Page 1 of Within Shadows

Maeve

My alarm chimes again, but I can’t force my body from the comfort of my bed.

My eyes are still locked on the branches just beyond my curtains, their shadows swaying in the breeze.

A new sound forces me to sit up when my phone vibrates across my nightstand, and I finally throw my blanket off to check the screen.

My mother is calling, as she usually does on my birthday at the same time every year.

I answer, but before I can speak, she and my father shout in unison, “Happy Birthday, Pumpkin!”

“Good morning to you too. Thank you,” I snort, yawning as I stretch my free hand above my head.

“Hurry and let us in, the cold air is going to have your mother shiver right out of her skin,” my dad admonishes me. I mentally curse as I clamber out of bed, “You’re here already?” I squeak out, hopping on one leg as I stuff my foot into my black sweats and stumble out of my room.

“Atticus!” I hiss, nearly tripping over the plump gray cat when he twines himself between my feet.

He gives a disgruntled grumble as I wrap a sweater around my body, grateful I at least sleep with a shirt on.

When I pull the door open, my parents are standing together with similar excited smiles that slip when they take in my disheveled appearance.

I step back and wave them in, trading hugs with each of them as they come in.

I notice my dad's beard is filling in with more gray, his short hair on his head already silver to match. My mom is sticking to her true favorite red color, the exact shade she’s dyed it since I was a child.

She hands me a card as we sit in my small living room, my parents taking the couch as I sit on the arm of my reading chair and rub a hand over my tired eyes.

“I thought we were doing dinner later, or else I would have been a little more put together.” I sigh, glancing around my messy house.

My mom folds her hands in her lap after she unbuttons her cream sweater.

It always amuses me the way they stick out in my home, the black couch with crow throw pillows makes their muted clothing even more obvious.

They’ve always been so restrained, maybe that’s why my tastes are the polar opposite.

“We wanted to surprise you, but I will say you surprised me with another change to your hair. Not sure if I remember what color it is naturally,” my mom sighs, taking in my black and purple hair with orange tips. I shrug, picking at it as I walk towards the kitchen.

“It’s almost Halloween,” I mutter, stomping to the kitchen just across the hall.

“How’s school?” my dad asks, always trying to diffuse the tension.

“It’s fine, passing all my classes.”

“Passing is the bare minimum, sweetheart,” my mom reminds me.

I roll my eyes as the impending speech comes, just as I knew it would.

“You are capable of great things with such a creative mind. College is a privilege, and anything that is worth doing is worth doing right. You should put your all into every class.”

“Yes, Mom, I know.” I sigh, bringing my giant cup of iced coffee back with me. Another disappointed pair of pursed lips turns towards me as my dad watches me sip from the straw.

“It’s not as much caffeine as you think. It’s mostly sugar.” I shrug.

“The card, Maeve,” my mom says, scooting forward in excitement.

“Lanie, give her a minute, the poor thing is still waking up.” My father laughs, shaking his head at us.

I set my coffee down on the table between us, finally picking the card up to pop the seal.

The envelope is a pale shade of pink, no doubt my mother’s choice.

Inside will be an extremely emotional card that will make me tear up, and my mother will definitely cry. Well, maybe not.

“It’s just a blank card?” I say, raising a brow. When I open it, two thick tickets fall into my lap, along with badges. I pick them up and think I must be seeing things. I rub my eyes once, twice, and the name is still the same.

“You got me tickets and backstage passes to see Within Shadows?” The whisper from me takes the last of my air as I struggle to sort through the confusion. My mom throws her arms up, startling my plump cat that had just settled in her lap. “Surprise!” My dad laughs, proud of himself.

“That’s the band you’re always going on about, isn’t it? We thought you and Jess might want to go, have yourself some good fun for your twenty-third birthday,” he says. I throw myself between them, hugging them both tightly as I fight not to cry.

“This is incredible, I don’t even know what to say,” I sniffle, leaning back to stare at the badge in my shaking hands.

My father just pats my head, ruffling my messy hair as they stand.

I realize they’re already leaving, and my heart tightens.

I see my parents so rarely since I finally started college.

“Your mother and I decided it was finally time. We are taking that cruise we’ve always talked about, and it leaves tomorrow.

We figured you would take the day to be with your friend and enjoy your birthday without your old parents hanging around.

” My dad smiles, his eyes warring with excitement and concern for the little girl I will always be to them.

“I’m so excited for you!” I mean every word, even if my heart aches knowing we’ll be apart for a year. “Send me postcards and any cool stuff you find, promise?” I hold my pinky finger up, just as I have since I was a child. My dad and I wrap fingers, and he kisses his fist as I kiss mine.

“Deal, kiddo.” He pulls me in for a hug, and I see my mother blinking up at the lights. I reach out and pull her in tightly, and she kisses my cheek.

“You know how proud we are of you, right, Thalia?” she whispers, using my first name that I loathe. But for this moment, I hug them tighter as I nod.

After our too long, and very tearful goodbye, I’m sitting in my chair and staring at the passes.

I pinch myself again and don’t think my eyes can get any wider.

Definitely not a dream. Jess answers my call, her voice groggy and punctuated by a yawn.

“Really couldn’t wait for me to wish you a happy birthday on my time, Maeve? ” she mutters.

“Look at the picture I just sent you.” She must hear the tension in my voice because I can hear her groan as she sits up, then an ear-splitting scream makes me nearly drop my phone.

“That’s our names on those! We’re going backstage, bitches! How did you get those?” I can hear her rushing around her room, no doubt throwing clothes everywhere as she searches for something to wear.

“You will not believe this, but they’re a gift from my parents,” I say, grinning as I do a silent dance while heading towards my room. “It’s only nine, I’m just going to bring all my stuff and come get ready at your place,” she says excitedly, hanging up without saying goodbye.

As we stand close to the stage in our roped off section, my eyes are locked onto the lead singer.

Knox is masked, his sculpted chest and stomach on full display, covered with fake bloody handprints as he paces the stage.

I can feel the beat as it pulses through me from the speakers as the song ends and the band waves to the screaming crowd.

As they walk past, I can feel his eyes on me when his steps slow.

It’s so dark I can’t see anything beneath the skull masks they all wear, but Knox tilts his head and turns away.

“Holy shit, was he looking at us?” Jess squeals, nearly ripping my arm from its socket as she drags me to follow the security guards as they wave us forward.

We are the first ones to step into the room backstage, and my tongue becomes thick and hard to swallow when we step into the brightly lit room.

Knox is sitting in a massive armchair, with sweat still dripping from his chin and neck as his breathing slows.

His head is turned towards me as Jess and I nervously shuffle closer, and he tilts his head once again while his eyes devour every inch of me.

For the first time tonight, nerves rise as I fidget in my fishnet bodysuit, with a ripped band tee overtop and cut-off black shorts.

Jess nudges me forward and begins babbling to the drummer as he watches her and nods along to her chatter.

“Maeve?” Knox mutters, reading my badge, and I swear his voice shoots right between my thighs and tries to buckle my knees. I give an awkward wave and step closer. “Hi, huge fan. Obviously.” I laugh and immediately start flicking my eyes around the simple room to look for an exit.

“Trying to run away already, little muse?” He murmurs the words, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. The mask is still firmly in place, with his black hood pulled up and hiding his hair. Jess bumps me again, and I stumble forward, nearly tripping over my oversized black boots.

Massive, warm hands are on me before I can make a fool of myself, and a squeak peels from my throat.

I’m staring right at a painted red handprint on a very bare chest. The smell of sweat combined with his cologne steals away any sense as I clench my thighs and look up to stare at the black holes in the mask where his eyes should be.

“Not so steady, are we?” he rumbles, a chuckle coming from him as he keeps his grip on my waist. “You’re taller than I expected.

” The words blurt out as I stare, and Jess snickers behind me.

When I shoot her a glare over my shoulder, Knox yanks me down to sit on the arm of his chair as he resumes his seat.

My hand lands on his shoulder to balance myself, and I wrench it away like he’s burnt me.

I can feel the amusement radiating off of him, and I’m overly aware of every breath I take. Words have died on my tongue as we stare at each other, and Jess snaps her fingers in front of my face to get my attention.

“Al is going to show me how to play the drums. Wanna come watch?” she asks, smirking as she looks at how close the two of us are.