“Okay, here we go. The next question is for Ozzy. Terence G. would like to know if the rumors are true that you intend to leave the band.”
Shit. Should have seen that coming. We’d been vague, up until now, regarding the reason for Kit’s presence on the road with us. Now a stillness fell over the audience as we all waited to see how Ozzy would respond.
“Yes,” Ozzy said, his answer met with an ocean of boos and catcalls.
He waited for them to die down some before attempting to proceed.
“I’ve been dealing with a degenerative form of arthritis that has severely impacted the mobility in my hands and my ability to play the types of sets we're known for," Ozzy declared. "There’s no reversing the damage done and no stopping it from progressing further. At this point in time, I do not have a firm exit date in mind, though I would love to make it to Rocktoberfest, where Blissfully Immune will be playing on the final night of the event. No matter what happens, these guys will always be my family, and I will contribute to the continued success of the band in any way I can long past the time when I am able to remain on the road with them.”
That seemed to settle the crowd down a bit. There were even a few tears in the eyes of those close enough to the stage for their faces not to be blurry.
“I think I speak for everyone here when I say that yourpresence within the music community will be missed,” DJ No Doze said. “I hope that doesn’t mean an end to the drum tutorials you’ve offered for so many years.”
“No, I intend to keep producing videos for as long as I’m able to, though ultimately I know a time will come when I’ll need to turn the channel over to someone else so we can keep aiding future drummers in expanding their skills.”
Several folks started chanting his name after that, and Ozzy, being Ozzy, waved one of his sticks in the air, urging them on before finally hurling it into their midst for some lucky fan to take home with them. A small scramble ensued before a squealing little girl emerged with it and leapt into her mother’s arms, clinging to her while she clutched her prize.
Oh, hell yeah. There weren't nearly enough lady drummers out there, so if that kid turned out to be one of them, I hoped that someday, they’d reference this moment and that stick so we could celebrate the impact Ozzy and our music had on her.
“Rebel, this next question is for you.”
Aw shit!The words almost slipped out too. I half dreaded the question, because there were a few things in my past I did not want to have to elaborate on.
“Knightly would like to know what your favorite brand of tequila is and if you’ll be at the afterparty tomorrow night atThe Withering Skull, because he’d love to share a bottle with you.”
Phew, fuck, okay, the question I could handle, though the fucker who’d asked it damn well knew the answer to that.
“1800. You come find me and we’ll have that drink!”
“Hell yeah!” Knightly boomed, the massive man standing there in biker leathers and holy shit, he looked rougher than the last time I’d seen him.
Well game on then, the night had just gotten a hell of a lot more interesting. If there was anyone whose brain I could pick regarding how to get a bit more free time while on the road, it was the legendary former guitarist ofHateful Dolls.
Folks around him must have picked up on it too, because cameras turned his way, and Knightly started waving andposing for pictures, while Kit leaned in to whisper into my ear.
“Is that who I think it is?”
“Yup.”
“Oh shit.”
“Tell me about it. Wanna join us?”
“As long as I don’t have to drink tequila.”
“You don’t have to drink at all if you don’t want to," I whispered back. “You can just yell encouragement as I race him to the bottom of that bottle.”
“Bet.”
It took time for that fiasco to calm down, but that was Knightly, always performing, even when his ass hadn’t been up on a stage regularly in almost two years. I’d been in the front row for that finalHateful Dollsshow, fanboying out in one of their t-shirts; the damn thing had been holy as hell by then, after all the years I’d spent wearing it.
The history between us was complicated, like most things in my life. He’d been the first guy to pin me down and truly give me a taste of submitting to someone, and when I was being honest with myself, I could admit that I’d been searching for a hint of that ever since. Back then, Blissfully Immune had barely been known well enough to be awarded the opening act spot of the festivalHateful Dollshad been headlining, and yet somehow, he’d noticed me and hunted me down backstage after our set.
To say that I’d been flattered was an understatement. It had been hard as hell to keep from tripping all over my tongue when I’d been talking to him. We’d slipped away from the rest of the band and gone wandering along the waterfront, his hotel not far from a goth club we’d played later that week. Drinking, moshing, getting sweaty and trashed in a room covered in black light paint and black-clad bodies was one of the most memorable nights of my life. He’d ordered snakebites at last call, and instead of shots, they’d served us these tall-ass monstrosities we’d had to pound before closing time, the room spinning when I’d hopped off my barstool.
He’d slung my arm over his shoulders, and together we’dshamble-staggered back to the hotel, singingCrazy Trainat the top of our lungs on our way up the elevator. We’d probably woken a ton of people up and pissed off the staff in the process, but his fame had earned us a pass, and we hadn’t ended the night in cuffs. His bed, on the other hand, was a different story. Drunken fumbling and the hard press of his body pinning mine to the bed had been the best ending to a night ever, even if I’d paid for it with the worst hangover of my life the following day.
I waited to be hit with the urge for a repeat performance, but with Kit sitting next to me, all I could think about was how much I wished I hadn’t just made that offer for him to join us. Not because I wanted to slink away in the middle of the after-party for a bit of fun with Knightly, but because a part of me was worried that Knightly would set his sights on Kit.