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Her hand that was previously on the side of his face moved up to rest on his shoulder. The gesture of him kissing her forehead sent her heart fluttering. He was so gentle. Olivia didn’t think much of his question— still very much in a daze. The diner sounded like a cute place, somewhere she’d certainly never heard of. “Yeah, sure,” she nodded. “That sounds perfect.” It was nearing late afternoon now, the color of the sun’s rays coming close to that golden color. The girl quirked a brow at him. “We’ll have to see about that…” She challenged. “I make some pretty bomb waffles, it’ll be a tough comparison.” She stated proudly, her mouth quirking up to a smirk. Her face brightened at the sight of his goofy smile. She could get used to that. Cason just had that aura that lit up the room, a complete opposite to Olivia’s wallflower personality. Swaying their hands, she followed his lead. Their friends were probably too occupied to even bother with their whereabouts. “Let’s go!” The brunette cheered, a bounce in her steps as she walked alongside him. Her stomach was in butterflies over their linked hands, something she tried to be subtle about, though her flushed face revealed the opposite.

The light fluttery feeling in his stomach hadn’t seized. Puppy love symptoms. A faint dizziness.... an exciting staticky nervousness. It all persisted. Even after they arrived at Val’s. The tiny diner was like a time capsule ---- a cutesy homage to America’s lost pass. Black and white checkered tiles lined the floor, teal coloured vinyl seats in each booth, a Ritchie Valens track gently playing on the jukebox. All the hallmarks of the 1950s. “Cason! I haven’t seen you in a donkeys year!“ It was Val. She’d been the owner of this place since it opened when Cason was a kid. “Sit, sit! I’ll be right with you.“ She was busy with something behind the counter. She had a nice voice. Sweet like honey, with a flavour of Texan sass. “Sounds good, Val!“ Cason grabbed for Olivia‘s hand and took them to the corner booth. They sat across from one another and didn’t really get a chance to chat before Val appeared. “And who is this little sweet pea right here?”

“This is Olivia, Olivia this is Val.”

“It’s a pleasure, darling!”

As much as she found it sweet and thoughtful of him to do that, it still had her worried and scared. She didn’t believe him when he said it was fine, his bruising hand said otherwise. A frown was plastered on her lips as she scanned his knuckles. The fact that this happened because of her made Olivia feel guilty. She was rambling on about how they should take him to the first aid station, too lost in her thoughts to even notice how his eyes softened at the sight of her worrying about him. Which is why, when he made a step towards her, she was surprised. Her hands suddenly at her sides, the girl looked up and her eyes finally met his again. There was something behind them, an emotion she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Then, before her thoughts could wander anywhere else, his lips crashed onto hers. It took her about a second to react. Frozen in shock and surprise. It was the kind of surprise that left her completely breathless. But she didn’t think too much of it anymore as her lips move against his. She was lost in it, a hand reaching up to the side of his face. Pulling him closer, as if there was any more space between them. It felt right. Perfect. They were lost in their own bubble and the noise around them disappeared. Even when it was over, Olivia still felt in a daze. It was too good to be true, she thought to herself. Laughing to herself at her reference to the song he’d sung to her earlier. A soft smile was glued to her face, her eyes drowning in his. “You didn’t know how else to shut up me, huh?” She finally broke the silence between them, but still keeping eye contact. Olivia could honestly stare at him forever, there was something about the softness and lightness in the way he looked at her. It made her feel special, wanted. 

The look in her eyes was hypnotic. But just for a moment, before a giggle came from those precious lips. And then a chuckle from his own. “I don’t EVER want you to shut up.” It came out softly, as he gently pressed his eyes closed and stamped a kiss to her forehead. They were in such a vulnerable state, leaning against each other in a comfortably tangled web. “You wanna get out of here?” He realized how it sounded the instant the words left his mouth. Like a sleazy frat boy trying to get lucky. But that wasn’t what he meant. “I know this little diner, it’s right on the edge of town, you can see the sunset out the window.” Val’s Diner. One of those little 1950s themed slices of American nostalgia. Checkered tile flooring, an authentic jukebox in the corner. “I know this is a bold statement, but just hear me out—— they have, hands down, the world’s BEST waffles.” That crooked little smile had returned. Cason inched away, snagging one of Olivia’s hands and lacing their fingers together. He had a hopeful look on his face, looking down at her, almost akin to puppy dog eyes, but accompanied with a silly grin.

This wasn’t new to Olivia, and was partly the reason why she rarely went out. Almost always something would go wrong, and this right here was a solid example of it. She wanted to scream Cason’s name, pull him away. But nothing. She was frozen in shock, speechless as she watched him throw a punch at the douche bag. It all happened too fast. One second she was trying to push him away, then he and Cason were shoving each other, and the next thing she knows, the guy was on the ground. It wasn’t like pulling Cason away from the scene was an option either. Some people had pushed her to the side when they started to form a circle around the two males who were fighting. Her heart was now racing. Was it cause he was quick to defend her? No second thoughts? Or no, it was probably because there was a huge possibility he would end up with some sort of injury. Suddenly she wished she had taken some sort of self-defense class. Maybe then, Cason wouldn’t have had to be in this situation. Olivia would never stop blaming herself if he got hurt because of her. She was close enough to see the look on his face and hear his question when he asked. With a nod of her head, her eyes shot back to the guy on the ground. Cason wasn’t gonna get in trouble, was he? In one swift movement, she pushed through the tight crowd, reaching for Cason’s arm and pulling him away. “What were you thinking?!” She asked him frantically checking all over his face to see if maybe her eyes had been wrong and it was him who got hit instead. Her expression was full of worry and concern for the blonde singer. “I could have handled that, you didn’t have to hit him!” She crossed her arms, weight shifting on one leg. “You could’ve been hurt!” Olivia didn’t care much about the other guy. No matter how sweet she thought it was, for Cason to come to her rescue like that, it didn’t take away the fact that he could have been more hurt had it been another guy who wasn’t as drunk and sloppy. 

Olivia’s face was awash with concern, fear, anger. It was a medley. Rightfully so. “I know you can handle yourself, that’s not why I did it, alright.... I just.. I couldn’t stand to see him touching you like that.” They were standing a little ways away now, where she’d dragged him from the crowd. “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine, really—— it’s nothing.” But that didn’t stop her from plucking his hand and examining his knuckles. Fuck, they were already bruising too. Her expression was unsettled, a small frown as she turned his hand every which way, as if he were a hospital patient. Something about the concern and the nurturing, it was so SWEET. Just the thought that he was deserving of that attention, even if it was braided with disappointment. Didn’t matter, something came over him. This huge warranted NEED to express the same care for her. Something a fight in her honour couldn’t convey. He stepped forward, it was haphazard and clumsy but he didn’t really care. His hands reached for her face, latching onto the hinge of her jaw with gentle desperation—— fingers laced messily in her hair. And then he did it. He kissed her. It was abrupt and aggressive, maybe even a bit sloppy. Enough to catch her off guard. It was exactly what he expected, and wanted. Heated, passionate, frantic. It lasted what felt like an eternity, and then he pulled back, just slightly. Hands still attached, almost breathless. Lips wet and sticky, he rested his forehead against hers, eyes searching for some sort of reaction. But his gaze was light & pleasant, wondering.

Her cheeks flushed at his open invitation to feel comfortable on him. This was probably not the best time too, seeing as she was right in front him and it was still light enough outside for him to see her tomato cheeks. “Thanks,” she whispered quietly, a small smile on her face. Turning her head towards the stage, then back at him, she nodded her head. “Yeah, I saw a few of her shows a few months back. She’s good, I like her music.” With that, she was pulled closer to him. Though the constant occurrence of it with Cason, Olivia still let out a silent gasp of surprise. The music filled the air once again, a slightly upbeat one this time. Just as she opened her mouth, about to ask him a random question about himself, Olivia felt an arm fall down on her shoulders. Quickly spinning around, she saw that it wasn’t anyone she knew. The greasy looking male reeked of alcohol and was now asking her about going with him to the back of the tents for a quick favor. Her jaw dropped in shock, unable to come up with a response to the perverted behavior. Eyes flashed back to Cason for a second before she finally snapped back to reality, trying her best to politely tell him off. “I think you have the wrong person…” She spoke up gently, pushing his arm off her shoulders, to which he grabbed hold of her hand, almost tugging her towards him. 

Honestly, he was just happy she was enjoying herself. And that she didn’t mind the placement of his hands. They were just smiling at each other, a strange unspoken little exchange, but it came to an abrupt halt as some random fractured their little private bubble. Listen, Cason wasn’t a fighter. He was the goofy lovable type. But he’d been in a few scraps before, defending a friend’s honour, or acting as backup. He was more of a ‘if the situation demanded it’ kinda guy. And this situation was demanding it. The guy was acting like a total sleaze, pawing at olivia in a way that Cason didn’t particularly like. “Hey buddy, she’s not interested, alright? Go find some beer bong to suck off.” He waved the dude off, maybe not the best tone of voice to use when attempting to diffuse a situation——— but Cason was a little on edge. “It’s a party, BRO. She looks like she’s down to party, aren’t you sweetheart??” Alright, now he was gently brushing the side of Olivia’s neck with the backside of his hand, in the most unsettling way. “Back off,” fighting words, as Cason grabbed the strangers wrist and flung it away. “Don’t fucking touch me!” A bellowing command, and then a shove. Yup, that was the last straw. Cason pushed him right back, “let’s not cause a scene....” wise words were lost on this meathead, as the guy cocked his fist back. Cason dodged the strike, ducking to the left. Anything from here was just self defense, honestly! Visually, Cason made sure Olivia was a safe distance away, and then WELL——— BAM. He clocked the guy right in the side of the face, just above his jawline. It didn’t take much, the other man was definitely a weight class above Cason, and gravity just wasn’t in his favour. The guy toppled over, the cheap beer coursing through his veins probably didn’t help much either. Oof, that definitely wasn’t a gentle swing. Cason hadn’t leveled somebody in awhile and his fist was already throbbing. But he had that little adrenaline high keeping him going. “Are you okay?” Attention was back to olivia now, concerned eyes pointed in her direction. Pained moans could be heard from the grass where the guy laid, sprawled out on his back.

Cason had a lot to say, and she wasn’t sure whether to believe any of it or not. In her mind, she did consider that maybe she was just blowing things out of proportion. But the possibility of her being right was also an option. Olivia sighed once more. There wasn’t really a way to say no to him when he was pleading with her like that. “Okay, okay, lead the way.” With a weak nod of her head, she allowed him to lead her out the tent. It was such a weird feeling, him holding her hand as they walked straight into the crowd. But don’t get her wrong, it wasn’t the creepy type of weird. It was more of a warm feeling, something that made her feeling things. Shaking off her thoughts, she saw that they had settled on a spot in the crowd, the distance a close enough comparison to where she was previously at before. She recognized the familiar song that was playing on stage. It was almost impossible to stop herself from singing and swaying lightly along to the song. The lyrics flowing through as she’d done a few times before. It even took her a few seconds to notice Cason’s arms around her. Normally she probably would have frozen on the spot but, seeing as her back was turned towards him, she was safe to blush away and smile to herself. Maybe this wasn’t gonna be the worst day ever, after all. The song ended too soon and Olivia had to take a breath from singing so loudly. She leaned back on Cason, only realizing what she’d done after she all but relaxed into his arms. “Sorry! I didn’t– I was just– It’s just. You’re kinda comfy to lean on.” She smiled sheepishly, quickly turning her body around to face him.

Olivia was singing. It started as a gentle hum, he could feel the tremor coming from her rib cage. But by the end of the song she was belting out the lyrics, in tune with the woman on stage. The crowd erupted into cheers & applause, and Olivia just melted into his arms——— as if they’d done this a million times before. For a moment, Cason rested his chin on her shoulder, pulling the girl snug against him. She smelt good. It wasn’t even a particular scent, maybe it was more akin to a feeling. Okay, and probably a hint of strawberry too. But he immediately went limp when she pulled away, allowing her to escape without any struggle. “Yeah well feel free to lean, I am at your service.” The words came smooth, in juxtaposition to her choppy stutter. Fuck, she was cute. And now she was facing him, a bit distraught, but still close. “You know her?” Cason pointed his chin towards the stage. The crowd was thick and people were shoving their way through, almost like threading a needle. Instinctively, he pulled her in, a hand on each one of her hips. A makeshift bubble for them to exist in while the next track started playing. A nice soundtrack to his attempt at conversation.

Olivia raised a brow at him, giving him a look that was a mix of confusion and annoyance. She wasn’t in the mood to joke around anymore, even if he was flashing her that goofy smile of his. For a moment she gave him a passing look, her eyes darting back to the floor barely a second after. His expression and voice seemed to be laced with seriousness, but she couldn’t tell whether it was real or not. From the extremely short time she’s come to know him, it seemed he really wasn’t much of the serious type. “Honestly Cason.” She sighed, sounded slightly defeated. “You don’t have to explain anything to me.. Like, at all. You’re clearly a well-known artist with a lot of attractive fans and you’re free to do whatever you want with them.” She interrupted between his rambling. Her arms were now crossed, a light shrug and a shake of her head as she spoke. What was the big deal? So what if he was talking to other girls? It’s not like she should have expected anything else— or anything at all. The brunette was just confused with herself at this point. And it was obvious by the expression on her face. She couldn’t deny though, it made her feel slightly better when he said he’d been looking for her the whole time. And that small gesture of actually crossing his heart was undeniably adorable. “You really don’t have to do anything… I get it.” Biting on the inside of her cheek as she pretty much mumbled her words. Her friends would be so disappointed with her had they witnessed the scene unfolding at that very moment. “Don’t worry about it. Really. I was just going out to get some air.” Anyone else could have come up with a better excuse. But Olivia couldn’t exactly think on her feet right now. Finally looking up, she offered him a faint smile in hopes he’d buy the weak excuse.

He could tell she was hesitant. Not distrusting really, just unsure of the timeline maybe. Was she meant to be a one night stand? Just a warm body for him to flirt with until something shinier came along? These were the reasons she was timid. “You have NO reason to trust me, alright, I know that. Just let me show you, okay?” His eyebrows perked, as if they were punctuating the request. Fresh air, just steps away. He wanted to woo her, show she was worth something to him. Somehow showcase that flip-floppy sensation in his chest that happened both times he’d spotted her in the crowd. “C’mon, lets go.” On a whim he was grabbing her hand and they were headed out the exit, back to the festival grounds. There were three stages. Two had artists playing right then, and he followed the music. It was a female solo artist and he pulled them right into the swell of the crowd. He hadn’t done much studying and had no idea who she was, but the beat was catchy and the lyrics were quick and clever. Cason pulled her in front of him and knotted his arms around her waist from behind, swaying them back and force. They were lost in the audience, just two more bodies. And their position wasn’t suggestive either, Cason wouldn’t do that. He wasn’t sleazy, wasn’t grinding up against her or anything. With Olivia in front, he was allowing her to lead, and there was a sliver of air separating them.

Olivia was only a few steps away from the exit when she’d heard Cason’s voice calling out her name. What did he still want? He probably was about to tell her not to get her hopes up or anything. The girl had to compose herself first. Make sure that she didn’t look the least bit sad or pathetic– leaving just because she saw him with other people. Again– Why did that even bother her? Turning around, she saw that he wasn’t alone. Cue the internal eye roll. The two girls looked like they still wanted to jump him. Which they free to do. It just bothered her that he made that whole deal about him not usually picking up girls at shows, and then doing the exact opposite not even hours later. Girlfriend??? What was he talking about??? A confused look appeared on her face before her eye met with Cason’s. He looked like he was begging her to go along with it. But why? Either way, she nodded her head, stepping closer to him. She might be upset with him, but she could still be a nice person. A quality of hers that her friends constantly nagged her about. “Hi girls.” A sugary smile as she wrapped an arm around Cason’s waist. “What’s going on here?” She gave Cason a look of curiosity– it was far from fake. She truly did want to know what was going on. But that would have to wait ‘til after they managed to get rid of the two groupies. “Did you girls enjoy the show?” The brunette asked the duo once again. They didn’t give her much of an answer though, just a sneer before they flipped their hairs and walked away. Olivia had to let out a loud exhale when they did. She’d never really done anything like such before. She also almost instantly stepped away from Cason, remembering that she was still glued to his side and her current feelings towards him which were anything but positive. “Anyway… I um, I was just leaving.” She shifted from one foot to the other, her eyes darting around the room– sights landing on anywhere except his face. “See you around, I guess.” 

It was nice when she pulled him close, arm snug around his waist, even if it was just a ruse. “It was nice to meet you guys!” A closing statement. That dopey smile had returned to his face now, feeling as though he’d bested the pair. But it was quickly supplemented with a frown when Olivia paved a road between them and spoke. “Wait, Olivia, where are you going?? We’re supposed to hangout! Since you’re my girlfriend now, I think you’re kinda obligated.” She wasn’t having ANY of his playful banter. “Is it because of them?” A moment of seriousness that looked somewhat foreign on the boy’s face, which was typically jovial. “They came up to me, okay? I didn’t want anything to do with them. Scout’s honour. Cross my heart.” He did the gesture atop the left side of his chest, trying his best to convince the girl. “They just wouldn’t leave me alone, I was looking for you the whole time.” Genuine facts. “How can I make you believe me?” Cason realized how it probably looked to Olivia. Just some dickhead from a band trying to bed as many ladies as he could. It upset him just to think about.

His mom was gonna love her, he said. Did that mean he was gonna introduce her? The mere thought of it made her nervous. She was great with parents, sure, but that was usually only because she served them properly at work. And for their case, she’d only barely met him. “You’d introduce a stranger to your mom?” She felt slightly bad saying that, he had the biggest smile on her face and, of course, she just couldn’t stop her big mouth. “I really wanted to go out and maybe see you guys again!” She truly did, there was something about him that had her intrigued and wanting to find out more. “Now I kinda wish I did, though.” Maybe it was cause he was something new, something different, what she’d describe as refreshing. “I’ll give you a call later so you can save my number, too.” She playfully winked. His hand was warm against hers, and her eyes practically drowning in his. What was it about these intense moments whenever their eye met? “Huh? Wh-What would it be about? Wh-why?” The girl’s words stumbled. A song? She didn’t need a mirror to know that, again, her cheeks were flushing red. How did he manage to make her blush this much already? Before he could answer her question, a voice called out to Olivia. Turning around, she spotted a familiar face from way back. “Olivia?! I knew it was you! I haven’t seen you in forever! Listen, there are a few people from high school that are here and they’d be surprised to see you. Come on.” It was a classmate from high school, she knew him from a bunch of classes they had together. “Hey man, this’ll just be a sec.” He told Cason. The brunette wasn’t given much time to speak out as she was pulled away from her seat and with her peer’s arm flung around her shoulders, was brought to the other side of the room. She was then greeted by a group of people who pulled her into conversations right away. But if she was honest, she heard none of it as her eyes were locked on Cason who was now alone on their couch.

Easily flustered, no doubt. “Yes a song!! About you, girl of my dreams, love at first sight. That kinda thing.” The way he strung words together was amazing. There was so much meaning implied, yet he just rushed right through it. As if it were no big deal. But they were cut short. Premature. “Ay whaaa...” it was drawled out in a puzzled tone, like he’d been ripped from the moment SO suddenly that he couldn’t begin to understand what was going on. Some old acquaintance? Probably.. but what mattered was that he was  whisking her away. Was this dude putting his arm around her shoulder?? He didn’t have much time to ponder though. Two girls were closing in on him, and it happened fast. They laid themselves over each shoulder, snuggling up to him on the couch. “My names Jessica, and this is Amanda. And we are like, your BIGGEST fans.” It was basically the verbal equivalent of gushing. Jessica was tracing a line up and down him arm, breathing hot against his neck. Sloppy, drooly groupies really. “Uh thanks, yeah, that means a lot.” He chalked a smile on his face, barely present——— too focused on the struggle to crane his neck, in an effort to keep his eyes on Olivia. She had joined a bigger circle now, a group of people Cason didn’t recognize. His eyes were only ripped away when Amanda began tucking his hair behind the nook of his ear, “You looked so sexy up there, I LOVE the glitter.” Wow, her hand really was pressed to his bare chest. He tugged her wrist away, wishing his reflexes had been quicker. “Thanks, again, it’s awesome you guys enjoyed the show.” He shimmied forward a bit, hoping his voice didn’t sound too vexing. “Looks like I need a refill.” The words came out absently as he downed the remainder of his vodka coke. Then he peeled himself away, and stood. He figured he was in the clear, awkward situation averted. But these two didn’t miss a beat, instead they announced their intentions to join him at the bar, and followed right on his heels.

The girl shook her head at him. Damn it, she was hoping he wouldn’t mention the ensemble her friends put together for her. It wasn’t like she had a choice in the matter, anyway. Olivia was practically forced in it by her friends before she was dragged out of her house. “Shut up… Ashley and Brianne picked it out.” She mumbled, her hands playing with the ends of her dress and her cheeks matching the red of the cloth. “I’m not sure yet,” she shrugged. “Maybe something involving food? You can never go wrong with food, right?” That was something she hadn’t even thought much of. She was too focused on other things to even think that far ahead. Olivia was attentive to every word that Cason said. He was speaking a little too fast and plenty, but she tried to catch up anyway. Farm boy, she mused to herself. Cocking her head to the side, she’s probably never been to his friend’s bar, nor had she met said friend. Like she said, going out just wasn’t her thing. Though these were probably things she should tell Cason instead of talking to herself in her head. “No, I don’t think I’ve ever been to that bar… or met your friend,” she frowned slightly. “But hey! You were a farm boy? That’s cute.” She teased, a playful smile coming up on her face. She found it heart warming how much appreciation he had for his parents. That was a rare thing to find these days, in her opinion. “I think I’m gonna call you that from now on. Farm boy. Where’s your cute lil straw hat, hmm?” Nudging him gently with her elbow. Did this count as flirting? God, she was clueless. But what she did know, is that she got a warm, fuzzy feeling when he mentioned there was something about her. She could only hope that something was good. “It’s probably just cause you didn’t get my number last time.” What? She had to find a way to finally get his number somehow. Taking a gulp of her drink– for confidence, she pulled out her phone. “Well come on then, type it in.” Handing it to him , she peered over his shoulder as he typed, also mentally giving herself a pat in the back. She was feeling more brave and comfortable now. The vodka probably had something to do with it, but whatever. 

“You can never go wrong with food!! It’s the ultimate.” Wow, he was really out here being her number one fan and supporter. And she was TEASING him now! but he loved it. Definitely proved they’d reached a certain comfortability, and that had to be some kind of milestone right??? “I’m sure my mom still has it laying around somewhere. She’s gonna love you, I know it.” He wore a proud grin, it was ooey and gooey and sugary. Another sip from the flimsy red cup before she was sliding her phone into his hand. “I was so bummed about that!” and he genuinely had been. Fuck, he couldn’t get her off his mind. The mystery girl he spent an AMAZING twenty minutes with, just disappeared into the night. “I was beginning to think you were just a figment of my imagination, too good to be true. That’s what they say right?” He typed his number into a new contact, mumbling now, branding the entry as ‘cason 💘’ yes he was a giant dork. He took her hand in his own and placed the phone back in hers. There was a moment of gravitas as their eyes met. “I’m going to write a song about you, Olivia.” How could he not?? “And maybe, one day, I’ll even get to see you dancing to it in the crowd, singing along.” Wishful thinking, right? Put all your hopes and desires out into the universe, and maybe they’d come to fruition. As a songwriter, he’d just found the perfect muse.

At this point, it hadn’t even crossed her mind how Cason would interpret her actions. Thought, in her defense, even she herself had no idea what she was doing. It wasn’t a bad thing, however. For some reason, she was more than comfortable nuzzled up against him. Her face left the comforts of his sleeve once she’d heard him calling out to his friends. She greeted them with a smile and a short wave. Admittedly surprised when they knew who she was almost immediately. It was as though something clicked when they heard her name— but maybe that was just her. Had Cason possibly mentioned her to them before? No, maybe this was just normal of Cason to do and they had just been used to it already. Be that as it may, she still got her wish of being free from her friends as they walked off as whom she just learned were his bandmates. Olivia honestly would not have known. It wasn’t like she even took the time to look at anyone else on stage while Cason was there. “Woah, slow down. One question at a time.” She laughed as he shot rapid-fire questions at her, unable to catch up with every question that came with a follow up. It was almost overwhelming to have someone as interested in her as he was. There wasn’t really much to her, she though. “Well, as you already know. My name’s Olivia Flores,” she introduced herself again. “I’m twenty-two, a waitress at a restaurant, and also an incoming business major junior… I’ve just been here, I guess… Working, not really getting out much. But if I’m being honest, I don’t really ever go out..” She took a deep breath, answering all his questions (at least those that she could remember), in one go. The girl was curious about him too. He may be the lead singer of a popular band around town, but she knew better than to just take him for surface value. “What about you? Who is Cason? And where has he been all my life?” Tilting her head to the side, she cocked a brow at him paired with a lopsided smile. If this was the time to be learning about each other, she was absolutely not gonna waste the opportunity. “Ah, no wait. I think I know the answer to the last one. Picking up girls at gigs and festivals, maybe?” She jokingly added. But in all honestly, she was hoping the answers on the last question would be anything but jealous or nosy sounding at all. The girl was sincere on knowing as much as she could about this charming guy in front of her since for some reason he had taken some sort of interest in her. Something she might never understand at all, but was happy about anyway.

He hated how formal she sounded. Like it was a job interview. It wasn’t that he didn’t like the girl. Fuck, it definitely wasn’t that! He was absolutely smitten. Ridiculously so. She just needed a chance to loosen up, and he figured this was already pretty loose in comparison to how she typically was. “A red dress like that???” Pointed eyes at her wardrobe. “And you don’t get out much?? A shame, truly.” A clutch at his heart, always dramatic. “What kinda business do you wanna run someday?” He asked, in accordance with her major. “I’m Cason Grey, as you know.” Mimicking her own introduction. “23. Music major dropout. Only child. I grew up on a little dairy farm just outside of town. Rubber boots, straw hats. The whole nine yards. When you meet my mom, she’ll show you a whole scrapbook full of pictures. About thirteen years ago though, give ‘er take, BIG DAIRY kinda came and sold my parents out. So we moved into town, and they started working part time at a dairy factory. I admire them though, they never let it get them down, you know? They’re really sweet. They let me and my band start practicing in the garage when I was in high school, and we were lucky enough to snag a few paid gigs around town. I work a little bit at The Monarchy, as a bartender. My best friend owns the place. Harvey? I don’t know if you know of him. I just moved into his suite downtown about a year ago. He’s a really cool guy, super chill roommate.” Wow, that was a bunch of words. Hopefully the girl sitting beside him could decipher half of what he’d just rambled off. It was all washed down and topped off with a hearty gulp of Vodka Coke. Maybe he’d paved the way in urging her to share a little more. Cause, honestly? That’s all he wanted. But he wasn’t going to be pushy. And Cason knew he could be a little MUCH sometimes. “And I know how tacky this may sound : but no, I don’t do this often. I don’t know, Olivia. There’s just something about you.” Another cliche. Seemingly hard to avoid around her. What could he say really?? she made him mushy. Sure, he’d seen hot girls hanging around shows. And he’d hooked up with a few, here & there. But this was definitely a whole ‘nother feeling.

Even after he’d walked off, the red on her cheeks remained. How could he say and do that and still be so casual? Yet here she was. A blushing mess, unable to come up with words. The complete opposite of his relaxed and unconcerned nature. Though he was sat there beside her, Olivia was unsure of what to say. But it wasn’t like she could interrupt, either. The girl didn’t have the heart to stop the blonde beside her. He had this excited glint in his eyes. He looked so cute. The word ‘marry’ was thrown in the storytelling somehow, and the expression on Olivia’s face was, well, you could say her jaw practically dropped to the ground. He didn’t even stop. He was still going, flat out pushing aside the statement like it was some sort of obvious truth. Even if Olivia wanted to stop him at this point, he was speaking too fast. No room for interventions at all. Well, might as well let him keep going then. Picking up her red cup, she took a big gulp of it. It was probably needed if she were to last the rest of this sit-down. Once Cason had finally finished his rambles, the girl’s friends looked just as shocked as she did a few seconds ago. “Eeek! Olivia, you didn’t tell us he proposed!” Her friend shrieked in her face. “So, you just knew she was the one right away?! That’s so cute!” The other gushed. And Olivia? Well, she was staring at Cason with a look of utter surprise. “H-he didn’t propose…” She finally spoke up, nudging Cason with her elbow. “Don’t say that! We just had a quick drink and danced.” Her body shifting closer to him, feeling shy now that her friends knew. She wasn’t ashamed of it or anything, it was just the girl’s natural reaction to basically everything. And at that moment? Cason’s arm looked like the perfect hiding spot for her yet again flushing cheeks. As much as she loved how well they were getting along with Cason— it was obvious with how the three of them were currently chatting away like old friends— she also wanted to talk to him, too.“Make them go away.” She groaned in a hushed tone. Her head lifting up enough for her to speak close enough to his ear. 

Was flustered the right word for it? Maybe she was just fed up with him..... nope, he wouldn’t let himself think that. Especially not as she practically burrowed herself into him. She had concealed herself just above his armpit, physically cringing at the interactions surrounding them. Like clockwork, fellow members of Roof we’re passing by—— stopping to say hello on their way to the open bar. “Hey, guys! This is Olivia! Olivia, this is Tommy, Mike, and Daniel. And these two over here are Olivia’s friends.” A thumb in their direction. Wow, he hadn’t even bothered to ask their names. It wasn’t for lack of manners, okay? You couldn’t blame him! Lost in all the excitement. Turns out they were Ashley and Brianne. And they seemed pleased at the notion of accompanying his bandmates to mingle. Perfect opening, really. Satisfying the criteria of Olivia’s pleas. Once all the pleasantries had been sorted, Cason & Olivia were left alone. They were still snug on the couch, although she had removed herself from the shelter Cason’s arm provided. He didn’t waste any time. “So tell me about OLIVIA. What do you do?? What have you been doing these past two weeks? Where have you been all my life??” A series of frantic questions. He needed to understand how he could have it so BAD for a girl he’d only known for so little. And he really wanted to know these things. It wasn’t just a play, or a front. Or some hackneyed attempt to pick her up. No, these were things he needed to add to the little list in his head.

There was a moment there. When Cason had pulled her close by the string of the pass. Their eyes were locked on each other, scanning every feature of the other’s face. Olivia couldn’t quite point it out, but it was as though her stomach was doing flips inside and it was slightly harder to breathe normally. The girl stuck to him like superglue, this being her first time in VIP tent at a festival. Sure, she’d been invited to them before, but she was never interested enough to actually accept any invitations of sort. Walking inside, her eyes wide as she took in the happenings of the place. Suddenly feeling out of place, she retreated closer to Cason’s side. This was definitely new to her. An uneasy smile appeared on her lips. He was probably gonna tell them about her embarrassing dancing— something her friends had never seen before. “Shut up…” She mumbled, looking down at her feet as soon as his eyes fell on her. Stop fucking blushing Olivia. The number of times her cheeks turned red because of Cason today was probably more than the number of times she had blushed in the past few months. It was ridiculous how he had that effect on her. But nevertheless, she hoped he hadn’t noticed it. Or if he did, maybe he would think it was from the heat. That was wishful thinking right there. Without delay, her friends shoo’d Cason off to get their drinks, intent on interrogating their friend. They weren’t blind. Just the way she peered over him, her eyes following the back of his head as he walked off. There was definitely something more going on between them, more than Olivia had admitted to. Picking out an empty u-shaped couch, they snatched the brunette by her arms and placed her in the middle. “I’m telling you, nothing happened. We danced, and then you guys dragged me home. That’s it. This is literally the first time I’ve seen him since then.” She explained yet again. God, she loved them, but they were frustrating. They weren’t gonna give up, but she wasn’t going to give in either. Sometimes it was a wonder how they were all friends. Seeing Cason make his way over to them, the brunette pushed her friend to the side, patting the now-empty space beside her for him to sit on. “Be nice.” She warned them just before he neared their table. “Hey, you. Again.” There it was. That silly smile of hers making another appearance.

Her friends were awash in conversation, mostly teasing sentiments and excitement to hear how they’d met. All the while Olivia was staring beams down at her sneakers. Before leaving to collect their drinks, he crooked his index finger and snuck it under her chin to redirect her attention upwards. “That colour really suits you.” An ode to her blush, which only continued to grow. The same index finger that had previously been tucked under her jawline now brushed the side of her cheek, and he was gone. In search of an opening at the bar. He hadn’t taken the time to gather requests, so he opted for simplicity. Vodka Coke’s. Four drinks. Two tucked between his bicep and chest, the other two in focused hands. The girls seated on the crescent shaped couch instantly plucked red solo cups from his hands as he approached—— probably looking in dire need. He slid in beside Olivia, and expectant looks came from the other two. “Um hello??? Start talking!!” This girl was blonde, with a head full of long untamed curls. Cason pivoted to face the small group, “I saw Olivia in the crowd, right away. And I just knew I had to talk to her,” he was animated now, speaking with his hands. “That’s the girl I’m gonna marry, I thought.” He didn’t even say it in a romantic way, just a matter of fact statement, completely glossed over as he continued to ramble. “I asked her dance. You know, really give myself a chance to shine. And she said yes. It was pretty great really. You know, until she disappeared for two weeks. But here we are right! Cheers!” He raised his cup to the trio, who looked a bit winded. What?? What did he say?? Nothing too shocking really, just the good & honest truth.

Just as she was about to explain to her friends what was about to happen, a familiar voice called out to her, and in an instant strong arms wrapped around her from behind. The girl was frozen in shock for a good moment, her cheeks flushing and heart fluttering with every second that passed that he held her close and her back was pressed tightly against his chest. How was he so calm? “H-hey Cason…” A slight stutter, hopefully unnoticeable, as she flashed him a smile. Hang out with him backstage, he said. Olivia would have said yes right away— had it not been for her friends who cleared their throats all too loudly for her to turn her attention back to them. “Olivia, a word?” A saccharine tone of voice coming from her friend. She knew that look. The brunette was pulled to the side before she could even reply, her eyes trained on Cason, mouthing that she’d be right back. “Okay, okay, okay! So uh, we met that night we went out, remember they were one of the bands that played? Well, I bumped into him at the bar, talked a bit. That’s it!” She answered shortly to the numerous questions she was bombarded with as soon as they were out of Cason’s hearing range. Scoffs of disbelief came from the group, all of them turning around and walking back to the direction of where the blonde singer was. “We’d love to hang out with you backstage, Cason! Then you can tell us all about how you met our lying friend Olivia,” she overheard her friends talking to Cason, taking matters into their own hands. A pout on her lips, she stomped her way back over to them. “Are we even allowed in there?” Peeking into the entrance, where two big security guys stood. Her cheeks flushing hard when he placed his pass over her head, pulling her close as they walked inside the tent together. “Are you sure about this?” She asked, allowing her arm to wrap around his waist, gripping the Sid elf his shirt as he did.

Oh, she was with other people. Leave it to Cason not to notice. He was a little, uh, distracted. “Yeah, no worries, take your time!” It was a bit of a shout, as he fiddled with objects discovered in his back pockets. Ope, there was his extra guitar pick! And a stick of gum that had probably been in there for a startling amount of time. Olivia’s friends were first to return, and their dialogue was amicable, featuring a taste of heat. It took a pause for his girl to return, almost painstakingly. “No sweat,” he sought out her gaze, crooked smile in place. “You’re with the band.” As a gesture of reassurance he took his own badge from around his neck. It was a VIP pass, essentially stating all access. Sure, it was just a pseudo comfort, but it’s the thought that counts?? He took it from his own neck, and draped it over her head. In doing so, he tugged her closer by the string of the necklace. “Don’t worry about a thing.” Their faces were close now, as he uttered the statement, almost painfully so. But he let go as they turned to approach the entrance, arranging his arm over her shoulder. Fittingly, she tucked her own around his waist. Alright, maybe she was just sticking nearby to assure her entry. But MAYBE she was vibing him too. And fuck, did he have it bad for her. The security guards barely gave them a passing glance. It was typical for band guys to bring chicks & groupies with them, drunkenly tucked under each arm. Don’t be mistaken though, Olivia was no sleazy groupie. She wasn’t an object or accessory——- admittedly, she looked damn good enough to play the part. But no. That wasn’t the case. The large white tent housed a party of its own, a small DJ booth, makeshift dance floor, open bar in the corner. It was like a knockoff version of the rockstar lifestyle. Cason turned, with Olivia still at his side, to face her friends. “Let’s get some drinks? I’ll tell you guys ALL about what a great dancer this one is.” He gave her shoulder a squeeze, looking down at Olivia and giving the girl a small jab with his hipbone. The response from her friends was an assortment of giggles, and a few hushed whispered that he couldn’t quite make out.

Confused looks and murmurs immediately spread throughout the audience. Who’s here? What’s he doing? Why’d he stop? Questions on questions were exchanged as they all looked around, some giving Cason expectant looks, confused as to what he was talking about. But Olivia, of course, knew better. And in the shortest amount of time, there he was flashing her that boyish grin which she couldn’t help but mirror. Her friends, clueless about the little moment the two had shared weeks ago, had immediately fangirled among themselves, telling each other that it was them that he saw. Olivia could only smile and internally roll her eyes at them. She wasn’t one to act conceited, but this definitely called for it. With all the confidence she had, her hand was raised up to the side of her face, giving Cason a little wave and a thumbs up. Can’t take my eyes off of you… How perfectly fitting. The entire song consisted of secret giggles, playful winks— especially during the choruses, and of course, eyes on each other whole time. Olivia quite literally couldn’t take her eyes off him, even while she was dancing and jumping along with the crowd. His energy on stage was infectious. She could see now why he was so good at doing what he does. The song came to an end too soon, but the brunettes eyes were still trained on Cason. Come here, he mouthed, along with a point of his thumb towards the side of the stage where the entrance for only people with backstage passes was. Unsure as to how she would get through, she nodded and made her way towards there anyway— her still excited friends in tow behind her. Once she arrived, she noticed that Cason wasn’t there yet. Maybe it was about time she calmed herself, forcing deep breaths to bring back her calm and cool composure, though the goofy grin on her face probably gave it away. “Alright. You guys please behave.” She pleaded with her friends, who only gave her blank stares, unaware of what was about to happen.

There was an exchange of looks and gestures all throughout the performance. Everything was reciprocal, and Cason had made peace with the two vacant weeks spent searching. After addressing the crowd with some playful closing remarks, he invited Olivia backstage with a nod and jab of his thumb. The band regrouped at the rear end of the stage, just in front of the drum set. The on-site festival crew was already dismembering their set, packing things up for the next artist. “I fucking told you I’d see her again.” He nudged the bass player’s shoulder, nearly toppling them both over in a bout of ostentatious excitement. Mixed reactions from the members of Roof, mostly eye rolls and subdued grins. “Well you better go find her before you lose her again. But don’t act so desperate, man, chicks don’t dig that.” Wise words from lead guitar. Would he take the advice?? Absolutely not. He descended the shallow staircase leading around back and rounded the corner to the entrance of the little backstage area. It was a big-ish tent, basically just a VIP area to party after your band was done with the pulpit. There she was. Red dress swaying in a gentle, hot breeze. Dangerously low cut. Damn, she looked ridiculously amazing. All cute & put together. Stark contrast to his grunge chic look. But maybe all the glitter aided in bridging the gap. “I swear to god, I thought I’d never see you again!” Was she with other people?? Honestly, Cason didn’t even take notice. The first thing he did was pull her into a hug. Desperation who??? It wasn’t really a touchy feely display. More like a reunion, hinged on relief. Like greeting someone at an airport, someone you’d been waiting forever to see. “You gotta come hang with me backstage!” He spoke on the release, sneaking both hands into his back pockets and kind of cocking out one hip. It was a relaxed stance, maybe from exhaustion. He always had that post-show ache. But he was revved up, definitely enough energy to hangout with this girl. ALL DAMN NIGHT, if she’d let him.

The following weeks after her brief encounter with Cason was a whirlwind for Olivia. Though she would have loved to go out and see him again, something always seemed to come up just at the last minute. Maybe it was slightly her fault, too. Not a word about their meeting came out of her mouth to share with her friends. In a way she wanted to be selfish, to keep that for just herself. Knowing her friends, it was something worthy of a freak out– something she was not a fan of. Another weekend rolled around and her friends were hounding her, yet again, to come out with them. A music festival, they said. However, this time Olivia had no escape. Her boss had given her the entire weekend off, something about letting her relax, she said. A convincing argument, a frilly and floral red dress, and a pair white sneakers later, they were finally at the festival grounds. It didn’t take long for her friends to pull her in the direction of one of the stages. Truth be told, she wasn’t even paying attention when her friends showed her the paper with the list of bands and artists that would be playing. She simply passed it over to whomever wanted to see it next. As the stood in the sea of people, the acoustics vibrating through the air, Olivia couldn’t help but overhear some girls gushing over a band and its drummer. A few seconds later, her ears caught wind of the band’s name. ROOF. That was all it took for her to turn around, interrupt the conversation to ask when they would be playing to which they replied with a ‘right now’, motioning their hands to the other stage. The girl had no idea what rushed through her, but within the next few seconds, she had taken hold of her friends’ arms, excitedly babbling on about how the other band was so much better than the one on the stage they were in front of. Pushing their way through the mass, they made it to the middle of the audience. Finally. Her hair was slightly tousled now, what with all that struggle to pass through the tight crowd. Her eyes finally fell upon the familiar blonde, the corners of her mouth turning up right away. There he was, metaphorically and literally shining on stage. His deep voice filled the air, the lyrics flowing smoothly along with the music. The excited crowd sang along to the song— now she wished she had taken the time to learn the lyrics. Either way, she kept her eyes trained on him as her body swayed along with her friends. Maybe he’d spot her again this time, she hoped.

The crowd was a frenzied mix of cheers & cries, hands in the air. Enough to lift his spirits, albeit not 100%. But enough. His hips would shake and roll in tune with their setlist, head bopping along. It happened at the bitter end of ‘Welcome to the End of Your Life.’ “take me to heavenly hills, with all the roses and pill——-“ these verses were sung out in a ragged strained way. But he wasn’t able to finish the closing lyrics. Because HOLY SHIT there she was! Halfway through the crowd, pretty much dead center. Instruments continued with the last few beats, and his bandmates were serving him sideways looks. He’d just completely stopped singing, lost in a heavy stare. “You good, Cason?” It was a chuckle laden statement from his bass player, spoken into a mic. “Guys she’s here!!” His expression morphed quickly. Stunned confusion to boyish excitement. In like, 2 seconds flat. Their audience was now a staticky mess of murmurs and puzzlement. He physically shook his head, grounding himself. Completely unfazed by the confused atmosphere he’d just constructed. Instead, he grabbed at his mic stand and pulled it close. “This next one’s a cover, sing along if you know the words!!!” Chords from a 1967 hit song began playing, and Cason took these first few open notes to wander around the stage. He halfheartedly tucked his shirt down the front of his pants---- in a haphazard lazy manner---- and approached the mic stand, snapping his fingers. “you’re just too good to be true...” Each inflection of the melody was paired with a slight thrust of his hips. He couldn't help but smile, this big dorky looking grin, even through the libretto.

If it was possible for her face to flush even more, then it most likely did at his words. Anyone else would have straight up told her that she was a horrible dancer, but maybe he thought that too. She did, after all, just meet the guy. He was probably trying to be polite. Olivia was more than surprised to see his hand reaching out for hers, a gentle kiss he planted on the inside of her wrist. Her mouth slightly agape, unable to come up with anything other than a mere “Me too.” Her eyes darted up to his face, the sincerest look on it. The moment was ruined all to quickly as her phone suddenly became the center of her attention. Breaking the contact of their hands, she held up her index finger to him, to inform him she would just take a call. Much to her ears’ horror, she was met by her friend’s high-pitched voice screaming into the phone about having to leave right away due to one of them spotting an ex who had just walked in. The conversation didn’t last very long, they had informed her of where they were meeting up and to be there in not more than a minute. “I’m sorry I have to go.” Her expression and tone apologetic. Nodding her head as he asked if she had to leave at that instant. “Um, yeah, sure.” She flashed him a quick smile, unsure of why he would even want her number. They had hung out for barely half an hour, after all. Her eyes watched as he scrambled to search for his phone, but it was too late as her friends had somehow found her along the way. The girl was whisked away, her whole body tugged away from Cason’s figure by her babbling friends who were now interrogating her as they made their way to the exit. Olivia’s eyes searched for Cason in hopes of mouthing at least an apology, but he was lost in the crowd already and in an instant she was outside the venue, a light pout visible on her disappointed face.

A group of people came and swept her away, it was a whirlwind of chaos and deadend shouts. Shit, he’d never seen her before, and now he was left wondering if he’d ever see her again. All the while his phone was probably sitting in a dressing room backstage somewhere. He could kick himself, honestly. Damn his scattered brained forgetful tendencies. The weeks played out like any other. Eh, not true. Each and every gig was spent eyes scouring the crowd, searching for that familiar face. Disappointment time & time again. The next big thing they had on the agenda was a music festival. It was a small town affair, only two main stages in a big grassy field full of concert goers. Mostly local bands, or from a few cities away. Nothing major, but enough to have the whole community buzzing. Cason hadn’t exactly been his usual self, especially not his USUAL self around festival season. That was truly his time to shine. Quite literally, in fact. His festival attire consisted of a short sleeved floral button down, torn light blue jeans, and glitter covering nearly every inch of his chest & torso. Oh, and a little orion’s belt of sparkles on each cheekbone——- just for good measure. He’d told his band mates about the runaway girl. Some were empathic toward his loss, while the bass player urged him to “move the fuck on, dude.” Direct quote. Wise words maybe, since her appearance in his life had almost proved to be fleeting. Alright, Cason: bubbly, perky, CHARISMATIC. You can pull this off, just have fun. An internal pep talk just prior to taking the stage. “How’s everyone doing today????” Immediate eruption from the crowd. “The first song we’re gonna play for you guys is called Afterglow...” A pause to allow the initial excitement to mellow, sliding the guitar strap round himself. “If this song makes you think of someone, don’t let em go----- Ohhhhh, it's how the story goes..”