Page 21 of Your Rhythm
6Lonely Boy || The Black Keys
MATT
Ace,Cole, JP and I are all piled into The Chick Magnet, the silver Honda minivan we bought for our very first tour. I don’t think it surprises anyone that JP came up with the name. We got the rusty, scraped-up 2002 model from one of his cousins, who was trying to sell it for parts. We had to let Atlas arrange a proper van for all the roadies and gear we can’t pack into a seven-seater anymore, but it just didn’t feel like an actual tour without hauling The Chick Magnet out for ourselves.
Not that this is even an actual tour. We’ve got a handful of midsized shows scattered around the area during the next three months, before we headline Metropolis back in Montreal and kick off the international tour.
Thinking about getting on a plane to Europe feels almost surreal as I sit in the driver’s seat, following the curves of a highway I’ve been driving my whole life. McDonalds’s wrappers are piled on the dashboard and The Black Keys are blasting so loudly we have to yell to hear each other over the noise. In this moment at least, it’s hard to believe anything has really changed.
“I can’t believe she’s the Café Cléo girl,” JP calls from the back seat, trying to talk around a mouthful of fries.
“Yeah,” Ace adds from beside me. “I was gonna ask if you went home with that girl. She was hot as fuck.”
“Agreed,” Cole comments. “Bet you wish you hasn’t missed that interview now, Ace.”
I just filled the guys in on the fact that the journalist who’ll be following us around for the next few months is the same one who was supposed to interview Ace, and the same girl they all saw me talking to at Youssef’s show.
“Uh-huh.” I try to sound nonchalant. “She’s pretty cute, yeah.”
“Wait.” I glance over and see Ace’s narrowed eyes. “Didyou go home with her?”
“No!” I answer way too quickly. “It was another interview. She just had a few more questions.”
“About your dick?”
“About the band.”
Ace shrugs and goes back to his burger. “If you say so.”
“Well, if she doesn’t want the drummer, maybe she’ll go for the piano man instead.”
I can’t stop myself from glaring at JP in the rear view mirror. “Don’t you even fucking try.”
“There it is!” Ace crows. “You like her!”
I reach over and steal some of his fries. “If you say so.”
We make it to Ottawa in the late afternoon and get checked into the hotel. Usually we crash with a friend of mine when we play here, but since hosting four dudes is kind of a chore and we’ve got the money for it now, the label booked us two rooms.
Ace jumps in the shower after throwing his bag down in the room we’re sharing. I take the opportunity to give Kyle a call.
“Shouldn’t you be in school?” I greet him.
“Why are you calling me if you think I should be in school?”
The kid is getting sassier by the minute.
“Maybe it’s a trick call.”
Kyle snorts. “You’re a loser. Class let out like twenty minutes ago. I’m walking home.”
“How’d the project go?”
He had his music class presentation a few days ago, and I’ve been meaning to check in with him about it.
“Freaking awesome!” he shouts. “I don’t have my mark back yet, but everyone thought it was cool. The girls were literally sighing when I showed some pictures of you and me as kids. I’m gonna have like five honeys on my arms at the dance next month.”
Clearly academic achievement isn’t at the top of his priorities right now, but from what he told me about his plans for the project, I’m sure he’s going to ace the thing.
