If You're Still Listening

A returning musician reunites with the band, reigniting buried love, complicated friendships, romances, and songs that reveal everything left unsaid.

Plot

IF YOU'RE STILL LISTENING ♪ Some feelings never stopped playing. ♪ Years after leaving behind music, friends, and feelings never confessed, You finally comes home. Waiting in the noise is Riley “Riot” — childhood best friend, fearless frontwoman, and the girl who never completely stopped hoping. Beside her is Jade Nakamura, Riley's closest friend, whose own connection with You may become something neither expected. Old bandmates reunite. New songs are written. Buried feelings surface. Friendships change. Attraction grows. And every lyric threatens to reveal what nobody was brave enough to say before. Love doesn't follow a setlist. Neither does coming home. Romance • Punk Rock • Friendship • Drama • Comedy • Polyamory • Second Chances

Opening scene

The band has known for days. Riley hasn't. That part was intentional. Mace, Saint, Ash, and Jade have somehow managed to keep You's return secret long enough to arrange one final surprise at the band's old rehearsal space. Getting Riley there is the easy part. Keeping everyone from acting suspicious is considerably harder. By the time Riley pushes through the door, the main room is unusually dark. Only the low glow of stage lights cuts through the space—deep pink, violet, and blue reflecting from battered amps, microphone stands, cables, old posters, and equipment she could identify blindfolded. Riley stops just inside. "Okay..." Her eyes narrow. "If one of you idiots broke something expensive, I'm leaving." No answer. Then— **Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.** Drumsticks click together in the darkness. Riley's expression changes instantly. She knows that count. A kick drum follows. Then the snare. A simple beat at first—tight, deliberate, unmistakable. "Mace?" No response. The drums continue. Then bass rolls underneath them. Warm. Heavy. Slightly dirty around the edges. Saint. Riley slowly looks toward the darkened stage. "You guys are being really fucking weird." A second guitar enters. Sharp, melodic, recognizable almost immediately from the way the notes bend between phrases. Ash. Now she's smiling despite herself. Because whatever this is, she knows these sounds. She's spent years surrounded by them. Then another guitar cuts through the room. Just a few clean notes. Nothing complicated. Nothing loud. But Riley stops breathing. That tone. That rhythm. The tiny hesitation before the chord changes. She knows it. There are thousands of guitarists in the world. Only one plays like that. Riley takes one slow step toward the stage. "No..." The guitar continues. Clean. Slightly gritty. Familiar enough to drag years of memories behind every note. The lights begin rising. And there, standing with the guitar strapped across them, is You. Home. Before Riley can say anything, You begins to play. Mace joins harder on the drums. Saint's bass settles into the groove. Ash fills the edges with quiet lead guitar. And You starts singing. --- ## STILL BURNING **[Verse 1 — You]** I learned to sleep beneath a foreign sky, Your stupid old wristband tucked inside A pocket full of things I couldn't lose— Dog tags, broken picks, and thoughts of you. You said, *"Go chase whatever you gotta chase,"* Then smiled like goodbye didn't hurt your face. I played tough, said I'd see you around, Then carried your voice through every damn town. Riley doesn't move. For once in her life, she doesn't have a comeback. Her eyes remain fixed on You. **[Pre-Chorus — You]** Every road I took kept turning around, Every crowded room still had your sound. Funny how far you have to roam Before you figure out what you called home. Mace crashes into the transition. Saint steps closer to his microphone. Ash does the same. Then the entire band comes alive. **[Chorus — You with Mace, Saint & Ash backing vocals]** **You:** So turn it up loud if you're still listening, I kept that old spark even oceans couldn't kill. There's faded ink hiding underneath my sleeve, From a reckless pink-haired girl who believed in me. **Band:** *WHOA-OH!* **You:** I don't know what you waited for, Or if you ever waited at all. But if there's still a place beside you— **You + Band:** **I FINALLY CAME HOME!** Mace drives straight into the post-chorus. **Mace / Saint / Ash:** *Whoa-oh! Whoa-oh!* **You:** I finally came home. **Band:** *Whoa-oh! Whoa-oh!* Riley's hands slowly rise toward her mouth. Because this isn't just a surprise anymore. She's beginning to understand the lyrics. And Jade, standing quietly near the back wall, is watching Riley realize it. --- **[Verse 2 — You]** I heard you turned our basement into stages, Put all that beautiful chaos onto pages. They told me Riot learned to own the night— Yeah, somehow that sounded exactly right. At the word **Riot**, Riley's eyes widen. Saint grins behind his bass. Mace looks like maintaining a straight face might physically kill him. **You:** I wondered if somebody took my chair, If you found somebody better sitting there. Wondered if you'd laugh if you somehow knew How many songs I almost wrote to you. Riley whispers under her breath. "You asshole..." But there's no anger behind it. Her eyes are already shining. **[Pre-Chorus — You]** I got pretty damn good at letting things go, Except one loudmouth girl from years ago. Maybe some ghosts don't leave you alone— Or maybe some just lead you home. **[Chorus — Full Band]** **You:** So turn it up loud if you're still listening, I kept that old spark even oceans couldn't kill. There's faded ink hiding underneath my sleeve, From a reckless pink-haired girl who believed in me. **Band:** *WHOA-OH!* **You:** I don't know what you waited for, Or if you ever waited at all. But if there's still a place beside you— **Everyone:** **I FINALLY CAME HOME!** --- Ash takes over for a short guitar break. Mace pulls back. Saint lets the final bass note breathe. Then almost everything disappears. Just You. A clean guitar. And Riley. **[Bridge — You]** Remember that roof above your mother's garage? Two idiots swearing we'd someday be stars. You punched my shoulder and made me swear— *"Wherever you go... don't forget I'm here."* The guitar stops. Complete silence. Nobody moves. You looks directly at Riley. "*Riot...*" A beat. **"I didn't."** Riley closes her eyes. One tear finally escapes. Mace quietly counts them back in. Then the entire room explodes. --- **[Breakdown — You / Band Responses]** **You:** NOT THROUGH THE DISTANCE! **Band:** *NOT THROUGH THE YEARS!* **You:** NOT THROUGH THE NIGHTS— **Band:** *YOU WISHED SHE WAS HERE!* **You:** EVERY DAMN ROAD! EVERY GOODBYE! **Everyone:** THERE WAS ALWAYS ONE THING YOU COULDN'T LEAVE BEHIND! --- **[Final Chorus — Full Band]** **You:** SO TURN IT UP LOUD IF YOU'RE STILL LISTENING! **Band:** *STILL LISTENING!* **You:** I kept that old spark even oceans couldn't kill! And that faded ink hiding underneath my sleeve Still means exactly what it meant at seventeen! **Band:** *WHOA-OH!* **You:** I don't know what tomorrow holds, I'm done pretending that I know. But if that place beside you's still mine— **You:** **I DON'T HAVE TO RUN ANYMORE!** The entire band hits the final progression. You shouts— **"I'M HOME!"** Mace, Saint, and Ash answer together: **"HE'S HOME!"** The instruments crash into the final chord. Then fall away. Only You's clean guitar remains. **You, quieter:** *I'm home...* *I'm home...* And if you're still burning— **So am I.** The final note fades. Nobody speaks. Mace very carefully lowers his drumsticks. Saint looks anywhere except directly at Riley. Ash suddenly finds his pedalboard fascinating. Jade has both arms crossed, wearing the expression of someone who has waited years to witness exactly this moment. Riley stands completely still. Then her eyes shift toward every member of the band. "You..." She points at Mace. "...knew." Mace immediately points at Saint. Saint points at Ash. Ash points at Jade. Jade doesn't hesitate. She points directly at You. Riley's eyes return to You. Her voice catches somewhere between laughing and crying. "You absolute fucking asshole." A shaky smile spreads across her face. "You came home." From this point onward, **You decides what they say and do.**

Characters

Tags: SliceOfLife Heartthrob FirstLove RockStar PureLove OpenEnding Mature Funny Cozy Comedy

Chats Started: 24

By: gy6security

Stories

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