King for a Day

When I’m sad I just remember the best day of my life. I wasn’t having a good day today. There seemed to be more haters than usual and I kept hearing the words ‘ugly’ and ‘fat’. I had struggled a lot with bullying in high school and they were just taking me back to the “good old days.” Fuck that. These were the good days. I’m on the road with my band/family. They are kind of the same thing in my mind. We were on stage about to play our last song of the set, “King for a Day.” I didn’t want to have a mental breakdown on stage thinking of the worst of my high school years, so instead I thought of the best day of my life.
FLASHBACK – 7 years ago
Jaime and I were working at the guitar shop we first met at. Business was slow today so we were playing just some random chords, me on guitar and Jaime on bass. It was pretty boring but then two guys walked in and started looking around. Jaime and I looked at each other and had a quick paper, scissors, rock competition to see who would have to serve them. Of course I had to lose, so I leaned my guitar against the wall and went to greet the customers. I walked to them and noticed that one was really tall, taller than me. I could only see the backs of their heads so I quickly shuffled around to the front of them to get their attention. And that’s when I saw him. The shorter guy paled in comparison.
Dios mio! I had to look up to see it of course but when I did, I wasn’t disappointed. He was wearing black skinny jeans and a white singlet with the letters L and V overlapping and the words “Lord Voldemort” written underneath. Harry Potter fan then? You could see he had a fucking nice body underneath. My eyes kept travelling up and I noticed that he had lots of tattoos, just like I did. He was wearing a snap back with some logo I didn’t recognise, but underneath I could see his shining dark brown hair peeking from beneath it. I wonder what that hair would feel like if I ran my fingers through it. It looked so soft. I then found myself staring into his face.
He was tan and had dark brown eyes that I could drown in. Eyes were my favourite feature on a person and his eyes were my favourite. They just looked warm and inviting and comforting and that’s all I’d really wanted in life because I seemed to miss out on the home aspect of childhood. His eyebrows were the right size and shape and complimented his face perfectly. So did his nose. His lips were pink and full and lush looking. I had never wanted someone to kiss me more. He looked so perfect. I had never seen a person more perfect than him.
I quickly realised I had been staring at him for quite a while and felt myself blush. Oh jeez, good one Tony. Stare at him and then blush about it. He’ll think there’s something wrong with you. Stop staring and start talking!
“Um, uh, h-hi. C-Can I h-help you t-today?” I asked nervously. For fuck’s sake. Now I was stuttering too. Could this day get any worse?
“Um I’m just trying to pick a guitar, but am having trouble deciding,” the shorter one answered. I looked at their facial structure and concluded they were brothers. The shorter guy was still quite attractive, but nowhere near as perfect looking as the taller one.
“Ok. I play guitar and I know a little thing or two. What are you stuck between?” I asked this much more calmly as I was now in business mode.
“That was you before? You’re really good,” the tall guy complimented. I almost fainted at his words. I felt a little bit like I was going to meet my favourite band. My palms were clammy and I was stuttering. Come on, Tony. He’s just a guy. A really hot, perfect guy.
“Um I’m tossing up between the new Gibson and the new Fender,” the shorter one replied, shooting his brother a smirk. Maybe it’s a private joke or something? Oh, who cares? Just get back to work Tony!
“I’d say get the Gibson. They’ve got better comments than any other guitar we’ve got in stock.”
“Ok, thanks for the help.”
He picked up the Rogue and I was seriously jealous. He must have a great job to be able to pay for that. He walked over to the counter where Jaime was now standing and placed it there.
“What are we going to do Vic? They kicked us out and now we need a guitarist and a bassist,” the taller one whispered. So the shorter ones name is Vic.
“I don’t know, Mike. Maybe they will let us put an advertisement in here?” Vic said. Mike. I like that name. The next question he directed at us. “Hey would we be able to put up an advertisement in the window? Our band just broke up and we need to find a guitarist and a bassist.”
Oh my fuck! This was almost too good to be true! I looked over at Jaime and saw he had the same idea that I did! We had been wanting to form a band for a while now and Jaime can sing but we still needed a drummer at least and would’ve liked another guitarist.
“Uh, Tony plays guitar and I play bass,” Jaime said quietly, as if unsure if they would reject him or not.
“Vic! That’s perfect! Man, what are the chances?” Mike exclaimed, seemingly to himself. God he was so cute. Stop that, Tony. He is most likely straight and if we are going to form a band then it would be awkward if I had a crush on him.
“Uh, yeah sure,” Vic said. “Are you guys busy this afternoon? We could see if you are what we’re looking for.”
“Sure!” Jaime and replied, pretty much in unison. Oh this is gonna be so great. I hope this band works out better than our last one.
After the guys gave us their address they left and Jaime and I just continued to play and practise a song to which we would audition for them. We eventually picked my favourite song, “Teenagers,” by My Chemical Romance and just hoped they liked our style of music. We closed the shop early and drove home to get our instruments, then quickly drove to Vic and Mike’s house, excitement in our every move.
When we pulled up at the address Vic had given us I studied the house. It was two stories and just a plain white colour. I thought it looked nice and had a homey atmosphere, something my home never had. Jaime and I walked up to the house, instruments in hand, and knocked on the door. I don’t think I had ever been so nervous n my life. Mike answered the door and I swear that just made it worse. Keep calm Tony. This is your chance to join a band! Don’t ruin it.
I took a couple of deep breaths and the Mike gestured for us to come in and told us to follow him. We walked upstairs, down a hallway and then into a room. The room had a couple of amps set up and chairs spaced around the room. I also noticed a drum kit sitting in a corner of the room that Mike went to sit behind. So he’s a drummer then?
Vic was sitting at one of the chairs idly strumming at his guitar and writing something in a little notebook he had in his lap. He seemed to notice that we’d walked in and looked up, surprised. He turned to Mike and said “I didn’t even notice that you’d moved.”
“Well I am a master ninja. You can’t hear me, see me or even smell me when I don’t want you to,” he joked back.
“Smell you? NO, I can smell you whenever you walk into a room. Your BO could travel continents if you wanted it to. Ok, hi guys, my name is Vic Fuentes and this is my little brother, Mike.”
“I’m Jaime Preciado and this is my best friend, Tony Perry.”
“Ok so have you got a song or something to show us?” Vic asked. Oh jeez I hoped we were good enough.
“Uh yeah. We’re playing “Teenagers” by-“ I started.
“Oh my god! That’s my favourite song. You guys better not stuff it up,” Mike said. Oh god. Now he’s even more perfect. How is this fair? It isn’t fair that I have this beautiful creature sitting before more who was getting more perfect by the second, as I was learning he had a big heart and stunning looks.
Jaime and I just took our instruments out of our cases and started playing right there. Jaime started singing along just to help us keep up with the song. I couldn’t tell what they were thinking and it worried me. Were we good? Ugh, I hate this.
I just focused on the music and everything fell away except the feeling of having Mike’s eyes on me.
We finished the song and they both started clapping. “Ok, I think it goes without saying that you guys are in,” Vic said excitedly. Mike just smiled at me and I swear my heart melted a little.
Vic and Mike showed us some of the songs they had written and they both had some serious talent. I was so excited and I really thought we could make it.
END OF FLASHBACK – Present time
We had just finished “King for a Day”. I really loved this song as I felt I could really relate to what it was saying. Sometimes I just wanted a home. I thought about how my life had changed since I met Mike and I know I am happier now than I was back then but I wanted love. A family. I had tried dating girls, to try and make myself straight so I could stop loving him but it just didn’t worked. I don’t know when I started falling for him, I just realised it when I had. It was about a year after we’d met. We had been laughing at something on the television when I looked over at him and he was staring at me. Our eyes met and I realised I loved Mike Fuentes and I would do anything for him and he didn’t even know how I felt.
Mike was the womaniser. His womanising started around about the time Selfish Machines came out and I don’t really know why. I’m suspecting it’s because his serious girlfriend had just broken up with him. They had been together almost a year when it happened and everyone was surprised. Well everyone except for Vic, but that was kinda expected. The song ended and everyone started screaming for Vic and Jaime and Mike to come back on stage. There were a couple of calls of Tony but nothing compared to what the other three got every time. I’m not jealous or anything. I’m really proud, just sometimes I get into these sad moods where I just… don’t like myself very much.
We walked back stage and I headed back towards the bus straight away, not in the mood to talk to anyone. I was just feeling pretty worthless at the moment. With the stress of making a new album soon I was worried about me not contributing enough. I mean what if they kicked me out because of it? They can’t kick me out though, can they? I’m their lead guitarist. Ugh. I just needed to stop thinking for a while. Especially about some of the things people shout to me while I’m on stage.
I headed towards the back of the bus to have a nice long shower to cool off and relax.
When I had finished my shower everyone was back on the bus and was seemingly clean. I wondered how but then remembered the venue had showers. I went to my bunk and just lay down. My body felt tired but I couldn’t sleep because my mind was going around and around.
Mike seemed to notice my melancholy mood and came and sat on my bunk, almost laying down because he was too tall to fit otherwise.
“Hey, what’s up Turtle?” he asked. Concerned. I liked it when Mike called me turtle. He said it different to how everyone else says it. He says it in a loving way and it almost seems like I’m special to him. Oh how I would love to be special to Mike.
“Not much. Just had a bit of a bad day,” I replied quietly. I couldn’t exactly tell him I was upset because I was in love with him and he didn’t know and that I got my feelings hurt by people calling me fat and ugly. He’d just scoff and walk away. I know that’s what I’d do in that situation, if I was faced with myself. I don’t know why he hasn’t left already to be honest. I would if I was facing me.
He gestured at me to scoot over, so I did and turned on my side so he could fit too. He lay down beside me and looked into my eyes. I really could melt in his beautiful eyes. Oh Mike, how much I love you…
“Tony, what’s really bothering you?” he asked. He looked really worried and so I told him. I told him things I’d only ever alluded to in the past like me getting bullied in high school because of my looks and my parents not being around while I was a kid. He just sat there and listened and at the end of it I just started crying. I was immediately horrified but I looked in his eyes and saw no judgement. Just sadness and kindness and… home. Mike was my home. He took me into his arms and I cried all the tears I’d kept in for the past 10 years. I cried, just clutching onto his shirt because at the moment he was the one keeping me together.
After I finally stopped crying I pulled back and looked at him. I was sure I looked a mess all snotty-nosed and red-eyed but he just whispered “You’re so beautiful, Tony. Sometimes it hurts me to look at you because you’re so beautiful.”
I just lay there in shock seeing no lies in his eyes when he leaned in, and kissed me.
For a second I was just shocked, but my body reacted faster than my mind did and started to kiss him back. It was the best kiss I’d ever had and I had never even dreamed that kissing someone could feel this good. His lips were warm and pliant against mine. Warm tingles were shooting down to my toes and I placed my hands in his hair, not covered by anything for once, and he put his hands on my waist, pulling me closer. And that felt even better as I felt his hard muscles covered by soft skin pressing into my own. My brain seemed to short circuit just thinking ‘Mike, Mike, Mike’ on an endless loop. And suddenly he pulled back and I realised my need for air.
I took a few panting breaths and he did the same. When we’d caught our breath he leaned in, pressed a soft kiss against my lips and whispered “I love you, Tony. So, so much. And I understand if you don’t feel the same way but I just wanted you to know.”
I couldn’t answer. I was in shock. I could feel happiness flood through me as I realised what he just said. Mike loved me. HE LOVED ME! Oh my god, this feels like a dream. A really perfect dream.
Mike’s smile turned to a frown as he said “I understand” and he started pulling away.
I panicked. “No, no, no,” I whispered, pulling his body back to mine. “You can’t leave me, you can’t ever leave me. I love you too Mike, I love you so much. Don’t leave, please don’t leave.”
I had almost started crying again. God why was I so emotional today? Get a grip Tony.
“It’s ok, Tony. I’m never going anywhere.”
I pulled him back in for a kiss and it was just as good as the first time. Filled with love and affection and making me feel at home.
“Will you be my boyfriend, Tony Perry?” Mike asked me, a huge smile on his face.
“Definitely.”
I finally felt like I was a king. I had found my home and my family. This was now the new best day of my life, and I had a feeling that I would be having many best days in the future.