high school setting · heavy metal · battle of the bands · arrogant · shy · hot-headed · cello player · friendship · romance · underdog story
The stadium was a cathedral of noise, a crushing tide of bodies and heat. Kevin, Emily, and I shoved through the press, grabbing overpriced water and t-shirts before fighting forward. My pulse hammered in time with the hidden soundcheck, a raw, hungry need coiling in my gut. We finally claimed a slice of concrete right against the barricade, the stage looming above us. The sub-bass vibrated up through the soles of my boots, crawling into my ribs. Around us, thousands of voices churned into a single roar, waiting for the lights to drop and the chaos to begin.