Only Once

Chapter Twenty: Club Amboina

Chapter Twenty: Club Amboina 

The rest of the week passed by very much the same and before Spencer knew it, he and the rest of the members of The Disastrous Distraction of Chaos were gathered at Clay’s house. They had already brought the instruments to the living room and were now waiting to leave for their first gig ever.

That is, everyone was there but Russell. Being the only with a drivers license, he was their ride to the pub and had yet to arrive.

“Why isn’t he here yet?” Clay demanded as he paced back and forth in the living room. “He was supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago! Where is he?”

“Calm down,” Jesse petulantly sighed; he was tired of his brother’s contagious edginess and just wanted to do the gig and get it all over with.

Clay stopped pacing and turned to Jesse and Spencer who were both tensely seated on the couch.

“I can’t just calm down!” he shrieked. “We’re going to be end up being late and…and we may not even be able to perform. What is the point of practicing and trying so hard just to get nowhere?”

Spencer shrugged. “Don’t worry; I’m sure everything will work out.”

“Yeah,” Jesse agreed, “here just sit down and take deep breaths while thinking about relaxing thoughts.”

Clay looked helpless as Jesse got up and lead him to the couch.

“There you go,” Jesse soothingly murmured. “Simply close your eyes and take nice deep breaths. Think about the ocean! Or, or the mountains and rivers!”

Closing his eyes, Clay started taking loud deep breaths. He made a weird sound as he exhaled and his face was very pallid.

Spencer snickered. “It seems like he’s gonna give birth any minute.”

Clay’s eyes fluttered open and he glared at Spencer. “Shut up!” he hissed as Jesse burst into laughter.

Just then the door rang and Clay jumped up.

“He’s here!” he gasped and rushed to the door to open it.

“Where the hell were you?” Clay demanded when Russell entered the house.

“Sorry, sorry,” Russell apologized. “Something just came up!”

“Sure it did,” Clay muttered as he marched to the living room.

“So let’s just pack the instruments into the van,” Russell said. “Julio is here to help us.”

Julio was his older brother. He was tall, grim and in his mid-twenties.  It had been months since they’d last seen him. 

“Why’s Julio here?” Jesse curiously asked, knowing that Julio couldn’t care less about them and their band.

Russell instead gave a gawky and guilty laugh as he picked up the guitar and started taking it to the van.

Warily exchanging a glance, Clay and Spencer followed Russell with instruments in hand. It was rather strange that Julio was offering to help and even giving them a ride.

Nonetheless, soon, with the help of Julio, everything was piled in the car and ready to leave.

“So where am I taking you guys?” Julio asked in his deep, quiet and rather menacing voice.

“It’s this place called Club Amboina,” Clay nervously offered. Everyone in Russell’s family, asides from Russell himself, were extremely intimidating.