EFFA
A surge rushes through me, the high, the endorphins kicking in strong, pulsing through my veins like an electrical charge igniting the fire inside me.
I live for this.
The air I breathe is filled with the passion of the crowd roaring and chanting my name. The lights blast in hues of pinks and greens, in a neon celebration, dancing back and forth across the crowd, illuminating them as they bounce up and down to the beat of our music.
I love this, the thrill, the excitement, the energy. I feel at home here. The buzz filling the stage as we rock out our final song of the night. The cannons erupt, and the crowd screams in appreciation. The beach balls fall from the roof while the confetti bursts through the air littering the stadium in a rainbow of colors.
I smile wide at Casey, and she grins madly, as she sings backing vocals for our encore song, Malibu Intoxication—hence the beach and rainbow theme at the end.
We like to end on a high. The beach balls are being punched through the air by the crowd. I love watching the fans go nuts for our props, and as I belt out the final lyrics of our song, the waterfall cascade streams down onto the stage making it look like it’s falling on us. It isn’t, it’s just in front of us, but it looks fucking awesome. Especially, now with Mercs’ lighting effects running through the water—he has the word Luminous brightly lit through the water.
He’s a fucking genius.
“Goodnight Luminati’s, you’ve been Phoenix and we’ve been Luminous.” I call out strumming the last chord on my guitar before the rush of the waterfall intensifies giving us the signal to get off the stage unseen by the crowd.
The eruption of the fans is so loud I can barely hear myself think. It vibrates through my body, sending a shockwave of elation right through my very soul. I smile widely as the other girls file around me backstage, and we all stare at each other while the crowd continues to roar, stomping their feet and chanting our band’s name.
We all laugh and grab each other reveling in the enormity of this moment. This is the most significant reaction we’ve gotten from a crowd ever, and to be honest, it’s a little awe-inspiring. I’m pretty sure it’s not only because we fucking rocked it, but also because our stage show tonight was pretty damn on point. Thanks hugely to Mercs. The man I met earlier this morning. The man I haven’t been able to remove from my mind since seeing him do all that heavy lifting, then lifting his shirt to reveal his incredibly fit body with those amazing abs. And, not to mention, that delicious trail of ink down his right arm. He was so mesmerizing to stare at, I had to keep myself in check, but I’m pretty sure he didn’t notice me looking at him. Hell, he didn’t even know I was there until I started clapping.
I wonder what he thought tonight.
Was he up on those rafters looking down on me, watching me, thinking about me, like I was thinking of him?
“Effa? Earth to Effa?” Kristy snaps her fingers in front of my face gaining my attention.
I look at her to see all the girls staring at me as the chanting from the crowd continues. “Huh, sorry, what?”
“You were amazing out there tonight…” her smile is larger than life, “… and the lighting? Fuck! This new guy is brilliant. Has anyone actually met him, yet?” Kristy, my best friend, and next best thing to another stepsister asks.
I tilt my head and nod. “Yeah, I did, when I came in earlier.”
Casey presses up on her toes and claps her hands. “Oh… what’s he like? Is he hot? Should I fuck him? Keep him in line?”
I screw up my nose as Andi rolls her eyes and Alana and Kristy both cross their arms over their chests. “No. Don’t screw him,” I suggest.
Her face falls, and she curls her lip up. “Oh, so he’s fugly like Dennis then? Damn it. Why can’t we get some good looking roadies around here?” Casey calls out loudly, making some of the roadies who are backstage with us turn around and furrow their brows.
“Casey… shh. And no, quite the opposite. He’s actually really… really good look—”
“Yes—” she interrupts.
“But I don’t think any of us should be screwing him. He’s far too good at what he does for us to be fucking up the chance of him staying here on tour with us—”
“Nooo, Effa. I love you, but our groupies are only good for so long. I need some fresh meat,” Casey demands wiggling her eyebrows up and down.
“God damn it, Casey. You sound like a fucking nympho. Calm your tits, girl,” Andi berates.
“But I am a nympho. I can’t help it if I love the D,” Casey screams, not caring who hears. Roadies turn around again, this time all smiling wide as she winks at Benny our guitar tech who blushes and quickly rushes off, probably to continue working, rather than think about his wild, passionate night ahead with Casey.
“Okay, you love the D. We all love the D. But Mercs is off limits, okay?” I state, and they all raise their brows at me.
“Mercs?” Alana asks.
“Yeah, that’s his name. Well, nickname I suppose. But that’s what he wants to be called.”
“Sounds like an expensive car,” Alana adds, and I smile at her. Even though she’s my step-sister, we’re so alike.
“That’s what I said.” I giggle, and the others shrug.
Luke comes over with a cooler bag.
“It’s short for Mercury. It’s his last name. And no… no relation to Freddy. I asked that, too.”
They all slump their shoulders. “Bummer.” Kristy slumps and pats my shoulder in a comforting way.
Luke opens the cooler bag and hands us each a bottle of flavored water. “You girls were on fire tonight. That mixed with Mercs’ lighting… this was your best show, ever. Especially coming off the disaster of the Staples Center. Good job, girls,” Luke relays, grabbing a drink for himself as I guzzle down half my berry water. I love the refreshing hit of tangy and sweet.
“So, the new guy is good. We all agree. Tonight was a fucking success. But I need some weed, some booze, and time to let my hair down,” Andi instructs.
“You don’t have any hair,” Casey teases and we all chuckle. Andi rolls her eyes punching Casey’s arm, hard.
Casey takes a step to the side and lets out an “oomph” as she rubs her arm smiling wide. “Ouch, you bitch, is that any way to treat your favorite cousin?”
“Hmm… you’re only a cousin by blood. In my mind… you’re just a freak in my band,” Andi jokes.
Casey brings her hand to her chest faking a heart attack. “Oh burn. It stings so bad. The pain, the pain, I can’t stand it. It’s crippling.” She staggers on the spot. “Dying here… in agony.” She pulls a sad face and then breaks into a full bright smile and grins at Andi who turns and walks off in the other direction.
“I hate you, Casey,” Andi calls out as she saunters off.
“I love you, too, Andi,” Casey calls back.
Andi throws her hand up and flips Casey the bird. “Love you, too, bitch.”
“After party?” Kristy asks.
“Hell, yeah,” Casey calls out jumping up and down on the spot and taking off after Andi.
Alana and Kristy start to walk off, and I look over my shoulder at the back of the stage and up to the rafters where I’m assuming Mercs will be right now dealing with the lighting.
I wonder if he’ll come to the after party like I suggested.
I hope so.
“You coming, Effa?” Alana calls out in her beautiful sweet voice. I glance at her as she looks over her shoulder at me. Her blonde waves caressing her face perfectly.
“Yeah, I’m coming.” I take one last look to the rafters but don’t see Mercs. So I spin and head with the girls to the green room.
Walking down the hall, the atmosphere is buzzing, still alive from the show. The crew are working hard while we’re unwinding and coming down from our high as I walk in to see Andi on the sofa, pulling off her sleeveless flannelette shirt. As her athletic body falls back into the sofa she's already lighting up a joint, her short, dyed red hair thick with sweat from the show.
Rolling my eyes, I sigh. She doesn’t waste time.
Alana is at the buffet eating. She always gets hungry after a show. I don’t know how she can eat so much and not put on an inch of weight. She’s stunning with girl next door looks, almost as if she should be a country singer rather than in a rock band.
Casey’s at the fridge getting her usual bottle of vodka, her long black hair now out of her high ponytail, and falling around her pale face. Her complexion mixed with the black hair and bangs always makes me think of Snow White.
Kristy, on the other hand, is not pale, her skin is the most tanned of us all. She almost has an olive tinge. Her hair is long and brown with highlights through it. Her curvy figure, but athletic tones are ones men go crazy for. She’s sitting in the corner on her cell probably checking out our social media tags from tonight’s show. She likes to keep up with that stuff, and we all let her worry about it because we have no interest in social media.
Luke is on the opposite side of the sofa from Andi, and he’s on his cell too, but probably working on stuff for the tour. He never stops. Since he split from his wife two years ago, he tends to keep busy now. We met Luke when he was the agent for another band.
We were the opening for the American band Recoil when they were trying to make a name for themselves in Australia four years ago. Luke came onboard as Recoil’s agent, and we went on tour with them. Their lead singer, Danger and I, ended up writing a smash hit together called Lunar Eclipse. It went triple platinum in seven countries, and that was the start of our success.
Luminous flourished from there. We were no-one’s anything before then. Recoil made us, and now they’re a supergroup, and we’re on our way too. However, they wanted to leave Australia and head back to the US which is their home, and because Luke had his wife and two kids in Australia he couldn’t go with them.
So he stayed in Australia to help us, leaving Recoil with a new manager. They shot to fame. Now we’re getting there too with Luke on our side, and because he split with his wife, he’s been able to leave Australia and come with us on a world tour. Especially, since his kids are a little older, being twelve and ten. He now has the freedom to travel. Which is great for us, but sad in a way for him. So, because he couldn’t do that with Recoil we snapped him up, and fuck am I glad because we wouldn’t be where we are today without him.
“I’ve got your after party booked at a VIP room in a club nearby. Security is on hand, and we can go whenever you girls are ready,” Luke calls out, not looking up from his phone.
Andi takes a long puff on her joint and Casey takes a drink from her bottle.
“Yep, let’s go,” I offer as Kristy and Alana move toward me.
“Where’s the groupies?” Kristy asks, and I raise my brow wondering the same thing.
Luke groans. “They’re in the VIP area, waiting. I thought it better they be there than here. Let the green room be for you girls, yeah?”
I nod. “Okay, sounds fair. But let’s go, I need a drink,” I demand, and link my arms with Alana and Kristy as we head out of the green room and down the hall. I notice the two security guys who follow us immediately. It’s hard not to notice stuff like that, and in a way it signifies we’ve made it, but it also defines that we no longer have our privacy.
“So, look… I know we’re the three amigos and all. You guys are step-sisters, and I’m the best friend. We have a history. We go way back. So I feel like I need to be honest here,” Kristy announces making me and Alana both look to her.
A shudder runs through me wondering what she might say. She looks serious and I know Kristy is the more solemn one of us all, but I’m not sure I’m going to like where this is heading.
“Kris, you’re scaring me,” I answer and she smiles weakly.
“No, it’s nothing bad. It’s just… have you guys noticed that Andi is a little more… I dunno… more aggravated than normal?”
Alana snorts. “That’s Andi’s natural state.”
Kristy turns to look behind us, so I do, to see Andi, Luke and Casey following behind, but a fair way back. “Hmm… true. Just maybe we need to keep an eye on her is all I’m saying,” Kristy offers.
“Okay, good idea. I’ll see if I sense anything, any changes. I know she’s a little edgier around certain people, but I just thought she’s maybe more sleep deprived than normal. But I’ll watch her.”
“Cool, the last thing we want is for this tour to derail, before it’s even begun, because one of us is struggling,” Kristy expresses.
“Noted,” I reply as we approach the end of the hall and the security guys flank us.
“You ladies ready to head to the Hummer?” Raoul asks in his slight French accent.
I smile and nod. “Yep, let’s do this.”
He and his men surround Kristy, Alana and me. A couple more drop back for Andi, Casey, and Luke.
The door swings open and we walk out into the more than a little warm Arizona night. It’s still sweltering even though it’s quite late. The bustling city street is alive as the sounds of car engines make their way through the streets, while we cross the back path toward our waiting Hummer.
The back exit is made for the celebrities to come and go without the hassle of the crowds out front. I like places like this who make it easier for us to come and go without being seen.
Raoul and his men flank us anyway, just in case any stragglers manage to find their way into this back area and we all rush toward the pink stretched car. Raoul opens the door without any hassles, and the three of us slide in. Rock music from the seventies is lightly playing in the background as I enter the car. It’s plush with pink leather lined couches on each side. A mini fridge with chilled alcohol, silver ashtrays—we all know what that’s for—and pink neon lighting strips light the doorway. I smile wide knowing Luke has done well, as I move further in. I take a seat next to the door, and Kristy slides in next to me giggling like a school girl followed by Alana. We all sit in the back seat and take a simultaneous deep breath.
“This is the life,” Kristy beams and I chuckle.
“Hell yeah,” I reply as I turn to the little container next to the fridge, opening it to see our stashes of already rolled joints.
I pull one out for Kristy, and she takes it with a smile. I look to Alana raising my brow, and she shakes her head turning up her lip. I knew she would. The thing about Alana is, while she loves the rock star life, sometimes she isn’t quite suited to it. She’s a good girl at heart, and the drinking and drugs, while she does do them occasionally, she really has to be in the mood.
Grabbing the lighter, I light up Kristy’s then put one in my mouth and flick the lighter again, watching the flickering orange of the small flame as it hits the end of my joint. I take in a deep drag as a heavy calm washes over me, and the smoke fills my lungs.
All my senses come alive, my brain firing off thoughts in all directions. Typically, when I’m high, I think of the craziest things—song lyrics, costume designs, stage sets. This is where I become creative. This is where Effervescent was born, in a haze of smoke and fumes.
Sitting back against the pink leather, it squeaks slightly as I sink into it, coming down a little from the high of the show. The car door opens again, and Luke slides in with a slight cough and a groan, followed by Andi and Casey.
“God girls, it doesn’t take you long, does it?” Luke looks to Kristy and me, then eyes Alana and raises his brow as she reaches over and grabs a mini bottle of champagne. He slides in sitting next to her and grabs a beer for himself. Casey and Andi move in and snatch a champagne each.
“Give them a break, Luke. I started back in the stadium,” Andi scolds letting out a puff of smoke in the form of an O making me giggle as I find it funnier than I usually would.
“Yeah, Luke, it’s not like you’re not used to it. Hell, you’ve been with us for four years. Surely you know how we roll by now? Shit, you hired the Hummer for us, so I’m assuming you put the weed in here to begin with?” Kristy defends.
“Yeah, yeah. I’d just like to think you girls could get by on your lyrical genius and amazing ability rather than smoking, drinking and destroying your brain cells like other bands. Hell Recoil doesn’t do this shit.” he groans, and Andi snorts while shaking her head as Raoul closes the door locking us in with a haze of smoke.
“Well Luke, if you want Recoil so bad you should have stayed with them. But no, you got the leftovers. Sorry, we’re such a crappy seconds,” Andi jabs, throwing her butt at him.
Luke jolts back, patting at it rapidly before realizing it was already out when she threw it. He huffs. “Look, I’m sorry. That came out all wrong. You know I don’t want to be with Recoil. I let them go and chose to stay back in Australia to be with you girls because I saw a potential in you that I thought could be unstoppable. I just don’t want to see you girls waste it on drugs and booze, and be one of those bands that spoils themselves.”
Alana reaches out grabbing his hand, and he looks at her with a heavy sigh. “We know. We realize how much you do for us. We need you, Luke. We can’t do this without you,” she confides.
“Yeah, Luke, you know we love you. Let’s just calm the negative energy in the room—”
“We’re in a car not a room,” Andi interrupts me.
I giggle. “Well, fuck! Calm the energy in wherever we are, and take a deep breath in, relaxing our chakras and all focus on what’s important.”
They all tilt their heads, in the same way, making me giggle again.
“And what’s that… oh, wise one?” Casey asks.
“Friendship. Our friendship is what’s important,” I resound.
“Hell, yeah. Friends for life, fuckers,” Andi calls out.
“Friends for life,” we all call back in fits of giggles.
Little unicorns start dancing around Luke’s head. This weed is some good shit.
As the Hummer takes off, my mind wanders to Mercs and what he’s doing. I hope he makes it to the after party. It’s looking like it going to be one wild ride.