Katastrophic Breakdown

After all the bands performed and the judges were discussing who was going on to the next rounds, I went to go look for Lennon. I walked out of the auditorium and out of the band hallway doors. I turned and looked down the hall to see Lennon walk out of the backstage of the auditorium. I ran down the hall calling out his name. "Lennon! Lennon! Wait up!" He stopped and waited for me to catch up to him. I stopped next to him and started talking. "Your guy's set was amazing, I mean..other than the fact that my friend betrayed me and joined your band..and Reno had to showcase it to everyone in school." I said shrugging it off. Lennon had this sad look on his face "Yea, sorry about Matt. Thanks for the compliment on the set though. Anyway, any word on if you can help me get out? I need to leave Suicidal Silence behind." I sighed as I looked him straight in the eye. "Yea, I can help. But we're gonna have to do it fast and secretly. I know Jayson and Riley will want to keep you from leaving because I'll probably take you for your guitar skills. However that's not gonna happen cuz you want to become a rapper don't you?" He nodded and smiled. "I don't like being a drummer that much anymore. I can't do anything except drum and not sing or rap or anything. It's hell back there man." I smiled. " I can't imagine, though I'm sure Scott would understand." Lennon nodded and stepped away from me as the backstage door opend and Jayson walked out of it with Riley. They stopped to watch me and Lennon. Jayson smiled as he saw the look on Lennon's face and continued to walk away with Riley in toe. "They gone?" Lennon asked. I nodded and walked back to the auditorium. "I'll get you out of S.S Lennon. Don't worry." Silence was his response as he turned to walk towards the main entrance doors.

I walk back into the auditorium and sit down next to Annabeth and Scott. "Hey, have they announced the winners yet?" I asked, lowering my voice as people behind me hushed me. "Not yet but they will soon." Annabeth whispered as Scott watched the stage curtains move to the sides. "shhhh, their gonna announce the winners" I sat and watched My dad and his bandmembers walk up on stage. "All right!, Listen up cuz we're gonna say these names once. In 3rd place was Disposable Heros. They're moving on to the next round. In 2nd place was Cat Scratch Fever. They're moving on to the next round also. and in 1st place was....Suicidal Silence. They will be moving on to the next round also." I sighed as I got up and started walking out of the auditorium as the three bands moved up on stage to let the audience give them applause. and praise.

I walked out of the school with Annabeth, Scott and Reese behind me. "Drew wait!" They yelled. I stopped and waited for them to catch up. "Are you gonna be okay?" Reese asked while trying to see what my face looked like. "Yea..I'll be fine..we'll be fine. We just are gonna have to take a break for a while." Scott and Reese's faces turned white as Annabeth spoke up "Does that mean we're breaking up..as a band?" I nodded and started walking away again. " Katastrophic Breakdown is no more. Nightmare is no more. Fever is no more. Cancer is no more. Everything is nothing more." I said as I walked to the school gates and turned left to head home with my guitar still in the auditorium and with my bandmembers staring at my back in disbelief.

*3 months Later*
I was sitting in the living room watching tv when Scott came down the stairs. "I'm headed over to Jordan's." I waved at him as he left the house to head to his new girlfriends house. I sighed as I thought about calling Annabeth. I decided not to. Lately we've been having more and more arguments over the stupidest thing. I think its mostly because of the band breaking up and drifting apart. Reese doesn't even talk to any of us anymore. Not even at school. He's hanging out with his friends that he started hanging out with again before he joined Katastrophic Breakdown. Scott is the only one who still talks to me and writes with me. We want to get Katastrophic Breakdown back together but we're gonna need another guitarist. I can't play anymore. I had accidently cut into my hand and nicked my tendons in my wrist while working in shop class. I can barely move my hand anymore without the fear of breaking the tendons. I sighed as I shut the t.v. off and grabbed my house keys, so the evil parents can't lock me out. I grabbed my carhart coat and walked outside closing the door behind me. I put my fedora on and my aviator sunglasses and walked down towards an old friends house.

I stopped infront of his yellow duplex. one big window on the front of it with a big concrete patio and a screen door infront of the regular door. a big green table sitting on the patio with a Ihome on it and plugged into the outlet under the window. He was laying on the trampoline in his yard. Probably sun bathing. This guy does some weird stuff, but I remember doing the same thing before I formed Katastrophic Breakdown and left him behind. I looked both ways and crossed the street to his house. As I got closer I realized that the music that was playing was a recording of Katastrophic Breakdowns first song we wrote as a band called Unholy Confessions. I walked up to the trampoline and started lifting it off the ground. "HOLY SHIT!!" Drake yelled as he freaked out and shot up off the mat of the trampoline. I laughed as he started walking towards me. "What the hell Drew?! I nearly died of a heart attack!" I smiled and slapped him on the back " You would have died of Hypothermia first. What are you doing sun bathing in the end of winter?" I asked as he put his shirt on and quickly jumped to the cleared sidewalk. "I usually do this don't I?" "Yea I guess you do."
He smiled and then took his aviators off. "You coming in?" Drake asked and I nodded as I started taking off my coat and aviators off too. Drake opend the screen door and twisted the knob on the regular one. " Ohh..shit" Drake mumbled. "What?Did you lock yourself out!?" I yelled then laughed as he nodded and walked to the window, opend it and climbed in. Drake shut the window walked over to the front door and opend it. "There we go, come on in Riggs." Drake said as he went to go put socks on his feet. "Don't mind if I do." I sat down on the couch and waited for Drake to come out. "So, Why are you here Drew?" He asked as he sat down in his lay-z-boy recliner. I sighed "I wanna start Katastrophic Breakdown back up." Drake sat silent for a minute. "So? What's that gotta do with me?"
"I need you to play guitar. Reese is good, but our songs need two guitarists. I can't cuz I cut my tendons in my right hand." Drake sat silent again for a minute or two. "Gimmie a sample of some new music and I'll hand it to Reese when he comes over today. We'll listen to it and see what we think." Drake said. I smiled and got up to leave. "Here, Its called Critical Acclaim. Me and Scott put it together." I took out a small disc and handed it to him and I walked out of his house and back home.

On my way home I got a text from Annabeth. "We Need 2 talk." I sighed and called her "Hey" I said as soon as she answered the phone. " Hey, I've got something I need to tell you. And it can't wait till later." I smiled "Good cuz I've got something to tell you too, and it can't wait till later either." Annabeth was silent and then "I want to get Katastrohpic Breakdown back together." She said and I could hear her crying on the other end " I miss it Drew! I miss everything about it! I don't care if we sucked then or not. I don't care if we made it to Mayhem Fest or not. I just want to play in a band with you and Reese and Scott and Myself." I laughed "What?! What's so funny?!" she yelled over the phone. I smiled "Don't get all upset, I was going to tell you that I went to see an old friend by the name of Drake Neff." There was silence on the other end and then "And?" "I told him me and Scott want to get Katastrophic Breakdown back together. I gave him a demo of a song me and Scott wrote and recorded. He's gonna play it for Reese while they're hanging out tonight. You might want to head over there right now." I smiled as I heard her outside door close over the phone. " I"m going right now. Oh! and I want to see you." She said. With a smile I turned around and spoke to her in the phone "Look behind you" I saw her turn around and I waved and hung up the phone. She smiled and waited for me to catch up with her. When I reached her side, she grabbed my hand and I entwined our fingers. "Shall We go then?" I asked and she nodded.

*1 hour later*
We all sat in Drake's living room as we waited for Scott to get here with Jordan. "Why'd you tell him to bring her?" I asked Reese "We need to build our fan base. As of right now? Jordan's gonna be another number one fan." I sighed and looked at Annabeth as she tightend her grip on my hand. " Be patient." she said and I smiled. Suddenly the door bell rang. Drake got up and welcomed in Jordan and Scott. "Finally!" I said as I got up and put the disc in the DvD player and turned the surround sound system on to DvD and pressed play. "Sit down, shut up and listen" I said as we all listend to Me and Scott sing and play the song on the disc.
It starts off with an organ playing and then cuts to Guitars playing the same chords. And then me screaming as the drum comes in and the guitars become heavier. Scott then comes in with the first line and I sing the rest of it until it gets to the chours where Scott sings.

Shhh... quiet you might piss somebody off
Like me motherfucker you've been at it for too long
While you feed off others' insecurities
You stand in front of me and bite the hand that feeds

Self-righteousness is wearing thin
(Lies inside your head, your best friend)
Heart bleeds but not for fellow men
(Broken glass, your fake reflection)

I've had enough
It's time for something real
I don't respect the words you're speaking
Gone too far
Acclaim

I start talking instead of singing this part

So how does it feel to know that someone's kid
in the heart of America has blood on their hands
fighting to defend your rights
so you can maintain a lifestyle
that insults his family's existence
Well, where I'm from we have a special
salute that we aim high in the air
towards all those pompous assholes
who spend their days pointing fingers
(Fuck You)

Shhh... quiet you might piss somebody off
Like the heartbeat of this country when antagonized too long
I'll be damned if you count me in as part of your generous hypocrisy
collecting enemies

Tabloid gossip queen worthless man
(There's no need for us to bury you)
Selfish agenda once again
(Right this way you've dug your own grave)

I've had enough
It's time for something real
I don't respect the words you're speaking
Gone too far
Acclaim

All the way from the east to the west we
got this high society
looking down on their very foundation
constantly reminding us that our actions
are the cause of all their problems
Pointing their fingers in every
direction and blaming their
own nation for who wins the elections
They've never contributed a fucking thing to the
country they love to criticize

Excuse the obscene, ignore the untrue
Depictions we see try and get through
Admitting mistakes can hurt
I'm not the last but I sure ain't the first

Shhh... quiet you might piss somebody off

Self-righteousness is wearing thin
(Lies inside your head your best friend)
Heart bleeds but not for fellow men
(Broken glass your fake reflection)

I've had enough
It's time for something real
I don't respect the words you're speaking
Gone too far
Acclaim

Everyone's silent until Jordan breaks the silence. "I love it! It's so hardcore then turns soft as there's a small pre solo with Drew singing in the background. and then the actuall dual guitar solo. Its amazing!" Scott and I smile as the others agree. I stand up and am just about to take the demo out until another song starts on it. " Wait don't stop it!" Drake yells and the song starts with Violins and a String Bass and then it cuts to dual guitars for the bridge. "Whats this one called?" Reese asks. I blush and answer "Afterlife" I sit back down next to Annabeth and listen to it with everyone else.

Like walking into a dream, so unlike what you've seen.
So unsure but it seems, 'cause we've been waiting for you.
Fallen into this place, just giving you a small taste.
Of your afterlife here so stay, you'll be back here soon anyway.

I see a distant light, but girl this can't be right.
Such a surreal place to see so how did this come to be,
Arrived too early.

And when I think of all the places I just don't belong,
I've come to grips with life and realize this is going too far.

I don't belong here, we gotta move on dear, escape from this afterlife.
'Cause this time I'm right to move on and on, far away from here.

A place of hope and no pain, perfect skies with no rain.
Can leave this place but refrain, 'cause we've been waiting for you.
Fallen into this place, just giving you a small taste.
Of your afterlife here so stay, you'll be back here soon anyway.

This peace on earth's not right (with my back against the wall).
No pain or sign of time (I'm much too young to fall).
So out of place don't wanna stay, I feel wrong and that's my sign.
I've made up my mind.

Gave me your hand but realize I just wanna say goodbye.
Please understand I have to leave and carry on my own life.

I don't belong here, I gotta move on dear escape from this afterlife.
'Cause this time I'm right to move on and on, far away from here.
Got nothing against you and surely I'll miss you.
This place full of peace and light, and I'd hoped you might,
Take me back inside, when the time is right.

Loved ones back home all crying 'cause they're already missing me.
I pray by the grace of God that there's somebody listening.
Give me a chance to be that person I wanna be.
(I am unbroken, I'm choking on this ecstasy.)
Oh Lord I'll try so hard but you gotta let go of me
(Unbreak me, unchain me, I need another chance to live.)

The Strings and Me play together for the solo and it brings goosebumps to everyones arms including my own.

[Screaming and maniacal laughter]

I don't belong here, I gotta move on dear escape from this afterlife.
'Cause this time I'm right to move on and on, far away from here.
Got nothing against you and surely I'll miss you.
This place full of peace and light, and I'd hoped you might,
Take me back inside when the time is right.

I smile as I stand up and stop the disc. I turn and look at everyone. "So? is K.B. back together with our new guitarist? or not?" Everyone looks at each other as they all nod in agreement. "We're In."