A Time to Move On (3 page)

They were damn good.

Mack looked at Luke and Luke
nodded. Slowly, Fallen Tuesday slipped out of the studio. Outside the studio,
they could still hear the band playing, but it was quiet and private enough
that they could talk.

“I don’t think that’s going to last
long,” Mack said.

“What? Them?” Luke asked.

Mack nodded. “Yeah.”

“Why the hell would you say that?”
Trent asked.

“Not in a bad way. They’re too
good. They already have a following. I can’t wait to see their live set. But
I’m telling you, they’ll get pulled off to do their own thing. The second a
song like they’re playing now hits the radio and internet, it’s done.”

“Good for them,” Gray said. “Good
for them.”

“Good for us,” Jake said. “Bigger
shows with an amazing opening band.”

“I’ll take it,” Luke said.

“Me too,” Mack said.

He headed back to the room with the
food and the beer. The beer was very important right now. Mack twisted another
cap off a bottle and drank. Trent came into the room alone.

“Cold beer,” Trent said.

“Problem with that?”

“Not at all, man. Why?”

Mack looked at Trent and curled his
lip. He loved his brothers, but he didn’t trust anyone's actions right now.

“What about the music does it?”
Mack asked. “I mean, why us? Why our band? Why right now?”

Trent slipped his hands into his
pockets and backed up until he was leaning against a wall. He looked at the
floor, truly considering Mack’s question.

“Timing is everything in life,”
Trent said. “We had the right music and the right opportunity. We were ready
when our break came. You remember getting that call to play with Chasing Cross?
Remember how hard we worked after that to make sure we were really ready to
open for them? And then watching their sets night after night, trying to see
what worked. The way Johnnie moved on stage. The way Danny and Davey played
guitar. How Chris carried songs with his bass lines. And how Rick mastered the
drums.”

“Until Luke stepped in, right?”
Mack asked.

“There you go. Another opportunity.
It’s life, Mack. I made an ass of myself not too long ago and it could have
brought the band down. But it didn’t. It showed that I was human and flawed.
Those flaws took me right to Emily. And Nick. I wouldn’t change it for the
world.”

“Of course you wouldn’t,” Mack
said. “But time? I would change time, man. I would change it. Sometimes I sit
and make deals with nobody.”

“What do you mean?”

“I make deals, just like I said. I
sit there and wonder what it would be like if we weren’t big. If we fell flat
over and over. If we just sucked. If I gave all this up… would I…”

Mack had the words on his lips as he
looked at Trent.

The door opened and Jake stuck his
head in the room. “Hey, guys, we’re ready for the show.”

Mack let the words fall away and he
turned toward the door. Trent reached out and grabbed him by the arm.

“Talk to me, Mack.”

“Nothing to talk about. I can’t
change time. I can try to make deals, but they go unanswered. What can’t go
unanswered are the fans. They’re ready for us, Trent. It’s our chance to give
them something to remember.”

(3)

Luke sipped a bottle of water and
rubbed his throat. The pre-show jitters still existed, no matter how big Fallen
Tuesday was now. More so, he feared the day his voice would give out. It had
come so damn close to happening before.

Looking left to right, Luke made
sure nobody was looking at him and then he cleared his throat and spit on the
ground. It had become a routine before shows now and every time he feared he
would see blood again. But not today. Everything looked good.

Gone By Autumn was playing their
opening set and they sounded great. Luke felt lucky that they were able to find
a band like this. Becoming rich and famous wasn't their goal. They were all
about the music and the fans, and it shined through every time they performed. That’s
what mattered the most.

Gray, Trent, and Jake all joined
Luke. Mack was the only one missing. He seemed to be missing quite a bit lately,
and while that was expected, it didn’t make it okay and it didn’t leave Luke
feeling good at all.

Mack was standing alone at the side
of the stage.

“What’s he thinking right now?”
Luke asked.

“Mack? Who knows,” Jake said.

“Actually guys,” Trent said. “He
started saying something about making deals that go unanswered.”

“Oh man,” Gray whispered. “I hate
this. I don't know how to help him. I wish I could put a woman in front of him.
The right woman, you know?”

“There’s plenty of women who think
they’re the right one,” Luke said. “And knowing Mack, he’d get lost in that
part of the life. I think it’s a lot right now. We didn’t even realize the
dates as Frank started telling us about them. Doesn’t seem fair to have him
going through all this, does it?”

“Maybe he needs it this way,” Jake
said. “The date can mean something good now. I mean, the biggest push of our
career. The album. The tour. Every little piece of this puzzle is coming
together at once. Maybe this is Kelly's way of helping him heal.”

“Wow, that's a heavy way to look at
it,” Luke said. “I don't think his mind his thinking that way yet though."

“But he loves the life,” Gray said.
“The shows. The stage. The fans. It's what keeps him going. That and his
motorcycle.”

Luke nodded and just stared at
Mack. He remembered the phone call from Mack. Never before had he seen the big
guy so vulnerable and scared. When Luke was finally able to get to Mack at the
hospital, Mack fell into him in the hall of the hospital. It took all of Luke’s
strength to keep from falling as he tried to hold Mack. And Mack just sobbed.
He held Luke as tight as Luke held him. And he cried so hard.

Feeling his chest tighten, Luke
turned away. He hadn’t been with Amy as long as Mack had been with Kelly, but he
knew that if he ever lost Amy…

Luke closed his eyes and took a
deep breath.

When he opened his eyes, Frank was
approaching. He gave a quick wave and asked, “Nervous?”

“No,” Luke said. “Ready.”

“Hey,” Frank said. “That opening
band is damn good. The merch tables are sold out.”

“Really?” Luke asked.

“New tour shirts are flying like
crazy,” Frank said. “And the Gone By Autumn table is empty. I just talked to
their manager and am having them contact our vendors for bigger orders for the
tour.”

“That’s so great,” Luke said.

The rest of the band, minus Mack, gathered
around Frank.

“Launch day soon, boys,” Frank
said. “The preorders have been off the charts already. The free songs have been
downloaded millions of times. This album is going to go straight to the
top."

“That’s all good news,” Gray said.

“Thought you would all be
celebrating a little more,” Frank said. “It feels somber.”

“Mack is struggling right now,”
Jake said.

“Yeah, I know,” Frank said. “I
tried talking to him and he damn near wanted to fight me.”

Luke smiled. “That’s Mack. Big
heart and big fists.”

“Think he’ll be good?” Frank asked.

“I hope so,” Trent said.

“Well, if it means anything… that
favor you asked, Luke, I got it taken care of. There’s a delivery waiting right
now for you four if you want to see it.”

“Sure,” Luke said. “Just make sure
Mack doesn’t see a thing.”

*

Standing on the side of the stage,
Mack watched Gone By Autumn perform. They didn't just run their set list. They
put on a show for the crowd. Lead singer Ryan walked the stage from corner to
corner making sure everyone was engaged. The music was fresh, the songs
connected to the audience, and considering the majority of the fans were there
to see Fallen Tuesday, Gone By Autumn seemed to have won them over. Mack
wouldn’t have been surprised if some of the fans traded in their Fallen Tuesday
shirts for Gone By Autumn ones.

The road crew worked hard all
around Mack, moving instruments and cases of cables and supplies, getting ready
for when Gone By Autumn finished their set. These shows weren’t just to promote
the album, they were practice for the crew so they knew what to do when they
went out on tour with the bands.

Mack finally walked away to find
the rest of his band. They were getting ready under a pop up canopy tent. Luke
drank water while Gray and Jake warmed their fingers up on their electric
guitars. They weren’t plugged in so there wasn’t much sound at all. Just the
occasional
ping
and
twang
of a note or two. Trent had his bass
around his neck and stretched his fingers.

“You ready?” Luke asked Mack.

“Hell yeah, man. I want to go at
this one hard. I need it.”

“Good,” Luke said.

Gone By Autumn was done and they
came off the stage. They were whisked away and the road crew quickly got to
work. They took all the equipment of Gone By Autumn's equipment down while
pulling all  the Fallen Tuesday equipment forward. It was an interesting process
to watch.

Mack grabbed a pair of drumsticks
and started to mess around on a table. He warmed up his wrists and hands. He
focused on the movements of his hands and the sounds of the sticks. It was how
he made everything else fade away.

The head of the road crew gave a thumbs
up and clicked a flashlight a few times to get the attention of Frank and the
band. Frank made sure everything was set up and when he gave the thumbs up
back, the intro music started to play. The moment it started, the crowd went
wild. It was an intense sound, loud even in the wide open outdoors. The crowds inside
an arena were going rumble the buildings.

Luke put his arms out and nodded.
“Let’s go.”

He took the lead and everyone
followed. At the steps to the stage, Luke stopped and pointed to Mack. Mack ran
up the three steps to the stage. The second the crowd saw him and he saw the
crowd, Mack froze. They screamed even louder. A guy came up behind him and made
sure he had his wires all hooked up so he could hear everything. Mack put the
earpiece in and walked behind his kit. Then the rest of Fallen Tuesday came out
on stage.

Mack took a few breaths, calming
himself as best he could.

The intro music stopped and there
was nothing but the cheers of the crowd. Luke grabbed the mic.

“You guys are loud,” he said.

The crowd started cheering even
louder and Luke laughed.

“Anyone here for a concert?” he
asked.

Mack shut his eyes for a second.
When he did, he saw Kelly. She was standing front row at a show, reaching for
him. Screaming for him. Wanting him.

Fuck, it hurts…

Mack opened his eyes just as Luke
let out a scream to start the show. Mack went into a quick intro and drum fill
and the show started. No matter what Mack did he couldn’t keep his eyes off the
damn crowd. The parking lot was full and the windows to the building of the
radio station were full too.

After the first couple songs, they
stopped to let the crowd properly welcome them. Luke turned and looked at Mack
with a giant smile on his face. The fact that the fans loved and appreciated
all their self-written music and lyrics was the best part of doing what they
do. No other part of the lifestyle trumped seeing thousands of people singing
lyrics that came from the band's hearts and dancing to music that they created.

Fallen Tuesday went right back to
work, playing two old songs, two new songs, and then Luke talked about the
album and the tour for a couple minutes. That gave Mack a chance to stand,
drink some water, and walk away from the kit. He went to the front of the stage
and reached down, offering his sticks to two lucky fans. Two people each grabbed
a stick and started to jump and hug them as though they were winning lottery
tickets.

Five stools were brought on stage
to give the band a chance to slow the show down and jam acoustically. Normally
Mack stayed behind the kit or played a quieter rhythm for the band, but today
he wanted to play guitar with them. And nobody objected to it.

The five of them were on the edge
of the stage, playing songs. Just jamming and hanging out. That was the kind of
image Mack wanted for the band. The shows weren't big productions, they were
just rock shows. It gave the band a chance to make a connection with every
person in the crowd. No matter the seat, no matter if they wore a Fallen
Tuesday shirt or not, they were there for an experience.

After the acoustic set, Mack went
back behind the kit. He took a drink of water and readied himself for a drum
solo. He started to hit the bass drum over and over. He raised his arms up and
smacked his sticks together. Luke and the rest of the band started to clap
their hands, bringing the crowd to do the same. Soon there were thousands of
people at Mack’s command. He then went into his drum solo, his hands and arms
moving like a wildfire. Sweat collected and rolled down his face. He gritted
his teeth, wanting his body to play faster. Soon he had a rhythm going so
strong that the crowd started to cheer for him. Mack played the same thing over
and over, bobbing his head, looking out to the crowd as they all raised their
hands and cheered.

Then, as fast as Mack started, he
completely stopped playing. He slowly stood up and looked out at all the fans.
The people who had been waiting since before sunrise to have a chance to score
a ticket to the show. The people who used their hard earned money for
everything Fallen Tuesday. The people who would rush to their computers to buy
tickets when the tour came within reach of them.

Mack put his hands up and nodded.
Everyone kept cheering. He closed his eyes and threw his drumsticks to the
crowd.

Then a sweeping thought went
through his mind.

I miss you, Kelly…

The thought weakened his legs and he
sat back down. Luke looked at him, but Mack simply nodded. It was time to
finish the show. Mack needed to get off stage and hop on his bike. He needed
the open road more than ever.

Fallen Tuesday played three more
songs and then the five guys took to the front of the stage. They had their
arms around each other and stood there, relishing in the applause and enjoyment
of the crowd.

They waved goodbye, slapped the
hands of those near the stage, and then headed off stage. Mack ran and grabbed
a bottle of water. He chugged it in one shot. The road crew started the clean
up process. And Frank walked around on his cell. Some fans were winners of a
contest and they were allowed backstage to meet the bands, so they were roaming
around getting autographs and taking pictures.

“That was a good show,” Luke said.
“It’s building out there.”

The crowd was still cheering. Faint
chants for Fallen Tuesday continued.

Mack looked over his shoulder and
thought about his ride. He needed to go.

“Listen, I have to take care of
something,” Mack said.

Nobody responded. Mack wasn’t sure
if that was good or not, but he turned and ran anyway, making his way through
the small crowd of people working and talking. He stopped for two autographs
and a picture before making it back to where the limo and several private cars
were parked.

The limo was for the band, so Mack
ordered one of the chauffeurs of the private cars to take him back to the
soundstage. Having money did have its perks.

A short while later Mack stood at
his motorcycle. He was still sweaty from the show as he climbed on his ride.
With his helmet and sunglasses on, Mack started the motorcycle. He knew taking
off like this was unfair to the band, especially Jake, since they had gotten
pissed off at him when he did the same thing, but at least Mack finished the
show. That’s all that mattered.

Mack left the soundstage lot and
took off. He drove through town and tried to ignore all the places that
reminded him of Kelly. Once on the twisty back roads, Mack felt himself getting
angry again. He still couldn't understand the accident. If Kelly had been on
these roads then yes, it made sense. But she wasn't. She was on a long, straight,
flat road and was hit by an oncoming car. Why didn't she swerve or try to get
out of the way?

Mack rode by the turn. He couldn't
go there until tomorrow. Once a year was already more than he could take. Mack
throttled his motorcycle and picked up speed.

The ride was an hour in, but Mack
had no intention of stopping. As he continued to circle town, he was overcome
with a feeling of being followed. When he turned his head, he saw a motorcycle
approaching. He looked in the mirror and saw there was two motorcycles now.
Then three. Then four. The motorcycles spread out, taking up the entire road.
Mack slowly pulled to the right side of the road, figuring it was some
motorcycle club out on a ride. He didn’t want to get in their way. Instead of
passing by, the four motorcycle pulled up to Mack and surrounded him.

 “What the hell is this?” he
whispered as he took his sunglasses off.