Let the Flames Begin

My arms were beyond sore as I sat on the couch in Hayley Williams’ house. I leaned my head back and sighed, shutting my eyes lightly.

“Tired already scout?” Jeremy asked. I felt him bounce down on the couch beside me. I rolled my head over to look at him and opened one eye, grinning at the bassist. He winked and I sat up, tucking my legs underneath me and facing him.

“I was resting and relaxing, not sleeping, there’s a definite difference,” I replied cheekily. Taylor snorted from his seat by the guitars, tuning one.

“She told you.”

I laughed loudly at that one and sat back on the couch. I was pretty tired though, which I would never admit. In any case, Jeremy leaned his head on my shoulder as my laughter died down. I patted his head.

“Now who’s the tired one, hm?” I asked softly. I was sitting in a room with two members of my band, Paramore. The thought alone was enough to send my heart rocketing off to space. With the soft plucking of Taylor in the corner, tuning by ear, I leaned my head against Jeremy’s.

“What’s touring like you guys?” I asked, a dreamy tone to my voice. Jeremy chuckled. Taylor put down the guitar and pulled up a chair in front of the couch. It was like a little circle, and from this, I could tell we would get closer.

“You’ll see soon enough,” Jeremy said, his thin arms wrapping around me. I sighed, but allowed the contact. I would never forget what Hayley said in the interview room. Are you gonna hit on everyone who comes back here?

“It’s great,” Taylor said quietly, “You get onstage and it is unbelievable, the crowd I mean. The kids are great and it’s such an adrenaline rush. Then you meet a bunch of them and they’re all such brilliant people. Touring itself? It gets a little lonely sometimes but you see so many things and meet so many people. I love it.”

That was probably the most I’d heard Taylor speak, well, ever and it was easy to see the passion he felt for this. I smiled and tilted my head off of Jeremy’s shoulder. By that description alone, I was excited and ready to just go on tour. I knew there were a lot of things still left to settle but I was just feeling so blessed and lucky and just completely…excited.

“Wow, it sounds great.”

“Like I said, you’ll see soon enough.”

We sat quietly for a while, lost in our own thoughts. I put my feet up to rest on Taylor’s knees and he just rolled his eyes. I got comfortable with new people almost immediately, like before with Robbie. She was easy to talk to. Her sister on the other hand…

I liked Ryder a lot, but she was very guarded. I was sure she had good reason to be and I never liked judging people when I’d only just met them. Her personality seemed genuine and I was sure we would bump shoulders along the way, but I was okay with that. A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.
“What do you guys think of Ryder?” I asked, “Not to be judgemental of course, just first impression based.”

Jeremy shrugged and dug his face into my shoulder before answering.

“She’s pretty kick ass at playing guitar, that’s for sure. A little rough around the edges but she’ll warm up to us. We’re mostly irresistible.”

“Well, I think she’s brilliant,” Taylor said, turning red almost immediately after he said it. Jeremy and I looked over to him with curiosity. He stuttered and then saved himself. “I mean, at playing you know. She definitely has talent.”

I eyed him suspiciously. “She’s got a wall up but like Jer Bear over here said,” I stuck a thumb out to indicate the bassist, he snapped at it, “she’ll warm up to us. Everyone makes friends at their own pace. She’s pretty huh?”

Taylor’s eyes flicked to the ceiling and it was obvious he wouldn’t answer. Ryder was very pretty but it seemed like she was brutally unaware of it. Either that or she just didn’t care. Taylor was obviously aware of it and he definitely did care. I didn’t know him well enough to tease him just yet.

“Well, I mean, now we’ve got three pretty ladies in the band, what can I say?” Jeremy said. I rolled my eyes.

“You’re cheesin’ mad hard right now my bro,” I retorted, smacking his arm gently. Taylor laughed and sat back, returning to his normally quiet self.

“What about Hayley? Do you like her?” Jeremy asked.

“Yeah, she’s really sweet! I thought it was a bummer she had to leave early but whatever,” I trailed off. Truth was I didn’t get much of Hayley’s personality except that she was sweet. Other than that she was quiet and almost kind of brooding.

Taylor and Jeremy shared a conspiratorial look in which I wondered what the conspiracy was. I wasn’t ever that great at reading people’s reactions. In any case, I didn’t really want to know what they were going on about, considering I was new in the band.

I glanced lovingly at the purple drum kit in the corner and bit my lip to hide the grin forming on my face. Taylor caught it though, and smiled shyly at me. It was so surreal to even be sitting here talking to them let alone know I was in Paramore with them. It shocked me.

“We should get a pizza since you’re my pizza soul mate,” Jeremy suggested. I glanced at my phone and was surprised to see how late it was.

“Normally I’m up for late nights but my grandma forces me to get up early and walk with her on Saturday mornings and it’s already getting kinda late,” I said regretfully. There was nothing I would enjoy more than a pizza date with my two newest bandmates.

“I’ll walk you out to your car,” Jeremy volunteered. I said my goodbye to Taylor, who went back over to his guitars. I followed Jeremy up a short flight of stairs and outside into the warm night.

We stopped in front of my car and I hugged him. He squeezed me into his chest before letting me go and I got a good whiff of whatever he was wearing. He smiled down at me as I opened the door.

“I’ll text you okay? And I’ll see you real soon,” he said.

“I’ll answer and yes, I’ll see you too.”

“Drive safe okay?”

“Okay mom.”

He grinned and rolled his eyes, shutting the door once I was in. I started the car up and pulled out of the driveway. He waved and I waved back before finding my way out of Hayley’s neighborhood and toward the highway.

It was crazy to think I was coming home late from band practice. I’d only been in one other band and we were absolute trash. It was called The Holy Trinity which made absolutely no sense considering there were four of us. We’d broken up in my sophomore year because the lead singer was a dick.

When I rolled into town I stopped at the gas station to get my personal favorite, blue raspberry slushie. The kid behind the counter rang me up. He didn’t even know that I was in Paramore. In a few months, I would be famous. People would recognize me.

Whether or not they would like me was another story. A story I was a little nervous about.

I drove home carefully like Jeremy had asked, slowing at any sign of wildlife. I didn’t want them to have to search for another drummer. When I got home, I crept into the house, careful not to wake up my grandma.

“Hey Aunt Lynn,” I said quietly. She was sitting in the dining room on her laptop, soft jazz music playing. It had been a long time since I’d come home to hear Led Zeppelin or The Monkees playing.

“How was practice?” she asked, glancing up at me and smiling. I sucked down some more of my slushie.

“It was good, exciting. I’m super tired though so I’m just gonna go to bed, okay?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. Good night sweetheart.”

“Night.”

I made my way to my room, finishing the last of my slushie and throwing it in the garbage in the bathroom. I washed my face and brushed my teeth before simply stripping my pants off and falling into bed. I had a tendency of not wearing pajamas.

My mind raced for awhile; touring, Ryder, playing. It took me a long time to calm myself down. When I did, I got up and threw my window open so I could listen to the crickets outside. Air conditioning was great but tonight I wanted to hear the outside.

I fell asleep to dreams of playing drums in front of a huge audience, Hayley’s bright hair bouncing in front of my kit.