Piano Man

Tiny Dancer

I stood proudly at the trunk end of my Range Rover as Billie placed blue securely in the back next to Mike's Bass. Billie hopped into the passenger seat as I closed the trunk. Mike sat directly behind me and Tre was kitty corner to me. This had become the typical seating arrangement on our joy rides. More often than not though it was just Billie and I driving around. It had only been about 2 weeks since I was given the car and Billie and I alone had gone on at least five joy rides already.

The car was filled with the smell of excitement and anxiety. Mike had been tapping his fingers together in fear and Tre was just silent which he only did when he was nervous beyond belief. I had only seen him like this twice, well now three times. Once in Billie's Basement last week and this was when his mom almost caught us getting high in the basement from smelling Sharpies in middle school. Luckily we got off scot-free.

However, Billie was the opposite of the two boys, his anxiety often caused motormouth Beej to come out.

"Do you remember the first time we got a ride out here? When Dylan took us, It was awesome. And when his band started playing the chills you know the chills."

"Yes Bill, we know the chills you've only mentioned them about twenty times tonight."

I said joshing with him a bit.

"Whatever, I just wanna be able to give the chills to some dorky middle schoolers the way I got them."

"So you wanna scare a little kid?"

"You know that's not what I mean. I looked at that moment as a milestone to us, well at least to me, more so to me. If they wouldn't have taken us I would have never gotten the chills."

"Billie, stop."

Tre piped from the back.

"What?"

I said confused.

"Guys I'm fucking nervous."

"Tre you're going to be good. I promise. Listen I've listened to you guys play and I've listened to people that play Gilman and you guys are fucking good. Tre you're a better drummer than like half the people that play there. I promise you that."

I said trying to sew together any gaps of anxiety he had into something more peaceful like excitement.

Tre smiled softly at me as I looked in the rearview mirror at him.

I turned on the radio and listened to music hoping to calm everyone's nerves. Billie reached out for my hand, and I grabbed his hand back and we placed them on my lap. Billie always grabbed my hand when he could tell, I was stressed by everyone's madness.

I drove on the highway calmer and I started to daydream just a bit.

-5-6-7-8-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8

I retorted the numbers in my head as the music played, the audience of over 500 people eying me down. The moment I felt so light became such a heavy memory to me, always replaying. The glowing lights burned my pale skin and eyes, blissfully unaware of what would be to become.

1-2-3-4-5-6-

I looked at my partner, preparing to leap off of the platform built for me. The pounding in my chest became grand. I looked into the audience for the split numbers I had before my finishing. I spotted Billie staring, he gave me two thumbs up and his goofy grin. This restarted me, and my chest pounding stopped.

-7-8-1-

I began the leap off, reaching my arms above me. I felt as though a new euphoria I had never felt before began. Nothing in my life had ever been this beautiful. This moment would define everything for me.