Better go Solo

Chapter 1

Firstly I have to say that my English is not the best. I'm not a native English speaker, as you may realize when you look at the other stories written by me. (And I even failed my English exams back then so don't be that mad about my bad language skills) I try my best. 

If you want to, please correct the mistakes but stay friendly

-----------------------------

The drummer is always that person in a band nobody remembers the name of or that person nobody has a crush on. Even Family Guy made jokes about the fact that nobody liked Ringo Starr. 

I am in fact a drummer too and that fact is my biggest concern: I am scared to be the less known member of the band I am in, and I do not really like our band leader.

»Good work girls« Heather praised. Her voice was as arrogant as ever so that I continued to think that she was actually born with that attitude. I did not show any reaction to her words. Instead I grabbed my phone from my back pocket and looked after the notifications I missed during band rehearsal.  

»After all, we will soon have our first big performance on stage« She squeaked even louder and clapped her hands like a three-year-old you played peekaboo with. I watched her obviously irritated. Her voice caused my mood to get even worse.

»You sound like we already had our big breakthrough but that's still far far in the future for us. We just play a little act on the little local stage« I reminded her to bring her back to our planet. Her look at me got accusing. She hated it when someone took her back down to earth but someone had to do it so that she would not fly on the ceiling someday.

»Don't be that negative« She blamed me for my comment. I rolled my eyes. 

She took her bag off one of the instrument cases standing next to the wall before I stood up briskly and threw my drumsticks into my open backpack standing next to my drums. 

»When will we do our shopping trip for the outfits we will wear on stage?« Josy asked while unplugging her guitar from the amplifier and packing her guitar into the case. 

»I already ordered some outfits for us« Heather answered and opened the door of the storage unit we were practicing in to leave before someone could blame her for her decision. 

»Seriously?« Josy complained. Because of her heavy breathing you could hear how angry she actually was.

I understood her anger. That was not the first time Heather made a decision above our heads. 

»What did you expect from her? It's still Heather. I would already be happy if I doesn't have to wear a dress again« I reminded her so that she nodded knowingly. 

»I remember« She grumbled. 

»You have to be more friendly to Heather. Her Dad still sponsors anything« Marla blamed us but I just ignored her. 

We had some other smaller gigs before even though it was at our old school because we began as a school band. The school we went to organized a project week and none of us was interested in any activity so that we began to cover some songs. 

The graduation of Heather, Josy and Marla was already more than two years ago while mine was just a bit more than one year ago but we continued our work as a band because we had much fun doing music together. Even though Heather and I never were any kind of good friends. I accept her but that was all. The fact that I was one year younger than the rest of the band members was never a thing anyone annoyed.

At our last gig at their graduation year Heather chose our outfits and because it was their prom we had to wear dresses, of course. She just forgot about one thing: I was a drummer and it was nearly impossible to play properly with a long dress and high heels on. As I told her about that she absolutely freaked out. At least I could have convinced her that I could wear a short dress and pants under that.

Since then we spent our time with practicing and songwriting. We thought that we got over covering already famous songs and do our own thing instead. Moreover, just covering songs never was that successful and we wanted to get famous with our music. 

Josy and our bassist Marla were our songwriters with some impacts from Heather while I stayed out of it. I never was creative enough to do that in any way so that I just added my personal drumming part. That I could not do more annoyed me because I loved to sing.

None of us really liked Heather but her father was very rich and sponsored us until we would start to earn our own money with our music.

»We will meet up tomorrow at the studio« I said before heading to leave the area with self storage units. I hugged them both for a last time and headed to the bus stop down the road to wait for the next bus bringing me home. As I waited, I plugged my headphones into my ears and started my playlist I was binging recently. I actually needed that music after Heather's girlband-warbling. My taste in music was way different than that our band played. 

When the bus finally arrived, I entered it and looked for a free seat. The look on my phone showed my that my Dad texted me. 'Are you still coming to the studio?' I started smiling.

My Dad owned a recording studio he built up in the basement and ground floor of the house we lived in. Often I joined him during work and listened to the records. Even as a child I loved to do that even though his studio was way smaller at that time and he had less clients. 

'I'm at the bus now, rehearsal went longer than expected' I answered and leaned back to the backrest of my seat. I relaxed to the rock music blaring through my headphones for the rest of the ride.  

While we played pop in the band, I lived for rock and metalcore. The other band members knew about that, but Heather and Marla ignored that fact while Josy shared my taste partly. 

From the bus station to my Dad's studio it was just a few steps so that I opened the door and greeted Greg, our security guard. He smiled back at me and opened the second door for me. By now almost everyone here knew me, I nearly lived in that studio. Sadly my band would not record the new album here, since Heather insists to work with a more famous producer because her Dad knew the owner of that studio.

I looked down the corridors  as an agitated man in his 30s nearly run me over. 

»Watch where you're walking« He growled and pushed me to the side before heading that direction I came from. 

»Bastart« I mumbled.

I shook my head and saw my Dad through the slightly opened door. He stared on his tablet pc laying on his lap. I knocked on the door so that he looked at me. 

»Hey Dad« I greeted him cheerful but my smiling stopped as I realized his tensed face. 

»What's wrong?« I asked and stood behind him to look on his tablet over his shoulder. 

»That boys want to record but one member is still missing. It will get late today« He told me and sighed. 

»Do you want me to get you something to eat?« I asked. 

I knew that he always was very hungry after a long day at the studio. »The same as every time from down the road?« He now asked and smiled even more. I nodded and turned around to leave the studio again. I headed to the small deli down the road where they made the best sandwiches in town. 

»Ravi!« I exclaimed happily when I saw the elderly man of Indian descent. He raised his bushy gray eyebrows and showed me his characteristic laugh lines. 

»What can I get you? The same as every time?« He asked with his strong Indian accent. 

»Of course and two cheese sandwiches on top. Dad had a long day« I replied friendly so that he startet executing my order. Meanwhile, I looked for the amount of money in my wallet.

A few minutes later Ravi placed a white plastic bag on the counter. I handed him the money and threw the rest of my change into his piggy bank which wore a blue Bollywood costume.  He could always use the money for his family and I did not like it when my walltet was that heavy. win-win

»Have a great evening!« He wished sympathetically as always, which I replied before leaving the shop.