Rock Starz

5| Rise Of The Rock Starz

Nathan was shaking on his legs backstage. The bar where they performed every Friday suddenly seemed so important to him. It was like he actually cared about other people's opinions this time. And the reason for that probably had to do with the fact that they were going to do a song he wrote himself.
"I can't believe we're actually going to do my song! Especially after you've trashed it so much Nathan." Devon shouted enthusiastically. Nathan laughed nervously.
"That's because James can get away with singing about fucking everyone." Lynx looked at Nathan with an offended look.
"Well I didn't get any tomatoes thrown at me, and I didn't get any hate mail either." Nathan sighed.
"That's not what I mean, it's just that if James sang I wanna F you, people would be more likely to say 'yes please' than they would to you." Isaiah pulled Lynx a little away from Nathan.
"Okay, thanks Nathan, you've said enough." Isaiah said with a serious look on his face. James looked at Nathan with a grin.
"Would you say yes please?" Nathan looked at James in shock but before he could answer the host came walking towards them.
"Hey Nathan, do you have a new member?" Nathan nodded.
"Oh, Matt, can you announce us as Rock Starz." Matt looked at Nathan with a surprised smile.
"New band name? Clean slate?" Nathan nodded and Matt smiled.
"Of course." Matt the presenter walked away and Nathan bit his lip again, tensely. The band before them walked off the stage to applause, but it wasn't a really big applause. Normally Lynx would compliment them but he stayed quiet this time.
"Hey lefty, aren't you going to tell us how good we were?" one of the band members said with a laugh in his voice. Lynx shook his head.
"I have to save my voice for my own performance." James took a few sips of water and eventually the band was announced again. By their better name this time. With a bit of luck, the audience had already forgotten about The Funkey Monkeyz.
"Give them a big round of applause... The Rock Starz!" Everyone waited to see a band come on but only Nathan walked onto the stage. They had worked this out in detail. Nathan walked onto the stage with his guitar hanging around his neck and he played the intro to I Wanna F You. The new version by James, that is. Nathan stood behind his microphone in case he would add the second voice later. Then Isaiah walked up, he played the bass guitar and supported Nathan's rhythm. Lynx and Devon came on at the same time. Lynx played filler for the song and in that time Devon could sit behind the drums ready to tap out the rhythm and then hit the drums hard. After a splashing intro, the instruments became softer and you could already hear James' voice backstage.
"I saw a girl at the bar, I already saw her from afar. I was like hey girl, I wanna F you." The way James spoke the words and the way he walked between his bandmates with a seductive look on his face on his way to the microphone stand was enough to make a few girls in the front row stare open-mouthed. The moment he put the microphone in the stand and held it without playing the guitar around his neck was enough to draw the attention of the rest of the audience. And when the band gave it everything they had again and James started playing his guitar while moving to the beat of the music, everyone watched enthusiastically.
"I wanna F you! I wanna effing, effing F you! Hey girl! Let me F you, please let me F you. Let me effing effing F you!" Nathan and Lynx sang the second and third voice, which made the harmony complete the entire song. Nathan no longer felt embarrassed by the lyrics he sang, James made it feel very normal. The song became softer and softer. James grabbed the microphone again and went down on his knees to focus on the audience.
"I saw a girl, at the bar. I already saw her from afar. I was like hey girl, I wanna F you." The last chord was played and as soon as James finished his last note the entire audience burst into enthusiastic shouts and applause. James thanked everyone and the four boys standing behind James looked at each other in shock at the positive cheers they got.
"And now, a very special song. Written by a very special person." James looked over his shoulder at Nathan and all Nathan could do was admire the prince and what he was doing.
"This ones called: Rock Star." James played the intro on his guitar and Nathan quickly joined in. As soon as Nathan heard James sing his lyrics he was in heaven. He didn't have to think about what to play and what to sing anymore. Because it was his song and it could finally be shared with the world.
"You're gonna rock star through it, you're gonna jump in the air, and if it all goes to shit don't worry I'll be there. You're gonna rock!" The familiar tune was played and James threw his hands in delight in the air.
"Everybody!" he shouted and Nathan was amazed when he heard the entire audience sing along to the words: You're gonna rock. The outro came and the crowd cheered, whistled and clapped their hands together fleetingly. James grinned.
"Thank you all so much! We were Rock Starz, see you next time!" James almost struggled to make himself heard above the cheering but when he did it only got louder. The five band members walked off and looked at each other with a big smile. They stood there in shock for a moment until they heard the people screaming.
"We want more! We want more! We want more!" Nathan started laughing with happiness and he put his hands in his hair in shock.
"Shit." He said in realisation. Before they knew it, the five of them were sitting on the bench at the bus stop. After enjoying their success.
"You know Nathan, maybe you were right when you said I don't have the right kind of charisma for the lead singer." Nathan laughed and James looked ahead with satisfaction.
"Wow, that my song would still bring this much success." Devon mumbled dreamily. Isaiah looked ahead with satisfaction.
"So this is what it feels like to perform." He blew out a cloud of smoke as he stared at the dark sky.
"We really owe you James." Lynx said then and all the band members looked at James. James chuckled.
"No it's fine! I want to perform just as much as you guys do. I don't want anything in return." The bus pulled up and the five musicians got on.
"Hey, I want to thank you. The performance was absolutely perfect, you fucking smashed it! And, sorry for initially, uh, rejecting you so much." James looked at Nathan with a grin.
"There's not a single grumpy face I can't see through." James playfully nudged Nathan's shoulder.
"And you're welcome." He said then. Nathan looked at him with a smile. After a few more enthusiastic stories from the band members, Isaiah and Lynx got out. Devon, Nathan and James stayed behind in the moving bus.
"James, when do you have to get off?" Devon asked, James thought.
"Um, in one or something? Two?" James looked at Nathan.
"In two." Nathan whispered towards James, James nodded."In two." He said then, Devon frowned.
"Do you never take the bus or something?" James cleared his throat and changed his sitting position.
"Of course I do, I take the bus a lot. I just never really go to that part of town." Devon nodded and Nathan breathed a sigh of relief. There were still a few things that James didn't consider everyday. But Nathan would help him get rid of his princely habits.
"Well, me and Nathan have to get off on the next." Devon said and Nathan felt a sense of disappointment when he realised he wouldn't be seeing James for a while. He had grown more attached to him than he thought, and he had only known him for a week.
"Ah, okay." James remained silent for a while.
"Hey Nathan, didn't you leave your amp at my place?" Nathan frowned at James, Devon didn't get it either.
"We seriously used his amp at the gig." James looked at Nathan with a slight panic in his eyes.
"Yeah, but his other amp." Nathan tried to figure out what James meant.
"Oh, my other amp..." Nathan mumbled, still not understanding. The bus stopped.
"Come on Nate, we have to go. Bye James." Devon was already standing up with his backpack but James stopped Nathan.
"Amplifier." He said through gritted teeth.
"I'll be home later, Devon, I'm just going to pick up my amp at James's." Devon nodded and got out of the bus.