Radiant Eclipse

The girls started into the G’N’R classic and had everyone in the bar rocking out in no time. Even the Avenged boys, who were joined by close friends and roadies, Dan The Body and Matt and Jason Berry, were rocking out.

“Good thing you guys are here. We saw them setting up by themselves earlier, we think you should help them after the show. Tomorrow too.” Dan and both Berry brothers just nodded, as they started their own three-man circle pit. They all watched as Jess, Ash, and Mateja went into the crowd, and started playing amongst the crowd.

Jimmy literally had to grab hold of the back of Johnny’s collar, to stop him from going after Ash. No matter how much he had decided we wanted the red headed guitarist. Unbeknownst to them, in a span of the hour they had been there, they all developed tiny crushes on certain members of Radiant Eclipse. Even Zacky did, and he was the only member of the band who currently had a girlfriend. It also didn’t help that they had kept their audition tape, and had watched it repeatedly. They all stopped laughing at Johnny, when the song ended, the crowd cheered and Corinne had started to talk.

“Alright everyone, we’re not playing with you this time, this IS going to be our last song of the time. It’s a good one, and it’s a rocking one, so we expect every single one of you to go apeshit mmkay? It’s a song by a band called Papa Roach and it’s called ‘…To Be Loved’.”

Adhering to the band’s words, the crowd went apeshit. The only member of the band that didn’t leave the stage was the drummer, Anne-Marie. Corinne was crowd surfing, and jumping back in when she reached the stage. Mateja was standing on top of the couch in front of the soundboard, like she didn’t have a care in the world. As for Ash and Jess, they could be found on the wooden benches that lined the walls; Ash rocking dangerously close to the boys’ hiding spot near the bar. But much to their relief, the surprise had not been spoiled.

Once they were really done for the night, after slapping some more hands, signing autographs and whatnot, the girls retreated back to the upstairs dressing room. They quickly dried off and grabbed drinks and snacks, before heading back downstairs.

“Ash you coming?” Jess asked, as Ash remained seated on the couch, texting someone.

“Yeah, give me a second. I need to see what Nico wants now.” Nico was a fellow tattoo artist, at the shop Ash worked at. Ash fired off a few quick text replies, before she headed downstairs to join in on the fun. In the meantime, Jess, Mateja, Corinne and AM as they liked to call her, were hanging with the small crowd that remained seeking autographs and the like. As the crowd moved to the side to wait for Ash, the girls decided to start packing their things, and the boys decided to make their move.

“You girls need help?”

All four heads snapped up, and eyes widened in surprise, as it dawned on the girls, exactly who was talking to them.

“Hey, I’m …”

“Matt.” Jess finished the sentence for him. “Hey, I’m Jess. And this is Mateja, Anne-Marie or AM, and Corinne.”

“Obviously, you know me, Jimbo, ZV, Syn, Short Shit, and you might know Dan, and the Berry’s, Matt and Jason.” They all said their hellos before Jimmy asked

“aren’t you guys missing a band member right now?”

“Ash is somewhere. I left her when she was texting a co-worker back about something.”

Before Jess could say anything else, they were interrupted by the excited squeals of the remaining fans.

“Are they ok?”

“Judging by the way they just all crowded like that, Ash finally got her ass down here.”

“I can’t see her.”

“Yeah, Ash may be the oldest member of the band, but she’s also the shortest member of the band; all five feet of her. Is that offer of help still open?” The guys nodded, as Dan, Matt and Jason, all hopped onstage.

“Oh yeah, whatever you do, don’t touch the basses.”

“Why not?”

“The one time we experimented with having help, someone was carrying one of the cases, which was not closed properly. Walking up the ramp to the trailer, case opened, bass fell out, head of neck where the knobs are, snapped cleanly off. She barely lets us go near them.”

Everyone cringed, and they all stayed clear of Ash’s gear.

“So I wasn’t seeing things earlier then.” Came a voice, which startled everyone. The guys turned around, to see Ash standing, smirk on her face with a beer in one hand, and a box of Ritz Bitz sandwiches in the other.

“What do you mean, you weren’t seeing things? And is that a box of Ritz Bitz?!”

“When I did my song earlier, could have sworn I saw Matt and Jimbo, but I wasn’t quite sure, if it was them or not. So I didn’t say anything about it. And yes they are, what’s it to ya? Oh yeah, hi I’m Ashley. You can call me that, Ash, or Pixie.” After introducing herself, Ash climbed onstage and started unplugging all her wires and pedals. To make things go faster, the boys of Avenged jumped in to help as well. And much to everyone’s surprise, Ash actually let someone touch her beloved basses. And of course, that someone was Johnny.

Once the equipment was all packed up, and they made sure nothing was left behind, Jimmy suggested that they all go out for drinks.

“That’s an amazing plan. Just let us go get merch cleaned up, the dressing room emptied, and we’re good to go.”