Occiditur

The One on Right is on the Left

The comradeship didn't last very long. As the boys and I practiced for show that night, none of us could play the songs perfectly. Mike was angry at us all. He yelled every time we missed a note or sang the wrong words. I get that he wanted it to be perfect, but he was being a total jerk about it!

I kept missing a beat on the first song we were to do, called "Time You Were gone." Mike sighed as I missed it once again and the song in it entirety was ruined. 

"I'm sorry." I whispered as our instruments stopped.

"You should be!" Mike said as he kicked an amplifier. I jumped and cowered to him. "If you mess this up during the show, you'll be even more sorry." Mike stormed off the stage.  

We took a break from each other finally and just waited for the audience to arrive. I spent the hour in the rehearsal room, alone. I practiced my beats on the drum and thought of the song that Peter and Mike had played for me earlier. I was pissed about it. How could they leave me out!? 

I tried to remember how it went and made up a drum beat to it. I knew I was right; the stupid song sounded much better with drums! 

I beat the pagan skins so hard I thought they might break. 

Soon a knock on the door told me I had five minutes to get on stage. I stood from the drum set and took a few deep breaths to calm myself. I opened the door and trotted to the stage. Mike, David, and Peter were already on stage. The curtain was still down so we could get situated. 

"Peter! Peter! You're damn guitar is in tune already!" Mike whispered harshly. 

"Mike, would you just shut up." Davy said, fed up with Mike's crap.

"Are you guys still fighting?" I asked. 

"I seem to remember you were part of it earlier." Mike said under his breath. 

"Whatever Mike, can we just play the songs?" Davy interceded. 

I sat at my drums with steam flowing from my ears and my face burning. From in front of the curtain I heard a man introduce us and a roar of applause.  The curtain rose and the familiar scene of an audience begging for our music appeared. 

I put on a false smile and waved a drum stick at the screaming girls. 

"Hello everybody! We are going to start things off with the first song on our new album, "Time You Were Gone." "Mike said to the crowd. 

A cheer arose. 

"One, two, three, four!" I counted off. The four of us began to play the song. We were doing okay for a while. Then Peter played the wrong note, which distracted me. I missed the note and immediately the song fell apart. 

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Mike waved his hands and turned around. He walked up to me, and took off is guitar. 

"I'm sorry Mike." I sighed, without looking in his eyes. "But please, we have a show going. It doesn't matter now."

"Right, doesn't matter." Mike spat and socked me right there on stage. I flew back and hit the floor hard. Through the ringing in my ears I heard the crowd scream, appalled. 

"Mike! What's wrong with you?" Peter yelled. 

Davy ran to my side and helped me up. Peter set his hands on Mike shoulders to calm him. Mike pushed Peter away.

"Oh, stop it! He's fine!" Mike fussed. "He deserved it." 

"Mike, you're the one who deserves to be punched."Davy spat and clocked mike in the nose. Mike's head whipped back, accompanied with another collective gasp from the crowd. Mike stumbled back but wasted no time in retaliating. He tackled Davy to the ground and began beating the boy. Peter rushed to them and pulled Mike off. 

"Mike you're making a fool of yourself!" Peter yelled. 

I stood and stared at them. "Oh dear..." I sighed. 

Security finally ran out into stage and pulled the three boys away from each other. An attendant grabbed me by the arm and pulled me off the stage. 

"Wait." I told her, and rushed up to a microphone. "I'm so sorry guys. I'm so sorry, you had to see this." Tears started to flow from my eyes. The same attendant grabbed my arm again and pulled me back off the stage. She sat me in a chair behind the stage and pulled out a first aid kit. She doused a piece of cloth in alcohol and dabbed at my nose. It stung! I winced and the tears of regret from earlier were joined by tears of pain. 

I don't remember much, but Samantha picked me up about an hour later and took me home. I could hardly tell her what happened. I couldn't stop crying, though I could tell it was annoying her. When we arrived home I went straight to bed. She joined me once Ami was asleep. She held me close as I cried myself to sleep.   

Sorry for the swear words. I just thought it would be more real.