Categories > Celebrities > 30 Seconds to Mars > Paper Heart
Chapter Thirteen
I've always had this fear of falling flat on my face or being booed at. That would explain the rumbling and weird feeling in the pit of my stomache.
I walked up the steps of the grey cement steps of City Hall, and entered the building.
The heat was on high; I wouldn't blame them, it was the middle of December and it was below thirty degrees.
I walked over to the front desk and asked where the audotorium was, she pointed up the steps, then told me to go left from there.
I nodded, then followed her directions.
To get rid of my nervousness, I kept wiping my bangs away from my face. I had no idea why it kept falling into that place.
When I reached the audotorium door, I heard a small violin playing. I slowly opened the door, and on the stage was a girl about eight years old playing the violin.
I gave a mear smile, then walked down the rows to the stage.
A woman in jeans, a black turtle neck, and black leather boots was standing in the front row reading things off her checklist.
"Excuse me," I said tapping her on the shoulder.
She turned around and looked down at me. "Are you an act?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm performing with Joel Greybell." I notified. The woman nodded, then looked at her list. She nodded again, then led me to the dressing room.
At stall number seventeen was Joel, sitting in the chair looking over the sheet music.
"Hey," I said, then set down my bag next to his next to the vanity.
"Hey," he said back, then stood up. "you need to go get dressed, then we need to do our dress rehersal."
I nodded, then grabbed my bag and went over to the dressing curtains.
It was six fifty-five, and our performance was up next. I kept taking a sip of my water bottle, then I'd take a big breath.
The performance ended, then the couple left the stage with wide smiles on their faces.
Joel grabbed ahold of my hand, then lightly kissed me on the cheek. "It'll be okay, just keep your eyes off the audience." Joel advised, I nodded, then we proceeded.
"Ladies and gentleman, our next performance is Elise Anderson and Joel Greybell performing Breathe No More by Evanescence.
The woman handed me the microphone as I sat down on the stool. Joel sat down on his stool next to me with the microphone in front of his guitar, and the rest of our music players such as the piano and drums sat down at their stations.
I took a deep breath, then nodded at the piano player.
The piano began to play, and I counted the beats as it went on.
"I've been looking in the mirror for so long." I sang lightly.
"That I've come to believe my souls on the other side. Oh the little pieces falling, shatter.
"Shards of me, to sharp to put back together. To small to matter, big enough to cut me into so many little pieces..."
It was time for the chorus, oh how my stomache felt weird.
"If I try to touch her, and I bleed, I bleed, and I breathe, I breathe no more."
The guitar's sound seemed to glide with the piano, and I felt more confidence. Joel's fingers strummed the guitar, and it was awesome.
"Take a breath and I try to draw from my spirits well. Yet again you refuse to drink like a stubborn child.
"Lie to me, convince me that I've been sick forever. And all of this, will make sense when I get better. I know the difference, between myself and my reflection. I just can't help but to wonder, which of us do you love?
"So I bleed, I bleed, and I breathe, I breathe now...
It was time for the big finale of everything,
"Bleed, I bleed, and I breathe, I breathe, I breathe, I breathe no more."
The audience began to applaud louder than the performers before us, and began to stand up.
I stood up from my stool, and saw the crowd easier, they were giving us a standing ovation!
Joel stood up and put his arm around my shoulder as we both bowed to the audience.
I smiled, then the lady came out and motioned for us to go backstage.
"Elise, we did it!" Joel said, then hugged me. I hugged him back, then smiled as a tear fell down my face.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I just," I began. "I have never really done something like this ever."
"Oh," Joel said. "I understand."
Joel leaned forward and hugged me, then we both walked back to our dressing rooms.
That day I learned something, something that I thought could never be explained.
I learned that even though life may suck really hard sometimes, it can also rock! I mean, I have some of the cruelest people in my class, but I also have the kindest, and coolest people in my life. I knew that since the day I met Joel at the bus stop, he was interested in meeting me. I knew from the day he saved me from drowning that he wanted me to live and was doing the right thing. Now I know, life is worth living, and it is not a large gaping whole of darkness.
I've always had this fear of falling flat on my face or being booed at. That would explain the rumbling and weird feeling in the pit of my stomache.
I walked up the steps of the grey cement steps of City Hall, and entered the building.
The heat was on high; I wouldn't blame them, it was the middle of December and it was below thirty degrees.
I walked over to the front desk and asked where the audotorium was, she pointed up the steps, then told me to go left from there.
I nodded, then followed her directions.
To get rid of my nervousness, I kept wiping my bangs away from my face. I had no idea why it kept falling into that place.
When I reached the audotorium door, I heard a small violin playing. I slowly opened the door, and on the stage was a girl about eight years old playing the violin.
I gave a mear smile, then walked down the rows to the stage.
A woman in jeans, a black turtle neck, and black leather boots was standing in the front row reading things off her checklist.
"Excuse me," I said tapping her on the shoulder.
She turned around and looked down at me. "Are you an act?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm performing with Joel Greybell." I notified. The woman nodded, then looked at her list. She nodded again, then led me to the dressing room.
At stall number seventeen was Joel, sitting in the chair looking over the sheet music.
"Hey," I said, then set down my bag next to his next to the vanity.
"Hey," he said back, then stood up. "you need to go get dressed, then we need to do our dress rehersal."
I nodded, then grabbed my bag and went over to the dressing curtains.
It was six fifty-five, and our performance was up next. I kept taking a sip of my water bottle, then I'd take a big breath.
The performance ended, then the couple left the stage with wide smiles on their faces.
Joel grabbed ahold of my hand, then lightly kissed me on the cheek. "It'll be okay, just keep your eyes off the audience." Joel advised, I nodded, then we proceeded.
"Ladies and gentleman, our next performance is Elise Anderson and Joel Greybell performing Breathe No More by Evanescence.
The woman handed me the microphone as I sat down on the stool. Joel sat down on his stool next to me with the microphone in front of his guitar, and the rest of our music players such as the piano and drums sat down at their stations.
I took a deep breath, then nodded at the piano player.
The piano began to play, and I counted the beats as it went on.
"I've been looking in the mirror for so long." I sang lightly.
"That I've come to believe my souls on the other side. Oh the little pieces falling, shatter.
"Shards of me, to sharp to put back together. To small to matter, big enough to cut me into so many little pieces..."
It was time for the chorus, oh how my stomache felt weird.
"If I try to touch her, and I bleed, I bleed, and I breathe, I breathe no more."
The guitar's sound seemed to glide with the piano, and I felt more confidence. Joel's fingers strummed the guitar, and it was awesome.
"Take a breath and I try to draw from my spirits well. Yet again you refuse to drink like a stubborn child.
"Lie to me, convince me that I've been sick forever. And all of this, will make sense when I get better. I know the difference, between myself and my reflection. I just can't help but to wonder, which of us do you love?
"So I bleed, I bleed, and I breathe, I breathe now...
It was time for the big finale of everything,
"Bleed, I bleed, and I breathe, I breathe, I breathe, I breathe no more."
The audience began to applaud louder than the performers before us, and began to stand up.
I stood up from my stool, and saw the crowd easier, they were giving us a standing ovation!
Joel stood up and put his arm around my shoulder as we both bowed to the audience.
I smiled, then the lady came out and motioned for us to go backstage.
"Elise, we did it!" Joel said, then hugged me. I hugged him back, then smiled as a tear fell down my face.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I just," I began. "I have never really done something like this ever."
"Oh," Joel said. "I understand."
Joel leaned forward and hugged me, then we both walked back to our dressing rooms.
That day I learned something, something that I thought could never be explained.
I learned that even though life may suck really hard sometimes, it can also rock! I mean, I have some of the cruelest people in my class, but I also have the kindest, and coolest people in my life. I knew that since the day I met Joel at the bus stop, he was interested in meeting me. I knew from the day he saved me from drowning that he wanted me to live and was doing the right thing. Now I know, life is worth living, and it is not a large gaping whole of darkness.
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