She finally closes her phone and sighs. “Sorry to interrupt. I thought he’d sh
ut up as soon as I told him I was walking into the studio.”
I pull a stool out and sit down, waiting for her to finish.
“Anyway, tomorrow you’ve been moved to the main stage. The time slot is 5 p.m., but it’s an all-day show so the crowd will be exceptional. The organizers want a band name and frankly I don’t know why I didn’t of this sooner. Here are my suggestions: The Liam Page Band or Page.”
I look from Harrison to Way and back at her before looking at the laces on my Doc Martens, my first purchase when we signed our deal. It’s the first time I’ve used any of my savings. I thought after I dropped out of school my dad would cut me off, but he hasn’t. My inheritance from his parents is still being deposited monthly. I’m trying not to spend it, at least not too much at once. The last thing I want to do is raise any red flags with him.
I don’t like any of the band names. If this was just me and I hadn’t brought Harrison, maybe I’d go with The Liam Page band, but he and I are together. Way, is employed by Moreno Entertainment and floats from group to group. He’ll be performing with someone next week or whoever needs an all-round musician and percussionist on tour. But Harrison and I are in this together.
“I hadn’t thought of a band name, have you?” I ask him. He shakes his head, his lips in a thin line. “Do you have an idea?”
“Nah, not really.”
“What’s wrong with the names I gave you?”
I shrug and feel this could’ve been handled a month or so ago when we were told we’d be performing. “It’s not just my band; I think a name should encompass both of us.”
Sam throws her hands up in the air before picking up her cup of coffee. “Pick something. I don’t care, but just make it good,” she says before raising the paper cup to her red painted lips. There’s never a chance of mistaking what cups are hers around here, anything that has lip paint on them, regardless of the color, belong to her. My grandma says she must go through a tube of lipstick a week.
“What about 4225 West?” I blurt out.
“I like it,” Harrison says as he hits his drums.
“What does it even mean?”
“Um…” I run my hand through my hair. “The date and time we’re playing?”
“Are you asking me, Liam?” Sam says, incredulously.
“N-no,” I stammer. “I think that should be our name.”
“What’s the West part?”
My last name so she can find me, I want to say, but don’t. I have no idea if she’s looking for me or if she even cares since so much time has passed. “Harrison and I met on the west coast.”
Sam looks at Harrison who nods. She huffs. “Whatever you want.” Sam waves her hand as she walks away from us and into the other room, signaling for us to continue practicing.
Harrison starts laughing as he bangs on his drums and Way hits a few keys on the piano. I strum my guitar and stand in front of the microphone. I hum to get my vocal cords warmed up. Tomorrow at this time, I’ll be in front of thousands of people and they’ll all be staring at us, waiting for me to mess up. They’ll either love me or hate me.
The sun is beating down and right in my line of sight. Sweat is dripping into my eyes and nothing I can do makes it stop. Sam had me dressed me in all black. Big mistake. I’m sweaty and miserable.
Harrison is the smart one and why he wasn’t given a dress code is beyond me. He’s wearing khaki shorts and a tank top. He has a few new tattoos showing and I keep thinking that I want one, but I don’t know what I’d get. The typical rocker tattoo of a heart and the word “mom” on my arm definitely doesn’t appeal to me.
“How can you wear that hat?” I ask. I’m sitting here sweating my balls off and Harrison has a damn beanie on his head. It’s scorching out there and his head is dressed for winter.
“I’m used to it I guess.”
“Used to what, the hat?”
He shakes his head as he puts a cigarette in his mouth. “The heat. I’m used to it. I’ve lived here my whole life and you’re a newbie. You’ll get used to it.”
I roll my eyes. “I doubt it. And why are you wearing shorts?”
He looks down at his clothes and shrugs. “Why aren’t you?”
I throw my hands up. “Sam told me to wear this.”