The Black Dog Apparition
Chapter 9
Bret’s Point of View
Sitting on my amp. Waiting for our stage time. Practicing a few measures from an unreleased song on my bass. Failing miserably at it. Sweating my ass off. Just a normal day at the Warped Tour. Michael still hadn’t given up the fight about whether or not he had been sleeping or not. Laura sure had.
Jen, Laura, and I had all agreed that we couldn’t leave Mikey alone, and that pissed him off to a new degree. Right now Jen was babysitting him, and babysitting him wherever that band - Fall Out Boy? - was, or wherever they were going to be. God, why was she so engrossed in that - that pretty boy? All she did was talk and talk and talk our ears off about Pete Wentz, Patrick Stump yada yada yada. I could at least stand it when all she would talk about was Gerard Way. At least I liked My Chem.
30 Minutes Later
In front of a crowd of people. On Smartpunk Stage again. Sitting on my amp. Tuning my instrument. Practicing a few measures from an unreleased song. Getting better at it. Still sweating my ass off, even after taking off my sweatshirt. Just a normal day at the Warped Tour.
Once we had all fully tuned our instruments, we stood to play. Looking out into the sea of either fans, or soon-to-become fans, they never ceased to amaze me. And they never ceased to put a smartass smirk on my face. For all my dad had told me what I wasn’t going to be, this was what he could never take away from me: what I was.
Beat this, motherfucker.
Laura started a vocal solo, soon there after joined in by Michael.
Find a way to shred away
Rip the metal like string
They’ll never find you in the night
But only if you stray from the light
Pray to a god
Shut your eyes and shut the door
Turn away and disappear
Forevermore
Jen and I jumped in to an energetic beat, and when the bridge came around, I set my lips to the microphone and sang my backing part, having to look down every once in a while to check my fingering. the transition between the bridge and chorus was rough, unlike what we had practiced, but it was our only screw up.
Drown your fears
In the river of tears
Blacker than the dark around
Hiding amongst the bleeding hearts
That betray you with their beating sound
They’ll call your name
And let you know you’re not the same
Their shadows striking your’s
Baby, I am nothing to adore
Don’t let me go to sleep
I just might sleep too deep
Laura stepped away from the microphone, and Jen leaned forward towards hers which was hanging above her drum set. This was inconceivably unconventional, but we didn’t give two shits, now did we? It was easy to decipher that Jennifer had begun singing. Her soprano voice compared to Laura’s alto made no room for confusion.
This day has become far too familiar
Time for a change of sight
Tell me, why is it so cold tonight?
Feel the hand of ice
Rip apart your insides
Bathed in your best gown of red
Baby, it’s not in my head!
Drown your fears
In the river of tears
Blacker than the dark around
Hiding amongst the bleeding hearts
That betray you with their beating sound
They’ll call your name
And let you know you’re not the same
Their shadows striking your’s
Baby, I am nothing to adore
Don’t let me go to sleep
I just might sleep too deep
Laura took her spot at her microphone again and the two sang a duet, Michael and I leading our instruments to the climax of the song.
I just might sleep too deep
(sleep too deep)
I just might sleep too deep
(sleep too deep)
I just might sleep too deep
So keep me wide awake
And protect me for sanity’s sake
Let me prove I’m nothing more
Than something you’ve seen before
So keep me wide awake
And let me leave this place
With two re-plays of the chorus, and another bridge, I leapt on top of one of the shorter amps and played the last few power chords. Michael returned to his spot on the stage after teasing the mosh pit. But Jen was, by far, the most impressive. Once she had finished her part of playing, she ran out from behind her drum set and launched herself into the horde of people. Laura wasn’t even done with what few solo lyrics were left!
I didn’t even think. I think, in hindsight, it was best I didn’t. Maybe it was the adrenaline of being in front of so many people who either loved us or hated us. Maybe it was because I was dehydrated, and I couldn’t think straight. Or maybe it was because I thought the lyrics Laura sang were lies. Well, at least one of them. She was something to adore.
I can’t explain why I did it. But I did.
I kissed her.
Full and perfect on her lips. Just like one of those kissed you read about in books, or see in movies. Except this one was better than any other kiss I’d seen or heard or read about. It wasn’t awkward, it wasn’t wrong in any way. It was just… right.
I pulled away when I heard the ‘Awww’-ing of the girls and a few whistles from the guys. I could feel the red color flood my face and I stepped away, still looking at Laura’s shocked but smiling face, and I started the first few bass beats to ‘Satan is My Valentine’.
Finally, I did something right.
Sitting on my amp. Waiting for our stage time. Practicing a few measures from an unreleased song on my bass. Failing miserably at it. Sweating my ass off. Just a normal day at the Warped Tour. Michael still hadn’t given up the fight about whether or not he had been sleeping or not. Laura sure had.
Jen, Laura, and I had all agreed that we couldn’t leave Mikey alone, and that pissed him off to a new degree. Right now Jen was babysitting him, and babysitting him wherever that band - Fall Out Boy? - was, or wherever they were going to be. God, why was she so engrossed in that - that pretty boy? All she did was talk and talk and talk our ears off about Pete Wentz, Patrick Stump yada yada yada. I could at least stand it when all she would talk about was Gerard Way. At least I liked My Chem.
30 Minutes Later
In front of a crowd of people. On Smartpunk Stage again. Sitting on my amp. Tuning my instrument. Practicing a few measures from an unreleased song. Getting better at it. Still sweating my ass off, even after taking off my sweatshirt. Just a normal day at the Warped Tour.
Once we had all fully tuned our instruments, we stood to play. Looking out into the sea of either fans, or soon-to-become fans, they never ceased to amaze me. And they never ceased to put a smartass smirk on my face. For all my dad had told me what I wasn’t going to be, this was what he could never take away from me: what I was.
Beat this, motherfucker.
Laura started a vocal solo, soon there after joined in by Michael.
Find a way to shred away
Rip the metal like string
They’ll never find you in the night
But only if you stray from the light
Pray to a god
Shut your eyes and shut the door
Turn away and disappear
Forevermore
Jen and I jumped in to an energetic beat, and when the bridge came around, I set my lips to the microphone and sang my backing part, having to look down every once in a while to check my fingering. the transition between the bridge and chorus was rough, unlike what we had practiced, but it was our only screw up.
Drown your fears
In the river of tears
Blacker than the dark around
Hiding amongst the bleeding hearts
That betray you with their beating sound
They’ll call your name
And let you know you’re not the same
Their shadows striking your’s
Baby, I am nothing to adore
Don’t let me go to sleep
I just might sleep too deep
Laura stepped away from the microphone, and Jen leaned forward towards hers which was hanging above her drum set. This was inconceivably unconventional, but we didn’t give two shits, now did we? It was easy to decipher that Jennifer had begun singing. Her soprano voice compared to Laura’s alto made no room for confusion.
This day has become far too familiar
Time for a change of sight
Tell me, why is it so cold tonight?
Feel the hand of ice
Rip apart your insides
Bathed in your best gown of red
Baby, it’s not in my head!
Drown your fears
In the river of tears
Blacker than the dark around
Hiding amongst the bleeding hearts
That betray you with their beating sound
They’ll call your name
And let you know you’re not the same
Their shadows striking your’s
Baby, I am nothing to adore
Don’t let me go to sleep
I just might sleep too deep
Laura took her spot at her microphone again and the two sang a duet, Michael and I leading our instruments to the climax of the song.
I just might sleep too deep
(sleep too deep)
I just might sleep too deep
(sleep too deep)
I just might sleep too deep
So keep me wide awake
And protect me for sanity’s sake
Let me prove I’m nothing more
Than something you’ve seen before
So keep me wide awake
And let me leave this place
With two re-plays of the chorus, and another bridge, I leapt on top of one of the shorter amps and played the last few power chords. Michael returned to his spot on the stage after teasing the mosh pit. But Jen was, by far, the most impressive. Once she had finished her part of playing, she ran out from behind her drum set and launched herself into the horde of people. Laura wasn’t even done with what few solo lyrics were left!
I didn’t even think. I think, in hindsight, it was best I didn’t. Maybe it was the adrenaline of being in front of so many people who either loved us or hated us. Maybe it was because I was dehydrated, and I couldn’t think straight. Or maybe it was because I thought the lyrics Laura sang were lies. Well, at least one of them. She was something to adore.
I can’t explain why I did it. But I did.
I kissed her.
Full and perfect on her lips. Just like one of those kissed you read about in books, or see in movies. Except this one was better than any other kiss I’d seen or heard or read about. It wasn’t awkward, it wasn’t wrong in any way. It was just… right.
I pulled away when I heard the ‘Awww’-ing of the girls and a few whistles from the guys. I could feel the red color flood my face and I stepped away, still looking at Laura’s shocked but smiling face, and I started the first few bass beats to ‘Satan is My Valentine’.
Finally, I did something right.