The Rainbow Patch

Chapter 9

My bodyguard followed me like a shadow the next day. He even waited outside the bathroom for me. I knew everybody would stare and whisper the first day I came back, but the bodyguard made it ten times worse. The next day, there he was again. Valentine and a few of her friends were absent from class, and I could feel the stares from the football players across the hallway. I got a note in my locker.

We know u snitched. Payback is coming.

The next day, I had two bodyguards.

Emily met me at our usual space. “Hey Jo! What’s with the two Goliaths?” I shrugged. “I got a note in my locker saying something about payback. I guess it scared Jeffrey.” Emily laughed. “What’s so funny?” I asked, a bit annoyed.

“None of the football players or cheerleaders are here today! Even if half of them weren’t being interviewed, they have a game on the other side of the city! This is the safest day for both of us since your first day here!” She laughed harder and clutched her stomach. “Oh god. This is hilarious.”

I finally smiled.

“Jeffrey, you overprotective idiot.”

Emily sighed. “I really hope this is all over soon.”

“So the investigation will take about three months.” Jeffrey announced.

Emily slumped down in her chair. “We have to deal with those goliaths until May?”

“If you would prefer to risk hospitalization again, be my guest.” Jeffrey snapped.

Neither of us complained, and so it went, day in, day out. The two guards following me everywhere. When Saturday finally came, I looked out the window, and was glad to see that there was no black clad figures waiting by the door. I grabbed for my phone, and shot Emily a text.

Hey. You awake?

The reply came almost immediately.

I am now. Why do you do this to me

I smiled, typing up a response.

Because once you slept in until 3 in the afternoon. You still good for tonight?

Yep. I’m picking you up at 4, cause I need to set up.

I can’t wait to meet your band mates!

And they can’t wait to meet you. See you then?

See you!

I put away my phone and grinned like an i***t. I had a date with the most beautiful girl in the world. This was the best day of my life.

The rest of the day flew by, and before I knew it, I was in the front seat of Emily’s old van. My parents had greeted Emily a little warily, but once she complimented my dad’s record collection, they were instantly in love. I had to drag her out of the house, with my dad yelling something about Green Day’s new album.

“Your dad is great.” Emily announced after a few moments.

I laughed. “Just wait.”

Emily smiled. “I’m looking forward to it.”

In a few minutes, we arrived at After the Rain. Chris greeted us as usual, and Zach waved from behind the counter as we passed. A dark-skinned guy about our age with bleached hair was already setting up. Emily waved, and he straightened, giving me a welcoming smile. He gave Emily a quick hug, then extended a hand toward me. “Hey! I’m Lukas.”

I shook his hand. “I’m Johanna.”

“Oh, we already know everything about you. Emily here has told us all about you.”

“I think I’ll go grab a drink.” Emily interrupted.

“You can’t escape love, my friend!” Lukas called after her. “I’ve tried, and believe me, it’s hopeless!” He laughed. “So, you excited for the show tonight?”

I nodded. “Yeah! I’ve actually never seen live music, so this is a whole new experience for me.”

Lukas stared at me. “You’ve never seen live music before? You’re in in for a treat tonight, then!”

Just then, Emily came back with a mug of tea in one hand and coffee in the other. She sat down next to me, then handed me the coffee.

“No drink for me? I am insulted.” Lukas smirked. “But I guess you should put your girlfriend’s needs over your friends.”

Emily whacked his arm with her free hand. “Don’t be such a baby. Jay was behind me in line. They’ll get you something.”

As if on cue, a tall brown-skinned person with bright red hair came over, two coffees in their hands and a pair of purple drumsticks in his back pocket. He handed one of the coffees to Lukas, and extended a hand toward me. “Hey, I’m Jay. You’re Johanna, right?”

I nodded, taking their hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Jay sat beside Lukas and poked him. “You gonna remember the bass riff tonight?”

Lukas swatted his arm away. “That was like three months ago!”

“I’m never letting you forget it.”

The two of them continued the bantering until Chris came over and told them to start a soundcheck.

Emily gulped down the rest of her tea. “Cool. Where’s my guitar?” Lukas pointed to a black case leaning up against one of the amps. “Awesome.” Emily bounded over and opened the case. Inside was a black guitar covered all over with stickers. She picked it up and gave an experimental strum. Wincing, she started tuning.

Lukas wandered over to the case he had been opening when Emily and I came in, and pulled out a blue bass.

After their soundcheck, Emily walked over, guitar slung across her back. “I got you VIP seating.” She pointed to a table set up right in front of centre stage, which had her leather jacket draped across it.

I smiled at her. “Thanks.”

Emily gave me a quick kiss. “No problem.” She smiled.

The lights dimmed, and she ran toward the stage, where Lukas and Jay waited. She leaped onto the stage and grabbed the microphone. “Hey there!”

The crowd cheered, and Emily grinned.

“For those of you who don’t know, we are Pushed to the Edge. I’m Emily, Jay’s over there on drums, and Lukas is on bass. This is a song I wrote a few years ago, about someone who’s feeling lost in the world. This song is called ‘Red Line’.” Lukas started up with a jaunty bass line, and Emily started singing. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard, both melodic and rough at the same time. When the song ended, I was stunned, then clapped so hard that my hands hurt.

They played the next song, then the next. By the end, I was in a kind of trance, in which all I could see was Emily, and all I could hear was her voice. At the end, people were on their feet, cheering so loudly that it felt like the building was shaking. Emily came over to me, flushed with pride, and winded from jumping around onstage for about half an hour.

“So. What did you think?” She asked.

I answered her by leaping into her arms.