Present Day

I don't have much time to dwell on the past, because as their music starts there's already a cry for help at the barricade. A young girl, probably around fifteen is being pressed up against the metal gate. I take three long strides towards her and start yelling at the girls behind her to back up. They are all going crazy screaming out band members' names without a care in the world.

I survey the area. Lars comes up behind me, his loud roar commanding the others to step back. The brown haired girl cries out in pain as the concert goers seem to not want to listen.

"Let's get her out of there," Lars barks in my ear.

I give a curt nod to let him know I'm ready. He shoves his arms out wide to one side, while I reach for the girl's hand. Her face is beat read, eyes tear filled, and sweat beads down her face. It's almost one-hundred degrees out here. Her chest heaves as she continues to sob.

I stand on the step attached to the barricade, making me taller than she is. I reach under her arms and begin to pull her up and over. Lars retreats from the other's and helps me step down and get her legs over the bar.

"I can't breathe," she cries.

"It's okay. I've got you."

Lars grabs his walkie as I wrap my arm around her. She goes a little limp in my arms and I worry she's dehydrated. On the left side of the stage, rushing over, are some paramedics on standby at the nearby tent. They jog to us as I set her down away from the crowd on a small metal chair. She can watch the band from here, but the shade from the large overhang on the stage covers her.

I set her down in the seat and kneel beside her. She reaches for my hand, her chest heaving with every breath. A young paramedic probably in his early twenties, hands her a bottle of Poland spring. He opens it and helps her drink slow sips.

"How old are you?" I ask her.

"Fourteen," she replies.

She holds tighter onto my hand. "I lost my friends in the crowd."

Her shoulder shakes as she sobs. "We'll find them after, okay? For now you can see the show from here. It's a better view anyway. Look, even..." My eyes hit the stage, landing on Landry. He saw the whole encounter. Wide eyed he watches me.

"Oh my god, Landry Stiles is looking at me!" she squeals.

Suddenly, she forgets about what happened in the pit, and smiles. She turns her head in my direction, a happy glow radiates on her beat red sunburnt face.

"Thank you." She says, after a moment of being pulled in by those hazel eyes. It's easy to get sucked in.

"Your welcome."

"Stay with me?"

"Can we call your parents or someone?" I yell, over the pounding of the bass.

I hear Landry say something about respecting everyone's space in the crowd. I don't catch the whole thing, because I'm too busy attempting to help her locate her friends and family.

"My mom isn't here," she sniffs, between songs. "My friend is in the pit somewhere. Can I wait here until the show is over?"

I nod. "of course."

"So, can you stay here with me. My chest still feels weird."

I glance back over my shoulders to see Lars. Tony has made his way over, he probably radioed for backup. He and Tony can handle the crowd for now.

"Sure."

She reaches up taking her other hand, sandwiching mine between hers. "Thank you."

She let's go with one hand and takes the water from the paramedic, who begins to take her vitals to air on the side of caution.

It takes all my willpower to stop myself from staring at him the entire performance. He has this energy about him that speaks to the crowd. It brings me back to the ridiculous pretend concert we threw on night two. He was born for that stage, there is no denying that. Between his presence up there and the way the crowd responds to him, he's living his dream.

They dedicate the last song to the young girl sitting with me. Landry and Harry point in her direction. Landry swivels his guitar around his body for her, and Harry climbs down from his drum set, hops off the stage, creating a huge headache for Lars, and hands her his drum sticks.

"Elevator girl, sup?" he yells, over the screams.

I try to be professional, but can't help smile and shake my head at him. "Nice save," he calls out, as he runs away.

"You know him?" she questions.

I shake my head. There's no way I could tell her about my one summer with Landry.

"He was on my elevator ride down here."

"Jealous!" she smirks.

I'm glad to see her happy. Her color has gone from tomato red, back to pale with a slight shade of pink from her sunburnt cheeks. She's almost drunk the entire water bottle at this point, and all her vitals are normal.

"Bonnie!" Someone shouts, once the band leaves the stage.

The girl looks over, her shoulders slump. She stands, still a bit wobbly on her feet, but catches herself. Her friend takes over, telling me she's going to take her back to the hotel with her parents. She thanks me for saving her and for the great seat.

"Come in Peters," I hear over the walkie. It's Russel.

"This is Peters," I respond.

"There's something for you back at the security tent. Over."

I release a shallow breath. My throat constricts. I turn my attention back to the stage, it's empty, minus the stage hands and roadies.

"Peters?" Static crackles through the walkie. "Peters, are you there?"

"I'm." I clear my throat. "I'm here. I'll be right over."

I should move, but it's like my feet have been bolted to the ground. What if it's him? They don't normally call anyone back to the tent, unless they need to discuss rounds. I already know where I'm needed today, I've got one more show to guard before dinner. Then two more tonight. I chalk it up to it being they've changed my schedule for the evening.

As I trudge through the grass I start sweating. It's not unusual at almost one-hundred degrees, but I don't think it's the heat causing it. Droplets pool inside my shirt. I probably smell like shit even though I showered less than two hours ago.

The tent comes into view. It's one of those large off-white party tents with the plastic windows. I stop a few feet away and stare at it, like it will bite me. My throat dries out. A feverish warmth blankets me. It's been twenty years. How can someone you only knew for a moment in time have that much of an affect on you? It makes no sense. I knew him for less than a week before he vanished into thin air. Even his AIM account. I sent one message and got one in return. When I tried to write back the screen name was invalid.

The voices around me warp, like the world has hit the slow motion button. I would blame the heat, but there's much more than the heat getting me hot and bothered. Other guards go in and out of the tent. Family members wave to me as they enter and exit.

It's now or never.

I release a slow steady breath, then urge my feet to do the rest. With each step my heart grows a bit wilder in my chest. The thumping is so loud I can hear it in my ears. I cross the threshold into the tent. I'm afraid to look where the soft strings of a guitar are being plucked gently. The corner I know so well, the one I find myself gazing towards every time I step in here.

His hair is over his face, covering his hazel eyes. The walk over takes what feels like a lifetime. Like it's the most natural thing in the world I settle down onto the grass beside him. He continues to strum the guitar, noting my presence with a shaky release of his breath. I'm close enough that our legs touch. Sitting here with him it feels as if time hasn't passed, like this is something we've done every year.

A warm tear starts slowly at the corner of my eye, then cascades down, falling quicker down my cheek. My chest presses in like there's a clamp over it squeezing until I can't breathe. The pressure hurts. I sniffle and lift my hand to fight the tears, only to feel his thumb swipe across my face in an attempt to stop them himself.

The room grows quiet, I hadn't realized that mostly everyone inside had filed out. Most likely to enjoy the festivities. The carnival was starting to open its gates so a lot of the families left around this time for that.

"Where did you go?" My voice shakes.

He sighs. "Doesn't matter. I'm here now."

His thumb lingers on my cheek, unmoving. It's like I'm twelve all over again. How does it not matter? It matters more than he can ever imagine. Aside from my friends he was the only one to ever accept me for being me.

"You want to play a little?" He asks, plucking each string with his fingers.

"Are you asking me?"

"There's no one standing behind you now is there." A wide grin meets his eyes. His mouth free of braces.

An uncontrollable sob breaks free. I cover my mouth and he stares wide eyed with worry.

"I don't know why I'm crying." Laughter fills me underneath the hiccuping sobs.

He places the guitar beside him, laying it down face up in the grass. Hazel eyes meet mine and I gasp for air. I stare up at him, his eyes glistening in the fading sunlight.

In one swift movement he wraps his arms around me. His face burrows into the crook of my neck. He exhales loudly, a groan shortly follows. I tighten my grip around his body and hold on. He's warm and sweaty. A mixture of sun lotion mixed with sweat grazes my nose, but I don't care because he's here.

I relax my grasp on him, allowing him to pull away. He picks the guitar back up and sets it in my lap.

"Do you remember what I taught you?"

I nod. "There's no way I could ever forget."