ARE YOU READY FOR THIS? | MARI |

She wasn't picking up, but it kept ringing. Did everything, just everything in his world have to turn to shit. He put his phone down, and definitely wasn't feeling it. People were pumped, bouncing up and down as he sat behind the curtains with the rest of the band. Mari wouldn't come. She had no reason to come, not after everything. They just had to give it all they could, and cancelling the call he looked at his phone screen. His wallpaper was a picture of him and Axel, a selfy they took in bed a few weeks ago. After seeing it, it became rushing and he locked his phone immediately. He tried to hold it back and slumped his head, until he heard her name. Mari! His head shot up with red rimmed eyes as he saw her. She looked pumped, and he really didn't think she would come. Looking to her, and then tried to suck it in. But when she hugged him, he was kind of surprised but slowly curled his arm over her and hugged her back. She must have heard.

"How did you know? I mean - who told you?". He couldn't smile but just looked up at her, wanting to know. When Eli grieves, he is irrational and looking at her, he wanted to know who was saying things about Axel's death. Maybe it was Claire? Maybe she just psychically knew. She told him that she was there, but he didn't say anything but hung his head down. He couldn't. He couldn't deal with this right now. She asked about her outfit and looking at it for a second, he gave her the biggest attempt of a smile but the a tear fell. "Eli, what's wrong?". Crater called after him but Eli ran. Running past other contestants and passed equipment, he found a flight of stairs to a deserted brick room. Running down the steps, sniffling he got down they. His arms hit the wall as he lowered his head, unable to breath. He had never cried like this before, but he was breaking down. Bawling, he didn't know what to do? He couldn't sing like this, he couldn't do anything. Looking at the brick wall with wet eyes, he gritted his teeth and punch. His fist hit the bricks, and dust clouded as the bricks moved. It felt good, so he punched again. Yelling, he smashed his fists into the wall as the bricks were cracked and smashed, crumming to pieces as he let it all out.

"FUCK YOU!". He screamed, bashing into the wall as blood came from his knuckles, bricks fell to the ground as he bashed into the wall. Stopping, he sniffed as he looked at his fists as they slowly began to heal. He couldn't deal, and fell with his back against the wall and placing his head in his hands. He didn't know how to do this anymore, and tears fell. He had lost him, and he didn't know how to fix this. A deal wasn't going to mend this situation like last time, and broke down. "Why!? Why did you leave me......". He called out above, and his face fell into his hands.

In seconds she was there. She was always there. He had never been hurt, or down or alone. She had, and he turned his back on her. But now here she was, and he felt her hold him. He was a ball, rolled up as she held him. Friends like her weren't expected - they were a luxery. As as he looked up at her, she asked what happened. Her words were soothing, and he felt liek everything had turned to shit. Axel was dead - and he had nothing else right now. But Mari, and music. And he felt like he wasn't good enough for either of them. But if there was anyone he could tell - it was Mari. They had litterary been through hell together. He had ran through blood to get to her, and she had broken her own hand to save him. So it was time - time to admit it to himself. "There - there was a demon. Some, woman who attacked the brother's last night". Here it came, and it hurt like hell. Looking up, the lights reflected agains the tears on his face.

"Axel's dead". There it was, and trying to gulp it down it flew out. He bawled in his hands, and shook rapidly. It was hard - and made turning into a vampire a piece of cake. Vampires have no soul, no heart - and now Eli's was breaking. "Oh my god - he's dead". He sank down, feeling so low. But from the stage he heard it. Music that filled the back, and turned heads. It turned his as he rose. Like a zombie, wiping tears he made his way. Step by step up the stairs, he felt his heart beating faster and faster. He could recognize that voice. Was it really him? Getting up backstage, people stopped and staired from behind the curtains at who was on the stage. He made his way around people, moving towards the stage entrances and stopped, looking at him. It was Rob Thomas.

On that stage, it seemed everything went away. Hopefully the lights didn't make him look like an actual vampire as he looked at the crowd. The song selection felt so right right now, and he knew that Mari would be cool with it. They practised them - before all the shit happened. He looked at her as she entered, and actually smiled as he looked at her, knowing that she was there was going to make this so much easier. Looking to the band, he moved over to them. To Crater, to Vince, to Marty, to Jello and then to Mari. He gave them a smirk before whispering the name of the song above the figiting crowd. Looking at them, he felt - safe. He felt better, like things will end up okay. He didn't know how, or why, or what this would entail, and after saying it and getting the nods, he turned back to the crowd and stood up to the microphone. Not to close, he looked up at the light on him. It shone bright, but it wasn't dark. Nothing felt dark.