Mercy
After almost two months of working together I wasn`t surprised to find Nick and I quickly became the best of friends. So imagine my surprise when my brother to my shock flew my best girl friend Amber out to spend the summer portion of the tour with me a month early without telling me. Unfortunately I haven`t told Nick about Amber joining me yet and now she is meeting us in phoenix in about a week as my brother told me this morning. In fact this was not the only stress on my mind, tonight in less than two hours I would be doing my first major show ever and in front of a Draven crowd even more difficult. I sat in my dressing room having a true panic attack, sweating pounding heart and the shakes all while pacing almost uncontrolable. "Sweetie you will be fine." Peggy told me watching my face while the hair dresser finally coarlled me into the chair and set about curling my hair rapidly I didn`t even know the slight woman`s name.
"What if I can`t remember my lyrics?" I had tears running down my face.
"Trust me it will be fine." Pam said getting her cell phone out.
"They are gonna throw things at me … I know it …" I continued to freak out while the quiet and quick hairdresser worked at the speed of light and just as I escaped the chair again Nick walked into the room like he owned the world.
"Dear lord aren't you ready yet." He cried out walking up to the mirror and grabbing a can of hairspray and starts fussing with his own hair.
"What are you doing here?" I sniffed as he spun to look at me.
"Hmm, let's have a look." He smiled and spun me around "Va va va Voom, look at you ..." His smile grew lusivous as I rubbed the tears from my cheeks thank the gods of beauty for waterproof make up.
"Thanks." I blushed as he continued to circle me taking it all in from the heavy blood red curls hanging to my hips to the pink and black corseted dress and black knee high combat boots.
Peggy
Poor Mercy was a wreck sobbing and terrified, I couldn`t think of anything to do or say to help so instead I texted Nick. 'Merc is cracking – help' and within ten minutes he appeared joking and playing with her completely distracting her from her worries. "Va va va Voom, look at you "He exclaimed pulling her around, she did look great and he was overdoing it a bit but I said nothing, it was innocent enough.
"Thanks." Mercy squeaked as she watched his every move.
I thought it was so cute that Mercy still had this cute crush on Nick. I could understand given that she spent so much time with him at the time she was coming to that age where boys become she world it made sense that she liked him. It was even sweeter that Mercy still liked him now that she was past that preteen stage. More importantly it was a real point in Nick`s favor as a kind man that he befriends her much the same as before. Now I understand from day one my husband and Jason`s worries about the pairing because yes Mercedes is a beautiful girl but do I think that Nick would make a serious play for her, No. I turned some fun little pop song on something about pumping kicks or something and watched the stress melt from my little sister in law as the three of us danced around the room in silly circles. We all danced and sang along with the music playing on my cell phone in great fun for a long time when Donny came in to give the ten minute warning to Mercy. I watched confusion on his face for a moment, and then he realized the reason for the commotion as Mercy sang along with The Ting Tings her eyes closed and a smile across her face. Donny found his way over to me and took my hands and started to dance with me.
Donny
I gave Nick the time to go signal and started to lead Peg out of Mercy`s dressing room. We had planned to watch Lovely Suicides set from the sound booth with my parents and my other sister Annalisa and her family all of which came down from San Fran to see the first show even though Mercy did not know they were in attendance. "What happened?" I asked Peg once we were out of earshot.
"Just alittle stage fright…. She`ll be fine now." Peg smiled.
"She must be my sister for sure then." I laughed remembering when I used to puke my guts out before each show.
"Yeah … wasn`t it Nick who got you over that as well?" Peg grinned.
"you know it was, only he would piss me off so much I would chase him onto the stage fully trying to catch him and knock him a few." I chuckled.
We got down to the sound booth to find my parents and my sister with her husband and none of the four of them looked too pleased. Peg and I gave our hugs and kisses around in greeting as the piano started to play and the curtain fell to the ground to reveal Mercy siting at a pink and black painted piano and Nick with the upright bass and the rest of her backing band, The first song was that haunting ballade from the demo, something about the mad hatter and allice being in love a dark little song that shows off Mercy`s voice. The second some was an upbeat song also with piano but as we watched they started to play songs I could tell Nick had to have helped write including a hot duet between the two that made me wonder, "where did that song come from?" But in the end I could not argue with Jason in his wisdom he saw something in the pairing of these two amazing musicians that could not be duplicated with any other people in the world. Nick and Mercy played a perfect game of tug a war with the crowd. Then a song that I knew very well, a Draven song started and I made a mental note that they would not do that song again, the song in question Nick wrote with his now ex girlfriend about nothing but constantly screwing and it's very vulgar. I was more than alittle disturbed by my baby sister singing about oral sex. Thankfully they only covered one Draven song no matter how disturbed I was the crowd exploded for them as they took their final moments of the night and left the stage.
"How could she do this?" Annalisa raged.
"Why did you allow this?" Her husband asked my parents.
"What are you trying to say?" I interrupted before my parents could speak.
"This is so disgusting…" Annalisa growled.
"What being talented?" Peg asked.
"Parading around like a harlot!" My brother in laws raged as his face turned bright red.
"It's shameful. "My sister seconded.
"Think what you want but if you can`t say anything good don`t stay." I growled at them all, and to my surprise mot only did my sister and her husband leave imminently but so did my parents without a word, no one stayed to tell Mercy she did a great job and they loved her, my heart was broken as only family can shatter it.
Nick
We came off stage completely juiced off the crowd reaction I walked behind Mercy as the crowd chanted "Lovely…. Lovely….lovely," She was practically bouncing with bubbly excitement and once we were out of sight of the stage she spun around and jumped into my arms again. "Oh my god Nick! That was amazing!" She bubbled ecstatically, all I could do was laugh with her before we were surrounded with people all pulling us in different directions. I was shoved in my dressing room so I could change my clothes for the Draven set and Donny came in a few moments later.
"Good show man." Donny smiled
"Thanks." I called pulling on a shirt.
"No man thank you, Mercy hasn`t been that happy in a long time thanks for helpin her out." Donny was suddenly serious.
"Anytime man." I answered.
"Oh and Nick if you ever sing 'Swallow' with her again I`ll kill you." And Donny left me standing in my dressing room laughing by myself.