On the Edge

Audrey's POV
     I stared at the empty bottle of Ritalin on the bathroom counter. Rolling my eyes I swiped it off onto the floor gazing at myself in the mirror. This is how I started every afternoon. No...not by taking a whole bottle of Ritalin, I'm not that crazy.

 I start my afternoons wondering if my mom will ever stop taking drugs. Now notice I said 'afternoons' not 'mornings.' My whole day starts at about 4 o' clock. hearing the snores through the paper thin walls, I remembered that my mom and sister's day starts at about..well, when they damn feel like it. At 5 I have to head over to the hotel where usually start the night shifts. It doesn't pay well, but at least it puts food on the table!

 I leaned over the sink pulling the elastic from my mass of hair. I tugged on my uniform still tired from my lack of sleep this morning. I couldn't stop thinking about the gig that I landed at Club Nouveau. It's a small slot, but judging by my lack of popularity, it was all I needed for now. I smiled, my fingers itching to scratch some records, but I didn't have time. I had to work, and at exactly 2:15 AM it would finally be my time to shine.

Gustav's POV
     Everyone on the tourbus laughed about something. I didn't even hear what was so funny because I was watching out the window. we drove though Germany at a rapid pace. Everyone thinks I'm quiet, truth is, I really don't pay attention to what anyone's saying so I end up just not answering!

 I propped my glasses on my nose drumming my fingers on the table I was sitting in front of. Bill came over and sat next to me.

"Are you okay? Was ist los mit dir" He asked.

"Ja, I'm fine." I answered laughing. It felt so weird to hear German, especially getting back from a long American tour.

"Well, the guys and I have decided to go out tonight in celebration!" Bill announced happily. I scrunched up my nose thinking.

"For what?"

Bill looked at me, mouth agape.

"YOUR BIRTHDAY."

I panicked.

"OH YEAH!" all the guys who took a sudden intrest in our conversation laughed at me, I couldn't help but laugh as well. "Where are we going?" I asked suddenly nervous. I hoped they weren't taking me to a strip club or something.

"Club Nouveau!!" I sagged with relief, I had been there many times with the guys in the past and it had always been pretty cool.

"Yeah that sounds cool." I said. Bill surveyed my appearance.

"Ahh...before we do go though....you might wanna change your outfit."

I was wearing a T-Shirt and jeans, I thought I looked okay!

"be ready by the time we reach Hamburg" he said getting up. It was gonna be a loooooooong night.

Audrey's POV

I came into work pretty early that night so I could talk to my manager Hans. This task proved to be difficult since I had to walk everywhere, we had no car and lived about 10 blocks from the hotel. I punched in my time and threw my apron on. knocking on my managers door, it swung open immediately. Hans stood looking down at me, his neatly trimmed eyebrow raised.

"Ja...is there something you need?" he asked snottily. I think he thought he was better than me. but the only difference between us was that he had a nametag, big woop.

"Hallo Hans, I wanted to know if I could leave a little ttiiiiiiinyyy bit early tonight for my other job."

Hans looked horrified.

"AWWDREE.(I HATE the way he says my name! UGH!)You asked the SAME qvestion last veekend." I tapped my foot anxiously awaiting an answer.

"I really need this Hans, the money is good."

"Vell Vhy don't you qvit here and vork THERE then." he said pushing past me. "Now I have other Vork to attend to." I clenched my fists.

"HANS! Please, I promise, I won't ever ask again." he didn't answer. I grasped for something else to offer. "I...I can get you an autographed headshot of my mother Kristine Klum!" He stopped in his tracks, not turning around he asked,

"The Victoria's Secvet Angel Kvistine Klum?" He asked, sounding VERY interested.

"Yes!" I said excitedly. he turned around pondering.

"Hm...Very vell...and you have to thvow in a signed body shot. I could make hundveds off of those on ebay!"

"DONE!" i cried! And with that he walked away. I jumped up and down hugging myself. Tonight was the night. and for some reason, I felt as if things were about to change for the better.

I cleaned rooms like a machine that night trying to finish every task assigned to me. Adele, my partner for the night, watched in awe as i turned the sheets on every bed and set out free shampoos and mints like a pro.

"VOWW..." she said standing back and watching. "I vish you had a good job like this EVERY night, then I vould never have to vork again!" on my break, I sunk into an armchair in the breakroom. My eyelids got heavy, I was tired....SUPER tired and before I knew it, I fell asleep.

I had a dream that I was spinning a track and the crowd was going wild. The track was a flow of colours, not sounds everyone danced to it. My fingers ice skated across the record throwing off beats, and then it scratched completely turning off. the record melted away becoming a gloopy tar. the crowd angrily protested. I frantically searched for a new record, not finding one. Just as I started to panic, the front door to the club flung open, and someone walked in, the crowd focused their attention on it leaving me to run away.

I woke up feeling nauseous. so what if I had a stupid dream, that didn't mean anything. but I was still uneasy as I clocked back in.

Later that night after gathering my stuff to leave, Hans called out to me from the front desk.

"Yes." I asked begrudgingly.

"Ve have very important gvests joining us, and I think you are tvustworthy enough to attend to their needs for the longveekend." I ground my teeth, irritably.

"I'm not supposed to be working all weekend."

"I vill thvow in a bonus...a very large bonus."

*Cha CHING!* Was all I heard, I could really use the bonus too.

"Okay, I'll do it."

"Wunderbar! be in later this morning!" I groaned.

"Yes Hans." And with that I left rushing home to prepare myself for my debut atClub Nouveau.Letting myself into the house I heard the phone ring. of course no one in my house picks the phone up besides me.

"Klum Residence." I answered.

"WHAT TIME DO WE PARTAAAYYY?!!!"I heard a melody of two voices holler.

"Hallo Marie, and Hallo Dani." I answered my two best friends.

"Well???" Dani asked me.

"I start my set at 2:15...SHARP."

"We'll be at Club Nouveau Tonight anyway, we heard P. Diddy is gonna be poppin' bottles and models so...expect to see us there bright eyed and bushy tailed if you know what I mean!" Marie said suggestively.I laughed undoing my hair from the tight bun I had it in. suddenly someone snatched the phone from my ear.

"Hey!" I yelled spinning around. Marie and Dani obviously didn't notice the disturbance because I could still hear theem talking. My mother clutched the phone pressing the off button with her free hand. Her hair was in a loose knot on her head. she had bags under her eyes that looked like two purple thumbprints. and her eyes were bloodshot.

"Where the fuck is your sister?" she asked slamming the phone on the counter. Her bathrobe fluttered around her shoulders because she was too skinny to fit it.

"I don't know! I'm not her keeper!"

"Wrong answer!"sheyelled.

frightened, I backed away. "D-did you check her room?"I stammered.

"Don't you think I thought of that already!" she said. she raised a hand as if she were going to hit me, but she put it down slowly. "you go out and find her. or I swear..." I shrunk under her gaze, and she walked into the darkness of her bedroom. I slunk into the bathroom locking the door behind me. usually I would put on a cd and sit in the bathtub for a while. but tonight, I had no time. I had a stuff to scratch and a sister to find.

I got myself ready putting on a short black skirt over a loose white tank and strapping on some gladiator heels.I put on a tiny bit of make up. the doorbell rang. I ran to the door before my mom got it wondering who it was.

Rich's POV

She opened the door, breathless. I looked her over admiring how toned her legs were in that skirt. I whistled.
"Veeeeery, nice Audrey." I said to her disappointed face. "Miss me?"

"What are you doing here?" She asked quietly. I pouted taking her warm hand.

"I told you I was gonna drive you to your first Nouveau gig WEEKS ago. I WAS the one who hooked you up with it in the first place!" I pointed out.

She rolled her eyes, playing with one of her springy curls.

"I forgot. just...hold on I have to get my equipment." She said absently. she slammed the door in my face. My hand hung limp by my side as I angrily clenched my teeth.

dont lose your cool...I thought to myself. strolling to my beemer, I slid in starting the car. I thought my good deed of getting her a gig would make her love me again, but I guess not. she will though. in time. God as my witness. I gripped the steering wheel, waiting.

Audrey's POV

Rich drove me to the club, chattering about nonsense, complete drivel. I stared out the window as we pulled up in front of the queue. the bouncer had his hands full(literally) with a group of girls. There was a tourbus parked in front that they kept pointing at. Rich noticed the scene, glaring at the tourbus.

"Who's the asshole who parked his camper in front of the club?! that's so tacky."

I pursed my lips wondering who it could be. Rich parked the car and escorted me inside by the elbow. I tried to tug it away, but his grip was tight. 

I slung my bag over my shoulder scanning the crowds for Marie and Dani but they were nowhere to be seen. checking my watch I was that it was alreaddy 2. Rich turned my face towards his with his finger.

"Nervous?" he asked smiling toothily.

"No." I said walking away. I made my way through the mass of dancing bodies to the DJ's stand. his beats were pretty sick, now that made me a bit nervous.,..what if they hated me? he was a guy with dirty blond hair, he held his headphones against his ear using a computer instead of records like I had brought. wow...he's on another level...

he didn't notice me at first but turned around as I dropped my bag next to his equipment with a muffled *thud.* he looked down at me in horror as if he had never seen a black girl before. I mustered up all the courage in my lanky body and leaned against the ledge. he pulled off a headphone.

"Whaddaya want kid?" he yelled over the music.

"I'm Dre, AND I BELIEVE I'M ON AFTER YOU." I said loudly as the music transitioned into a booming pop song.he looked me up and down chuckling.

"Nice to meet you, I'm David, David Guetta." I held back a smile. so THIS was the infamous David Guetta. he started to shift his stuff around to make room for me. looking at the time on his laptop, I could see that it was a few minutes to 15.

"Show 'em what you got." he said backing off. So I set my records up, and let go.