Heard it Through the Grapevine

Chapter Fifteen

The atmosphere in the Fremont Theater was electric. The rest of the Honeyboys and I walk through the doors of the performance space and step out into the orchestra pit. I let out a small gasp as I looked up at the Art Deco paintings and gold finishes that ordain the ceiling and surround the stage. A few crew people are testing sound and lighting as we stand in the pit and take in the space. The importance of the event finally hits us seemingly all at once as we look at each other with a loss for words. This is it – this is everything we hoped for, worked for, earned. We had made it to the Battle of the Bands.

Ari ushers us backstage after the initial shock wears off. When we get there, we can see all the different bands warming up, tuning their instruments, fixing their wardrobes. I see the Sandspits, Couch Dog, White Jag, and Cate Armstrong. Then, I see Car Pool. They are glancing over, but not making eye contact with me. I decided to brush it off; I'm a Honeyboy now after all. I make my way over to where the rest of the Honeyboys have started tuning their instruments and getting themselves ready. We seclude ourselves away from the rest of the busyness as I hear a crowd starting to form – they've started letting the fans into the building.

After a while, and the first band has started, I decide it's about time I start warming myself up. I need to shake off the nerves of last night before I'm ready to go on.

As I grab for my saxophone, something falls out of the top. I reach down. It is a piece of paper folded into a square. I open it only to find that it is written by Grady to me. My heart stops as my eyes race to read it in its entirety before we have to go on stage.

My dearest Nathan,

I have been struggling to find the words to express how I feel about you. We've been friends for a while now, and while I treasure our friendship, I have come to realize my feelings for you go beyond just friendship.

You make my heart skip a beat everytime I see you, and the thought of spending time with you fills me with joy. I find myself wanting to be near you, to hear your voice, to see your smile. I know that I am not the first person to tell you how amazing you are, but to me, you are the most incredible person I have ever met.

I understand if you do not share the same feelings... but I couldn't keep this to myself any longer. I had to tell you how I feel. I would love nothing more than to explore a romantic relationship with you, and see where it takes us. I just hope you will give me the chance.

With all my love,

Grady

I couldn't believe what I was reading. I did have feelings for Grady but I wasn't ready to hear his feelings, especially now. I was so nervous for this performance as it would be my first with the Honeyboys. I don't know what I should do, what I could do. Before I have a chance to catch my breath, it's time for us to head onto stage. I look at all the boys, we all smile at each other. I just know we are going to slay this competition.

As the lights dimmed and the crowd erupted in cheers, our six-piece band took to the stage. Ari, resplendent in his shimmering sequined top, grabbed the mic and belted out the opening notes of our first song, "Mr. Daniels."

Grady's fingers flew across the keys, conjuring up a storm of emotion as Reese and Nick wove intricate melodies around each other. Matt's beats were thunderous, driving the rhythm forward with unstoppable force, while my soulful solos added a touch of heartbreak and longing.

As we moved through the set, the energy in the room crackled with electricity. The audience was captivated by our passion and skill, and they could feel the intensity of the performance building with every song.

Ari's voice soared to the rafters as he poured every ounce of himself into each lyric. Grady's fingers seemed to dance across the keys with a life of their own, while Reese's riffs sent shivers down spines. Nick's grooves were infectious, and Matt's thunderous beats were like a force of nature. It was like time slowed down – the audience was moving with us, everyone in time with our music. It was pure chaos, and I felt every moment of it.

As the final notes of our last song faded away, the crowd erupted in a deafening ovation. We were breathless and exhausted, but also filled with a sense of triumph. We had poured our hearts and souls into the performance. It had all been worth it.

After our set, the rest of the bands joined us on stage as the judges made their final decisions and counted the crowd's Google Form answers. When the host of the show made it back to the mic, I couldn't even hear him – just the pounding in my ears. I felt someone grab for my hand, ari on one side, grady on the other. We all stood there, holding hands and facing the crowd as a unit, holding our breath along with the crowd.

"And the winner is......"

I heard the crowd's screams before I even registered what had happened. I stood frozen for a moment before everything erupted into chaos–we had won! It was a mess of yelling and jumping and hugging, then handshakes with the other bands and hoisting the trophy above our heads. It was loud, it was glorious, it was music.

As we filtered off stage in a blurry haze, I heard my name being called. I turned around, surprised to see my old bandmates from Car Pool smiling at me.

"I'll catch up with you guys later" I called over my shoulder to the Honeyboys. The ginger who sings pats me on the shoulder, nodding approvingly.

"You killed it out there. We're so proud of you Nathan. And I think we owe you an apology –we're sorry we sold you, but we had to make it to Shabang. Seeing you with the new band, well, we're just so glad you fit in with the Honeyboys so well." I smiled at them.

"Thanks guys. I'm proud of myself too. Don't worry about it, I'm pretty sure you selling me was the best thing that's ever happened to me."

I make my way back to our space and kneel down to start putting away my saxophone. I'm still beaming with the adrenaline of the night when I hear everyone go quiet around me. I slowly turn to see Ari, Matt, and Grady standing behind me, looking at me expectantly. I take a deep breath, brush my hands off on my jeans, and stand up.

"What's up, guys?" I ask cautiously.

"It's time for you to choose, Nathan." they say in unison.