Jace and Kate

Chapter 2

Jace

Nothing beats the rush that I get when I'm on stage and I have ten million fans screaming my name. Posters saying ‘I love you, Jace John’ or ‘Will you marry me?’ or some will quote my lyrics. I get to please thousands of people everyday by doing what I love; singing. Woman fling themselves at me just because they are in my presence. Although that can be a downside sometimes.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my fans, but some days I wish I could just disappear for a little while. Walk through the streets of Los Angeles without a disguise or being surrounded by teenage girls with pens saying “Can you sign this?” I want to stop having to change my cell number after a crazy ex-girlfriend/fan/reporter gets a hold of it. And last of all I want friends that aren’t my friends because I’m famous. I want a friend who is my friend because they like me for me.

Maybe I’m just a hopeless dreamer, but if I could have one wish, it would be to disappear for a day or two.

“Yo, Jace, come on, man. You’re on stage in five!” Lee yelled at me, his head poking through my dressing room door.

I think Lee is the only friend I have who doesn’t like me because I’m famous, to which I’m so grateful, although sometimes he does use it to his advantage. I can’t stand fakers. I can’t stand people who try to be my friend when they are only trying to use me. And even though Lee does do that, he is my friend more often than a 'user'. Lee and I have been friends for six years. One month before my sudden fame and glory.

I look in the mirror at the people who are doing my stupid make up and hair. My brown hair is mussed and sticking up in places. It looks like I made it that way, when in actuality I just woke up that way. I stare into my brown eyes and start psyching myself up for tonight’s performance at the Kodak theater.

“Alright, Lee.” I spun in the chair to face him and climbed out.

I pulled the napkin bib out of the collar of my shirt. Then I looked down at my shirt. It was kind of a heavy material and long sleeved. It would not be very good after I have been on the stage for five minutes. It would be soaked with my sweat in seconds. The blinding lights would make it too hot to bare and I wasn't about to strip in front of the crowd.

“Hey, Rhonda, I don’t think that this shirt is gonna work for tonight’s performance. It's too thick.”

“Alright, Hot Shot, what do you think is going to work for tonight’s performance because obviously your trained in this kind of thing.” She said with a cock of her brow and a smirk on her aged lips.

Rhonda had dark brown hair that had a tint of red in it. It was dyed of course. She had some wrinkles showing up on her face from the years it took to raise two kids on her own. Her green eyes were still full of life and a fire that couldn't be tamed. And her smile, I had learned, was full of a love for anyone and everyone. It didn't matter if it was the lowest scumbag, she still mustered up some sort of love. She was an all natural love- bug.

Rhonda's like my second mom. She has been with me since the very beginning. Jackie introduced me to her in the very beginning of my career. She sat me down in a chair and asked me questions about what style I was looking for and what I liked. I immediately liked her.

After a few shows I learned that she had a couple kids that were my age and that her husband left her when her kids were little. She had always wanted to be a stylist, but she never thought that she would be a stylist for the stars. Every Christmas since then, I always gave her a little more of a bonus than everyone else.

“No, I’m not trained in this sort of thing, Beautiful, but I do know what works for me with every performance-” I started, then Lee cut in.

“Two minutes, bro! You gotta get out on that stage sometime. We still have to set up your wires.”

“Ok, Lee thanks bro. I’ll be there in a minute.” I said laying a heavy hand on his shoulder.

His blond hair falling in his eyes a little. He’s the same height as me maybe an inch shorter. He had blue eyes that were so light they were almost gray. He was the same age as I was and he smiled so much he was starting to get wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. He had a deep tan that didn't take too long to keep up with the amount of time that he spent outside playing soccer or football or even volleyball at the beach.

“Yeah whatever, just be out on that stage in two minutes.” he said looking me up and down before adding, “And change that shirt.”

I heard Rhonda huff, and I turned back to her and gave her my famous heart melting smirk.

“I’m on it Lee, just go find someone else to badger so I can do my job without the Dummy being too distracted.”

“Hey!” I laughed.

She smiled and turned back to the rack sifting through the clothing quickly. She pulled out a white button down shirt and a black tie.

“At least when you sweat on that stage, the girls will see your body,” she said in a flat, mocking tone.

“Thank you, Rhonda. You’re the best.” I said giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“I know,” she said, “that’s why I’m here, and I need a raise.”

“Ha, we’ll see about that.”

I peeled off the shirt that was first chosen for me and flung the new one on, buttoning it up quickly, except for the 3 on the top. I put the tie loosely around my neck, and grabbed my favorite Ray Ban Aviators, putting them on while running to the stage entrance. Lee was waiting there next to, Bo, the technician.

“You are late.” Lee said when he saw me. Bo was already helping me get my wire on.

“Come on, only by twenty seconds.”

Another girl techie came up and gave me my favorite blue, six string, Fender, electric guitar. I did a quick tune up and jumped up and down a couple times.

“Whatever, just get out there, Jace, and I hope the curtain kicks you in the butt on the way out.”

I started walking out onstage where my band was waiting. I wiggled my butt at Lee and heard him let out a guffaw.

“Just get out there!” he yelled.

I ran out on the stage to a welcoming roar from the audience. I took a deep breath of the stage air. It was soaked in perfumes and old sweat and fog machine smoke. I revealed a smile and walked up to the mic that was waiting on my cue. Then I began to strum my guitar and play one of my hit songs. The screams of the crowd becoming even louder.