The Incredible League of Goth Pizza Haters (RH)

Part 2

Collide With The Sky band members:

Ian: (drums) Big guy, short brown hair, father owns record company that signed the band.

Mark: (bassist) Chill guy, longish hair, many tattoos, loves top hats

Sylvia: (lead vocals) Long white hair, many tattoos, loves cats

Cody: (guitarist) Tall, awkward, red hair, tattoos,

Meg: (keyboardist) Purple hair, secluded, vegetarian

--Sylvia--

"Via! Are you ready?" Meg called from outside. My words caught in my throat. Terror. "Via!"

"Yeah!" my voice cracked. I felt so nauseous. I hated this. I loved performing. I loved the intimacy of a concert. I just hated the nerves. I left the back room and Meg's face lit up. She grabbed my wrist and practically dragged me out to the stage. Cody and Mark were warming up and Ian looked bored at the drums. Meg gave me a small shove into open view and the audience began to lose their shit. I smile in mortal terror, grab the mic, my fingers tracing sweaty circles. Inhale. Exhale. I'm a badass. I can do this.

***

I have this friend, her name is Mena, who I've known for a while. She's trying to promote her music career more and I try to get her as our opening act as often as I can. Unfortunately she doesn't have a record deal or anything and she couldn't come a long on tour with us. She was my best friend and without her my anxiety about performing is much worse. Also, besides my band, I didn't really know anyone here other than Motionless In White.

After our show, we sat backstage for a few hours chilling and waited for the other bands to perform. Motionless In White were right after us, and by the time they'd finished they were hungry and we were hungry so when Chris asked if we wanted to all go out and get some food we said yes.

Chris I've known for several years. He started his band a year before I joined mine and we used to do some smaller town shows together since we live pretty close. He's my friend and though we dated for a few weeks, we've settled on being just friends. I've known Balz, Ryan and TJ since they'd joined. However, MIW had gotten a new bassist of whom I hadn't met yet.

The nearest pizza parlor was a short distance away so we all just walked. Everyone was talking and laughing and though my hands were still shaking, the adrenaline was wearing off leaving me just plain tired. I lagged behind in the group. Falling in pace with me was the new member. We made eye and I noted through the poor lighting that he looked kind of like a raccoon with his eye makeup. He was shorter than the others, not shorter than me, but sort of almost. He had lip rings and a cute face. Blue eyes.

"Hi." he said, "I'm Ricky."

"You're the new bassist." I said

"Yeah."

"Cool. Uh, I'm Sylvia."

"Yeah, 'Sylvia Snow'. I like your band."

"Thanks" I smiled and didn't really know what to say. I did not know this guy at all, "Welcome, I guess. Our bands are friends and stuff so we might as well get the awkward over with since we'll be around one another."

"Yeah, thanks. I look forward to it. You live in Scranton, too? I just moved there."

"Yes. Where'd you move from?"

"Seattle."

"I've always wanted to go there. I heard it rains a lot."

"It does."

"Neat."

"Well we're here!" Chris announced loudly to us as we swung a left into the small restaurant. When we were all seated and had ordered our drinks the conversation resumed as it had. Laughing and joking and checking up on everyone since this was the first leg of the tour and it had been a while since we'd all sat down and had a proper conversation. Not that any of what they were saying was proper, especially with Ian and Ryan together again.

When the server came back Chris ordered two large pizzas with various toppings or whatever. I ordered some garlic knots and Ricky got the same.

"Via, Ricky doesn't like pizza either." Chris said

"You don't?" I ask him, raising an eyebrow

"Nope. Pizza disgusts me." he says blatantly. I grinned.

"Welcome."

"To what?"

"The Incredible League of Goth Pizza Haters. It's literally just us. I think we're the only people in the world that hate pizza."