If You Only Knew

Whoa

°Brent's PoV°

Eric met us at the front of the hotel after leaving to do some visiting since we were in town. We had sound check and everything done 3 hours before the show started and we already had people lined up outside since early thing afternoon maybe even the night before. I was waiting for a reply before I head to the diner to do some catching with with my son Lyric.

*Leaving now* Lyric replied and I grabbed a pair of sunglasses and a black hoodie before I sucked out of my hotel room and heading for the rental car our manager had. The drive was short and quiet to the diner Lyric and I always meet at when I'm in town. I put the car in park and headed inside, getting us a table so when he got here I could flag him down.

The ringing of the front door of the diner rang and I looked up to see him searching for me. I raise my hand when he looked my direction and he came over to our table.

"Hey dad." He replies while doing our hand shake. It's been a few months since I've seen him face to face due to tour but we talked almost everyday. "How you been?" He asked as a waitress came by with 2 waters and menus.

"Been good, busy, but glad to have a few days off after tonight's show." I replied then took a sip of my water and looked at the menu. "What about you?" I look over at him then looked out the window for a split second.

"Been pretty good, looking into buying a house down the street from grandma and grandpa. Not that they need me but I like to keep close." He replies as he's looking at the menu.

"Ready to order?" The waitress asked after cleaning up a table not far from us. We have her our orders and she took the menus.

"That's awesome son, proud of you." I smile at him and he returns it. "How's Jeana? You pop the question to her yet?"

"I plan to after we get the house, she don't know I'm looking. It's gonna be a major surprise for her." He smiles as he thinks of Jeana. The waitress bring our food and we dig in, I was starving but didn't wanna eat so fast and have this father son time to end.

We ate and chatted a little while longer till I got a text from Zack saying I gotta get back. We hug goodbye and planned to meet up tomorrow

*At the Venue*

"I'm here." I spoke as I walked onto stage and turned towards the guys.

"Awesome, here's the setlist for tonight." Zach spoke as he gave each of us the setlist paper for tonight.

Sound of Maddness

How Did You Love

Call Me

Devil

Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)

Enemies

Monsters

Get Up

Cut the Cord

Second Chance

Simple Man

If You Only Knew

If You Only Knew? It's been a while since we've sang that one.' I thought as I read over the set list. I remember writing that song, it wasn't really supposed to be on the album but Eric talked me into it and I'm glad I did. At first I didn't want to think of the memories but I soon realized that memories is all I'm gonna have and I have cherished those memories, one of the reason why I wrote that song.

I nod to Zach and head to my dressing room to get ready for the show. I put the list on the couch and went to the attached bathroom to start getting ready. I jump in the shower to wash my hair really, then went to the sink and towel dryed my hair then grabbed my hair gel and grabbed the blow dryer to help quicken the gel drying process.

"5 minutes dude!" Zach yells with a knock to my door. I grab my leather jacket and put it on my naked torso and walked out of my dressing room and went to meet up with the guys. Eric was a little jumpy when we met up, kept looking behind him.

"Bro, you good?" I ask him as I'm putting in my ear piece and grabbing my mic and sticking it in my back pocket of my jeans. "What? Oh yeah I'm okay, just thinking over if I have everything like my picks and what not. No need to worry." He spoke but he didn't convince me but I'm not gonna press it since it's so close to show time.

We do our regular ritual thing and we stand behind the curtain as I wait for Zach's riffs of Sounds of Madness. The first note plays and a smile comes to my face and I bring the mic to my lips

Yeah, I get it you're an outcast
Always under attack always coming in last
Bringing up the past no one owes you anything
I think you need a shotgun blast a kick in the ass
So paranoid
Watch your back!

The curtain lifts and I jump out and start dancing around the stage. Man I feel free on the stage and the adrenaline was amazing. The crowd is loving everything I'm giving as they are screaming and cheering. I look out into the crowd and stop mid step when I thought saw someone but when I looked again she wasn't there. I shook it off and continued on with the show.

The song ends and I walk to my mic stand. "Hello Knoxville!!!!" I yell out in the mic and the crowd screams. "You ready to rock!? How was that first song!!!" I get a reply of screams and I look over at the guys and grin. "That's what I like to hear." Then Zach started the first note to How Do You Love and we just went right in head first, like we always do.

"Alright guys this is the last song, haven't sung it in a while." I spoke to the mic as I blot myself with my rag to swipe some of the sweat off. "This is If You Only Knew." Zach starts us off and Eric follows. I was to my mic stand and look at the first row.

If you only knew
I'm hanging by a thread
The web I spin for you
If you only knew
I'd sacrifice my beating
Heart before I lose you
I still hold onto the letters
You returned
I swear I've lived and learned

It's 4:03 and I can't sleep the crowd starts singing and I get a big smile on my face from them. I grab onto the mic to sing the rest when my eyes came in contact with the girl I once loved and lost. Vira is looking at me with that same look 10 years ago, that makes you stop and stare. I carry on with the lyrics to the song that I wrote for this girl that is standing before me in the front row. She looks beside her and there is a little girl, she has to be no more than 10 years old standing next to her singing the song like it was her last breath alive. I closed my eyes because I couldn't look no more at them, I can feel my throat tighten but I make it through the song till the end.

"We are Shinedown! Thank you and goodnight!" I yell and exit the stand as the curtain falls.