Chapter Text
Sweat poured down Keefe’s forehead as he gazed out at the sea of fans, phone cameras glinting in the pink strobe lights. The cheers were loud, louder than the monitor mix being fed into his ear. It was okay though, he already knew all his cues by heart.
He looked over and saw his cousin, Ashton Irwin, playing his heart on his drums, drumming with vigor, letting the beat control his hands. Keefe understood that feeling. He let his fingers dance across the keys of his electric keyboard, feeling the flow of the music, letting it consume his soul and flow out through his mouth. There was nothing better than the pure exhilaration of performing. Except maybe being next to Foster, he thought to himself.
Keefe shook the thoughts out of his mind and refocused on the task at hand. He saw Luke standing at the front of the stage, singing vivaciously, the whole crowd singing along.
“Youngblood, sayuwami, sayuwami, out of your life, and I’m just a dead man walking tonight…”
As the song came to a close, Keefe looked out across the crowd, and saw a girl. She had blonde hair in a perfectly sculpted messy bun. When she gazed up, he locked eyes with her, and saw her beautiful brown eyes with gold flecks. Goddamn she looks like Foster, he thought to himself, and blushed at the thought
He tore his gaze away from hers as he realized the boys were hurrying off stage. Keefe jogged to catch up with the rest of the band and they all continued off stage together, standing on the hydraulic lift in the stage.
“Sick set, guys,” Luke exclaimed, arms out for a group hug.
“Thanks, man,” Michael responded as all four of them joined Luke’s sweaty embrace.
“Augh, dude, you're all sweaty!” Keefe said, laughing as he shook his arms as if to get off the sweat from Luke.
“As if you’re any better!” Luke replied, also laughing. Keefe loved these guys. Of course he loved his friends back in the Lost Cities, but he had to admit it was nice to be away from
it all. No more pressure from his dad, no more fighting his mom, and no more dealing with Sophie’s obliviousness.
“Hey, Keefe, you comin’ to party with us?” Asked Calum, wiping sweat off of his brow with a towel, handed to him by a stage attendant.
“Nah sorry Cal, I got somewhere to be.” Responded Keefe, trying to sound normal.
“Where are you going off to at this hour, Keefe? Got a lady?” Questioned Luke, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Keefe rolled his eyes as he scrambled to come up with an excuse.
“Uhm, I, Uhm-” Keefe started, but before he could finish his mutterings, Ashton cut in.
“Guys, performing is a lot of strain on a young body, he’s probably gotta crash at home.” The other boys nodded, they seemed to accept this half baked excuse. Keefe looked to his cousin thankfully, hoping he could convey all his gratitude with just his eyes.
“Where’re you staying anyway?” Asked Calum, while opening his water bottle. Keefe shrugged.
“Y’know, just… Around.” He said, avoiding giving them an actual answer.
The boys looked at him a bit strangely - except Ashton, who of course knew where he was REALLY heading off to - but they let him go. Keefe scurried away, offering a quick wave over his shoulder to the band. They all smiled and waved back, and Keefe ducked around the nearest corner.
Once they were out of sight, he peered around over his shoulders to make sure no one could see him leave. He pulled the clear-crystaled pathfinder out of a hidden pocket in his pants and held it up to the small sliver of light visible from the high windows. He readied himself to step into the beam and glittered away,