If Only....

"Give it up for Skunk!"

"What kind of name is that?" It seemed a few audience members didn't appreciate the name of your band and felt the need to comment. A few empty beer cans came flying your direction and you ducked to avoid getting hit. The rest of your band went running backstage and you tagged after them, narrowly missing a pair of airborne boxers.

"Eugh!" you yelled, disgusted by what had happened. "Don't tell me those are used!"

"Face it, Y/N," your band mate Christine said. "It's obvious no one wants to listen to us." You were about to interrupt when she went on. "Clearly we're not as good as we thought we were and we're all tired of getting thrown offstage." You looked from one band member to the next who all silently agreed. 

"I really don't like having stuff thrown at us either," David said. You noticed his guitar was dripping wet from beer and his face sported a new cut from the thrown can. Your heart cracked and you looked for anyone else to step in and defend the band. 

"We can't just give up," you said and scoffed when no one responded. Christine was already removing her bass and returning it to the case on the table. "Where are you going, Chrissy?"

"Home," she said over her shoulder. David and Josie seemed to think that was best and left you standing there. 

"You can't go home yet!" you called. "We still have another chance! I'll call the owner of the place, he'll give us another spot! We'll come another day when the audience isn't so-"

"It's not just the audience, Y/N!" Josie spoke up. She looked ready to snap her drumsticks in half. You took a step back as she advanced on you, her black hair falling in her face. "It's this whole lifestyle! It's the fame, it's the traveling, it's the hoards of fans coming to rip your clothes off, it's everything!"

"Y-yeah," you whimpered. "I know it's hard now, but-"

"Face it, this is what you wanted," Christine said. "It's not what we wanted. We just went along with it because we thought it would make you happy." You couldn't believe what you were hearing. This whole time you were in a band with people who didn't even want to be there. Christine closed her case and shrugged her jacket on. Josie left her sticks on the table, apparently done with drums forever. Both of them left without goodbye; only you and David were left to settle this. 

"David...?" you said, praying to whatever god was out there that he would stay in the band. Whatever you had to do to get him to stay you would. "Come on...we can...we can change the name," you said as David sighed. "If the name 'Skunk' blows, we'll change it. We'll change our songs. We'll change our look! Whatever needs to happen-"

"I'm sorry, Y/N," David said, grabbing his guitar case off the table. You could feel tears sting in your eyes as he made to leave the building. "This kind of thing just isn't for us. Maybe....maybe when we were in high school the idea of a band sounded good but....we're not kids anymore. Maybe it's time we gave up a kid's dream and moved on with our lives."

"David, please," you said, a few tears spilling. This was all you had ever wanted to do in life. Play rock and roll music in a band with your friends. No band ever became famous overnight, you knew it would take a lot of hard work. But as your friends left the venue one by one, you knew this was the end. They weren't coming back.

Another band walked past you with their instruments, getting ready to take the stage. Normally you would have wished them luck but today was not your day. Kicking the pair of stained boxers out of your way, you grabbed the nearest bottle of beer and stormed outside through the backstage door, feeling a hint of satisfaction as it slammed shut. 

Standing in the cold October night as a few drops of rain started to fall, you let the tears fall too.

"You alright?"