Rum and Coke

“Ellie, I don’t think I can do it anymore,” Bailey. They were recording Sean’s song and she couldn’t be more emotional.

“It’ll be okay, Bails,” Ellie told her best friend from the heart.

Tears were already beginning to leak out of her eyes. “I-I-oh god.”

Ellie immediately seized Bailey in her arms and held her tightly. Once when she felt that the other girl had calmed down, Ellie rubbed Bailey’s back and spoke softly: “I have a few ideas, okay? But first I need to know if you want to pull the song or not.”

“No, I want to keep it,” Bailey whispered into Ellie’s shoulder. “I just- it’s going to take sometime for me to get through it.”

“That’s fine. This can be the one that we do several takes on, okay? The others will understand.”

Bailey nodded her head and wiped her tears. “God, I feel like such a big baby. I’m so sorry.” She forced out a chuckle.

“Hey, no worries. If it were me, I’d probably be the same way.”

“Yea, right. You don’t let anything get to you, Ellie.”

Ellie shrugged.

“Hey, Bails, how are you feeling?” Mark asked, wrapping an arm around the petite girl.

She gave him a big smile. “I’m better now, thanks to Ellie,” she said, reaching an arm out to the younger girl.

Ellie smiled as they latched their hands. “Anything for you, sis.”

“Ok, I’m here! let’s get this bitch over with!” Ryan yelled as he struck a pose in the doorway.

His band members laughed, the moment broken, before they all filed into the sound booth.

Ellie looked over at Bailey as soon as Matt gave the thumb’s up. She was biting her bottom lip and looking down at her guitar. Ellie’s heart went out for the girl. She knew of all the struggles that Bailey went through after her brother’s death.

“Um, guys?” Zacky asked through the intercom.

“Give us a sec, okay?” Ellie told the group of men. “Are you okay, Bails?” she asked in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

Bailey shook her head. “No, I’m not,”

Ellie wrapped her in a hug and kissed the side of her head. “Do you want to sit down outside and have me to play your part?”

“No, I-I can do it…I think. Just…give me a moment.”

Ellie nodded her head. “Okay. Just tell us when you’re ready.”

After the longest sixty seconds of her life, Bailey looked up and wiped her tears away. “Ok, I’m as good as I can get.”

Ellie nodded and gave a thumbs up to the guys in the control room. “Play your heart out, Bails.”

Bailey nodded and began to play her soft melody.

After waiting a few measures, Ellie sang in the softest voice that she could.
“He gives me a hug and a promise
To come home when all is said and done.
I squeeze him back as tears run down my face
I know he has to leave,
But that doesn’t stop me from wanting him to stay"

Before anyone could see it coming, Bailey ran out of the room. Mark let out a not-so-subtle “shit” before he ran after her. Ryan and Ellie just traded glances.

“What the fuck was that?” Brian asked, his tone almost seething.

“Just, let us handle it, okay? We’ll be back soon,” Ellie stated before following Ryan out of the booth.

“Hey, honey, what’s wrong?” Mark asked, rubbing Bailey’s arms in a soothing manner. “You’ve played this song tons of times to 300 plus people in the crowd, and you’re letting 5 has-beens freak you out?” he asked in a light voice.

“It’s- It’s not that,” Bailey said, her voice cracking. “T-tomorrow…god…”

“Oh, sweetie,” Ellie sympathized, sitting next to her best friend. “It’s okay. We’re here. Together, we can get through anything. Blood to blood, we will not let you down.”

“What the hell is going on?” Brian growled.

Ellie calmed down Ryan, who immediately went into attack mode. “Stop, I got this? Ok?”

Ryan nodded.

Ellie got up and walked over to Brian.

“Well? What the hell is going on?” He asked again.

“That’s one of our hardest songs to play,” Ellie said.

“That shit? A toddler could play that melody.”

“No, I meant emotionally hard. It’s about someone close to us who died over seas, you jack ass.” Ellie shot back, her muscles tense. She was using all her will-power to keep from busting his face in.

Brian could have sworn that it was Danni standing in front of him. In the fraction of a second that he blinked, the image was gone and Ellie was standing in front of him. In a move to be intimidating, he stepped towards her in a challenge. “I don’t care. The truth is that she sucks is shit at playing guitar. You’ll never get anywhere with her.”

Flames erupted in Ellie’s eyes. “First off, it’s unprofessional to bring your personal shit into a recording studio; second, we were never about the fame and glory. That is not why we started the band. We had a message to say and we wanted to be heard. Lastly, she just picked it up less than a year ago! No one is perfect at it when they start. Not even you, Mr. I’m Synyster fucking Gates. If you knew what that song meant to her, then you wouldn’t have said anything. She has a voice and she wants to be heard. I thought all you needed was compassion and the strength to pursue your dreams and eventually achieve them.”

“You want to know what I think?”

“No, I don’t. I already know what you think. You think that because you’re lonely and hurt, that you need to make everyone else suffer with you. You’re pissed off at everyone because you can’t get your own life together anymore. And you’re pissed off because the music in you died a long time ago. Admit it, you could have finished that song a long time ago…but you didn’t because you gave up. No, you had to borrow my voice to get a few measly chords. Was it even worth it?”

“Who are you to say that to me?” Brian spat, his face now mere inches from Ellie’s

“A fellow human being. That is what you are, ya know? You’re not some guitar god that everyone should worship. You bleed the same way everyone else does…even if it does take a girl to chop you down to size.”

“How dare y-”

“You know what? How about you judge me? Tell me how much I suck. Tell me that mom was a piece of shit and didn’t raise me right. Go on, say it! I know you want to!”

“I don’t have time for this.” He said before tearing away from the girl’s ferocious stare.

“That’s it…runaway.” Ellie taunted as he turned tail and fled. “Runaway from the truth. It’s what you’ve been doing all along, right? Ha. I can’t even imagine what my mother saw in you, because I sure don’t see it. What’s worse is that I thought I saw something special in you. Something that was different than any other person. I can’t believe how off target I was. I can’t believe I ever considered you my hero.”

“You think you’re so noble,” Brian spat at her as he turned around.

Ellie glared. “Yes, I do. What of it? We’ll be heard. I’m not giving up on my gift like you had. I will be heard. No matter what shit you throw my way, will only make me stronger and give my voice more power. I’ll make sure to mention your sorry ass when I’m on top. Now get the hell out of here before I punch your lights out…again.” Ellie smirked before she turned on her heel and walked back to her band mates. “You better?” she asked her friend, her tone completely different from the one she used with Brian.

“I’m not done with you!” Brian yelled. “I never want to see your face again. And tell that bitch of a mother of yours that I want nothing to do with you ever again and she’s not getting any money fr-”

Ellie punched him before he could finish his sentence. “That’s the third time, fucker. Are you ever going to learn your lesson? And, she didn’t want me to have anything to do with you, and she sure as hell isn’t going to ask for any of your filthy money!” I fumed. “Now fucking leave before you wind up in the ICU or in a morgue.”

With a huff, Brian walked out of the studio lounge.

“So, honey, are you feeling better?” Ellie asked with a calm, motherly tone.

Bailey nodded her head. “Yea, but I don’t think I can play. I’m not near ready enough.”
Ellie nodded her head in understanding. “How about I play it while you sit in the booth and control the levels?”

“Yea, sure.”

Mark and Ellie helped Bailey stand up.

“Ellie. A word?” Jimmy asked.

“Sure,” Ellie replied after giving her band mates an affirming nod.

“He didn’t mean any of it.”

Ellie looked up to the tall man standing in front of her. “Then he wouldn’t have said anything,” she said in an almost cold tone

“Ok, fine, I can’t really tell you, but just know that he’s going through a rough time right now…he’ll get better when all of it works out…and, until then, we won’t let him back in the studio. Okay?”

“Fine,” Ellie almost snapped. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have a song to record.”