the road home // josh kiszka

lilac wine

chapter song: lilac wine-jeff buckley

//

january 2017

My heart is racing and I felt as if I was going to hurl. 

"Dude" Jake breathed. 

"I know." 

We had just gotten off the phone with the dad of one of the kids who had shown up to see us play at that bar show. He was one of the representatives from Lava Records. 

"Sam, Danny, get in here!" Jake yells. 

Not even a second later, they skittered into the room. 

"What? What's the news?" They asked.

"A representative from Lava Records is going to be coming to see us at Fox Theatre, and if they like us, they said they'll talk about signing us." 

"Holy shit, dude! What are we going to play? We have to give them the show of a lifetime then!" Sam asked, excitedly.

"Well we better start writing some new stuff then!" Jake says, frantically. 

"You guys go ahead, I'm gonna call Y/N and thank her. I'll be right there." I smile. 

"Ooh, gonna call your girlfriend" Sam mocks

"Fuck off." I roll my eyes. 

I dial her contact and wait four long rings before she picks up. 

"Hello? Josh?" she asks

"Hey! I'm just calling to thank you!"

"Really? What for?"

"Well you know that kid you talked to at the bar last week? His dad called us and he's sending a representative out to come see us play Fox Theatre and if they like us, talk signing." I grin. 

"THAT'S AMAZING! I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU GUYS! WILL YOU SEND ME THE DETAILS? THERE'S NO WAY I'M MISSING THIS!" 

"Of course! Thank you so much again." 

"I didn't do anything really, but you're welcome. Blow the roof off that place." She says.

"You know we will." 

**

Today was the day. I could feel the weight on my shoulders the minute I had gotten out of bed. I had barely been able to sleep due to the nerves that seemed to be jumping around my body like a kid at Christmas time. 

"Ready to raise hell?" Jake asks, slapping a hand on my shoulder. 

I nodded, nervously. Jake had confidence oozing off of him. I had never really seen him this way before, but he looked like this was a moment he had been preparing his whole life for. A smile grew on my face. This was the moment he had been preparing for. This was his moment. This was a moment that I was grateful to be a part of, one that I got to share with my brothers, my family. 

"Let's go." I said. 

We walked outside the house, where Danny and Sam were packing the car with all of our equipment. We finished packing the car up and made our way to the venue. We scurried to get set up behind the curtain, as we heard voices starting to fill the room. My nerves started to creep their way into the forefront of my brain again, and I had to do my best to shake them out. My phone buzzed and I pulled it out of my pocket as y/n's contact lit up the screen. I smiled. 

y/n 🌺:

break a leg! 

me: