Page 13 of His Last Chase

Your blackened soul once cursed is now free

You control your destiny

You make the choices

So what will it be?

Was it a curse or a blessing when you felt it soul deep?

Six grueling hours of practicing the songs from our new CD that had just released, and I was exhausted. The more screaming we added to our songs, the harder it was on me. Problem was the screaming fucking rocked and it was my dumbass who added it. But outside of practice and while onstage, I kept it to a minimum. Funny thing was on a personal level I hated screaming of any sort unless it was song related. I didn’t grow up in a loud household. Hell, after Mom died talking period was kept to a bare minimum.

Screaming and arguing of any sort sent me into a downward spiral and I’d retreat into my shell. I was neither a lover nor fighter. Just plain old, awkward, introverted Chase.

Music took me places I wouldn’t normally go to. Literally and figuratively. The music lifted me, brought me to life and the energy from it was off the charts. On stage I was cocky, brazen, even flirtatious, and had a gift for engaging the crowd and riling them up. Off stage I was a wallflower, and happy to hold that title.

“Food, Chase?” Seltzer’s way of asking if I wanted to grab a bite.

“I could eat.”

“I’m game. Ely’s working today so I’m flying solo,” Rhonechimed in.

“Awe is wittle Rhoney sad wifout his Ewhy?” Seltzer teased him. Rhone threw the sweaty towel he’d just cleaned off with at him. “Gross, dude.”

“Really? That’s what you go with when everyone in this room has been privy to all your gross shit over the years?” Rhone’s playful words caused Seltzer to put a finger to his lips to shush him.

“Guys,” Jeremiah’s voice came over the speaker from the production area. “We can hear you and just for the record, Seltzer, I’m more than aware of your sordid past.”

The group broke out in raucous laughter as more sweaty towels were launched at Seltzer.

“Ha-ha busted, dude. Now shut up and let’s eat.” Rhone and Seltzer had been best friends forever, like David and me. While we all met in elementary school, David and I actually grew up on the same street.

How ironic. All these years later I realized Joey and Stoli grew up in a similar environment. I mean, it was inevitable to meet in school but Joey and Stoli lived next door to each other and while they were now married, David and I never so much as considered dating each other, nor would we.

David called ahead to his favorite taco shop. He and his dad used to meet there all the time until the fans figured it out. Since then, the owner kinda converted the employee breakroom in the back into a dining area for us. We didn’t need anything fancy, atable and a few chairs and we were good as long as our plates were loaded with tacos. We autographed some ETF goods for them, most of which were now framed and proudly displayed throughout the restaurant. Was a fair exchange in our eyes because their tacos were the fucking bomb.

“Rhone,” I asked as we pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the restaurant. “If you could say one thing to your dad, what would it be?”

“Whoa,” he sank back against the seat and breathed a heavy sigh. “Fuck, man, there is so much. I mean, I never got the chance to know him, like, at all. I suppose if I got to speak to him that would mean he was close by and hopefully in human form so I could hug him. I guess word wise, I’d thank him for the gift he passed onto me. And the good looks, too, of course.”

I laughed. Leave it to Rhone to turn something serious into a funny. “Makes total sense. I never knew my real dad, either. Never told a single story about him. For all I knew my mom had me via invitro.”

“What’s brought all this on?”

Great question and likely due to the deep reflection as of late. “I dunno,” I shrugged and shifted gears. “I’ve been learning a lot about myself and I’m, um, I’m kinda seeing someone.” Not really kind of but being as new as it was I had no clue how or what to really call it. “I have my first boyfriend.”

“Do tell.” He turned to face me as much as the seatbelt would allow. “Where did you meet him? What does he do for a living? When do we get to grill him?”

“We?”

“Yes, we. Me, you, David, and Seltzer are family. He’s got to prove his worth to the family first.”

“You make us sound like the mafia.”

“Yeah, the rock and roll mafia.” Fucking Rhone.

Family. That we were. “You, um, you’ve kind of already met him.”

“We met someone you’re dating, and you didn’t say so. I’m offended.” He mock pouted. “What the hell, man?”

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