The crowd cheered. You could feel the vibrations of the claps, feet stomps, and screams running though your veins. It was like a drug, and tonight was the biggest dosage of this addiction. Ed, Eddy and I just got done playing our last song to our biggest crowd, and were now exiting the stage. All of us brimming with pride and the rush of performing. The excitement still very much alive.
"COME ON! WE CAN PLAY AT LEAST TWO MORE SONGS FOR THEM!" Eddy almost screamed as he had a dance like step in his walk.
Ed handed his guitar to one of the tech guys, speaking the words before I could. "Eddy, you know that isn't possible. The headliner band would get pissed off at us. We need to keep our good name."
"Ah, whatever!" Eddy twirled around his drum sticks, hitting everything in his path with them. An annoying habit of his that could sadly not hate him for, he is one of the best drummers around.
I placed my bass guitar off to the side, grabbing a bottle of water before entering the dressing room labeled "EDZ" on the door.
Unlike Eddy and Ed, who were usually talkative and energetic after each show, I enjoyed keeping to myself and enjoying the inner bliss the stage gave me each time. Though these to jokes always made it difficult, seeing how I was the only one who could keep them in line most of the time. They were getting better with keeping themselves in line. But with Eddy's short temper and Ed's quick mouth, it was easy for them to get out of hand.
I pushed myself passed the two hyperactive gentlemen, already starting to go head to head with each other, and took my place on the old, musty red coach in the corner of the room. I kicked my boots up on the old piece of wood that I guess they were trying to pass up as a coffee table and leaned back, closing my eyes and blocking out the annoyance I call my bandmates. Usually I would not be this improper with putting my feet on furniture, but after years of being in these junk holes that they call dressing rooms. Anything proper is a lost cause, therefore I let myself loosen up some within these dirt rooms and not be my "uptight self", as Eddy would say.
My body flinched slightly in reaction at the sound of Eddy's drumstick hitting the wall behind me. I let out a soft sigh with my first warning. "Gentlemen."
Usually just that slight warning would put the two back in their place. But they must have felt more brave and got an even bigger head from tonight's crowd, as they kept going, ignoring my warning.
"I'm just saying! Why can't we have the drums more up front?!" Eddy yelled out.
"Are you stupid? How would that even work with Eddward and I? All you do is play drums. I change instruments, and Eddward sings and plays bass. We need to be up front." I could hear the annoyance in Ed's voice, which I must admit, brought a grin to my face. The guy was such a pushover in the past, it was interesting seeing the person he has become.
"Gentlemen."
They ignored my second warning, just like the first.
One of my eyes opened at the sound of the door opening, in stepped the small and friendly blonde that was our manager, Nazz. It was probably going to be the usual good work, we're going to go even bigger and better next time talk, but this time four tall and built men stepped in behind her. Two had brown hair, one was a baldy, and one was a redhead.
Looks like she brought me a snack.
"Hello boys!" Her voice was more peppy than usual. "I would like to first say-y.."
"ED! It wouldn't throw anything out of whack if you just moved the drums up a few inches!"
"I'll fucking move your drums back if you keep this up!"
I doubt these two fools even noticed the five new people now standing in the room. Typical for them.
Nazz looked over at me with a slight plead in her face. "Eddward, would you please."
I sighed, letting my boot make a horrible squeaking sound as I dragged them off the table. I hated being disturbed. Even more so by these two idiots who should know better. Unfortunately, I was not so lucky, and they did not know better. Leaving me to have to get up from the comfort of the old disgusting couch, and walking over, hitting both of them over the back of their heads.
"Enough."
Glares shot my way, but they at least knew better than to make any comments towards my actions. No one questioned my actions unless they wanted to face me head-on, and I was not one to mess with.
"Thank you Eddward. Now, boys, tonight went wonderful and your next few shows are going to be even bigger than this one! So it's time for some changes!" Nazz stepped aside and held her arm out like a showtime model, showing off the four men that stood next to her. "These will be your bodyguards."
Eddy and Ed perked up with excitement.
"We're that big now that we need bodyguards?! Fuck yeah! We're making it big now boys!" Eddy popped up his collar like he was some big shot.
"You're starting to get up there. Your fan base is starting to grow fairly quickly, so it's better to be safe. Each one of you will have your own personal guard who will be with you most of the time, and then we will have an extra guard or two at shows."
I felt my lip twitch slightly, tonight just kept getting more and more annoying.
Nazz first pointed to the bald man, who looked like the strongest out of them all. "Eddy, this is Nick, he will be your guard."
Fitting.
She then pointed to one of the men with brown hair. "Ed, this is Andrew, he will be your guard."
"And Eddward." She then pointed at the most stubborn and delicious looking one of them all, the redhead. "This is Kevin. He will be your guard."
I rolled my eyes, turning on my heels and walking back to the old couch. "I don't need a body guard, I can handle myself."
Nazz shoulders dropped, most likely because I always gave her a hard time and she knew what was now coming. "Eddward, this is how things are going to have to be now."
I pulled out a lollipop from my front pocket, one of my bad habits, having a sugar addiction. I carefully unwrapped it and placed it on my tongue, tasting the flavors of sweet artificial cheery before taking it into my mouth. "I can understand why those fools would need someone to watch over them. But I am not one to let my guard down, I'll be find without one of these men watching me like a child."
This time the redhead that was assigned to me stepped in before Nazz could talk again. Each step he took was powerful and effortless at the same time. He stood over me and I slowly looked over his body. He was more delicious up close.
"Listen dude, I don't want to watch your ass anymore than you want me to. But that's the way it's going to be now. So suck it up. If we can work together, it'll be like I'm not even there. But if you keep being stubborn like this, I can make your life hell."
I studied everything I could in the short amount of time this man was speaking. His eyes were a brilliant green and his face was decorated with the perfect amount of freckles. The black tshirt and dark jeans he wore hugged each and every muscle he had perfectly. And his red hair was mostly covered with a ridiculous red baseball hat. I leaned back on the couch, sucking on my lollipop while I gave him one more look over. "Kevin, was it?"
His tough stance lighten a little as he nodded in response. "Yes sir."
I smiled, pulling the lollipop out of my mouth. "I find hell fun."
