is to confuse people on purpose, something they enjoy. Years of knowing the pair and despite the fact they look exactly the same in every way, I know the subtle differences in their faces and mannerisms. Plus, he’s carrying drumsticks, which is a giveaway.
“Hey man, decided to turn up?”
“Sorry,” I mutter again, fed up with the constant apologising.
He shrugs. “Ruby was late and disappeared for an hour when she heard you were ‘delayed’, so we haven’t got far with the check.”
Sneaky. Ruby never told me that.
“Yeah, you gotta be out in an hour for Phoenix, so get your arse into gear.” A tall, muscular guy with a sour look indicates the speakers. “Sound engineer wants a break too.”
“’Kay.”
Curious and concerned about Ruby, I watch her as I head to plug my guitar in. She smooths her hair, and kneels as she tapes a set list to the floor.
“Ruby? We gonna do this?”
She looks over. “Right. Hang on.”
Ruby’s guitar rests on the floor near the mic and my concern grows at her lack of interaction. I’m fucking nervous about the first night opening for Blue Phoenix. Are her nerves so bad that she’s been terrified into a personality change?
Mid-way through the check, Ruby abruptly stops singing, sets her guitar down, and heads off stage without a word. I look back at Nate who pauses, holding his drumsticks in the air with a shrug. Throwing an apology to the now red-faced stage manager, I unhook my guitar from my neck, put it down, and follow.
The narrow backstage hallway lacks the sophistication of the main venue, concrete floors and plain walls. Ruby is nowhere to be seen.
****
TEGAN
A tour of the venue is quick and boring. Metal shutters block off some areas; chairs are stacked in corners. I try a few doors that lead into the stadium but most are locked. Apart from a couple of ladies vacuuming the dark blue carpets, the place is empty. After taking a few shots of the surroundings on my phone, I head in the direction Bryn went ten minutes ago. Maybe he’s backstage.
Backstage. Could be awesome. Could be boring too. My stomach growls. Bet there’s food, though.
Circling the huge venue, I finally locate a door without a section number above and step through into a concrete floored hallway. The door slams behind, sound echoing down the empty space and I pause, attempting to figure out the best way to go. Nearby sounds of voices and music point me in the direction of the stage.
A door opposite opens and a girl around my age steps out. Perspiration shines on her deathly pale face, and the scarlet red hair instantly tells me who this is. The larger than life, seldom polite, lead singer of Ruby Riot, Ruby. She rests against the wall smoothing tendrils of damp hair from her forehead. I glance at a sign on the wall above. The bathrooms.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
Ruby looks up and blinks at me. “Yeah. I’m good.”
“You don’t look it.”
“You’re Bryn’s sister, aren’t you?” she asks, ignoring my concern for her welfare.
“I am. How did you know?”
“You look like him. Same eyes. Jem told me you were here and how pissed off Bryn is.” Ruby wipes at her clammy forehead with the edge of her jumper.
“I think he’s generally pissed off with everything currently.”
“Haven’t spoken to him recently.”
“I’m Tegan.”
“Ruby.”
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
She pulls herself away from the wall. “I said, yes.” The irritation in her voice points to the Ruby reputation I’ve heard about. Short fuse. She looks past my shoulder. “Fucking great…”
I turn around. Jax strides toward us and ignores me when he reaches Ruby. “What’s going on?”
“I needed the bathroom.”
He reaches out and rubs her arm. “You look sick. Were you sick again?”
“I’m fine, Jax,” she says tersely.
“Is this about tonight? Are you that nervous?”
Jax chews his lip as he studies her and the concern on his face grabs me. I never
“Hey man, decided to turn up?”
“Sorry,” I mutter again, fed up with the constant apologising.
He shrugs. “Ruby was late and disappeared for an hour when she heard you were ‘delayed’, so we haven’t got far with the check.”
Sneaky. Ruby never told me that.
“Yeah, you gotta be out in an hour for Phoenix, so get your arse into gear.” A tall, muscular guy with a sour look indicates the speakers. “Sound engineer wants a break too.”
“’Kay.”
Curious and concerned about Ruby, I watch her as I head to plug my guitar in. She smooths her hair, and kneels as she tapes a set list to the floor.
“Ruby? We gonna do this?”
She looks over. “Right. Hang on.”
Ruby’s guitar rests on the floor near the mic and my concern grows at her lack of interaction. I’m fucking nervous about the first night opening for Blue Phoenix. Are her nerves so bad that she’s been terrified into a personality change?
Mid-way through the check, Ruby abruptly stops singing, sets her guitar down, and heads off stage without a word. I look back at Nate who pauses, holding his drumsticks in the air with a shrug. Throwing an apology to the now red-faced stage manager, I unhook my guitar from my neck, put it down, and follow.
The narrow backstage hallway lacks the sophistication of the main venue, concrete floors and plain walls. Ruby is nowhere to be seen.
****
TEGAN
A tour of the venue is quick and boring. Metal shutters block off some areas; chairs are stacked in corners. I try a few doors that lead into the stadium but most are locked. Apart from a couple of ladies vacuuming the dark blue carpets, the place is empty. After taking a few shots of the surroundings on my phone, I head in the direction Bryn went ten minutes ago. Maybe he’s backstage.
Backstage. Could be awesome. Could be boring too. My stomach growls. Bet there’s food, though.
Circling the huge venue, I finally locate a door without a section number above and step through into a concrete floored hallway. The door slams behind, sound echoing down the empty space and I pause, attempting to figure out the best way to go. Nearby sounds of voices and music point me in the direction of the stage.
A door opposite opens and a girl around my age steps out. Perspiration shines on her deathly pale face, and the scarlet red hair instantly tells me who this is. The larger than life, seldom polite, lead singer of Ruby Riot, Ruby. She rests against the wall smoothing tendrils of damp hair from her forehead. I glance at a sign on the wall above. The bathrooms.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
Ruby looks up and blinks at me. “Yeah. I’m good.”
“You don’t look it.”
“You’re Bryn’s sister, aren’t you?” she asks, ignoring my concern for her welfare.
“I am. How did you know?”
“You look like him. Same eyes. Jem told me you were here and how pissed off Bryn is.” Ruby wipes at her clammy forehead with the edge of her jumper.
“I think he’s generally pissed off with everything currently.”
“Haven’t spoken to him recently.”
“I’m Tegan.”
“Ruby.”
“Are you sure you’re all right?”
She pulls herself away from the wall. “I said, yes.” The irritation in her voice points to the Ruby reputation I’ve heard about. Short fuse. She looks past my shoulder. “Fucking great…”
I turn around. Jax strides toward us and ignores me when he reaches Ruby. “What’s going on?”
“I needed the bathroom.”
He reaches out and rubs her arm. “You look sick. Were you sick again?”
“I’m fine, Jax,” she says tersely.
“Is this about tonight? Are you that nervous?”
Jax chews his lip as he studies her and the concern on his face grabs me. I never
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