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“That’s all I ask.” My breathing picks up with the anger that’s pumping through me, but I push it down as Dad stands and walks to the door.
With his hand on the knob, he turns around. “You both better be at work tomorrow.”
I stand and take a few steps closer to him. “What?”
“This is going to be hard enough as it is. There’s no point in going and making it any harder on yourselves.” He turns his back to me and walks out the door.
I lock it behind him and go to tell Alissa the news.
We still have our jobs, now I just have to figure out how to get electricity.
* * *
Over the next several weeks,everything is crazy. We go to school during the day, then work at the bar and grill at night. Every Saturday, my band plays, and more and more people come out to see us. We’re really starting to make a name for ourselves around town. Any extra time we have goes to working on the house.
Dan agreed to turn the power back on in his name, as long as I switch it over the minute I turn eighteen. I willingly agreed, just needing to catch a break already. We’ve managed to gather up some furniture, so the house isn’t as bare. And after a week of sleeping on the floor, we finally broke down and bought a bed from a secondhand store in town. We’re no longer a couple of kids playing house. Now, we really know what it’s like to be adults and as hard as it is, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Alissa is safe and in my arms every night, and she’s worth every minute of hard work and money I’ve put into this house.
Summer is right around the corner, which will give us both extra time to work and make money. Money we’ve agreed to save so that when our senior year starts, we won’t have to work as much as we have been. School all day, work all night, and then home repairs on the weekends are getting tiring and almost too much for us to take on.
Alissa does her best at making the house a home. She takes pictures of us that she frames and hangs up. There’s even a picture of my dad at the grill with a smile on his face that she’s hung on the wall. The blood red couch now has black throw pillows covering it. Rugs are scattered throughout the place. And scented candles are everywhere. It feels more like a home with each passing day — a home I never had since I grew up with only males and essential things surrounding us.
It’s Saturday night, and Alissa has a shift at the grill while my band and I are on stage.
My dad announces us, and the whole crowd cheers. We take our places on stage, and Mark counts us down. I lead in with guitar and start singing the lyrics to “All Along the Watchtower”by Jimi Hendrix. The crowd comes to life as soon as the music starts. Most of them are out of their seats and lining the stage like we’re headlining a major concert.
I’m dripping with sweat when the song ends. My hair is wet and hanging in my eyes. I look through the fallen stands and see Alissa’s eyes on me. She won’t admit it, but I’m pretty sure watching me on stage gets her going. Every time, her skin flushes, her lips part, and I can see the rise and fall of her chest from her quick breathing. Seeing her standing in a large crowd completely turned on from watching me, gets me going. I can’t wait to get her home tonight where I can take my time with her and show her exactly what she does to me when she looks at me that way.
We play Led Zeppelin, Bon Jovi, and A.C/D.C, but when I start singing “Simple Man” by Lynyrd Skynyrd the place grows eerily quiet. It’s the quietest a crowd has ever been while we’ve played. At first, it worries me because I think they don’t like it, but when I have the nerve to look up at them, I see that’s not the case. They aren’t being quiet because they hate the music, they’re being quiet because they love it. They’re in awe.
I give the song everything I can. The strings bite into my skin as I slide my fingers down the neck of the guitar. My throat practically yells in pain from belting the chorus. The feeling of the song washes over me, causing my eyes to close, not even caring about seeing the crowd anymore. Now, it’s all about the music.
During the instrumental break, I play the best I’ve ever played, not missing a beat or hitting a wrong note. The music starts in my head, but it’s felt in my heart where it flows through my body and out my fingertips. The lyrics pick back up, and I move closer to the mic while the words leave my lips in the perfect harmony. As the song drifts away, the crowd’s cheers grow louder and louder. Finally, I open my eyes to see everyone in the place on their feet with their eyes glued to me. My heart pounds with excitement, and a smile spreads across my face.
I make my way to the bar, and I’m handed a bottle of water that I quickly chug before Alissa presses against me.
“You sound amazing up there.”
I lean in for a kiss. “Thank you,” I say against her lips.
The bar is crowded. People surround us, and they’re being as loud as they can possibly be. But with Alissa’s lips pressed to mine, it’s like we’re in an entirely different world. I don’t hear a thing, but my heart pounding for her. I don’t feel the hundreds of people staring at our very public display of affection either. It’s only me and her. Nothing else matters.
I pull away and her dark blue eyes lock on mine. “What is it?”
“I have the perfect song for us. When the band gets back from break, we’re going to play it just for you.”
She smiles. “You’re dedicating the song to me?”
“It’s our song. When I play it, no matter how many people are in the room, it’s only for you.” I lean in and brush her lips with mine once again.
* * *
When the bandcomes back on stage. I fill them in on what song I want to play. They aren’t too happy about it, because we have a set list, and this song isn’t on it. But it has to be played, and I know the entire band knows it anyway.
I start in with my guitar, playing slowly and feeling every note. Alissa stands in front of the bar watching, her eyes growing cloudy with tears.
Mark pounds his drums, and I start up with vocals. The words to “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica fills the room. Again, everyone stands, couples dance, but Alissa is frozen in front of me, watching every move I make as I sing of opening myself up and living life our way and how nothing else matters.
As I sing the song, she slowly steps toward me. By the time the song ends, she’s standing directly in front of me. The crowd cheers as I reach down and pull her up on stage for a lip crushing kiss, which only makes them cheer harder and louder. When I pull away, her face is glowing red with a wide smile.
