Status: Active!
Dreams.
Andy.
Cassandra's PoV
I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't get up on that stage/ platform and sing a song in front of all these people. I just can't do it. There's no way I'm ready. Not for this.
"You know Cass, if you keep plucking at that same string repeatedly you're going to snap it." Tyler says, snapping me out of my trance.
"Right." I say placing my hand flat over the strings.
"You look like you're having some pre-show nervousness." He tells me.
"No shit sherlock." I glare.
"Well well. Seems Miss. I Have Big Dreams has a bitchy side." He smirks. "But she also has a nervous side, which will most likely stop her from preforming tonight. Am I right, or I am right." He asks.
"Neither. Just because I'm nervous right now doesn't mean that I won't be able to get on that stage and kick ass." I explain.
"She's arrogant too." I roll my eyes.
"What, are you telling me that when you first preformed in front of people you weren't nervous? At all?" I question.
"Oh I was. I'm just teasing you to boost your ego and distract you." He smirks. "It worked."
"I would call you an ass hole.. But you did help. So thanks Tyler."
"No problem kid. You need someone to help you out in this ocean. It's full of hungry sharks, and they're all out for blood. You either have to make it with a clear head before you become one of them or you have to be one of them, continue fighting, and never get anywhere." He sighs. "Think of me as your big brother from now on, alright? Anyone fucks with you, you tell me about it. I'll deal with them."
"Why though? I'm just a 17 year old with a dream, like the majority of kids who move out to LA." I ask. Really confused as to why he is being so nice,
"Los Angeles is a big city, and Rock and Roll is even bigger. It's easy to get swallowed up and eaten by both. If that happens it's the end of your dream, and possibly the end of you." He explains. "I've seen it happen way to many times. But you're just a kid. You have talent. And I, being the nice person I am, won't let something like that slip away."
"Well. Thanks Tyler." I smile.
"No problem. Go kick some ass up on that stage tonight alright?" He says.
"I can try." I laugh and grab my guitar before heading out to get ready for my performance, which was in about 10 minutes.
Alright Cassandra. This is your chance. First time performing in California. It's no different from back home. Just pretend you're in your bedroom, and mom and dad are at work. You love doing this so do it. Don't let anything hold you back.
Up until the time I'm supposed to go on I repeat thoughts like those in my mind. Trying as hard as I can to convince myself that I can do this, and slowly beginning to believe it.
"Next we have a newbie. She's only been in Cali for a little over a month now, moving here with dreams, just like we all did, so go easy on her, even though she doesn't need it since she does have some tremendous talent. The young and the beautiful Cassandra Harris!" Tyler announces.
I take a shaky deep breath and go onto the platform.
"They're just like you. But you're better. So play and sing your heart out kid." Tyler whispers as he walks by me. I smile and walk up so I'm standing up at the microphone.
"So, I wrote this song two years ago, I was 15, and in a pretty dark place. I haven;t exactly given it a title, but yeah, this is it." I say before my pick plucks the B and G string back and forth and my fingers on the neck slid into a D chord and I begin to sing what I had sang for Tyler earlier.
"The things I've done. The things I've said. They're all just memories in the end
I wasted all my life just trying to forget. And now I've lost track of time."
Managing to sing the chorus and rest of the second and third verse before looking up and at the crowd. Most of which was smiling, then there was Tyler who was in the back, staring at me, looking almost proud.
I take a deep breath and sing the last lines of the song.
"I'm just another person, on this planet.
I've never really done much besides exist.
So what's it matter if I stay or go?"
I finish and the people sitting at the tables applaud.
I knew that having people like my music would be amazing, but I never pictured it feeling like this. It was crazy.
I say thank you before getting off the 'stage' and going into the back room, for employee's only, my adrenaline rushing.
Holy shit.
After calming myself down I place my guitar in it's case and walk back out, sitting at the counter.
"Hey." A familiar deep voice says to me.
"Hi." I respond.
"You're really good." He tells me. I look up and notice what he looks like for the first time. Black dyed hair, that had that total hair flip thing going on. He has blue eyes. They're almost hypnotizing. He's tall too, wearing black skinny jeans and a tight misfits shirt. "I'm Andy." He says holding his hand out.
"Cassandra." I say taking it. "And thanks, I was pretty freaked out though, so I wasn't my best." I admit as he sits next to me.
"You enjoyed it though." He points out.
"Yeah. I did." I say.
"So Cassandra. Where are you from? Since you just moved here." He asks.
"Colorado. Exciting isn't it?" I laugh.
"Hey, I'm from Ohio, which isn't any more exciting than Colorado. No worries." He says.
"Yeah but still. How long have you been out here?" I ask.
"Almost a year. I haven't left except for holidays. Which is always great, I get actual food." He joked.
"That's definitely a plus." I laugh.
"So you've already experienced the hunger?" He asks.
"Yep. My first night actually. I moved out of the apartment I was staying in, and living upstairs in Tyler's extra room. That way I have the money my parents are sending me that I'm supposed to be paying rent with and buy food, and whatever else I need." I explain. "I hate lying to them, but I need to survive, and them not to worry about me and make me come home."
"They're paying your rent, and they can make you go home? You aren't 18 yet are you?"
"Nope. Just turned 17 last month actually. Dropped out of school too." I tell him.
"I'm not 18 yet either. I will be in December. I dropped out too, so don't worry about that. Besides you have talent. So you'll get somewhere." He assures me.
"There's a lot of us out here isn't there?" I ask him.
"If by us you mean high school drop outs who want to be a rock star then yes. But I wouldn't count us in that category." He says.
"And why not?"
"Because we're high school drop outs who will be rock stars. There is a difference." He smirked.
"Next are some regulars, pretty popular here too." Tyler starts. "Andy and Chris."
"Well, that's me. I'll be back. Don't go anywhere, we haven't finished this conversation." Andy commands.
"Yes sir." I joke. He rolls his eyes before making his way to the stage with his friend.
He talked a little bit before he and his friend started a song he called The Morticians Daughter.
And let me tell you one thing.
His voice, was like nothing I'd ever heard before.
He was right. We aren't in that category of people who want to make it. Because we will.
I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't get up on that stage/ platform and sing a song in front of all these people. I just can't do it. There's no way I'm ready. Not for this.
"You know Cass, if you keep plucking at that same string repeatedly you're going to snap it." Tyler says, snapping me out of my trance.
"Right." I say placing my hand flat over the strings.
"You look like you're having some pre-show nervousness." He tells me.
"No shit sherlock." I glare.
"Well well. Seems Miss. I Have Big Dreams has a bitchy side." He smirks. "But she also has a nervous side, which will most likely stop her from preforming tonight. Am I right, or I am right." He asks.
"Neither. Just because I'm nervous right now doesn't mean that I won't be able to get on that stage and kick ass." I explain.
"She's arrogant too." I roll my eyes.
"What, are you telling me that when you first preformed in front of people you weren't nervous? At all?" I question.
"Oh I was. I'm just teasing you to boost your ego and distract you." He smirks. "It worked."
"I would call you an ass hole.. But you did help. So thanks Tyler."
"No problem kid. You need someone to help you out in this ocean. It's full of hungry sharks, and they're all out for blood. You either have to make it with a clear head before you become one of them or you have to be one of them, continue fighting, and never get anywhere." He sighs. "Think of me as your big brother from now on, alright? Anyone fucks with you, you tell me about it. I'll deal with them."
"Why though? I'm just a 17 year old with a dream, like the majority of kids who move out to LA." I ask. Really confused as to why he is being so nice,
"Los Angeles is a big city, and Rock and Roll is even bigger. It's easy to get swallowed up and eaten by both. If that happens it's the end of your dream, and possibly the end of you." He explains. "I've seen it happen way to many times. But you're just a kid. You have talent. And I, being the nice person I am, won't let something like that slip away."
"Well. Thanks Tyler." I smile.
"No problem. Go kick some ass up on that stage tonight alright?" He says.
"I can try." I laugh and grab my guitar before heading out to get ready for my performance, which was in about 10 minutes.
Alright Cassandra. This is your chance. First time performing in California. It's no different from back home. Just pretend you're in your bedroom, and mom and dad are at work. You love doing this so do it. Don't let anything hold you back.
Up until the time I'm supposed to go on I repeat thoughts like those in my mind. Trying as hard as I can to convince myself that I can do this, and slowly beginning to believe it.
"Next we have a newbie. She's only been in Cali for a little over a month now, moving here with dreams, just like we all did, so go easy on her, even though she doesn't need it since she does have some tremendous talent. The young and the beautiful Cassandra Harris!" Tyler announces.
I take a shaky deep breath and go onto the platform.
"They're just like you. But you're better. So play and sing your heart out kid." Tyler whispers as he walks by me. I smile and walk up so I'm standing up at the microphone.
"So, I wrote this song two years ago, I was 15, and in a pretty dark place. I haven;t exactly given it a title, but yeah, this is it." I say before my pick plucks the B and G string back and forth and my fingers on the neck slid into a D chord and I begin to sing what I had sang for Tyler earlier.
"The things I've done. The things I've said. They're all just memories in the end
I wasted all my life just trying to forget. And now I've lost track of time."
Managing to sing the chorus and rest of the second and third verse before looking up and at the crowd. Most of which was smiling, then there was Tyler who was in the back, staring at me, looking almost proud.
I take a deep breath and sing the last lines of the song.
"I'm just another person, on this planet.
I've never really done much besides exist.
So what's it matter if I stay or go?"
I finish and the people sitting at the tables applaud.
I knew that having people like my music would be amazing, but I never pictured it feeling like this. It was crazy.
I say thank you before getting off the 'stage' and going into the back room, for employee's only, my adrenaline rushing.
Holy shit.
After calming myself down I place my guitar in it's case and walk back out, sitting at the counter.
"Hey." A familiar deep voice says to me.
"Hi." I respond.
"You're really good." He tells me. I look up and notice what he looks like for the first time. Black dyed hair, that had that total hair flip thing going on. He has blue eyes. They're almost hypnotizing. He's tall too, wearing black skinny jeans and a tight misfits shirt. "I'm Andy." He says holding his hand out.
"Cassandra." I say taking it. "And thanks, I was pretty freaked out though, so I wasn't my best." I admit as he sits next to me.
"You enjoyed it though." He points out.
"Yeah. I did." I say.
"So Cassandra. Where are you from? Since you just moved here." He asks.
"Colorado. Exciting isn't it?" I laugh.
"Hey, I'm from Ohio, which isn't any more exciting than Colorado. No worries." He says.
"Yeah but still. How long have you been out here?" I ask.
"Almost a year. I haven't left except for holidays. Which is always great, I get actual food." He joked.
"That's definitely a plus." I laugh.
"So you've already experienced the hunger?" He asks.
"Yep. My first night actually. I moved out of the apartment I was staying in, and living upstairs in Tyler's extra room. That way I have the money my parents are sending me that I'm supposed to be paying rent with and buy food, and whatever else I need." I explain. "I hate lying to them, but I need to survive, and them not to worry about me and make me come home."
"They're paying your rent, and they can make you go home? You aren't 18 yet are you?"
"Nope. Just turned 17 last month actually. Dropped out of school too." I tell him.
"I'm not 18 yet either. I will be in December. I dropped out too, so don't worry about that. Besides you have talent. So you'll get somewhere." He assures me.
"There's a lot of us out here isn't there?" I ask him.
"If by us you mean high school drop outs who want to be a rock star then yes. But I wouldn't count us in that category." He says.
"And why not?"
"Because we're high school drop outs who will be rock stars. There is a difference." He smirked.
"Next are some regulars, pretty popular here too." Tyler starts. "Andy and Chris."
"Well, that's me. I'll be back. Don't go anywhere, we haven't finished this conversation." Andy commands.
"Yes sir." I joke. He rolls his eyes before making his way to the stage with his friend.
He talked a little bit before he and his friend started a song he called The Morticians Daughter.
And let me tell you one thing.
His voice, was like nothing I'd ever heard before.
He was right. We aren't in that category of people who want to make it. Because we will.