𝗂𝗌𝗅𝖺 𝗉𝗈𝗏

𝗂𝗌𝗅𝖺'𝗌 𝖺𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍

september 11, 2024

5:00 pm

"do you want to go to a concert tonight?" cora asks, her voice full of excitement. "i've got an extra ticket," she says, grinning wide.

i look at her, confused. "whose concert is it?"

"gracie abrams," she says, practically bouncing in her seat. "ky was invited, but they gave her three extra tickets, so we can all go—just the four of us."

i'm still trying to process who this gracie abrams person is. "okay..." i say, trying not to sound unsure. "what time is it? i need to figure out what to wear."

"it's at eight," she says casually, scrolling through her phone.

i glance at the clock. "it's only five," i say, feeling the rush of anxiety and excitement mixed together. "wait, but i'm not even ready yet!"

cora just shrugs, not phased at all. "don't worry about it. i'm already good to go. i'll text ky and drew so they can pick us up here."

"alright," i reply, quickly trying to shift gears in my head. "i'll go get ready."

i rush to my room and start to think about what i can throw together, my heart still racing from the sudden invitation. not knowing who gracie abrams is makes it a little more nerve-wracking, but i try to focus on the idea of the night—getting out, having fun, and maybe discovering something new.

i pull up a playlist of gracie abrams on my phone, not really knowing what to expect but hoping it'll help calm my nerves. as her soft melodies fill the room, i can't help but feel a little more excited. maybe tonight will be an adventure, even if i don't know exactly what i'm getting myself into.

i had no idea what to wear, but in the end, i grabbed a short yellow dress, my docs, and a bow—just because cora told me i had to wear one. apparently, bows were a thing with gracie.

we were finally ready, waiting for ky and drew, when there was a knock on my door.

"let me in, please," drew says in a voice that sounds like he's channeling charli d'amelio.

"coming!" i call out, my heart picking up speed. i open the door to find them both standing there, looking like they've walked straight out of a magazine shoot.

"can we go now?" ky asks, glancing at us with that cool, confident smile of his.

"yeah, we're good to go," cora replies, already halfway out the door.

i take a deep breath, still feeling that buzz of excitement and nerves. everything's happening so fast, and i can't believe i'm actually about to go to this concert, even if i'm not sure what to expect. i try not to let the uncertainty show, but inside, i feel this crazy mix of thrill and anticipation.

tonight is going to be something i'll never forget.

𖤓°⋆.ೃ࿔*:

𝖼𝗈𝗇𝖼𝖾𝗋𝗍 𝗏𝖾𝗇𝗎𝖾

8:00 pm

we got to the concert and started running toward the front. i don't even know how, but somehow we ended up with a perfect view of the stage where gracie could definitely see us. what i didn't know, though, was that there was going to be an opener. the music started, and at first, i couldn't even see the face of the singer. everyone around us started singing and dancing, completely lost in the moment.

then, when i finally saw him—i froze. it took me a second, but the recognition hit me like a punch in the gut. he was so familiar, but i couldn't place him at first.

"who is that?" i asked, my voice full of curiosity, but still a little unsure.

"that's role model!" cora shouted over the music, clearly excited.

i grabbed my phone, my fingers shaking as i searched for him on instagram. when the screen loaded, my heart stopped. i couldn't believe my eyes. it was him. it was tucker. my winter "summer" fling. the guy i had fallen for in australia, the one i thought i'd never see again. and now, here he was—on stage, singing. i had no idea he was a singer.

"i know who he is," i said, my voice barely a whisper, still in shock.

"you know tucker?" ky asked, a knowing look in his eyes.

he said his name, and just hearing it made my chest tighten. how i'd missed hearing his name.

"yeah, it's a long story," i said, my voice shaking slightly. "i'll tell you guys after the concert."

i glance around, taking in the chaos of the crowd. everyone is singing, dancing, lost in the music. but my eyes keep drifting back to him—tucker. i couldn't believe he never mentioned this part of his life to me, and yet, i'd never told him about mine either. i had kept so much hidden from him, just like he had from me.

the next song starts, and it's slower, more emotional. while the crowd sings along, i let the lyrics sink in, trying to process everything. i watch him as he sings, the raw emotion in his voice filling the air. then, suddenly, he turns toward where we're standing. our eyes meet, and my heart skips a beat.

he looks at me like he's in shock, like he can't believe i'm standing right there in front of him. i feel a jolt in my chest, and for a second, i forget to breathe. we're still locked in eye contact, and it's like the rest of the world disappears.

and then he keeps singing, but this time, it feels different. it's like he's singing directly to me, as if the song is his message for me.

but without you, what am i? oh, a gemini
please, remember my name
remember my name

i feel every word, every note. the way he sings the last lines, it's like he's speaking straight to me. like those words are meant for me, only me. i can't help but feel the weight of it all. his gaze, his voice, the connection we shared that night in australia, it all feels like it's coming back in this moment. everything i tried to bury is rising to the surface, and for the first time in a long while, i'm not sure if i'm ready for what comes next.

i felt like the last few lines of the song were meant for me, like tucker was singing them directly to me. i couldn't shake the feeling, my heart racing, my mind spinning.

"don't just stand there, dance!" cora says, her voice full of excitement, trying to pull me out of my daze. i stay frozen for a second, lost in my thoughts, until ky grabs my arm, urging me to move.

the two of them start gently guiding me, pushing me to dance, to let go, and it works. i can feel the music seeping into my bones, and slowly, i start to relax. a smile spreads across my face, and for the first time in what feels like forever, i start to feel light, happy.

but then, suddenly, tucker says my name. it's like time freezes. the world around me blurs for a moment, and i can't believe what i just heard.

"this song is for all the frances in our lives," he says, his voice warm and genuine, before he starts singing again. and i can't help but think it's meant for me, somehow.

"i dedicate it to you," cora says, wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug.

the words hit me like a wave, and i feel this overwhelming rush of emotion. it's like everything—every moment, every connection—has led me here, to this night, to this song, and to him. and for a split second, everything feels right. but underneath it all, there's that nagging feeling—the one that reminds me that this is only temporary.

the music swells around me, and i can't quite shake the feeling that this moment was more than just a coincidence. tucker's voice, his words, the way everything feels so much more intense now—it all makes my heart race. i wish i could pull myself together, but i can't. all i can do is stand there, wrapped in cora's arms, trying to make sense of the whirlwind inside me.

"is everything okay?" drew asks, his voice softer now, a hint of concern in his eyes as he watches me. i nod, though my stomach is twisting in a way i can't explain.

"yeah," i manage, forcing a smile. but my mind keeps drifting back to tucker, to the way his gaze never left me during the song. it's like he's trying to say something without saying it at all. i want to believe it's just me reading too much into it, but deep down, i can't ignore the pull i feel.

the song continues, and the energy in the crowd builds. i start to feel the music again, to let myself get lost in the rhythm, but all the while, tucker's words echo in my head.

remember my name.

it's like a promise, a whisper that follows me even as the crowd sings along. i know i should be enjoying the night, letting go of everything that happened between us in australia, but the weight of his song, of everything unsaid between us, feels too heavy to ignore.

as the song comes to an end, the crowd erupts in cheers, but i'm still frozen in place. i watch tucker disappear behind the curtain, his figure swallowed by the darkness of the stage, and an emptiness settles in my chest that i can't shake. everything feels heavy, too real, too much. i want to leave, to escape the weight of it all, but i can't move. i can't make myself do anything.

but then gracie steps out, her presence electric, and the crowd's excitement hits a new peak. the cheers are deafening, everyone around me buzzing with energy, as she begins to sing.

for a moment, i try to focus on her, on the performance, on the music. i take a deep breath, trying to push away all the thoughts swirling in my mind about tucker, about everything that happened between us. i tell myself to concentrate, to let go of the confusion and just enjoy the concert.

and i do. the music surrounds me, pulling me into its rhythm, the atmosphere alive with the sound of thousands of voices singing together. people are dancing, lost in the moment, and i find myself caught up in it too. the beat, the lyrics, the energy—it's all so beautiful, and for a while, i can almost forget about the emptiness that tucker left behind.

i let myself get lost in the moment, in gracie's performance, in the joy of being surrounded by people who are all connected by the music. but even as i do, something tugs at my chest, and i know that what's been left unsaid between me and tucker is something i can't run from. not anymore.

the rest of the concert passes in a blur, the music carrying me from one song to the next, but my mind keeps drifting back to tucker. i try to push it away, to focus on gracie, to let myself enjoy the magic of the night. but every time the crowd erupts in another cheer, every time i see someone's eyes light up in excitement, all i can think about is the way tucker's voice felt like it was meant for me.

the way he looked at me when we made eye contact. it wasn't just a glance—it was something deeper, something more. and it's haunting me, following me through every song, every beat, every laugh from cora and ky. i wish i could forget it, but it's there, lingering in the back of my mind, impossible to ignore.

i try to lose myself in the music again, but it feels different now. the connection to the crowd, to gracie—it all feels distant, like a world i can't fully step into because my mind keeps circling back to him.

the moment the final song ends and the lights start to dim, i feel a pang of disappointment. it's over. and for some reason, it feels like i'm leaving something behind. i can't put my finger on it, but i know that the night, this whole experience, has shifted something in me.

𖤓°⋆.ೃ࿔*:

"let's go," cora says, her voice breaking through my fog of thoughts. i nod, but my heart's not in it. i want to go, but at the same time, i don't want to leave. i don't want to face the emptiness of what's left unsaid.

ky gives me a sideways glance as we walk toward the exit. "you good?" he asks, his tone gentle, like he can sense something's off.

i force a smile, even though it doesn't reach my eyes. "yeah, just tired, i guess."

just as we were about to leave, a security guard stops us and says he wants to take us backstage. cora lights up, as do drew and ky, practically buzzing with excitement. i'm not as enthusiastic, though. part of me is still caught in that whirlwind of emotions, unsure whether i should be excited or anxious. but i can't help the flicker of curiosity that builds up in my chest.

we follow him down a narrow hallway, my heart pounding in my ears. it's surreal, this whole night—one moment i'm watching tucker from the crowd, and now i'm walking behind a security guard who's leading us to the place where all the magic happens. the closer we get to the backstage area, the heavier the air feels, thick with the energy of the concert just ending.

and then we round the corner, and i see him. tucker.

"ky!" tucker calls out, his face lighting up in that familiar, warm smile that always seemed to make everything else fade away. "so glad you made it after all," he says, his voice full of genuine happiness.

my breath catches in my throat. just hearing him say ky's name feels like a punch to the gut. there he is, standing right in front of me, and for a moment, everything around me goes silent. i don't know what to say, how to act.

"does he know him?" i whisper, glancing at cora and drew, my voice barely audible, like i'm afraid to speak too loudly and shatter the moment.

"i think so," cora replies, her own voice low. "he mentioned someone invited him, but we didn't know it was him." she shrugs, almost as if she's unsure too, but the excitement in her eyes doesn't go unnoticed.

but me? i'm still processing the fact that tucker is standing there, that he's real, that he's here, after everything that happened between us. part of me wants to run up to him, to ask all the questions swirling in my head, but another part wants to shrink away, afraid of facing the mess i've tried to avoid.

i take a slow, shaky breath, trying to steady myself, but it's hard when all i can focus on is him.

"guys, this is role model— or tucker," ky says, introducing him casually, but there's something about the way he says it that makes everything feel heavier.

"nice to meet you, gracie will be out soon," tucker adds, his tone light but with a hint of something i can't quite place. we all greet him, even me. i force a smile, but i can't stop myself from stealing glances at him, watching how he shifts his weight slightly, almost like he's nervous or unsure of what to say. i look at him for too long, and before i can even think about it, his gaze catches mine. he stares at me, but he doesn't say anything. not a word. it's like he doesn't recognize me at all.

gracie steps out just then, and the moment seems to shatter as she greets all of us. everyone's talking, laughing, making plans for after the show, but i'm still stuck in the space where tucker and i are, lost in some unsaid thing between us. i'm trying to focus, trying to be present, but my mind keeps circling back to him. to us. the quiet tension hanging in the air.

and then, in the middle of the chatter, i hear it. "isla," tucker says, his voice quiet, almost like he's testing the waters, like he's unsure of whether he should even say my name.

"hey," i respond, my voice shaky, unsure of what to feel or how to act in this moment. "i didn't know you were a singer," i add, the words slipping out before i can think too much about it. it's awkward, and i can feel the space between us stretch longer than it should.

"you never asked," he says with a half-smile, but there's something bittersweet in it. "i didn't know you were friends with ky," he adds, as if it's just another piece of the puzzle that doesn't quite fit.

"you never asked," i reply, my voice softer this time, a quiet echo of what he said to me. and for a moment, i feel the weight of everything unsaid between us. the distance that's grown in the silence, the questions we never asked each other.

he looks at me, his expression unreadable, and for a moment, we're caught in a silent tug-of-war. we both want to reach out, to bridge the distance between us, but neither of us knows how to start.

the others continue talking around us, but my mind is somewhere else entirely. all i can think about is the way things used to be, the way we used to be, before this strange, unspoken distance came between us. i wonder if he's feeling the same, if he's regretting all the words we never exchanged, the things we never told each other.

but instead of saying anything, we just stand there. in the middle of the crowd, surrounded by laughter and excitement, and yet, all i can feel is the emptiness between us, stretching farther with every passing second.

"isla," he says again, this time quieter, almost like a plea.

i meet his eyes, my heart skipping a beat. "yeah?" i whisper, unsure of what to say, but hoping he'll finally say something that makes this all make sense again.

but he doesn't. not yet. instead, he looks away, as if he's lost in his own thoughts, and i can't help but wonder if he's trying to figure out where we went wrong, just like i am.

i take a shaky breath, my chest tight, and as much as i want to close the gap between us, i don't know if i can. we're standing on the edge of something, something unresolved, and i don't know how to fix it.

🦭

𝗁𝖾𝗒 𝖻𝗋𝗈𝗌𝗄𝗂𝗌, damn, well they met again, and everything is so awkward lolz

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