Page 15 of Busted String

“Were you an honor student?” Sammie asked.

“Nope. I barely made my way out of there.”

“Why is that?” Nico asked.

“Smoking too much weed and partying more than I should.”

“Figures,” Nico said.

“Were you a scholar, Nico?” Jace asked.

“Of course! I went to college.” Nico waved his ring hand towards Jace. “Saint John’s University.”

“I remember. You said it was a Catholic college,” Mark said.

Nico nodded.

Upon arriving at the club, they unloaded their instruments. Jace, however, made a beeline for the bar. Nico watched as Jace downed two shots of whiskey in quick succession. When he saw Jace with a third shot in his hand, Nico intervened. He took the glass from Jace and gently but firmly led him back to the stage area where they needed to set up.

They busied themselves with their tasks. Nico adjusted the drum kit, making sure everything was in place. Mark tuned his bass, his fingers deftly moving over the strings. Sammie set up his keyboard and checked the sound levels. Nico’s eyes occasionally darted towards Jace, who was now chatting animatedly with some old high school friends who had shown up.

Jace, with another drink in hand, laughed and reminisced with his friends, his voice carrying over the hum of the club. Nico felt a pang of concern. He knew how much this gig meant to Jace, to all the bands, and he wanted nothing to jeopardize it.

“Nico, come on, just one more drink,” Jace pleaded when Nico approached him again.

“Jace, we need to focus. We’re here to play, not to party,” Nico replied, trying to keep his voice calm.

Jace’s expression shifted, a mix of frustration and defiance. “I’m fine, Nico. It’s just a couple of drinks.”

Nico sighed, his patience wearing thin. “That’s your third. We need you at your best. Let’s just get through the set, okay?”

Jace glared at him for a moment, then his shoulders slumped. “Fine,” he muttered, setting his drink down.

Nico placed a hand on Jace’s shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Thanks, man. Let’s do this.”

Together, they returned to the stage, the tension between them easing as they focused on the music. The club was filling up, and the energy in the room was charged. Nico knew that once they started playing, everything else would fade away, and it would just be about the music.

Nico felt the energy of the club course through his veins as Sacred Fire took the stage. The club was a sprawling, smoky venue that pulsed with anticipation and a raw, gritty energy. This was Jace’s hometown, and the crowd was electric. For someone who had so many terrible memories here, it was impossible to tell that from the audience’s response to Jace.

Nico sat behind his drum kit, his heart pounding in sync with the beat he was about to unleash. As the first notes of their opening song filled the air, the crowd erupted into a frenzy. The energy was electric, and he could feel it coursing through his veins.

Jace leaped across the stage, his voice soaring above the music. The audience’s cheers grew louder, a cacophony of excitement and admiration. “Jace! Jace! Jace!” they chanted, their voices blending into a powerful chorus that filled the venue.

Jace danced around his bandmates, his flirtatious movements fluid and infectious. He and Mark shared the vocals seamlessly, their harmonies weaving together perfectly. Mark’s guitar riffs added a raw edge to the performance, while Sammie’s keyboard melodies provided a rich, atmospheric backdrop.

Nico’s eyes darted between his bandmates and the crowd. He saw people jumping, their bodies moving in time with the music. Some were dancing wildly, lost in the rhythm, while others sang along, their faces lit up with joy.

“Jace! You’re amazing!” someone shouted from the front row, their voice barely audible over the music.

“Go, Sacred Fire!” another fan yelled, waving a homemade sign with the band’s name scrawled across it.

Nico couldn’t help but smile. Despite the recent tension between him and Jace, moments like these reminded him why they did this. The music, the connection with the audience, the sheer exhilaration of performing—it was all worth it.

As the song reached its climax, Jace and Mark’s voices melded into a powerful crescendo. The crowd’s energy peaked, and for a moment, it felt like the entire world was singing along with them. Nico’s drumming intensified, driving the song to its explosive finish.

When the final note rang out, the audience erupted into applause and cheers. Nico glanced at Jace, who was beaming with pride. This was his hometown, and the love from the crowd was palpable.

“Thank you, Bakersfield!” Jace shouted into the microphone, his voice filled with emotion. “You guys are incredible!”

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