Controlled Chaos (Love & Lyrics #1)

by Nikki Ash

Camden thanks everyone for being here, and once the crowd has calmed a bit, he explains that them being here is helping a cause close to their heart. My chest tightens at his words as he speaks about it, though he doesn’t specifically say Tori’s name. It’s been years since I’ve allowed myself to think about her. What happened was so tragic, and it was hard to deal with as a teenager. The night she died, everything changed for all of us. We were young and heartbroken, and we just didn’t know how to handle adult shit. Hell, five years later, I might be older, but I still don’t think I would be able to handle the seriousness of what went down. Gage starts the song by counting off on his drums, and I press record, focusing on him. His face is stoic, but I know him well enough to know he was affected by Camden's speech and is hiding his emotions. He looks darker and edgier than he did the last time I saw him five years ago. He’s never been carefree, not with everything he’s been through in his life, but before, he still had a lightness to him. Now, it’s as if it’s been snuffed out. Declan joins in with the bass a few seconds later, smirking playfully at the crowd. Like Camden and Gage, he’s now less boy and more man. Braxton adds his guitar, his eyes meeting Declan’s for a moment before he gives the crowd his attention. He smirks as well, but it’s more devilish. While the band has been good at keeping themselves away from any negative publicity, Braxton’s been caught quite a fe...