Status: Finished
God Bless the Children of the Beast
Broken
I got myself back to my temporary home at Jake’s place and saw another familiar face there. “Oh, hey.” I said, a bit surprised, “you’re his friend from before..er, Austin right?” “Yeah.” He agreed, paying no mind to me. I shrugged and went to my room to stash my new item. Didn’t need Jake having another flip out. I came back out and plopped on the couch beside Austin, who was watching tv. “Where’s Jake at?” I asked. “Oh…he’ll be right back I guess.” He muttered quietly. I wondered why he didn’t want to talk to me.
I saw the garage door open and Jake stuck his head in. “Ok dude I found it and-oh, hey Sami! Perfect timing. Come out here.” I saw Austin get up and head out, so I followed. I yawned and stuck my hands in my pockets. “What’s up?” I asked. Then I noticed what Jake was holding. “Oh sweet dude, you have a mic?” It looked a little old, but he had a microphone and stand. He nodded with a grin. “And not only that, but we might have a new singer!” That took me back. “Really, who?” He looked beside me, and I did the same. Austin was standing there silently. “Austin? Dude, you can sing?” He shrugged. “Kinda. It’s not my thing but Jake said I should try it anyway.” I beamed. If he could sing and felt like putting effort into the band, we could be in business by next week. We just needed to bust our asses writing songs.
“Alrighty then, let’s hear what you got.” I grabbed my guitar off the stand in the corner, usually I didn’t leave it in the garage but I had just played it before I left this morning. “Wait, live, right now?” Austin said. I glared at him. “Don’t be a pussy. What songs do you know?” He stuttered. “Well, uh, a lot, but um..” “Maiden?” Jake suggested. I beamed at him. “Perfect! What song?” Austin spoke up finally. “I know the song Iron Maiden…” “Sweet so do I, Jake?” He nodded and twirled his drumstick. “Alright then, let’s see what you got blondie.” And so we played the song. I had to admit, he didn’t sound that bad. Plus it might keep Jake out of my hair. My only issue was if he could be the frontman we needed. I’ve seen Vince live, and if we can’t match him, then why try?
“Well that do you think?” Jake asked, obviously excited to have his best friend in the band. Of course, I was going to voice my opinion. “I’m game, but you gotta be a frontman. You can’t just stand there and sing. If you can’t match Vince then why would we even try? We’ve got to get as big as Motley and then SURPASS them. It all starts with good music and a good frontman.” “Why are you always comparing us to those losers anyway?” Jake asked. There was an edge in his voice. “I’m not comparing.” I growled through my teeth. “I’m saying that like it or not they’re the best band on the strip right now and we need to top that.” He didn’t say anything else, but kept his glare. “I can do it.” Austin said. “Good.” I said, not really mean or happy. Neutral. Neutral was the best position to have in a war. “I’m gonna go tell Rocky.” I said, wanting to be out of this place and the testosterone filled air. Nobody said anything as I walked out.
Thankfully, I managed to kick their asses into gear and we had written three songs in a week.
We were scheduled to open for Motley that weekend at the Rainbow. Now, let’s take a time out. I know jumping ahead a week sounded a bit rushed, but think about it. My story spans the course of years, and nobody would want to read that day by day, would we? I think from now on I’ll tell you the important things, the things that changed my life, and the life of a boy once known as Frank Feranna. For now let’s go back to that night at the Rainbow. Thankfully, our first gig went without incident, and the crowd of Crue-heads seemed to love us. We even had a kickass band name; “Broken”.
Nikki pulled me aside as soon as I got off the stage. “What are you doing?” I said. “You have to go on in 10 minutes go set up.” He looked at me curiously, his eyes sparkling like they always did. Intelligence, sorrow, the reflection of a thousand stars… “This isn’t good.” He said, cutting off my day dream. “What?” I asked, completely lost. He shook his head. “Your band, I don’t like it. Just your name says it all.” I gaped at him like he was high or jealous, maybe both. “What the hell are you talking about Nikki?” I asked, annoyed. “Listen, me and the guys, we have arguments, we get mad, but we’re friends, brothers, nothing can come between us. That’s not your band, I can see it so clear it’s not even funny.” “Nikki you-“ He put his hand over my mouth. “Just listen to me for once please? Jake likes you, Austin likes Jake, Rocky doesn’t like anybody, and you’re trying to plow this trainwreck right into a brick wall.” I considered what he said without biting his head off about it. Believe it or not, I could be civil when I wanted. He removed his hand and stared in my eyes, trying to gauge my reaction. I smirked. “We’ll see.” I said, and I walked right past him.
I should’ve listened to him.
I saw the garage door open and Jake stuck his head in. “Ok dude I found it and-oh, hey Sami! Perfect timing. Come out here.” I saw Austin get up and head out, so I followed. I yawned and stuck my hands in my pockets. “What’s up?” I asked. Then I noticed what Jake was holding. “Oh sweet dude, you have a mic?” It looked a little old, but he had a microphone and stand. He nodded with a grin. “And not only that, but we might have a new singer!” That took me back. “Really, who?” He looked beside me, and I did the same. Austin was standing there silently. “Austin? Dude, you can sing?” He shrugged. “Kinda. It’s not my thing but Jake said I should try it anyway.” I beamed. If he could sing and felt like putting effort into the band, we could be in business by next week. We just needed to bust our asses writing songs.
“Alrighty then, let’s hear what you got.” I grabbed my guitar off the stand in the corner, usually I didn’t leave it in the garage but I had just played it before I left this morning. “Wait, live, right now?” Austin said. I glared at him. “Don’t be a pussy. What songs do you know?” He stuttered. “Well, uh, a lot, but um..” “Maiden?” Jake suggested. I beamed at him. “Perfect! What song?” Austin spoke up finally. “I know the song Iron Maiden…” “Sweet so do I, Jake?” He nodded and twirled his drumstick. “Alright then, let’s see what you got blondie.” And so we played the song. I had to admit, he didn’t sound that bad. Plus it might keep Jake out of my hair. My only issue was if he could be the frontman we needed. I’ve seen Vince live, and if we can’t match him, then why try?
“Well that do you think?” Jake asked, obviously excited to have his best friend in the band. Of course, I was going to voice my opinion. “I’m game, but you gotta be a frontman. You can’t just stand there and sing. If you can’t match Vince then why would we even try? We’ve got to get as big as Motley and then SURPASS them. It all starts with good music and a good frontman.” “Why are you always comparing us to those losers anyway?” Jake asked. There was an edge in his voice. “I’m not comparing.” I growled through my teeth. “I’m saying that like it or not they’re the best band on the strip right now and we need to top that.” He didn’t say anything else, but kept his glare. “I can do it.” Austin said. “Good.” I said, not really mean or happy. Neutral. Neutral was the best position to have in a war. “I’m gonna go tell Rocky.” I said, wanting to be out of this place and the testosterone filled air. Nobody said anything as I walked out.
Thankfully, I managed to kick their asses into gear and we had written three songs in a week.
We were scheduled to open for Motley that weekend at the Rainbow. Now, let’s take a time out. I know jumping ahead a week sounded a bit rushed, but think about it. My story spans the course of years, and nobody would want to read that day by day, would we? I think from now on I’ll tell you the important things, the things that changed my life, and the life of a boy once known as Frank Feranna. For now let’s go back to that night at the Rainbow. Thankfully, our first gig went without incident, and the crowd of Crue-heads seemed to love us. We even had a kickass band name; “Broken”.
Nikki pulled me aside as soon as I got off the stage. “What are you doing?” I said. “You have to go on in 10 minutes go set up.” He looked at me curiously, his eyes sparkling like they always did. Intelligence, sorrow, the reflection of a thousand stars… “This isn’t good.” He said, cutting off my day dream. “What?” I asked, completely lost. He shook his head. “Your band, I don’t like it. Just your name says it all.” I gaped at him like he was high or jealous, maybe both. “What the hell are you talking about Nikki?” I asked, annoyed. “Listen, me and the guys, we have arguments, we get mad, but we’re friends, brothers, nothing can come between us. That’s not your band, I can see it so clear it’s not even funny.” “Nikki you-“ He put his hand over my mouth. “Just listen to me for once please? Jake likes you, Austin likes Jake, Rocky doesn’t like anybody, and you’re trying to plow this trainwreck right into a brick wall.” I considered what he said without biting his head off about it. Believe it or not, I could be civil when I wanted. He removed his hand and stared in my eyes, trying to gauge my reaction. I smirked. “We’ll see.” I said, and I walked right past him.
I should’ve listened to him.