Aces High

That was when everything changed

The band- her beloved brother- would be leaving their childhood home to hit the road. To make it big. To be something. Without her. She begged and pleaded with her parent to let her go, but alas her efforts were in vain. Like any good parent, they wanted their young daughter to finish school and not hit the road with a metal band. She was a whole year from finishing schooling and would have to just tough it out. Her brother packed his things and was gone within the month, leaving her and her dreams. That was the day the music died. Most days she would hang out around the local record shops after school to try and fill the new and dark void, but it wasn't the same. Her only close friends were in that band, and now they're all gone, hundreds of miles away. Juniper was alone, down, and bored for the next year.

June 1981
Maiden is already four months into their "Killer" tour, and Juniper has just finished school. Finally, she is able to reunite with them once more. She grew up on that band, through some lineup changes of course, but nonetheless that was her entire life.
"You've reached Rod Smallwood, who's this?" Rod was their tour manager, whose number Juniper got from her parents. That was how they were able to keep in touch with their son. "I'm Juniper Harris, Steve is my older brother," she said with the utmost confidence, sure he'd know why she was calling. "How'd you get this number kid?" His words threw her completely off guard, "my parents of course," she snaps back. He chuckled. "Nice try kid. I've never heard that one before. Clever," his voice trailed off and she could tell it was him pulling the phone away from his face. "Wait-" she shouted in a last ditch effort to keep him on the line, her heart racing. But alas she was interrupted by the monotone beep signifying that she'd in fact been hung up on. She slammed the phone back on the wall receiver and kicked the long curly cord and she stomped up the terrible stairs up to her terrible room. In a fit of anger and frustration she packed all of her clothes and what little money she was able to save over the past year. She slipped on her white sneakers, threw her bag over her shoulder, and tied her Black Sabbath sweater her brother had given her around her waist as she flew back down the stairs. She threw open the front door, ready to turn her back on this life and take the one she dreamed of. But something stopped her and she turned around to look into the house once more. Was it memories? She thought of all the good times they'd had there and took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and spun back around to leave. They would have many more times like the ones she remembers, but they'd be even better. She opened her eyes and began to step outside when
***RIIIIIIIIIING***
She dropped everything and threw herself towards the kitchen to get the phone. Out of breath, she snatched up the phone and shoved it into her face. "Harris residence," she almost yells. "Hey Junebug," her eyes grew out of excitement as she immediately realized it was Steve. "Steve!" She shouts, heart pounding. "Your stupid manager hung up on me," she exclaimed still very much hostile about the issue. "Yeah," he trailed off, "we get strange people, and fans, trying to scam us or get too close," he took a deep breath. "It's all very odd," the phone fell silent for moment, and Juniper realized then just how much time had passed since he left. So much, everything, is different now. "Steve?" She questions meekly, brow furrowed as the clock continues to tick on. Stopping for no one. "-yeah, hey. I gotta get going," he seems very distracted. "W- hang on," she said hurried, "I'm leaving, I'm gonna meet you guys on the road. I only have a little money, but it should be enough to get me to your next stop," her tone a bit shaken now. "You still want me there right? Like you said? When you left..." No answer. "Steve?" She whimpered. She hears him sigh, "well here's the thing Junebug," he sighs again, "I don't really have a say in that stuff anymore, we have a manager now and he deals with all that shit." Her heart sinks. "Steve," she squeaks out, trying to prevent the lump in her throat from manifesting itself into a fit of tears. She hears him sigh once more. "Our next show is on June forth, I'll put a ticket under your name at the gate of the venue. Be there. I'll see what I can do about the rest," he said in a rushed and quiet voice. A huge smile grew on her face and he could hear it through her words. Her stomach lightened in excitement. It's finally happening, this moment she's been dreaming about, it's all coming together. They said their goodbyes and she hung the phone back on the wall. She grabbed up her belongings for the last time, and rushed out the door to the airport.
Next stop, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

~

After a painful plane flight and little to no food or water, she finally arrives at her destination. She gets to the counter, where Steve left her ticket. He's never let her down or broken a promise, and he wasn't about to start now. Security was very concerned about her bag, so she opted to leave it with them to make the venue owner feel better about himself. After all, she wasn't American so they already didn't like her. Juniper skates through security and is free to walk about the venue. As people are still filing in, she slowly makes her way to the very front of the stage, taking in the scenery as she goes. Now all that's between her and the stage is a barricade and a few security guards. As time passes on the venue fills in pretty good, and the lights fall to nothingness. The roar of fans begins to rise, and the stage is lit up in a dull blue as members of the group join each other on stage one by one. "I miss this," she whispered to herself as the first notes have been played. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, taking everything in. She stuck out her hands and grabbed hold of the barricade in front of her, taking in the vibrations through her fingers. The bass and drums pulsate and soon becomes her heartbeat, and she feels at peace once more. Finally. As she lets go of her breath her eyes shot open, and makes immediate eye contact with her brother. She waved and he smiled back at her.

The show ended as it had started, with the roar of an excited audience and blacked out lights. Juniper stayed right where she had been for the entire show as the overhead lights come back on and fans start to file out. Security came to push out all the stragglers, but she insisted on staying put. She told the guard her story, and just like Rod, he believed none of it. She stood her ground with persistence, which only pissed the guard off. Finally a man Juniper could only assume was Rod showed up on the other side of the barricade and called her name. Her head spun around and the man shewed the guard away. "Rod," he stuck his hand out over the barricade to meet hers. He gestured for her to follow him through a doorway to the left of the stage. "My apologies," he said to break the silence as they walked through the long, dim hallway together. She looked up at him. "For the phone call the other day," he clarified. That was the last thing on her mind right now, she was still in a haze from the show. That was the biggest venue she had ever seen, other than in photographs, and it completely blew her mind. He led her into an open room that had a few photographers and journalists crowded around the young boys who had just put on a show for an unbelievable amount of people. Or at least, it was unbelievable to Juniper. To her this band was just her brother and a few local boys she grew up with, but to the rest of the world they were Gods. "Steve!" She blurted out as she caught sight of him through the camera flashes. "Junebug," he called back as he pushed past the people. She ran up to him and threw her arms around his torso. Rod proceeded to push the crowd out of the room. Juniper said her hellos to the rest of the boys and they soon thereafter left. This now dark and ominous building once held such light and life, a mere hour ago. It was time to hit the road again. As they walked onto the tour bus, Rod stopped Juniper. He reached into his bag and grabbed out a black T-shirt. "Here," he tossed it to her from the top step of the bus. "It's the smallest size we have, hope that works," he turned and disappeared into the bus. She unfolds the shirt. The front left breast reads "CREW" and the back has the tour dates and album artwork from "Killer". She tries and fails to fight back her smile as she joins the lot of them on the bus.