Rum and Coke

“Ryan! How many fucking times do I have to tell you not to eat my goddamn pop-tarts?!” Ellie screamed as she stormed into the venue. She weaved in and out of the roadies as she made her way out onto the stage. “You know, you shouldn’t do that- especially to a girl like me. I can kick your ass. I have on several occasions,” Ellie continued to ramble, her eyes trained on only Ryan, who was chuckling at her.

Ellie glared at her twin. “Just you wait, ‘Enry ‘Iggins. Just you wait,” she said with a thick Brooklyn accent before she turned and shoved her hand in front of the stranger. “Hi, I’m Ellie. Who are you?”

At a loss for words, the stranger stuttered a bit.

“Ellie, this is Ren. He’s going to fill in for Bailey,” Brian said, noting the younger man’s silence.

Ellie’s eyebrows shot up and a creepy smile came to her face.

“Oh God, Ellie please don’t-” Ryan pleaded.

“Is your last name McCormic?” she asked, completely ignoring her twin.

Ren shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He never was really good at talking to beautiful women, especially confident beautiful women like Ellie. “Um, no, it’s Davidson.”

“Dammit,” Ellie muttered under her breath as Ryan snickered. She quickly punched her twin in the arm. “And I’m not getting you anything because you still owe me from the last time!”

“For the bloody last time, Tommy Eatonton does not count!”

“It so does!”

“No, it doesn’t! He was not physically in the play! They just mentioned him!”

“It so does count! He was in the frickin movie!”

“I don’t fucking care!”

Brian cleared his throat. “Enough, you two. It’s time for sound check.” Brian said, motioning around the stage to his band members.

“Well, you’re no fun. Come, my Terror Twin! We will rule the galaxy!” Ellie shouted, her fist raised high as she skipped off-stage singing a strange Star Wars themed medley.

“I swear, I’ve never met her in my life,” Ryan told Brian seriously.

The older man just shook his head. “Go take Ren to meet Mark. Hopefully that daughter of mine would have aborted the crazy train.”

Ryan nodded his head and led Ren to the greenroom. “Sorry about her craziness, but I tried to warn you.” He told the new addition to the tour.

“I honestly thought that you were joking,” Ren replied, rubbing his mahogany hand over the back of his scalp.

“Nope, that is our not-all-there fearless leader. You’ll get used to her eccentricness in due time. But, for now, whatever you do, do not tell her to not do something, because she’ll do it. So, no dares- they’re dangerous with her.”

Ren nodded, but didn’t push the subject. “So, the set…”

“Oh, right!” Ryan exclaimed, not noticing the change in topic. “So, have you had the chance to look over the sheet music?”

“Yea, and Brian managed to wrangle me your album. “So, I’m all set. Where does your other guitarist normally stand?”

“She’s normally stage right and slightly upstage of Ellie.”

Ren nodded his head. “I can do that.”

“Great!” Ryan exclaimed, opening the greenroom door. “Can’t wait to hear you play.”