Life on the Road {Private}

[Lady Odyssey]

This is it. This is their shot at being known across the world. This is their shot to make a difference with their music. With all the drama, breaking points, and fights, what will become of the band? What will happen as feelings cannot be held back any longer? What happens when they rise to fame? Will they stay together as a band? Or will they break under the pressure?
​

 

[Mobius]

Marley sighed as she adjusted her floor tom legs."I like them angled a bit," she explained to her main roadie,a boy who had heard that as well as other instructions eight million times already.By that time he had given up on saying anything at all and was just giving nods.Not that she seen them,she was too preoccupied with making sure her kit,a sparkly nebula style colored Risen,was in the perfect position."You know,you will have a sound check at some point.You'll be able to adjust more once that's over," the roadie explained,trying to sound patient.He had been in the business for a while,it wasn't like he could not set up a kit to instructions.Although,he understood she was nervous,which was why he was being so easygoing with it.Mar,however,did not see the nod and she honestly did not care.She knew that for the first however many shows she would be up there around the same time checking to make sure everything was perfect.Can't mess up.If the kit is set up perfectly,there's less of a chance I'll mess up, she kept thinking as she made each tiny adjustment.Finally,after moving the main pedal and giving it a test,she decided it was to her liking...for right then."Thank you," she told the roadie with a rarely seen,but to be honest,in that case,fake smile.Her stomach was in too many twists for any sort of smile to be genuine.After the roadie gave her a smile and went to help the guys setting up some wires for the sound system,she turned and looked out at all of the empty seats.Even though they would not all be full,it was still startling,but so cool since it was her dream to play places like that,since the arena was huge.


As she hopped off of the stage,Marley looked around with her hazel eyes.Am I the only doof from a band in here right now? She wondered,since she did not see anybody from any band wandering around.Your going overkill,Mo.Knock it off, she told herself even though her nerves would not listen and she felt like she would be sick at any moment.Find the others and relax, she added as she started into the restricted area of the walkway outside of the actual arena.Where to find a bandmate,where to find a bandmate, played over and over again in her head as she walked along,glancing in any area that had an open door or no door at all.Finally,she came across the area where the food was being served.It was a no brainer.Where there's food,there's hungry musicians who were stuck on a bus for how long.Her fingers tapped nervously on her denim jean covered thigh,something she always did when she was nervous.Although,messing with her hair was the most common sign that she was nervous.It was rather easy to figure Mar out."Hey," she said as casually as she could manage when she found who she was looking for,the rest of Neverending Night."Any of you want to check out the mall nearby?I hear it's pretty big," she said,standing near the front of the table.There were a few tables scattered across the area and the whole "eatery" had a cafeteria feel.

 

[Lady Odyssey]

The crowd had been small, as it always had been. The arena was small, too. Their bus was small. Everything was small for them. But that was okay. They were just starting out. Jesse knew that someday, somehow, they'd draw larger crowds, and get a larger bus. Maybe even go to larger arenas, too. But even if they never did, he wouldn't care. As long as he could go around the country living his dream, he didn't mind how many people were listening. Whether it was five people, or five hundred, he would always be equally happy. Music was what meant the most to him; not the crowds. Sure, it gave them a confidence boost if there was a larger crowd. And sure it'd be nice to have people recognize their band and their hard work. But in the end, all that mattered was the music. The music, and their band. That's how Jesse saw it, anyway.


Jesse walked off stage, put away the equipment, and slung over his guitar case on his shoulder as the band began walking to the eatery area. It was a bit out of habit. And it was also because they were starving. Sitting in a tiny bus for a whole day with nothing to do was never fun. Jesse slid into a empty table after ordering food, and glanced around his bandmates. One was missing. The new girl. The drummer. Marley was her name. He looked around the court, searching for a sign of her. She wasn't here. She was probably lost, for all he knew. He smiled at the thought; he remembered his very first gig. He got lost about three times in a day. He remembered how nervous he had been. How afraid he had been. But now, he was more than comfortable preforming up on stage. It was in his blood, some would say.


"Jesse," Dakota, the bass guitarist, began. "How's the burrito?"


Jesse glanced at the dark haired guy, shrugging. "Pretty good. Better than the one we had in Lewiston." This made everyone laugh. Lewiston had awful food, and it was certainly memorable to the band.


"Good that," Dakota muttered, smirking.


Then, Jesse saw her. Saw her before any of them saw her. Marley. Jesse tuned out the band's conversations about burritos and fast food, and looked up at her. Poor girl. She looked ready to have a heart attack of some sort. He smiled at her, feeling sympathy. The band quieted down when they realized she was speaking. "Hey," he returned casually, leaning against the table. "Sure. I'd love to," he answered with a lopsided smile, followed by two agreeing with him. The others said they wanted to crash in the bus, which was understandable. Jesse stood up, threw away his trash, and stood beside Marley with Dakota, and Ryan.


"Ready?"

 

[Mobius]

Marley,after looking at the others situated around the table,glanced at the plates of food.Yeah,she was hungry,but there was no way in heck she would keep something down when she felt as nervous as she did.She was already sick to her stomach,she didn't need to add onto that and really be sick.That was all she needed about two songs in...Shaking her head in the slightest way to get that thought of her mind,she looked towards the three that were coming with her.Maybe this would take her mind off of things...or maybe trying to forget about it would just make her think about it more and,in the end,making her feel even worse than when she tried.You're such a worrywart, she told herself before nodding to their question."Yeah," she answered,turning to start out of the eating area and to somehow find the door that led them to the back street with the buses.She had noticed that the area was open,just a normal street that had simply been blocked off to any unauthorized vehicles that might have wanted to drive by the area.She figured that if they followed the sidewalk,they'd find their destination.While she wasn't much of a shopper,malls got her every time.They were just fun to be in,rather than some big,overly crowded,annoying chain "we've got everything" sort of store.Those she hated to go to...and every other store on the planet.A mall,though?She could spend hours in a mall.Maybe there was a shot at her mind getting off of things.The good feelings she always got from the atmosphere when she entered a mall could,at most times,change any sort of undesirable mood she was in to something much more enjoyable to everyone.


The door came up soon enough.Surprisingly,it was easy to find.Even if the arena wasn't as large as others,it was still a labyrinth to Marley.Although,a maze on a kid's menu might be a labyrinth to her when she was as mentally out of whack like she was then.This is what I want to do...so why in blue blazes am I nervous!? She yelled in her head as she started down the sidewalk after holding the door open for whoever was behind her.So many people will be watching...watching me...that's what is making me this bad, she discovered as she glanced at their bus as she walked past it.The one thing she had going for her as far as people watching her was that it probably wouldn't be a lot.Yet,the thought that magically the arena would fill kept her stomach churning.I need to stop thinking, she decided as her gaze landed on the sidewalk in front of her feet.She had grey boots on that had two buckles on the side,which went over the zipper area.One thing she liked to do was wear edgy clothes...and purple.Boy,did she love her purple.At the moment she had a black half leather-style jacket over a simple purple shirt,denim jeans completing it.She had a small piece of her hair,towards the left front,braided and tied with a small purple hair tie.That soon became the subject of torment for her nervous fingers as she began to twirl and twist it around them.