Guitar lessons (TFF)

Chapter 7

You were about to throw up. You looked up at Roland with a confused look. "Are you joking? I can't play the acoustic guitar! Especially not in front of 300 people."

"Don't worry, during the whole song you just have to strum one note the whole time. Easy. You'll just keep your hand on the same string and strum. Not too complicated"

"Um, can't Chris do it or something?"

"Now way. He's too forgetful, I mean come on, he forgot we had a gig tonight, he'd probably mess up. No one around here but you has ever played a guitar. Please do it...", Roland pleads.

Your hands are soaked with sweat, this is insane. "Roland, I've never played an acoustic guitar. I'm not doing this, I'll mess up."

"No you won't. You have to believe in yourself. I swear if you try you can do it. There's only 15 minutes till we go out there and the song won't be the same without the acoustic guitar. Will you please help us out?"

You think about this. Even if you do mess up, this is the 80's, and you'll be back home to the present sometime. No one will even care. Anyway, you wanted to have a fun summer, and what could be more fun than performing with your favorite band, live on stage. "Okay. I'll do it, I guess.", you mumble.

"Thanks __________, that's very courageous of you. I'll owe you after this.", Roland says with a grin.

He quickly shows you what you have to do. All you need to do is play a G chord. Finally Chris directs the band members to a door leading onto the stage. You fidget with the strap on the guitar as everyone walks to their spot onstage.

Roland jokes around with the crowd and puts on his guitar. Curt says something and the band is about to start playing.
Roland turns and winks at you as William begins to play the saxophone while Ian plays a few notes on the keyboard.
Things just got real.

You know when you must begin strumming your guitar and each second that goes by you get even more worried. The worst part is you are at the front of the stage where everyone can see you.
You smile for the audience and begin strumming the guitar. Roland starts to sing and play his guitar. His voice is so beautiful and he plays the guitar so well.
Being on stage with the band makes a big difference. The music is so much better and louder. You can hear Manny drumming so clearly and William's saxophone sounds so much better than when you listen to the song on your iPod.
Then your favorite part of the song comes, when Roland starts to sing "Find out, Find out what this fear is abooooooouuuuuuuuut"
Next thing you know, the song is over. Everything feels like a blur as you bow and walk off stage.

Roland is looking at you with a huge smile. "That was great! You didn't mess up at all, see?
Told ya you'd be a great guitar player one day"

"You just saved the band! Go _________!", Nicky exclaims.

"You're gonna replace Andy! You were so much better", Curt says with a small laugh.

"Way to step up and save the day ________", Manny says.

"That was nice, you have guts _______. I'm sure you were probably worried but you aced that", Ian says.

William gives you a thumbs up.

Wow. Thoughts race through your head. This morning you had arrived at the stage and had thanked Roland as he showed you a few guitar notes, now Tears for Fears were thanking you and said they owed you, what a twist of events!

"Hey, why dont we all go get drinks! There's a new bar 'round Studio A somewhere. You wanna come ________?", Manny asks.
"Yeah, you ought to come along, you deserve to have a drink or two after sticking out for us like that", Curt says.

This time you stop questioning yourself and your choices. "Yeah, I'm coming", you say confidently.

"Alright niiice", Manny says.

Once all the instruments are loaded into the bus, everyone gets inside and is joking around. At least it isn't like when you boarded the bus earlier, everyone nervous and frantic. The best part is how awesome it feels to be with the band. It's fun to feel like your part of something special.

You arrive at the bar and everyone gets a few shots. Chris had already gone home to his wife so it was just the band and the bus driver there, the bus driver wasn't drinking of course. Ian pays for everyone and soon enough they are all very drunk. William has passed out on the floor and Nicky is throwing up. The rest of the guys and you are just laughing like idiots about virtually nothing.
You glance at the clock, it's 10 o'clock.
Everyone has drank way too much as you all stagger onto the bus.

You suddenly realize you don't have anywhere to sleep. You wonder about your family back home. What are you supposed to do? But then Ian cracks a joke and you decide to live in the moment. Yet everyone is getting dropped out front of there houses. Where will you go?!

To be continued very soon

Next Chapter: You find a place to stay and a whole new day unfolds with of course, more shenanigans.