Page 3 of Rock Me

CHAPTER ONE

Jez

The applause is so loud, I can barely hear the sound of the stage hand’s voice as he’s yelling directions to us.

“Stage left, stage left!” I think he’s saying as we’re ushered backstage.

“Stay here guys,” someone tells us, gesturing to an empty spot right in the wings. “Your category’s up next.”

“Fuck!” Sebastian says, as we’re all pushed together in a tight circle.

“Shush! Quiet, and no swearing!” Someone with a clipboard reprimands him.

“Oh shit, I’m so fucking sorry.” Sebastian whispers back, covering his mouth.

“Nice one.” I roll my eyes at him.

He frowns and punches me on the shoulder. “Leave me alone, I’m nervous.”

I don’t blame him. You never get used to this. Waiting to hear, waiting to hear if we’ve won it. Won a goddamn freaking Grammy. But this one… this one’s special. Song of the year. This one’s an original, and borne from nothing but our hearts and souls. This is the one we’ve all been waiting for.

I look down, only just realizing we’ve managed to clasp each other’s hands. I squeeze whoever’s hand I’m holding tight, and Marius yelps a little, and looks at me. He looks even more nervous than Sebastian does.

“Good luck, guys,” I whisper to my band brothers.

“Break a leg.”

“Break all the fucking legs,” Sebastian rasps.

The hubbub around us never stops, but for a moment, it’s just the four of us, 13 years old, practicing in Brad’s parents’ basement, wondering if anyone would ever hear a thing we played.

And now…

“The Grammy, for best song goes to Forest Lullaby by The Rock Chamber Boys.”

For a moment. It’s completely silent again. And then Marius screams in my ear and we all run onto the stage. The roar from the crowd embeds itself into my brain and I look out into the ocean of cheering faces, dizzy. Someone puts an award into my hand and everything moves as if in slow motion. I see Sebastian grab the microphone and he’s blubbering into it, listing off names.

And everything, for a single moment makes sense.

The quiet.

Before the deluge.