She pulled up to the house, a small one story home that was in desperate need of a new coat of paint. Alissa a 26-year-old with long straight brown hair with added streaks of purple down both sides of her head, the purple framing her face. Her thin athletic body stood at five feet six inches. She got out of her white ‘98 Ford Escort, stretching her arms over her head to release the kinks in her back. She smiled as she breathed in the warm Florida air.
“You’re late. I’d move your ass a little quicker. There’s no time to enjoy the sun.”
Alissa looked over at the house, just as one of her band mates walked out of the home and headed toward the one car garage. The warning didn’t make her move any quicker or keep her from smiling, “Hello to you too, Dan.” She kept her smile.
Most people would find Daniel a little scary. Of course these are the same people who judge a book by its cover. Dan was very attractive, if you look passed the tattoos and piercing’s. Dan was also one to change his hair color and style monthly. His latest is a tall Mohawk with blue and crimson tips that looked really nice with his dark brown hair. He was very punk on the outside but a sweet teddy bear on the in. Dan is only twenty-four years of age though his intelligence was of a very educated fifty-year-old. His knowledge would blow her mind daily.
Alissa reached inside her car to grab the black and purple messenger bag. The bag was faded and worn but she didn’t care, it was almost like a security blanket to her, it went everywhere she went. Alissa placed the bag on her right shoulder and shut the car door. She headed straight for the garage, as she stepped inside the noise of the band tuning their instruments while chattering made the small room very loud. She dropped her messenger bag on the ground inside the door before walking toward her mic stand.
“‘Bout time you got here. We have a gig tonight and you don’t seem to think it’s important for us to get in some rehearsal time before hand. What does this say about our band?” Carly lectured from behind the drum set.
Alissa gave Carly a scowl not appreciating the lecture, “If you’d zip it for about a second I could explain.”
“How about we just start practice and skip the arguing?” Kenny chimed in from his seat on the bar stool, his bass guitar resting in his lap.
“Well, if you don’t want to know about the audition I got us, that’s fine.” Alissa took her microphone off the stand nonchalantly.
“Wait, what audition?” Carly asked.
“Oh nothing big, just a chance for us to Open for Rooney, Thursday night at the Social.”
“What?!” Everyone got excited and wanting more details.
“I found out this afternoon that Rooney is holding auditions for local bands to open for them. So I called up The Social and our dear friend Jose answered and filled me in on all the details. They have five bands already signed up to audition, and they plan on picking two that they like on the spot. Jose put us on the list but we are the last band, we may or may not get the shot to audition. It depends on how good the other bands are.”
“But still it’s a shot right? I mean we have a shot of actually auditioning right?” Mike asked anxious with a big smile.
“It’s a shot, but not a solid one. The audition is Wednesday afternoon. So we have two days to tighten up our sound.” Alissa paused, “So let’s get this practice started.”
“I can’t believe we are going to be auditioning for Rooney.” Carly got giddy.
Alissa smiled and just waited for Carly to give the count off for them to start. As the music began and Alissa sang, she watched each one of her band mates, Kenny was playing with his eyes shut, like he always did. Kenny was the first guy to join Carly and Alissa’s band, he worked at Disney with Carly and found out she was looking for people to join a band. Carly never thought Kenny would be the type to join a rock band, he was your typical surfer boy. Shaggy blond hair, beautiful brown eyes, tan hard body, and his spare time was filled with surfing. But once Kenny approached Carly and explained to her he’s been playing a bass guitar since he was fourteen, which meant he’s been playing for fourteen years now. We had to give him a shot and after hearing him play we had to keep him.
Alissa looked over at Carly, beating the drums with so much passion and fun. She was always so happy behind the drum set. Carly and Alissa have been friends since childhood, their parents were high school buddies who stayed as friends once they grew up as adults, they had their children play together as they grew up. Carly and Alissa are the only kids out of the bunch that stayed friends through the years. Which they laugh about today, because back when they were kids, Carly always picked on Alissa, tortured her really. Carly was six years older and all Alissa wanted was to be cool like Carly when she was younger, followed Carly and her friends around and annoying them like a little sister does. But as Alissa grew up and got her own identity, Carly and Alissa formed a tight friendship. Carly was a beautiful blond who stood at five feet six inches, she had the body that made most girls jealous, having all the right curves. But unlike most girls with beauty she didn’t have the stuck up I’m better then you attitude. She was the kick ass girl whom you wanted on your side. Carly looked up and smiled over at Alissa as Alissa continued to sing the song that was the most popular out of all their songs.
Alissa glanced over at Mike as he played the keyboard in front of him, he stared down at the keys as if he was concentrating on every touch. Mike was gorgeous in fact he was called ‘the pretty boy’ of the band. He resembled the English heart throb Orlando Bloom. It was scary how much he looked like the actor. The same long curly brown hair, dark brown puppy dog eyes, and good looks. Mike was the baby of the band. Twenty-two years of age but is the tallest. He towered over them all at six feet. His slender tall frame would make most men look awkward and geeky, but he carried himself with full confidence and it made him even more sexy. Mike was still living at home with his parents while going to college, the only band member still doing the school thing. His first priority is the band and that upsets his parents since his school is a demanding one. Mike attends the art school Full Sail. He’s studying music production. Learning to arrange and produce music. This will help the band some day.
Turning to her right she found Dan, it’s where she could always find him, playing his guitar like nobodies business. This is the band, the four people she’s spent all her time with for the past two years. They’ve done nonstop practicing and performing ever since they came as one. There has been ups and downs for the band and for each of them personally but they were never alone, they were a family and cared for each other more than they could ever vocalize. Their sound was pop rock and it was strong and contagious, full of melody and power. They wrote their own music and performed anywhere they could. Each member filled with drive and passion to make it in the music business.
In the past year they have grown a big following in the central Florida area. They have become so popular they are able to now leave the state and still have a good crowd at whatever club they play at. The internet was a big help with their connection with the fans, after they started to notice the people in the crowd were there for them and not some other band, Kenny started a website for the fans to go to and feel more connected to the band. The message board on the site is heavy activity and the fan base is no longer just in Florida, thanks to the net they have fans all over the south. This would make most bands big headed and feel they didn’t have to work as hard anymore, but not this band, it made them work even harder and strive for bigger goals.
They continued to practice the songs for that evening’s show, “You guys have to get air in this garage. I’m sweating more then a two hundred-pound football player.” Alissa fanned herself.
“Let’s take five y’all. I think an hour is a good amount of practice.” Kenny spoke as he took off his bass guitar, setting it in the case.
They all left the garage and went inside the house, the air conditioning feeling like heaven as the cool air hit them all. Everyone plopped in the living room, “Anyone want something to drink?” Carly asked from the kitchen.
She got a yes from everyone. She walked into the living room with five bottles of water. Handing each of them a bottle before she sat down in a bean bag chair. “I think we’re ready for tonight. But, I’m not sure if we’re ready for Rooney.”
She got looks from everyone, “What? You know you’re all thinking the same thing.”
“Yeah, I have been thinking about it.” Mike frowned, “Do you think we are really ready to open for a well-known band?”
Alissa sighed, “I think we are. Come on you guys, we’ve played every place we can in Florida, we’ve played in Georgia and Alabama, we are now just repeating ourselves. It’s time to step up a notch, we can’t sit in this comfort zone forever or we’ll never make it. We just have to try, if Rooney doesn’t give us the chance we need, then some other band will. But, I’m not going to sit back and just wait for someone to come find us. I want us to go out there and make them hear us. Don’t you want to get out of the south? Be heard all over the country?”
“Of course we do.” Dan responded, “But, I think some of us are just nervous of the fact we might get knocked off whatever pedestal we’ve finally got to stand firm on.”
“We get knocked off. We just stand back up. Come on, we’ve got to go in there and give it our all. That’s it. Play like we always do, if Rooney doesn’t like us. Oh well. It won’t be the end of the world.”
The discussion went on for another twenty minutes until they all felt pumped up and ready to take on anything. They chilled out for the rest of the afternoon, until they had to get ready for their show that night. Around four that afternoon they all piled their instruments into the 1988 Chevrolet Conversion van the five chipped in to buy when they started having shows outside of Florida. It only cost them three thousand and with Mike and Dan’s car smarts they were able to fix it up to be able to travel long distance. The van was in very good condition when they found it, all that it was in need of was a good cleaning and a little work under the hood. The exterior was black, maroon and silver, perfect colors for a rock band. Interior was maroon with plush seats. Tinted windows, air conditioning and a working stereo with cassette player. But the most important was it could carry all their instruments, plus them and luggage if need be, and not be too uncomfortable on long road trips.
“Everyone ready?” Kenny asked as he hopped into the driver’s seat.
“Rock on.” Dan answered.
And they were on their way to Orlando’s Back Booth club, one of their regular spots to perform in town. They arrived around five that late afternoon, knowing they’d have to set up their instruments and check the sound system. They were actually headlining this show with one other local band performing before them. That evening they stood in a circle holding hands, heads bowed, Mike started the prayer they did before every show. As the five say “Amen” Keith the club manager announces from stage, “All right, here’s the band you’ve been waiting for. You ready?” The crowd screams loud. Keith smiles and looks over to his left to make sure the band was ready. With a thumbs up he looks back to the crowd, “Give it up for Infinite!!”
Story Notes:
Disclaimer: I do not own or know the band Rooney (i only wish). There is also a few other L.A. bands that will be popping up in this story. This is complete fiction.
