Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)

It was a good thing that I didn't tell Dave that I was going to the studios to have a meeting with Adam and Slash in about half an hour. He obviously knew that I was going to have to meet with Adam at some point but in no time soon and under his guidance. Not like I needed guidance from him, anyway. If I were his son, only God would know what I would be doing right now. Yeah, I didn't really like to think about it either.

By the time the SUV pulled up outside the back door to the studios, it was almost half past four. Band practice had gone way over time. I was guessing it was because Chloe wanted to make me suffer, knowing I had some prior engagement after the rehearsal had finished. Typical.

I sprung out of the car the instant it was opened by the bodyguard that shadow almost my every move. As expected, there were reporters everywhere knowing what I was doing going into the studios with one of the great guitar legends and one of the most formidable voices of our time. And as usual, I said nothing and moved for the door as quickly and as smoothly as I could.

I was down the other end of the hallway at the door in a flash, seeing both Slash and Adam having a conversation upon the couch. The rest of Adam's band were floating around aimlessly in the room.

I paused at the door, taking a deep breath. I closed my eyes for a moment, pumping myself up for what I was about to face, and opened them once more. When I did, I saw both Slash and Adam looking up at me, expectant. I gave an awkward smile and entered the room.

I headed towards the music room, saying "You guys want to come in? Might be a better place to discuss music."

"Fair enough," I heard Slash say as I walked into the music room.

I sat myself down upon the piano stool and watched everyone gather in the room. Adam sat on the space that I left on the piano stool and Slash took a seat beside one of the racks of amps. The rest of the band filled the room at various points and all eyes turned to me.

"If you all didn't know, I'm Kassie," I started and got no reaction from everyone. I had never done this before so I had to think fast. "Alright, show me what you got."

I got up from the piano as the musicians slowly began to shift around the room. I left my guitar by the piano as I moved to the wall of the room. Slash joined me, crossing is arms across his chest as we watched everyone shifted to their instrument. Adam had found a microphone and went about adjusting it as an awkward tension grew between Slash and I.

I shifted slightly and cleared my throat. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Slash glance at me. A smile appeared underneath his mass of hair and I raised my eyebrow, turning to him.

"What are you smirking at?" I questioned.

"You act as if my agent is affecting you," Slash commented and turned back to the musicians in the room. "It's strictly business between us, isn't it?"

"Why shouldn't it be?" I said, turning back to the room with my eyes falling to Adam.

"Would it be weird if I asked you out for drinks tonight?" Slash asked.

"Alone?" I said worriedly. "I'm not really comfortable with that..."

"I'll have my wife there, too, so there is need for you to stress," Slash said as the drummer counted the band in to the first song. "You can invite your little lover boy too, if you see fit."

I blushed slightly and turned my head down. Beside me, Slash gave a small laugh and the music began.

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It wasn't long before Slash held up his hand and the band stopped playing. I was amazed how much they respected his opinion and could just stop at such a small action. I watched Slash moved towards the guitarist, Monte, and asked him for his guitar. Monte was hesitant at first but pulled the guitar off his shoulders and handed the guitar to Slash.

Slash slid the guitar over his shoulders and began playing random notes. I took this as a sign to take out my own guitar, setting it up as I watched Slash walk aimlessly around the room. He began to play the chords the Monte was just playing but the way that Slash made them sound was crappy, horrible.

"What does this sound like to you?" Slash said as he walked around the room, everyone shifting awkwardly upon their feet.

By this point in time I had set up my own guitar, plugging it into a spare amp near were I was standing and turned it on.

"What does it sound like?" Slash repeated.

Slash turned to me, raising his almost non existent eyebrow.

In an instant, I joined Slash in playing the guitar and felt all the eyes shifting to me as I played. Slash moved towards me, egging me on to play something more creative. I continued to play in time with him until I felt it was the right moment to break out. The moment I broke out on the high notes of my guitar, Slash moved from in front of me and I slowly moved towards the centre of the room.

Slash continued to play the chords that Monte had played, altering them slightly so they fit with the notes I was playing. My fingers flew over the notes, no faltering, no holding back. It wasn't long before I pulled back on my creativity and started to play complementary notes to Slash. Our playing was in sync and fit well, Slash joining me in the centre of the room.

"Whose our bass player?" Slash asked and set his eyes upon Tommy Joe, a young man with blonde hair and heavy eye make-up.

Slash stopped playing the guitar and pulled it off his shoulder. I continued to play the chords that I had played over Slash's chords and moved to Monte, my chords shifting to teach him what Slash had played. Monte quickly pulled on his guitar and followed what I was playing. Slash moved towards Tommy Joe and took his bass from him and returned to Monte and I.

It took Slash a few notes to finally find the right ones that fit with what Monte and I were playing. I returned to the chords I was playing earlier. All of our instruments fit together and sounded ten times better then what it originally sounded. I moved from the group of Slash, Monte and I to a young lady, Camilla, that was sitting at the piano awkwardly. She hesitantly looked up at me, not really knowing what to do.

I taught her the chords that Monte was playing and the bass notes that Slash was now teaching to Tommy Joe. She picked it up slowly and eventually got the hang of it. She was still hesitant in places, but that would only take practice to get it perfect. Slash placed his hand upon my back and began slipping my guitar off my shoulders.

I then turned to the drummer, a dark skinned man that I didn't know the name of. The instant I approached him, he jumped off the drums and handed me the sticks. I looked at the sticks then to the drummer, giving a small laugh.

"Why so eager to get off the drums?" I asked as I took the drum sticks and sat down at the drums.

"I'm just a fill in because Mr. Lambert doesn't have a drummer for his band," he said as I tested out the drum kit.

Even though I hadn't played in years, it felt natural to be back behind the kit.

"You were good before," I said as I turned back to him.

"I'm no match to you," he said as he melted into the back wall.

I hesitantly turned back to the band, not knowing what to say. I saw Adam leaning against the wall where I had been leaning earlier and watching me. I noticed there was a strange expression upon his face that I couldn't exactly figure out yet. It was a harsh look, studying, and yet there was sexiness in it. His eyes bore into me, searching me, captivating me.

I felt a strange feeling overcome me and I instantly looked away from him, not wanting to subject myself to any unreal emotions at this point.

Slash stopped playing the guitar he had taken off me and looked to me, stamping his foot in the time that he wanted me to play in. I counted the band in and for some reason I could not control, my eyes returned to Adam's. Although a look like this would've frozen me on the spot, it gave me the confidence to play like I hadn't played in years.