Sustain
Page 46
“Yeah. Okay.”
Leaning back in my seat, I couldn’t deny he was right about one thing—Emerson was a loose cannon. He’d have to go, but the real question was when that would happen. Braden was a good drummer, but Brielle was the better drummer, and she knew us. We could trust her, well, my mouth twitched…for the most part.
“Hello, hello, hello! This is Jack and Jill from KXJB 92.3 and guess what, folks? However good it might be out there, it’s not as good as it is in here. You want to know why? We have the boys from Sustaiiinnnn! That’s right, folks. For the next hour, Luke—”
“Hello.”
“—Braden—”
“What’s up?”
“—Emerson—”
“Yo.”
“—And the one they call Gunn—”
“—Here—”
“Jill here, and I know there are a lot of female listeners out there who want to know, drooling to know more about you guys. Ladies and gentlemen, if you have a question, call in to our station or tweet us at #kxjbsustain with your questions. For the next hour, we have these rock stars, semi-gods, with us live. Luke! I’m just going to jump in with the first question, get right down to business—”
“Oh, no.”
“Jill says she’s asking for the listeners, but we all know she’s asking for herself.”
“Jack! Who’s doing this interview?”
“I might have to. You’ve got some of your own drool there, right on the side, Jill.
“I’m going to ignore my co-host and pretend to be the professional deejay they hired me for—not a word, Jack. So, Luke, here’s the first question. I have to know, and thousands of other women want to know, too…are you single?”
“Ha! The right question is which girl is next? Right, buddy?!”
“Yeah, what was it? For a while there, you were beating Braden and me with girls. Nah, man. The Skeet ain’t single.”
“Thanks, Braden and Emerson. You’re really making me look good.”
“Anything for you, Luke.”
“I’m surprised Gunn didn’t jump in there either—”
“You were a man-whore for a while.”
“Thanks, Gunn.”
“Anything for you.”
“Oh, man! So this is Sustain uncensored, huh? Give us more dirt. I’ll be honest here. I know Jill’s silently panting over there, but I have to admit that I’m interested, too. You guys blew up the charts. Who were you a year and a half ago? You guys are everywhere now, but before—where are you guys from? What were you guys doing? We want to know everything about you guys.”
“Uh, first things first, Jack. Girlfriends. I want to know. Who has one, and who doesn’t?”
“I’m going to tackle this one. This is Braden speaking, and that question can be directed to only one of us. Right, Gunn?”
“My private life is private, Braden.”
“Ha! No doubt. He dropped the bomb on us today that he’s got a girl back home waiting for him.”
“Do tell, Gunn! And for the ladies at home listening, you should know that the other three members are not answering this question. In fact, they didn’t even look at me as I asked it. Come on, Braden, Emerson, Luke. Everyone wants to know. Anyone special back home for you, guys?”
“Yes, I have to add to my co-anchor. They’re still not answering Jill’s question.”
“So, does that mean there is someone special at home?”
“We’re single. We just don’t want to admit to how many women there’ve been.”
“Speak for yourself, Braden—”
“Watch yourself, Emerson. I don’t think any one of us has done some of the dirty shit you’ve done.”
“We are live and uncensored, ladies and gentlemen. What you just heard was a smackdown delivered by the front man and some who have labeled the brains behind the international and platinum-selling band, Sustain. Luke, all jokes aside, let’s talk real for a moment.”
“Bring it, Jack. What do you have to throw at me?”
We waited in the hallway after the interview while Priscilla remained inside. She was still talking with the deejays.
Emerson watched her, leaning against the wall next to me. He grunted. “This is going to take forever. Where’s the bathroom? I need to take a dump.”
As he went in search of the bathroom, Braden shook his head. “Better here than stinking up our bus.”
“Van,” Peter added, still focused on his phone.
“What?”
“Van. You guys are taking a van.”
“We’ve always taken a bus. Why a van now?”
“Because.” Peter finished his last message and tucked the phone into his pocket. A bored expression that mingled with contempt gazed back at us. “You said you wanted to be inconspicuous. Rolling into town in a big tour bus isn’t that. It’s the opposite.”
Gunn, Braden, and I shared a look. We wouldn’t mind the van, but we knew someone who would. As one, all three of us turned to where Emerson had disappeared.
Braden let out a quick laugh. “No way am I breaking that news to him.”
“He will just have to deal with it, won’t he? Like a good little boy,” Peter murmured, typing a new message on his phone.
I smirked. “I don’t think Emerson was ever a good little boy.”
Gunn nodded beside me.
Braden looked ready to say something new when Peter’s phone buzzed, and our manager hit a button, bringing it to his ear. “Hello?” Silence. “Oh, yes. Wonderful. We are ready and waiting.”
“The van is here?”
Peter held a finger to Braden and waited as the other person said more. He finished with, “Sounds great. We will be ready for you guys. See you in a few.” Putting his phone into his pocket, he knocked on the window and made a motioning gesture to his sister to hurry up.
Priscilla came out and led the way to the back parking lot. A large white van was waiting for us. I asked, “What about all our stuff?”
“Already sent ahead. Everything will be waiting for you at that bar you own.” Priscilla opened the door, and we were presented with stiff and awkward-looking seats.
Gunn peered around me into the van. “I should take the middle.” He added, “For myself.”
Leaning back in my seat, I couldn’t deny he was right about one thing—Emerson was a loose cannon. He’d have to go, but the real question was when that would happen. Braden was a good drummer, but Brielle was the better drummer, and she knew us. We could trust her, well, my mouth twitched…for the most part.
“Hello, hello, hello! This is Jack and Jill from KXJB 92.3 and guess what, folks? However good it might be out there, it’s not as good as it is in here. You want to know why? We have the boys from Sustaiiinnnn! That’s right, folks. For the next hour, Luke—”
“Hello.”
“—Braden—”
“What’s up?”
“—Emerson—”
“Yo.”
“—And the one they call Gunn—”
“—Here—”
“Jill here, and I know there are a lot of female listeners out there who want to know, drooling to know more about you guys. Ladies and gentlemen, if you have a question, call in to our station or tweet us at #kxjbsustain with your questions. For the next hour, we have these rock stars, semi-gods, with us live. Luke! I’m just going to jump in with the first question, get right down to business—”
“Oh, no.”
“Jill says she’s asking for the listeners, but we all know she’s asking for herself.”
“Jack! Who’s doing this interview?”
“I might have to. You’ve got some of your own drool there, right on the side, Jill.
“I’m going to ignore my co-host and pretend to be the professional deejay they hired me for—not a word, Jack. So, Luke, here’s the first question. I have to know, and thousands of other women want to know, too…are you single?”
“Ha! The right question is which girl is next? Right, buddy?!”
“Yeah, what was it? For a while there, you were beating Braden and me with girls. Nah, man. The Skeet ain’t single.”
“Thanks, Braden and Emerson. You’re really making me look good.”
“Anything for you, Luke.”
“I’m surprised Gunn didn’t jump in there either—”
“You were a man-whore for a while.”
“Thanks, Gunn.”
“Anything for you.”
“Oh, man! So this is Sustain uncensored, huh? Give us more dirt. I’ll be honest here. I know Jill’s silently panting over there, but I have to admit that I’m interested, too. You guys blew up the charts. Who were you a year and a half ago? You guys are everywhere now, but before—where are you guys from? What were you guys doing? We want to know everything about you guys.”
“Uh, first things first, Jack. Girlfriends. I want to know. Who has one, and who doesn’t?”
“I’m going to tackle this one. This is Braden speaking, and that question can be directed to only one of us. Right, Gunn?”
“My private life is private, Braden.”
“Ha! No doubt. He dropped the bomb on us today that he’s got a girl back home waiting for him.”
“Do tell, Gunn! And for the ladies at home listening, you should know that the other three members are not answering this question. In fact, they didn’t even look at me as I asked it. Come on, Braden, Emerson, Luke. Everyone wants to know. Anyone special back home for you, guys?”
“Yes, I have to add to my co-anchor. They’re still not answering Jill’s question.”
“So, does that mean there is someone special at home?”
“We’re single. We just don’t want to admit to how many women there’ve been.”
“Speak for yourself, Braden—”
“Watch yourself, Emerson. I don’t think any one of us has done some of the dirty shit you’ve done.”
“We are live and uncensored, ladies and gentlemen. What you just heard was a smackdown delivered by the front man and some who have labeled the brains behind the international and platinum-selling band, Sustain. Luke, all jokes aside, let’s talk real for a moment.”
“Bring it, Jack. What do you have to throw at me?”
We waited in the hallway after the interview while Priscilla remained inside. She was still talking with the deejays.
Emerson watched her, leaning against the wall next to me. He grunted. “This is going to take forever. Where’s the bathroom? I need to take a dump.”
As he went in search of the bathroom, Braden shook his head. “Better here than stinking up our bus.”
“Van,” Peter added, still focused on his phone.
“What?”
“Van. You guys are taking a van.”
“We’ve always taken a bus. Why a van now?”
“Because.” Peter finished his last message and tucked the phone into his pocket. A bored expression that mingled with contempt gazed back at us. “You said you wanted to be inconspicuous. Rolling into town in a big tour bus isn’t that. It’s the opposite.”
Gunn, Braden, and I shared a look. We wouldn’t mind the van, but we knew someone who would. As one, all three of us turned to where Emerson had disappeared.
Braden let out a quick laugh. “No way am I breaking that news to him.”
“He will just have to deal with it, won’t he? Like a good little boy,” Peter murmured, typing a new message on his phone.
I smirked. “I don’t think Emerson was ever a good little boy.”
Gunn nodded beside me.
Braden looked ready to say something new when Peter’s phone buzzed, and our manager hit a button, bringing it to his ear. “Hello?” Silence. “Oh, yes. Wonderful. We are ready and waiting.”
“The van is here?”
Peter held a finger to Braden and waited as the other person said more. He finished with, “Sounds great. We will be ready for you guys. See you in a few.” Putting his phone into his pocket, he knocked on the window and made a motioning gesture to his sister to hurry up.
Priscilla came out and led the way to the back parking lot. A large white van was waiting for us. I asked, “What about all our stuff?”
“Already sent ahead. Everything will be waiting for you at that bar you own.” Priscilla opened the door, and we were presented with stiff and awkward-looking seats.
Gunn peered around me into the van. “I should take the middle.” He added, “For myself.”
