Category : Books-Non-Fiction

Sub Category : Biography

           We had a genuine band meeting, at long last. The decision was made to put ads out in the paper and internet looking for a rhythm guitarist. The ad said, “World-touring band looking for rhythm guitarist with punk and metal influences. Ages 18-28. Guns ‘n’ Roses meets The Misfits.”
           Not one day after it had been published, we had calls coming in for weeks. People from all backgrounds and ages called to secure a date to come play. 
           I had made the drum room into a legitimate jam room with posters and black foam along the walls to catch the sound. Without the foam, the music would bounce around turning it into intolerable noise. I had previously played in a band when I had first moved in and it had sounded great. But we broke due to some issue I can’t remember. 
           Most of the guitarists were decent, but we had t found the one yet. I had a feeling about this one guy though. He was the older brother of a kid I had known from high school. We played some Rancid and I loved it. He even sang too, which was going to be the next thing we would be looking for. 
           At the same time around the auditions though, Flash had been driving me insane. She would call me at two or three in the morning begging me to come over. Even if I had a school test early the next morning, she didn’t care. This was a constant occurrence, in addition to the child she would become once a drop of alcohol touched her lips. After a while I had stopped coming over to appease her attention-wanting and turned my phone off. She then started threatening to kill herself if I wouldn’t come over. This was the last straw, so I had talked to her about perhaps taking a short break, for the band. 
           I could tell she was devastated but tried to play it cool on the outside. 
           We had that guy that I liked back over to play some more. After a short practice I went to smoke a cigarette with Matt out back while the guitarist and her continued playing. 
           Matt and I came back to the room to find it empty. No Flash, no guitarist. But he had left his backpack so I figured they had ran to the store or somewhere real quick.  
            She didn’t come back till after midnight. When I asked where she went, she rambled on about how it’s not any of my business anymore. I was in no mood to argue again, so I went to bed because I had class early in the morning. 
            After class, the sun was alone in the aqua sky. It had never been that hot before. I started sweating just walking to my car. My car was black so it was like breathing in hot dragon’s breath the whole ride back. I turned the A/C off since I was running on empty. I then found the nearest gas station. 
            As I was pumping gas, my phone rang. It was Flash. I wasn’t in any mood to talk to her since I had likely failed the quiz my teacher had given us in Physics.  
            My phone rang again. 
            Ignored. 
            Then again. 
            I gave in. “Oh for God’s sake, hello?!”
            It wasn’t Flash though. “Hey man, you gotta come over man.” He sounded worried.
            I had thought it just a ploy set up by Flash. She setting up an emergency scenario just so I would come over and see her. I wasn’t buying it. 
            “No way man, I know Flash had you call a say a bunch of shit just to get me to come over!”
           He was adamant that wasn’t the case, yet he still would not tell me why I must come over. Until I had threatened to hang up.
          “Dude, Flash,” he paused then whispered, “...is dead.”
           That’s when he broke down and started to cry over the phone. I didn’t believe it at first. “That’s bullshit. And kinda fucked up, too. Why would you go there?”
           My gas was done pumping so I put the handle back on its dock and closed the little door. 
           “Dude… I’m serious!” He cried. 
           I still didn’t know what to believe since this was exactly what Flash would’ve done, but I told him I would come over. But if this was a big ploy to get me to come over, there would be hell to pay. I said I’d quit the band. 
          Traffic was the worst I had ever experienced. I felt like I could’ve walked faster. During the long drive, I kept questioning whether it was true. I felt like something was holding my heart. But when I pulled into their complex, seeing yellow police tape everywhere and EMS, whatever was holding my heart had squeezed tightly. My eyes widened and body felt a million pounds. All I could see was a bright, white light which made it almost impossible to park my car. I eventually stopped it where I was, which was not even in a parking spot. 
            It was true. Matt wasn’t lying. Flash Bathory, the Metal Goddess of Austin, was dead. 
           She had overdosed on heroin the night before, while Matt was at my house. After talking to police and seeing me, Matt had calmed down. He had loved her. I had never noticed it until that day. He stayed at the apartment to await Flash’s Dad who was driving in from California. I went home in the meantime. I found the guitarist’s backpack which we had left. 
           Inside, there was a pamphlet for heroin anonymous and a small vial holding a pink liquid that looked all too familiar—Methadone. I was triggered instantly. Tanya and Jane walked in before I could even give any thought to drinking the liquid. They took the bag and its contents and threw it away someplace unbeknownst to me. 
            I called Matt and told him I’d come pick him up, also he could stay st the house until he figured something out. 
            Matt and I jammed together for Flash’s Dad. He was a short man, a little taller than Flash with long, golden strands of hair ending at his shoulders. While we were playing an atmospheric, Explosions in the Sky, post-rock jam, it was hard to see under his glasses. However we could feel the pain and sorrow building in the room. Then I glanced over and could see tears welling up in his eyes. He had lost his only daughter, his best friend.