eastside

chapter nine

She returned to see that their equipment had been set up and soon enough, she saw them one by one making their way out to the stage with Eddie coming out last and walking to the mic. Piper watched as he was looking for her in the crowd, his eyes squinting against the lights. His face lit up when he finally saw her, causing her to smile wider than she had all night. She shot him a thumbs up as he did to her earlier before he slowly counted the guys in.

They started with the song she had heard on the demo cassette, causing her heart to flutter as she anticipated hearing his voice and the lyrics live. Eddie waited for the right cue and began singing, swaying along almost sensually with his eyes closed. She watched the way he clung tightly to the mic, the veins in his neck protruding as he sang from something deep inside his small frame. Her heart ached for him as she remembered the inspiration behind the lyrics. She cradled her hand to her heart as she looked up to see him staring back when he sent her a wink as if to let her know that he was okay.

As the song got closer to the last chorus, he really let loose as he took the mic off the stand and started to wildly throw himself about, his hat flying off in the process causing his long hair to spill out. He was hopping around on stage in circles, slinging his hair as he did. Piper watched as he swung the mic around, being mesmerized by what she saw. He looked like a crazy little lion jumping around on stage, his voice roaring through the speakers. She couldn't wipe the smile from her face if she had tried, he was amazing. She didn't understand why he was so modest about his talent, he was obviously gifted. The song finally ended with him slamming the mic stand onto one of the drum cymbals, causing Dave to laugh and the audience to roar in applause.

He turned and placed the stand back front and center on the stage, placing the mic back in properly before pushing his hair back out of his face. He approached the mic to speak, smiling down at at the crowd as he used his forearm to wipe sweat from his eyes.

"Uhhh.. well we were Mookie Blaylock but we had to change our name for... legal reasons." He laughed as he pushed his hair back again. "But uhm.. we finally decided on a new name. You'll just have to come to our next show to find it out." He smiled cheekily at the crowd as the next song began.

They played through four more songs, ones Piper hadn't heard yet. She was in love with every single one of them. She could feel the vibrations in her chest from his voice like when he sang for her in her bedroom, but this time on a grander scale causing goosebumps to overtake her entire body. The last song finally ended as he walked behind him to grab his water, guzzling it down before he walked back to the mic. He looked nervous as he approached, wiping down his face with his shirt before tucking his sweat drenched hair behind his ears.

"Uhh so we usually only play a certain number of songs for sets like this but tonight uhm... I wanna do one more that has a special place in here.." He hesitated to catch his breath and pointed to his heart before he continued. "Tonight it's even more special because it reminds me of a girl... a very strong girl who's been through some shit... a girl that I've been given the privilege of gettin' to know..." Piper felt her heart in her throat as the song started. The drums came in followed by a funky bass lick, and then a short soaring guitar solo before Eddie started to sing, his demeanor taking a noticeable change.

"She scratches a letter... into a wall made of stone... maybe someday another child.. won't feel as alone as she does.." Piper felt tears brimming her eyes as she understood what the "band stuff" earlier was about, the song was for her. She tried her best to keep the tears at bay as she listened intently to the lyrics, feeling every one in her heart as he sang. Eddie sounded angry, angrier than she had ever heard him.

"Why go home, why go home... she seems to stronger.. but what they want her to be is weak..." He was thrashing himself violently around on stage as he sang, the crowd obviously enjoying the show he was putting on but Piper knew he was sincerely upset, that he was hurting and all of it was for her. She could just barely see his glossy eyes as he hopped around on stage, swinging the mic around wildly. The hot tears spilled over onto her flustered cheeks as she watched him continue singing..