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WitFit Jan/Feb 2013
90's Sex, drugs and rock-n-roll
Word Prompt: Fever
Dialogue Flex: "you can't please everyone."
-PoM-
If I thought I'd seen it all when it came to concerts, Grunge Fest—and more specifically my view from Edward's band's set—blew that notion out of the water. It was, to put it simply, insane.
They'd been slotted into the festival-type show directly in the middle of the day, not too early in the day-long event to only have the die-hards in the audience but not late enough that the late afternoon chill had started to settle. The sun was high (which made me glad I'd worn a sundress), the beer flowed like water, and things were just starting to get rowdy.
From our vantage point of stage left, Rose and I had a perfect spot to take in both the show and the teeming throng of concert-goers spread out in front of the stage. Those bodies were currently feeding off of the energy the guys were giving, and sending it back to them tenfold.
The speakers next to us were loud, and Rose and I shouted at each other occasionally to be heard over both the music and the pieces of foam shoved in our ears.
Still flying high on wrapping the album and having it sent into production, our guys played at a fever pitch, giving the crowd a testosterone fueled set of hard ass rock. Shirtless save for Tyler, jeans slung low and sweat a sheen covering their skin, they owned the stage.
Even Jasper, so controlled usually, was into it. He bent low over his guitar, sunglasses perched precariously on his long nose and nodding in time to the beat of the songs. Tyler hung in the shade of the amps, his long sleeved white t-shirt drenched and sticking to his body. Ben and Emmett seemed to feed off each other, thrashing and banging their way on the stage, and they met often at the drum kit to give as good a show as they were getting from the audience.
But Edward . . . he was electrifying. Front and center, arms stretched to the side with his guitar waiting to join in on the fun, was a hell of a frontman. Amplified by the speakers and open air, his voice washed out over the sundrenched, alcohol infused crowd.
I didn't know of it was the thrill of playing at home or the knowledge gleaned by watching the band they'd toured with at the start of the year, or maybe even a combination of both, but they were incredible today.
"This is so goddamn awesome!"
The smile on my face was already huge, but it got bigger as I pulled my attention off of the stage. "Look at the crowd, Rose. They're so in to them!"
"I know! Holy shit, this is excellent."
"Coming through!"
We moved aside for a tech, the only serious face I could see. He'd been on cord patrol the entire show, and with the way Ben kept running around like a hyperactive kid on speed he had his work cut out for him in making sure nothing got tangled.
The sea of people out in front swarmed in the pit, hoisting each other in to the air and passing them forward toward the stage. Security guards in bright yellow shirts were busy keeping the crowdsurfers from the stage when they finally made it—they tried to rush the stage to slap a hand or just do a little dance of their own before they were deposited to the side of the pit.
"He's back again, oh my god!"
I cracked up with Rose as the scrawny kid from two songs earlier made it back on to the stage. He jumped high, fists in the air, and then pulled up his shirt to show the crowd a concave, lily-white chest. Security grabbed him before he could touch Edward, currently giving everything he had on the mic.
"Five bucks that he's back again," I shouted.
"Deal."
"How much longer do they have?"
Rose checked her watch and I glanced out at the crowd, making a face when a brunette sitting on someone's shoulders lifted her shirt to flash the guys, too.
"Little less than fifteen minutes. If this keeps up, the later bands are going to have zombies for audience members."
I nodded, agreeing, and got lost in watching Edward again. The impact of today's show felt huge, and I tried to memorize everything for the write up I was expected to turn in, but it was hard to do when I got just as lost as the crowd.
Rose bumped me in the ribs with her elbow. "Two o'clock. Look."
I followed her finger to the area backstage swarming with other bands, industry people, and those connected to the Fest. Tanya stood not a hundred yards away in a small group of people, her head thrown back in laughter and hanging on the arm of some guy. My eyes narrowed.
"Great. Just made my day."
"Don't worry about her. She's been showing up lately with that guy. She hasn't made a lick of contact. His band is making a name for themselves, so she probably doesn't give a shit anymore. New star to fuck and all that."
"Can't help it—I can't stand her. I'd take ten groupies over her any day."
"Fuck her. Who cares?"
Well, for one, I did. Her crap that night in the bathroom still bothered me. Edward and I hadn't done exactly right by her, but her words were nasty and rude when I'd clearly been willing to drop it. I watched her for a few more moments until she turned toward the stage and caught me staring. Her expression didn't change but she stared me down, too.
Not in the mood to engage her, I turned back to the stage to see Edward talking to the crowd.
"This next song is dedicated to anyone who has that one person in their lives that they could not fucking live without . . ."
With his hand on the mic, he turned to where I was standing and gave me a smile that made me forget about the bitch behind me.
-PoM-
The crowd wasn't ready for the set to be over. When the last chord had died out they went wild, screaming for more. But, because it was a festival and there were other bands waiting to take the stage, we'd only been allotted a certain amount of time. Sadly, a smattering of boos followed them off the stage as they left.
Rose immediately took off with Emmett, and Edward, a smile on his face that was infectious, grabbed my hand as he exited the stage and he led me down the stairs into the backstage area.
"I'm gonna grab a beer. Want anything?"
I held up my bottle of water. "No. I'm going to stick to this. I have a couple of more bands to see yet."
He shrugged his shoulders, leaned down to kiss my hair, and took off to head over to the makeshift bar. I grimaced and wiped my forehead where his sweaty chest had touched me, and I looked around for a place to stand where he would be able to see me. Filler music piped over the speakers as the tech crew did their thing breaking down the equipment for the next band.
Standing off to the side was Tyler, alone and smoking a cigarette, and looking like he was ready to bolt.
I made a beeline to where he was standing. I'd been preoccupied with getting the term finished and settling in to my new summer job at the magazine, so I hadn't really been able to talk to him as much as I would have liked. I missed his sense of humor, that soft side that made me feel welcome as opposed to Jasper's standoffishness.
"Hey," I said, touching his arm. "That was a kick ass show."
He gave me a smile that looked genuine, though I couldn't see his eyes as they were hidden behind dark sunglasses. I hoped it reached there, too.
"Thanks. That means a lot coming from you, Bella. Oh, I read your review a while ago. You're a good writer."
I ducked my head. "Jasper wasn't happy about it."
"Fuck him. It was a good review. He thought so too, even if he won't say it. I noticed him moving around today; not such a statue now that you pointed it out, is he?"
"Huh. I noticed that too, actually." I shrugged, and then leaned against the side of a trailer. "That makes me feel a little better. Thanks, Ty."
Even with the summer sun the past few weeks, fickle for this time of year but definitely there, he was so pale and his skin was moist with perspiration. The question that had been gnawing at me bubbled up, and I took the opportunity of time alone to ask it.
"You doing okay?"
"I'm great," he said, showing me his usual goofy grin. His fingers flexed in front of him and he stuffed them into his pockets and began rocking from foot to foot.
"I'll be honest, I'm worried about you."
The grin faded. "Don't be. I'm fine."
"I just know that—"
"I'm. Fine. Really. Nothing to worry about. I got it handled. And when I don't, I'll do something about it," he said in a tone I wasn't used to hearing from him.
The words rang false in my ears. I knew all too well that nothing would happen—any of us might talk at him until we were blue in the face, but I knew he wouldn't go.
"Besides, things are going great. Ed's got everything handled. He's a brilliant song writer. We've been using his material more lately, and the crowd seemed to love it."
Something about those words made me sad, and I rushed to reassure him. "Yeah, but so are you. I still listen to the EP all the time. Those lyrics . . ."
"Eh, my stuff is all right. I just write what I know. He writes from his fucking soul." He scratched at the skin of his elbow beneath his t-shirt, probably itchy from the shirt that wasn't anywhere near dry; by the looks of him, it wouldn't be in this heat.
"You helped, too, though. The material you guys came up with after the tour is phenomenal. No one writes a collab like that."
"S'all him," he said, nodding his head. I'd never really noticed how much Tyler might have looked up to Edward, but I suddenly understood. It was there in his words, in the way his defensiveness had eased up some.
"Let me know if you need anything?"
"What I need, no one can give me and for what it's worth, I can't please everyone." Sweat beaded on his upper lip and he wiped his hand over it. "Just gotta make it day by day."
I stood and watched him and he avoided my eyes.
"Hey, Bella, I, uh, need to take off. I'll catch ya later?"
"Sure, just take care of yourself."
"I will. I always do." His arms wrapped around my shoulders in a hug that made me want to hang on to his lithe frame a little while longer. He was my friend, and I just wanted him to be okay.
Someone calling his name made him step back, and I looked over to the gate that separated the backstage area from the rest of the concert. Lauren stood waiting on the other side, cigarette dangling from lips smeared with dark red lipstick. She waved at me and I returned it after a moment's hesitation, and then watched as he walked over to disappear with her into the crowd.
That girl was trouble personified.
The touch of a hand to the small of my back broke me from dark thoughts, and I turned my head over my shoulder to see Edward.
"What was that about?" he asked.
"I just told him I was worried about him."
"We all are." Someone stopped to congratulate Edward on their set and I watched as he handled himself like a true professional. When he was done, he took my hand and led me toward the exit.
"All right, Miss Magazine Writer. What band are we heading to see?"
"Pink Scissors."
"Nice. Sounds like an angry girl band."
"It is."
"Am I gonna get bombarded by their female fans for being one of the only dudes there?"
"If you only knew. . ."
-PoM-
Thank you for letting me know that you voted over at tehlemonadestand FOTW poll! So many goods stories!
Song - Heaven Beside You – Alice In Chains
That BT girl is so, so cool.