That Thing You Do! (Multiband Fan Fic)

Chapter 26 - Stages

Katie's P.O.V

"Do go on..." Dylan spoke with a posh tone, as we stood outside the Star Lounge, packing up our gear.
"What? Oh! Stage freight! I forgot all about that." We opened up the van doors and took a seat next to each other, our feet hanging out the van.
"What happened?" My best friend asked me, pulling out a smoke, from his pocket.
"So, it was Christmas... I had a small role in the school play. This was back in England, when I was like... Six? No, I wanna say seven... They thought it would be a good idea to have me play a good part, 'cause my folks had split up, then my dad passed... I had this paragraph... I had it all down, until I was up on the stage... All eyes on me. I couldn't speak. My mouth went dry. My part even held a piece of paper, right? So I had my lines right in front of me. I was supposed to be reading a guy his rights, or something. I think I was telling someone what my character saw or something... I don't know, but I couldn't get the words out. I stood there for five minutes... Everyone was looking at me and I could hear all the other kids laughing at me. My mum walked into the school hall right at that moment... As soon as we locked eyes, I ran off the stage... Dylan, I'm not good under pressure. I'm scared I'm going to forget everything, I'm scared I won't be able to sing." I poured it all out, wanting it to be over as soon as. "After the show, everyone was looking at me and all the parents whispering. They even went as far as pointing it out to my mum! One woman said, literally to my mum! 'My daughter would of been better for that role. She knows how to speak'..."

"Jesus, Monroe... I'm sorry. Really. You can't quit this band, though!" Dylan looked at me, cradling his smoke.
"I'm better when I have people around me. I can do it then, but not on my own..." I frowned, looking down the street.
"Hey." Dylan put his arm over my shoulders. "I'm here. I'm right besides you... We need to start practicing with the roly-polies."
I let out a huff of a laugh. "Let's go home. Tomorrow." I smiled at my friend.
"Tomorrow." He smiled back.

. . .

"Fucking, Jesus!" Eddie cried out, as he and Dylan collided again, lying centre stage.
"From the top!" I clapped my hands, stood at the drum kit, with Stevie sat at his drums, on my right.
"No! Let's try it with our guitars!" Dylan looked up at me, dusting himself off.
"OK, Eddie... Don't worry about playing, for right now, just when you roll, hold the neck to your left. Out!" I grabbed my guitar and showed him how Dylan and I discussed.
"OK. You two show me, and I'll try it." Eddie stood to the side, grabbing his bass from the guitar stands we had on stage left.

I smiled and Dylan and I stood on opposite sides of the stage.
"So, why did'n Todd come back with us, lass night?" Stevie asked, watching us from his throne.
"Oh, he said he has a cousin, or someone, who lives close by. He didn't realise how close, until he got here to Boston, so he's staying with them." Eddie explained, watching Dylan and I.
"Oh, righ'... E's a bit... Stuck up?" Stevie searched for the right word.
"Christ!" Dylan laughed, as we almost hit each other.
"I wanna play and roll." I smiled at him, as I got up again.

"Can you roll, then come into a standing?" Eddie asked me. "And yeah, Stevie, he can be, but he's really great, once ya get to know him."
Stevie nodded, before hitting his drums some.
"Look What The Cat Dragged In." I told him, before I started to play.
Stevie quickly followed in and I gave a few trail runs of the roll and stand.

I fucked up my playing a couple of times, so I decided to just play, standing still, before I did a roll. I landed it and walked to Dylan's side of the stage, still playing. Eddie joined in, as he had this song down to a T. We both rolled and landed it, before Dylan joined it.
As we went back and forth, soon starting the song up again for a second time, the venues doors opened and Todd walked in.

We got to the end of the song, with no falls or trips, and we turned to our singer. He wore a cardboard cone hat, with 'Happy Birthday' written on it.
"If it's your birthday. You could of told us!" I looked at him.
"Not mine..." Todd looked at us, turning to Eddie. "Happy birthday, Riot!"
I looked at Dylan, who looked at me, then we looked back at Stevie, all of us in the dark of this.
"Eddie?" Dylan looked at us.
"My birthday is on the 9th... You all missed it. You guys missed it by ages!" He looked at us all.

I placed a hand over my heart. "After everything we've done for you!" I gasped, taking a couple of steps back from him, as he stood on my left. "We've bought you drinks... I let you in my house... You met Joe!" I started to 'cry'. "I even... Gave you my... my... my duvet!"
Eddie snickered, shaking his head at me. "It's not a big deal. We gotta practice."
"We got'ta go owt f'r dinner!" Stevie throw his drumsticks at Eddie.
"I've sorted a party out for you, man!" Todd smiled, pointing back at the venue doors.
"Dude, we gotta practice! We'll go out for some Italian later! I know an amazing place! Also, you did say it was before we met you." I smiled, turning to Eddie from Todd. "It's just dinner then. No party, if you don't want."
"Great! Thanks." Eddie smiled, saying 'no' to the celebrations.
"You're buying your own drinks though, for not telling us." Dylan pulled a Dylan.
"I'll accept that." Eddie smiled, nodding.

. . .

"So, we have... Look What The Cat Dragged In, Talk Dirty To Me, Play Dirty, Blame It On You, Let Me Go To The Show..." Dylan read over our finished songs.
We were all sat on the stage, in a circle. Vikki was with us, sat next to Dylan... Good friends... Just good friends... Great friends... They hug a lot... Stare at each other... Just get together already!
"We need more..." I thought about it. "That's only five."
"I have some, though. Those are just Dylan's songs." Eddie pointed out.
"How many you got?" Vikki asked him.
"Three." He replied.
"We need a band name!" Todd was frustrated.