More Than A Feeling
@sendmeeanangel
Eddie's mind raced as quickly as the electricity flowing through his amp. It'd been ages since he had pre-show jitters. He plucked an unsteady hand across strings, a faraway drifting look glassing his eyes. What if Angel thought he sucked? What if the handful of drunks that cheered them on had a serious case of alcohol ears, where anything with a beat sounded good? He liked to think he was talented, but self-doubt began, forming a tight lump in his throat.
Eddie's downward mental spiral was shuttered by the loud clang of a symbol. He jumped on instinct, sending his guitar flying upward and nearly colliding into his nose. He whipped around, flipping Gareth off as he kicked at his bass drum. "C'mon man, what the fuck was that for?" Eddie muttered, adjusting his guitar strap. Gareth, grin as sly as the cat who caught the canary, flipped his drumstick around and through his fingers. "Just trying to make sure your head is where it's supposed to be. I'm already seeing a couple more people. Maybe we'll break ten tonight!" he emphasized, though his tone was sarcastic. They all knew the crowd size couldn't be their sole goal. In a place like Hawkins, where most people dry-heaved a response to heavy metal, the real census wouldn't be truthful until they got the hell out of this town. So, they continued to show up, hoping somehow their music would permeate through the town's chatter like an old time tent revival. It was better to be talked about than not at all. And Eddie, ever the performer, always resigned to give them a damn good show.
He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his back pocket, opening it again to make sure he had it all memorized. Pressed for time, he'd plugged the lyrics into a melody they'd already been playing with during practices. He wasn't fully confident it was even good enough to play. So, he explained to the band members that if he said a key word, that meant they would transition into playing the song. Eddie was definitely making the process too complicated, but his showman spirit just couldn't resist.
As they ran over the last of practice, Eddie kept a watchful eye on the front door. Angel wasn't due for another hour, shortly before the show started. And still, he felt himself looking for her every time the door opened.
