Soaring Bird

Once they finish up their set and Chantel goes through hell that is singing with Nikki they are forced to stand side stage to watch MIC go on.
"Good luck" Chantel tells Frankie as he heads to his drum kit
"It's going to be hard following you guys, you got them really pumped up" Charlie says getting ready to go.
"Well with him as your front man," Rex whispers nodding to Nikki
"We know" Zeke says
They all share a quiet laugh before the guys run on and perform.
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After the show Nikki storms to the dressing room to collect his things.
"Good show." Chantel congratulates the guys, "and that goes for all of us."
"Dude I don't know how you don't sweat on drums, I was on half fuel and I sweated like a pig." Frankie says to Maddox.
"I sneak water." Maddox laughs
"TEACH. ME."
Everyone laughs while they go collect their things to head to the buses. Maddox and Allen go out with the guys from MIC, but Chantel and Rex stay back.
"You sure?" Maddox says
"Yea, and hey. If he makes that call while you're out, record it." Chantel says.
"Oh I am."
With that she hugs her drummer and heads back inside to see Rex has retreated to the back room. She walks in and a blanket is laid out with apple juice and lunchables.
"How romantic." she laughs sitting down next to him
"Hush."
They sip their juice and eat their cracker sandwiches, then Rex sighs.
"What's the matter love?"
"I have been debating on when I should tell you."
Chantel felt her heart speed up. Tell her what? Did he find a new band? Was he breaking up with her? What was he thinking? "Tell me what?"
Rex heard the panic in her voice and felt bad for scaring her, "Nothing bad, I mean depends on how you take it, man I need to work on my phrasing. Do you remember when I first joined the band?"
"Yes?"
"And how Allen asked Maddox and I those questions and I had a shitty answer, then I finally answered them?"
"Yes"
"Well I want to tell you more about it, if you want to hear it."
Chantel had been curious ever since Rex told the band his answers, but she never wanted to ask and figured he'd bring it up when he was ready, and apparently he was ready now. So she nods and he begins to tell her about himself.
"Well like I said, I grew up in Gary, well close enough I was on the edge of Gary, but anyway. I lived in a small town, and I know how cliche that sounds but it's true. I lived with my mother, father, and older brother. I almost had a sister but... I'll get to that. Anyway I loved music, whenever my father was at work my mother would have it on, and in the car. I knew from the age of two I wanted to do something with music, but I didn't know what. I thought maybe a drummer? Maybe sing? I didn't know. My brother found a discarded guitar one day on his way home from school and he taught himself how to fix it up and how to play. So three year old me watched in awe, and then after a year of watching I wanted to learn. So when I was four and my brother was 10 he taught me the basics. I gradually learned how to get better and by six I could play any song he taught me."
He stopped for a minute to look at Chantel and she was smiling at his story, but not for long...
"Anyway, we had to hide our guitars from our father, because if he ever got mad he would wreak them. So we hid them in a small hidden part of Luke's closet, that's my brothers name by the way. Now the next part you might have put together already. I told you music was an escape and that life wasn't good. Well that's because my father was an alcoholic. He held down a job, but as soon as he was off the clock he had a beer in his hand. It started with a beer a night after a long day of work, but then just one wasn't cutting it, and it progressed to heavy drinking until it became a problem. He was spending so much money on beer that most bills were left to my mother. With three boys/men and herself we racked up some high water and cable bills. Electric too. She was a teacher so she only made so much. I remember one time her whole check had to go to bills so she didn't have money for gas or food. My father wasn't happy that there was no food so he began his angry drunk attitude. My parents fought every night after that. Sometimes Luke and I would find our mother crying in the living room after my father had retreated to their room or garage. 'I'm okay, we will all be okay' is what she would always say."
He looked at Chantel and saw her smile was long gone...
"Anyway, remember how I said before that I was supposed to have a sister? Well... you can guess what happened. She was worried about what he would say, she could barely afford us two boys, even though Luke was trying to help pay bills since he was eighteen and had a job, how would they afford a baby? But she couldn't just not have this baby. It was a part of her, and we deserved to know our sibling. That's what she told Luke. So she hid it, then she found out the sex. She was finally having her baby girl, she always wanted a daughter, not that she loved us any less. So she thought maybe that would be enough for him to want it. He came home one night, the ever present six pack not in his hand, so she figured it was a great night to tell him. 'Honey I have great news' she said excited. She didn't know Luke and I waited in the hall just in case. 'What?' he yelled at her. We heard he take a breath, 'I'm pregnant, isn't that great, and I was waiting to tell you because...' 'you're what?' 'I.. I'm pregnant, and it's...' 'I don't care what it is, you can't afford the two pricks we have how can you afford another snot nose boy?' 'But it's not a boy, it's a girl. We are finally having a girl'
'WE CANT'S AFFORD IT! WHY DIDN'T YOU GET RID OF IT WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE!?!?!' Then he charged at her. Luke and I said hell no. He hit her twice before we intervened. He started wailing on us, but we weren't having it. Luke started hitting him and I ran to kitchen. I grabbed a knife, I ran around Luke and stabbed my father in the leg. He went down. I looked over at my mother and she was holding her stomach and crying. I called 911. They came and arrested my father, my brother, and me. My mother was taken to the hospital, alone. She told us that she lost the baby that night. Luke tried to take credit for stabbing me but I said no I did it. Luke got 6 months for battery. I got 1 year probation and community service. My father got 3 years for 'attempted murder of a fetus'. That is my story..."
Tears were in her eyes as she hugged the man she loves/
"I am so sorry, but it's all okay now. You have the band, you have the guys in MIC, and yoou have me and my whole crazy family. We all love you." Chantel says
"I know, thank you love bug."

Notes