Read Online Under the Lights (A Brothers of Rock - GONE BY AUTUMN - Novel) by Karolyn James - Free Book Online
Authors: Karolyn James
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” Tanner said. “ Cheap tacos at the place that
closed down. Remember when Asher got drunk and threw up the tacos … one by one …”
“ Never
had tacos again in my life, ” Asher said. “ Food
poisoning. ”
“ Yeah,
right, ” Ryan said with a
laugh. “ If that were the
truth, you get food poisoning three times a week. ”
“ Yeah,
yeah, ” Asher said. “ Can we just play the damn song? ”
Ryan grabbed his mic and put it in
front of Tanner. “ Sing. I ’ ll sit and write what you sing.
Then we ’ ll come up with
something. ”
“ You're
the lyric man, not me. ”
“ We ’ re a band, Tanner. We share
everything. You have a song? Let's hear it. Maybe someday I ’ ll write a guitar riff that
works. It ’ s not a one man
show. Don ’ t ever think
that. I know that bullshit with my old man and those magazines was intense. But
it ’ s done. Gone. Over. ”
Tanner felt a little guilty as Ryan
took a seat in front of him. Guilt was good for the song. Tanner remembered
writing the song a long time ago when he learned a truth that exposed a ton of
lies. He liked the guitar part in the song and was hoping Ryan would just
rewrite the lyrics.
I guess not.
Tanner licked his lips and started
to play. He ran through the main riff once and looked to Blake and nodded.
Blake started to strum his guitar. After one more time, Asher came in with the
sad notes.
They kept playing over and over and
then Tanner called it off.
“ That ’ s a good intro to it, ” Tanner said. “ After the fourth time, hold the
main note and let it fade. Then I guess I ’ ll
start singing. ” He looked
back. “ You three try to
grab the chorus and sing when you can. Don ’ t
worry about throwing me off. Okay? ”
Tanner started to sing, pulling out
lyrics that were so old that, even in his mind, there was dust covering them.
It amazed him how fast they came back though. And it amazed him how much it
still hurt his heart to sing the words.
Tragedy.
Tanner closed his eyes and belted
out the chorus. It was just him, a 12-string guitar, and Blake strumming rhythm
on an acoustic guitar.
After the first run through, Tanner
stopped and backed away from the mic.
“ That ’ s good enough, ” he said. “ I got the rest. I ’ ll write it down for you, Ryan. ”
“ What
the hell? ” Ryan asked. “ That was pretty amazing, Tanner.
I think we can do this one together. ”
“ No, ” Tanner said. “ This is meant for the harmonies.
It needs at least one other voice. Not mine. ”
Ryan nodded and stood up. “ Let ’ s work it out then. ”
Tanner and Ryan finished the
lyrics. He scribbled them on the paper and then dropped the pen when he was
done.
“ There, ” Tanner said. “ Fix it. Make it sound good. ”
“ It
does sound good, ” Ryan
said. “ We ’ re grown up now, man. That song
just needed time and life to help it grow. It's really good."
“ Yeah.
Sure. Just do what you want with it. ”
“ Hey,
man, you okay with things? ” Ryan asked.
Tanner looked away. “ All is right with the world,
brother. ”
“ Come
on, don ’ t bullshit me. I
can see it all over your face. Something ’ s
getting to you. ”
“ No.
Just had a weird night, weirder morning. I thought I would strum the chords to
the song and you ’ d sing it.
Didn ’ t expect to go back in
time. ”
Ryan punched Tanner in the arm. “ Hey, we all came from the past.
Remember that. Yeah, we let it go, but we did come from it. That shit got us
where we are... together."
The band went back to work for
another hour before Sam left to take a call and came back holding his phone in
the air, shaking it back and forth.
“ Gentlemen, ” he announced, “ come check this out. ”
The band thanked the singers for
their hard work and told them to take off for the day. Tanner stared at Jules
while Sam spoke to the singers about their pay. He told them they ’ d have their first payment
within a day or two, and that there were terms being
closed down. Remember when Asher got drunk and threw up the tacos … one by one …”
“ Never
had tacos again in my life, ” Asher said. “ Food
poisoning. ”
“ Yeah,
right, ” Ryan said with a
laugh. “ If that were the
truth, you get food poisoning three times a week. ”
“ Yeah,
yeah, ” Asher said. “ Can we just play the damn song? ”
Ryan grabbed his mic and put it in
front of Tanner. “ Sing. I ’ ll sit and write what you sing.
Then we ’ ll come up with
something. ”
“ You're
the lyric man, not me. ”
“ We ’ re a band, Tanner. We share
everything. You have a song? Let's hear it. Maybe someday I ’ ll write a guitar riff that
works. It ’ s not a one man
show. Don ’ t ever think
that. I know that bullshit with my old man and those magazines was intense. But
it ’ s done. Gone. Over. ”
Tanner felt a little guilty as Ryan
took a seat in front of him. Guilt was good for the song. Tanner remembered
writing the song a long time ago when he learned a truth that exposed a ton of
lies. He liked the guitar part in the song and was hoping Ryan would just
rewrite the lyrics.
I guess not.
Tanner licked his lips and started
to play. He ran through the main riff once and looked to Blake and nodded.
Blake started to strum his guitar. After one more time, Asher came in with the
sad notes.
They kept playing over and over and
then Tanner called it off.
“ That ’ s a good intro to it, ” Tanner said. “ After the fourth time, hold the
main note and let it fade. Then I guess I ’ ll
start singing. ” He looked
back. “ You three try to
grab the chorus and sing when you can. Don ’ t
worry about throwing me off. Okay? ”
Tanner started to sing, pulling out
lyrics that were so old that, even in his mind, there was dust covering them.
It amazed him how fast they came back though. And it amazed him how much it
still hurt his heart to sing the words.
Tragedy.
Tanner closed his eyes and belted
out the chorus. It was just him, a 12-string guitar, and Blake strumming rhythm
on an acoustic guitar.
After the first run through, Tanner
stopped and backed away from the mic.
“ That ’ s good enough, ” he said. “ I got the rest. I ’ ll write it down for you, Ryan. ”
“ What
the hell? ” Ryan asked. “ That was pretty amazing, Tanner.
I think we can do this one together. ”
“ No, ” Tanner said. “ This is meant for the harmonies.
It needs at least one other voice. Not mine. ”
Ryan nodded and stood up. “ Let ’ s work it out then. ”
Tanner and Ryan finished the
lyrics. He scribbled them on the paper and then dropped the pen when he was
done.
“ There, ” Tanner said. “ Fix it. Make it sound good. ”
“ It
does sound good, ” Ryan
said. “ We ’ re grown up now, man. That song
just needed time and life to help it grow. It's really good."
“ Yeah.
Sure. Just do what you want with it. ”
“ Hey,
man, you okay with things? ” Ryan asked.
Tanner looked away. “ All is right with the world,
brother. ”
“ Come
on, don ’ t bullshit me. I
can see it all over your face. Something ’ s
getting to you. ”
“ No.
Just had a weird night, weirder morning. I thought I would strum the chords to
the song and you ’ d sing it.
Didn ’ t expect to go back in
time. ”
Ryan punched Tanner in the arm. “ Hey, we all came from the past.
Remember that. Yeah, we let it go, but we did come from it. That shit got us
where we are... together."
The band went back to work for
another hour before Sam left to take a call and came back holding his phone in
the air, shaking it back and forth.
“ Gentlemen, ” he announced, “ come check this out. ”
The band thanked the singers for
their hard work and told them to take off for the day. Tanner stared at Jules
while Sam spoke to the singers about their pay. He told them they ’ d have their first payment
within a day or two, and that there were terms being
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