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PROLOGUE
JAX PORTER
This whole thing was a nightmare.
One I never wanted any part of but these were the hits life tossed you.
I pinched the bridge of my nose as my eyes bounced around the room and I took in th sight of the guys, now men, I’d basically grown up with.
At one moment, each of them had been my best friend. A brother. Now, it felt like some were complete strangers.
Crue, our bands bossy heartthrob, leaned against a wall as if he didn’t have a worry in the world. And even though I hadn’t talked to him in over a year, I knew him. I knew he was watching each man carefully. Worried in his own way about us. It should have been endearing but due to our history I found it annoying.
I moved to a couch and picked up my guitar. The instrument almost felt odd in my hands. But playing was a lot like riding a bike, it all came back to you. In the last decade I’d only touched it a handful of times. I started to idly strum the guitar loving how it felt to play it. Remembering how much I missed it. The notes drifted into the air and a sense of calm I used to get when I played, started to wash over me.
I glanced around and watched Jameson, our crooner, scroll through his phone. Mason, our very reluctant dancer and drummer, taps a rhythm on the table, never missing a beat.
All the while our lead singer Asher, stared out a window.
Crue cleared his throat and we all looked at him.
“Alright, ladies, gather round. We all know why we're here. One last album, one final tour. Then we're free. We've got a lot to cover before we hit the road again.” I frowned. Just like that, the calm I’d felt faded. I hated when he acted like he was the boss of everyone.
“Who put you in charge, Crue? Last I checked, this wasn't a dictatorship.” I pointed out and he rolled his eyes. He sighed and shook his head.
“Fine, we'll take a vote. All in favor of me leading this meeting say "aye".”
“Aye.” Asher’s hand rose.
“Aye. Let's just get this over with.” Jameson added.
“Aye.” Mason added and I rolled my eyes.
“Excellent.” Crue smirked, “Then, by the power vested in me by the band Soul Obsession, I now call this meeting to order.”
“Do you need a gavel there, Judge Crue?” I asked because I couldn’t help it. When the band had split, I’d been a mess. A real-life dumpster fire. I’d been a dick to everyone in the band but most of all Crue.
From the looks of it, I might have kicked a lot of bad habits from my life but being a jerk wasn’t one. And I kinda hated myself for it.
“Alright, first order of business - the setlist. Management wants us to focus mostly on our old hits, with a couple of new songs sprinkled in. I think we should open with "Girlfriend" since that always got the crowds pumped up.” Crue ignored me and went right to business. Which was good since this was what this was.
“Agreed. Can I sit out for that one this time? I'm really not looking forward to all those synchronized group dances we used to do. Dancing was not in my original job description as the drummer, you know.” Mason asked.
“What exactly was in your original job description, Mase? Sit there and look brooding while hitting stuff with sticks?” I asked, again being a dick because it was just ingrained in me. But Mason knew me and he hardly let anything get to him.
“That's the dream.” Mason grinned and winked.
“A proctologist appointment sounds more appealing to me than synchronized dancing.” Asher added and he wasn’t wrong.
“Come on, guys. It wasn't all bad. We used to have fun together. Don't you remember how great it felt to hear the crowd roar? Doesn't that count for something?” Crue asked. I knew he was trying to get us to look at the bright side of things. But my time in the band hadn’t been as easy as theirs.
“Oh yeah. Nothing fills the soul quite like having underwear thrown at you every night by screaming teenagers and running from paparazzi during the day.” I muttered.
“It sounds like hell.” Asher winced, “Please remind me why we’re doing this to ourselves again?”
“Alright, alright. I'll admit the fans could be...intense. But the point is, we had some crazy times together back in the day. It wasn't all bad.” Crue and his eternal optimism.
“Says you! You weren't the one getting blasted by the press for every late night out or questionable girlfriend. "Soul Obsession's Bad Boy Caught in New Scandal" - they ate that shit up.” I reminded him, as the blood in my veins started to heat up.
