Another Five Years

Breakin' the Law, Breakin' the Law

"This is great, man!" David yelled over the screaming band.

"It's fuckin' packed! Glad we finished those 'zines in time!" Jimmy yelled back at him.

They had just finished selling the last of their homemade punk 'zines and were making their way backstage to get ready for their gig. The old armory they were in was well beyond capacity and everyone was trying to get in as much fun as possible before the cops or the fire marshal showed up to shut everything down. The back rooms of the armory where they were to prepare for their set was comprised of a couple offices, a cavernous bathroom and communal shower that were filled with punk teens filling the air with smoke, obscenities, and laughter. They located the rest of the band and David noticed that Tommy, their lead guitarist and singer was looking a bit more nervous than normal.

"Yo, dude," Tommy called out to David and pulled him aside to speak privately. "Brad's stoned again."

"Ah, fuck," David groaned. Their drummer couldn't play in time sober, much less stoned.

"Yeah. You think you could take the kit this time?" Tommy asked hopefully. "I can take the bass and Jimmy can move to lead."

David only had time to nod before they were being called to wait next to the makeshift stage in the gym. 

*-*-*-*

The girls on stage were killing it. They were focused and sounded tight, despite the horrendous acoustics of the massive gym they were in. The pit in front of them was frothing with guys beating the snot out of whoever came close enough and people were climbing whatever they could to take a shot at stage diving. David noticed the singer and lead guitarist had positioned herself at mid-stage rather than the center front, probably to avoid being felt up by some asshole in the pit. It never ceased to amaze him that the same guys that always complained that there were never any girls around were the same ones that drove the girls away. The rest of the band was obscured by the crowd surrounding the stage, but David was curious about the drummer just by the sheer force coming from the kit. It almost overpowered the rest of the band, but it sounded driven and even. Whoever it was, they were very comfortable behind a kit.

David was waiting on the stage stairs with the rest of his band for the show organizer to shut up about politics and introduce them when the band that had just left the stage strutted by. Every guy had their eye on them, but they stuck close together as a cluster of angry punk girls, knowing no one would dare hassle them that way.

"It's you!"

His head snapped up when he heard her voice and felt his jaw drop. Anna was hopped down the steps towards him in a short leather skirt, ripped Talking Heads shirt and fishnet tights, carrying a pair of black high heeled boots, drumsticks and a bottle of beer. The rest of the band that had just left the stage waited for her a few steps away, giggling at them.

"What... what are you doing?" he yelled over the noise, totally dumbfounded that she was even there much less hanging on him while she pulled her boots on.

"Putting my shoes back on, dummy," she grinned and stood back on her own. "Can't play drums in heels!" she called over her shoulder as she started to leave.

David watched her go, then ran down the steps to follow. "Wait, Anna," he put his hand on her shoulder, earning a couple glares from her friends. "That was you up there?"

"Yeah, why?" she put her beer to her lips and took a drink while searching his eyes. "You need some pointers?"

He felt himself blush as her friends dissolved into laughter behind her. "Dude, we're up!" Jimmy yelled and he ran to the stage, just catching Anna's yell.

"Have fun!"

*

David leaned against the hallway wall, grinning cockily down at a blonde girl that had cornered him to fawn over his drumming skills. He had already decided there was no way he was going back to bass after that gig, the drums just felt right and it clearly was getting the attention of the few females in the place. 

"I'm just a real big Ramones fan, you know?" the blonde gushed, inching closer to him. "So I guess you could say I have a thing for tall guys with long dark hair..."

He was about to ask her to leave with him when Anna and her friends cruised by. "Damn, David. What did those poor drums ever do to you?" she yelled over the blonde's head and took another drink of her beer as her friends whispered excitedly.

He was bolstered by her smile when he shoved away from the wall and sidled up to her, much to the dismay of the blonde. "So you hung around to watch, huh?" he threw his arm around her shoulders as the blonde stomped away. He had wondered if Anna had stuck around, hoped was more like it. 

The lead in Anna's band raised an eyebrow and muttered something to her friends before shooing the rest of the girls towards the gym. "Sorry about that," Anna said quietly, glaring daggers at her friend's back. "She bats for the other team and has been pushing her luck all night." 

He immediately dropped his arm and stepped back. "Oh, I didn't know you-"

She laughed loudly and threw her elbow into his side. "Relax, man. I'm team hetero. Unless Debbie Harry or Joan Jett shows up, then all bets are off."

"I thought you weren't in a band," he replied, surprised at how relieved he felt. 

"Nah, their drummer got grounded so they called me up," she looked around the hallway for a moment before smiling up at him. "You want a beer?"

A few minutes later he found himself standing behind her car while she swore at the lock on the trunk. "Stupid motherfucking Chevy piece of shit Nova bullshit- there we go!" she chirped when the hatchback finally gave way, revealing a trunk full of beer.

"Where did you get all this?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"Darryl," she muttered.

"Gross."

"Definitely. But! Free beer! Drink up, kitten," she laughed and pulled a couple cans from the back, handing him one.

"Kitten?" he asked, popping the tab and taking a drink. "What about me screams kitten to you?"

"Oh, I don't know," she said quietly, swaying towards him to run a finger down the front of his sweaty shirt. "You seem like you're really sweet! All cuddly and soft and fun... but then you have sharp edges, you know?"

"No?" She was adorable, but he was trying not to laugh in her face.

"Dude, I'm drunk. Just take the compliment and make out with me already," she laughed, then squealed when he caught her around the waist and pulled her close. He leaned in to kiss her when she kicked the bumper of her car so hard that the necklaces hanging from the rearview mirror swung wildly. A couple seconds later, Zeppelin blared from the speakers, starting several bars in at the beginning of Stairway to Heaven.

"Whoa," David breathed, staring at the car wide-eyed.

"Right? All that glitters is gold...," she sang and swayed in his arms, happily smiling up at him.

He bent to kiss her again, his lips brushing hers when he heard Jimmy yelling behind them. "I heard there was beer out here!"

"Fuckin... yes, Jimmy," he groaned and turned back to Anna, but her attention was elsewhere.

"Cops!" Several people began sprinting out of the armory, some of them carrying instruments, others carrying beer. They fled towards the park that made up part of the parking lot, ducking quickly into the shade that the large oak trees made to avoid being seen.

David snapped to attention, squinting in the brilliant spotlight that swung around and trained on to the three of them. "Go, Anna!" he yelled, shoving her away so he could slam the trunk shut.

"David, leave it! Come on!" she spun back to him, but he pushed her towards Jimmy.

"Jimmy! Take her! Go!" He watched his best friend run off into the dark with Anna as he desperately tried to get the latch to stick. If she was caught with all that beer, she'd be ten kinds of screwed.