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A Helping Hand

02

Indy patiently followed Brian, listening to their second album ‘Waking the Fallen’ as she did so. She had reached the 5th track by the time they reached ‘Johnny’s’, and so far, she liked the style of the music. It was heavy, but not in a ‘in-your-face, so-incoherent-you-can’t-make-sense-of-it’ kind of way. It wasn’t quite was she was expecting, but that wasn’t a bad thing, just surprising.

She pulled into a parking space near Brian’s car, the guitarist already out of the car, locking it. As he was finished, he headed over to meet Indy who remained in her car, listening to the end of the song. He stood beside the car, hearing their music through the metal and glass separating the pair. He smirked as he recognised the end of ‘Desecrate Through Reverence’, the song ending abruptly with all instruments and Matt’s vocals cutting out at once. The next song streamed straight through, the leading guitar intro indicating its beginning. Indy turned the ignition to off, pulling out the keys and grabbing her purse before she opened the door, slightly surprised to see Brian waiting patiently, leaning on the car to her left.

“Oh, hey. I didn’t expect you to be waiting,” she admitted, turning to lock her car before joining Brian, the pair making their way to the door or the bar.

“I’m a bucket of surprises,” he joked, shrugging and looking innocent. He had taken an immediate liking to the girl, beyond her looks, and couldn’t help but joke and act casually around her, regardless of the fact they met less than 2 hours ago.

“Oh, I’m sure,” she replied, voice full of sarcasm as they reached the door, smiling to show she meant no harm. He smiled back, opening the door and ushering her in ahead of him.
“Mademoiselle.”

“Merci,” she replied, pretending to curtsy as she walked through the open door, taking in the interior of the place.

‘Johnny’s’ turned out to be a small little bar, packed with tables and booths, a pool table and music streaming from a juke box. It was small, cramped, loud, and ultimately very endearing to walk into. The place had personality seeping out of it, its neon signs indicating commercial liquor available while black and white headshots of musicians and actors littered the remaining space on the walls.

“Over there,” Brian said in her ear, leaning in to overpower the loud Metallica blasting, shaking Indy out of her daze. He pointed to the group of 3 men sitting in a booth against the wall, beers in hand as they chatted together.

“I love this place,” she replied, nodding to indicate she had seen where he pointed, but still observing her surroundings. The other patrons ranged from as buff and tattooed as the band boys, to a couple of kids, probably not even 20, sitting casually, everyone relaxed and coexisting peacefully. Being a Thursday, it wasn’t too crowded, a few of the booths and tables taken, but the majority empty.

“It’s home away from home,” Brian admitted, having visited the place frequently since he was a teen. He was from the area, and the bar staff knew the entire band well, serving them from when they were underage on the sly. “I’ll get the first round.”

“Nah, it’s cool. I wanna see what they got, so I’ll grab it, but next round is yours,” she told him, glancing to the table once more before returning her attention to Brian. She thought it would be best if she sent him over to interrupt their conversation, rather than herself, knowing they would be talking about her. How could they not be? She totally shook up their routine, and she was something new. It was only human nature. “Beer?”

“Oh, ok. Yeah, beer would be great. Thanks,” Brian said, surprised that she offered the first round. Normally, the guys would jump on the offer of free beer, but she didn’t. He headed off to the table, leaving Indy to go to the bar.

“Brian’s here!” Jimmy yelled out, seeing the younger man approach the table. Zacky and Johnny’s heads turned his way, the pair smiling as they saw their lead guitarist.

“Hey guys,” he waved, sliding into the booth next to Zacky. The three returned to their conversation immediately, throwing Brian in the deep end to catch up.

“I dunno, I think it could be good,” Jimmy countered whatever was said before Brian had arrived, taking the spotlight.

“It’s going to be fucking weird though,” Zacky frowned, lifting his glass and taking a large gulp of beer. Brian guessed who they were talking about, and decided to stop the conversation before Indy came over.

“I reckon you’re talking about Indy, so I’m just going to tell you that she is here at the bar,” Brian interrupted whatever Johnny was about to say to warn the three. It would be very awkward if Indy came back while they were talking about her and how it will be to have her working with them.

“That could have ended badly,” Zacky stated, looking over to the bar to see Indy waiting to be served. He couldn’t help his eyes wandering to her ass, her skinny jeans framing it perfectly. He mentally shook his head, not wanting to lust after a girl he would be working with for the next 6 months, let alone had only just met.

“So we should start a new conversation?” Johnny asked, not understanding why Brian had said such a statement. People talk about people; it’s a fact of life.

“Well done, genius,” Jimmy said in reply to the bassist, rolling his eyes at how thick he could be. Everyone had their moments, but Johnny’s were more frequent than most. The kid was still damn well loveable, just not the sharpest knife in the draw.

“Where’s Matt?” Brian asked, noting the singer’s absence and starting a new conversation. Two birds with one stone, really.

“Dunno. He just hasn’t showed yet,” Jimmy replied, a thoughtful look crossing his face. He hadn’t really thought about it, but assuming the older man left before the others, he should have been here by now. “Maybe he went home first.”

“Yeah, probably. Knowing him, he’s probably checking in on the dog, or something,” Johnny added, agreeing with Jimmy’s excuse. He hadn’t really overthought Matt’s absence, and didn’t think it was all that bizarre.

“True, true,” the drummer nodded, his mind relaxing as the group agreed with the singer’s pit stop. He would forever worry about their wellbeing and notice subtle absences or differences, always making sure they were happy and well.

“Beer,” Indy said as she appeared at the table, placing Brian’s drink in front of him before taking a seat on the opposite side, squeezing in next to Jimmy. She made the seating more even, Jimmy next to Johnny, who sat next to Zacky who in turn was next to Brian. She was proud that she remembered their names.

“Thanks,” he smiled, taking a sip of the nearly overflowing glass. As soon as the bitter ale touched his taste buds, he sighed contently, mentally thanking Jimmy for suggesting the outing.

“Wait, is someone missing?” she asked, furrowing her brows when she counted only 4 of the 5 members.

“Yeah, Matt hasn’t showed up yet,” Zacky answered her, taking his phone out of his pocket to text the slightly older man.

“Ah, ok, cool,” she replied, not sure what to say. She took a drink of her own beer, her journey to the bar more to do with Brian warning the group than her own personal alcohol choice. She didn’t have long to herself before a barrage of questions were fired at her, Jimmy initiating the conversation.

“So, Indigo. Tell us a little about yourself,” he requested, stretching his arm out behind her and encompassing her in his embrace. It was nothing strange for him to do, but Indy wasn’t entirely sure about it.

“Like what?” she asked trying subtly to shift out of his arm, giving more space between the pair. She then decided to leave it to retain the status quo, not wanting to make a big deal out of his display of familiarity.

“Anything,” he replied, not being 100% helpful. She remembered the questions she asked Zacky today as they were having their coffee, and decided to go from there.

“Ok, that was helpful. Well, my name is Indigo, but I prefer Indy. I’m 22, formerly a session guitarist and live in an apartment just outside LA. I own 6 guitars, 3 electric and 3 acoustic, 2 dogs, Julia, who’s a black Labrador, and Winston, who’s a Siberian Husky. I named them after the characters in my favourite book, George Orwell’s ‘1984’. I hope to get another puppy soon, but will have to wait until I get a bigger backyard before adopting another. Uh, I have a mother, father and an adopted little brother, some other random relatives and a group of great friends,” she listed, running out of things to tell them. That covered most of the general ‘who the fuck are you’ questions while remaining to the point and not too in detail, except about her dogs. She loved her dogs more than anything, and was more than happy to admit she preferred them to children.

“Wow,” Jimmy said, surprised at her blatant delivery of her information. He did not expect her to list it out like she did, but it worked and got to the point.

“That pretty much sums me up in a few quick sentences,” she shrugged, taking another sip of her drink as the 4 tried to comprehend what they heard and ask questions about the aspects she missed.

Zacky, having heard a little of it before, started the questioning, getting a little back from her previous grilling.

“Favourite band?” he asked, starting simple and working his way up. Being musicians, music was obviously a large part of their life, and by figuring out her likes and dislikes, as well as beginning to know her more, it also helped discern her influences and what her playing style sounded like.

“Go for the hard questions next time,” she said sarcastically, Zacky’s question harder than he intended. “It really depends on my mood, I think.”

“That’s not an answer,” he scolded, draining his beer as she thought of an answer.

“Ok then. Well, at the moment I am obsessed with David Bowie and A Perfect Circle. Favourite of all time would have to be… either The Cure or Metallica,” she answered, her decision rushed and not well thought out. She was fairly happy with her response, given the circumstances, but hadn’t been able to think of everything she really loved.

“That’s a really random mix,” Johnny spoke up, not sure how The Cure and Metallica blend well.

“I can’t just decide one,” she said as an answer. She had always prided herself on her musical taste, but being made to narrow them down cut out a lot of amazing bands and singers. “That’s like picking a favourite child.”

“You truly are one of us,” Jimmy told her, the solemn tone in his voice rivaling the grin on his face.

“I’m going to take that as a good thing,” she decided, smiling as she took another sip of her drink. The others laughed at her reaction, knowing that she fit in with the group without trying.

“What kind of guitars do you have?” Brian asked, not being able to ignore her statement about her guitar collection. As a self-glorified guitar nerd, he was curious to see her personal likes and dislikes.

“My electrics are my favourites, my first being my 60’s vintage Les Paul, black and cream in colour. I have a purple Paul Allender PRS and a black cherry Schecter Hellraiser. My acoustics are a Maton, a Fender and a Gibson, the Fender a plain acoustic while the other two are semi’s,” she listed, thinking of her prize possessions.

“Now that’s a spread,” Brian commented, taking in all the different brands. He smiled when she told him about her Schecter. “We’re sponsored by Schecter, so lucky you, you might get some guitars out of this.”

“Seriously? Fucking awesome!” She asked, her eyes wide at the thought of free guitars from a damn reliable brand. Maybe not her favourite, but one of the top ones out there. “As long as they have Floyd Rose tremolos, I’m set.”

“Matt said he’s just about to walk in. He just got here,” Zacky said, interrupting the guitar conversation and relaying his reply to the group. “He went home first.”

“Told ya,” Johnny said, a smug note in his voice as he lifted his glass, smiling at Jimmy. Jimmy rolled his eyes in retaliation and poked his tongue out.

Not a minute later, the singer entered the bar, the bar staff smiling as he made his way over to grab his drink. He had changed his clothes, adding a dark jacket to his ensemble, when he had stopped at home to check on his dog, Bella. When he joined the table, he sat next to Indy, not wanting to crowd the other side by squeezing on the very end of the seat next to Brian. He was slightly confused when he saw Jimmy’s arm around Indy, interrupting their conversation about bands they all liked.

“What’d I miss?” he asked, trying to catch up with the others. They all turned to face him as he sat down, the conversation ceasing.

“Indy was just telling us about herself,” Brian spoke up, filling in the singer. Everyone’s attention quickly diverted from Matt, back to Indy, awaiting her next nugget of information.

Matt was glad the focus had shifted from his delayed arrival and back to Indy. He couldn’t help but wonder about the new guitarist and how the next 6 months would pan out. Having a few songs recorded, definite to go on the album, he was cautious about how the dynamic would change and how that, in turn, would affect the writing and the album as a whole.

The night continued in the same fashion, everyone asking questions about Indy, Indy herself replying and asking questions to the others. It was a good bonding experience for the group, everyone getting an insight into Indy’s personality, and vice versa. Their gathering lasted until 1am when they all decided to call it quits and get some sleep before spending the day in the studio, getting to figure out the system of Indy as Zacky.

“Are you sure you’re ok to drive back to LA?” Jimmy asked the girl as they were all heading outside to their cars. Brian, Zacky and Johnny immediately lit up a cigarette, having nicotine withdrawals for the last few hours, but couldn’t drag themselves away from the table to subside them.

“I’ll be fine. Crank up the music and drive,” she replied, touched by his concern. She could tell that he was carefree, but still loved those around him and wanted nothing but the best for them, even if it meant sacrificing part of himself. She touched him arm, reassuring him. “Thanks, though.”

“Well, there’s a couch at mine if you want,” he offered, regardless of her assuring words. She smiled at him again, thankful for such a caring person.

“Thank, Jimmy. I do appreciate it,” she said, giving him a quick hug as a thank you, but no thank you, bidding him farewell. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“I’ll be there,” he replied, smiling one last time before running over to Johnny, jumping on the shorter man’s back carefully enough as not to make them both fall, but to shock him and make him yell.

“You fucking annoying giant prick!” Johnny yelled out, trying to hit Jimmy in retaliation, but failing as the tall man was still attached to his back.

“It’s just one riot after another with these guys, isn’t it?” Indy asked the other 3 rhetorically, each of them laughing at the antics of the drummer and bassist. Johnny seemed to take it all in good stride, always getting his own back on the man who constantly picked on him, and they seemed stronger friends for it.

“Just you wait, it gets worse the further along the process goes,” Matt replied, his hands in his pockets as he waited with the two smokers. He had to give up smoking, not wanting to risk his throat, and standing around while others smoked was the true test of his commitment. What he would give for just one little cigarette to take away the cravings…

“It’s going to be an interesting few months,” she smiled lightly, tearing her gaze away from the play-fighting pair. “I’m going to start heading off. 30 minute drive back home, after all.”

“Fair enough. Well I guess we’ll see you tomorrow,” Matt said, talking for the others in his macho leader way.

“Yeah, bright an early,” she replied, dreading the wake up. She calculated that she would get approximately 5 to 6 hours sleep, in ideal circumstances, but knew she wouldn’t be able to get to sleep straight away, and then factored in time to get ready and travel tomorrow morning. She sighed.

“Don’t look so happy,” Zacky commented sarcastically, seeing the annoyed look on her face as she spoke of tomorrow. He didn’t understand why she would be so against work already, seeing as they hadn’t even started yet.

“I just realised how little sleep I’ll get. Not impressed,” she explained, still frowning, but putting on a happy demeanour regardless. She waved at the 3, deciding against going over to the still fighting Jimmy and Johnny to say goodbye, and just started walking to her car.

“Drive safe,” Brian called out, smirking at Zacky as he did so. Indy raised her hand, indicating she heard as Zacky slapped Brian upside the head with his right hand, not getting as much power as he would have liked.

“Fucker,” he muttered, taking one last drag of his cigarette before dropping it and stomping it out. As he ground out the butt, he said goodbye to Matt and Brian, saying he’d see them tomorrow for an interesting day in the studio. He was both looking forward to it, and dreading it; unsure about how this setback will impact everything they had created so far.

Shaking his head, he unlocked his car, hopped in and started the engine. He waved to his band mates one last time, speeding off out of the car park and headed home. Only one way to know how it will impact his life, and that was to experience it.
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