This is the first chapter of a book I'm writing...attempting to write...honestly...i have a lot of ideas, but im really trying to get the plot together right now. :P Please critique!
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CHAPTER 1
Cara stood next to the brown couch in the apartment living room, her black wings beating anxiously as her red-high heeled feet tapped the floor.
“Alyssa!†She called for the fourth time, adjusting her tight fitting black halter top.
“I’m just brushing my teeth,†a muffled voice floated down the little hallway, “Then I’m done. I swear!â€
Cara sighed and shook her head, laughing. Seconds later an awkward green bolt came from the hallway bathroom and appeared by her side.
“Ok! Now I’m ready.†Alyssa smiled apologetically and headed towards the apartment door, her knee-length green dress swishing as she walked.
“Took you long enough, now I’m going to have to speed to get there.†Cara followed Alyssa out of the small apartment and locked the grey door numbered 23.
As the girls skipped down two flights of stairs toward Cara’s red dodge challenger Alyssa asked, “So, the Demon Angers are good right?â€
“They’re the Death Angels,†Cara laughed, “And yeah, they’re good.â€
“Demon Angers, Death Angels, all the same.†Alyssa said waving away the air.
Cara rolled her eyes with a smile and settled into the driver’s side of the challenger.
“AH! My wing is stuck!†Alyssa said bent awkwardly with one leg in the car, head sideways on the ceiling, and one leg out of the car. Hurriedly she reached up and pulled her wing and the rest of her body into the car and shut the door.
“You ok?†Cara asked.
“Yup. I’m good now.â€
Both girls burst into a round of laughter as Cara maneuvered out of the apartment’s parking lot.
“Frick! My wing’s all dirty now.†Alyssa reached over her right shoulder to rub the dirt off her white wing. “You really need to wash your car.â€
“Well no one will see your wings, so you’ll be fine,†said Cara turning onto the freeway headed for Phoenix.
“I know, but I can see them, so it’ll bug me all night if I don’t get it off,†Alyssa squinted her eyes into a glare at no one in particular, “Dang wings.â€
After half an hour of Panic at the Disco, Lady Gaga, and Three Days Grace Cara pulled into a crowded parking lot in front of the Badass Bar.
“Wow, Badass Bar. That’s so…cliché.†Alyssa commented as she stood in the warm summer air and examined her surroundings.
The Challenger was parked between a black hummer and a blue f250 in the middle of the bar’s parking lot. The road they entered from was a desolate side road that screamed “murderâ€. Yet, Cara hadn’t shown signs of any weird feelings, so the place must have been fine.
Cara and Alyssa approached the short line in front of the double doors and could hear loud, if muffled, music streaming from inside.
“See, the good thing about being late is we don’t have to wait in a long line.†Alyssa tried.
“True.†Cara replied.
Cara approached a muscular man with short blonde hair and a mouth missing a few teeth. She handed him two tickets and held out her ID.
“Go straight then take a left, you can sit at any table there. Sorry, Babe, but I can’t let you into the bar. Is she with you?†The man asked pointing to Alyssa.
“Yeah, she is. To the left?â€
“You got it, Babe, to the left.â€
“Ok, thanks.†Cara flashed him one of her oh so sexy smiles, her brown eyes lighting up.
Alyssa suppressed a giggle as she followed Cara into the bar and to the left set of tables. The room was dim, crowded, and pounding with metal.
“Look for a table near the stage.†Cara shouted to Alyssa. “Oh, I found one, over here.â€
The two weaved through the crowded area where people were standing, head banging to the rhythm of the guitar, and attempting to jump up and down in the confined area. They reached a small table in the far front corner of the room and plopped down. Just as they sat down the song ended, and the band announced a short break. The room was filled with hooting and clapping as the band left the stage. Finally, everyone sat down allowing the girls a view of the instruments on the slight stage and the blurred heads of band members behind the stage.
“Aw man, right when we get here.†Alyssa said crossing her arms across her chest.
“That’s alright. Now we have a chance to talk to them.†Cara said an excited and mischievous look on her face. “Come on. You’ll love them.†She pulled Alyssa after her and the girls swerved back through the crowd towards the back of the stage.
Cara squeezed through the crowd with “excuse meâ€s and booty bumps, dragging Alyssa behind her. The girls resurfaced in front of a tall, toned boy with long curling brown hair and piercing blue eyes that landed with happy surprise on Cara’s familiar face.
“Cara Terry.†The boy said in a calm tone. “Long time no see.†He seemed to be examining her, waiting for something.
“Yeah, too long.†Cara lurched forward and caught the boy in a hug. His arms wrapped gently around her in a protective manner.
Alyssa watched all the while examining her best friend’s interaction with gladness. Since the beginning of summer Cara had been bringing up her old friend or his band’s performance tonight in almost every one of their conversations. Alyssa knew that this was special so she had promised to set everything aside for the Death Angels’ concert. Plus, she didn’t mind a bit of adventure on a Saturday night. Seeing Cara now, reuniting with someone she must have cared a lot about, was relieving to Alyssa.
Cara let go of the boy and turned sideways, facing Alyssa on one side and the boy on the other.
“Sage, this is my best friend, Alyssa.†She waved her hand first at Sage and then at Alyssa.
“Nice to meet you!†Alyssa smiled and held out her hand, always feeling a necessity to shake hands when first meeting someone.
Sage held out his hand to meet Alyssa’s and shook it with a firm gentleness. Then he stepped back and motioned to the guys that had gathered behind him.
“These are the other band members. Derrick plays lead guitar. Jack plays bass. And Lowan plays the drums.â€
“I don’t just ‘play’ the drums,†Lowan said with a sly and goofy smile. “I shred ‘em.â€
Derrick was taller than the others and had spiked dirty-blonde hair and dull brown eyes. He and Jack, who was a lanky brunette, seemed to be laid back. Lowan was obviously the rambunctious one. He had long, straight dark red hair that fell almost to his chin. His eyes were dark brown with flashes of red-gold near the iris. He was just as tall as Sage, but not so built.
“What brings you lovely ladies here tonight?†Lowan asked sweeping his eyes over both of the girls and coming to a stop at Alyssa.
“To see some drum shredding, of course,†Alyssa teased.
“And to see Sage,†Cara added. She turned to Sage, “I found out that you were the lead singer of the Death Angels and that you were playing here tonight, so I had to come.â€
“I’m so glad you did.†Sage said, never taking his eyes off Cara.
“Well you’ll definitely catch some drum shredding and some world rocking with us,†Lowan said, tapping his drum sticks together, as the boys whooped in approval, “How do you like us so far?â€
“We actually just got here,†Cara turned and smiled at Alyssa.
“Hey! I got ready as fast as I could!†She said and threw her hands up.
“Excuses. Excuses,†Cara shook her head, her long dark brown hair swishing back and forth, “So how long are you guys in town?â€
“We actually don’t know. We’re going to stay a while and catch up with family and friends that we’ve all missed. And Derrick and Jack were actually thinking of finishing up school here,†Sage explained.
“Where were you going to school before?†Alyssa asked.
“We haven’t been. Lowan and I are out of school, so we’ve been moving around, following gigs,†Sage pointed to Derrick and Jack, “They’re supposed to be on some home school program.â€
“We never do it. No one’s there to make us do our work, so we just focus on music,†Jack said.
“Who needs school anyways?†Lowan smirked.
“Yeah. Really. I can’t wait to be done with it. Alyssa and I go to Eagle Cliff,†Cara said with distaste.
The boys looked at her blankly, and so they should. Eagle Cliff was a tiny charter school that almost no one had heard of. There would be a meager 30 people in the upcoming senior class and a grand total of 300 students. The school was bleak, oppressive, and stressful. If you couldn’t say that Alyssa and Cara hated it, then strong dislike would be the best way to describe their feelings.
“So you guys are school girls, then? How old are you guys? I would have figured 19 or 18.†Lowan’s sly smile still plastered to his face as if it were stuck like that.
“Yea we are,†Cara laughed, “and you’re right about me, I’m 18.â€
“I’m 17,†Alyssa said hesitantly.
It wasn’t the most awesome thing to be 17 when your best friend and all the people you hung out with were 18 or older.
The boys nodded their heads as a man came up to them.
“You’re back on in 5,†he said and hurried off.
“Well that’s our cue,†Sage said, “It was nice to meet you, Alyssa. And good to see you again, Cara.â€
He shook hands with Alyssa again, and embraced Cara in a strong hug.
“Enjoy the show!†Lowan shouted and tapped Alyssa on the shoulder.
“Will do!†She called back as the boys headed toward the stage.
Sage turned around just as the girls were about to leave and stared at Cara with something like pain in his face.
“Cara,†He called.
“Yeah?â€
“Thanks for coming.â€
They both smiled and time seemed frozen in that moment. The look on Sage’s face was instantly replaced with a joyful look. He followed his band, and Cara and Alyssa walked off to find their table, in the opposite direction.
