The Lighter That Shone Like A Star (Story of The South)

by Dan Cash

  “Not much, really. It got late and my parents were about to come home, so we left and walked along the river. Then I walked her home and went home myself.” Max realised how uninteresting his afternoon may have sounded to his friends, but to him it was perfect.

  “Sounds nice,” Matthew said. “So what now? Are you going out?”

  Max told him he was unsure. He and Sofia had not discussed it, but Max hoped they would continue to see each other.

  “Just see how it goes, it sounds like she likes you quite a lot.” Russell offered. Why is he being so nice all of a sudden? Maybe now I’ve kissed a pretty girl I’m worthy of being his friend, Max thought. He hated himself for being so negative, but who could blame him?

  After being close friends for so many years, Max did not understand why they had drifted apart. He was convinced it was due to Russell, though.

  The boys continued their journey to school talking jovially, like they used to. By the time they arrived, Max was happier than he had been for months. He had had a wonderful day with Sofia Vassallo, Light on the Landing was coming to Pipton on his sixteenth birthday, and his friends felt suddenly like his friends once more. The rumours that fell upon his ears, therefore, did not bother him.

  The week that followed was one of the best of Max’s life. Russell and Matthew were making more of an effort and their friendship was reverting back to how it was before, but Max suspected that it was because he was spending more time with Sofia.

  Max had quickly gone from being a relatively unknown boy to somewhat of a big name in school. Girls had conformed to Sofia’s opinion and decided that Max was one of the coolest and most handsome boys in Pipton. Max was sure that Anne-Alicia had not reached the same conclusion, as she usually regarded him with an icy glare, but she seemed to appreciate Matthew and Russell’s company nonetheless.

  The small group spent their rest-times relaxing on the school field, Sofia and Max hand-in-hand, Lornea with her head resting on Freddie’s lap, Anne-Alicia at Sofia’s side narrating her ScribblePad feed, and Matthew and Russell keeping more to themselves, occasionally chipping in to conversation.

  The seven had quickly found new friends in each other and the bonds had somehow strengthened between old friendships. The four boys in particular enjoyed each other’s company and often left the girls to chat while they helped make up the numbers in the multiple games of football taking place on the school field.

  It was clear to Max that Freddie would have preferred to spend every second with Lornea, as she would be leaving soon, but she urged him to go.

  He would need good friends when she’s no longer here, Max guessed.

  Max’s parents had also seen a significant and rapid change in their son and could not resist from telling him five times a day how happy they were for him. He was not yet a man but he had already found his woman, they told him. His dad had tried to talk to him about relationships more than once, much to Max’s embarrassment.

  “I’m not even a man yet, dad,” Max had told his father.

  “But you are soon and Sofia is already a woman. I just want you to be careful,” was his father’s reply.

  “We’ve only been together for a week, stop worrying,” he retorted, abruptly ending their conversation.

  One time, Max’s mother had tried to give him ‘the talk’, but she was even less successful as his father. Max didn’t mind, not really. He was just happy that his parents liked his girlfriend. Sofia had come for dinner one evening and after she left, Harvey and Kerry Myers declared how much they liked the young Terexian. Their son was happy and that was all they cared about.

  They had often worried that he was too shy or didn’t have many friends, but things were rapidly changing: Max was almost a man and he no longer felt like a boy.

  It was just over a week until Max’s coming of age and he could not have been more excited. Getting tickets to the Light on the Landing gig proved to be easier than he could have imagined. He and Sofia were in Jill’s café one evening after school, their revision notes untouched on their table when the owner approached them.

  If Max had to guess, he would have said Jill was mid-fifties. In truth, she was much older but she had aged gracefully. It was obvious that she was once extremely attractive, with her translucent ocean-blue eyes and long blonde hair, which Max assumed, once again incorrectly, that she dyed regularly.

  Jill told the couple that the boys from Light on the Landing had sent her four tickets to see their show because she had often let them play in her café to a small crowd, and had served them much cyder before they had all even become men.

  She would go with Mary, the other lady who worked in the café, but had no use for the other two. Seeing as the gig was on Max’s birthday, she offered them as a gift. He could not thank her enough. For the others in Pipton, it was not so easy.

  People queued overnight to buy their tickets from the temporary box office set up in the school’s reception, and many were left deeply saddened when they missed out. Fortunately, all of Max’s friends had queued early enough and each had a ticket in their possession.

  Teachers could barely get any sense out of their pupils from the excitement, despite final exams being less than a month away for the oldest year.

  Consequently, the headmaster made an extremely unpopular announcement that ScribblePads were to be banned in school, as pupils had taken to constantly bombarding the members of Light on the Landing with Scribbles, gushing about their excitement for the upcoming tour.

  Max was the only one of his year not to grumble about this decision, as he was the only one without a ScribblePad. He would have one in a week, though, as a coming of age gift from his parents.

  Max was sitting under a tree with his friends during Friday’s rest-time and reflected on how his life had suddenly changed, and how happy he was. He smiled.

  “What are you thinking?” Sofia wondered aloud.

  “Nothing,” Max replied, blushing. Sofia smiled, gently biting her bottom lip.

  “I’m so excited for next Friday,” Russell exclaimed. The others uttered words of agreement, Freddie and Lornea nodded silently. The day after Max’s coming of age and Light on the Landing’s gig was the day Lornea would move to Salmont.

  Originally, Lornea’s family wanted to leave earlier so they would have time to settle into Salmontaïc life before her father started work, but their daughter convinced them to stay longer so she could go to the concert. Max knew it would make it a very bittersweet evening for the couple, but at least it would be one they would never forget.

  “What songs do you think they’ll play?” Anne-Alicia asked nobody in particular.

  They spent the rest of their rest-time debating what song was the best, wondering what their set-list would be, and discussing who their favourite member of the band was.

  Each girl had a different preference. Sofia loved the blond boy, Naithian, because he seemed the most fun, always scribbling about parties and his enthusiasm for life in general.

  Zaak was Anne-Alicia’s favourite with his muscular physique, chiselled features and jet black hair. Lornea felt that it was not fair to choose only one but the oldest of the group, Jimmie, had stolen her heart with his boyish charm.

  Max, Freddie and Russell were all agreed that Haze was the best because he not only had an amazing singing voice but also wrote many of the band’s songs. Matthew, however, preferred Jayke as he came across as the most down-to-earth of the band and dedicated the most time replying to fans on Scribbler.

  Although they each had their own favourites, they idolised all five of the members of Light on the Landing and could not wait to see them live. In fact, they were all agreed on only one thing: it would be the best night of their lives.

  Max was not quite aware of just how much his life would truly change on his sixteenth birthday and coming of age. He was finally content in Pipton with his new group of friends and wonderful girlfriend. He wanted things to stay as they were. Forever.

  He could
not have known just how impossible this would be.

  Jimmie

  Jimmie had been expecting it to be the most tiring week of his career so far, but instead it had turned out to be one of the most enjoyable. Light on the Landing was rehearsing for their upcoming tour, which gave them a more than welcome reminder of why they loved their job.

  It was a daunting task, having just over a week left of rehearsals before travelling to Hurburt for the first show of their tour, but everything was going swimmingly. They were grateful that their choreographer expected little synchronicity from them, and demanded only lots of movement, jumping, and energy.

  As well as rehearsals, the boys had something else to keep their minds busy. When Haze first received the message regarding a boy called Max Myers he was stunned. After he and the other boys read it over and over again, trying to make sense of it, they were all confused.

  It read:

  Private Message from :

  Dear Tommy, Jacob, Jamie, Nathaniel and Zackary,

  I write to you in the hope that you will be able to help save someone’s life.

  Meet me by the Stone Circle in the field of flowers on the night of your return.

  I cannot elaborate here – just know that The South needs you.

  Max Myers needs you.

  It was not possible for an anonymous Scribbler to send a personal message to another and that is what Jimmie found most confusing. The use of their birth names also seemed strange as nobody except their family and very close friends used them anymore.

  Whoever had written the message seemed positive that they would help and, as much as Jimmie tried to deny it, he was sure they would follow the instructions. They had no real choice in the matter.

  The five read the message in silence, nobody wishing to have the first word. Jimmie eventually broke the silence.

  “I know Max Myers. He lives next door to my parents.”

  “Then we need to help him,” Haze responded, uncertainty ringing through his words. The other four nodded in agreement and fell silent once more.

  “It could be a trap,” said Jayke, saying what they were all thinking.

  “What kind of trap, though?” Zaak asked.

  “I dunno. Maybe someone wants to hold us to ransom?” he suggested.

  “But why?” Haze wondered aloud.

  “Money,” Jayke replied simply.

  Naithian laughed, “Guys, I think you’ve been watching too many films.”

  “No, but seriously, we don’t know who it is. It could be anyone. People have gone missing in those woods, remember?” Jayke’s voice was filled with concern.

  “Jayke’s got a point,” Zaak muttered. “What if something bad happens?”

  Jimmie was glad to see the disappointment in Haze’s eyes. He did not blame his friends for worrying, in fact he was glad he was not alone in thinking these thoughts, but there was a bigger picture that they did not appear to be seeing.

  “Okay, say it isn’t a trap. Imagine if we’re in Pipton, or just leaving, and we hear that Max Myers has been harmed. Or, if this message is to be taken really seriously, killed. How would we feel then?” Haze asked, looking at each of his brothers. All eyes were aimed at the ground.

  After a few seconds, Jimmie spoke up. “Haze is right. We should go, all five of us, and at least listen to what they have to say.”

  “And if it is a trap?” Jayke asked.

  “Then we’ll improvise,” replied Haze immediately.

  “Improvise,” Naithian repeated, smiling. “It’ll be just like we’re on stage.” The others smiled, Jayke in spite of himself.

  The boys began to discuss the boy in question. Jimmie had lived next door to him in Pipton but he could not find a reason why anybody would want to harm a quiet, shy Hurburtan boy like Max.

  Despite being his neighbour, Jimmie could barely remember what Max looked like. From what he could recall, Max was a bit of a mummy’s boy with not many friends. The other boys had no idea who Max Myers was until Jimmie recalled the time his trousers had been pulled down in front of the entire town. It was most bizarre that he was apparently in grave danger, they all agreed.

  When the boys had fallen silent once more, Jimmie took the ScribblePad from Haze’s hand and, for the first time ever, switched it off. He had expected Haze to be angry but instead it was relief that swept over his friend’s face. Jimmie smiled at him, turned his own ScribblePad off, and looked at the other three who quickly followed suit.

  Jimmie was often considered the leader of the pack by the others and by their fans, but he liked to think it was because he always had the best ideas.

  With nothing to distract them for the rest of the evening, the boys all sat down together with some cyders and a mildly entertaining film and just talked. It was strange for them not to be in bed already tired from the day’s rehearsals, or sitting together but stuck to their ScribblePads, finding out the latest and most imaginative rumours surrounding them.

  What surprised them most about the rumours was that they were often true, or at least resembled the truth, meaning they would have to prepare solid lies for when they were interviewed.

  The gossip was mainly about girls they were dating, but also included what they had recently bought with the money that was coming their way or what hotels they would be staying in when they toured.

  This last one was the most frustrating, as they would often spend a day rushing around to do interviews and performances and rather than getting a few hours of peace when they arrived at the hotel, they would be greeted by hoards of wailing fans.

  Jimmie found this new life more difficult than the other boys, which was something they all knew and he would never admit. The message about Max Myers had also hit him the hardest.

  He knew Max and he could not help but worry about the fact that he was clearly in danger. Not only that, but he now had the responsibility of helping, no saving, the boy. He could not help but sometimes feel resentful towards his fame, knowing that there was so much expected of him that would never have been before.

  Haze noticed that Jimmie was quiet during the evening while the other four were chatting away about girls; fawning over the attractive female stylists they had employed for the tour and speculating over what ladies they might meet whilst on tour.

  Jimmie felt a pair of eyes on him and looked up to see Haze staring with that worried frown he would often wear. The two boys had formed possibly the strongest bond out of all the members of Light on the Landing. It was probably to do with the fact that Haze was the youngest and Jimmie the eldest, meaning Jimmie had adopted an elderly brother role early on.

  The two lads were so close that they could read each other like a book, so Jimmie was not surprised when his best friend nodded towards the bedrooms, where they could speak privately. Jimmie stood up and walked towards his bedroom, Haze close on his tail. Naithain wolf-whistled jokingly, before returning to the conversation that had now moved onto backing dancers.

  “What’s up, Jamie?” Haze asked, as soon as he stepped over the threshold into Jimmie’s room?

  “I don’t like it when you call me Jamie, it’s weird,” Jimmie replied, sitting on the edge of his bed.

  His younger friend sat next to him and smiled, “It’s your name you idiot. Anyway don’t try to change the subject. What’s up?” he repeated.

  Haze knew exactly how this conversation would go, and Jimmie hated that. He would simply ask “What’s up?”, Jimmie would blurt out everything on his mind in one breath then Haze would tell him that everything will be okay and give him a hug.

  But this time it was different.

  “I have this horrible feeling, you know?” Jimmie began, “We’re going home in a few days and I was so looking forward to it until you got that message. It’s, like, all I can think about is what’s going to happen and what we might have to do. I mean, I’ve been trying to make sense of it but it just doesn’t make sense. I’m scared,” Jimmie paused, waiting for Haze to respo
nd but he did not. “I don’t know. I’m just tired I guess. And I’m nervous about the tour, and… I don’t know. Sorry, Tommy,” he finished, staring into his lap.

  The room stayed silent for a while, until Haze finally replied, “I don’t like it when you call me Tommy.” Jimmie smiled and looked up at his best friend. “Look, I don’t know what I can say. I guess I’m scared to. I think we all are. None of us can make sense of the message and I think the best thing to do is stop trying. We’ll just have to see what happens. At least we’ll be in it together. You’ll have me there to hold your hand if you get too scared.”

  “Hold my hand and I’ll break your nose,” the older boy replied jokingly.

  “Shut up, you’ll love it.”

  The boys looked at each other, both smiling, both grateful that they had each other to talk to when everything got a bit too much to handle.

  “I think I’m going to get in bed and watch the rest of that film,” Jimmie grumbled, wanting to be alone for a while.

  “Ah, maybe I’ll stay for a bit and watch it with you,” said Haze, making himself comfortable on Jimmie’s bed. He knew that Jimmie wanted to be alone, but he also knew how that made him think too much and become even more upset.

  Jimmie sighed, shook his head, and lay next to Haze, his head propped up against the headboard, cushioned by a feather-filled pillow.

  “Thanks Haze.”

  “I don’t like it when you call me Haze.”

  The boys fell asleep shortly after, exhausted from their work schedule, and woke up the next morning, necks aching slightly from being in an awkward position. But Jimmie was feeling happier already after a good night’s sleep. Just two more days of rehearsals and they would be going home. Nothing seemed so daunting at that moment in time.