Red Letters Part One

Red Letters1

Walking along the swelteringly hot sidewalk of the deserted Madison terrace was a small group of kids, around 16 years old. Some were carrying instruments, all dressed in very different attire than the residents of the quiet street. A tall blonde kid broke away, mumbling something to his friends. He is the guitarist; the four kids are Red Letters, a new up and coming band in the area. The guitarist, Liam, made his way to a large house and waved at the kids as they walked on. The leader of the band and singer, Amy, led the rest of the group to another house and minutes later, they left Madison terrace with an extra member, Big Al, he was the “Agent” for the band.2

He organised band practices and got them the occasional gig at some dingy bar at the weekend. They continued to trudge the streets until they came to a slightly less glamorous area where the houses were small and unkempt. They turned down a street named Cosgrove Place and walked to the first house on the corner. Amy produced a key and flung the door open, the house was empty and silent, there was nobody home.3

“What did I tell you guys? Party time!” She turned and ushered the rest of the group inside. 4

The band crashed in the front room whilst Amy made a few phone calls, a half hour later the drinks were flowing and the party was well underway. At nine the doorbell rang and Liam walked through the door holding a crate of cider and with his guitar slung around his shoulder. Amy bumped into him in the hallway and a puzzled look took over her face.5

“And the guitar is for?” She asked him slowly.6

He replied with a proud look on his face “I just got my mini-amp, plus I bartered a remote lead for half price so I wanted to try them out”7

“You couldn’t wait ‘till you got home could you?”8

Liam frowned at the remark and started to mumble one of his long winded apologies but Amy cut him off.9

“Shut up and get a beer” She told him. A very confused Liam shook his head and grabbed a beer from the fridge. As Amy sat on the couch in the front room her friends proposed a toast to Red Letters and the future success of the band. Everyone joined in with the not so sophisticated toast and the sound of clinking beer cans echoed around the room along with laughter. Amy looked around her and saw the people enjoying the party, her party. She felt good for the first time in her life and took another swig of beer.10

Liam checked his phone and sighed, he had invited a guy around but he was 20 minutes late, he was a guy he had met recently who said he could play guitar and the band was looking for a backing guitarist. He pulled his phone out and dialled the guy’s number the call connected and a gruff “Yeah” answered.11

“Where the hell are ya man?” he almost shouted, he had a thing for doing things right and it showed.12

“Give you a clue” Was the reply. Liam frowned and snapped the phone shut as the doorbell rang. He stayed Amy with a wave of the hand and went to answer the door.13

As the guy entered the room he grinned and waved. Liam introduced him to the band and the few others there.14

“I want y’all to meet Sean, he’s a friend of mine out of school but he’s moving here in a few weeks and he is a fellow guitarist” Hey’s and wassup’s echoed around the room and there were a few looks from girls. Sean sat his lanky frame next to Liam who had already acquired his favourite spot on the musty sofa by the bay windows. He brushed his shoulder length blonde hair from his face and took in the party, there were a few good looking girls but a girl on the sofa across from him caught his eye, she had long dark hair and was talking quietly with two other girls. Liam poked him in the side of his head and distracted him from the girl.15

“Huh? What?” He mumbled. 16

“Wanna beer? Oh and, eyes off Amy, if you’re going to be in the band, we have a strict rule, no relationships between members plus, you’re out of your depth with her, she is uncontrollable” He muttered with a warning look. Sean replied with a wry grin.17

“Ill take the beer thanks”18

An hour later everyone but the members of the band and Sean was slightly drunk and Liam pulled his guitar out and began to play Stairway to Heaven. Sean watched him and began to see that Liam was no amateur, he had a good fretting technique but he couldn’t pluck the notes properly, he kept hitting bum notes but he muted them to keep them out of the way. After the solo he smiled smugly and looked at Sean as if to say “Beat that”19

Sean took it as a challenge and nodded at Liam who passed the guitar over. The band instantly recognised the tension between the two guitarists and Amy shouted 20

“Solo battle!” Sean smiled and asked which style they wanted to hear, Amy immediately said “Knopfler” And Sean nodded.21

He started slowly, making his way up the guitars’ neck with soft, drawn out notes and began to speed up when he reached the last ten frets, using the whammy bar a little at first but slowing again, then almost coming to a stop.22

“That it? Okay I win” Liam announced.23

“I’m not done yet” Sean said softly. He began to hit the notes as he did before, only this time he was much faster and he pulled the string every note he played creating a surreal effect, then using the whammy bar again. He finished off with a typical but impressive arpeggio making the Vintage Les Paul sound like a Spanish guitar, even though it was a solid bodied electric. The onlookers issued a collective gasp as he opened his eyes. That was another thing people noticed about him, he soloed with closed eyes.24

“That’s it” Sean said.25

“Well, I guess we solved the guitarist problem then, how’s about you join the band?” Liam stood and took back the guitar from a slightly blushing Sean.26

“Come on, you’re really good!” Amy pleaded from across the room she nudged the other girls and they all started to plead. Sean sort of smiled and nodded a yeah, evidently pleasing the rest of the group.27

“Have another beer!” Liam shouted, Sean took the beer and grinned inanely. Liam looked at the rest of the band and saw Amy with her eyes locked onto Sean, even when the noise had died down. The party was going well an hour later and when all but the band members had left, Liam pulled Amy into the kitchen.28

“You’re into him aren’t you?” Liam whispered feverishly, holding her by the shoulders. Amy rolled her eyes and nodded.29

“Only a bit” She mumbled.30

“Give me a break, you were watching him for like an hour, you can’t keep your eyes off him” Liam said. Amy stared past him, obviously ignoring him.31

“Hello? He shook her by the shoulders and turned around; Sean was there, getting a beer. Sean turned and held his drink up. 32

“Great party” He told Amy. 33

“Thanks” She replied almost breathlessly. Liam gave her a killer look but she smiled and went back to the front room behind Sean.