Stairway To Heaven
Heaven On Earth
“Whoooo! We’re only 2 hours from Phoenix!” Natalie shrieked with a big goofy smile plastered on her face.
“Remind me again why we are starting our tour in Phoenix?” I asked while fiddled with my cell phone.
“Because, out tour manager has head problems,” Jake offered.
“Hey, I heard that, and it’s because I have a list of places of where they wanted you. A bar called ‘The Firebird’ in Phoenix had an opening first so, there you go.” Steve explained to us from the front of the bus. I just looked at him and sighed.
“Only 2 more months till Zacky is free.” I mumbled quietly to myself. I really was missing him. The other night at Brian’s really opened my eyes to it. At one point in the middle of the night, I went to the bathroom and broke down. For some reason having, another person in the bed with me just triggered it. My heart has been aching since that incident and the bad part is that I am on tour so I will not be able to see him until February. It is our first tour so Steve made it a long one.
“Amii you okay?” Natalie asked quietly while giving me a comforting hug.
“I miss him Nat, I really do.”
“Shh it’s ok, you’ll be with him for Valentines Day and Brian asked me if we wanted to do a tour with them so that is going to happen when we get back.” Natalie always knew what to say to make me feel better.
I soft smile rippled across my solemn face.
“That’s the spirit. Be glad not mad!”
I laughed at her reference to the Glad commercials. She knew that, that slogan made me laugh.
***********
I spent the rest of the hour zoned out listening to my Ipod. Natalie told me that it would be healthy if I expressed my feelings out in a song or a picture. Figuring that she was right I wrote a song about what was happening in my life and all my thoughts. I have not shown anyone it yet but I’m not too sure that I’m going to. The lyrics were my feelings and they served like some sort of diary. To be truthful, it felt damn good to let it all out. It really was not healthy to let myself bottle up all that emotion.
I felt the bus started to decelerate underneath me. I looked up from my notebook to see flashing lights and big buildings. I peered out the window to see where we were stopping. It was a parking lot with a sign that read, 'The Firebird'.
“Hey we are here” Jason’s voice entered my ears as I turned off my Ipod.
“This is going to be home for the next three days so get use to it.” Steve announced and turned off the bus.
“So what are we waiting for?” Jason replied.
“I’ll go check us in, you guys start unloading your crap.”
I gave him a sarcastic salute and stepped out into the warm air of Arizona.
“You have a show in about 3 hours,” Steve continued, “They should be expecting us about now." We all started to lift or luggage and wheel it to the back entrance that Steve pointed out before he left. After about 5 minutes, Steve jogged back and explained a couple things about the club.
When we stepped into the backroom, it smelt like stale cigarettes.
“Well that’s a pleasant smell.” Natalie pointed out in a sarcastically.
The room contained a small sofa-type thing, a couple of guitar stands
We got ready and stepped onto the stage. The crowd was cheering and the room was big. We played our hearts out for the fact that it was the first show on the tour.
****
I looked at myself in the mirror and scowled. I looked like complete shit. I let out and exasperated sigh while looking at the clock. I only had an half an out to finish my hair and makeup. I grabbed my flat iron and plugged it in. Figuring that I had a little time until it was heated up all the way. I went to my luggage and searched for something to wear. Deciding on a black and green plaid mini skirt with my neon green studded belt. I pulled it on and grabbed a fitted black tee shirt. I smile spread across my face when I pulled the shirt over my head. The shirt was a present from Zacky. Looking at it made me remember the day he gave it to me.
~~Flash Back~~
“Hey Amii I have something for you,” Zacky announced with a ridiculous smile plastered on his face.
“Zacky you look like a complete dork,” I giggled playfully.
Zacky gave me a slightly hurt look and stuck out his bottom lip.
I smirked, “I like dorks.”
“Oh good cause this dork has a present for you.” He pulled out a black and silver fitted tee.
“Oh Zacky it’s so cool, I love it!” Inspecting the tee, my eyes laid upon a silver death across the front of the shirt.. I flipped over the soft to find big silver bat wings.
“Zacky this is so cool!” I repeated myself but this time it was more real because the shirt was actually awesome. I gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek.
“You forgot something.” He flipped the shirt on the side to show me writing on the right sleeve. It read ‘A7X’.
“What does ‘A7X’ mean?” I asked him not taking my eyes off his.
“I made it u, it means Avenged Sevenfold. I figured that the band name was too long to really print many places or to write all the time. I told the guys my idea and bam, A7X was born.”
I laughed at his excitement, “You’re so cute.”
“I know”
~~End of Flash Back~~
I applied more eyeliner and straightened my bangs so they were not a curly mess.
“Amii you ready, we have to go!” Natalie’s voice entered my ears.
“Coming” I grabbed my cell and wallet and stuffed them into my pockets. Running outside and locking the door behind me.
Playing a live show is like cigarettes, you do it once and you want to keep on doing it. Ok, that’s a bad analogy but you get the point. It’s just so, invigorating. When I’m on stage I feel like nothing can take me down and I’m invincible. I love that feeling.
We played the last note of the night and Natalie thanked the audience for coming.
“Wow that was fun.” Jake announced as he placed his black Squire onto an open stand. I mirrored his actions with my bass.
“Well, anyone up for a beer?” Dave piped up. We all agreed enthusiastically. I changed out of my skirt and into a comfortable pair of jeans. Then we hit the bar.
It was fun to sit around a table and sip beers with your friends. It was somewhat weird the way when many people know you but you have no idea who they are. It is also somewhat freaky when they start to talk to you as if they have known you since you were barely 3 foot. I mean some of them knew know your birthday, hometown, and hell even your favorite food.
****
“Natalie?” I called out.
“Ya Amii,” Natalie answered from the bunk bellow me.
“Do you believe in heaven?”
“Ya”
“Do believe in heaven on earth?”
“I don’t know Amii, go to sleep.” Even though I couldn’t see Natalie I could tell she was getting grouchy.
“Fine, but I think that the stage is my heaven.”
“Is that so?”
“Ya climbing each step of fame and music are like climbing a stairway to heaven. With each step that you take you are getting closer to the things and people that you love.”
“Sure whatever you say, I’m going to sleep so good night.”
“Night Nat.”
I think that I am right. I wouldn’t say fame would be heaven, but doing what I do now is. I love music with all my heart and I would hate to loose it.
I guess I am in heaven, God almighty thank you.
“Remind me again why we are starting our tour in Phoenix?” I asked while fiddled with my cell phone.
“Because, out tour manager has head problems,” Jake offered.
“Hey, I heard that, and it’s because I have a list of places of where they wanted you. A bar called ‘The Firebird’ in Phoenix had an opening first so, there you go.” Steve explained to us from the front of the bus. I just looked at him and sighed.
“Only 2 more months till Zacky is free.” I mumbled quietly to myself. I really was missing him. The other night at Brian’s really opened my eyes to it. At one point in the middle of the night, I went to the bathroom and broke down. For some reason having, another person in the bed with me just triggered it. My heart has been aching since that incident and the bad part is that I am on tour so I will not be able to see him until February. It is our first tour so Steve made it a long one.
“Amii you okay?” Natalie asked quietly while giving me a comforting hug.
“I miss him Nat, I really do.”
“Shh it’s ok, you’ll be with him for Valentines Day and Brian asked me if we wanted to do a tour with them so that is going to happen when we get back.” Natalie always knew what to say to make me feel better.
I soft smile rippled across my solemn face.
“That’s the spirit. Be glad not mad!”
I laughed at her reference to the Glad commercials. She knew that, that slogan made me laugh.
***********
I spent the rest of the hour zoned out listening to my Ipod. Natalie told me that it would be healthy if I expressed my feelings out in a song or a picture. Figuring that she was right I wrote a song about what was happening in my life and all my thoughts. I have not shown anyone it yet but I’m not too sure that I’m going to. The lyrics were my feelings and they served like some sort of diary. To be truthful, it felt damn good to let it all out. It really was not healthy to let myself bottle up all that emotion.
I felt the bus started to decelerate underneath me. I looked up from my notebook to see flashing lights and big buildings. I peered out the window to see where we were stopping. It was a parking lot with a sign that read, 'The Firebird'.
“Hey we are here” Jason’s voice entered my ears as I turned off my Ipod.
“This is going to be home for the next three days so get use to it.” Steve announced and turned off the bus.
“So what are we waiting for?” Jason replied.
“I’ll go check us in, you guys start unloading your crap.”
I gave him a sarcastic salute and stepped out into the warm air of Arizona.
“You have a show in about 3 hours,” Steve continued, “They should be expecting us about now." We all started to lift or luggage and wheel it to the back entrance that Steve pointed out before he left. After about 5 minutes, Steve jogged back and explained a couple things about the club.
When we stepped into the backroom, it smelt like stale cigarettes.
“Well that’s a pleasant smell.” Natalie pointed out in a sarcastically.
The room contained a small sofa-type thing, a couple of guitar stands
We got ready and stepped onto the stage. The crowd was cheering and the room was big. We played our hearts out for the fact that it was the first show on the tour.
****
I looked at myself in the mirror and scowled. I looked like complete shit. I let out and exasperated sigh while looking at the clock. I only had an half an out to finish my hair and makeup. I grabbed my flat iron and plugged it in. Figuring that I had a little time until it was heated up all the way. I went to my luggage and searched for something to wear. Deciding on a black and green plaid mini skirt with my neon green studded belt. I pulled it on and grabbed a fitted black tee shirt. I smile spread across my face when I pulled the shirt over my head. The shirt was a present from Zacky. Looking at it made me remember the day he gave it to me.
~~Flash Back~~
“Hey Amii I have something for you,” Zacky announced with a ridiculous smile plastered on his face.
“Zacky you look like a complete dork,” I giggled playfully.
Zacky gave me a slightly hurt look and stuck out his bottom lip.
I smirked, “I like dorks.”
“Oh good cause this dork has a present for you.” He pulled out a black and silver fitted tee.
“Oh Zacky it’s so cool, I love it!” Inspecting the tee, my eyes laid upon a silver death across the front of the shirt.. I flipped over the soft to find big silver bat wings.
“Zacky this is so cool!” I repeated myself but this time it was more real because the shirt was actually awesome. I gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek.
“You forgot something.” He flipped the shirt on the side to show me writing on the right sleeve. It read ‘A7X’.
“What does ‘A7X’ mean?” I asked him not taking my eyes off his.
“I made it u, it means Avenged Sevenfold. I figured that the band name was too long to really print many places or to write all the time. I told the guys my idea and bam, A7X was born.”
I laughed at his excitement, “You’re so cute.”
“I know”
~~End of Flash Back~~
I applied more eyeliner and straightened my bangs so they were not a curly mess.
“Amii you ready, we have to go!” Natalie’s voice entered my ears.
“Coming” I grabbed my cell and wallet and stuffed them into my pockets. Running outside and locking the door behind me.
Playing a live show is like cigarettes, you do it once and you want to keep on doing it. Ok, that’s a bad analogy but you get the point. It’s just so, invigorating. When I’m on stage I feel like nothing can take me down and I’m invincible. I love that feeling.
We played the last note of the night and Natalie thanked the audience for coming.
“Wow that was fun.” Jake announced as he placed his black Squire onto an open stand. I mirrored his actions with my bass.
“Well, anyone up for a beer?” Dave piped up. We all agreed enthusiastically. I changed out of my skirt and into a comfortable pair of jeans. Then we hit the bar.
It was fun to sit around a table and sip beers with your friends. It was somewhat weird the way when many people know you but you have no idea who they are. It is also somewhat freaky when they start to talk to you as if they have known you since you were barely 3 foot. I mean some of them knew know your birthday, hometown, and hell even your favorite food.
****
“Natalie?” I called out.
“Ya Amii,” Natalie answered from the bunk bellow me.
“Do you believe in heaven?”
“Ya”
“Do believe in heaven on earth?”
“I don’t know Amii, go to sleep.” Even though I couldn’t see Natalie I could tell she was getting grouchy.
“Fine, but I think that the stage is my heaven.”
“Is that so?”
“Ya climbing each step of fame and music are like climbing a stairway to heaven. With each step that you take you are getting closer to the things and people that you love.”
“Sure whatever you say, I’m going to sleep so good night.”
“Night Nat.”
I think that I am right. I wouldn’t say fame would be heaven, but doing what I do now is. I love music with all my heart and I would hate to loose it.
I guess I am in heaven, God almighty thank you.