The Hush Society Presents... by Izzy Matias (best desktop ebook reader .txt) 📕

the large space between the gramophone and couches. They shake their hips, head bang, and dance so awful it’s hilarious.

As Lily bobs and sings to the chorus about losing it, I hum along. This is the most spirited I’ve seen her since we arrived.

The power music has to shift our moods and influence our actions.

"You better not post this on Snapchat!" Amber warns Benji, who already looks as if he’s trying to get footage of them.

"I was trying to get blackmail material," he says, not letting go of the mobile in his hand.

"Put ya phone down and enjoy the view," Eric says and sighs. His head rests at the back of his arms and his legs are propped up on the edge of the couch.

"Not at all obvious," I point out.

After we’ve listened to three more Oh Wonder songs, the gals collapse on the mattresses on the floor.

The room has quieted down. Benji and I do a music session where we take turns picking a song to play on guitar and let our mates sing along as we listen to them converse.

Amber and Cassie debate about which 90s boy band rules the kingdom. "Backstreet Boys are the best!" Amber shouts.

"No way," Cassie says. "NSYNC over Backstreet Boys."

"Girl, you won’t want me to tell you about that NSYNC conspiracy theory. It’ll change your mind."

"Amber!" Cassie sighs, falling into a pillow fort.

#

Benji plucks the melody to one of the songs he normally plays when he volunteers at the local music centre in Beverley. I spot Amber in a funny position, eyes shut tight, but with her mouth hanging open. Eric is another beautiful sight with his body dangling near the edge of the couch.

I peek at Lily. She has finally dozed off to sleep. Benji, Cassie and I are the last ones standing, but judging from the way Benji's strumming his guitar, he is about to konk out soon, too.

I join Cassie on the mattress adjacent to my couch.

"I don’t think I can sleep," I say, setting down my guitar.

"Me neither. All this music’s got me like a live wire."

"Ha. I see what you did there," I tease with my newfound knowledge about Oh Wonder. She’s referring to the song called "Live Wire."

Benji’s singing voice falters into a whisper.

"Get some shut eye, would you," I tell him and Cassie bursts into giggles.

Benji nods. He sets his guitar aside and nestles into his couch. He mumbles something—I can’t understand what—and then, within seconds, starts to snore.

"Well that was easy." Cassie’s still giggling.

I shrug and inch closer. "Everyone’s asleep. We’ve got the world in our fingertips," I say and rub my hands together like a mad scientist.

"What shall we do first?" Cassie plays along and strokes her chin.

"Probe into the deepest, darkest depths of the human mind."

"You’re not thinking like the King again, are you? That would be creepy at this hour."

"I left his paperbacks in my terraced home, thank you very much. I can survive the tour with just my guitar case."

"That doesn’t sound like you, Evans." Cassie feigns shock. "We’re on the road for weeks."

"I have everything I need in my guitar case." I smile and then whisper, "Music is life."

"It’s not the end all be all," Cassie says.

Woah. I can’t believe my ears. I look at her like she’s not making sense.

"Relationships are as important, if not more important." Her words hit me like a bull’s eye. She doesn’t know I have risked everything—my family, my degree, my future—for music. I don’t want to know what she’ll think of me when she finds out that I was turfed out my own home.

I stay silent and let her words dangle in the air, taunting me.

"But tonight, music sure was a life-saver," Cassie continues with a far-away look in her eyes. "I was terrified."

I put my hand on her shoulder. "Thanks to Eric’s quick thinking, music lured her away from her darkness. You’re not the only one who felt useless."

"This is exactly why I began The Hush Society. I want people to feel that they’re never alone. Music, together with the people you meet and connect with because of music, can and will be there for you during your dark hours."

"You’re amazing, you know that?" A bold line, but I wonder how many people remind her of it. She touches so many lives because of her story—how music moulded her into who she is. I wonder who she was before that and how she became this beacon of strength and positivity.

"So I’ve been told." Cassie flips her hair in an attempt to look posh, but I’m not buying it and laugh out loud.

She panics at my volume, glances at Lily, who stirs. Cassie pulls me by the cotton of my black shirt and leads me toward the hallway.

"Walk outside with me?" I say as soon as I get a glimpse of the sky through the large windows.

Cassie nods even though we both know once we step out, we won’t have a way back inside unless someone wakes up.

The lock clicks as Cassie closes the door behind us. I look ahead at the cobbled roads, thinking which route to take. Lily told us that one of the streets would lead us to the ocean, but I don’t know if that’s where we’re headed now. I don’t ask, neither does she, so we let our feet take us where they may.

"You’re lucky your parents are supportive of you going to Uni for art," I say as we walk.

"They weren’t at first. My life was like a series of tick boxes waiting to be checked off. They were moulding me to be the perfect daughter, but c’mon, no one’s perfect. I snapped—like a full-on meltdown—at the pressure."

I look at her, unable to imagine the now-confident gal who works great under the pressure of organising secret shows having a meltdown. Is that the reason why she started organising these gigs? Was that her dark time? Did she, like Eric, use the negativity to channel into something