Kicking Ass

chapter 18

I stood looking squinting my eyes at the crowd and light trying to make out the dark figures and to see if I could see anyone who might look like someone from a recorded label. No luck.

I turned around and flipped on my amp hitting the top string to make sure that it was all good. I turned to see the half hearted shout coming from the crowd as they could tell we were getting read to play. Ace and Hunter turned on their amps and Ace stood in front of the mike.

"Hey guys how we doing tonight!?" He half screamed, his voice filled the room fallowed by a couple screams and woots. I smiled to myself trying to keep it at just a smirk. "Well he are Hell's Death, I'm Ace on vocal and rhythm, Hunter on lead and back up vocals." He waited for Hunter to play a small riff and then a some cheers to pass by.

"Peter on drums and back up vocals." He moved to the side a little so people could cheer Peter on as he banged away at the drums, each thud of the bass drums made a rumbled go through my chest.

"Ryan on synth." Ryan played a couple cords and got the same response.

"And last but not least our very own Ivy on bass!" I thumped away at a riff and the crys from the crowd filled me with excitement.

Right after Peter started the first song off and we played through our set list getting wield, but good responses back from the crowd.

Once we were done we left our stuff up on stage and went and sat at a table, no one was after us so we weren't in a hurry to get stuff packed unlike usual. People came by and told us how good we were and that we should come back more often. There was one guy that stood out to me though.

I leaned over to whisper to Ryan, "You see the tall guy over there?" I pointed across the room.

"There are a lot of tall guys over there." He slurred back.

"Oh yeah you're short," I said and he slammed on my foot hard, "Ay, watch it kid!" I punched him back in the arm.

"The guy with the leather jacket that is looking at us right now." I whispered again and then looked down trying to not seem suspicious.

"Oh yeah, he making his way over to us right now." I looked up to see Ryan was right he was making his way to pull up a chair and sit and talk with us. Hunter, Ace and Peter all were paying attention now as the guy started to talk.

"Hey guys, I think your good, no I think you guys are really good." He said eyeing each of us. I got a good feeling about this.

"And you don't see many girls in thrash bands, let alone on bass." He added making me smile a little more. "Here let me get to my point, I called you guys out here to see if you want to work with me. I'll offer you a one year contract to make a recorded and if it sells well then we will see where we go from there. I think you guys got potential, and thrash is the new rock. What do you guys think?"

He sounded a little cheesy but I liked him and I liked what he was offering. My stomach was churning with excitement and I could hear my heart beating in my chest.

"That would be awesome." That's all I could hear from the guys, I watched their eyes light up and the face's go star struck.

"I'll give you my card, but remember, this doesn't mean that you guys are on big break, you gotta get the rest of the world to like you, this is the hardest time ever. You got to stay strong." He warned flipping his card to the table he got up and smiled at us before walking away.

"Oh my god, did this really just happen?" I asked as I watched the biggest smiles I've ever seen creep across each boys face. I was so existed I just wanted to burst out in laughter and screams but held it back until I got home or in the car at least.

Ace's smile slowly went away as he tried to get into his 'serious mode'. "Just because he offered a one year contract, that we still all have to go over with our parents, doesn't mean anything, we still gotta do a lot of work, especially with school coming up next week."

I couldn't help but still smile. I couldn't wait for what every was going to happen next.

When we got home after dropping off Hunter, Peter and Ryan and telling their parents what happened, I ran into the kitchen to to my mom and dad the existing news.

They were both sitting at the counter having a glass of wine and turned when they heard me enter. Ace right behind me.

"Did you guys unpack the car yet?" My mom said still turning, not seeing our face's, "Wow I think that is the biggest smile I have every seen you to wear sense... I don't even know when!" She smiled back at us. My fist were loosening then re gripping still full of excitement.

"Our band got offered a one year contract." I tried to stay calm and both my parents face's lightened with joy.

"With what record label?" my dad asked.

"Mel's Records." Ace said looking down at the card that the guy gave to him. My parents were both very existed for us and said that as long as we can still graduate high school while doing this, it was fine. Then my dad gave us basically the same talk Ace and the other dude gave us, except he dragged it out longer.

I lied in my bed it was almost midnight but I didn't want to fall asleep with the fear that when I wake up it would all be just a dream. I picked up my guitar and re sited a couple scales before I fell asleep with it in my arms.

***next morning***

Next Monday I would start school, do a car pool every morning and after noon from school to home. Except at our school that we go to it feels like home. We go to an all arts school, maybe that's why we are all so talented and have a record deal but we will never know.

I am the kind of person that HATED school but when I started as a freshmen here I really liked it. The teachers were all nice and every one was your friend, it was that little drama that would sometimes tick me off but normally any flung towards we would either give the person a punch in the face or it would just roll off my back.

I walked down stairs ready to go back to school shopping, I walked into the kitchen with my arms spred and me singing out, "Good morning big brother!" I was shoshed right away and I relized he was on the phone with a small grin across his face.

"Alright sounds good we will see you tonight." He said hanging up the phone.

"Who was that?" I asked biting into an apple.

"Mel, the owner of the studio. He wants us to stop by to go over some more stuff and talk about publicity and all that cool stuff. That okay?" He wasn't really asking if it was okay, it was more like 'we are going that's final.'

"Alright sooner the better, just after we go shopping for supplies."

"Oh yeah, that's today isn't it?" He said rubbing the back of his neck. He went up stairs to go get dressed and I rummaged through the kitchen more to find more food, we were running low... That's what happens when you have two teens that eat like the world is going to end tomorrow and the only way you can save your self is by stuffing your face.

Ace and I were both mindless eaters and always got made fun of it at school because about 3/4 of anyone else who does that are fat. We are both 'twigs'. My mom also yells at us to make better choices and stop eating artificial shit 'cause we are going to give our kids autism. Which is a proven fact by the way.

But isn't it too soon to be thing about having kids, especially with the job we have now?

Ace walked down the stairs and into the kitchen with just his jean shorts on and about 5 or so shirts in his hands, "Ivy."

I raised an eye, "Yeah?"

"Why does all my shirts smell like mil-do?" He asked. I grinned,

"Oh yeah... hmmm thats odd." I played inasent, it didn't really work though.

"Ah my sister sometimes.." He said sourly and went back up stairs. Is it weird that my brother and I get along so well? Aren't siblings supposed to fight and what not? I shrugged and turned around but suddenly felt a sharp pain run through my fingers and watched as scarlet blood dripped from it onto the floor.

"God damn it!" I hissed cursing the sky, "Why the hell is it me?"