Lily
‘And straight in at number eight… We have the new rock group on the block, Quantum Rock, with their incredible debut single, Drag it out…’
I stood, staring at the guys when they went wild, jumping and screaming as they pulled each other into a hug. I couldn’t move, my whole body locked down in a stunned excitement.
“Fuck…” It was all I could manage, and it was quiet enough for only my ears to hear.
Number eight.
Holy shit!
“Lily?”
My eyes moved slowly from my bandmates to Boss. The grin on his face was comical if I could find the control to laugh.
Number eight.
I was suddenly being lifted in the air, my body spinning in circles when Dad scooped me up. “You rock, kid!”
“Jax!” Mum scolded. “Put her down!” Her smile was mixed with tears of joy. “You did it, baby.”
I nodded slowly, jerkily.
“Now you’ve done it,” Bulk cut into my surreal moment, “will you finally announce your connection to Room 103?”
I nodded again. Me and my band, Quantum Rock, had been adamant we made it into the music world as a result of our own talent, not off the back of my parents’ group, Room 103. They’d been huge just over twenty years ago. They still did a few charity gigs but hadn’t released a single for two decades.
Dad dipped his head, bringing his eyes in line with mine. “Now I tell you, Quantum is backing a reunion tour for 103.”
My mind raced for a moment as I tried to figure out what he meant. “What?”
A small tilt of his lips grabbed my attention, the smirk confusing me further. “Surprise. We waited until you made it. UK reunion tour for your mother’s charity. Quantum is coming with us.”
“Are you shittin’ me?” Cage butt in. Parker West, AKA Cage on account of his cage fighting ‘hobby’, was the drummer in my band. His tall, muscular body peered over both my dad and me as his wide eyes flicked between our faces. “Say that again, Jax!”
Dad grinned. “With us?”
“Fuck, yes!” Cage answered without hesitation. Turning to Tap and Knight, he beamed. “Fuck, guys, we’re going on fucking tour!”
Tap, Drake Sharp, bass for Quantum, nicknamed Tap after how much ass he tapped, flicked his eyes to me warily. “You okay with this, Lil?” Although Tap was a wild one in the bedroom, he was the more serious of the guys in the band. He weighed things over and over until he knew they made sense and would work out.
My head shook from side to side and then up and down. “Uhh…”
Mum smiled, laughing lightly. “Bit of a shocker, huh?”
I nodded again. “Just… Yeah.”
Finally, I smiled. And then I grinned. “Oh, my God. We did it.”
“Top ten, baby!” Knight, AKA Sebastian Knight, lead guitarist for Quantum Rock, grinned back at me as he wrapped me up and pulled me against his chest, dropping a chaste kiss on my head. “Well done, Lily.” I was closest to Knight. He was like the big brother I never had. He was very protective of me, but along with my best friends Rebecca, Kit and Hayley, Knight was the only one I confided in – and trusted.
“Well done us,” I corrected.
I loved my bandmates. For over four years we’d done every shitty gig going. We’d busked, almost begged for attention, and then Knight had written Drag It Out. And it had flown on YouTube. The hits and shares had escalated at an alarming rate, and now, finally, we’d done it. The guys deserved this. And even though I was nervous about doing our first tour, I couldn’t help but shiver with excitement.
I squealed when Bulk popped the cork on a bottle of champagne and started to fill the glasses someone had arranged into a pyramid on a tray. People suddenly appeared with platters of food and our hit single, Drag It Out, unexpectedly blasted from the speakers.
I narrowed my eyes at Mum. “Did you know about this?”
She shrugged, a small smile lifting her beautiful face. “I may have been informed. Jerry rang me this morning.” Jerry was Mum’s friend who worked in the media.
“You should have told me.”
She scooped up a glass of champagne and handed it to me. “And spoil all this? You deserve this, baby. You worked for it.” She planted a gentle kiss on my forehead. “You deserve the world. And you know I’d give it to you if I could.”
I nodded, inhaling her sweet scent. She was growing nostalgic again, the sadness that seeped from her making my eyes prickle with tears.
“I’m okay, Mum.” I lifted my face to look at her. “I’ve always been okay.”
She shook her head, the tears that filled her eyes now spilling down her cheeks. “How you could you be? How could anyone after what...”
“Babe?” Dad appeared by her side, the scowl on his face at Mum’s guilty sorrow compelling her to wipe away the tears. “Not today, babe.”
Straightening her shoulders, she took a deep breath and forced a smile. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” I urged, giving her a genuine smile to show her that I was okay. The guilt and blame she carried around with her were more consuming than the memories that haunted me, and it was her never-ending heartache that grieved me more than my past.
She grinned when Tap abruptly pulled on my hand and dragged me across the floor to a space someone had cleared for dancing. “Stop with the gloom, guys. It’s a party! Let’s get drunk!”
So, we did. We got drunk, and we celebrated.
And at the end of the night, I managed to sneak out and do several lines of bliss.