Revelation

PROLOGUE



  I remember when things were so much simpler. It was just me and mom and the seemingly thousands of children I babysat throughout my adolescence. I picked up the maternal instinct at a young age because of my sister, Ella, being born. I was stuck with her so much I might as well have been her second mother. Mom was always working, struggling to support us as a single mother in a small town. She had to be one of the strongest women I knew. But eventually Ella reached an age where I didn't have to worry as much about her and I could go on with my own life. That was probably my Junior year in high school. I joined a band with my best friend Nora. Well, best friend doesn't seem quite right. We really were like sisters and I considered it so. Besides, Mom always told me "blood is thicker than water, so is shit". Vulgar but wise words to go by. Our band "Revelation" started out with just Nora on acoustic and myself on Keyboard. Eventually we  got fed up with the mellow sound and Nora invited some of her closest friends to play with us. And so my second family was formed.



They were all guys, just slightly older than Nora, fresh out of highschool at the time. There was Jared, our bassist, a skinny white boy with a big sense of humor (though it was rare anybody found him funny). He had the surfer look, even though he had never stepped foot out of central Illinois, with sandy blonde hair that was usually greasy and unkempt yet drove the girls crazy at shows. And believe me, that flirt did nothing to discourage them. He and Nora dated for a short time. They seemed really similar-carefree, flirtatious, humorous. But Nora knew when to be serious and was much more loyal than him. She decided it was best to call it off before their relationship problems escalated to the point where being friends was no longer possible. It was a clean break up, no hard feelings, and to this day they still joke around and have even occasionally been caught making out. Sure Nora was loyal, but she had nothing against one night stands.



Then there was our drummer Nate. He was the exact opposite of Jared - tall, muscular, african american. But he was definitely more mellowed out than Jared. Nate had a great sense of humor and loved to tease us. He wasn't as into appearances and grabbing girls at shows, but was much more laid back. Most of the time, he went barefoot on stage, always casual whether at home or at a concert which meant he was never against tearing off his shirt infront of a crowd. Nate seemed to treat me like a little sister, but I didn't mind having an older brother for once.



  The last one to join our band was our violinist, Rorque. He was extremely tall and you could tell just by looking at him that he was mostly french though he had no accent. He had very long, dark brown hair that was a neverending mass of curls and was usually kept tied back. Rorque had a very sophisticated look, but at the same time, it looked perfectly natural for him to wear tattered jeans and a baggy hoody. Much like Nate, he was very mellow, but seemed somewhat uptight at the same time. When it came to music, he was extremely serious and it was often his job to keep us on task were we to let ADD overcome us. He wasn't one to joke around, and seemed even shy at times. However, he would never hesitate to burst out laughing at a good joke or a ridiculous situation, as there often were in Revelation.



  We played shows around our area for about a year or so and quickly gained a large local fanbase. It was much easier to book shows and schedule practices once Nora had graduated and all that was left was me. I couldn't wait for my senior year to be finished with so I could devote all of my time to my new family. And when it came, we made plans immediately to expand our horizons and find new opportunities in a new town. That town was Chicago, a four hour drive from our hometown of Springfield. We searched for apartments in the area and settled on one of the first ones we found. It was exciting beyond belief, a new home, new people, new places, a new life. It was an adventure, and it was all ours. I just wish I knew how much of an adventure I was getting into.



CHAPTER 1



  Music pounded in my ears as I drove down the interstate leading to Chicago. Wind rushed in through the windows and tossed my thick mess of brown hair about my head. Over all the noise, I could just barely hear Nora singing in her husky alto voice. It was amazing how loudly she could sing for such a small girl. In the backseat, Jared was headbanging to the sound of the hard rock band we had played with once back in Springfield. It was a beautiful day, strangely warm for late September, but nobody was complaining. The setting sun to our right bathed the ocean of cornfields surrounding us in a golden amber light. Hopefully we would reach our new home by the time night fell. Something about being out in a city like Chicago at night made me nervous. I'm sure I was just paranoid though. Like the band would let anything happen to me.



  "Chicago, three miles!" Nora yelled excitedly once she saw the large green sign on the edge of the road. We could already see the city skyline in the distance, leading us forward. Jared howled in excitement and began his wild headbanging again, thrashing into the back of my seat like a madman. It really was exciting. This was a new life, the start of our journey together. It was going to be an unforgettable experience shared between us and only us.



  I jumped at the sound of Nate's car horn, set to the rhythm of "shave and a haircut", as he pulled alongside me in the next lane. He shot me an enthusiastic smile. I grinned in response and pressed on my steering wheel. finishing the tune with "two bits". The engine of his red 2008 Toyota Camry roared as he accelerated and pulled in front of me. . In my rear view mirror I could see Rorque, letting us lead the way. He drove a black 1997 Mitsubishi 3000 GT. I always envied his car. My Malibu might as well have been scrap metal in comparison.



As Nora began fiddling with the iPod that was plugged into my stereo, I pondered our new life. We didn't plan on staying in Chicago forever of course, just long enough to get a decent amount of gigs and hopefully gain a good fanbase up there. But I was worried if we would live the life of starving artists. The apartment was cheap, but even so, we couldn't pay it with the kind of money we made playing shows. As I went over possible jobs in my head, Nora suddenly grabbed my hand. I realized she was singing "Dear Prudence" by the Beatles. This was one of our favorite songs. We could make anybody blush by singing it in harmony and changing the lyrics. Like now, we both stared at Jared in the mirror and cooed "Dear Jared, won't you come out to play?". He laughed it off but we knew he felt extremely awkward when we subjected him to that torture.



  Before long cornfields gave way to buildings and skyscrapers. It was amazing. I had never seen buildings that large and I was mesmerized by the bright city lights that surrounded us. Obviously, we were downtown, judging by the multiple story businesses and restaurants. We entered a slightly more residential area. I desperately tried to follow Nate as he swerved smoothly in and out of traffic, almost losing him a few times, but he suddenly made a right into a small parking lot and our long trip was finally over.