Nax’s POV
We were on in just an hour and a half, I was setting up my drums and Jumpnow was setting up cords. I went to pick up my cymbals but tripped on jumpnows chord falling and pulling him down as well, landing right at the feet of a pretty blonde girl. What was she doing here? On stage hours before the concert, too? She was looking down at us, laughing. I picked myself up looking at my arm. From my elbow to my wrist I had floor burn, it was stinging and bleeding a little bit. The blonde girl wrinkled her nose which was enough for me, I don’t know why it annoyed me so much. She was just some random girl backstage ‘and you are…?’ I asked her as politely as I could but I couldn’t stop a bit of acid leaking into my tone ‘Aleesha. Who are you?’ she replied in the same tone, somehow I didn’t think we were going to get on at all.
‘I’m Nax, the drummer’ I told her icily before walking away to find something cold for my arm. Being backstage at a such a big venue, you’d think it would be easier to find something cold but it was impossible. The best I could find was a water bottle. I gave up and went back to my setting up but before I got back to my drum kit, Aleesha appeared in front of me with a first aid kit. that’s was a bit much, i thought to my self as we had only just met minutes ago and my burn wasn’t really that bad. I tried to tell her I was fine but she wouldn’t listen. For someone as short and skinny as her, she was strong. And bossy. She put some cream on my arm and covered it up with something because I needed to be able to play drums. While she was doing this, we talked a bit more. She was only here because of Ashley; which was that skinny pale girl Geoff was talking to before. She was easier to like when we were alone but when she finished with my arm, it was like she put walls back up around herself, blocking people out again. For Our Hero was on in just under an hour now so I went to do a sound check leaving her alone.
Bashing the shit out of my drums was the best way to get rid of nerves, the best way to calm down. The best way to forget things, all that was going through your head was music. Keeping the beat, keeping your game face on. With only 5 minutes until we were on, people rushing in to get good places in the moshpit as I was rushing around backstage trying to find my shoes. After being here for a few hours, I only just realised I was wearing thongs and I knew I had my vans around here somewhere, I was wearing them before. The rest of the band were waiting for me, getting more impatient the longer I took but I wasn’t going onstage with no shoes. In front of the stage, in the darkness, the fans were getting louder, screaming for us. ‘Where the hell are you?’ I muttered to myself, not noticing aleesha standing right next to me. Looking down at her feet, she was wearing bright pink converse and her feet looked about the same size as mine. The stupid idea came to my mind, why would she even let me touch her shoes anyway? She caught me looking down at her feet and looked at my thongs.
We were all alone and luckily for me, she seemed to let her guard down when we were alone. She looked up and caught my eye with a ghost of a smile on her face as she pulled off her shoes. For Our Hero were supposed to be on 5 minutes ago so I accepted the bright pink converse without thinking, pulling them on and hugging her quick and lightly. Running onto the stage and sitting down at my drums, bashing out the first few beats of blood and icecream smiling as the crowd went crazy. This was why we were a band, this was the most amazing feeling in the world.
Rachael’s POV
For Our Hero was on the stage and I was backstage with Bradie, he was nervous tapping his knees with his drumsticks. I was secretly excited to be backstage with Bradie, with everyone here. Even though I had never heard Short Stack or For Our Hero before, I was really starting to like them but the screams of the 15-year-old girls out in the mosh made me feel old. Bradie leaned over and kissed my cheek, pulling at my hair so I was facing him, it was nearly his turn to go onstage and I didn’t want him to go. Sitting here in the semi lit room with live music, the sweetest guy I’d ever been with and a bunch of really talented people, I didn’t want to be left here alone to remember Zach. All too soon, he had to go onstage. Short Stack were amazing live, I hadn’t ever heard them before but they were really good. By the time it was over, all the band members were sweaty; when Bradie came offstage and hugged me. I nearly gagged and broke away. It reminded me of Zach and that was definitely something I didn’t want to be thinking about, I wanted to escape. Bradie looked apologetic and smiled a little
‘Wanna go get me some Ice Tea?’
It was only 6pm so I agreed to go find a place selling Ice Tea. In a city like 2000kms away from where I lived. It was ok to stay with but when a group of girls about 12 spotted me and went totally crazy running at me and asking for photos or signatures. Written on their foreheads and shirts was the word #stackrats. Where they knew me from was a total mystery until I remembered Bradie getting sick and the photo from Brisbane, I must have been in it. I did get a few photos and tried to get away but they followed me to the shop; waited until I came back out then followed me back. Up until now, I never understood the meaning of “fangirl”. These kids were totally crazy, around my neck I had my backstage pass so I slipped past the security at the door away from the crazy kids. I gave bradie his ice tea and he kissed me lightly; I was flying again. Instead of tail spinning back to planet Zach, I went to earth. I was so much happier here with Bradie and his peach Ice Tea tasting kisses
