Ecstasy

Chapter 6

Tyson:

"What are you doing?" I asked staring out the back door as my stomach churned a terrible feeling swelling inside me.
I stared out into the backyard and eyed the old petrol drum spewing flames and the whole pile of household stuff and clothes sitting next to it. I watched as Dad held clothes over the fire burning them to dust. I recognised the skirts and shirts as my mothers.

"Where's Mum?" I asked apprehensible. I didn't really want to know the answer, in case he replied by pointing to the drum. I swallowed as he just shook his head and chucked two of Mum's jewellery boxes into the fire. My face paled as he pulled out a ring out of his pocket and tugged his off his left hand throwing them into the drum with contempt on his face.

I couldn't breathe as shock was consuming me. What had he done with her?

"What did you do to her? Where is Mum?" I demanded.

He looked up at me and gave me the most unfeeling glare, "gone." He said it with out shouting, without raising his voice, but the tone in his voice produced the most uncomfortable shiver and goosebumps down my back.

I was panting, I felt sick, my stomach was doing backflips as I thought about the other night.

I awoke with as start and vomited over the side of the couch. My heart was pumping a million miles a minute. I shook my head trying to rid my mind of the old memories, brought back to life after seven years.

"Whoa Sonny, take it easy," someone said as they slid a bucket under my chin catching only a quarter of the mess.

I looked up at the voice, a short guy with died red hair grinned at me.

"Hey Nate," I choked. He just laughed.

"Party too hard?" he smirked, I made a face. "Yeah, too hard," I said under my breath. I ran my hands through my hair trying to swallow. I grabbed the water bottle on the coffee table.

"Well too bad, we have rehearsal and need you at Sean's place in fifteen minutes."
I groaned pulling on my hair. "Now?" I complained. Ugh I can't deal with noise at the moment. My head is about to explode.

"Yup." He said jumping up and down on the spot.

I moaned, "Why?"

"Oh come on Tyson! You missed the last three rehearsals. We have a gig on next Friday; we need to be tuned up."

"Fine," I said finally. I stood up and stretched.

***

As we approached the house I heard Jarrah's beats banging out through the basement windows, he was practicing the drum line of my latest song. I noticed he was a little too fast for the guitar score.

Nate jumped up the front steps in his hyperactive way and knocked on the door. A moment later Sean opened it.

"Finally," he groaned, "you got him," he glared at me. I just rolled my eyes as I stepped in the door.

"Where have you been? We haven't seen you for weeks!" Sean complained.

"Not that long actually," I mumbled, following him and Nate down the stairs into the basement.

Jarrah stopped drumming and looked up from his sticks. "Sonny!" he said in his deep voice. I just waved.

I looked back at Sean who was watching me waiting.

"What?" I asked.

He just shrugged and walked over to our equipment. I watched as he stooped to pick up my guitar, my eyes followed the cobalt blue electric Gibson through the air as chucked it at me. I stepped forward and caught it quickly. "Watch it!" I cried, fumbling with it as I adjusted it in my hands.

He just chuckled, informing me that I was forgiven, "plug it in."

I just shook my head, too tired to smile back. I pulled the strap over my head and walked over to the amp, turning it on and plugging it in. I grabbed the sheet music on top of the amp before I walked back to Sean. Nate had already turned on his base and was tuning.

I sighed as the noise pricked at my headache. I stood reading my squiggly written letters, trying to remember the cords. "Where's Lilly?" I asked not looking up.

Sean stopped fiddling with the crap microphone he used, "She's coming, I think." I noticed him look down at his watch in my peripheral vision. Anxious? I wouldn't be surprised.

Speak of the devil, she walked in. Her bright purple hair messed up and her heavy eyelined eye's smudged. She walked up to Sean and without a word plastered her mouth on his. "Hey Babe," he said when they had come up for air. I made a disgusted face. "Get a room."

"All in good time Sonny," Lilly replied once she had released him, shooting me a suggestive smile.

I made sure I looked repulsed. She giggled.

"Can we start already?" Jarrah asked, his dark skin sweaty from his warm up and his fingers twitching on his sticks.

I rooted around in my pocket looking for my pick before strumming a few strings tuning them to each other.

Sean waited patiently enough for me, I purposely took my time and then finally looked up smirking.

"You done yet?" he asked his arm leaning on the microphone stand.

"Yup," I said, turning to Jarrah, "um Jarrah take it a little slower on the new number." He nodded, "Right..." my sentence trailed off as I started strumming cords. Jarrah recognised my choice of song and came in with the drums, Nate came shortly after.

It was when Sean came in with the vocals and the noise was at its peek I gritted my teeth, my head throbbing. Nate jumped around, seeming to dance with his bass.
My written music threading together; the instruments combining making sound and noise, that even though it hurt my head, sounded good. Sean's voice was perfect, and Lilly's as she came in for the chorus was right on par. It was a good combination. It was what we decided, even though I wrote the songs, Sean would be better at singing them. I didn't disagree, but I couldn't help sometimes singing under my breath at the best parts.