Nate thought the concert went well. Which was a change from what he usually believed his performances to be. Steel Train played good as well. Not as much as a turn-up for this gig but Nate observed many nodding heads and smiling faces in the audience as Jack's voice rang through the venue. And Jack got up and thanked the crowd and waved goodbye, all with a huge smile dominating his face.
Then the crowd was chanting for him. For him and Sam. The Format. He let a few moments go after everything was set up for them to go on stage, and then turned to look at Sam with a slight smile and stepped onto stage, welcomed by the increased volume of the crowd washing over them. He greeted them like he always does and they replied with incoherent cheering, as they always do.
After the inital pats on the backs and 'good jobs' exchanged, Sam and Nate exited the venue from the backstage door, out into the bleak alleyway.
"Dude, where are the drinks?" Nate asked, "I have'nt even seen a bottle of beer for the last three days!"
Sam leaned against a cinder block wall and looked over at him. "You're forgetting out little session with Andrew and Jack."
Nate's hands went to his face and he pushed sweat-slicked hair out of his eyes and rubbed his temples. "Oh yeah... you're right." He sighed
Sam offered him a tight smile and made his way to the van, Nate blinked slowly to prepare himself for the nights events and then followed him to the car.
-----
Pushing through the old doors of the motel, Sam offered a small wave to Jack and Andrew, who were waiting at the counter.
They had to ask if it was alright if they could practice, brainstorm in one of their rooms for the night. Thankfully the hostess informed them that the motel hadn't been busy recently, and she could easily book them with a room that had a nice buffer or vacant rooms around theirs for noise volume considering the other guests. (As long as they didn't tell the manager, really this sort of stuff wasn't allowed)
Nate and the rest of them exchanged small talk as they walked to find their room. As Andrew reached toward to the door, they could hear a person- running approaching them. Nate turned to see Rachel, slowing down once she reached them.
"Hey," She breathed with a smile, taking in all four of their faces then finally her eyes rested on her brothers. "Emily ditched, so I figured I'd hang with Evan, who was seriously wasted back at the van and just flat out needed a shower," she took a long intake before continuing again with a smile, "So it's alright if I hang with you, right? Hear your-"
"Yeah we're gunna be trying out a few new ideas," Sam interrupted, "You really wanna listen to 'em?" It wasn't much of a straight question, more rhetorical, leaning to the side that Rachel would be disappointed at the notion of spending a Friday night with a bunch of (at most) one-hit-wonder wannabes.
"Hey, I've been around my brother tons longer then I ever though was possible, anyone collaborating with him cant be worse then him alone." Rachel's eyes flicked in Nate's direction. (Or else he thought they did, see, when Nate finds a fixation on someone, he enlarges their actions in favor to him. Did she really only glance at him? Or was she liberally glancing over every one of the touring members, and Nate, (transfixed on just her and the opportunity that she could mirror the same twinge in his chest when he sees her) filtered out anything extraneous and vestigial that gave no indication of reciprocated interest?)
"Well screw you too!" Jack said between laughs, Sam eyed Rachel, impressed.
