The Dip and the Resurface

Part 7

Tyler
~ 2 months later ~

I walked up to the arena where Josh and I were to play tonight; the same arena where I had met her. The mysterious Margarita Girl. The girl who had become the ghost roaming around my head ever since that night three months ago. She had kept me sane and insane at the same time and I wasn't quite sure how I felt about it.

I had kept the thought of her to myself and I had been pretty sure that Josh hadn't noticed. Of course, that was right up until the moment he had told me how he had actually planned a gig at the arena where she worked. The arena we were standing in front of right now.

Josh walked up to me, "Nervous?" He asked.

"A bit," I admitted. Might as well be honest with him.

"Don't worry. It's just a show like any other," he said and patted my back.

But it wasn't. I had played in front that many people before. I had filled stadiums as big as this one before. Hell, I had even played the setlist almost every night for 4 months, but the mere thought of her hearing - and seeing - me here was enough to freak me out.

It was stupid, really, why was I so nervous? She was just a girl that I had talked to for a few hours, I tried to convince myself.

Still, she hadn't just been some girl. She had been different. She had been cool. More than any girl I had ever met before. Cool like Josh, to be honest. But that was all. I didn't have a crush on her. And I sure as hell wasn't even remotely in love with her. Fascinated seemed to be the right word to use to describe how I felt about her and why I was so nervous of seeing her again - if she wanted to see me as well, that was. She would probably recognise me on stage, and then she would have to take the next active step and actually come find and me if she wanted to talk to me. It was, after all, easier for her to find me than it was for me to find her in the crowd.

-

I looked at my watch. 8.55 p.m. Show start in 5 minutes.

Frank, one of the crew members, set the specially-made car on fire while I pulled on my ski mask backstage. Josh was waiting on the other side of the stage already wearing his mask with a lit torch in one hand. Our intro music started, and Josh sent me a small nod and a thumbs up from the other side of the stage. I nodded in return to show him I was ready.

He did his ritual: three short jumps before he climbed up the stairs to the stage. As he emerged upstairs, I could hear the crowd screaming in excitement. I was rather impressed with our British fans as we had sold out the concert even though the show was only announced about one and a half month before. At that moment, all the thoughts of Margarita Girl vanished and I reminded myself that I was doing this for the fans - as well as for myself. After all, I never felt more alive than when I was on stage.

Josh took his seat behind the drums and started playing the intro to one of my favourite songs to play live; 'Fairly Local'.

"LONDON! LET'S DO THIS" I screamed right before I jumped on stage with a roar from the audience.

Best! High! Ever!

-

After the concert, Josh and I met up backstage.

"Brilliant," he said, while hugging me. Something we always did after a concert, "you were fucking brilliant tonight!"

"So were you! Good save during Doubt!"

"Yeah, I'm glad I had an extra drum stick," he laughed, "I hope the girl I hit is alright."

We laughed and talked about the concert all the way to the green room where Josh got us both a beer.