One More Time by Ali Parker

Author:Ali Parker [Parker, Ali]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: BrixBaxter Publishing
Published: 2020-11-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Kelly

It was the first performance of the Imperial Inspection tour, and Destitute was kicking it off in Los Angeles. The opening acts were good, but the crowd was getting more reckless and restless waiting for the headliners to take the stage.

A long catwalk split the stadium into halves almost to the middle, and screens were set up on either side of the stage and intermittently throughout the audience. I was seated on the left of the stage, almost right up front in a dedicated press “cage” that Alicia had organized. It was a great view, and I couldn’t wait for the show to start.

A hush fell over the audience when the lights on stage went dark after the last opening act. Then a roaring chant started for Destitute. Figures could be seen on stage moving things into their proper places for the guys to take the stage, and then a fog machine clouded the area with misty wisps of smoke.

At the same time, explosions, flashes, smoke, flames, fireworks, and other pyrotechnic-driven effects started up all over the stage, and the intro to one of Destitute’s most popular songs from the new album started playing.

The audience went wild, screaming so loudly that I was sure I would be deaf by the time the night was done. Even my colleagues in the press box went nuts. Lighters and glow sticks were lit in the audience, and the crowd started singing along to the song that was playing as Destitute ran out.

Jared took the stage by storm, a vision in tight leather flinging his microphone into the air to spin and catching it again as he ran the length of the catwalk. The others appeared after him with less theatrics but with as much energy and anticipation lining their features.

“How’s it going Los Angeleeeeeees?” Jared roared into his mic to deafening cheers by the crowd. Thousands of people yelled back at him, some holding signs with messages addressed to every member of the band. The signs varied from the meek, like “Welcome back boys!”, to others that were slightly more disturbing and ranging from encouraging the guys to spit on them, to get naked, and a few others that made me cringe.

Destitute launched right into their first song, and the band was on fire from there on out. Jared, as always, took some time in between to work up the crowd, read some of the signs, and interact with fans who’d written in about their birthdays.

Caleb and the others would chime in from time to time, all teasing smiles and slightly smudged eyeliner. Watching Caleb up there on that stage, it was hard to believe that I actually knew him. Even harder to believe that I’d touched him, seen him naked, had had conversations with him that he didn’t have with anyone else.

He was the impossible dream up there, yet I knew him so much better than that now. I knew that there was so much more to him than any of these people in the audience could ever even imagine.

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