Battle of the Bands

Julie's P.O.V.

"Alright all you mega fans out there! We've got three tickets left for the sold-out Battle Of The Bands concert tonight! Now, I know everyone in town wants to get their hands on these tickets, but I can only give them to one lucky caller!" DJ Tank announced on the local radio station.

"OMG. Melissa, get ready to start dialing!" I shouted, loud enough for my voice to carry throughout the entire house.

I didn't know where she was exactly.

"Okay listeners! I am looking for caller number 105!" DJ Tank continued, "So c'mon, pick up those phones and start calling me before I change my mind and keep these tickets for myself!"

"Start calling, Melissa!" I shouted.

"Okay!" she shouted back.

I think she's somewhere upstairs. Yeah. That sounds about right.

"We've got the best of the best bands in town and these three tickets include backstage passes!"

I dialed once, but was greeted by an automated message telling me I was caller 17.

Damn.

"Caller 38!" Melissa shouted from upstairs.

I dialed again.

Caller 54.

Double damn.

"Caller 76!" Melissa screamed.

"Please, please, please." I whispered to myself as I dialed again.

I'll do anything for those tickets.

OMG. Its ringing.

"Its ringing!" I screamed.

"You're caller number 105!" DJ Tank congratulated in my ear.

I shrieked.

"Did I win? Did I get the tickets? Do I get to meet my favorite bands?" I asked all at once. I didn't even pause to take a breath, "Tell me. Tell me! Tell Me! TELL ME!" I shouted, my voice rising more and more.

"Okay, okay. Chill out. Let me explain everything." DJ Tank said, calming me down, only slightly.

He then asked me about my personal information and then told me my three tickets would be available at the backstage entrance and all I would have to do is show some form of ID to get myself and my plus 2 in.

Wow. Plus 2.

It sounds like an entrance to some elite dance club.

That is so cool.

DJ Tank then told me that he was going to announce my big win and name on the air a couple of times throughout the night.

He asked if that would be cool.

I assured him that, yes, it would be fine.

He then asked me what my name was once more - just to be sure.

"Julie Karr." I said as I smiled and then said goodbye and hung up the phone.

"Melissa!" I shouted.

"What?" she questioned from right behind me.

Woah.

Damn.

How'd she do that?

When did she do that?

Ehh, I'll figure it out later.

"Guess what?!" I shouted.

"No....way!" Melissa said as she smiled from ear to ear. "You are so awesome....But who is gonna be the third person?" she asked.

I could see her trying to think of who to invite, but she was drawing a blank.

We hadn't really thought about who was going to be our third.

Hell, we didn't even think we were going to win the tickets.

But now that we had, I was practically walking on air.

Now we had to buckle down and choose a third.

We had to choose carefully though.

We had to pick someone who would not gain anything from going with us, but instead owe us a favor for inviting them.

Yeah, I know, that's kind of shallow.

But that's the way most people in my high school actually are.

Its weird, but its also the way life works around here.

Crazy, right?

I know.

I gasped.

I know the most perfect person to invite.

And as an added on bonus, they live in this very house and is upstairs, probably sound asleep at this very moment, or is super pissed at Melissa and I for screaming so much and keeping them up.

"Let's invite Ryder." I said as I smiled.

"Your brother?" Melissa questioned, "No! He's old." she then whined.

"He's only three years older than us and soon he will be 21 and able to legally purchase beer and what not." I said.

"True." Melissa answered as we ran upstairs and I knocked on his door.

It took a moment, and there was quite a bit of noise, but eventually he opened the door.

He was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a belt.

Then that means a moment ago he was-

Eww.

I shook the thoughts out of my head just as Ryder asked, "What do you two want?"

"Well, you know that concert tonight?" I questioned.

"Yeah. Its sold out. What about it?" he questioned.

"Do you want to go?"

"How? Do you expect me to sneak in?" he questioned, while giving me a skeptic look.

"Nope. I won the radio contest!" I shouted as I jumped up and down.

"Really?! You freakin' rock! I'm so in!" Ryder said as he smiled, "So, when do we leave?"

X---X---X---X---X---X---X---X---X---X

Melissa and I were riding in the backseat of Ryder's Jeep Wrangler.

I would be riding in the front seat, but the vehicle's car stereo is busted so he keeps a boom box in the front passenger seat.

Now that's real old school.

But its about to be broke school.

That poor beat box is one car slamming on its brakes away from breaking.

That's why I plan on getting him an entirely new system for his birthday.

I have been saving up for a year and a half now.

It has been so hard to keep my secret from him or from not turning around and spending all that saved money on something for myself.

It doesn't take long for us to get to the arena where the epic concert is located at, but it does take about a half hour to find a place to park.

There are people everywhere.

Most of which probably don't even have tickets for the show.

Which means they'll all be out here listening instead.

Wow.

I really hope a riot won't start up tonight after the show.

But I have this strange ability to be right about that kind of thing.

Its like feeling a strong vibe or being able to predict the future.

Some people would call my ability a gift.

But I don't see it that way.

Never have and probably never will.

We get out of the jeep and walk up to the backstage entrance feeling like rock stars.

I flashed my school ID to the bouncer to prove I am Julie Karr and then we were led into the back entrance and ushered into 'the green room' where we are told to wait until the bands come to us.

The green room was actually pretty slammin'.

I mean, pretty cool.

It had a mini fridge packed full of snacks and drinks, a microwave, a tv with Wii, Xbox, Guitar Hero, Rock Band, PS2, and PS3 game systems, microphones, bass guitars, guitars, a drum set, two pretty nice leather couches, a double DDR system, and an air hockey table.

Awesome.

This room has practically everything.

It must be a break room for the band mates.

Its awful nice.

While I am staring at everything in the room I have noticed that Ryder and Melissa have already made themselves at home.

Melissa is playing Mario Kart on the Wii system while Ryder is currently raiding the fridge.

Figures.

I was over to the instruments on the far side of the room ans sit behind the drum set.

I then pull out the drum sticks and begin to play the beat to Linkin Park's No More Sorrow.

Yeah.

I play the drums.

I hate to brag, but I'm pretty good too.

When I finish up, I hear someone clapping for me and when I look up I see Frank Iero standing in the doorway.

Oh. My. God.

Its Frank Iero.

Its really him.

"Ya know, you're pretty good." he says as he walks into the room toward me.

"Thanks." I answer quietly.

Melissa pauses the game and gets up, "Yeah. She can play a bunch of different instruments and she can sing."

"Its true." Ryder agreed as he shoved a Twinkie into his mouth.

He is such a pig.

No.

Wait.

He is such a guy.

Yeah.

That's better.

"Really?" Frank questioned, "Well, can you sing something for me?"

I start to shake my head.

It was bad enough that he heard me playing the drums.

But with one glance at Melissa and Ryder, who were glaring at me, my head shake quickly turned into a head nod.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and began to sing Mama.

Mama, we all go to hell
Mama, we all go to hell
I'm writing this letter and wishing you well
Mama, we all go to hell

Oh, well, now
Mama, we're all gonna die
Mama, we're all gonna die
Stop asking me questions, I'd hate to see you cry
Mama, we're all gonna die

Then I opened my eyes as I began to get more comfortable with my audience.

And when we go, don't blame us, yeah
We'll let the fires just bathe us, yeah
You made us, oh so famous
We'll never let you go
And when you go don't return to me, my love

Mama, we're all full of lies
Mama, we're meant for the flies
And right now they're building a coffin your size
Mama, we're all full of lies

Well Mother, what the war did to my legs and to my tongue
You should've raised a baby girl, I should've been a better son
If you could coddle the infection they can amputate at once
You should've been, I could have been a better son

And when we go, don't blame us, yeah
We'll let the fires just bathe us, yeah
You made us, oh so famous
We'll never let you go

She said, "You ain't no son of mine
For what you've done they're gonna find
A place for you, and just you mind
Your mannors when you go
And when you go, don't return to me, my love"
That's right

Mama, we all go to hell
Mama, we all go to hell
Its really quite pleasant
Except for the smell
Mama, we all go to hell

2 - 3 - 4
Mama, mama, mama, oh
Mama, mama, mama, mama

Then I began to really get into it and judging by the smiles on Ryder and Melissa's faces, I was doing pretty awesome.

And if you call me your sweetheart
I'd maybe then sing you a song
But there's s--- that I've done with this f--- of a gun
You would cry out your eyes all along

We're damned after all
Through fortune and flame we fall
And if you can stay then I'll show you the way
To return from the ashes you crawl

We all carry on
(We all carry on)
When our brothers in arms are gone
(When our brothers in arms are gone)
So raise your glass high for tomorrow we die
And return from the ashes you crawl

When I was done, I heard more than just three people clapping for me.

Oh crap.

Who else was listening to me?

In walked Gerard and Mikey Way.

Oh...Wow.

"She sang that better than you ever could." Mikey teased his brother.

"Hey, shut up man." Gerard said as he shoved Mikey head first into the couch.

Okay, oww.

That looked like it kind of hurt.