Thanks to Mike's infamous fearless drive style, which nothing can stop, not even snow, the ride to the Moore Theater is extremely quick. Anyway, given the restricted space, the impossibility to escape and Meg's firm grip on me, I couldn't avoid a couple of the thousands snapshots taken by Eddie on the van. If he goes on like this, he's gonna use up all the film before the beginning of the show. I've created a monster! When we get to the concert location, nobody's there yet, also because it's still too early. While the guys are intent on unloading their instruments, Meg, Laura, Melanie and I sneak into the venue from the service entrance, following the echo of Alice in Chains' soundcheck to find the way. Meg is clearly trying to grin and bear it, but I know her and it's clear as day that, if she could, she'd gladly push Mike's new flame down the narrow stairway we're walking through. Each time Melanie mentions McCready, that is each time she opens her mouth, me and Laura share a knowing look full of terror. She's probably thinking about our common friend's homicidal intentions too. Fortunately, we all arrive safe and sound to the side of the stage, while the band is rehearsing I can't remember under the careful eyes of the two big chiefs : Susan, Alice's manager, and Kellly, Mookie's manager.
"Hey!" Curtis addresses us as soon as he sees us "If you're here, it means the guys are too. Gotta go!"
"Hi!" we manage to tell him before he disappears into thin air.
"Hi girls. Oh, hi kiddo!" Susan greets us, barely taking her eyes and her pen off the organizer, and even though she didn't do it on purpose, she doesn't miss the opportunity to make me feel the child of the pack. As if I didn't know already! Sure, the extralarge rainbow striped sweater springing out from my jacket doesn't help.
"Hi, Susan, we haven't met yet, I'm Melanie, Mike's girlfriend, nice to meet you!" the girl introduces herself with all her load of enthralling energy. Not enthralling enough for Susan, who just sets her perplexed eyes on Melanie, then on Meg, then again on Melanie as she weakly shakes her hand. My roommate, maybe as a way to escape the embarrassment of the whole situation, calls Layne aloud waving her arms about and catches the attention of the singer, who smiles and greets her, like everyone else in the band. Jerry immediately lifts his head up and looks for me, then winks at me as soon as he spots me in the small group.
"I hope there'll be a lot of people, despite the snow" Laura notes.
"Sure they will! Except for the small show at the Off Ramp two months ago and the short thing in Renton yersterday, this is gonna be the first real concert round here after a long time, and it's in Seattle. It's their official homecoming, fans would even ride a sleigh up here to see them, trust me" the manager proudly answers. Meanwhile I can't take my eyes off Jerry and pretend I'm paying the greatest attention to the soundcheck, as I take off my jacket.
If we had already gone public, at this point I could get close to the edge of the stage to greet him and he would walk towards me and crouch down to kiss me, while playing, then go back to work. And it would be totally normal, nobody would say nothing against it, because I'd be the guitarist's girlfriend. The girlfriend of Alice in Chains' guitarist. Me. Oh. My. God. It seems almost unreal when I say it, and... Ugh, Angela, you must stop this silly fangirling, shit, you're his girlfriend, try to act cool, try and deal with this thing as an adult, for once.
As I try to make up my mind, Mookie Blaylock join us, announced by the unmistakable flash of Eddie's Polaroid behind our back. Susan says hi, then politely excuses herself when the damned device hanging on her belt starts ringing. I hope Jerry won't become so famous that he'll start going out with one of those portable phones like yuppies. Hahaha I can't picture him like that!
"Hey, Ed, why don't you take a picture of us?" Melanie suggests, placing her arm around my shoulders and doing the same with Laura on the other side. Thank god Meg wasn't close to her or the boxing match would have started straight away, I'm sure about it.
YOU ARE READING
Wait until the music's over
FanfictionWait until the music's over is a story of love, secrets, regrets, what-ifs and of course... music! The story begins in 1990, when Angie Pacifico, a young film student, and wannabe screenwriter, moves from Idaho to the Emerald City. She meets a young...