This Is Primetime

For the next little while, things seemed to be balancing out. The boys booked some studio time to record their first full-length album, thought they had about a month to prepare and rehearse before they actually did any recording.

Despite how busy we all seemed to be, Matt and I still found a lot of time to spend together. It was amazing how something like grocery shopping could be turned into a date. He was always able to make anything exciting, even when he wasn't trying. It was hard to be upset about anything when Matt was around.

I was making a huge effort to spend time with Josh, too, but he seemed to need more time to himself than I'd thought. I didn't blame him; hanging out with your ex who still loves you probably isn't the simplest way to get over another girl.

"Hey," Matt opened my bedroom door and leaned against the frame. "Want to come hang out while we rehearse tonight?"

I looked up from the novel in my hands. "Yeah, okay. When?"

A small smirk made its way across his face. "Now."

I flipped the top corner of a page to mark my spot, then snapped the book shut. "Sure. Let's go. Where do you guys go to rehearse, anyways?"

The smirk became more concrete. "You'll see."

"I don't get the secrecy here, Matt. Do you act like a garage band on your off-time, or what?"

He shrugged lightly as he turned to leave my room. "Maybe. Do you think guitar players in garage bands are hot?"

I got up from my mattress and followed him, grabbing a hoodie from the back of my door as I passed. "Maybe. But I think guitar players in signed bands are hotter."

"Good to know. I'll keep that in mind for future reference."

I pulled the sweater over my head and followed him into the kitchen, where he paused to grab a flat of water from the counter. He led the way out to the truck and tossed the water into the box. As soon as he started driving, I began trying to figure out where he was taking me. It was clear that we were headed downtown, but that didn't exactly minimize my options. I focused on the streets, which I still recognized after all these years. Despite my recognition of our location, I couldn't determine where we were going to wind up. As Matt made one familiar turn after another, I began to suspect where we were headed. When he finally stopped the truck, I knew for sure.

I opened the door and hopped out onto the sidewalk, looking up at the familiar brick building. I felt my throat grow thick as I stared, remembering the countless hours that I'd spent here, growing ever closer to Josh and learning all about his passion for music.

"Little Mountain Sound," I whispered, taking a few purposeful steps forward before pausing to touch the outer wall of the building, almost to ensure that it wasn't just a figment of my imagination; it still existed. "I never thought I'd wind up here again."

"This was where we recorded all of our earlier stuff. Before we were signed, I mean. We still feel kind of attached to the old place, even though not much goes on here these days," Matt pulled his favourite guitar, a Gibson ES-335, from the truck, along with the water that he'd brought, and followed me up to the building.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my fingers still lingering on the brick exterior.

He shrugged, pulling open the door. "Priorities change, Beck. People grow old. Miles couldn't keep this place going forever."

I followed him inside, noticing that many of the photographs I used to stare at incredulously were still hanging along the walls. In fact, the hallway looked almost completely unchanged. It was like being in high school all over again. Maybe this was the one place that remained unaffected by the events of the past years, aside from its lack of use nowadays.

I could hear laughter from the control room, and I immediately set off in that direction. Matt let me pass him as I searched for the source of the voices.

"Hey, Becky!" Ian yelled as I entered the room.

Josh and I locked eyes for a brief moment, and I smiled at everyone. "Hi, guys. Do you practice here all the time?"

Josh shrugged. "Sometimes. It's always nice to have a soundproof space at your disposal when you're in a band."

"Yeah, I bet it really comes in handy. It's like a time capsule in here," I murmured as I looked around the room. "It's pretty much the same as I remember it."

"It just doesn't feel right to change anything," Josh told me. He was sitting in front of the control board, staring through the thick, soundproof glass and into the actual studio.

"Enough reminiscing," Matt interrupted from behind me. "Let's play some new shit for Beck. She hasn't heard most of it yet."

Josh stood up and gallantly offered me his chair. I slid into it, swivelling around to face the window. The guys all headed into the other room, where Matt played around with some electrical cords and plugged his guitar into the amplifier nearest to him. He stood up straight, placed his fingers along the frets, and strummed a few chords to make sure the instrument was still properly tuned. When he was satisfied, he nodded at everyone else.

While I watched, Josh ran a hand through his streaked hair and leaned forward to reach the microphone. He inhaled deeply, and began to sing softly as he strummed a few notes so gently that they were barely audible.

"I never took you for a trick but sometimes I don't know what you want. I can take it if you need to take this out on someone."

The rest of the band joined in, and I immediately knew that this song was going to be a hit. It had a bit of an edge to it, yet at the same time it was fun and exciting. Watching the rehearsal was even better than going to their show. It lacked the lights, crowd, and atmosphere, but instead I was getting my own personal concert. Josh didn't bother with the comments and banter that he would have said onstage, but it didn't change the effect of the music. Yet again, I was blown away so completely that I was left utterly speechless.

They had reworked a few of the old songs, like Decided To Break It. Now Matt and Josh tag-teamed the vocals throughout the verses, as opposed to just the chorus like they had before. I liked it better this way. It proved how diverse they were, and how the rest of the band were just as capable of singing as Josh was. But I couldn't deny the fact that Josh was clearly a born frontman. He was a natural showman, and he carried a certain charisma that drew people to him.

"So what did you think?" Josh asked me as the last notes of Low faded away.

I scanned the board in front of me before finding the small blue button that I was looking for. I pushed it in and spoke. "I'm amazed, to say the least. You guys are indescribable. I just want to know when I can get my hands on a copy of this stuff."

Josh's cheeks flushed in mild embarassment. "Thanks. We'll be sure to give you an advanced copy."

"I look forward to it."

"Hey, come in here for a second."

I felt my eyebrows knit together in confusion, but I did as he said and hurried into the other room. "What's up?"

Josh smiled. "Come over here."

I crossed the room and stood next to him, still bewildered. He took his microphone from its stand and placed it firmly in my hands.

"Want to take a trip back in time?"

"I already have. I'm here, aren't I?"

"Mike and Ian have never heard you sing. I want to see if you remember something." He explained quickly.

"Josh, no. I-"

"-Don't have a choice in the matter," he finished abruptly.

He gestured to Matt, who started in with a tune so familiar that I could practically see the sheet music in my head. I looked up at Josh, feeling overwhelmed. I knew that my eyes looked misty, but I couldn't seem to pull myself together. This was the song that Josh had used to teach me to sing. It was one of his early originals; one that he had played acoustically in coffee shops and on small stages at local fairs. I took a shaky breath and began to sing at the appropriate time, feeling my voice quiver. I didn't know whether it was due to nerves or the emotions that were building up within my chest at the sound of this particular song. Josh must have taught it to the rest of the band specifically for me.

As the song progressed, my voice grew stronger. I couldn't remember the last time I'd actually sang in front of people, aside from when I was singing along to the radio. By the time it was over, I remembered why I had enjoyed it so much in the choir. Singing with Josh and Matt was actually fun. Having Ian and Mike around was an even bigger bonus.

"See?" Josh praised when I had finished. "You were always good at this, Becky."

"I'll leave the onstage performances to you, Josh. But thanks. That was a blast. I've never sang with an actual band before."

I returned to the control room to wait while they played a couple of the songs for a second time, just to make sure they had everything worked out. Before Matt and I headed home, I pulled Josh aside.

"You really do write some amazing music, you know."

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

"You guys are going to be big one of these days. I'm glad that I'll be around to watch it happen."

Josh hugged me tightly without saying anything more. I gave him a smile before following Matt back out to the truck. As he drove us back home, I broke the silence.

"Does it ever feel surreal? I mean, you guys are signed. You're going to be famous."

Matt laughed. "It's an indie label, Beck. I wouldn't count on fame. But it definitely makes you stop and think every now and then. I wonder where we'll be in five years or so."

"Lots of bands switch to major labels once they gain a solid fanbase. Maybe that's what you guys will do."

He shrugged lightly. "Maybe, but I kind of doubt it. It's about the music for us, don't forget. When you're on a major label, it's more about selling records than about the music itself. And this label is actually pretty big for an indie one. It's co-owned by Chad Kroeger."

"From Nickelback? Why didn't you mention that before?"

"I didn't think it was important. He's just like any other boss. Actually, he's pretty hands-on, considering how busy the guy is. But I think this label is a good fit for us. We like it there."

"Well that's good. I'd hate for you guys to be unhappy the whole time you're acheiving your dreams."

"Speaking of dreams, are you going to work as a waitress for the rest of your life?"

I scowled at him. "It pays my share of the bills, doesn't it? It's not like I can afford to go back to school right now, even if I knew what to go for."

He nodded absently as he slowed to a stop at a red light. "Right, but maybe when we can afford to hire staff to help out, you could become a sound technician for us or something."

"That sounds a little beyond me, Matt. I'm not that good with technology. Maybe I should just become a talent scout for that label. That would be pretty sweet."

"Maybe, but then you wouldn't be going on tour with us."

I liked Matt, there was no question about that. I'd never felt any need to be anything other than myself when I was around him. But I couldn't stop myself from wondering why he seemed to be more ready for us to evolve than I was. I enjoyed it when we were together, and I definitely had fun doing relationship stuff with him, but I was always waiting for him to make the next move. It was like I was scared to go even remotely fast. I was terrified of ruining my friendship with him, and all the while I was still drawn to the brooding boy with the blue hair. And I hated myself for it. I knew that I was preventing more people than just myself from being happy.

"I still don't want to be the only girl on tour," I argued.

"Maybe you won't be. Who knows? Maybe we'll hire a guitar tech or merch girl or something. Would Markie be interested?"

I smiled at his attempt at bribery. "How about you focus on making a kickass record first, and then we can discuss this again later?"

He pulled into his parking spot outside of our apartment building. "That I can do."