Chapter 6
Spike looked at the label executives, feeling sweat trickle down his neck. Maybe it was nerves, or maybe the patch of sunlight from the open window was making him anxious, but he was praying for all he was worth. He wanted to please them so they could go to the next step towards stardom. And also, he was throwing himself into singing to avoid making a decision about Buffy.
It had been a few days since they had talked and she hadn't called. Of course, he hadn't tried calling her. He had been close, picking up the phone, only to dump the receiver back into the cradle. He was pretty sure letting her go didn't entail just ignoring her, but he was too afraid to make the next step. What if she didn't come back at all? He wondered what was going on in Sunnydale every minute of the day.
His fingers slipped over the strings of the acoustic guitar as he desperately tried to control his nerves. He took a deep breath and stepped towards the stool. He sat down and nodded to the executives around the room. "Hello, I'm William and this song is called…My Pain." He launched into the song he had otherwise dubbed 'Spike's Song'. In the time alone he had decided that the name Spike wouldn't cut it. He needed something more human.
Then he started singing one of the songs he wrote for Buffy. The one called "Listening to a Song." He wasn't sure which ones they would like to hear.
And lastly he sang a brand new one, he had written the night before when he almost broke down and called Buffy. He had been thinking about everything that had happened between them and the pain of her death had come back, haunting him. It summed up and expelled all his emotions in a jumble of words.
\\La da da da
There's a girl who walks in beauty
Who walks in the pain of the night
She's does everything that's needed
Always equaling the fight
There's a girl who asks me
If what she does is right
And I can't say 'cos I can't tell
All I know is
I made a promise to a lady once
And I make it every night
I'll battle all the darkness
Until happiness is in sight
Some day God willing
I will sleep eternally
My soul resting with the stars
She doesn't know
But I want it
All she wants, everyday
In and out and running
Fast as we can
She's driving me straight to insanity
And I love it
She wants me
She wants me
I made a promise to a lady once
And I make it every night
I'll battle all the darkness
Until happiness is in sight
What can I say
I'm a dreamer
I'm a fighter
I'm a restless spirit drifting in this world
I'm mad, I'm crazy
And she's leaving it all behind
But I'll keep my promise…//
When he finished he bent his head down, his eyes just able to see the men and woman. They looked at each other, each with a poker face, one or two nodding and shrugging. It felt like he was up there forever until one lone man sauntered up to the stage.
"Hello." The man said. Spike stuck out his hand. "I must say your lyrics are intriguing. Not run of the mill love mush. And you've got the perfect look for a rocker."
"But?"
"But I'm not sure if a one man show will work. I have a band that's looking for a singer and maybe they want a song writer. Cos your stuff is good. Why don't you give me a call." The man slapped a card in his hand. Déjà vu. He was from Sony, Spike noticed before more people started swarming the stage.
With the promise of a future some of the pain he had been feeling over Buffy left a little.
Spike looked at the label executives, feeling sweat trickle down his neck. Maybe it was nerves, or maybe the patch of sunlight from the open window was making him anxious, but he was praying for all he was worth. He wanted to please them so they could go to the next step towards stardom. And also, he was throwing himself into singing to avoid making a decision about Buffy.
It had been a few days since they had talked and she hadn't called. Of course, he hadn't tried calling her. He had been close, picking up the phone, only to dump the receiver back into the cradle. He was pretty sure letting her go didn't entail just ignoring her, but he was too afraid to make the next step. What if she didn't come back at all? He wondered what was going on in Sunnydale every minute of the day.
His fingers slipped over the strings of the acoustic guitar as he desperately tried to control his nerves. He took a deep breath and stepped towards the stool. He sat down and nodded to the executives around the room. "Hello, I'm William and this song is called…My Pain." He launched into the song he had otherwise dubbed 'Spike's Song'. In the time alone he had decided that the name Spike wouldn't cut it. He needed something more human.
Then he started singing one of the songs he wrote for Buffy. The one called "Listening to a Song." He wasn't sure which ones they would like to hear.
And lastly he sang a brand new one, he had written the night before when he almost broke down and called Buffy. He had been thinking about everything that had happened between them and the pain of her death had come back, haunting him. It summed up and expelled all his emotions in a jumble of words.
\\La da da da
There's a girl who walks in beauty
Who walks in the pain of the night
She's does everything that's needed
Always equaling the fight
There's a girl who asks me
If what she does is right
And I can't say 'cos I can't tell
All I know is
I made a promise to a lady once
And I make it every night
I'll battle all the darkness
Until happiness is in sight
Some day God willing
I will sleep eternally
My soul resting with the stars
She doesn't know
But I want it
All she wants, everyday
In and out and running
Fast as we can
She's driving me straight to insanity
And I love it
She wants me
She wants me
I made a promise to a lady once
And I make it every night
I'll battle all the darkness
Until happiness is in sight
What can I say
I'm a dreamer
I'm a fighter
I'm a restless spirit drifting in this world
I'm mad, I'm crazy
And she's leaving it all behind
But I'll keep my promise…//
When he finished he bent his head down, his eyes just able to see the men and woman. They looked at each other, each with a poker face, one or two nodding and shrugging. It felt like he was up there forever until one lone man sauntered up to the stage.
"Hello." The man said. Spike stuck out his hand. "I must say your lyrics are intriguing. Not run of the mill love mush. And you've got the perfect look for a rocker."
"But?"
"But I'm not sure if a one man show will work. I have a band that's looking for a singer and maybe they want a song writer. Cos your stuff is good. Why don't you give me a call." The man slapped a card in his hand. Déjà vu. He was from Sony, Spike noticed before more people started swarming the stage.
With the promise of a future some of the pain he had been feeling over Buffy left a little.
