TS

The green room backstage smelled like stale pizza and old leather. Two of Leo’s bandmates were arguing loudly over who forgot the guitar tuner, their voices bouncing off the concrete walls.Leo didn’t look up. He was curled into the corner of a sagging couch, completely zoned out. A battered spiral notebook sat on his knees.He tapped his pen against his chin, staring at a single line he had written. “The static in my chest sounds like you.” He frowned. He crossed out static. He wrote thunder. He crossed out thunder. He took a deep breath, flipped to a fresh page, and wrote the entire stanza over again for the fifteenth time."Hey, Leo!" his drummer yelled, throwing a crumpled napkin at him. "You ready to melt some faces or what? We go on in five."Leo blinked, snapping out of his trance. The intense, brooding artist vanished instantly. He looked up, giving his bandmate a soft, slightly shy smile."Yeah, absolutely," Leo said. His voice was remarkably quiet, almost a whisper compared to the chaos around them. "Just trying to get this one part right. I want it to sound perfect for the crowd tonight."He stood up, stretching his arms. He carefully tucked the notebook into his backpack like it was made of glass.As he walked toward the stage door, he noticed a young kid—maybe fourteen years old—standing by the equipment boxes. The kid was a volunteer helper for the venue, and he looked terrified, clutching a clipboard while a grumpy security guard barked orders at him. The kid's hands were shaking.Leo stopped walking. His bandmates kept rushing past him toward the stage, but Leo stepped out of line. He walked straight over to the nervous kid."Hey, man," Leo said gently. He placed a calm, reassuring hand on the kid’s shoulder.The volunteer looked up, his eyes widening. "Uh, hi. Sorry, I'm just trying to stay out of the way—""You're doing a great job," Leo interrupted softly. He looked the kid right in the eyes, completely ignoring the roar of the crowd waiting for him on the other side of the door. "Don't let anyone rush you. We appreciate you helping us out tonight. What's your name?""Tobias," the kid stammered."Nice to meet you, Tobias. I'm Leo. If anyone gives you a hard time, you come tell me after the show, okay? Have a good night."Leo gave him a warm smile and a quick fist bump.Then, Leo turned around and walked through the stage curtains. The second the stage lights hit him, something changed. His shoulders straightened. His gentle smile turned into a fierce, passionate grin. He grabbed the microphone, closed his eyes, and let out a soaring, emotional, high-pitched scream that made the entire room explode with energy.Off-stage, he was the guy who made sure the volunteer felt safe. On-stage, he was a force of nature.