Testimony of a Rock Star: Fame Chapter 1

Chapter 23

23. Rebel, Rebel

I opened my eyes. I was in a dark place surrounded by clouds of smoke swirling around me and neon lights. The surface underneath me was hard and uncomfortable. I sat up quickly and felt my head rush. The neon lights reminded me of some place I had been before, but the smoke was too thick to distinguish my location. As I looked down I saw that I was on top of some sort of wooden bar, and as the neon lights around me began to glow brighter I finally understood where I was.

In front of me was the doorway to the lake, or was it a parking lot? To the right was a room and a stage where there was normally a DJ playing music, behind me was shelves of liquor and beyond the walls was a kitchen. I was in The Shack, but it was a larger version, as I looked to the left I saw a room that didn’t belong. It seemed far away from where I sat upon the bar. I watched as a bright light appeared in the room. It was so extremely bright I had to block the glare with my hand. It soon faded in to the mist of the smoke, but now I could see figures moving ever so slightly.

I peeled myself from the bar and slid to the floor, slowly walking towards the room. Smoke whirled about my legs and parted for me as I grew closer to the room. I could see a group of men at a table in the next room. Swimming through the fog, I reached the room where I realized that I had stumbled upon a card game.

As I got closer, I could see that they were all men dressed in suits and ties. Business men, I thought. But even closer, the more familiar the distinctions of the faces became. Poker was the game they played, and I knew that they all played it well. I was curious to see all of these faces together in one room.

They did not feel me near, nor did they look up as I approached. The closer I got the more careful I became not to disturb the men. Not only were they in a deep game of poker, but they were also in deep conversations.

Konstance was the first man I noticed, of course. He could be picked out of any crowd. He looked older than the last time I had seen him but still striking in his black suit. His face was hard and statue like. His eyes still a beautiful blue that would always be cloudy from his past. His brown hair highlighted from the sun and slicked back as if he were from another era.

Next was a surprising face. Devon sat next to Konstance on his right side. Devon was blonde and blue eyed. He had been a brief but very influential love in my life. He had always seemed large in his frame, but now as he sat beside Konstance, he was just average.

Devon had always been kind until the very end of our relationship. I still believe he didn’t mean to hurt me but he did. His face was kind and generous. His blonde locks were molded into a flattering side part. He seemed somewhat unsure of himself and the company that he now kept. Devon was right to feel that way. Beside Devon was Brendon.

Brendon sat fearless amongst the rest. His game face was undeniably the best. You could hardly read his dark eyes as they had always failed me in knowing what his next move would be. He studied his cards and never made eye contact for very long with his opponents.

Next to Brendon was Bobby, who sat very confidently among the rest, as if he had a full house of cards in front of him, but he could also be bluffing I thought. His auburn crazily unkept hair and his dangerously dark eyes made you question every move he made. He’s bow tie was just hanging around his collar as the top two buttons were unfastened and his sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

The final player in this game, Toby. Which felt like a breath of fresh air to the group he sat among, maybe because there was no true danger with him. Sure, he had tried to black mail me but sitting next to all the fascinating loves in my life, he didn’t seem so intimidating now. Toby’s long blonde hair was a tangled mess but tied back behind his neck. His eyes studied the group around him. You could tell he noted every move, and he barely even glimpsed at his cards afraid he may miss some clue that the others would give off. He wore a leather jacket with his tux, showing that he was unlike the rest of the group.