Life's A Riot.
Twenty Eight.
JC POV.
I stood, shifting my weight from one foot to the other as I watched the roadies finish setting up our set. I hadn’t dared to look at the crowd yet, just staring at the stage was frightening enough. My hands opened and closed with nerves as I watched my drum-tech Arrin sound check Jimmy’s drum kit. I’d flatly refused to allow Bruce to get me a new drum kit. I was not going to play a drum kit other than Jimmy’s; the kit was good enough for Jimmy, then it was good enough for me.
“Nervous Riot?”
“Nervous? Me? Whatever gave you that idea Gates?” I grumbled, still shifting from foot to foot. Syn laughed as he stopped next to me.
“Stop panicking, you’ll be fine. They’ll love you.” I mumbled a rude reply under my breath and began to tap my fingers against my leg. Syn just shook his head. I decided to change the topic.
“The set’s looking good huh?”
“Not as good other things around here.” He muttered, under his breath. I paused in my nervous tapping. Was he saying what I thought that he was saying?
“What was that?” Syn glanced at me quickly and shook his head
“Nothing. The set is looking fantastic. Hope you don’t have too much hairspray on.” I glared at him and resumed my tapping.
“Excuse me, but you have more hairspray on than I do. You almost gassed out the whole dressing room earlier.” I retorted, relaxing slightly as we settled into our usual bickering.
“Now, now children, play nicely.” Val chided as she walked up with Matt and the others. I just huffed and turned my attention back to the stage. And my nerves.
~*~
Syn POV.
Fuck it, Cait was looking good tonight. It was a struggle not to stare as she began to stretch and jump as we prepared to go onstage. She laughed at something Johnny said and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. I froze, she was wearing the bracelet that I gave her for her birthday. It was the only bracelet that she was wearing tonight, which was unusual for her. Was she hinting at something? Matt interrupted my confused thoughts.
“Vocal warm up, dudes and dudette.” He ordered. Me, Zacky and Cait formed a rough circle around him. We’d decided not to waste Cait’s vocal talent and had pretty much bullied her into singing back-up with me and Zack. “Chorus of Almost Easy?” We all agreed to Matt’s suggestion and began to warm up. Bruce showed up as we were going through the chorus to Seize The Day.
“Sounding amazing guys, all pumped for the first show?” All of us answered with enthusiastic yes’s part from Cait, who mumbled “no I absolutely fucking am not”. Bruce frowned slightly in confusion.
“She’s just got first-night nerves. She’s excited really.” Explained Johnny. Bruce laughed and clapped Cait on the shoulder.
“You’ll do fine JC, you did a great job on the album. You’re a brilliant drummer.” She gave him one of her looks.
“Yes, but we didn’t record the album in front of several hundred people.” Bruce just laughed and moved off to talk to one of the roadies.
“TWO MINUTES!” Yelled some unidentifiable person. Cait shrieked and grabbed Ash’s beer, taking several hasty gulps.
“Oi!”
“Dutch courage.” Replied Cait, handing the drink back. Tech’s appeared all around us, checking sound equipment, handing us our guitars, bass, mic and drum sticks, giving us last minute instructions.
“ONE MINUTE!” Automatically we formed a huddle, all of us; Matt, Val, Johnny, Cait, Lacey, Zacky, Gena, Leana, Ash, Carter and me. Everyone that made up the intimate part of the Sevenfold family. Matt surveyed everyone in the huddle.
“Tonight we take the stage back, tonight we give the fans the best show that we can, tonight we do this for Jimmy.” Everyone nodded. “Hands in.” We all stuck a hand into the middle, forming a pile. Somehow, by complete chance, my hand ended up on top of Cait’s. I tried not to notice how soft her skin was against mine. Her hand was shaking. I gently squeezed it and met her eyes. Knock ‘em dead Riot. I mouthed. She smiled slightly. You know I always do. She replied, winking. I chuckled silently and turned my attention back to Matt.
“Three, two, one.”
“Sevenfold!” We all said, breaking the huddle. Bruce reappeared.
“JC! You’re on first! Thirty seconds!” She nodded and took a few steps forward, followed by the encouraging cheers of the rest of us. I watched as she kissed the stylised metal plectrum that hung on a chain around her neck. She had two on the chain, but I knew which one she’d kissed; the one with foREVer written on it. The other had J.C printed on it. Many thought it was for her, they were wrong; it was for Johnny. Johnny had an identical one with JC printed on it, for her. The introduction to Nightmare began to play and she moved onstage and up to the drum kit. The crowd began to chant. I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes and prepared to kick off this tour.
“FIVE SECONDS!” Yelled a tech. I opened my eyes and ran on stage with the guys to the screams of the crowd. This is what I had been born to do.
~*~
JC POV.
Me and the rest of the guys left the stage, grinning. The first show had been an amazing success. Johnny embraced me in a sweaty hug.
“You were amazing J, just like we said you would be.” I laughed, the adrenaline of performing with the guys still pumping through my veins.
“WHERE’S MY FUCKING AWESOME CHICA?!” Demanded Ash, pushing through the crowd of techs that surrounded us. I laughed and unattached myself from Johnny, turning to face her. Her grin could have beaten the Cheshire cat’s. “Come here you sexy minx you.” I laughed and ran into her hug. “EWWW SWEAT!!” She protested, trying to pull out of my grip. When I finally let her go, I was hugged in turn by the rest of the guys. Syn’s hands lingered on my hips longer than the others. I smiled at him when he finally released me, trying to ignore Ash’s winking behind him.
“FIRST NIGHT PARTAY!” Cheered Zacky, pointing in the direction of the dressing room that had been assigned to us. He was slightly tipsy already. Oh dear god, I dreaded to think what state we would all be in by the end of the night. The guys began to head for the dressing room, but I was apprehended by the girls when I went to follow.
“What the fuck?” I asked as they dragged me – yes dragged—down the corridor in the opposite direction.
“Babes, you are disgustingly sweaty and we forbid you to party in those clothes.” Stated Leana, raising her eyebrows at me. I nodded in concession to her point.
“Ok, ok, but can I at least walk by myself, or face the way that I’m being dragged?” They paused long enough to let me turn around before grabbing my wrists again.
“Besides we’d got a surprise for you.” Added Lacey, grinning. I glared between, Ash, Val and Leana. I could tell by the look on their faces that they’d told Lacey and Gena about my feelings for Syn.
“I hate you three bitches.” I grumbled as we headed for the women’s bathroom. Just as we were about to go in, the door to the men’s bathroom opened and Corey Taylor walked out.
“Nice set tonight Riot.” He commented, winking as he walked past.
“Uh…t…thanks!” I stuttered, letting the girls drag me into the bathroom. I didn’t stop screaming for ten minutes.
I stood, shifting my weight from one foot to the other as I watched the roadies finish setting up our set. I hadn’t dared to look at the crowd yet, just staring at the stage was frightening enough. My hands opened and closed with nerves as I watched my drum-tech Arrin sound check Jimmy’s drum kit. I’d flatly refused to allow Bruce to get me a new drum kit. I was not going to play a drum kit other than Jimmy’s; the kit was good enough for Jimmy, then it was good enough for me.
“Nervous Riot?”
“Nervous? Me? Whatever gave you that idea Gates?” I grumbled, still shifting from foot to foot. Syn laughed as he stopped next to me.
“Stop panicking, you’ll be fine. They’ll love you.” I mumbled a rude reply under my breath and began to tap my fingers against my leg. Syn just shook his head. I decided to change the topic.
“The set’s looking good huh?”
“Not as good other things around here.” He muttered, under his breath. I paused in my nervous tapping. Was he saying what I thought that he was saying?
“What was that?” Syn glanced at me quickly and shook his head
“Nothing. The set is looking fantastic. Hope you don’t have too much hairspray on.” I glared at him and resumed my tapping.
“Excuse me, but you have more hairspray on than I do. You almost gassed out the whole dressing room earlier.” I retorted, relaxing slightly as we settled into our usual bickering.
“Now, now children, play nicely.” Val chided as she walked up with Matt and the others. I just huffed and turned my attention back to the stage. And my nerves.
~*~
Syn POV.
Fuck it, Cait was looking good tonight. It was a struggle not to stare as she began to stretch and jump as we prepared to go onstage. She laughed at something Johnny said and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. I froze, she was wearing the bracelet that I gave her for her birthday. It was the only bracelet that she was wearing tonight, which was unusual for her. Was she hinting at something? Matt interrupted my confused thoughts.
“Vocal warm up, dudes and dudette.” He ordered. Me, Zacky and Cait formed a rough circle around him. We’d decided not to waste Cait’s vocal talent and had pretty much bullied her into singing back-up with me and Zack. “Chorus of Almost Easy?” We all agreed to Matt’s suggestion and began to warm up. Bruce showed up as we were going through the chorus to Seize The Day.
“Sounding amazing guys, all pumped for the first show?” All of us answered with enthusiastic yes’s part from Cait, who mumbled “no I absolutely fucking am not”. Bruce frowned slightly in confusion.
“She’s just got first-night nerves. She’s excited really.” Explained Johnny. Bruce laughed and clapped Cait on the shoulder.
“You’ll do fine JC, you did a great job on the album. You’re a brilliant drummer.” She gave him one of her looks.
“Yes, but we didn’t record the album in front of several hundred people.” Bruce just laughed and moved off to talk to one of the roadies.
“TWO MINUTES!” Yelled some unidentifiable person. Cait shrieked and grabbed Ash’s beer, taking several hasty gulps.
“Oi!”
“Dutch courage.” Replied Cait, handing the drink back. Tech’s appeared all around us, checking sound equipment, handing us our guitars, bass, mic and drum sticks, giving us last minute instructions.
“ONE MINUTE!” Automatically we formed a huddle, all of us; Matt, Val, Johnny, Cait, Lacey, Zacky, Gena, Leana, Ash, Carter and me. Everyone that made up the intimate part of the Sevenfold family. Matt surveyed everyone in the huddle.
“Tonight we take the stage back, tonight we give the fans the best show that we can, tonight we do this for Jimmy.” Everyone nodded. “Hands in.” We all stuck a hand into the middle, forming a pile. Somehow, by complete chance, my hand ended up on top of Cait’s. I tried not to notice how soft her skin was against mine. Her hand was shaking. I gently squeezed it and met her eyes. Knock ‘em dead Riot. I mouthed. She smiled slightly. You know I always do. She replied, winking. I chuckled silently and turned my attention back to Matt.
“Three, two, one.”
“Sevenfold!” We all said, breaking the huddle. Bruce reappeared.
“JC! You’re on first! Thirty seconds!” She nodded and took a few steps forward, followed by the encouraging cheers of the rest of us. I watched as she kissed the stylised metal plectrum that hung on a chain around her neck. She had two on the chain, but I knew which one she’d kissed; the one with foREVer written on it. The other had J.C printed on it. Many thought it was for her, they were wrong; it was for Johnny. Johnny had an identical one with JC printed on it, for her. The introduction to Nightmare began to play and she moved onstage and up to the drum kit. The crowd began to chant. I inhaled deeply, closing my eyes and prepared to kick off this tour.
“FIVE SECONDS!” Yelled a tech. I opened my eyes and ran on stage with the guys to the screams of the crowd. This is what I had been born to do.
~*~
JC POV.
Me and the rest of the guys left the stage, grinning. The first show had been an amazing success. Johnny embraced me in a sweaty hug.
“You were amazing J, just like we said you would be.” I laughed, the adrenaline of performing with the guys still pumping through my veins.
“WHERE’S MY FUCKING AWESOME CHICA?!” Demanded Ash, pushing through the crowd of techs that surrounded us. I laughed and unattached myself from Johnny, turning to face her. Her grin could have beaten the Cheshire cat’s. “Come here you sexy minx you.” I laughed and ran into her hug. “EWWW SWEAT!!” She protested, trying to pull out of my grip. When I finally let her go, I was hugged in turn by the rest of the guys. Syn’s hands lingered on my hips longer than the others. I smiled at him when he finally released me, trying to ignore Ash’s winking behind him.
“FIRST NIGHT PARTAY!” Cheered Zacky, pointing in the direction of the dressing room that had been assigned to us. He was slightly tipsy already. Oh dear god, I dreaded to think what state we would all be in by the end of the night. The guys began to head for the dressing room, but I was apprehended by the girls when I went to follow.
“What the fuck?” I asked as they dragged me – yes dragged—down the corridor in the opposite direction.
“Babes, you are disgustingly sweaty and we forbid you to party in those clothes.” Stated Leana, raising her eyebrows at me. I nodded in concession to her point.
“Ok, ok, but can I at least walk by myself, or face the way that I’m being dragged?” They paused long enough to let me turn around before grabbing my wrists again.
“Besides we’d got a surprise for you.” Added Lacey, grinning. I glared between, Ash, Val and Leana. I could tell by the look on their faces that they’d told Lacey and Gena about my feelings for Syn.
“I hate you three bitches.” I grumbled as we headed for the women’s bathroom. Just as we were about to go in, the door to the men’s bathroom opened and Corey Taylor walked out.
“Nice set tonight Riot.” He commented, winking as he walked past.
“Uh…t…thanks!” I stuttered, letting the girls drag me into the bathroom. I didn’t stop screaming for ten minutes.
7/16/13