The Hand of Destiny

Andy told me his friends play instruments, what he failed to mention, is that they’re all amazing at it.

We were all congregated in Jake’s living room, I’d only ever briefly met him once at a party but as soon as I arrived we joked and talked like old friends.

I originally thought it would be awkward considering the rest of the group knew each other, but those thoughts faded fast when I knocked on the door –Andy standing slightly behind me as he re-tied his boot lace- and was greeted once again by C.C, who tackle hugged me on sight.

Jinxx was already there when we came, as was C.C (obviously, because –as I found out on the way over here – he lives with Jake). After we all chatted for a bit and got ourselves some drinks we sat in various seats around Jake and C.C’s living room and set up our musical equipment. As soon as we were done messing around with distortion settings, volumes, wires and taking up all Jake and C.C’s plug sockets we started to show each other what we could do.

Jake started by playing a complicated riff from an Avenged Sevenfold song which was seriously impressive. I love Avenged and have heard some people attempt to play their stuff but none of them did it as well as Jake – who I think must have been a guitar legend in a former life or something.

Jinxx then followed with a heavy song full of impressive string bending and tricks, his hands moving with incredible ease as they danced over the strings.

When Jake and Jinxx had finished performing their wicked guitar bits C.C decided it was time to pound the shit out of his drum kit like an absolute boss (seriously, the guy has mad drum skills) and finished by jumping out his chair and onto an unexpecting Jake – who ended up knocked to the floor.

From his place on Jake’s chest C.C exclaimed “I. Am the living. Definition. Of Sex!” before leaning down to plant a sloppy kiss on the forehead of a bemused Jake.

“Ew! Gross, dude!” he said while rubbing his forehead with the back of his arm which he then wiped on C.C’s t-shirt.

“It’s your saliva, have it back!”

C.C jumped off his chest and looked down at Jake, who was still on the floor.

“Save a drum, bang a drummer” he winked at him.

I played next, choosing my favourite song, the same one I was playing yesterday after I heard Andy sing. When I finished they all grinned at me, which was reassuring as they’d probably all heard each other play before, where as I was a new comer and - as much as I wanted to deny it in my head – I wanted to impress them.

“That was wicked Ash! You said you played but I didn’t know you were that good!”

I felt my cheeks colour a bit, great… now I’m blushing like an idiot because Andy complimented me…

“On the musical front you’re a lot better than me Andy”

Everyone except for Andy looked at me confused until Jake spoke.

“Um, Andy doesn’t play an instrument?”

He made it sound more like a question than a statement, probably hoping I’d elaborate on what I’d said.

“I meant about him…” Then understand dawned on me and I turned my head to Andy.

“Have they actually heard-“

He cut me off with a small shake of his head and gave me an embarrassed smile as he chewed on his lip ring.

“Heard what?” C.C asked, now focused on me and Andy rather than annoying Jake by playing with his hair.

I smiled reassuringly at Andy and asked Jinxx if I could borrow his guitar quickly. I’m a bass player, but I still know a fair few things on guitar as well. I wracked my brain, trying to think back to yesterday when Andy told me some of the songs he liked to sing. I metaphorically clicked my fingers to myself when I thought of one that I knew and he liked.

I smiled warmly at him again.

“Show ‘em Andy” then I started playing to opening to Holiday by Green Day before he could protest. He flashed me a smile as soon as he recognized the song, then he turned back to the others and took a deep breath before starting to sing.

“Hear the sound of the falling rain,
Coming down like an Armageddon flame,
The shame, the ones who died without a name,
Hear the dogs howling out of key,
To a hymn called "Faith and Misery",
And bleed, the company lost the war today,
I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies,
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives,
On Holiday,

Hear the drum pounding out of time,
Another protester has crossed the line,
To find the money's on the other side,
Can I get another Amen?
There's a flag wrapped around a score of men,
A gag, a plastic bag on a monument,

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies,
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives,
On holiday,
The representative from California has the floor,

Siege Heil to the president gasman,
Bombs away is your punishment,
Pulverize the Eiffel towers,
Who criticize your government,
Bang, bang goes the broken glass lamp,
Kill all the fags that don't agree,
Trials by fire, setting fires,
That’s not a way that's meant for me,
Just cause, just cause, because we're outlaws, yeah,

Outlaws, I thought. I like that, it'd probably make a killer tat...

I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies,
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives,
I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies,
This is the dawning of the rest of our lives,
This is the life on holiday!”

As Andy sung his heart out, I couldn’t keep the stupid grin off my face, he is in all senses of the word, perfect.