Heart Of A Star

Chapter Fourteen - Natalie

"Where the fuck is JT?" Rylan stormed onto the stage, his arms flying in the air when he realized that our brother wasn't anywhere to be found.

The rest of us had been there on time, and were waiting and ready to go. Eli was doing a very light drum roll, which made me giggle, but Rylan only flashed him a look that told him he wasn't in the mood for humor. Lucas, perched at the keyboards, was flipping through a magazine and ignoring all of us.

I was just kind of standing in the middle of the stage, where JT usually stood, feeling kind of lost as I had been watching Dax warm up. Dax had been going through chords, ignoring Rylan's display of anger as though his outbursts happened everyday. He had a pretty good riff going, and I was wide-eyed with amazement at his talent.

"Nobody's seen him then?" Rylan scratched his head, looking around at the rest of the band. He gave up and pulled his guitar strap over his head. "Natalie, why don't you take his place at lead on Just Friends?"

I raised my eyebrows, but the rest of me froze. I loved the song, as it was one of their older ones, but I hadn't been prepared to sing lead, and on one of JT's songs at that. "Are you serious?"

As soon as I said it, I immediately wished I hadn't questioned him. He quit flipping the switches on his amp just long enough to ask me, "Are you in or out, Natalie? 'Cause right now I'm down one lead singer, and if you aren't up for this, we can just call it a day right now."

And right then and there I knew that he had no problem making the switch from brother to boss. It was something that had caused much friction between him and JT throughout the beginning years as a band. It was also an adjustment I was going to have to make immediately, like it or not. I sensed that Rylan wasn't very abundant with patience these days, so it was up to me to bend.

I stepped up to the microphone, adjusted it, and said loud and clear, "I'm in, Ry."

He nodded in my direction, then played the opening chords of the song. I counted the beat that Lucas was playing, and came in with impeccable timing with the opening lyrics. "Knew from the moment I met you, ya wanted more from me, knew from the moment I saw you, what this mess could be..."

I loved the way my voice sounded through the speakers, echoing off of the empty stadium where my brothers' band had played their last two shows. As I continued to sing, I closed my eyes, picturing the crowd of thousands, screaming and cheering as I stood in front of them, singing straight from my heart. I reminded myself that it had a lot to do with the fact that one of the best bands in the world was playing behind me. In my mind though, just for a moment, they were cheering for me, screaming out my name, singing the words to the songs that I had written myself. It was every dream that I had had over the course of the last twenty-one years of my life coming true in my mind right then and there.

As I sang the final verse of the song, repeating the last line, I heard a faint applause coming from the front row. When I opened my eyes, I saw JT standing up, clapping.

Rylan didn't even finish out the rest of the song, just threw his hand in the air, sending his guitar pick flying behind him. "D'ya even own a watch, you daft bastard?"

JT made his way up on stage and stood next to me smiling, intentionally ignoring Rylan. "I'm twenty minutes late and he's sacked me already, has he? Well, at least he's replaced me with someone who's got a lit'le talent." He reached around me and readjusted his microphone.

"I want Natalie to sing that one in Houston. She's done a better job of it anyhow." Rylan adjusted the tuning pegs on his Gibson casually, as though he hadn't just shot his own brother in the foot.

To my surprise, JT took it in stride. "Wha'ever. What's next on the set list?"

"Take a seat, JT. I want her to try Reason of Insanity." Rylan responded, further antagonizing him. That was one of the band's all-time biggest hits, and one JT's of personal favorites. It was a hard-rocking tune, sung with an edgy voice, one that only JT could pull off. It hadn't been written for a female voice, by way of lyric or sound, and it was one that I had never even tried to attempt, not even alone in my car.

My eyes shot up at JT, and I shook my head ever so slightly, as not to let Rylan see my adamant refusal. I wasn't sure that JT had even noticed my protest, as he was already wrapped up in his building friction with Rylan. "You're fucking mental. I thought you wanted her on backup before you just throw her into it? Or here's a thought for you, maybe you should ask her what she wants before you just go making demands and all."

Rylan's icy eyes went hot, and he instantly stiffened, his hands clenched on his guitar. "When the paychecks come out of your bank account JT, then you can make the decisions. But as long as my name is stamped at the bottom of every single fucking one, then it goes my way."

JT flicked him the finger and walked off stage, sending the microphone stand flying as he went.

"Where the hell are you going?" Rylan shouted after him.

JT never even so much as looked back, but we heard him yell back, "I'm on holiday!"

And that ended my very first practice with 7 Year Coma.

Rylan stormed off in the opposite direction, and as I looked over at Dax, he shrugged and slid his guitar strap over his head. "The fun part will be in convincing JT to show up for the gig tonight."

I wanted to laugh, but I knew he wasn't kidding. JT had a tendency to let his emotions take over at times, and since he was also stubborn as a bull, it made for quite a bad mix. 7 Year Coma had been forced to cancel quite a few shows due to JT's outbursts, which in turn pissed off Rylan. I volunteered to talk to JT, to which Dax wished me all the luck in the world.

He smiled, packing up his guitar, and nodded over in my direction, as I stood holding onto the microphone stand, watching him. The rest of the band had dispersed, content with letting the road crew handle their instruments. But Dax probably planned on using his between now and the show, and was taking care to make sure that it was properly handled.

Dax picked up his guitar case. "Talk to him Natalie. You're about the only one he'd listen to."