Complex Life

Story By StormDancer

Chapter 1

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Ashley Alers sighed as she leaned against the fence which enclosed the concert area. She pulled the hood of her sweatshirt farther over her head, hoping no one she knew was here. It would ruin her image of the calm, studious grad student to be seen at an alternative rock concert.

She glanced up at the band which was now playing. They were actually decent, more than most bands that played here could boast. The crowd responded to that, even louder than usual. She even found herself occasionally caught up in the mob mentality so much as to start singing along to some of the songs. They were catchy, and she thought she had heard some on the radio before.

Suddenly, the music changed and the mob began screaming louder. Peering up at the stage, she noticed that only the drum player was left there. The others 3 seemed to have come into the crowd. Surprised, Ashley took the chance to ask a neighbor.

“What’s happening?” she yelled.

“They always pick someone to come up and sing with them for a few songs,” the girl shrieked back, “Duh. Look! Jeremy’s coming this way!”

Ashley started at the name, but the girl didn’t notice, already beginning to shout louder. Ashley, glancing around, did notice a bass-playing figure fighting his way through the crowd alone. ‘It couldn’t be him’ Ashley reassured herself. Laughing, she took a step back into the shadows just in case, although she couldn’t help but sing along.

o0O0o0O0o

Mike suppressed an irritated sigh as the bouncers around him fought off the waving hands of the crowd. This was so stupid, it just wouldn’t finish. All he really wanted to do was go back to the room and continue to plan his day tomorrow. It would be perfect, just him and Catherine, walking around the beautiful city together. It took a particularly shrill scream to jolt him out of his reverie.

o0O0o0O0o

Jeremy shook his head slightly, trying to focus. Glancing around for someone, anyone, to pick, he saw a shadow, move on the outskirts of the enclosure. He changed his path ever so slightly so he would head that way. As he neared, he saw a figure, apparently female, encased in a deep purple sweatshirt, which was also shading her face. It didn't stop her voice, though. Jeremy grinned. Taking advantage of a lull in the music, he uttered into the radio which connected him with his mates,

“I’ve got one.”

At that signal, Sam and Mike began to backtrack back up to the stage. Jeremy continued to make his way towards the girl. Reaching her, he put a hand on her arms, which were crossed across her chest. She jumped at the touch.

“Come on!” he yelled over the crowd, “Get up there!”

Her eyes widened in shock, but she followed him dutifully back up to the stage. She vaulted lightly up with trained grace, waving away the helping hands, and grabbed a microphone for one of the guards. She kept her hood on, even in the glare of the lights.

Mike took his place beside her, and began to sing without a glance at her. Her voice took up the song, not in a parody of the melody like most of the people who came up sang, but in a weird harmonic that thrilled even as it chilled. Startled, he glanced at her, and saw 2 laughing violet eyes grinning back at him, the only thing visible in her shadowed face. Eyes he recognized, if he could only just place them. As the song ended, she let her voice continue even when Mike’s had stopped, a single, eerie note to finish the song. The applause and screaming were thunderous.

“Take off your hood!” Someone shouted, only just audible over the cheers. Mike grinned and turned to the girl.

“Yeah, take off your hood!” he said into the mike.

“Only if they want me to,” she responded laughingly, “I’m only one of them!”

The crowd screamed its approval.

“I don’t know,” she wavered theatrically, obviously working the crowd. Mike raised an eyebrow, impressed at her skill. Jeremy, always impatient, stopped his bass for a moment and strode behind her, yanking her hood off. Long silky red hair spilled out behind her as her face was revealed, laughing merrily. She turned to face Jeremy, but her expression hardened at the sight of him.

“Smooth move, O’Conner,” she mocked, ‘But haven’t you ever heard of privacy?”

“Nope,” he replied with a roguish wink, ‘want to show me why you want it?”

She turned her back on him.

“You’re just as pitiful as you ever were,” she threw over her shoulder as the next song started. During this song, the last one, the girl matched Mike note for note, humming when she didn’t know the words. The song ended, and with it the concert.

“A hand for the lady?” Mike prompted, and the screaming increased. “And for your humble entertainers, Complex Life!” he continued. The crowd roared, deafening nearly everyone there.

Jeremy grabbed the girl’s wrist as she began to leave.

“Why am I so pitiful?” he demanded.

‘Because that line was just as bad as yours were when I was in 9th grade,” she informed him, “Wouldn’t you agree, Cale?”

“Definitely,” Mike said, responding automatically to the long unheard nickname, distractedly unplugging the mike. Jeremy stared at the girl, amazed.

“Alers?” he spat. Mike spun to face the girl so quickly he nearly knocked over Sam’s guitar.

“Ash?” he asked incredulously.

“Ashley,” she corrected coldly, “Nice to see you and all that, but I’ve got to go.”

Jeremy and Mike took a step forward to stop her, but Ashley jumped back down and stalked away with a straight back, trying to disguise how much she wanted to escape.

“Who was that?” Chuck asked as he puttered over his drum set.

“An old… acquaintance,” Jeremy replied for Mike, “A very old ghost.”

Sam turned quickly to glance at him.

“Wait, who was that?” he asked.

‘Ash-Ashley Alers,” Mike said quietly, “I never would have recognized her.”

“You didn’t, I did,” Jeremy said, “Why would you? It’s been 8 years. What are you and Catherine going to do tomorrow? Remember, you have to be back by the concert…”

He led Mike away.

“what’s up with them?” Chuck asked.

“Jeremy’s always been a bit odd where Ash’s concerned,” Sam informed him, “And Mike’s best friend from childhood just denied him to call her by his nickname.”

“But they haven’t seen her in 8 years!” Chuck protested, “Both of them must have gotten over it!”

“I don’t think either of them expected her to hold a grudge this long,” Sam said sadly, “However much we deserve it.”