You Fall But I Will Shine

Chapter I: A Friend Over A Record Deal? As If!

I just wanna live while I'm alive - Bon Jovi, It's My Life

Hello, is this Nicki Rogers?

Yeah. Who's this?

This is Saphira Maples from Deck's Records, can you put your band, Blasphemy, on speaker? That's if they're with you.

I did as I was told and the band crowded around my Samsung Galaxy.

You're on.

We would like to offer you a record deal after seeing your YouTube channel. I have to say it is inspirational and hell, would I have loved to see you when I was younger. Punk musicians with talent is hard to come by, y'know? We'd like you to swing by the studios in Manchester on Wednesday at ten AM so you can sign, whatcha say?

God, this is absolutely amazing, we'll be there.

~~~***~~~

Two days after the call

"This is everything we've dreamed of! You're just gonna let that slip?" I snap at Benjy. He had been my life long friend, my rock and now he was giving up on me, on the band and everything we've worked for.

"Everything you've dreamed of, do they really want to have people tell us what to do with out music, our look, our outlook? Are you ready for a life of sex, booze and drugs?" Benjy shouts. "Who the hell are you to tell them what they dream of!" I look nervously to the others. We had just been given the contract we wanted, we needed, to make our fame. Maybe he was right, maybe it's me drumming ideas into their heads, but from their smirks I know this is what they want. This is what we've rehearsed for, written music for and skipped university for. This is what Blasphemy needs, this our lucky breakthrough in a world where new Punk Rock bands are scarce.

"Look at them, they want this and we can't do this without a drummer," I say softly. Shouting isn't going to get us anywhere.

"Then find yourself a new drummer, I quit," he snarls and storms out of the room, kicking the bass drum and puncturing the skin. Fra let out a small gasp and stood up, he wasn't the violent type but when he was upset, you really didn't want to be the cause. That wasn't nice, that was Fra's dad's old drumkit that he had leant us. The last we saw of him was a flick of that amazing long, dark blue hair that matched mine but looked a lot better on him.

"So what, we can patch that up," Raina announced, standing up. All of her deep red hair is gathered on one side, showing the shaved side of her head. "It's not hard and we'll just have to blackmail him to buy a new one."

"Yeah but do you reckon they'd still want us without a drummer?" I ask. I think of all the bands without a drummer and the only one, off of the top of my head, is My Chemical Romance, but Gerard Way was talented enough to get the band through with his torturing lyrics and haunting voice. And it wasn't like Mikey Way, Ray Toro and Frank Iero were crap either.

"Look, I bet these things happen all the time. They'll be able to find us a new drummer in no time. Don't worry Nicki."

"He's got nothing to worry about," Fra's dad, Eoin, mutters. I only just realised he was there and patching up the broken skin. "It's Benjy who has to watch out, I was meant to bring this in to work tomorrow for a band. I can't give them this crap now. At least he had the decency to tell me someone kicked it in." Fra laughs and plops back down on one of the beanies. Eoin picks up the tape and steps back. "Anyway, congrats on the record and getting your first time radio performance with Rock That Way radio station. You must be thrilled to be interviewed by the Eoin Harley."

"You're not the," Fra grunts and picks up his electric guitar, moving into position behind his backing mic.

"I'm guessing that's my cue to get lost," Eoin says cheerfully. "See you lot at the studio at ten on Sunday, that's two days time so have something fresh prepared." Fra begins strumming on the guitar loudly, drowning out the sound of his dad's footsteps.