Better go Solo

Chapter 27

»So what style of music to you make?« Ash asked what made me look at him confusedly. In the meantime we changed from beer to stronger drinks. It was already getting dark outside and music played in the background.

»Did you even listen to the songs I sent you?« Kieran accused Ash. Ash just shook his head and looked at me as he was waiting for an answer.

Kieran grabbed Ash's phone from the table and gave it to him.

»Then you'll do now« Kieran said. Ash rolled his eyes laughing and unlocked his phone to give it back to Kieran who added some songs by me to the queue. I stared at my thighs. I did not want to listen to my own voice because I knew that I would recognize mistakes I made.

When the first song of the songs he chose started playing he increased the volume. It was one of the songs Josy wrote. Ash listened carefully while that song, the song I wrote myself and the cover played.

»I did not expect that so much voice can come out of such a small person« Ash commented. My jaw dropped of disbelief. Did he praise me or did he insult me?

»Fuck off« I laughed and punched his upper arm. He also started laughing before he took another drag from the cigarette between his fingers he lit recently.

»I'm serious. You don't look like you would have such a voice. Why did you skip the screaming part?« Ash wanted to know and leaned forward with his elbows on his thighs.

»I simply can't scream. If I try it sounds like a cat run over by a truck« I replied laughing. He smirked and rubbed his hands against each other.

»Then I know what I'll teach you« He said. My eyes got big what made him laugh even more.

»I don't have to if you don't want to« He added when he realized my reaction to his plan. I just shook my head smiling and took the last sip out of my glass.

Josy was talking to Kieran and Patrick about guitar riffs while Sam listened to their conversation. Sam changed place due to this so I now sat in the corner. Josy was fully focussed on the conversation and I had not seen her that happy in a long time.

The smell of Ash's cigarette let my urge to smoke too rise until I turned around to Josy. She had my pack of cigarettes in her purse so I wanted to get them out of it. She understood what I wanted without me having to say anything to her so she handed me her small purse.

I saw Ash refilling my glass out of the corner of my eye.

»Thanks« I mumbled with a cigarette between my lips. I searched for my lighter in Josy's purse but Ash was faster and lit up the cigarette. I laid down the purse next to me.

»Thanks again« I said while blowing out the smoke.

»What do you think about recording a song together?« He asked, suddenly.

»You want to record a song with me?« I countered to make sure if I heard right or misunderstood him.

»Why not? There's still a song we want for the album but we're not satisfied yet. Maybe that's what's missing« He explained and took another sip from his glass. I imitated him by drinking from my glass too.

»I have a condition to agree. Josy is also in« I assumed. Josy looked up and drew together her eyebrows. She seemed to not have listened to our conversation and therefore no idea what we were talking about.

»Josy is in when you learn screaming. If you make demands I do to« He replied smirking. I rolled my eyes.

»I can try« I admitted what left him satisfied. Ash looked at the rest of his band and smiled.

»Maybe I found what is missing in that one song« He announced and pointed at me and Josy. Kieran immediately started smiling widely.

»We can make plans tomorrow« Patrick annotated and raised his glass for a toast. We drank together until Sam stood up and got a bottle of liquor from the fridge. He also took six shot glasses from the kitchen cabinet before he returned to us.

I did not know if it was a good idea to drink that much this evening. After all, I had to drive back to Santa Ana tomorrow. Even before we started drinking Kieran at least promised that we could stay over night whether here or at his place we would get to by taxi. I hesitated when I looked at the glass.

»I have to drive tomorrow« I said and looked at Sam pitiful. I earned annoyed looks from everyone in the room, even Josy's look said 'you can't be serious'.

»Don't be such a fun killer« Ash said and handed me my shot glass. I rolled my eyes.

»When I want to be the responsible person once« I murmured what made Ash laugh.

»You're in one room with a rock band. Nobody's responsible here« He corrected me.

We had one shot after the other until the bottle was empty. Josy fanned herself and I had to admit that it was pretty warm in here.

»Wanne move to the roof terrace?« Ash asked smiling. We agreed immediately and stood up with our glasses in our hands to move outside. Outside it was way colder than inside even though it still was pretty warm out here. The first thing catching my gaze was the pool which was in the ground and lit by color changing underwater lights.

On my left was a lounge area the others already sat down at. The seat next to Ash was the last one left so I sat down there. The glasses found their place on the glass table in front of me. The pool was bright enough to light up the whole roof terrace. Sam got new bottles of liquor from the fridge so I emptied the glass to have a fresh and cold drink when he came back.

Ash immediately grabbed on of the bottles to pour some in all of the shot glasses.