about it after that but he seemed a bit more composed now.

If only I could always guarantee their safety. If only I could be their hope as they are mine.

✿

Characters:
Kim Taehyung as Vinn Kishimoto
Park Jimin as Crawford Keith

✿

FEATURE OF THE DAY:

https://youtu.be/0jMX9Ng-JYE

HOLO by Lee Hi was stuck in my head for a long time. Besides her amazing vocals, this song brought me so much comfort. I have no word for it. Maybe just watch the video and listen to the song. She sounds amazing.

https://youtu.be/VdeK_VsG9U0

She is also the voice behind other iconic songs such as:

https://youtu.be/5iSlfF8TQ9k

https://youtu.be/GQqyCeKf8rw

https://youtu.be/2zwTaT0JeOY

If you know any artist you like and appreciate and would like to share them with us, feel free to message me.