The Stranger Next to Me

The sound of an old film projector sounded as an instrumental started for our intro. We had written this song specifically for this tour. All lights were off on the stage, as well as in the crowd as the dramatic red stage curtains were pulled back. An accordion and other instruments made a classical beat that would be heard at a circus from the thirties. Sixteen seconds into it, it cut off, turning into the guitars, keyboard, bass and drums that would give us the modern circus vibe. I was the last to enter the stage as other dancers started doing what they were directed to do. I did my ringleader march to the center of the stage where my microphone was waiting for me on the stand. The screams of the crowd were deafening and if I didn’t have the monitors in my ears, I probably would’ve gone deaf. I plucked the microphone off the stand and someone from the stage crew ran out and took the stand off.

I stood center stage as the lights flashed and dancers hopped around the stage.

“Two tickets’ll get you a tour of the fair
We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, keep up or get lost
It’s safe to say that you’ve got no idea what you’re in for
In time you’ll see what we’ve done here

Hey kid in the back with the backpack why don’t you come up front?
Just give it a rest now,
Just give it a rest now,
You wouldn’t want to cause a scene in front of all these people!” Notes on the keyboard were played in a stomping, messy, yet uniformed way, setting a feeling of havoc. They stopped, letting the guitars strum a tune to keep the song going.

“Come one come all, come one come all!
This just might be the only audience we’ve ever had so
Welcome to the death of love and war
We’ve got the answers (keep up, keep up)
We’ve been waiting for you or anyone at all

Let’s start the tour, shall we?” I pranced my way around the large stage, much like a ringleader would in the center of the circus tent.

“It’s almost time to start the show…” I held out the last notes of the line, then at the last line, it seemed like I had lost my mind. “So everybody out there, just sit down and shut the fuck up!” I shouted as the lights cut to black. The crowd started screaming, obviously not expecting this kind of an introduction. My breathing was heavy, as it was for the beginning of every show.

The clashing of the symbols started to go in a steady rhythm as our first song started. A piano soon joined they symbols in an upbeat tune, sounding like it would in an old time saloon. A single light shined down on me, only illuminating the small space around me, making everything else seem that much darker. My head was tilted and my face was blocked by my hat, making it impossible to see my face as I started our opening song.

"Please leave all overcoats, canes and top hats with the doorman. From that moment you'll be out of place and underdressed. I'm wrecking this evening already and loving every minute of it, ruining this banquet for the mildly inspiring and..." My cane was in my left hand while my right held the microphone. My hips started to move to the beat. More lights came on, revealing the rest of the band, as well as our performers.

I danced around the stage, just going along with what I felt like doing since I didn't have any set choreography. The song ended with a flash of bright lights on cue with the last hit of the drums. The stage was dark as part of the crew quickly pulled props off and put new ones on.

We were a third of the way through with our set and it was time for my second outfit switch. The lights dimmed, though they didn't go all the way off. We had a slight intermission where some of the performers would dazzle the crowd, giving me just enough time to change. An assistant already had my costume there for me, so she threw me behind a temporary curtain and I immediately dressed myself. This had to be my favorite outfit of the three that I would be wearing. It was a black and beige burlesque corset that tied in the back and had a large bunch of tail feathers on the back. A girl laced the back up while I pulled on my stockings and ruffled boy shorts. She finished as I threw my pumps on, tied my mask to my face and I flew back to the side of the stage. There was still a minute or so until we came back on, so I took the time to catch my breath. The other dancers started crowding around the side of the stage, dressed similarly to what I was in, waiting for our cues to go on.

An accordion started playing as the dancers slowly made their way on stage, taking their positions. The crowd started cheering louder and louder as the seconds rolled by.

"Now I'm of consenting age to be forgetting you in a cabaret somewhere downtown where a burlesque queen may even ask my name." I sang the first lines of the song, then started moving with the dancers, shaking my hips like a showgirl to a routine that was the only one I had in the show.

The show played out without a hitch. After one more costume change, we finished the set. Our make-up was running, we were sweaty and my voice was getting hoarse. We exited the stage, making our ways to our designated dressing rooms. This was it. This was the end of the tour. It seemed so weird that it was over, that I wouldn't wake up tomorrow on a moving bus in a different state, I wouldn't wear these costumes and I wouldn't be putting on a show. The concept was foreign to me and I didn't like it.

I opened the door to the dressing room and took my gloves off. My hands were sweaty and stiff. I dropped my hat and cane into a prop box and took a seat in one of the make-up chairs. I leaned over and put my head between my knees and took deep breaths. I brought my head back up and looked into the mirror. My white face paint was blotchy, partially showing some of my skin where it had rubbed off. My eyes made me look like raccoon with the black make-up smeared everywhere. My red lips were now a pink color where the red lipstick had mixed with the white paint. Sweat rolled and dripped off of my face as hoisted myself up to the counter that held all of the make-up and grabbed the make-up remover. I started scrubbing my face with the remover and a rag. A knock sounded at the door as I had finished with one half of my face. I gave a sigh and went to open it. Flower and Max stood, in all of their glory, with smirks on their faces. I noticed two extra people had accompanied them; another man and a younger girl who didn‘t look older than sixteen.

“Damn girl, you ‘ave some ‘ot legs.” Max was the first to speak. I rolled my eyes and stepped aside to let them in. As I closed the door, I noticed Max go to my wardrobe as if it was a normal thing for a grown man to be gallivanting through corsets, stockings and ruffled panties. He picked up my blood red corset onesie. It had gold buttons going down the center until about an inch underneath my bellybutton and a slight bustle in the back that I had worn at a previous show and a pair of my black platform glitter pumps. “You should bring these over to my ‘ouse for some fun one of these days.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

“As appealing as that sounds, Max, I’m going to have to decline.” I replied as I snatched my articles of clothing back. I brought the red suspenders that were attached to me down my arms and let them hang at my hips as I started to take off my costume, starting with my knee-high boots. I sat on one of the wardrobes and started peeling the boots from my sweaty legs. I turned to Marc, “Are all of your friends like this?”

“No, Max just…well ‘e‘s Max and there isn‘t any explanation for that.” I snorted. “Speaking of friends, this is Kris and that’s Janelle. Kris, Janelle, this is Lola.” Marc introduced us.

“I am such a fan!” The girl squealed as she shook my hand. I gave a chuckle and a thank you. I turned to Kris with my hand out. He grabbed it and it sent a jolt through me. I looked up at his face and saw that he felt the same thing I did. My heart started pounding as our hands didn’t separate. Someone cleared their throat and we both snapped out of whatever daze we were in. Our hands disconnected and the jolt was gone. I looked over to Flower, a smirk still attached to his face. “Could you possibly sign this for me?” The girl held out a sharpie and a shirt that she had purchased from the merch stand.

“Absolutely.” I replied with a smile, which might have looked a bit creepy considering that half of my face was still covered in stage make-up. I signed the shirt and handed her marker back to her. She thanked me and stood next to Kris, who had a small smirk tugging on his lips. “You guys can sit. I’m just gonna finish taking this make-up off.” They all found various places to sit themselves on and I returned to the task I had started before they came to the dressing room.

“Vingt dollars indique que je dormirai avec elle vers la fin de la nuit. (Twenty dollars says that I‘ll sleep with her by the end of the night.)” I heard someone mumble as I scrubbed my face. I slowly turned around and glared at Max, who was talking in hushed French to Kris.

“Twenty dollars says that you won’t.” I said with a condescending smile on my face. He looked at me, horrified. Flower and Kris just looked between us. “Damn Canadian Frenchmen. For the first time in my life, I don‘t find that French accent endearing. Thanks for killing it for me, Max.” I finished getting the goop off of my face and threw myself back onto the make-up chair in a slouching position. I spun around so that I was facing everyone. “I am so tired.“ My voice was cracking with odd words as I spoke.

“Well, that was one ‘ell of a show you guys put on. I wouldn‘t be surprised if you just fell over dead. ‘ow did you even bounce around in those shoes?” He pointed to a pair of platform pumps that were on top of a cart.

“They’re not that hard to walk in, surprisingly.”

“If she could do that on stage, imagine what kind of a show she could put on in bed.” Max’s crude remarks were definitely starting to rub me the wrong way. Flower started laughing, along with Kris. Men.

“Hey Max?”

“Huh?”

“You see that white pump in that chest?” I pointed to where one of my white pumps was sitting. He nodded his head. “If you say one more crude remark about doing me, I’ll give you a Prince Albert using the heel.” Flower’s eyes widened. Max was clueless as to what a Prince Albert was, so Marc leaned closer to him and explained it in French. Max immediately crossed his legs. “Don’t fuck with me.” I humorously whispered to him.

+

Roadies brought my cases of costumes and props up to my ninth story loft. Seeing as all of my costumes were made to fit me, I was able to keep them. Case after case was brought up giving it a total of five large rolling wardrobe cases. All varying in different colors and sizes, letting me know which case was which. I had no idea what I was going to do with all of this stuff. It’s not like I could just go everywhere in stage make-up, corsets and six inch platform pumps. Wouldn’t that be a sight to see?

“Here we go again,
We're sick like animals we play pretend
You're just a cannibal and I'm afraid I won't get out alive
No I won't sleep tonight

Oh, oh I want some more
Oh, oh what are you waiting for?
Take a bite of my heart tonight” I sang along to Neon Trees as I started going through the cases, rediscovering articles of clothing that I forgot I had.

While going through my various shoes, knocks rapped on my door. I looked at the clock on my wall, it told me that it was close to two in the morning. I looked through the peephole and saw a group of people. I made a ridiculous noise and opened the door. Max whistled, eyeing me up and down. I looked down at my sports top and training shorts. They obviously clung to me like work out clothes do. Maybe I should’ve put something else on.

“Bonjour, mon aimé.” Max greeted me as he stepped into my loft, uninvited might I add. Marc, Janelle and Kris followed his lead.

“Oh, uh oh okay.” I mumbled, then shut the door. “Is there a reason you are in my loft at two in the morning?”

“Is there a reason why you are looking that good at two in the morning?” Max shot back. I wanted to throw one of my large candles at his pretty French-Canadian face.

“What does that even mean?”

“It means-” Max was cut off by Marc.

“We were at my place and decided to collectively see you.” His wording made me laugh.

“Collectively?” I chuckled.

“Don’t judge me.” He playfully glared at me. I put my hands up in surrender. Everyone had taken a seat on my large red sofas, making themselves comfortable.

“Since we seem to be having a little party, I would offer you drinks and whatnot, but I have been on tour for the past two and a half months and I have absolutely nothing in my fridge. And if there is anything in there, it is probably crawling around. Sorry.”

“The only thing that’s going to be crawling is-”

“I. Dare. You.” I pointed at Max. I admit that his comments were funny, but they just came, one after the other. That’s what she said. Jesus Christ, I’m turning into Max!

“Ah! Those shoes are killer!” Janelle exclaimed as she trotted over to my shoe case. She picked up a red glitter platform pump that had a red ribbon lacing up the front. “What size are you?”

“Seven and a half.” I said with a chuckle. She gasped and gave me doe eyes. “You can try them on if you want.” She gave a squeal and brought both shoes to the sofa and threw her own shoes off. She tied the laces of the pumps and stood up, a little wobbly might I add. I threw on my green pumps that matched the red ones that she was wearing, with the exception of the ribbon that mine lacked, and gracefully walked over to a wardrobe case.

“You make it look so easy.” She whined as she took baby steps over to the wardrobe case that I was leaning on. I gave her a lopsided grin, watching as she still took baby steps towards me.

“You can’t be afraid of the shoe. That’s the first thing I learned.”

“No, like, I don’t get it. How were you doing those crazy things on the stage in front of thousands of people in these things? You were running left and right and up and down stairs and jumping off of things and dancing and everything! They’re like death traps.” This made us all laugh. “Oh my God, you are so lucky, you get to keep these things! And the costumes! Ah!” She started freaking out.

“You can look through the things. I don’t mind.” She immediately started scavenging through the chest. “Watch her moving in elliptical patterns
Think it's not what you say, what you say is way too complicated
For a minute thought I couldn't tell how to fall out.” I airily sang to Phoenix as I took off the pumps and headed over to sit on one of the sofas, inconveniently next to Max. He pulled the yawn and stretch move on me. I should’ve seen that coming. I turned my head to look at him, clearly not amused. “How about you don’t.”

“Okay.” He yawned retracted his arm as quickly as he stretched it out. Flower was holding back from laughing at his friend’s expense.

“So, I assume that you guys play on the same team as Marc?”

“Yeah. You watch hockey?” Kris asked.

“When I can. I haven’t really been keeping track of what’s been happening recently, but it is to be expected.” More squeals of excitement came from behind us as Janelle discovered more items in the drawers and flaps.

“Excuse my sister. She’s a little star-struck.” Kris apologized.

“She’s adorable. I remember when I was like that. How old is she?”

“I’m seventeen.” She semi-shouted, joining in on our conversation.

“And a pain my ass.” Kris mumbled.

“I heard that! You wanted to go to the show just as badly as I did!” I shook my head. My brother and I were and still are the same exact way.

“Whatever.” He mumbled.

“I wish my brother would’ve taken me to a concert growing up.” I stated. “I think it’s nice. I hope you enjoyed yourselves by the way. I wasn’t at the top of my game, but I gave it my all. I could only hope for the best.” I chuckled at the end of my statement. Kris sent a smile my way. Dear god I think my heart just exploded.