the balls.”
Gunner slammed a cymbal by Chase’s head, causing him to wince. “I was just fucking with you!”
“My bad,” Gunner teased, managing to get a laugh out of me.
“Jet, come here, please,” Sebastian ordered.
Reluctantly, I turned on my heel and headed toward him. “Go collaborate with Raina and Marco on your performance.”
I saluted him, then trounced toward Marco, our Creative Stage Director.
“Jet, yes, come stand here,” Marco instructed, pointing a few feet from Raina.
Holding my breath, I stood where he said, squeezing the neck of my guitar.
“Once you're done with your first verse on the other side of the stage, I want you to head over here, then do your guitar solo after the first chorus. The lights will follow you, giving Raina time to enter at stage middle, After your solo, the lights will fly up on Raina, who will begin the second verse on center stage.”
Marco waved his hand for Raina to follow him. When she walked passed me, that delicious scent she carried wafted off of her right to my nostrils and straight to my groin.
I squirmed on stage, bouncing up and down to try and distract my body from how her presence alone was making it feel.
“Rocket can’t leave his set up where the turntables and keyboard are, so once he starts rapping counter with your part, the spotlight will fade from you and go to him.”
Rocket waved to Raina, then blew her a kiss.
A slight smile formed on her lips from the interaction, and the urge to smack Rocket came on strong. Why the fuck did he always have to flirt with every chick that walked?
Marco had to say my name twice to get my attention. “Jet, when Rocket starts rapping, you need to make your way down to center stage with Ms. Raina, then you’ll share the chorus.”
He used his finger signaling me to come, and I dragged my feet until I was standing next to Raina, that same sexy smell infiltrating my skin.
When I glanced at her, the way she was standing away from me, arms crossed and head turned away from me spoke volumes. She was pissed, and I instantly smiled.
I strummed on my guitar, causing her to jump by the sound.
“Why did you do that?!” She scolded.
“Sorry, it must have slipped.”
Her frown deepened and I smirked. “Careful now, you keep scowling like that and those wrinkles will stay.”
Her jaw dropped open and she covered her forehead. “You’re such an asshole,” she hissed, then marched backstage.
Marco, our stage manager clapped his hands. “Alright, I’ll take that as we’re ready to give it a go. Lights!” He tilted his head in the direction for me to go to my first marker. I strutted toward it, feeling a small triumph for getting under her skin.
“Go whenever you’re ready,” Marco shouted to Gunner, finding a spot tucked on the side of the stage.
Gunner held his sticks over his head to start the count, then Chase plunged his fingers on his base, busting out the sweet beginning beat to Craving.
I couldn’t help but bob my head, counting time until Gunner began drumming the beat, leading to my mad guitar skills. With nimble fingers, I did what I loved, stroking the cords with ease. This chilled me out and got me into the grove.
With my guitar in hand, everything would work out fine.
Finding my way to my microphone, I strummed a few more chords, then began to sing, my lips centimeters away from the metal ball.
You give me that itch that I can’t fix,
That beat that I can’t miss,
You pave the path to the nitch,
That I just can’t seem to quit.
And I wonder why I can’t get inside,
Figure out what’s true and what’s a lie.
Why it hurts my pride that I can’t let it go
Why can’t I let it burn with the rest of my soul?
So here I go,
Craving,
Anticipating,
Rocket rap: I need to heal this pain with more than just a band aide,
Craving, (Rocket rap over: The burn of the rip, the tear in my heart)
Anticipating,
Rocket rap: The sting is what’s keeping me from using you.
Craving,
Anticipating, (Rocket rap over: The bleed of the cut, the red of the blood)
Craving
My strokes stayed fluid while the speed of my fingers increased, my guitar solo flowing out of them while I made my way to the other side of the stage. The intensity was there, but would be revved up ten times that once the fans were among me, cheering and screaming my name, spewing the lyrics as if they