Never Let Go

They made it to the bar in good time, avoiding the big crowd that would start to filter in over the next half an hour. The conversation was flowing on their short walk to the venue, all of them in good spirits and ready to enjoy the gig. The two men’s slightly inebriated state was infectious to Jamia, who found she couldn’t help laughing along at their drunken banter. Her earlier annoyance was forgotten about as she revelled in the excitement of having a night out with her boyfriend. It had been a long time since the two of them had gone out to a gig and got drunk to the point where neither of them could remember how they got home. Life after college was taking its toll on the two of them, so much so that the fun and excitement that they had lived for had all but disappeared as they tried to cope with the new found responsibilities that life had suddenly thrown at them. College hadn’t prepared them for the reality of working in crappy jobs for crappy pay while they tried to make a name for themselves in the world. The stress was affecting Frank more than Jamia, but that didn’t mean that she was immune from the crushing disappointment of what it meant to be a fully responsible, productive member of society.

Since they left the apartment, Gerard had done most of the talking, barely giving Frank a word in edge ways. Frank knew in the back of his mind that it was only because of the alcohol in his system that he was able to tolerate Gerard’s new found chatty nature. Gerard’s teeth were on constant show during his incessant talk about the last ‘Doom’ comic he bought, and how ‘absolutely amazing’ it was. Frank would just nod and smile, which was all Gerard needed to continue on his rant. Frank found it strangely adorable, how a guy was so much more likeable when he wasn’t so reserved. Frank was fascinated by the change, and while it annoyed him on one level, he found himself laughing at Gerard’s antics and passionate way of speaking, hanging on to everything he said. He didn’t listen because he felt obliged to be polite; he was enjoying Gerard’s company, and he found himself agreeing with Gerard’s opinions.

“Hey man, how’s it going?” Gerard bellowed at the bouncer outside the bar, the alcohol increasing the volume of his voice and his sociability. The bouncer was a tough looking guy who gave off an ‘I’ll beat the shit out of you if you annoy me’ vibe. He wore a black shirt with black slacks and his blond hair was short and gelled to perfection. He was dressed semi casually but it didn’t detract from his intimidating presence. It was easy to see how he got hired for the job.

“Gerard! Long time no see!” the bouncer greeted him with a friendliness that was at complete odds with his scary image. The intimidating stance disappeared in an instant, replaced with a more relaxed stance and an easy smile.

“Guys, this is Bob. Bob, this is Frank and Jamia.” Gerard’s voice continued to ring out loudly, the alcohol making him impervious to the volume.

“Nice to meet you guys. I take it Gerard dragged you here, huh?”

“Of course I did, how else would you get anybody in here?” Gerard giggled at his own joke.

“Get the fuck in before I kick your ass” Bob threatened, but the smile on his face took away reassured Frank and Jamia that he was joking. Neither of them wanted to see what it would be like to get on his bad side.

“Later dude.”

Gerard led the way inside, practically bouncing on his heels as they headed straight for the bar. When Gerard greeted the barman as happily as he’d greeted Bob, Frank decided that it definitely wasn’t his first time coming to the club. He ordered a round of shots before Frank could open his mouth, eagerly handing them a shot of tequila each to get the night started.

“You’ll thank me later” he stated before downing the shot in one go.

“Ugh, I’m going to regret this in the morning” Jamia muttered before downing the liquid in record time. Frank followed suit, slamming his glass down and wiping his mouth.

“Fuck, I forgot how vile that shit is” Frank spluttered his disgust, feeling his stomach churn as it made its way into his stomach. He took in a deep breath, clenching his stomach muscles as they fought to get rid of the tequila in his system. He cursed his weak stomach which made him unable to handle shots. He would never let it show though; he had struggled through as a teenager to keep up with his friends, and he wasn’t about to let the years of training go to waste. He was certain that he would be puking his guts up in the bathroom later, but it would be worth it if he could save face in front of Gerard. He didn’t know why it mattered if Gerard liked him or not but, he realised that for some reason it did matter to him. He didn’t know when the transition happened, he assumed it somewhere between watching the film and when Jamia came home, but he realised that he liked Gerard’s company. He liked how he used his hands to emphasise his point when he talked, and he liked how similar their opinions were. More than that, Gerard was someone who might actually be worth his time. Gerard made him want to go out and socialise. Frank had cooped himself up for so long that he had forgotten what it was like to want to go out. Frank was beginning to concede that Jamia was right about Gerard possibly being a good influence.

“It’s one of those necessary evils. Being drunk makes it easier to handle the crowds when they get going. The mosh pit tends to get a bit intense when they play” Gerard commented, before calling for the barman again and ordering another round of shots.

Gerard wasn’t wrong about the mosh pit. They made their way to the barrier when the crowd began to spill into the club. In a matter of ten minutes the pit began to fill, and before long Frank found it necessary to stand behind Jamia with his arms on either side of her so that her tiny frame wouldn’t get crushed against the barrier. His hands clasped the metal barrier with a strong grip, trying to ignore the crowd behind him. Gerard was in a world of his own and had finally stopped talking but his anticipation was palpable. His cheeks were slightly flushed from the increasing heat of the pit and his eyes shined with excitement. The band arrived on stage and Frank braced himself when the crowd surged forward. In reality there were only about fifty or so people, but it felt as though they were in an arena with the heat and lack of space to breathe. The crowd was pumped and ready to get lost in the music much like Frank, who was in his element. The band started without any introduction, but they didn’t need to build up any more frenzy. Frank couldn’t deny that he admired the band’s passion and controlled chaos on stage, and he was surprised that the band weren’t signed yet. They were unrestrained and played for the love of music, and they were everything he would want in a band as a producer. He made a mental note to ask if they had a demo he could give to his boss. The forty minutes they spent on stage wasn’t long enough for Frank who was completely caught up in the music. The band reminded him of the reason why he wanted to get into music production. The band was far from perfect but Frank saw that the band had so much potential and could definitely gain a cult following if they got the chance.

Gerard disappeared when the crowd dispersed to Frank’s surprise, but he didn’t let it bother him. Frank didn’t want his night to end so soon, not when his adrenaline was bumping widely. Jamia’s smile was told him she was on the same wavelength as him, her small body following him to the bar to order another round of drinks.

“They were really good, I don’t know why we haven’t seen them before” Frank mused out loud, leaning his torso against the bar with a hand on his bottle of beer.

“Because you were too busy being a recluse, that’s why” Jamia pointed out bitterly.

Frank opened his mouth ready to defend himself when a hand shot out of nowhere, pinching the bottle out his hand. He pivoted instantly, finding a smiling Gerard behind him, gulping from his bottle.

“Fucker” Frank glared, earning a uncaring shrug from Gerard.

“You should have had a drink ready for me, fucker. Anyway, you snooze you lose.”

Frank rolled his eyes, ordering another drink. Lindsey had joined them, standing beside Jamia with an ease that was surprising when she had been on stage only ten minutes before. Frank didn’t dare to interrupt the conversation for fear of more snide comments from Jamia. So he focused his attention on the drunken man who had squeezed himself beside Frank.

“I swear man, there’s nothing like seeing your girlfriend on stage. Fucking sexiest thing ever.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

“The rest of the band will be coming out in a second, I’ll take you to meet them. They’re awesome dudes. They’re having an after party somewhere, if you’re up for it?”

“I’ll see what Jamia says” Frank replied, not entirely comfortable with the idea of going to a party where he didn’t know anybody bar Gerard. He had experienced enough of it in college to do him a lifetime.

“C’mon dude, don’t let a woman dictate whether you go to a party. It’s not like you’ve got kids or work in the morning. If you wanna go, just go!”

Frank was stunned that Gerard’s slurred speech was still comprehensible. The words were successful in their attempt at goading Frank to consider going. He shouldn’t hide behind Jamia in order to get out of going. Even if she did say no, which was a big possibility, why should it stop him from going? He had been with Jamia for so long that he had forgotten that he was his own person. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking, but for once he almost hoped she would say no, just so that he could do something on his own, without her influence.

“Screw it, I’ll go” Frank drunkenly agreed.

“That’s my boy!” Gerard giggled, throwing his arm around Frank’s shoulder and pulling him into a hug.“Tonight is going to be awesome man!”

Notes

I apologise for the long overdue update. Stuff got in the way. I'll try to be better!

As always, I really hope you enjoy. Feedback is awesome, so if you can leave some that would be awesome.

Lyra