“Here. You’re gonna’ need your glasses.” I said to Roger as I dug through a bag to find them. There was a lot of action in view from the road crew bus before they headed off for the venue with equipment. I was starting to wonder how on Earth we got all of this stuff into two busses. Granted, there was a lot of scurrying around on this bus as well.

 “Has anyone seen my eyeliner!? Anyone? Mary! Where is it!?” Freddie had worked himself into a semi-panicked state over this and time was running out before. John was nervous about leavin' Veronica. You could seen the discontent in his eyes.

 “Freddie! Why!? WHY did you just throw all this shit in the floor!? Look! This is a pile of clothes strung up from one end of this bus to another and we are gonna’ have to hang every bit of this up when you four leave! God! Freddie!” Mary was less than thrilled with him.

 "I couldn't find what I wanted to wear so..." Mary cut Freddie off.

 "So you threw it all everywhere. I know how ya' are. Get dressed. I gotta do ya' nails." Mary shook her head and huffed. For whatever reason, Veronica found this comment and Mary's actions to be hilarious. She bent over on the couch as much as her body would allow in laughter. It tickled John. He loved to hear her laugh.

 "Is that what you're wearin'?" I asked of Roger.

 "Yeah, you like it?" He answered me, taking his glasses that I had dug out of the bag for him.

 "No! No! It is most certainly not what you're wearing!! I'm wearing that jacket, Roger! That's what I was looking for! Take it off now! Find something else!" Freddie demanded.

 "What do you mean find somethin' else? I'm wearin' this!" Roger insisted.

 "No! I want that! Lydia, take that jacket off a' him and throw it to me. It's the only thing that goes perfectly with this jumpsuit!" Freddie clapped his hands together and motioned for me to take this jacket off of Roger and throw it to him.

 "Freddie! I am lookin' at four other jackets you could wear in that pile." Mary reprimanded him. John, being the only one dressed and ready to go, was laughing at all of this with Veronica from the couch.

 "But I want that one! Besides, Roger's pretty enough. Roger! Take that damn thing off now!"

 "What in the world is he screamin' about? Look at Brian." Chrissie said, stepping out of the back bedroom with Brian. Both Mary and Veronica whistled at him in approval, which made him self conscious.

 "How's Chrissie gonna' get you outta' those tight pants later, stud? And furthermore, how did you get into them?" Mary asked. Brian looked good. He looked real good. As I darted my eyes to John, to Freddie, Brian, Roger and back again I noticed something I hadn't witnessed in any of the four of them before: they were nervous. I guess it was to be expected. After all, this was the first time playing actual concert halls and outdoor venues. They had every reason to be nervous.

 "I had help." Brian answered Mary. He loved this response and it was so out of character for him.

 "You know, I've always wondered something. Brian, you're so much taller than Chrissie. Is she on top every time? How does this work? Please tell us or demonstrate." Freddie asked. This only made John and Veronica laugh even more.

 "Ooooh shit! I am positively gonna' lose my bladder if you people don't stop!" She said through her laughter. This was the perfect distraction from the whole jacket incident Freddie was hung up on. I looked back to the back of the bus. Brian's hands were on Chrissie's shoulders.

 "Oh my god! You're right! Why...why have I never taken the time to ask you about this, Chrissie!?" Naturally, she hid her face in her hands but it didn't last long because she was smiling so stupidly. "Flip your head over, sweetheart." I told Roger.

 "I'm not THAT much taller than her!" Brian said, leaning over and kissing her.

 "Brian! Your hair just engulfed her face entirely! Don't try to be shorter than you are. So, anyway who gets on top most? Oh! Is there a different position that works better for you two?!" Freddie had finally relaxed enough to sit and let Mary paint his nails. The missing eyeliner was in the bag left at their home on the couch. Fortunately, Mary and I had extra.

 "I'm on top." Brian mumbled quickly and quietly. "Hey, who strung all these clothes out everywhere? He followed up his statement in a normal tone of voice.

 "As usual, Freddie got carried away. You know how he gets when he's a little uptight.

 "There." I said after shaking Roger's hair out and flipping him back upright. "Hold on." I returned to the bag I had in the floor and pulled out the large can of hairspray. "Close your eyes." I told Roger before dowsing him in spray.

 "Why do I need this?" Roger asked as the fumes from the aerosol can began to fill the bus. It was also time for a cigarette, but I couldn't get to one yet. There was too much nervous energy around me.

 "Because, you'll sweat most of it out in no time. You need something hold this in place at least for a little while.” I threw the can to Chrissie next. "You won't last 30 seconds in that jacket under those lights, Roger. Here. Let Freddie be miserable and put this on instead." I dug around in the mayhem in the floor and found another shirt that would better suit Roger.

 "Really?" He asked, sliding the heavy jacket off. I nodded my head and handed him a much thinner short-sleeved shirt.

 "Don't button it. Leave it open." I insisted as I handed Roger a cigarette and then took one for myself. He looked good. God, did he look good. I threw the jacket that Freddie had wanted to the top of the pile of clothes.

 "It's sad that I can even bend over to help pick this stuff up!" Veronica said. "I remember when I was able to  see my feet and pick things up from the floor." She laughed again. "Shit, Freddie...it's like a whirlwind came through here. You made the biggest mess! I'm lookin' at four garment bags and at least twelve hangers among this wreckage!" He smiled at Veronica.

 "I'm sorry, but it was necessary!"

 "Here's this jacket you wanted." Mary said, having finished his nails. She pulled the jacket Roger was wearing from the top of the clothes in the floor.

 "Oh, I don't want that anymore. It will be far too hot." Freddie said. There was a knock on our door and we could hear the squeaky springs as it pushed open.

 "Limo is here! The equipment is already at the hall. Press conference first. Let's go!" David yelled into the bus. At that moment there was a pause between all of us on the bus. This was it. Opening night.

 Freddie sighed audibly. "Ooo...this is it. I think I'm ready. You?" Freddie put his hand over his stomach as he shot eyes to everyone. I could feel Roger tug on the belt loop of my jeans. He pulled me over to him.

 "You're comin' to the sound check right?" Roger looked up at me from the couch with big, pleading blue eyes.

 "Of course, I am. Rog...it's gonna' be fine." I assured him.

 "We've never talked to press before. Well, not…like…major press." He whispered to me.

 "Just be you. They'll love you." My words didn't seem to comfort him at all.

 "But what if they don't?" He asked me honestly. I put my fingers under his chin.

 “Then fuck them. If the press doesn’t love you, the audience will certainly make a noise.” Roger shook his head at me. That was what he had hoped to hear from me.

 “Hey, take care of Veronica.” John leaned over my shoulders and told me as he stood up from the couch. I gave him a nod.

 “Relax. We’ve got ‘er.” I gave John a pat on the shoulder. He smiled, though it was a nervous smile.

 “Let’s gooooo!” David yelled through the door again. John breathed out heavily and looked at Freddie, giving him two thumbs up.

 “Hey! Look what happens when John tries to hug me like this.” Veronica laughed and opened her arms out to John. He leaned reached for her as much as he could until her growing stomach blocked him. Chrissie, Mary and Freddie laughed at this as Freddie kissed Mary and made his way toward the front of the bus.

 “I love you. We’ll see you soon, okay?” Chrissie said to Brian before sending him along. He nodded at her before pulling her in against his chest.

 “Go.” I put my arms around Roger, inhaling the hairspray around his neck. “You’re gonna’ be alright.” I could feel his nerves as he hugged me with stiff arms. I drug my hand up and down his back. Roger oozed confidence nearly one hundred percent of the time but right now I could tell…his vulnerability was peeking through. “I love you, okay?” I kissed his temple before shooing him along. Myself, Chrissie, Mary and Veronica could reenact how tonight would actually go despite their fears. In fact, when we came back to the bus later for girls’ night, we probably would.

 “Hey, there’s a car comin’ by to get you in about an hour to see the music hall and to see the sound check. You do wanna’ go, yeah?” David asked.

 “That sounds fabulous, David. Thank you!” Mary called to him.

 Later that night, myself, Mary, Chrissie and Veronica were standin’ in the back of the music hall. The amplifiers were squeaking and screeching, the mikes being adjusted and there were chords being thrown about everywhere. It was so exhilarating as the four of us stood in the back. Watching this unfold before our eyes was monumental.

 “Oh god, Lydia…I don’t gotta’ tell you what this reminds me of, do I?” Veronica asked. I smiled and looked to the maroon carpeted floor.

 “No. No, you don’t. Can you believe it? I mean, really. Can you believe we’re standin’ here right now? I shoulda’ brought my sketchpad. I left it in the bus.” I told her. Mary and Chrissie were walking to opposite corners of the hall while Veronica and I stood in the middle underneath the mezzanine.

 “Check. Check. Check. Maaarrrrry! Telllll me if yoooou can heeeear thiiiiiiiis!” Freddie sang to her. She held two thumbs into the air. I felt overcome me as his voice filled this auditorium. “Maybe turn it up a little here? Not at the piano, though.” Freddie said flinging the cord around and heading over to the piano. We couldn’t hear a word he said when he was away from the mike. Roger was propped up higher on the stage on two successive platforms. I could feel cold chills run all over me when he tested the balance of the mike, the snare, the tom, the bass drum and the sea of cymbals. What was even more hair raising was when he put it all together. My god, it was loud. So much louder than Veronica or myself had remembered it bein’ in those bars so long ago. Every drum had a mike on it and every one of them was bein’ hand tuned. I watched Veronica’s face light up as John followed in suit and plucked each string of his bass, the tones reverberating. I watched her put her hand on her heart and smile. He played a lick with Roger as they assessed their balance together. Chrissie had walked back over to where Veronica and I were standing.

 “Think they’ll sell out tonight?” She asked. There was a lot of chatter on the stage once again, we couldn’t understand what was being said.

 “I’d say there’s a good chance.” Veronica told her. At that moment we were startled at the sound released from the prison of Brian’s steel strings. Chrissie looked to him in shock and awe, a dreamy look in her eye as the cries filled the empty space around us. He played a little longer, walking the length of the stage with Freddie.

 “OOOOOOHHHHH….” Chrissie didn’t hold it back at all. “Oooooh, did you hear that.” She leaned her head over on my shoulder.

 “Well, I heard you that’s for sure. Chrissie was so caught up in Brian she didn’t even seem to hear what I had said. Mary was walking back to toward us as well from the bottom of the hall.

 “Let’s go see what kind of crowd is outside.” Mary tugged on my shoulder. I turned around and followed Mary out of the auditorium, down a long carpeted hallway and into the main lobby of the music hall.

 “What if someone sees us?” I asked of her as the sound grew fainter the closer to the doors we got.

 “No one knows who the hell we are.” Mary reminded me.

 “Oh. Right!” I laughed, realizing how silly my statement had been. We had made it to the door and the ticket tellers were already in position. We gave them a look and indicated that we had been here for the sound check. We opened the heavy double doors it into the hot and beautiful July evening. The sun beginning to dip lower in the sky temporarily blinded us. Mary and I looked to our left.

 “Oh my god…” she mumbled to me.

 “The doors don’t open for another half hour right?” I asked Mary.

 “Yeah…and that’s just the doors openin’. The show’s still nearly an hour away. They’ll be here ‘til 2AM signin’ autographs by the looks a’ things.” She answered me as we stood there staring at the line that flooded into the street. I shrugged.

 “All the more champagne for us.” I told her. She laughed at me and slapped my shoulder.

 “You’re awful…but it’s true! Come on, let’s walk around to the side door so no one suspects we are with the band.” Mary said as she took my arm and we turned around and walked the other way. “Did you hear that? We’re with the band.” She said nonchalantly and giggled.

 “Yeah! Hi, we’re Mary and Lydia. Yes, we can walk down this alley. Why? ‘Cause we’re with the band.” I narrated for us. Mary laughed at me.

 “Speaking of which, let’s go grab Chrissie and Veronica. We’ve got a mess to clean up in that stupid bus, remember? Blame it on my dearest because it is his fault.” Mary said laughing again.