The Hysterics (17 page)

We rushed down Colt’s basement steps to find the rest of the band members sitting on the old couch, waiting for us and slowly clapping as we made our way into the dim room. I heard a bottle of champagne pop as they rushed over to hug both Dane and me, and everyone yelled, “Congratulations!”

“Thanks, guys.”

“Welcome to the family, Fallon.” Maverick kissed me on the cheek before wrapping me in a huge bear hug.

“Thanks.”

“Alright, alright, let’s get to work.” Dane was beaming, standing next to his drum set. He winked at me while I took a seat on the lumpy couch.

I snapped a picture of my ring, captioned it ‘HOLY SHIT!’ in a text to Starr, and waited patiently for her to respond.

I swayed to the melody of a beautiful ballad, Dane’s eyes never leaving mine as he mouthed the words.

Stop my heart, inspire me

Take my breath away

Make me believe

I know there is beauty, I want to see yours

Be raw, open up

Let me see everything

Walk along the thin line of sanity

Dark and deep, cool and damp

The caverns of your soul

Ones left unexplored

That's where I belong

Cloak me in your imagination

Let me take it all in

Stop my heart, inspire me

Take my breath away

Make me believe that you love me

My phone buzzed in my hand, showing Starr was calling. “Excuse me, it’s Starr.”

They all nodded. I ran up the stairs and out to the front porch to sit in a wooden rocker. “Hey!”

“Holy fuck balls! What just happened?” Starr was screaming at an octave that only dogs could hear clearly.

“I found a guy.”

“No shit, Sherlock!”

“Pretty crazy, huh?”

“I’d say so!”

“I wish you were here.”

“Me, too. I’ll plan a trip up soon! I have to meet this…” She trailed off, waiting for me to finish with Dane’s name. I couldn’t believe it had been that long since Starr and I had talked, and it really made me feel crappy.

“Dane. His name is Dane. He is the drummer in a local band. I’m actually at their practice now.”

“Does he know?”

“Yes, he knows who I am.”

“Good. Then, as of right now, until further judgment is made, I approve!”

I giggled. “That’s a relief.”

“I gotta run, we’re trying out a new drummer tonight.”

My heart ached. “Yeah, ok. Good luck.”

“They’ll never be you.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. You’re happy, that’s what really matters.”

“I love you.”

“Love you, too, bitch.”

DANE

Fallon made her way back down into the basement right as Colt took a call from our booking agent. I motioned for her to come and sit on my lap. She did, and right as her weight shifted onto me and her lips planted a gentle kiss on my cheek, my heart started pounding and I was up on fucking cloud nine. That ring on her finger, her right there, it was all just so right.

“Ok, that is incredible! Thank you for letting me know. Uh huh. Yes, of course we’ll be there.” Colt was pacing around the couch, biting his nails like he always did when he was nervous. When the call ended, Colt stopped in his tracks and just stared at his phone.

“Colt?” Maverick threw an empty water bottle, hitting Colt in the shoulder. His eyes shot up, wide as a slow smile rolled onto his lips. “Gonna tell us what Danny said?”

He looked down at his hands, which he clenched and unclenched nervously, his face as red as a college girl who’d just returned from Keith Richard's hotel room. After a moment, he looked up at us again, still unsure of what to say. “Um.” The pacing started again, Colt’s eyes darting from the blackened screen on his phone over to us.

“Come on, man, you’re acting like a teenaged girl who just saw One Direction walk across the street.” Rodney started laughing at Maverick’s comment and Colt finally snapped out of it.

“Well, you see, I heard a few days ago that a few of the bands had to pull out of the Underground Music Fest coming up this weekend.” Colt took a few slow, deep breaths. “And Danny just called to let me know that we got one of the slots.”

“What?” I jumped to my feet, sending Fallon laughing and stumbling a few feet in front of me.

“That’s incredible!” Fallon blurted out while the guys and I all shot looks of shock between us. “That show brings some incredible talent, and that means scouts. That’s where Regicide Assisted got discovered.”

Fallon’s face didn’t flinch and her smile never faded; her elation and excitement for my band’s biggest break was pure and unadulterated. I grabbed her hand, pulling her back toward me. “You’re incredible,” I whispered.

She wrapped her arms around me and looked back over her shoulder to the guys. “This is going to be your break, guys, I can feel it.” Turning back to look at me, she beamed. “I couldn’t be happier right now.”

“When?” Rodney looked like he was going to puke from the excitement and nerves clashing inside him.

“Three weeks.”

Fallon walked over to the couch after grabbing a beer. “Well, boys, I think you better get to playing. We have some work to do.”

She giggled and Maverick smiled over to her. “We?”

Fallon nodded. “Yeah, I’ve been there, done that. Don’t you want my professional opinion, for the two cents that it’s worth?”

Colt grabbed his guitar, throwing the strap swiftly over his head. “Fuck yeah! Let’s do this!”

Chapter Twenty

the beginning of an end

FALLON

The weeks leading up to the Underground Music Fest were crazy and simply amazing. I felt like I had snapped out of my rut and fallen right where I was supposed to be all along. Slowly, everyone except for Dane started calling me Fae. I had decided that I was going to embrace my new life and nickname. I dropped the Dunham and basically was waiting it out for Pearson to take over and make that last piece of my identity puzzle fall into place.

Dane put The Judge in park in front of my apartment building for the last time. “You ready?”

I nodded over at him and we both climbed out of the car. We walked into the office on the second floor of my building and I handed in my keys. The whole process of moving had only taken a few days; since Dane’s place was cheaper and closer to work, that’s where we decided to call home. And did it ever feel that way.

I was liberated and genuinely happy, but there was still one thing left to do: tell my mom. I had been dragging my feet on even telling her about Dane, let alone that I was about to become his wife, and honestly, I didn’t care. She was wrapped up in her life and her marriage and was probably happier without me, or at least not fighting with her husband as much.

As we made our way back into what was now our apartment, I felt like it was time.

“I’m going to call her.”

Dane glanced up from the worn out pages of
Loving Mr. Daniels
, which he was reading for the hundredth time. “Want me to go in the other room?”

I shook my head, taking a seat at the dining room table. Nervously, I dialed my mom’s cell.  

“Hello?” My mom’s voice coming from the receiver made goose bumps spread down my arms.

“Hi, Mom. How are you?”

“Fine, sweetheart. It’s nice to finally hear from you.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I’ve been really busy with work.”

“Tell Payton to cut you some slack from time to time.” I could hear my stepfather’s voice in the background: “When’s dinner?”

“Honey, I need to run. Sam’s hungry.”

“Mom, wait.” It was now or never.

“Yeah?”

“I met someone.”

“Oh that’s great, sweetie. You’ll have to tell me all about him sometime.”

“I’m engaged.”

A gasp and then silence.

“Mom?”

Sam’s voice boomed, “Woman! Get off the damn phone.”

“That’s wonderful. Have to go. Love you.”

Click.

I let my forehead fall onto the cool glass of the table, tears streaming down my face. I felt Dane’s hand rest on the back of my head, gently stroking my hair.

“I know the answer, but everything ok?”

I shook my head, more tears falling.

“Come here.” Dane pulled me up into his arms, leading me to the couch. We sat, my head on his shoulder, our fingers entangled.

“He’s such a bastard.”

“What happened?”

“He was just being a prick. He made her get off the phone to cook dinner.”

I felt Dane’s muscles stiffen at my words. “Should we do something?”

I shook my head. “There’s nothing to do. She won’t leave him and he doesn’t hurt her physically so it’s not like I can call the cops.”

Dane sighed. “Yeah.”

“Listen, if you’re not up to it, you—”

I put my finger over his lips; there was no way in hell I was missing his show that night. “I am going and that is final.”

My phone buzzed in my pocket with a text.

Starr: Hey bitch, I have a surprise.

Me: What?

Starr: I’m in Chicago.

Me: What the fuck? Where?

Starr: Heading over to the venue with the band our hot roadie is now working for.

Me: What band?

Starr: Don’t be mad.

Me: Ok…?

Starr: Lithium. They got added to the lineup for this music fest tonight and I tagged along to hopefully see you.

Me: Kenneth Rhodes is playing tonight at the Underground Music Festival?

Starr: Yeah.

Me: Fuck. So is The Hysterics, Dane’s band.

Starr: No fucking way! I’ll get to see you!

Me: You can’t tell Rhodes about me and Dane or that I’ll be there. Promise?

Starr: Yeah, promise. But how are you going to avoid him if you’re backstage with The Hysterics?

Me: I’ll have to.

Starr: At least I’ll get to see you.

Me: Yeah! We’re heading that way soon.

Starr: Ok. Love you.

Me: Love you, too.

“Babe? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I looked up at Dane, kissed him on the cheek, and took in a deep breath. “Starr is in town with Lithium.”

“The drug?” Dane smirked, but I shot him a that-is-not-funny look. “Sorry. Your ex’s band?”

I nodded.

“And that’s a bad thing why? It’s not like he knows where you live anymore.”

“He’s playing the show tonight.”

“What?”

I nodded.

“
The
fucking Kenneth Rhodes is going to be playing the same show as my fucking band?” The excitement on Dane’s face was understandable but completely infuriating; this was not a good thing. “Why does it matter?”

“Because, I can’t see him.”

“Then don’t see him.”

“We’ll all be backstage. Someone that knows me might see me.”

“So we’ll make sure you’re discreet. It’s going to be fine.”

The calmness of Dane’s voice was helpful. My heart stopped thumping in my ears and my palms weren’t as clammy, but I was still nervous as shit.

“Promise?”

“Babe, I will not let anything happen to you. I can promise you that for sure.”

I planted a quick kiss on his plump lips before getting up from the couch. “I love you.”

He grabbed my hand, pulling me back down for one more sweet kiss. “Love you more.”

“I’m going to hop in the shower. We need to leave in an hour.”

I closed the door to the bathroom behind me, letting the steam fog up the mirror as I searched through the music on my phone to find something that would help me break out of this nervous funk and get back the excitement I needed to help support the guys. I finally stumbled on “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift and hit play before climbing into the scalding water. I washed and rinsed while bouncing, bobbing, and screaming along to the upbeat tempo of what I decided right then and there needed to be my new theme song.

I toweled off, still humming the catchy beat as Dane peeked his head through the door. “Rocking out in here?”

I nodded, throwing my towel playfully at him as he laughed.

“What?” I questioned.

“You’re cute.”

I dug through the duffle bag that had most of my clothes in it until I found the perfect shirt to wear. It was a loose-fitting white V-neck with big, bold black letters:
I Prefer The Drummer.

After putting on my old style of heavy smoky eye makeup and bright red lipstick, I made sure my curls had enough hairspray in them to last a year. I was ready to go. Dane knocked on the bathroom door, calling in, “Babe, are you ready?”

“Yeah. Coming.” I zipped up my tight black leather pants, slipped into my worn out pair of bright red high tops, and made my way into the living room.

Dane slowly walked over to me, a seductive smirk perked up on one side of his mouth. “You look fucking hot.” He pulled back my hair to kiss my neck while grabbing my hand. “I guess you don’t want to be Fae tonight?”

I kissed his cheek. “I just want to be me. This is me.”

“Well then, let’s get this show on the road, future wifey.”

Flutters.

Weak knees.

I loved the feeling of being completely his. I couldn’t wait to be his wife.

“Let’s go, babe.”

It wasn’t until we pulled around the back of the venue into the gated area marked ‘restricted’ that my nervous jitters started to come back. I tried to take deep, slow breaths while the guys were unloading their equipment backstage, checking all their bags, cases, and boxes to make sure that they hadn’t forgotten anything.

I practically jumped out of my skin when I felt someone jump on my back and wrap their arms around my neck “Holy fuck, bitch! I missed you!”

Relief spread through me as Starr’s voice registered and I spun around to hug my best friend for the first time in way too long. “It’s so good to see you!”

She hadn’t changed a bit: short, bright pink hair, purple contacts, eyebrow ring, tight, black corset that made her boobs practically touch her chin. She was a sight for sore eyes, that’s for sure. Dane came walking back down the steps to grab the last couple of things from their rent-a-van.

“Babe! Come here!” I called over to him.

“Is that…?” Starr’s eyes got wide as Dane wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

“You must be Starr.” Dane reached out his hand but Starr threw her arms around his neck and planted a huge, bright pink kiss on his cheek.

I laughed as a confused but amused look danced across Dane’s face. “Well,” he cleared his throat, “I need to get the last of this stuff.”

“Ok, babe. I’ll be in soon.” Dane nodded and grabbed his stick bag out of the trunk of The Judge.

“Fallon! You didn’t tell me how fucking hot he was. He’s like walking, talking man candy.”

I laughed. “Yeah, I guess he is.” I watched as he trotted back up the steps. “So, where is—you know who?”

“Probably off in some bathroom trying to snort as many pills up his nose as he can before he goes on for sound check in fifteen.” Starr rolled her eyes as she lit a cigarette. “He’s apparently fallen off a damn cliff these last few months.”

“That sucks.”

“You jumped off a sinking ship, babe. That’s for sure.”

I nodded. For the first time I didn’t feel guilty for leaving my old life. Instead, I felt proud of my decision.

DANE

Make sure we have everything, do sound check, find out where the three talent scouts are in the crowd, puke from nerves, see Kenneth Rhodes in the bathroom snorting a years’ worth of powder up his nose—check, check, and check
. 

Finally I was sitting on the counter, sweating bullets in our small dressing room. There were only ten minutes before the first band was supposed to go up. We were fourth in line.

I was tapping my sticks on my knees while Maverick tuned his bass. Fallon was texting someone, presumably Starr.

“Babe, wanna take a walk with me?” Fallon looked up from her phone.

“Yes.” Anything to keep my mind a little occupied seemed like an awesome idea.

Hand in hand we made our way down the hall, past musicians, groupies, roadies, and managers. Fallon took me into an empty stairwell and pressed me up against the wall.

“Why are you so nervous?”

“Didn’t you hear Colt? There are three scouts here.”

She kissed my cheek, whispering in my ear, “And that makes you nervous why?”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Because this is huge for us.”

“You’re right. But you guys are really talented, don’t ever second guess that.”

I took in a few deep breaths. “How’d you deal with it?”

“What, nerves?”

I nodded.

“I pretended that the crowd wasn’t there. That I was just playing with my friends in my basement.”

“That’s easier said than done.”

She took a step back, pulling my chin down to force eye contact. “You’re right. But as long as you’re having fun and giving it your all, it’s going to be awesome.”

I grabbed her shoulders, spun us around and threw her up against the wall. She wrapped her legs around my waist as I crushed our lips together. My hand started riding up her shirt as I kissed down her neck.

Right then we heard stomping behind us and a gruff, slurred voice echoed in the stairwell, “What the fuck is going on here?”