A Short Story (The Final Chapter).
The first couple of bands were new and unknown, and they each had a handful of groupies that looked like they were probably their girlfriends.
Freddy was really digging their music though (not to mention the scantily clad groupies), so he introduced me to Chad – his bartender friend – so that I could make my own trips to the bar and get the “preferential treatment.” That left Freddy free to hang back near the stage and maintain possession of our standing room.
My celebratory drinks went down like water, and soon I stopped returning to Freddy. It was much easier to sit at the bar than it was to force my way to and fro through the crowd – which seemed counter productive. Besides, the music sounded just as good from where I sat – and there were fewer sweaty bodies to deal with.
What I failed to notice, however, was that the unreserved area was filling up – people were packed in like sardines. I could no longer see Freddy’s head, let alone the stage, and the emcee was introducing Ray. People were going wild!
I elbowed my way through bodies, as fast and as hard as I could. I needed to find Freddy. I would finally have my proof – once and for all – that Ray “the golden boy” really WAS somebody, and I wanted to be there to see Freddy’s face. He needed to acknowledge that I was right, and that HE was dead wrong.
Ray had started singing by now, and his voice was like a dream. His band, on the other hand, sounded really harsh. The guitar was annoyingly loud and off-key. Between the throbbing sound, the heat of the room, and the number of rum and cokes I had consumed, my head was spinning.
As the music got louder and louder, my head spun faster and faster… and then I heard a loud crash. At first I thought it was me! People were rushing the stage – some were cheering… but many of them were booing.
The force of the stampede carried me with it, and before I knew it I was being pushed into the stage, right next to Freddy. I had never been so happy to see him before!
Ray’s guitarist was out cold, on the stage, and his guitar was smashed into pieces. Apparently he was known for this, but it was always at the end of the set. Unfortunately, he’d gotten so drunk that night that he mistakenly did it during the first song – and then he passed out!
Whatever his reasons, none of that mattered now. The crowd was pissed. They had paid to see Ray’s concert, and it was over before it began. The guitarist was being carried away, and Poor Ray looked lost – kind of like he did in kindergarten.
Freddy flashed me a grin. I was humiliated. Ray was definitely humiliated. And I knew that Freddy would never let me live it down.
And then, once again, I was shocked. Freddy whispered something to the groupies next to him, and several of them hoisted him onto the stage. He picked up an acoustic guitar that was still intact, and he started to play.
The sound was beautiful… and a hush fell over the Troubadour.
Ray wrapped his scarf around Freddy’s neck – to show his appreciation – and then he began to sing. The rest of the band joined in, the crowd went wild, and… according to Rolling Rock magazine… James Ray and his surprise guest put on one of the BEST shows ever.
THE END
Well… thank you for reading!! I hope you enjoyed the story.
I wanted to keep going, to let the narrator talk about some of the lessons she was learning from her experiences, but then I figured maybe it’s overkill to do that. I don’t know.
I never expected to become such a fan of my original villain, but I really do believe that sometimes people surprise us and they really aren’t at all like what we thought they were. Even our characters!
In real life, we make assumptions based on one or two experiences when – in reality – we don’t know much about other people. Not really. Certainly not their thoughts and feelings. We think we know them based on superficial facts. I think that’s why I love writing stories – it allows me (and the reader) to look a little deeper.
So, that’s about all for now. I think this story has some potential – so it’s possible I’ll revisit it in the future for a second draft… or maybe I’ll write a sequel… Haha! We’ll see.
Until next time,
Peace & Love!!
a sprinkle of faith 
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