HIL: a bay falls high novel

by Kidman, Jaxson

  And, goddammit, the strange, hot chick left me speechless.

  Chapter 3

  I stood on the stage and looked for her.

  My eyes devoured the crowd of people.

  She wasn’t going to be hard to find.

  I had her memorized… and had no idea why.

  Just the fact that she walked up on me the way she did. And I didn’t know who she was. And that she knew my name. And I didn’t know hers.

  I mean, it was a crime to not know a pretty girl’s name, right?

  Except for Sadie-slash-Sophie… and many others…

  But this girl, for some reason, I wanted to know her name.

  Uly started strumming his guitar and everyone started to clap for us.

  I waited until he ran through the first riff on his own and then I joined him.

  We went right into what I figured was our normal set of songs.

  And we were at the point where a lot of people were able to sing the songs back to us. Which was how it used to be a while ago. When Uly and I were pretty damn close to signing a deal to a record label and go down that crazy road.

  But that whole a while ago tore everything apart because of one person.

  Now it was different.

  We were playing the songs, enjoying the shows, and Uly had his own girl to focus on.

  Because at the end of the day, he knew in his heart Penelope had really been mine all along. She was just crazy enough to play us against each other, wanting more attention. More love. Secretly wanting out of the rich girl life she was forced to live.

  That was the thing that always stuck with me… it made me miss her a little…

  Even to this day…

  Uly stopped singing and I put my lips to the mic.

  I shut my eyes and finally had the chance to chase away every single thought.

  You were there, then gone, lost, and found somewhere else. Spending nights, counting change from your best friend’s couch. How does it feel to fall from the clouds you burned? Is it worth it to ask if anything has ever been learned?

  I opened my eyes and the first group of people I looked at were singing back to me.

  These crazy words I made up from stories that mattered in my life.

  And they were singing it back to me.

  Whether it mattered to their life or not.

  You sit alone at a table held up by books you’ll never read. Swearing to the walls the way you used to swear to me. Begging eyes, your tears fall fast, because you said you’d never leave. Grab a mop, call a plumber, the water’s getting high, you’re flooding your own heart, I can’t resist the chance again for a new start, yet I know if I open the door the water will rush at me and drown me…

  I gasped for a breath and moved away from the mic so I could scream.

  That was always the part that made everyone go wild with screams and cheers.

  I played my guitar harder and faster, stepping back out of the light to let Uly pick up where I had left off. We were in the heart of the song now, where both of us sang and played with force.

  I moved back to the mic and my eyes searched again.

  And again.

  And again.

  There was still no sight of the hot girl with the short shorts, nice ass, pouty lips and bad ass attitude.

  We finished the song and everyone clapped and wanted more.

  I turned and looked at Uly.

  We nodded to each other, mentally counting to four, and started playing another song.

  I moved to the mic again and my eyes went right to her.

  She was suddenly there.

  In the back of the crowd.

  Standing near the door.

  That purposely destroyed white sweater hanging so fucking far down her arm, showing off skin.

  And she looked right at me.

  A stare so intense from such a distance that I almost forgot what to say, how to say it… or sing… or whatever the fuck I was doing up on stage.

  I opened my mouth, not sure if I was going to sing or going to say something to the girl.

  Then she threw another fucking twist into whatever the hell she was trying to do to me.

  I didn’t even see that there was a guy next to her.

  It didn’t matter.

  At least not until she turned and jumped up on her toes to kiss the guy next to her.

  * * *

  If it wasn’t a song I’d been playing for years I would have fucked up big time on stage. The musical side of my brain just went with the motions of the music as I watched this girl kiss some dude, then grab his hand and lift it up into the air. Then she tried to fucking dance to the song. This wasn’t a dancing song. Uly and I didn’t write and play dancing music. Our music was about listening and feeling. It was about singing it back to us or to yourself so you could let off some pissed off feelings.

  But there she was… swaying her hips left to right, twirling herself, using this dude’s hand and arm and whatever.

  She then fell into the dude - on purpose - and threw her head back, laughing.

  It was like she was at a totally different concert.

  And what the fuck did I care about it?

  She could shake her shorts wearing ass at the dude wearing shoes then go out the fucking door with her boyfriend and disappear into the night.

  But my eyes refused to look away from her.

  When she was done dancing and laughing and kissing that dude, she walked toward the main counter. There she jumped forward and leaned over the counter to talk to Aya. She kicked her feet back like she was some stunning woman in a dress and heels. Her sweater pulled up and showed off her lower back. I swore I saw ink.

  I was hooked.

  But I had to keep playing the song.

  The set.

  The show.

  Get through the night.

  But this girl was beyond intriguing.

  I finally peeled my eyes away from the girl and looked for her boyfriend.

  He stood, staring at the stage, nodding his head with the rhythm of the song.

  I stopped playing my guitar for a split second to throw him the middle finger.

  Of course, with so many people there, nobody knew who it was meant for.

  The situation then took another goddamn twist as a different girl walked up to this dude. He quickly wrapped his arms around this girl and picked her up. He held her. Hugged her. Then he kissed her twice.

  Then came another interesting moment as the dude pointed in the first girl’s direction.

  Holy shit. This dude wasn’t her boyfriend. She just randomly looked at me, then at him, then kissed him, danced with him, and walked away.

  She’s fucking crazy. She’s pretty and crazy and…

  We finished the song and everyone started to clap for us.

  The dude’s actual girlfriend started to walk toward the first girl.

  Call her crazy girl… that’s her name now. She’s pretty and crazy…

  My mind wanted to write fucking lyrics.

  My eyes couldn’t look away and in the midst of the applause and Uly telling everyone the next song, the dude’s girlfriend grabbed crazy girl by her bare shoulder and turned her around.

  Without hesitation crazy girl threw her drink into the dude’s girlfriend’s face.

  Nobody really noticed because they were focused on Uly and I, cheering for more music.

  Crazy girl made a move for the door and left the cafe.

  The dude’s girlfriend just stood there with liquid dripping down her face.

  Uly started playing the next song and the dude went to his girlfriend’s aid and they both left the cafe.

  I had seen some wild stuff in my life up on stage as I jammed with Uly… but nothing like that.

  Uly walked over to me and elbowed me.

  “You okay?” he screamed at me.

  “Yeah, why?” I called back.

  “You’re supposed to be singing right now,” he said.

  Fuck.

&n
bsp; I stepped to the mic and pretended like I was supposed to be silent.

  I changed the plan and stepped away from the mic, shaking my head.

  Uly and I kept playing and I looked out to everyone watching.

  I called out, “You fucking sing it!”

  And sure enough, they started to sing.

  It wasn’t everyone. They weren’t perfect with the words or the sound. But it was a cool moment between us and those there to watch us. When in reality all I gave damn about was the pretty, crazy girl who kissed some dude, threw a drink in that dude’s girlfriend’s face, and then left the cafe.

  When the people there finished most of the first verse, I stepped up to the mic and started the song over.

  Uly and I switched back and forth as my eyes switched back and forth throughout the cafe.

  And then I saw her again.

  She was outside the cafe.

  Standing at the glass.

  Smoking a cigarette.

  Even through the glass I could feel her eyes looking at me.

  I could feel something.

  And, fuck… it was the exact same way I met Penelope.

  * * *

  We finished the set and I got the hell off the stage.

  I squeezed the neck of my guitar so tight I thought it was going to break. I had my own little routine after a show that I never broke. Until now.

  I’d always take a slow walk from the stage, staring at any girl with a pulse. Whoever was brave enough to talk to me first would win.

  What was the prize?

  Me. Duh.

  And I’d hang around the front of the cafe, talking, flirting, carefully deciding how I wanted my night to play out. It was the extra part of the almost rock star life that I secretly enjoyed a lot. Those were the times when I thought about talking to Uly to see if he was serious about taking the music thing to a whole new level.

  If not, I’d just go solo, throw a band together, and make something happen on my own.

  Which was fine.

  But tonight…

  I ignored everyone who talked to me and walked toward the back of the cafe where Ash and Belle were standing.

  “You sick or something, bro?” Ash asked.

  “I’m fine,” I said as I crouched down and slammed my guitar into the case.

  I really had no idea why I was suddenly so pissed.

  Oh, wait, yes I do… it’s because of Penelope. Again. The girl that just won’t ever leave my heart.

  It was why the pretty, crazy girl caught my attention the way she did.

  It took me back to Penelope.

  Seeing her on the outside of the cafe. And then the roller coaster ride she put my heart on along with Uly’s. Fucking messing with us to the point where we still weren’t okay with everything.

  The proof in that was when I stood and turned and saw Uly, I felt like punching him.

  My fist, his nose, just to feel a little bit better about life.

  But I didn’t hit Uly.

  Instead… he hit me.

  He slammed his hands into my arm and shoved me. “What the fuck was that?”

  “What?” I asked.

  “You weren’t even up there,” Uly said. “Are you fucking high or something? What the fuck is wrong with you?”

  “Looked like a good show to me,” I said.

  “I liked it,” Belle said.

  “I saved it,” Uly said. “I covered your ass, Hil.”

  “I always knew you had a thing for my ass, Uly,” I said. “Don’t be shy about it now…”

  Uly moved toward me again.

  I hit him in the gut and he grabbed for my arms as he groaned for a breath.

  Ash pushed between us. “Fucking hell, you two. In front of people who just watched you play?”

  Uly and I stared at each other.

  The tension was pretty high.

  For different reasons.

  He was pissed that I fucked up the show.

  I was pissed for… a lot of other reasons.

  “I’m fucking leaving,” Uly said.

  “I was going to ask where Mara was,” Belle said.

  “She’s in my bed,” I said.

  “Oh, you’re fucking dead,” Uly said.

  He pushed Ash out of the way and then the three of us came together, not sure who was going to fight who.

  And Ash was right. Doing this kind of thing in front of people was risky and stupid. Not just for the music, but for BFH. Anyone who saw that Them were fighting (again)… it could make us look weak.

  Even though I knew that, it didn’t stop me.

  I kept going for Uly.

  Wanting to get my hands around his neck and take him down.

  The demon memories of Penelope ripped through me.

  I threw a right hook and Ash blocked it.

  Uly growled and grabbed for me and missed.

  I had my left hand balled up tight into a fist and brought it back. All I needed to do was come up and over Ash and I could hit Uly right at the top of his nose. His eyes would explode with tears and his nose with blood.

  I felt a hand touch my hand.

  I curled my lip and started to turn my head.

  “Don’t get involved, Belle,” I said.

  Then I saw who it was.

  “My name isn’t Belle… it’s Vera.”

  * * *

  I lost all interest in fighting Uly.

  I turned and faced off with the pretty, crazy girl.

  Vera.

  My left fist was shoulder level to her and her hand touched my first. (Should be FIST.)

  Her hands were much smaller than mine, but even so, her touch stopped me dead in my tracks.

  Vera.

  I looked at her bare shoulder.

  My lips marked it down in my mind that I would need to kiss there.

  Sooner rather than later.

  Please and thank you, Hil.

  Her red lips looked like a tempting cherry.

  Her eyes were as dark as my feelings when Penelope crawled through my memory.

  Vera.

  “Can’t talk now?” she asked. “Need to sing to me?”

  “Who are you?” I asked her.

  I heard the way my voice sounded.

  Almost pathetic.

  Vera smiled and opened her hand, leaving my fist just hanging in the air.

  Behind me I heard Uly and Ash arguing as Ash was still trying to calm him down. Then I heard Belle’s voice, the voice of reason, telling Uly to go to Mara.

  My entire focus was on Vera.

  She smiled and wiggled her shoulders, flirting with me like we’d known each other for a long time or something.

  She started to walk away and I felt like it was deja vu with me watching her.

  She did the same thing as before, looked back.

  This time she didn’t lift her sweater so I could look at her ass and see some skin.

  This time I wanted to see it more than ever because she had a tattoo hidden on the left side of her body. One I didn’t see when she lifted her sweater, but one I saw when she leaned over the counter.

  Uly was right.

  I fucked up that show big time.

  All because of fucking Vera.

  Pretty. Crazy. Mysterious.

  She kissed the air, looked forward, and started to walk again.

  The first time she left me speechless.

  Now I felt like I couldn’t move.

  Who in the fucking hell is this girl?

  Chapter 4

  I had to gently push past everyone to get to the front door of the cafe.

  People grabbed for me, called my name, said shit to me that if they said in the hallways of BFH they’d probably get a punch to the jaw just for the sake of being in my way.

  But in the cafe and at shows there was always a different vibe.

  I made myself approachable, which was a side effect of enjoying the attention from the female beauties there to cheer me on.

  So I didn’t mind if
dudes talked to me. Only because I knew all I had to do was snap my fingers and that dude’s girlfriend would be mine.

  Tonight wasn’t about any of that though.

  The entire night had taken a sharp left turn.

  No, fuck that, that entire night was off the rails or road or whatever the hell it was on to begin with.

  Outside, I looked right and then left.

  Vera was on my left, standing with her right foot against the building, smoking a cigarette.

  The black skater shoes stuck out like a sore thumb. Her legs looked tanned, making her have the allure of being a beach girl, which was always a plus in my book. The shorts, sweater, hair and… and… those goddamn shoes… it was like she wanted to look almost homeless yet sexy at the same time.

  I had to know how she knew my name.

  I lit up a cigarette for myself and stood next to her.

  “I see you hate yourself as much as I hate myself,” Vera said without looking at me.

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Smoking,” she said.

  “I don’t follow.”

  She finally turned her head.

  Her eyes glowed… that dark and crazy glow…

  “That’s what I’ve been told,” she said. “The weight of guilt. You know?”

  “Right,” I said. “You smoke and it’s bad for you but you do it anyway which somehow makes it that you hate yourself which is why you do it and just don’t care.”

  “Look at you,” Vera said. She grabbed my wrist with her right hand. “You get it. Of course you do. You’re all lyrical and shit.”

  I looked down at her hand.

  Then slowly back up to her face.

  “How did you know my name, beauty?”

  Vera laughed. “Beauty? Is that your thing? Is that the name you call girls? That’s cute, Hil. I like it. Beauty…”

  She put her cigarette to her lips and I felt waves of anger start to come over me.

  She was acting like she really knew me. Like she was going to call me out on my shit… and I wasn’t even sure what my shit was. Meaning I couldn’t defend myself.

  “I guess you just fit in with the rest of them,” I said, taking a cheap shot at her.

  “Yeah?” Vera asked.

  “Pretty girl creeping up on me to talk to me,” I said. “Happens all the time.”