Rotten Bones

Within minutes the stage Ve was just on was completely taken over by a new sound all together. The guitars sounded rougher and the drums were faster but I kept looking at something stupid on my phone, until the vocals kicked in and forced me to look up at them, up at him actually.

At this point I realized that Ve had been talking my ear off but I was ignoring her. He was the man who had been sitting next to me just moments earlier, this was why he was nervous. But his voice it was like nothing I had ever heard before soft like honey, yet so rough and dirty that it made me shiver.

“Who is that?” I turned to ask Ve, who gave me a look like ‘seriously you haven’t heard a word I have said’.

“That’s the guy I was telling you about earlier,” She replied “Ronnie Radke was in this awesome band got kicked out cause he went to jail and this is his new band, it’s their first live performance.” She told me. Jail?

“He spilt his drink on me.” I told he she looked at me quizzically.

“Serious?”

“Yea he was just sitting where you are now…but hang on Jail, why did he go to jail?”

“Something about being associated with a murder or something, I’m not sure.” Maybe I had been right about his tattoo, but if that was the case how was he out of Jail. Chances were I was never going to know so instead I turned back to watch the man behind the microphone.

It was the first time I had been completely mesmerized by anything in my entire life, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. And voice sent shivers down my spine, he had my attention from the moment he walked on stage to the moment he left. He seemed to have so much confidence on stage and his presence was amazing. Though he didn’t speak to the crowd at all he left that to his bass player, the person he was on stage seemed so far from the man who was sitting next to me thirty minutes ago.

Even after the band finished and some people had started to leave the bar Ve and I stayed seated where we were talking and her drinking, it was a Friday night after all.

“Hey you were from ‘Midnight Shades’ right?” A guy questioned, he was tall and skinny, had a few tattoos and his nose pierced. I was pretty sure he was part of Ronnie’s band. Who come to think of I still don’t know their name.

“Hi yea,” Ve smiled

“You have a lovely voice.” He commented

“You guys were amazing, I can’t believe that was your first live performance as a band.” She chuckled

“Thanks, I’m Jacky by the way,” He introduced

“Ve”

“Do you and your friend want to join us?” He asked and she instantly turned a pointed look at me, as if to say don’t fuck this up for me. So I nodded like a small child.

He led us over to a booth in the far back that was relatively excluded.
“Hey guys so this is Ve and…” he drifted realizing he didn’t know my name

“Lucy” I replied in a small voice, but that was enough for his head to turn and face me.

“Lucy nice,” Jacky commented “Well this is Derek and Ryan,” he pointed to one side of the booth slipping in next to Ryan “and that’s Mika and Ronnie.” They all waved or gave a polite hello except Ronnie who just looked up at me again. Ve slid in next to Jacky leaving me to sit opposite her next to Ronnie.

Conversation flowed pretty easily around the table mostly about music or some party they had coming up. Until the topic changed to Ve and I.

“So what do you two do for a living?” Ryan asked

“Oh I work in radio advertising.” Ve spoke up first, they all commented except Ronnie who had barley said two words since I had sat down.

“And you Lucy?” Ryan prompted after a few minutes of talking to Ve.

“Oh I’m a primary school teacher.” I told them

“Serious?” Ronnie mumbled quietly and I nodded looking up at him

“Fuck if you were my teacher I might have actually stayed at school.” Derek laughed and the rest of the guys except Ronnie joined in all saying something along the same line. I shifted uncomfortably for a moment accidently rubbing my arm up against Ronnie’s. I shyly looked up at him for him to be staring down at me. His eyes were such a deep brown that they made you almost melt on the spot.

“Its only primary school guys I teach 8 and 9 year olds.” I giggled trying to get them to change topic. But apparently they liked the idea of a young, hot teacher and it didn’t matter how old the kids were.

As if he knew the discomfort I felt Ronnie shifted slightly and his thumb rubs gentle circles over my hand on the seat, out of everyone’s view. His touch let a warm comfort sit in my stomach.