Stairway To Heaven
Highs and Lows
“Happy Halloween!” Jason greeted me as I stepped out of the bathroom towel drying my hair.
I giggled a bit, “Happy Halloween to you too.”
We have the opportunity to spend Halloween in Chicago. Yes, we are still on tour and will be until we make it back to California. We still have all the shows on the east coast to do. About a month ago, Jake and Jason got their ‘memorial tattoos’. Their terminology for ‘memorial tattoos’ were that since it was our first tour they wanted to remember it. Therefore, Jason got a tattoo of a scull and crossbones on his upper right arm. Instead of bones under the skull, he asked for drumsticks. I have to admit, it did look pretty cool. Jake followed Jason’s lead and had a flaming guitar tattooed on him. Under it, a banner said CBTS 07. They tried to get Nat and me to get one (knowing that Dave refuses to have any body art besides his ears pierced.) Natalie explained that the girls were going to get there’s done in MA.
****
I finished ‘putting my face on’ and made my way down the hallway and into the windy Chicago air. Looking around I spotted a familiar figure leaning against the building. I quickly grabbed my jacket and called out to they guy smoking a cigarette.
“Hey” Dave responded, “Want one?” He took out his pack and held it near close to me.
“No thanks,” I put my hands up in defense. I only smoke either when I am under a ton of stress or if I am depressed.
“So, big show tonight,” He took a long drag from is cigarette.
“Ya, we going to the after party at the Fire Foxx tonight?” I was referring to the Halloween party at a local club that one of the record companies rented out. They invited us to come since we were in the area.
“If you want”
“Something’s wrong, I can sense it.”
He tossed his cigarette on the ground and extinguished it out with the tip of his shoe, and put his arm around my shoulder, “I got a phone call this morning.”
I looked up at him with big concerned eyes.
“It was my dad, my mom died last night.” He was getting quieter and I could tell that he was at the verge of tears.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry.” I pulled myself closer to him and wrapped my arms around him. I could feel him hug me back and burry his head into my shoulder. I held and comforted him allowing him to let out his emotions.
After about five minutes, he pulled away and lit another cigarette.
“When’s, you know the funeral and stuff.”
“Next week”
“Oh”
“Dad said you guys can come.” I could hear a tinge of hope in his voice.
“Of course we’ll come. Should we make tonight’s show the last one until we pause the tour?”
He nodded and blew out some smoke.
“Want me to tell the others?”
“Can we move on to a different topic, please?” His voice strained on the word please.
“Ok, did you have breakfast?” I glanced at my watch to see that it read 11:20.
He nodded so we walked down the street to a small café. The place smelled strongly of maple syrup and was painted bright colors with some booths along the wall. A waitress walked up to us and smiled, “You can take a seat were ever you would like.”
I smiled back and we chose a booth the corner with a nice window. The same waitress came over to us with some menus and took our orders.
“So what you bein’ for the Halloween party tonight?” I tried to strike up a conversation.
“I don’t have a clue.” He stated with a smile. “What do you think I should be?”
“Hmm,” I placed a finger on my chin and tapped it, “you should be… a pirate.” I smiled really wide at his horrified face.
“A pirate?” His eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his skull.
“What’s so bad about a pirate?” I did my infamous eyebrow raise. “You can wear an eye patch and have fake teeth. What more do you want?”
He laughed, “That would be the reason why I don’t want to be one.”
I scrunched my nose and made a face at him. “Ok how about a good old fashion zombie. Those are always fun to be, cause you get to act all dead and wear a lot of face paint.”
“Okay, Okay so what are you being?” He took a sip of his water.
“I’m bein’ Sally Ragdoll from Nightmare Before Christmas.” I announced triumphantly.
“Do you have a Jack Skellington?” He attempted to perform my eyebrow raise, but failed miserably.
I laughed, “Ya actually, I got Jason to dress up for me.”
“Really?” It was his turn to laugh this time.
“Ya he has a pinstriped jacket and everything. I bought face paint this morning.”
“How are you going to ‘transform’ into Sally?”
“I already have red hair so I have a dress with patches on it…”
Dave cut me off “Is it short?”
I looked at him weird, “What’s short”
“The dress”
I rolled my eyes, “It falls an inch above my knees”
“Sounds cool”
“Ya”
We ate our food and paid. I checked my phone and I had a message from Natalie and one from Rev. I frowned a little when I saw Rev’s name on my missed call list. I checked to see if he left a message, he didn’t. I decided to call him back later. I checked the message Natalie left, she just wanted to know were Dave and I went.
We made our way back to the hotel and grabbed our gear for the gig. We had two shows today, one at 4:00 and one at 8:00. Today was going to be a long day. Luckily, today there were some roadies. I know that most bands have their own roadies but we don’t. We spent about an hour hooking all our gear up to the speakers. Nat and I went back stage and hung out. Then I suddenly remembered that Jimmy called. I whipped out my cell and hit the call back number under his name. It rang a couple times but no one answered. I left a message and hung up.
“That’s weird.” I must have thought out load because Natalie turned her head.
“What’s weird?” she inquired.
“Oh that Jimmy called and I just called him back but no one answered.”
She tilted her head into a thinking position. Then she made a face like a light bulb went off in here head. “I might be crazy…”
“When aren’t you crazy”
She glared at me, “I might be crazy, but maybe they are coming to our show to night.”
I know I shouldn’t have laughed but I did.
“Why are you laughing?”
“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure they have no idea were we are right now.”
“Well, we do have a myspace page with our tour dates on it.”
”Whatever. Oh and in happier news, Zacky gets out of jail tomorrow!” I let a smile spread across my face.”
“Really? I thought he got out after thanksgiving.”
“Nope, Matt called two weeks ago and said that he’s out early for good behavior.”
“That’s cool.”
“But we don’t get to see him until after Dave’s mom’s funeral.”
“Oh Ya I almost forgot about that.”
One of the other musicians from a different band informed us that the opening band is going to go onstage in a half an hour. Realizing that neither Natalie nor I were ready yet we both sped to the bathrooms.
I giggled a bit, “Happy Halloween to you too.”
We have the opportunity to spend Halloween in Chicago. Yes, we are still on tour and will be until we make it back to California. We still have all the shows on the east coast to do. About a month ago, Jake and Jason got their ‘memorial tattoos’. Their terminology for ‘memorial tattoos’ were that since it was our first tour they wanted to remember it. Therefore, Jason got a tattoo of a scull and crossbones on his upper right arm. Instead of bones under the skull, he asked for drumsticks. I have to admit, it did look pretty cool. Jake followed Jason’s lead and had a flaming guitar tattooed on him. Under it, a banner said CBTS 07. They tried to get Nat and me to get one (knowing that Dave refuses to have any body art besides his ears pierced.) Natalie explained that the girls were going to get there’s done in MA.
****
I finished ‘putting my face on’ and made my way down the hallway and into the windy Chicago air. Looking around I spotted a familiar figure leaning against the building. I quickly grabbed my jacket and called out to they guy smoking a cigarette.
“Hey” Dave responded, “Want one?” He took out his pack and held it near close to me.
“No thanks,” I put my hands up in defense. I only smoke either when I am under a ton of stress or if I am depressed.
“So, big show tonight,” He took a long drag from is cigarette.
“Ya, we going to the after party at the Fire Foxx tonight?” I was referring to the Halloween party at a local club that one of the record companies rented out. They invited us to come since we were in the area.
“If you want”
“Something’s wrong, I can sense it.”
He tossed his cigarette on the ground and extinguished it out with the tip of his shoe, and put his arm around my shoulder, “I got a phone call this morning.”
I looked up at him with big concerned eyes.
“It was my dad, my mom died last night.” He was getting quieter and I could tell that he was at the verge of tears.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry.” I pulled myself closer to him and wrapped my arms around him. I could feel him hug me back and burry his head into my shoulder. I held and comforted him allowing him to let out his emotions.
After about five minutes, he pulled away and lit another cigarette.
“When’s, you know the funeral and stuff.”
“Next week”
“Oh”
“Dad said you guys can come.” I could hear a tinge of hope in his voice.
“Of course we’ll come. Should we make tonight’s show the last one until we pause the tour?”
He nodded and blew out some smoke.
“Want me to tell the others?”
“Can we move on to a different topic, please?” His voice strained on the word please.
“Ok, did you have breakfast?” I glanced at my watch to see that it read 11:20.
He nodded so we walked down the street to a small café. The place smelled strongly of maple syrup and was painted bright colors with some booths along the wall. A waitress walked up to us and smiled, “You can take a seat were ever you would like.”
I smiled back and we chose a booth the corner with a nice window. The same waitress came over to us with some menus and took our orders.
“So what you bein’ for the Halloween party tonight?” I tried to strike up a conversation.
“I don’t have a clue.” He stated with a smile. “What do you think I should be?”
“Hmm,” I placed a finger on my chin and tapped it, “you should be… a pirate.” I smiled really wide at his horrified face.
“A pirate?” His eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his skull.
“What’s so bad about a pirate?” I did my infamous eyebrow raise. “You can wear an eye patch and have fake teeth. What more do you want?”
He laughed, “That would be the reason why I don’t want to be one.”
I scrunched my nose and made a face at him. “Ok how about a good old fashion zombie. Those are always fun to be, cause you get to act all dead and wear a lot of face paint.”
“Okay, Okay so what are you being?” He took a sip of his water.
“I’m bein’ Sally Ragdoll from Nightmare Before Christmas.” I announced triumphantly.
“Do you have a Jack Skellington?” He attempted to perform my eyebrow raise, but failed miserably.
I laughed, “Ya actually, I got Jason to dress up for me.”
“Really?” It was his turn to laugh this time.
“Ya he has a pinstriped jacket and everything. I bought face paint this morning.”
“How are you going to ‘transform’ into Sally?”
“I already have red hair so I have a dress with patches on it…”
Dave cut me off “Is it short?”
I looked at him weird, “What’s short”
“The dress”
I rolled my eyes, “It falls an inch above my knees”
“Sounds cool”
“Ya”
We ate our food and paid. I checked my phone and I had a message from Natalie and one from Rev. I frowned a little when I saw Rev’s name on my missed call list. I checked to see if he left a message, he didn’t. I decided to call him back later. I checked the message Natalie left, she just wanted to know were Dave and I went.
We made our way back to the hotel and grabbed our gear for the gig. We had two shows today, one at 4:00 and one at 8:00. Today was going to be a long day. Luckily, today there were some roadies. I know that most bands have their own roadies but we don’t. We spent about an hour hooking all our gear up to the speakers. Nat and I went back stage and hung out. Then I suddenly remembered that Jimmy called. I whipped out my cell and hit the call back number under his name. It rang a couple times but no one answered. I left a message and hung up.
“That’s weird.” I must have thought out load because Natalie turned her head.
“What’s weird?” she inquired.
“Oh that Jimmy called and I just called him back but no one answered.”
She tilted her head into a thinking position. Then she made a face like a light bulb went off in here head. “I might be crazy…”
“When aren’t you crazy”
She glared at me, “I might be crazy, but maybe they are coming to our show to night.”
I know I shouldn’t have laughed but I did.
“Why are you laughing?”
“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure they have no idea were we are right now.”
“Well, we do have a myspace page with our tour dates on it.”
”Whatever. Oh and in happier news, Zacky gets out of jail tomorrow!” I let a smile spread across my face.”
“Really? I thought he got out after thanksgiving.”
“Nope, Matt called two weeks ago and said that he’s out early for good behavior.”
“That’s cool.”
“But we don’t get to see him until after Dave’s mom’s funeral.”
“Oh Ya I almost forgot about that.”
One of the other musicians from a different band informed us that the opening band is going to go onstage in a half an hour. Realizing that neither Natalie nor I were ready yet we both sped to the bathrooms.
♠ ♠ ♠
Poor Dave