Under the Stage

I Never Thought a Mistake Could Sound So Sweet…

Chapter 1 | The VIP Bracelet

Everything would have been perfect if it weren’t for the fact that I was squashed between a sea of sweaty people, with the stage lights flickering and a humidity that made me wish I could disappear underground.

I had no idea where my friend was, and without the bracelet, they wouldn’t let me into the VIP section. The chance to see my favorite band front row was about to slip away.

“Grace,” someone called from behind, and I jumped.

It was the line to enter, and a huge security guy was blocking my way. I looked at him with my “please let me through” eyes, but he just frowned.

“No bracelet, no entry.”

“But it’s mine,” I exclaimed, holding up my wrist to show my shiny red bracelet. “It’s VIP!”

The guy looked at me like I was a desperate lunatic.

“Yeah, right… and I’m Mick Jagger.”

I took a deep breath, holding back the urge to smack him with my bag. Just as I was about to give up, a small hand nudged me from the side.

“Here,” my friend gasped, holding up two VIP bracelets like she’d just rescued me from an apocalypse.

I accepted the bracelet with a mix of relief and irritation, giving the security guy a push far more forceful than advisable as we crossed into the VIP area.

Everything seemed fine… until I felt something cold and metallic brush my wrist. I looked down, and my red bracelet was gone. In its place rested a blue one that definitely wasn’t mine.

“Oh no,” I whispered, turning pale. “That’s not my bracelet.”

When I looked up, a tall guy with messy hair and a guitar slung over his shoulder was staring at me with the same expression you make when someone steals your ice cream.

“I think… we swapped bracelets,” he said calmly, though I couldn’t miss the arrogance in his tone.

“What?” I asked, confused. “This… this is a mistake.”

“I don’t think it’s a mistake,” he replied, raising an eyebrow. “This bracelet lets me be here. And from what I see, you want to be here too.”

My heart started racing while sweat ran down my back. For a moment, I realized who I was dealing with: the guitarist from my ex-best friend’s rival band. Great. Just what I needed: conflict, tension, and public humiliation all in one package.

“Well… I guess we can swap it back after the concert,” I tried to sound calm, though I probably sounded like a scared cat.

He smiled, unfairly charming, the kind that makes you want to claw your own eyes out for thinking about him in the VIP section.

“After the concert…” he repeated, and my stomach flipped.

I tried to focus on the stage, where the band was warming up, but all I saw was his gaze. The blue bracelet on my wrist felt like it weighed a ton.

“This… is going to be complicated,” I whispered to myself. “And I have no idea how to get out of this mess without looking like a total idiot.”

My friend gently nudged me aside so we could move more easily into the VIP area.

“Relax, Grace. Survive this, and then we’ll laugh about it,” she said as we pushed through the crowd.

The lights dimmed for a moment, and a deafening cheer erupted. There he was, walking on stage with his guitar slung over his shoulder and an aura of confidence that made me forget everything else for a moment.

“That… that’s the bracelet guy,” I whispered, and my friend rolled her eyes, amused. “You’re falling for a guitarist you don’t even know.”

“Shhh,” I replied, trying to focus on the music. “Look at him play… he’s incredible.”

The band started playing, and the crowd went wild. The way he moved his hands, the smile he threw to the audience… everything seemed too perfect. And there I was, with the blue bracelet on my wrist, feeling a mix of nerves, admiration, and confusion.

While I tried to enjoy the concert, a familiar gaze suddenly cut through me. My ex-best friend was there, not too far away, watching the scene with that arrogant grin I knew all too well.

“Oh no,” I whispered. “He’s here.”

My friend nudged me.

“And it looks like he brought his whole crew. This is going to get interesting.”

My heart was pounding. It wasn’t just the music, or the guitarist on stage. It was everything: the blue bracelet, Alex playing in front of me like the world was his, and now my ex-best friend watching from nearby.

“This is going to be a disaster,” I murmured, a mix of fear and excitement.

My friend grabbed my arm.

“Relax, Grace. Survive this first part, and then we’ll deal with the drama.”

I nodded, trying to take a deep breath while the music enveloped us. The night had just begun, and I already knew it wouldn’t be easy to stay calm with an incredible guitarist on stage and my ex-best friend lurking nearby.

Welcome to the craziest concert of your life, Grace.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Hey, I hope you’re enjoying the story. Give it some love and recommend it.

More updates coming soon.