Normally, Holly would spend Friday nights at home working on reports or articles for the academic journals. Instead of cuddling under her favorite orange and white blanket on her cushy couch, she is standing in front of a worn down brick building with a giant red neon light sign saying Montage Music Hall. Most of the people outside of the door are donned in tattoos, denim jackets with illegible patches, and smoking cancer sticks. She never felt so out of place than this moment. She's wearing boot cut jeans and a plain navy blue blouse with no tattoos in sight. Well, it can't be any worse than that redneck bar she went to last month to meet a blind date. That was such a terrible night she couldn't even stay long enough to finish her first drink.
Holly takes a deep breath and bravely enters the venue and approaches the bar. She orders a rum and coke and waits for this woman she is supposed to meet tonight for yet another blind date. Why does she keep letting Rachel and Lisa set her up with blind dates? Most of them are boring at best and usually a waste of time. She prefers to stay home and be productive with her time. She is perfectly fine with being boring although she gets lonely often.
Forty minutes and three drinks later, Holly is beyond pissed off. This is the last time she is going to let Rachel set her up. She sends five texts to Rachel telling her exactly what she thinks of this set up. The music is way too loud for her taste and people around her are very rowdy. The opening act is just three teenager boys playing three chords repeatedly and screaming about murdering their exes because they can't handle being dumped. Holly supposes that it is better for those kids to express their rage in music rather than shooting up people, but she is definitely not going to stick around. The boys finish their set and start taking their equipment off the stage. She figures she will just finish the drink she has in her hand first before leaving for home.
The next band just completed their equipment set up and Holly still had a couple sips left. She leans back on the counter and a blonde catches her eye. She talks to her bandmates and picks up the microphone from the floor. Her hair is slicked back as if she has just showered minutes earlier. Her legs are covered in skin-tight leather pants tucked in black combat boots. Her torso is enshrouded perfectly in a black tank top. Holly swallows a lump in her throat as she stares at her chiseled abs showing through the tears in the tank top. God, she is so gorgeous, Holly thinks to herself. She realizes she just finished her drink. Maybe she will stick around just for a song or two. She decides to order a beer and finds a nice spot by a thick supporting pole that is close to the stage but far enough that she will not need to worry about dealing with mosh pits forming in the middle.
The lights dim as the band starts playing their instruments and the blonde singer looks down at the floor and nods her head in sync with the rhythm. The crowd cheers and raise their hands in devil horns style. All of a sudden, the singer jumps on an amp and begins to screams out poetic lyrics.
"Here I am a poster board pinup for you to hate!
Someone who once cared now nothing is holding me back.
I am no more an image of what you thought I should be,
The choice you've made and forced upon me!"
The singer bangs her fist on her chest and jumps back on the stage. She walks over to the left side of the stage, near where Holly is standing and absolutely stunned by her aura, and points in Holly's direction.
"So go on and hate me if you must, but honestly I don't give a fuck!
With my friends by my side, I can get through anything.
With you on my side we can destroy everything!"
She jogs over to the right side of the stage.
"For those who continue to compare to this false idea,
What do you expect from me?!
Sing a lullaby scream you to sleep, I'm fucking sick of it being your way!"
She struts along to the bass guitar and headbangs together in harmony during the breakdown. She stomps to the front and center of the stage as the band shift to the chorus of the song. Many people in the front of the crowd begin to scream along with her as she screams.
"You don't love me, you love the person you think I am!
A poster board pin up for you to love.
You don't hate me, you love the person you think I am!
A poster board pin up for you to hate."
The singer jumps around and throws a big kick in the midair. She points in the crowd as the band wraps up the song.
"What you may see on the outside may not hold true to your heart, so here I am!
The real deal take it or not, like I've said before I. Don't. Give. A. Fuck!"
The crowd goes nuts as Holly stares at the singer in shock. What a song. Holy has always thought the metal music is mostly about violence and sex. This song is actually meaningful and speaks to her heart. She never cares about what others think of her and she just wants to live her life the way she wants. Screw this missing blind date. Screw what Rachel and Lisa think of her nonexistent dating life. As long as she is happy, that is all that matters. She might be lonely sometimes, okay often, but she is happy with her career and she loves who she is. She realizes she has not taken a sip of her beer, so she decides to drink it as she watches the band move on to the next song.
Before Holly knows it, the band's set is over and they thank the crowd for a great night. As the alcohol oozes through her blood vessels, she feels compelled to go to the band's table to at least buy an album out of support. She approaches the bearded giant covered in tattoos and asks for a CD. He informs her that the band recently releases a demo since they are new. Holly decides in the moment to buy a copy and a medium black t-shirt with their logo on it. The giant walks away after they complete their transaction and Holly smiles at the t-shirt. She is glad something good came out of this failed blind date. She feels a tap on her shoulder and turns around to see a pair of bold blue eyes staring at her.
"You don't look like someone who would enjoy this type of music."
Holly chuckles. "You are right actually. I came here because I was set up with a ghost apparently."
The singer leans back on the table and hands out her hand. "I'm Gail. I am in the band with bunch of losers. I scream mostly."
Holly smiles and shakes Gail's hand. "I'm Holly. I solve puzzles by dissecting dead bodies."
Holly takes back her earlier statement. Two good things come out of the failed blind date and she decides not to yell at Rachel for setting her up. She got to meet Gail after all.
