Page 29 of A Tragic Melody

It’s nice to know that my dream might be shattered by someone other than me, though. Sure, I did the drugs, but it wasn’t me who pulled the trigger. My shot at glory will end by the hands of a pretty girl with a fragile ego, not a relapse.

I am partly to blame, though.

I shouldn’t have offered to be her friend to begin with. Honestly, that was a dumb decision on my part. I pictured us figuring out how to be famous and sober together would be nice. Thought she could see there was another way to manage the demons. I shouldn’t have offered that when I’ve barely been sober for a few months. Or without knowing if she wanted to get sober herself. I’m not in a place to save someone else. I’m barely holding myself together. I can’t afford to take on someone else’s problems.

I had to call it off. Create some distance between us. I should’ve known she wouldn’t take it well. I knew there would be blowback, but not like this.

Maybe she is more like her mother than I thought.

I finally force myself to crawl off the bus for tonight’s show. When I walk into the venue, my eyes are instantly drawn to Tuesday. Like a trainwreck that I can’t help but watch. She’s currently sitting on Derrick’s lap.

I noticed them making out after the last show, so I shouldn’t be all that surprised. I assume her original plan was to pit him and I against each other, before she switched to trying to go straight after me. Now I think she is just using him to nurse her bruised ego.

She probably hates the fact she had to sink to spilling my secrets to get back at me. How she couldn’t charm me with her good looks.

She smiles when I walk past her, and a layer of smugness rests behind her gray eyes. I try not to let her get to me as I take a seat among the group. No one really talks to me, which isn’t abnormal. I’ve been keeping to myself, but today I stay further away. Just close enough to hear the conversation, but far enough so they all know I’m not in the mood to talk.

My head is facing the door so I’m the first person to see Mr. Hendricks walk in. There was no doubt my dreams were on the line, but as the CEO of the label strides in, I realize they might officially be dead.

Hendricks almost never stops by shows, much less show his face at one this size. Him being here now is not good for me. I’m in deep shit.

His eyes dart to Tuesday, though. Zeroing on her, I notice his eyes darken. Tuesday laughs at something Derrick says, throwing her head back. It’s then that she notices him. Her face drops for a moment. It’s quick, but I catch it. I watch her slip off his lap, picking up the bottle of vodka. She takes a gulp.

Hendricks’s eyes track her as he begins to walk toward me. Tuesday peeks over at him, subtly, but I notice. I’m trying to make sense of what’s happening between them when he stops in front of me.

“Hey, kid, got a moment to chat?”

“Yeah.” I nod, pushing myself up.

The group’s conversation has dropped to whispers now. I feel their eyes on me, but I keep mine on Hendricks. I will walk out of here with my head held high. The boss man showing up may have sucked the fun out of the room, but I won’t go to the slaughter scared.

No doubt my band is shitting themselves. But I can’t concern myself with them. I have to keep myself alive. If they want a chance of surviving this, I need to remain calm. The stress of knowing I’m carrying their dreams, too, will only weigh me down.

I follow him towards a black limo with dark tinted windows. He slides in one side, and I go around the other. I take a deep breath before I open the door. I need to be charming. Be the guy they signed. Without the drugs that seems more difficult, but I need to convince him I’m worth all the trouble.

When I close the door behind me, he lights up a cigarette before turning towards me.

He is a big man, but short. His hair is graying, and his face clean-shaven. His fat fingers make the cigarette look tiny.

“Fuck, kid.” He sighs. “Do you have any idea what kind of shitstorm you’ve caused?”

“Yeah.” I nod. My palms feel sweaty, and I’m trying to figure out what to say. Nothing feels right. How can I sell myself to him?

“Hard to believe you got a leak inside your band. Thought they’d be grateful.”

“It wasn’t one of them.” I laugh. “Pretty sure it was Tuesday.”

“Tuesday?” He raises an eyebrow. “Don’t think that doe-eyed creature has it in her to do it.”

“Well, I kind of pissed her off.” I shrug. “Not sure how she found out, but I shouldn’t have confirmed it. Not my finest moment, but I didn’t expect her to sell the story.”

“Highly doubt she sold it,” he says. “What did you do to piss her off?”

“Let’s just say we haven’t been getting along too well.” I chuckle.

“Did you fuck her?”

“No. I try to stay away from women who could kill me.”