April Renegade by B. G. Wolfe

Author:B. G. Wolfe [Wolfe, B. G.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Amazon
Published: 2022-07-11T16:00:00+00:00

Every nerve inside of me sent my body into a fit of uncontrollable vibrations as I walked onto the stage. I told myself that I wouldn’t look at the faces in the crowd, but despite the blinding lights situated toward us, I was able to make out the outlines of those closest to the stage.

Everything moved fast and dreadfully slow all at once as we took our places. People clapped around us, but the noise was faint through the blood whooshing in my ears. I wrapped my hands tightly around the microphone and felt a little faint. My knuckles bleached with the strain of my grip. After repeating Drew’s advice in my mind, I closed my eyes, counted to three, and took a breath.

“How’s everyone doing tonight?” I asked into the mic. A few shouts and claps sounded in the audience. My heart thudded restlessly, but as I talked, it became less distracting. “We’re so happy to be here tonight. A few of us met here for the first time a while ago.” My voice cracked in the mic, but I trudged on. “So, we wouldn’t really be here without the Madder Hatter.” I smiled and looked down at the spot on the floor a few feet in front of the mic stand. “We’re April Renegade.” Drew excitedly clicked his drumsticks together behind me as Brian strummed at the guitar. “And we hope you’re ready to rock.”

Cheers came from all around me—right in front of the stage, from the sides, and up from those seated on the upper level. The smile that crept up to my lips was genuine. I turned my back to the audience as the music began. Drew locked his warm eyes on mine, and it turned out that was all I needed to find some confidence. I jumped a few times and turned around in time for the first set of lyrics.

I started off a little rough around the edges but trained my eyes to find that one part of the floor whenever my voice shook or if I became overwhelmed. I stood in the center, unmoving as I adjusted to my new surroundings, but by the time I was screaming into the mic at the tail end of our first song, I’d moved around the stage a bit and even headbanged with Sean. A quarter of the way through our set, my voice leveled out and I’d found my footing on the stage.

Out of all the possible scenarios I’d obsessed over leading up to our first show—like whether I’d forget the lyrics or face-plant on stage—fell to the wayside as soon as the crowd exploded into a roar of excitement after our first song ended. And it was our song—not a cover. It was the first song I’d written and shown Drew, which I’d named “Dark.” I stared at the crowd in awe as the instruments faded out. Groups of people came closer to the stage from where they’d been standing back near the bar. Several people whistled while others held their hands up in the rock ‘n roll salute.

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