Made

"Brian you've got to be kidding me! I can't play a guitar solo infront of all of them!" I say, but I already know this is a lost cause. We're half way to the cafeteria and Brian is pushing an amp and I'm carrying one of his guitars since he couldn't get ahold of one of mine. But it's the rebel flag one that says SYN across the fretboard so I'm not complaining...

"I'm not kidding you, Em. You have to do this to get past your irrational fear of talking to people at school or talking at all in general at school. And tomorrow is the auditions in the cafeteria and I want you to find a good band so you're going to be yelling out things." He says. I groan, "What am I suppposed to play?" I ask. "A guitar solo, haven't we already established that?" He asks, before he starts pushing the amp up the slight incline to the cafeteria doors. "I know, what guitar solo though?" I ask.

"Just play Unholy Confessions. If you play a whole song maybe I'll reward you and maybe you'll be in for a surprise." He says smirking. "Ugh, fine!" I say. We walk into the cafeteria and I see an empty table in the midst of all the other tables, just begging for me to go to. "Head over to the empty table, I gotta plug in this amp and shit." He says. I walk over to the table and sit down at one of the seats. I start messing with the guitar and am in heaven. It plays like a dream, and it feels so good. It fots the contours of my body nicely, and the action doesn't feel...cheesy. I hear a loud metallic squeal and them somone clearing their throat in a microphone.

"Hello students! My name is Synyster Gates and I am Emerson Carter's Made coach! Now, while you all eat your cafeteria slop, otherwise known as one grade above dog food you are going to have a little entertainment. My girl Emerson is going to play one of my band's songs. It's called Unholy Confessions and I've heard her play it and she freaking rules." Brian says, before he appears magically at my side. He hands me a monster cable and I plug in the cable and strum the guitar. The sounds resonates throughout the cafeteria.

"Okay, now lets get this party started!" Brian says, before he motions for me to start playing. I begin playing and when I play to the point where M. Shadows would come in singing, I hear his voice start singing. I just brush it off, he's probably plaing a track. I continue playing, and then a moment later I feel some's hand on my shoulder. I look to my right and see M. fucking Shadows standing there, singing along with MY playing!

A grin spreads across my face and he flases me a smile, before I start getting back into my playing. I make it through to play the riff at the beginning of the song a seocnd time and Matt starts screaming into the microphone. I jump up onto the top of the table and feel him get up with me. He put the microphone by my mmouth and I sing "I know it;s hurting you, but it's killing me!!" Before I scream "AHH!" In a deeper, more metal type of scream. I play thought to the end and when we finish, the cafeteria is silent...you could hear a pin drop.

"SHE DIDN'T FUCKING PLAY THAT!" Someone yells from across the cafeteria. My face falls, they don't think I played that. "Excuse me?" Brian says into another microphone. "I must say, I'm really upset that you'd say that about, Em. She's freaking good. She played every bit of that, isn't that right, Matt?" Brian asks.

"I believe you are correct, Gates. That's what practice does for you. If you didn't practice then Vengeance might be better than you." Matt says. I laugh, before Matt wraps his arm around my shoulders. "So, Emerson what do you think of that kid saying you're bull shit on the guitar and you didn't play that?" Matt asks into the microphone, before holding it up to me. "I tihnk that I should probably prove him wrong." I say. "And how are you going to do that?" Matt asks, before he mouths 'Bat Country?' with a questioning look on his face. I nod enthusiastically.

"I tihnk I'm just going to have to play him another song, what do you think Brian?" I ask looking at him, to see he has a guitar in hand and a big smirk on his face. "I think that would be a brillant idea. "Okay, so lets take this little cafeteria over to fucking Bat Country." Matt says into his mic, before Matt grins. "He who makes a beast out of himself, gets rid of the pain of being a man....NEAHHHHHHHHHH" Matt screams.

~*~

I walk into my house after school, practically bouncing up and down with enthusiasm. "Oh my God! I can't beileve I did that!" I yell, before I run over and wrap my arms around Brian's waist. "Thank you so much for being a dickhead and making me do stuff I don't wanna do!" I say, before I run into the kitchen to tell my 'mom' what went on today since she promised she'd be home.

"MOM!!! You'll never gues what...." I trail off, the kitchen is empty and there is a note on the coutner. I walk over and pick it up, the only reason I saw it was because she wrote it on hot pink paper. I pick it up and skim over it, before I sigh and crumple it up. "Again, really?" I say to myself, before I walk into the living room where Matt and Brian are. "Was she happy for you?" Brian asks grinning. I sigh and sit down on the couch opposite of him and Matt, before I pick my acoustic guitar up from the floor and start playing a few chords.

"No, she's not here. She went on a day trip to San Diego and won't be back till tomorrow night. So it's more like a night trip." I say. "Sorry, Em. I know how much you wish she were here." Brian says. I shrug, "Ehh it's okay, Brian. I'm used to it so it doesn't bother me as much." I say. He nods, "Well I bet you're wondering why I brought Matt here." He says. I laugh, "Well no fucking duh. I mean it isn't everyday I have two of my idols sitting in my livingroom. I mean one was more than enough but I mean the more the merrier." I say. Matt laughs, before Brian continues.

"Well, Matt came to help out at auditions. He wants to help you pick out a lead singer because he thinks you have great potential as a guitar player and wants to make sure you pick a lead singer that is as good a singer as you are a guitar player." Brian says. "Okay, but remember they don't have to be a metal singer. They can be more of a poppy punk singer too. I'm open to anything I just don't want sugary, poppy bubblegum and rainbows. I actually was hoping to get a guy lead singer. But it all depends." I say. "I understand, I really do want you to make a wise choice on who you choose. Even choosing someone with a little variety in their voice, like myself woulf be a good idea." Matt says. I nod, before they both smile. "Well, see you at auditions." Brian says, before he and Matt leave.

~*~

Band Auditions
3pm

I walk into the auditorium and smile, I can't believe how many people showed up! I have a binder full of names that called me to say they were going to audition. But I know there are more people here than who called me. I walk to my seat at a table that Brian set up and sit down between him and Matt. He hands me a microphone and tells me to start talking and calling people up. Matt adds that to have the singers go first and I smile.

"Okay, so welcome to band auditions.Umm...my name's Emerson Carter and I'm forming a band to compete in battle of the bands coming up soon. So I am going to start off with auditions for lead singers so please form a line, and if you didn't call and tell me you wanted to audition you're automatically pushed to the back of the line. I'm sorry but you have to call." I say. I hear multiple groans and the shuffling of feet. I look at my list of lead singers and smile, I put them in alphabetical order. There's only ten of them that called though so that's good. Short amount of singers I have to listen to.

"Okay, first up is Brad Marks." I say. He walks up on stage and adjusts the microphone stand to his height. "Okay, start." I say. I have my pen ready to make comments on his performance. He starts singing what I recognize to be a Tool song and immediatly want to tell him to shut up. I hate Tool and frankly, he sucks ass. He finishes and I smile, "Thank you. The band members will be posted monday." I say. I look at my list, and sigh. "Jenna Bolton." I say. I hear her squeal and she runs up on stage. Jenna has been pestering me about band auditions all week and trying t obe my friend so she makes it in. I've heard her singing voice, she probably isn't going to make it.

"Okay, you can start." I say. She nods and starts singing Tik Tok by Ke$ha and before I say anything, Matt interrupts her. "NEXT." He says loudly into the micrphone. She pouts and I hear her sniffle, before she gets off stage.

We go through a few B last names, before I get to Jackson Cook. I'm interested to see what he can do since he called a few nights ago. "JACK COOK!" I say into the mircophone. I hear him get up and he comes on stage with a guitar. He makes it to the microphone and adjusts it so it's about a foot taller than it was for Jenna. "Uhh, I was wondering if I could audition for the role of Lead Singer and Rhythm Guitarist?" He asks. "You think you're up for that?" I ask. "I think I can handle it." He says. "Okay, go. But I'll be judging you twice as hard." I say. He nods, before he starts playing a familiar power chord.

Tonight, we lie awake
Remember how the coffee made us shake on those long drives?
One more long night

Another seven days
Heartbeat racing
The interstate, my home tonight
For one more long night
I'm sure as hell the happiest I've ever been

We get high, we let go
We've got more than we know
My friends are a different breed
My friends are

There's a ghost in this room
I think I'll name it after all of you
And watch it hang over my bed like decorations celebrated
Memories, they came and went in light of all the time we spent
Listening to everything our parents told us not to take in

Now make a change
I'm counting down
The mile marks to every town
And falling more in love
With the distance put between us

We get high, we let go
We've got more than we know
My friends are a different breed
My friends are everything
Make this last, take it slow
We've got it all figured out for now
So let us live our lives without a doubt

Tonight we lie awake
Remember how the coffee made us shake on those long drives?
One more long night
Another seven days
Heartbeat racing
The interstate, my home tonight
For one more long night

From coast to coast, I'll make the most
Of every second I've been giving with this crowd
Without a doubt, you're all I dream about
At night we lie awake
With stories taking us back to the nights we felt alive
The nights we felt alive

I would've married you in Vegas
Had you given me the chance to say "I do"
Could I make it more obvious, could you
Be anymore obvious

I would've married you in Vegas
Had you given me the chance to say "I do"
Could I make it more obvious, could you
Be anymore obvious, could you?

I stand up and start clapping, am an immediatly joined by Matt and Brian. "He's your fucking lead singer." Matt says in my ear. I nod, and Brian leans down. "He's fucking good. I think you should consider him." He says. "I have to say I'm very impressed. Band members will be posted Monday." I say, before I sit back down. We go through the rest of the singers and I decide I want to do drums next.

"OKAY! ALL DRUMMERS GET IN LINE!" I yell.