TBTILAF

Part 1, Chapter 13

Vyola looked over the set list with Patience and Jjeni. Vyola frowned. Jjeni chewed nervously on the end of her hair. Patience shook her head. They began crossing things out.

Jjeni crossed out the first song, a lyrical ballad that was a favorite of theirs, Best Girl, and replaced it with Make You. Patience nodded her approval at that one and then wrote in the title of a song that she sang but that they didn't often do because of the raw lyrics: Juice.

"This crowd will appreciate that one," Vyola said. Patience grunted in reply.

"Totally. It's perfectly raunchy and immature. I just hope I can get the changes. It's been a while. Jjeni, can you drive that one?"

"No worries," Jjeni said.

They left in When, Where, Why and changed the fourth one to Panicked Outside.

Jjeni smoothed down the damp end of her hair. "Think we'll make it four songs in?"

Another crashing sound from the stage followed by a roar from the crowd interrupted them.

Vyola took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"We'll know in a couple of minutes."

A skinny kid covered in ink and studded with piercings approached them quickly. Wall Tall immediately took a step forward, literally casting a shadow across them. The kid reeled back and stopped.

Vyola put her hand on Wall Tall's massive forarm.

"It's okay, Wall. He's the stage manager."

Jjeni and Patience scooted around Wall Tall and began to follow the SM. Vyola hung back for a moment as they left.

"Hey, Wall," she said, "Can I have my meds now."

Wall Tall looked at his watch.

"The next pill is due in ten minutes," he said.

Vyola cleared her throat, "Uhm, Wall. I'm going to be on stage singing in five minutes so I kinda need to take it now."

Wall regarded her with narrowed eyes.

"Okay. Makes sense." He reached into his jacket pocket, produced the bottle, opened it and handed her the pill.

Vyola swallowed it and ran to catch up with her girls. Patience was already on stage, setting up the mixer and connecting to the club's gear. Jjeni was swapping in her snares and cymbals. Vyola assisted with the mics and adjusted the stands.

"We need engineers," Patience said.

Vyola laughed. They were usually sweaty before they even started performing. San Francisco was the first venue they ever played that Jjeni didn't have to lug her breakables out by herself and the stage was sound ready for them.

"Someday soon, Pate. At least we now own some of this stuff."

Vyola looked around for the stage manager and caught his eye. She put up two fingers. Two minutes more and they were ready.

Jjeni settled in at the drums and gave Vyola a high sign. She and Patience did a final sound check and run through of the first few lines of Juice. It was a small club, but they found the acoustics and the sound board were decent here.

The house lights went down and the stage lights came up as the MC introduced them. It was a quick one, "girlRulz!"

Whistles and catcalls greeted them but they were immediately drowned out in the music. Make You seemed to go well and by the end there were more cheers than jeers.

Patience stepped up to her mic to introduce Juice and the shouting started again. They usually like to talk a bit to the crowd, but this bunch was having none of it. Patience counted into the song, "One, two, six, twelve,"

"No need to talk or get to know me

I'm feeling high and loose

I don't want to know your name

I want to drink your juice.

Forget about the game you're playing

You're trying way too hard

You look like someone I can take

Out to my back yard.

I'm feeling high and loose

Give me some of that juice.

Let's get outta here right now

Before I change my mind

But just to let you know

I'm not that kind.

I'm feeling high and loose

I need your juice."

On the last drum beat a bottle flew past Patience's head, simultaneously showering her in beer. She was instantly furious and unplugged her guitar. She grabbed the bottle, which had landed by the front of Jj's drum kit and threw it back out into the crowd. The crowd shouted their approval and rushed toward the front of the stage. Wall Tall was there in a second, towering over the club's other security. A chant rose from the crowd, "Pull her off, pull her off."

Vyola felt a tightness in her chest that was becoming way too familiar. Jjeni and Patience were shouting to her but she couldn't hear. There was a buzzing in her ears. She watched glued to the spot as a guy began to crawl up onto the stage and then Wall Tall was there in front of her. He picked the guy up and flung him back into the crowd. Cups and bottles were flying like missiles toward the stage. All the while Vyola just stared at the melee. Jjeni ducked and ran, and Patience practically tackled Vyola off the stage. She shook her.

"Vy, what's wrong? Vy!" Patience was shaking her and rubbing her face. Vyola finally was able to focus. Patience's angry look was gone. She looked pale as a ghost.

"Are you okay?" she asked her again.

"Yeah, yeah," Vyola answered finally.

"Damn, Vy. You just froze out there." Patience hugged her and Jjeni joined their huddle. Wall Tall appeared next to them.

"Let's go," he said.

"But our equipment," Jjeni protested.

"They are getting it for you."

Sure enough, security, the stage manager and the MC were on stage, rapidly breaking down their setup.

"I asked nicely," Wall Tall said.

Their driver pulled the car around to the stage door and the men proceeded to load everything up for them as well. The largest of them would not look Wall Tall in the eye. They kept their eyes off the girls as if they were Catholic school boys under the gaze of the head nun. The stage manager handed their check to Wall Tall without another word.

"What did you say them Wall Tall?" Patience asked after they were under way.

Vyola propped herselfagainst one of his large arms and Patience leaned on his other. Jjeni threw herlegs across the other seat. Wall Tall simply smiled.