The Twilight Twenty-Five
thetwilight25 dot com
Prompt: # 4
Pen Name: junejulyautumn
Pairing/Character(s):
Rating: T (language)
Word Count: 480
Soundchecks are not for rehearsal. They're not about trying harmony parts, modifying arrangements, or going twenty-three times over the stupid outro that Emmett's insisting on for the new song.
Soundchecks are about Pete, our engineer, who wants us to play the same thing time after time so that he can get his job right. He has the shits when we're not co-operative, which is always since the same thing time after time gets boring. So he's a grumpy guy.
This evening, like most evenings, he's sick of us mucking around and he tells us to fuck off, adding that it won't be his fault when the sound is crap later and people ask for their money refunded.
Heading to the band room Edward glances back and pauses, remarking, "Is there anything more desolate than a stage set for a performance, but devoid of all humanity?"
"Huh?" Emmett says, glancing back as well.
"Abandoned. Forsaken. Like the Mary Celeste," Edward continues. "Or like a table with empty chairs and uneaten food. Where have the people gone and why? It's lonely and sinister."
"I think the stage looks like an art installation," Alice states. "A still life you can walk into and explore while you fantasize that you're a rockstar. Then you unknowingly get photographed by the artist, who's at the back of the room with a camera, and you discover when you attend his exhibition and see the pictures that you are an integral part of his work and that the viewing public are voyeurs, spying on your private dream."
"God, you two - you're fuckwits," Emmett says. "You know what I see when I look at that stage? I see time running out. So many things I want to do between now and showtime - like eating, sleeping, playing pool, hanging in the bar to see if any hot girls turn up, going to the arcade and acing the top score on Galaga - I just can't do all of them. It stresses me out, man, gives me anxiety."
As usual, I have a different perspective.
"To me it's really exciting," I say. "There's an air of anticipation you can actually feel. Something's going to happen, you know it - something thrilling and fantastic. The band equipment just waiting there - the lights, the atmosphere - everything's buzzing with the possibility that tonight you could have the night of your life."
"Bella and the rest of you, you're all straight from bullshit mountain," Pete breaks in. "And you're between me and the food, so stand aside or get trampled. They gave us food, right? Emmett, if you've eaten it I'll fucking eat you."
And so it goes, life on the road.