Picking Up the Pieces

The next morning, I was rudely awakened by the sound of a high-pitched screaming. It was either Vic, or a woman. And I was the only one with a vagina (as far as I know) on this bus. I rolled out of my bunk lazily and went to see what the fuss what about.

In the front lounge, Vic and a petite blonde stood arguing with each other. What about, I don’t know.

“Vic, you are such an asshole!” The blonde yelled. “How could you do this to me?” She looked at me and her face grew even angrier, if possible. She pointed a tiny finger at me furiously. “Here she is now! Lucky for us she’s wearing clothes!”

“Okay, what the hell is going on here?” I asked, fed up.

“I think you know very well what’s going on here,” she fumed. “You’ve been fucking my boyfriend!”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Vic rub his face in frustration. “WHAT?!” I screamed. “Vic and I are not having sex if that’s what you’re talking about. I’m the tour manager.”

She nodded sarcastically. “Uh huh, sure. Because all tour managers look as slutty as you.”

“Excuse me?” I protested. “Who are you even?”

She crosses her arms assertively. “That Mexican bastard” she pointed at Vic. “Is my boyfriend. Ex-boyfriend, now.”

Vic took that moment to re-join our little chit chat. “She is not my girlfriend. She sings in one of our songs, and she was going to perform with us tonight,” he explained.

“He is my boyfriend, actually,” the blonde argued. “He’s just shy, isn’t that right, baby?” She leaned on him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“No, we are not dating,” Vic objected again. “I don’t like you Lindsey!”

She stomped her feet like a child. “WHY NOT? CAN’T YOU SEE HOW PERFECT WE ARE FOR EACH OTHER? CAN’T YOU SEE THAT I LOVE YOU, VICKY?” She squealed.

“God dammit, Lindsey! I. Don’t. Like. You,” he said slowly, making sure she understood. Clearly she didn’t because she lunged at him.

Just in time, Joe appeared, grabbing Lindsey by the waist and picking her up with his beefy arms. He went to take her out of the bus, but she grabbed onto the edge of the doorway with her pink fingernails and screamed one last creepy promise. “HAVE FUN WITH YOUR WHORE, VICTOR! WHEN YOU’RE READY, I’M HERE!!! I’LL WAIT FOR YOU!!! I LOVE YOUUUUU!!!!!”

Joe detached her from the doorway with a final powerful tug, and soon her screams of protest faded and she was gone.

I plopped myself down on the couch and sighed with exhaustion. “What a lovely thing to wake up to,” I commented to no one in particular.

Vic sat down at the other end of the couch. “Sorry you had to see that. She’s crazy.”

“I can tell,” I said, sitting up straighter and facing him. “What are you gonna do about you song?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “I could have Jaime do it, but it wouldn’t be the same.”

We sat in silence for a few moments, thinking.

“I could do it,” I suggested suddenly.

Vic perked up immediately. “Really?”

I nodded enthusiastically. “Sure! You’ll have to teach it to me,” I agreed.

He leaned in to give me a bear hug. “Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!!!!” He squealed.

“You’re welcome,” I said, patting his back.

I heard footsteps coming down the hallway, and I didn’t have enough time to detach myself from Vic before the owner of the feet spoke up. “What’s going on?” A Star Wars pajama-clad Tony asked awkwardly.

I pulled away from Vic and greeted him with a smile while Vic explained the situation. “Lindsey showed up, and I guess she heard about Zoe because she started screaming at me that I cheated on her,” he said calmly.

Tony looked confused. “You guys aren’t even going out,” he replied.

“Exactly,” Vic said. “She thought Zoe and I were having sex, and she got all mad and then Joe had to drag her out of the bus, and now Zoe’s gonna sing her part in Hold On Till May!”

Tony looked at me with an excited grin. I grinned right back at him. “That’s great, Greenie Bean!” he congratulated. “Wait, do you even know the part?”

I shook my head. “Vic said he’s gonna teach it to me later.”

Tony looked at his watch. “You guys better get moving, it’s already eleven, and we haven’t even started setting up yet,” he instructed.

Vic and I nodded at each other, getting up. “I guess we better get ready then,” he said. I nodded again in agreement, and followed him to the bunk area so I could get my toothbrush and a pair of clothes to change into.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Okay, after the second chorus, after ‘3 2 1, where did it go’, you come out on stage,” Vic explained. “Then I’ll sing my part, that ends with ‘darling you’ll be okay’, then I’ll say ‘and she said’. That’s your cue. Now tell me your part.” He instructed.

I nodded, showing I understood, then recited my part. “If you were me, you’d do the same, cause I can’t take anymore, I’ll draw the shades and close the door, everything’s not alright, I would rather.”

Vic gave me a thumbs up, showing me I was correct. “Good, you’re a fast learner. Then we sing the chorus together. And as the sun went down we ended up on the ground, I heard the train shake the windows, you screamed over the sound. And as we own this night, I put your body to the test with mine, this love was out of control, tell me where did it go. Okay?”

“Okay!” I answered. After I had helped everyone unload and set up, Vic and I had gotten some time on the stage to practice my part. It was nearing four thirty, almost time for sound check.

“Alright, we’re gonna run through it,” he told me. “Guys! Get out here! Let’s practice with Zoe!”

One by one, the other three members came out and took their places on the stage with their instruments. Tony winked at me, and Mike gave me a thumbs up. I gulped nervously. So far, I had only sang my part in front of Vic. I was really scared to do it in front of everyone else, and it would probably be even worse with the crowd.

Vic ushered me offstage, and they started the song. Vic on the opening guitars riffs, then Mike on drums. Vic leaned into the microphone and sang the first verse.

She sits up high, surrounded by the sun,
One million branches and she loves everyone,
Mom and dad, did you search for me?
I've been up here so long I'm going crazy

He stopped playing guitar, and Mike stopped the drums, and he sang alone for the bridge.

As the sun went down, we ended up on the ground,
I heard the train shake the windows, you screamed over the sound...

Jaime, Tony and Mike joined in with Vic’s voice.

And as we own this night, I’ll put your body to the test with mine,
This love was out of control, 3 2 1 where did it go?

Now don’t be crazy, yes, of course you can stay here,
Been in a touring band for going on ten years,
‘Big deal’, she said ‘I guess you’re official’
I only said it cause I know what it’s like to feel

Burned out, it gets you down,
We’ve all been there sometimes,
but tonight I’ll make you feel beautiful once again

He looked at me to remind me I had to come out soon and I gave him a double thumbs up. He turned back around to the microphone just in time for the second chorus.

And as the sun went down, we ended up on the ground,
I heard the train shake the windows, you screamed over the sound,
and as we own this night, I’ll put your body to the test with mine
This love was out of control, 3 2 1 where did it go?

There’s my cue. Now or never. I walked (more like nervously creeped), my own mike in hand, and Vic looked me dead in the eyes as he sang his verse.

“If I were you, I'd put that away,” he sang, staring at me with big, comforting brown eyes. “See, you're just wasted and thinking about the past again, darling you'll be okay....”

“And she said....” Jaime sang, smiling at me in encouragement.

I raised the mike to my mouth, almost touching my lips, took a deep breath and began to sing. “If you were me, you’d do the saaaaaaaaaaaaaame, cause I can’t tAake anymore, I’ll draw the shades and close the door, everything’s not alright, and I would rather....”

I spun around a little bit during the few bars where neither of us sang, not really knowing what else to do. For the last chorus, I stood beside Vic and we sang together.

“As the sun went down, we ended up on the ground, I heard the train shake the windows, you screamed over the sound, and as we own this night, I’ll put your body with mine, this love was out of control, tell me where did it go?”

Tony played the last guitar notes and then all the sound slowly faded to silence. All three boys stared at me, jaws dropped.

“What?” I asked, confused.

They all jumped up and ran towards we to give me a celebratory group hug. They created an indistinct chorus of voices as they yelled their congratulations and appreciations at me.

“Shit, Greenie Bean, I didn’t know you could sing,” Tony said.

“Neither did I really,” I replied.

“That was awesome, Zoe,” Mike said, giving me a slap on the back. I almost fell over. He quickly apologized.

“Good job,” Jaime said with a huge smile on his face. He looked like a teddy bear.

I thanked them all and went in for another group hug. Alright, one rehearsal down, now if I could just make it through the actual show.....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“ALRIGHT EVERYONE, GET OVER HERE!!!” Vic hollered. We all came running.

It was a minute to showtime, the lights were dimmed and the crowd was shouting ptv, ptv, ptv ptv. Even though I wouldn’t sing until the fifth song in the set, my heart was pounding so hard and so fast I thought I might faint. It was a good kind of pounding. I was really really excited.

The boys and I formed a small circle to the side of the stage. I thought we were huddling maybe, but I guess not. They all started clapping. I joined in, confused as to what was going on.

“Hey Mike,” Vic said.

“Yeah,” Mike replied.

“The devil,” Vic continued.

“Huh,” Mike said.

This time, everyone said it. “The devil is everywhere!”

“Hey Tony,” Jaime said this time.

“Yeah,” Tony answered.

“The devil.”

“Huh?” Tony asked.

“The devil is everywhere,” we all yelled. I was starting to get the hang of this.

“Hey Vic,” Tony called.

“Yeah,” Vic replied.

“The devil.”

“Huh?” Vic asked in a funny voice.

“The devil is everywhereee!!”

“Hey Jaime!” Mike yelled.

“Yeh,” Jaime answered.

“The devil,” Mike repeated.

“Huh,” Jaime grunted, sounding like a caveman.

“The devil is everywheeeere!!”

My turn now.

“Hey Zoe!!” Vic yelled.

“Yeah?” I yelled back.

“The devil!”

“Huh?”

“The devil is everywheeere!!!!!”

We all leaned in with our arms reached into the middle and we raised and lowered them three times while the boys yelled “P-T-V!!!” Before running onstage.

Hold on Till May was the last song in the setlist, but it came all too fast. Before I knew it, my cue came and I was standing on stage beside Vic, in front of fifteen hundred people, about to sing in public for the first time ever.

And surprisingly, I wasn’t that nervous.

I mean, of course, I was a bit nervous, but I had honestly expected to be shitting my pants at this point. But I wasn’t!

From the corner of my eye, I saw Jaime lean into the microphone and sing his part, my cue. “And she said...”

Now or never.

If you were me, you’d do the same.
Cause I can’t take any more,
I’ll draw the shades and close the door,
Everything’s not alright,
And I would rather.....

Vic threw his guitar offstage to Joe, who caught it, then took my hand as we sang the last chorus.

And as the sun went down, we ended up on the ground
I heard the train shake the windows,
You screamed over the sound.
And as we own this night,
I put your body to the test with mine,
This love was out of control
Tell me where did it go?

Vic placed a skinny arm around my shoulders and we bowed together. “Zoe Green, everyone!!” he yelled into his microphone. The crowd was going nuts. I felt on top of the world. No wonder the guys loved this so much.

Tony came to my side from his perch on an amp and gave me a huge bear hug. I didn’t think it was possible, but the crowd screamed even louder.