Monochrome Stories

Crimson's POV

Practice started as soon as Teal and I got there. I tried to concentrate as much as I could, but the things he said to me were just stuck in my head. No matter how much I thought Rogue changed, there was still a chance that she might not have. I know I shouldn't have been thinking about it. I don't even know if it's true, but his eyes looked like he wasn't lying. It's strange that I'm believing his words over my own impression of her... 

The music stopped playing as soon as I started singing. The silence was deafening, and I knew I was the one at fault.

"Crimson, what's up?" Kuro asked. "You sound... Off. Your voice is normally so calm, but it seems stressed now."

"Yeah." Carnation added, walking towards me and putting her hand on my forehead. "Are you sick?"

"It's nothing." I replied. "I guess I'm just nervous for the show tonight. Don't worry about me. I'll do better."

Practice continued, and so did my mistakes. Hours passed, and we couldn't even finish one set. We were all tired, and it was my fault. I couldn't concentrate. I just couldn't get my mind off of Rogue... 

"Maybe we should let Ivory sing." Teal suggested. 

"W-what?" I asked.

"If you can't do it, then Ivory should sing instead. He has a nice voice, and he can just play the bass at the same time."

"I guess..." Carnation agreer. "But Crimson already practiced his part. Are you sure wanna make changes like this?"

"We don't have a choice. Crimson can't sing properly. We need to do it perfectly if we wanna win." Teal replied, and then faced Ivory. "So how about it, Ivory? Do you wanna sing?"

"Uh, if you guys don't mind, then I'd love to do it." He replied. 

"What?!" Carnation exclaimed. "You can't just do this! Crimson's been practicing this part for a long time! He even wrote the song! He should be the one to sing it!"

"But the thing is, he can't. He's having trouble singing, and we can't have that." Teal replied. "Alright, guys, take five." He added, taking out a cigarette and heading outside. Carnation followed and we could still hear her just shouting at Teal.

Silence was all that was left in the room. Rogue, Ivory, Kuro, and I were the only ones left, and nobody would speak out. It was awkward. 

I... I don't want Ivory to sing my song... I haven't been honest with myself. I hate that he likes Rogue. I hate that everyone wants me to break up with her. I hate that we have to hide this all for his sake... Why is it all for him... I hate hi-

Wait, no! What the hell am I thinking?! He's my best friend. I shouldn't be thinking this. It isn't right. I shouldn't blame him when he didn't even do anything wrong. Shit. What the hell is happening to me? 

"Hey, Crimson?" Ivory asked, with his face in an uncomfortably close distance to mine. "Are you okay? Kuro told me not to bother you since it looked like you were really troubled, but I'm just worried about you."

What the hell was I thinking getting mad at such a nice guy? He's so sweet and precious. No matter what happens, he's still my best friend. 

"Don't worry about it." I replied. "Maybe Teal's right. Maybe you should be the one to sing."

"W-what?? Are you sure???" He asked, with his face lighting up with excitement. "It's your song! W-well I'm glad that you're asking me to do it, but are you really sure?!"

"Yeah. It's better than losing."

Teal and Carnation came back inside, with Carnation still looking pissed. "So it's settled. Ivory will be the lead vocalist tonight." Teal announced. "I'm not doing this because I want to, but if we're gonna win this, then we need to make sacrifices. I also have another announcement to make." He stopped and took a deep breath. "This will be the band's last show."

I still remember everyone's reactions that day. All of us were shocked. Silence filled the room. All of the times that we laughed, cried, got angry... All of the times we spent together... It all just came back flooding to me in that exact moment. 

"What?? What the hell do you mean by last show??" Kuro asked, with tears starting to fall from his face.

"It's exactly what it sounds." Teal replied. "The band will be disbanding after our show tonight. I put a lot of thought into it, and I think it would be for the best. My little brother is graduating this year, and I wanna support and help him through his last days of junior high. I'm gonna get a job to pay for the tuition fee of the school he wants to get into."

"But what about us?!" Ivory asked, clenching his bass tighter. "This... This band was the only place I could actually be myself! I'm sure all of the others here feel the same too!" He stopped to wipe the tears off his face. "This was the only place I could feel like I belonged... Without it, I don't know what I'm gonna do..."

Teal walked closer to him and patted his head. "You'll have Crimson beside you through it all. I still remember the day the two of you joined the band. You both had an intense sparkle in your eyes, and I just felt like I had to let you in. This band was only the catalyst for the two of you to build up your confidence. You guys can perform on stage now in front of huge crowds. I'm sure you'll find a new place to belong to. So let's just make this show the most memorable one yet. Let's win this and take the trophy home as the proof of our last performance!"

The room that was once filled with the smell of cigrattes, the deafening sounds of instruments, the intense passion of the band members, started to feel like a normal room once again. 

Practice continued, and the music we created was suddenly filled with sadness, but it didn't sound bad. Instead, it sounded like the most amazing thing I've ever heard. And there was one thing I noticed during the whole fiasco. Rogue's face wa... Normal. She looked like she didn't care at all, but I really wonder if it's because she was just new to the band, or if it's because what Teal said was right.

Tonight will be the last show of our band, and Ivory's confession. Honestly, I don't know what to expect anymore, but all I'm hoping is that everything would turn out just fine.