Better go Solo

Chapter 8

»We have to be quick by changing the instruments on stage« Heather commanded while I watched her annoyed.

»So what!« I exclaimed. Josy helped me with building up the drums on stage while a curtain divided us from the huge amount of people visiting the music festival we would play on in a few minutes.

»Finished?« Josy asked, to which I nodded. She went back to get her guitar. Marla already had her bass hooked up and breathed rapidly. Heather tried to calm her down.

My drums stood on a pedestal behind Marla, Josy and Heather who stood in the middle of both of them. Even on stage it was unbelievably hot and I sweat like a pig. I took some sips from my water bottle I placed next to my seat.

Some moments later the curtain raised. I took a deep breath before I startet the rhythm of the first song. Josy jumped in on the intro until Heather started singing. I tried to ignore the crowd and was unexpectedly successful. I enjoyed Heather's voice while she just stood there and hugged the microphone stand and Josy's backing vocals. I wanted to do that too but Heather did not want me to.

Sweat ran down my face when it suddenly got silent. Confused I looked at Heather who stopped singing. She held her hand in front of her nose and turned around to me. »My nose bleeds« She determined before leaving the stage running. I looked after her perplexed just like Josy and Marla.

We needed some moments to realize what happened. Marla followed Heather so that Josy and I stayed on stage.

»What are we doing now? The show must go on« Josy told me desperately.

»Now it's our turn« I replied and stood up. With shaking legs I went to the microphone.

»Seems like Heather has a little problem but you don't have to miss out on the music« I said nervously before I grabbed the microphone stand.

»What are you doing?« Josy asked surprisedly.

»I'll sing instead. We need a song everybody knows and that puts the crowd in the right mood« I explained and aligned the stand so that I was able to play the drums and sing at the same time.

Josy exhaled audibly.

»She looks so perfect?« She suggested.

»Great idea« I admitted. I took a deep breath before I started. Josy played the intro before I began singing.

I turned out my head to stop thinking about the crowd observing me. Happily I could hear the crowd singing with us. The mood was unbelievably good and we performed one famous song after another with some of our songs I knew the lyrics of in between until Heather entered the stage again.

Her face seemed super pissed but I did not react to it. We finished the song before Heather grabbed the microphone stand aggressively and took it back to its place. She did not say any word to me and just continued like nothing happened. Josy and I did not let that deter us in any way. Some songs later our performance was over and we left the stage.

Overjoyed I hugged Josy after I stowed away the drums in cases.

»That was absolutely amazing« She admitted what I shared. In contrast, Heather did not seem happy at all.

»What's wrong with you?« She yelled at me. I winced.

»Uhm... I saved our asses?« I replied and took some sips from my water bottle. She raised her hand and knocked the bottle out of my hand.

»Are you stupid?« I yelled back.

»You destroyed anything« She shouted and pushed me.

»Anything? Who was the one who suddenly left the stage and left us alone? What should we do? Wait for you that 20 Minutes we were performing? If we wouldn't have done anything that would be the worst publicity we could get. Be thankful that we took over« I accused her. Her face went red and she raised a fist.

»You're dead« She threatened.

»You are nothing without a drummer« I replied. She snorted.

Head shaking I left her standing there to get something new to drink. Josy followed me.

»Any act you want to see?« She asked, I shook my head.

»Me neither. When will your dad pick us up?« She replied.

»15 minutes« I answered and fanned myself.

»I'm melting« I admitted so that Josy laughed.

»Feel you. It's stupidly hot and you have to wear long clothing« She agreed.

»Heather is crazy« I just replied.

We waited for my dad who helped us to stow away our instruments into his car. Marla and Heather would get home separately because they wanted to watch the other bands too. Josy and I skipped that because the other bands were not close to our taste in music.

»I think Heather hates me even more now« I began telling when we sat down and dad switched on the air conditioning.

»What did you do?« He asked laughingly. He knew about my displeasure about her and could understand me.

»Her nose started bleeding in the middle of the third song we were playing and she left stage. Josy and I took over to keep the audience happy and Heather was clearly not amused when she came back after about 20 minutes off stage« I narrated.

»You two sang on stage?« He asked surprisedly. Josy started grinning.

»Mostly CJ« She explained. My face turned red.

»I'm so proud of you« Dad said what made me look up.

»You are?« I asked irritatedly. He laughed.

»I'm always proud of you. Mostly when you act confident and you absolutely did« He said what made me smile widely.

»Thank you, dad« I replied.

The rest of the drive Josy and I sang to the songs I played on the radio. Dad smiled the whole time and seemed like he would suppress to sing with us.

»We played harder metal« He commented on the song that just ended. I tuned the volume down.

»I know, Dad. I've listened to the songs. But I also sold you that that's not actually my style« I replied. He sighed.

»At least, I love rock music and some metal songs« I reminded him so he started smiling.