No Holding Back (27 page)

“
Where the hell did you find such a scrawny piece of shit?” Rick asked.

By now, Wade was growing ir
ritated and not just for his sake. From behind, he could feel Chris growing restless with Rick’s teasing comments by the second.

“There
’s more than meets the eye,” Wade fired back.

“
Not from where I’m standin’,” Rick grinned.

“Well, you always did come up short on most things, Rick,
” Wade said, taking advantage of the face that he had a few inches on him.

“
You honestly believe you can put some nameless bum up against my boy, Geoff? He’ll drop you so fast-!”

Before Rick could get out
another word, a deep voice rocked Wade from behind.

“I
’ll drop
you,
asshole!” 

Th
e voice was so low and guttural, it caught Wade by surprise when Chris suddenly shot out from behind him. But he was nowhere near quick enough to stop her, and watched in horror as she shoved the blunt end of her drumsticks directly into Rick’s gut.

“OOOHHFFF!” Rick cried out and
stumbled back onto the floor.

Wade didn
’t know whether to laugh, cry, or yell at Chris, but he grabbed her by the waist and tore her away from the fray she wanted so desperately to be in. He struggled to keep her from hitting Rick again, that even Joe had to lend him a hand.

But
Rick, with the help of his other band mates, regained his footing and got to his feet. Breathing heavily, he now hunched over and cradled his tender stomach.

“
Looks like I win, Wade. Consider yourself…disqualified,” he sneered triumphantly.

But Wa
de didn’t bat an eye.

“
For what? I didn’t see anything. Did you, Joe?”

“
See what, man?” he answered back with a wide grin.

“
You’re lousy at math, Wade,” Rick spat, gesturing to his crew. “You’re out-numbered. Who do you think the judges will believe?”

But Wade had had enough. He came forward and gra
bbed onto Rick’s leather coat - pulling him in and almost spitting in his face.

“Do yourself a favor, ass-hat,
and get the hell outta here before someone messes up that pretty face of yours!”

Rick laughed breathlessly, but then pulled away from Wade
with a sharp jerk.

“And who
’s gonna do that, huh?” Rick bellowed, grabbing the attention of every other musician within earshot. “
You
?! Don’t forget where you are!”

Wade smirked. “Funny. I was about you tell you the same thing.”

Rick became put-off as though he didn’t understand Wade’s statement. But Wade smiled broadly when every person he recognized in the metal world slowly encircled Dark Water while they argued. Now, Rick and his crew were nothing more than cornered animals.

“
Looks like
you’re
the one outnumbered,” Wade winked.

“H
eh. So it’s like that, is it?”

“Yeah
. It is,” Wade shot back.

“
Fine
,” Rick said, straightening his jacket needlessly. “We’re
done
here…”

Rick turned
and walked through several dozen musicians, rudely pushing past most of them until he disappeared.

Wade breathed a sigh of relief and
he was surprised to see so many come to his defense, assuming they all wanted Dark Water to leave as much as he did. Still, he couldn’t have been more thankful, and some gave Wade a slight nod of understanding – a simple gesture that made his eyes water. He knew they didn’t have to step in, yet his heart swelled with gratitude at the rival drummer community who were ready to stick up for Heretic. But now, Wade turned his attention to Chris.

A part of him wanted to yell and scream until he was blue in the face. But the other wanted to run his fingers through her hair and kiss her for such a ballsy move. However, Joe was the first to speak.

“Dude,” he whispered harshly. “My hot...
sister
!?”

“I
’ll explain later.
You
on the other hand!”

Wade looked
at Chris with heated disapproval while she braced herself for a lecture.

“Are you mad?” she asked.

Wade didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but he needed to make sure that Chris understood the seriousness of the situation.

“
Are you kidding!? I’ve wanted to do that shit for years!” Chris started to laugh but Wade stopped her. “But I also learn to pick my battles! Yours is out there!” he gestured to the stage. “Not here!”

Chris hung her head ashamed of her actions, but
then Joe started to jump up and down spastically.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell, man!?” Joe said, motioning to the dozens of cameramen who lined up just beneath the stage. “They haven
’t shown up all weekend and
now
they’re here?”

But Wade couldn
’t have cared less. All he had to do was babysit Chris just a little longer, and then this nightmare would be over.

“
And that surprises you how? All they’re here for is Heretic and Dark Water. They don’t give a shit about anyone else.”

It was the truth after all. Heretic
’s rivalry with Dark Water made both bands a juicy target in the spotlight, but at that moment, Wade wished he was invisible.

W
hen he heard Axel’s booming voice fill the amphitheater, he focused entirely on Dark Water’s drummer – Geoffrey Henz. As expected, loyal fans went nuts and flashed homemade signs in the audience. Wade could feel the pounding of his own heart deep within his chest, like it was going to explode at any moment. Now, only minutes stood between Chris and her solo.

Wade peered over at the far end of the stage where the re
st of Dark Water was standing. Rick caught Wade’s gaze and smiled at him mockingly.

“Ok
ay,” Wade ignored Rick’s heckling stare and grabbed Chris by her shoulder. “Just remember: keep your-.”

“My head down. Y
eah, I know,” she finished. 

But Chris was far more concerned with Dark Water
’s drummer than she was with Wade’s rules – rules they had already gone over dozens of times before.

“Right. A
nd don’t look directly at the crowd or into those fucking cameras!” 

Wade didn
’t know why he bothered to keep quiet, he could barely hear himself think over so much damn noise. But while Chris studied Geoff with cruel intensity, Joe’s head began to bob up and down in tune with his beat.

Wade
’s shoulders dropped and he rolled his eyes at his friend’s idiocy and smacked him upside his head.

“Ouch! Man, what the fuck?! What
’d I do!?” Joe said, rubbing his head.

“Why the hell
’er you bee-boppin’ to this shit?”

Joe looked down ashamedly.
“Sorry…”

“Would
you relax!?” Chris said, smacking Wade on the arm. “Last time I checked,
I’m
the one who’s goin’ out there!”

Wade
looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. He knew he was taking his stress out on Joe without meaning to, but he turned to face his friend regardless.

“Sorry, Joe. I
guess I just need a beer.”

“
Or a Midol!” Chris half-teased. “Are you sure you don’t want to wait outside?”

Wade glared at Geoffrey. He was almost done, but he could
n’t help but notice that his solo sounded really damn good. He knew Chris would kill her song, but that didn’t stop Wade’s gut from doing another nose dive.

“I
’m not takin’ my eyes off you now,” Wade said. “Or
ever.
”

Joe rolled his eyes
. “Ugh. Get a fuckin’ room.”

“
Both
of you – relax,” Chris demanded. “I told you before: I can play your shit in the dark.”

Wade stared at Chris again, unable to get the nagging feeling that something wasn
’t right.

“Are you
sure
there isn’t somethin’ you wanna-?”

Just then, Dark Water
’s drummer had finished strong. The crowd cheered and cameras flashed as Geoffrey Henz took in the attention. But as the crowd died down, Axel’s familiar voice resonated throughout the auditorium.

“Alright!
Up next is…CHRIS REBMAN FROM HERETIC!!”

The crowd went ballistic and the entire building
shook from its core. But Chris ignored Wade’s question and took a deep breath. She adjusted her beanie and hoodie one last time before she stepped out on stage. But out of nowhere, Os appeared.

“Os! Fuck me, man! Where the hell have you been!?” Wade fired at his brother.

“Sorry man, I had to take care of a few things,” he answered without a care in the world.

Wade shook his head in annoyance and redirected his attention back out to the c
rowd. The entire auditorium went ablaze with screams and Wade smiled when he heard the rallying cry of Chris’ name. 

“CHRIS! CHRIS! CHRIS!” 

Chris strolled out on stage – carrying her snakeskin drumsticks high in the air while soaking in the cries of everyone around her. Wade shook his head at her overly-dramatic entrance, but at least she kept her head down just as he told her.

“Chris will rock this house with
LIVE DEAD!” came Axel’s voice through every speaker.

The roar that echoed
throughout the auditorium forced Wade to cover his ears. He’d never been more proud of Chris since she joined their group. Now, Wade thought, history was going to be made.

Ignoring Wade
’s ‘advice’ from earlier, Chris twirled her drumsticks in the air several times. She felt the wood as much a part of her as her own fingers. To Wade, she appeared completely calm – the exact opposite of how
he
felt.

And she was. She did her best to keep from smiling as she stared down at the masses from beneath her hair and beanie. This was what Chris lived for and now, she would give them
and
Wade a show they’d never forget.

As she sat before the drums, she stared down at them for a moment, all while she entered a semi-meditative state. But long after the crowd died down, she still hadn
’t even touched the drums. Soon, confused whispers broke out like wildfire.

Puzzled
by her delay, Wade couldn’t understand what had come over her – or why the hell she was staring at the drum kit as though she’d never laid eyes on one before. He broke out into a cold sweat when off to stage left, Rick laughed along with the rest of his cronies.

When Wade couldn
’t take another agonizing moment, Chris turned her head and made eye contact with him. He couldn’t read minds, but when she put aside her drumsticks and brought out her ‘good luck charm’ from her back pocket, it was all he could do to not get physically sick.

“Oh my god…” Wade
whispered.

He watched as she carefully rolled it up
and when she put it to her face, he couldn’t breathe. And as soon as Axel’s voice came alive through the microphone again, he felt the blood leave his face and his knees begin to buckle.

“
I-I don’t believe it!” the competitions’ host screamed excitedly. “Chris Rebman is going to play…
blindfolded
!?”

Wade became sick with fear
. He fought every desire to run on stage and yank her off. Hands down, he knew Chris was the most talented drummer he had ever come across, but not even Hess could do such a thing – and certainly while not performing such a labor-intensive song.

As soon as Chris
finished situating the handkerchief over her eyes, the audience returned to a ruthless volume. But Heretic’s drummer remained eerily calm as she brought out her snakeskins – allowing them to hover over the drum set.

She deliberately took her time to adjust her chair, to feel for the toms and cymbals, to ensure that they were
positioned accordingly for the oncoming assault. Chris breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth, allowing herself to achieve a state of heightened awareness.

A trance took hol
d of Chris; her mind, her body - she was somewhere else entirely. The deafening roar of the crowd began to fade away until there was only sweet silence. Chris pictured herself in a room – the same room she had visited so many times before. There was only her, and her drums. She breathed in deeply once more and exhaled forever.

“…in the dark…” she whispered.