Matt Nicholls and Mike Fuentes wouldn’t, no couldn’t lie about the fact that Taylah and Jacob were hectic when it came to playing drums. And to be honest, they weren’t even playing them. It was lunch and everyone was sitting down at catering, getting ready for the show that started at 5:30. The two were doing their pre-show ritual which was them sitting across from each other at a table with drumsticks in their hands as they slammed their way through the set list for Lost In The Silence on the worn and beaten down wooden top; mirroring each other movement for movement.

“How do they stay so in sync?” Oli asked, turning to Danny who was sitting with him, Matt, Mike and Alan as he ate lunch.

Danny turned to see his sister and Jacob practising and shrugged before spooning his salad into his mouth, speaking once he’d swallowed. “They’ve been best friends for years; you’d think they were twins the way they’d carry on when we were younger. It’s just one of those things I suppose. It helps that she’s our drum tech and back up drummer too, God knows we’ll need a backup.”

“Why will you need a backup?” Matt asked, tearing his gaze from the two drumming to focus in on the conversation.

“Because.” Danny said through a mouthful of food, “Jacob has a habit of getting injured every tour, broken arm, broken leg, fractured collar bone. You name it, he’s done it. That’s one of the reasons that they do their drumming ritual, so that they’re positive Taylah knows the entire set list inside and out. Not that they need to, I don’t think she’s ever forgotten the songs.”

“Does Jacob injure himself often?” Mike asked.

Alan laughed and nodded. “Every tour we’ve been on together and almost every tour they’ve been on he’s broken or fractured or dislocated something. It’s crazy how accident prone that guy is. Taylah will Skype me after our shows and give me the low down on how Jake has been an idiot and done this or that to himself. It really annoys her.”

Danny nodded as he swallowed, “Mainly because she never gets enough notice and always ends up having to rush. I remember she got a call from Rise during a doctor’s appointment that we needed her on drums for the rest of the tour. She was so pissed off but she couldn’t yell at us because she’d had really bad Tonsillitis and had lost her voice, which was why she was at the doctor’s in the first place. She did hit him a lot though and silently mouth threats at him. Well, I say mouth. It looked like she’d of been shouting if she could.”

“I remember that!” Alan laughed, “It was our last tour together. Jacob ran from her every time he saw her for a week.”

The guys laughed and turned to look at the duo that had finished their drumming and were getting up to grab some food, Taylah stopping and grinning widely when Aaron came over with a plate of food for her, completely ignoring Jacob’s annoyed expression over the lack of plate for him.

“Does she have all the boys wrapped around her finger or something?” Oli asked as he turned from the scene and back to his pasta. The boys followed suit and Alan shook his head.

“Nah not really. We just look out for her; she’s had a hard time the past couple of years and we like to help out as much as possible. We all see her as a little sister who needs to be dotted on, that’s all.”

“What happened?” Mike asked.

“She got breast cancer.” Danny stated matter of factly. “It’s gone now with none in sight but she was really bad for a while.” He sighed quietly as he met Alan’s eyes. “You remember right? She was ready to give up towards the end, but that’s when the doctor’s said chemo was working and it was pretty much all gone.”

“We ended the tour early didn’t we?” Alan asked trying to think back.

“Yeah, we came home and that’s when she told us it was going away.”

It was quiet for a moment as everyone absorbed the information they’d just learnt before it was interrupted by Taylah plopping down on the bench between Oli and Matt. “Mind if I Slytherin?” the ginger asked, smiling when Danny rolled his eyes and Mike grinned. “What are we talking about? Must be pre boring if you’re all quiet.”

“We’re trying to come back from that terrible pun you just used.” Mike replied which caused Taylah to laugh.

“Deep down inside, Mike, you liked it, admit it.” She said, jabbing her spork in his direction. Mike just smiled and continued eating, the conversation picking up once again.

---

“You’ve been a terrific crowd tonight, thank you so much.” Lily cried into the microphone, black hair plastered to her forehead and eyeliner running but that didn’t detract from her enormous grin.

Taylah smiled over at Lily, only out on stage because she had sung on the last the three songs of the set. Her fringe was also plastered to her forehead but the rest of her hair was pulled back in a bun under the brim of the Rebel Eight hat that she wore backwards. She turned to the crowd and jumped on the right pedestal so others in the back could see.

“Not gonna lie but I think you’ve been the sickest crowd we’ve had in a long time. Especially that one chick who managed a fist bump; no idea where you went but thanks for that. I hope you all enjoy Of Mice who are up next, I know we will. Some of us more than others,” Taylah said, turning to shoot Lily a cheeky grin to which she received the bird back, causing her laugh. “We are Lost In The Silence and we hope you enjoy your night!”

The crowd starting roaring when the lights went down, signalling the set change between bands and each member walked off stage and to the back of the large white tent which they were playing in, grinning when they saw the others standing around, warming up. Lily ran over to Austin and helped him warm up while the music playlist that the tech guys played between shows blared through the speakers.

“Good luck out there, babe.” Lily said up to Austin as she pushed her hair out of her face. “You guys are gonna kill it, the other guys stand no chance.”

Austin laughed before pulling Lily into a tight which she groaned about, completely ignoring her exclamation of “I’m all sweaty!” and picked her up off the ground, holding her up to his height. Lily pouted at him, fluttering her eyelashes, trying to get him to put her down but he was having none of it.

“I love you, Lils,” he whispered, leaning in and pecking her softly on her smiling lips. It was a slow kiss, not hungry or lust filled, but it was still passionate and sweet.

“I love you too, Austin,” she whispered back, resting her forehead against his. “Even if you are freakishly tall and don’t listen when I say I’m sweaty and don’t want to hug you.”

“That’s it,” Austin cried, loosening his grip on Lily, letting her slid back to the ground and stepping away from her, throwing his arms up as he shook his head. “Moment’s ruined. Good work.”

Lily laughed and shook her head. “Whatever, Austin just go have a good show.”

Alan, who had been standing with Taylah, Tony and Oli watching the two, groaned before turning to the others, “I swear, they are so cute together is makes me sick.” They just nodded in agreement before continuing with their conversation.

Notes

FUCK YES, STUDENT FREE DAY! NO SCHOOL!
FUCK NO, WORK TOMORROW!
I literally spent all day writing fanfiction as my part of a bet I have with a friend, who agreed to try and complete all of her assignments which are due Friday today, her reward being updates on this story, so here we are, with 3 more chapters still waiting to be uploaded.
If you guys like it, subscribe, vote and comment on it, I really appreciate it.

Chapter title: Here We Go by Sleeping With Sirens.