This was something I started nearly 4 years ago (January 8 is the anniversary, and yes, I remember the date because I wrote it down) and now feel comfortable enough to share it on here. I hope you all like it!
Love,
TSA
All Guitar Hero characters and references belong to their respectable creators/owners, but the name Rick Tenor, Jim Kreth, and Ryan Prower are mine!
Chapter 1 – This is the Beginning
~ Casey
"Come on! We're going to be late!" Judy shouted.
"Yeah! We don't want to miss the first gig!" Eddie shouted in agreement.
"I'm pedaling as fast as I can!" I panted, still falling behind. "It's not easy riding a bike in heels ya know!" I know. I'm insane for wearing heels while riding a bike, but I wanted to look my best today. I was about to see the guy of my dreams and I needed to stand out. I decided not to wear a band tee like Judy and Eddie, but instead to wear my favorite studded, purple tank top to show off my arms; my favorite light-wash flare jeans that made my butt look fantastic; and, of course, my studded bracelets and belt. Add a pair of purple plaid three-inch heels into the mix and you've got yourself a rockin' rocker outfit.
"Well then, don't wear heels the next time you ride your bike!" Judy teased. "It's as simple as that."
"Easy for you to say! You don't own a single pair of heels!"
"And proud of it!" she smiled.
"Will you girls stop bickering and focus on getting to the Bash on time?" Eddie asked.
"Whatever you say, Eddie," Judy crooned.
"Judy and Eddie, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" I sang loudly.
"Oh, shut up Casey!" Eddie shouted.
"'Whatever you say, Eddie,'" I said, mimicking Judy. "And for God's sake, would you please drop the lovey-dovey act when I'm the only person around? I know you guys are faking this romance for Eddie's sake, but please, just act normal when there are no witnesses other than myself around."
"Oh, whatever!" they sighed in unison.
Judy, Eddie, and I were biking to a Backyard Bash to see the greatest band ever! Well, according to us anyway. Real Talent is a band started by four very talented young men—Rick Tenor, Jim Kreth, Ryan Prower, and Axel Steel—when they were still in high school. They made it big shortly after they graduated and had dropped their first album before Christmas that same year. Judy got it for me and we listened to it the second after I opened it. On the very first song, as soon as I heard Axel's opening solo and Rick's amazing voice, I was hooked. There was so much emotion put into their songs: pain, sorrow, pleasure, longing, even greed and anger. It was as if these boys were telling us about their whole lives the only way they knew how: through their music. I could feel the pain in Rick's voice as he sang about heartbreak, his anger at being betrayed, and his joy at finding love. I could relate to so many of the songs on such a deep, emotional level that I quickly knew them all by heart and fell in love with Rick (and the band, too). I even taught myself to play all of their songs on guitar, which sounds a lot easier than it actually is. I spent years memorizing their songs and unique guitar riffs, but it all paid off in the end. I was able to record my own versions of their songs, post them on YouTube, and even gain some recognition from my hometown, the YouTube universe, and even the band itself!
Real Talent was throwing a tour specifically for the venues that gave them their big break. It was a reminiscence tour of sorts and the name of the tour was "Before We Were Famous: Back to the Beginning." They started at their high school in Venice, Florida as the musical guest at their Senior Prom. Now they've come to Arcadia at 22 Arcadia Avenue where they got their first official gig. I found out about the tour on their official website, so I told Judy, who told Eddie. I bought the tickets and started planning my outfit months in advance.
"Wait up you guys!" I shouted as I started to pedal faster. "You know how much I love this band! You know how much I love Rick!"
"We know!" Judy said when I finally caught up. "I mean, come on! Do you actually think you'll ever hit it off with that guy?"
"It doesn't hurt to dream," I replied with a smile. Little did I know that my dream was about to come true.
…::-::…
~ Rick
When the band first started, everyone thought nothing would ever separate us. We'd been best friends since middle school, formed our band our freshman year in high school, and made it big shortly after our senior year. Our lives seemed to be perfect and we felt like nothing would bring us down. We'd performed at the Warped Tour, our first album had gone platinum within the first three months of its release, and we'd even been asked to appear on Saturday Night Live (to which we oh so humbly complied). It wasn't until that one fateful day while on our "Before We Were Famous" tour. We were giving back to the people who'd given us our big break: our high school, the small town of Arcadia for holding a Backyard Bash, Mitch's Moose Lounge in Sarasota, Bradenton Bar in Bradenton (no duh), and an outdoor amphitheatre in St. Petersburg. But it was backstage at the Backyard Bash in Arcadia that changed everything.
We'd all been reading the signs. Axel was turning into a jackass, claiming that he wasn't making enough money, that he was more popular than Slash and Van Halen, and that we wouldn't be famous if it wasn't for him and his guitar playing. He'd throw fits in the dressing room if his hair wasn't just right, if his trademark jean jacket wasn't cleaned and/or pressed at least thirty minutes before we were supposed to perform, and he was starting to care more about the money than the music and fans. We'd all had just about enough of his bullshit and so I decided to confront him about it while our opening act, The All-American Rejects, was still performing. I found him lounging on one of the couches backstage surrounded by our female groupies, taking pleasure in their admiration, lust, and overall desires of wanting to be with him.
"Axel, we need to talk."
He gave the girls a simple glance and they skittered away, giggling. He gave me another look, signaling me to continue.
"OK, I know I shouldn't be doing this right before a show, but we really need to talk about your stuck-up attitude and all the bullshit you've been pulling."
"Excuse me?"
"Like I said, I shouldn't bring this up before a show, but the rest of us have noticed that you've been a lot more demanding lately. You keep asking for more money when you already make more than me, Jim, and Ryan combined. We're beginning to think that you care more about the money than you do the music or fans."
"Okay. And?"
"Really? That's all you have to say? I'm trying to be serious here, Axel. Our manager set up this tour to help us get back down to Earth. I think this has only made your ego larger."
"Is this the same manager that you fired only a few hours ago?" he shot back. "He could see how pig-headed we were all becoming and he wanted to show us why we got started in the first place. And you fired him because there weren't enough people or press at the venues? You can't talk to me about being conceited when you yourself are just as bad." I felt my throat dry and my breath catch in my throat. "And don't you dare say it's not the same thing when you fired a perfectly good manager when all he wanted was for us to 'get back down to Earth.' And on top of all that—"
"Axel, don't you dare go there." He ignored me.
"And on top of all that," he said slowly as he stood up, "you still hate that I can get any girl I want, even yours." I clenched my hands into fists so tight my knuckles turned white. Axel must have noticed because he continued gloating. "Oh, I'm sorry. Is that wound still sore? Get over her you prick. She cheated on you…with me. And she was pretty tasty."
That did it.
"You son of a bitch!" I screamed. I launched myself at him after that crack and started hitting anything that he wasn't blocking with his arms and calling him every profanity in the book. By the time Jim and Ryan arrived and intervened I'd already given Axel a split lip and a black eye. I would have done a lot more damage if Jim hadn't pulled me off him. He had to literally pull me off Axel because I had a tight grip on his t-shirt and showed no signs of letting go until I'd seriously disfigured his face or killed him (which, now that I think about it, was pretty dark for me). When Jim finally pried me away he had to pin my arms to my side and hold onto me tightly so I wouldn't be able to escape. When he deemed it safe, Axel slowly stood up and checked his face. As it turned out, I'd also broken his nose and it was bleeding profusely. He had blood down his face and shirt and I had some on my knuckles and face.
"Fuck you, you son of a bitch," he said.
"Fuck me? Fuck me?" I shouted at him. "You were the one who slept with my girlfriend! What kind of friend would do that? Don't you have any shame? Any guilt? You've had this coming for a long time and you brought this on yourself!"
"But you brought this on the whole band. I'm leaving for good, and think about this: Without me, there's no tour, no fans, no band. When I leave, you are all finished! Good luck continuing without me!" He stormed off to his red Ferrari after that and left us; he even left behind his custom Les Paul.
"Is it really over?" Ryan asked. "Is he really gone this time?"
"I would definitely say so," Jim said, still holding me tightly. "I mean, you don't take a beating like that and come back willingly." He suddenly laughed and said between guffaws, "Did you see his face? That was so gross but awesome at the same time. I had no idea you had that in you Ricky."
"Don't call me that," I growled.
"That was pretty epic, Rick," Ryan agreed.
"I still didn't know you had that in you," Jim said releasing me.
"There's a lot you don't know about me," I said under my breath.
"So, what do we do about the Bash?" Ryan asked. The Rejects had just finished their set and the crowd was definitely pumped, but there was no way in hell that I would go out there looking like I'd just killed someone, even though I nearly did.
"Well, while you guys think about that I'm going to clean Axel's blood off my hands."
"Literally," Ryan noted.
"Sweet," Jim laughed. I just rolled my eyes and walked into our trailer. When I saw myself in the mirror I barely recognized myself. My knuckles were bruised and scraped, there was blood on my face and my clothes, and I could still see the rage yet pleasure in my eyes from thoroughly kicking Axel's ass.
"This isn't you," I said to my reflection. I began to wash my face and realization slowly began to sink in. Axel was gone. He was really gone. I had finally let my hatred towards him rise to the surface but I had waited too long. I'd snapped and done the worst possible thing I could do: beat up my friend. Granted, he had willingly slept with my girlfriend—well, now my ex-girlfriend. But he wasn't my friend anymore; he wasn't anyone's friend. I was barely even myself anymore.
When I'd finally cleaned the last of the blood off my face and hands and changed into some clean clothes, I came back out to join Jim and Ryan who were still arguing about what to do.
"So, what's the verdict?" I asked.
"I think we're going to have to cancel the Bash," Jim said. "We don't have a back-up guitarist, Boothe is God knows where, and Axel has finally left for good. I know this isn't just one of his temper tantrums this time."
"Yeah. I can tell that too," I said. "So, what do we do now?"
A loud roar erupted from the crowd as they became more and more impatient.
"What are we going to tell them?" Ryan asked. "We can't disappoint our fans."
"I'm afraid we're gonna have to," I said. "I mean, we don't have a replacement so who would play? Me?" I said, trying to feign innocence.
"Yeah, man, 'cuz you suck," Jim snickered.
I gave him a look that said "Do you want me to beat you up too?" and he backed off. I never should have pretended to suck at guitar. Then this problem wouldn't have been a problem.
"I'm gonna have to go out there and cancel the Bash." I looked towards the stage and sighed. If there was one thing I hated most in the world, it was disappointing my fans, especially in my hometown.
"Good luck, man," Ryan said.
"Yeah, it was nice knowin' ya." Jim slapped me on the back and practically shoved me onstage.
…::-::…
~ Casey
When Judy, Eddie, and I arrived at the Bash, it was filled to the brim with spectators: there were people crowded around the stage, clambering onto the roof, and one poor soul had been dunked, upside down, in a basketball hoop. I hadn't come all that way to just watch Rick perform from afar, so I pushed and shoved my way closer to the stage. Suddenly, Rick walked onstage and I froze where I stood to cheer with the crowd, but we went dead silent when we realized he was the only one.
"I'm sorry to have to tell this to everyone," he said, "but Axel just quit, and we don't have a replacement. I'm sorry, but we're gonna have to call off the Bash." We crowd began screaming and yelling again, this time with slews of profanities at Axel for ruining everything. Suddenly, Judy appeared beside me and started pulling on my arm and I followed her on instinct. I asked her what she was up to but her answer was drowned out by the crowd. When I noticed we were getting closer and closer to the stage I realized what she was going to do.
"Judy! You can't do this! I don't have the guts to perform for all these people! And Rick will see me! I'll get stage fright and suck! Judy? Judy!" My protests were in vain because Judy just pulled me onstage and placed me close to Rick (probably to make me even more nervous) and ran right up to the microphone. I barely heard what Judy was saying because I was too focused on being thisclose with my idol and (not so secret) love.
"Ladies and gentlemen, rockers of all ages," Judy said loudly into the mic. "I know we're all mad at Axel for quitting at the last minute, but I have a solution. They may not have a replacement guitarist, but we do; our very own, Casey Lynch!"
"WHAT? ME?" I looked at Rick again who was looking at me with an intrigued expression. I didn't know if it was good or bad, but I continued to watch him as he watched Judy continue her speech.
"We all know how good she is," she continued. "We've had her play at birthday parties and celebrations, but we've never heard her true rocker potential. Now is the perfect opportunity! Are ya with me?" She raised a fist in the air when she finished her speech and we waited for the response.
The crowd cheered and screamed my name. My mouth fell open and it slowly dawned on me that I was still staring at Rick. He looked smug but confident as he slowly walked over to Ryan's mic and stood there grinning for a few moments.
"Look, I'd love to have you play for us," he began, prompting a few small whoops and boos from the crowd, "but you need to be properly tested first." He disappeared backstage for a few seconds and returned with Axel's signature Les Paul guitar. He handed it to me and said, "Tune it to your specifications, then play the first song that comes to mind."
I looked at him in shock, my brain trying to process all that was happening, but autopilot kicked in and I quickly went to work on the guitar. After tuning, adjusting the strap, and finally facing the crowd, I was ready. I froze for a second as I looked at the overwhelming crowd, but composed myself and turned to Rick and said, "You boys might know this song, so play along if you do." He signaled for Jim and Ryan to join me and then I began to play the opening chords of Pat Benetar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot." Judy jumped down into the crowd so I could have the mic. I walked right up to it and started belting out the lyrics, surprising not only myself but also the boys.
…::-::…
~ Rick
After the blonde finished, she turned to me and smiled brightly. I smiled back and yelled, "Get this girl ready! We've found a replacement!" She grinned widely and was walked backstage to be turned into a real rocker. When she walked back onstage, she was the epitome of awesome. Her hair had been teased to perfection and her attitude seemed to reflect her sudden rocker makeover.
As we played through the gig, it was hard to imagine that Axel hadn't come back and was playing better than ever. This girl had some real talent (pun intended) and she began to really enjoy being onstage. She sang along, jumped all over the stage, and even played some impromptu solos. Needless to say we were all impressed, but we still needed to find a permanent replacement. It would be hell to tell this girl she was just the replacement, but we couldn't sign her on with the band before she had been properly tested. The rest of the tour would have to be postponed until a permanent replacement was found. Thankfully I knew just who to call to set up the competition.
I started writing this about 4 years ago with too many revisions to count. So, with the help of my Fiction club on my college campus, I feel confident enough to submit this. I hope you all enjoy this first chapter and more will come soon!
Love,
TSA