Page 1 of Finding Storm

“We’re Slater Raze. And you’ve been fucking awesome!”

I’m already walking offstage before Raze has finished speaking, handing off my guitar to one of the roadies.

I’m just not feeling it tonight. Actually, I’ve not been feeling it at all recently.

I’ll always love the music. But something’s missing. I have this hollow feeling inside of me. And no matter how much coke I take, weed I smoke, whiskey I drink, or pussy I fuck, nothing is filling it.

I’m twenty-four years old and starting to wonder if I’m already burned out.

Now, wouldn’t that be an LA fucking tragedy?

Not that I’m saying I didn’t give those people a good show because I did. I always show up and give my all.

Just lately, my all is more of an act than reality.

I swipe an unopened bottle of water off a passing table, downing it as I walk toward our dressing room.

I let myself in the room, savoring the peace that won’t last long.

I sit my ass down on the sofa and light up a cigarette when Raze comes striding in.

He pulls off his shirt, tossing it aside, and grabs a clean one that’s been left in here for him, pulling it on. Raze always sweats like a motherfucker onstage.

Fuck knows why ’cause all he does is sing.

He grabs one of the chairs from a dressing table and pulls it over. He turns it around and sits down on it. “Sup?” he says to me.

“Nothing.”

I toss my pack of smokes and lighter to him. He catches them and takes a cigarette out, putting it between his lips.

Before lighting it, he pulls his long hair back off his face and ties it up, using a band from around his wrist.

He takes a drag of his cigarette. His words come out with the smoke. “Good show?”

It sounds like a question. But all I answer with is, “Yep.”

“You left the stage pretty quick.”

I shrug.

“Something happen?”

“Nope. Just needed a smoke.”

He’s watching me. Thing about Raze is, he’s a smart motherfucker, and he knows me well.

He’s my best friend. Has been since I moved to LA.

I met him because his dad used to be a producer for The Mighty Storm—biggest band in the world and my official and unofficial adopted family.

Raze was always at the studio with his dad. I was there because Jake, Tom, Denny, and Smith were there, and where they went, I went.

My biological father was Jonny Creed.

Jonny used to be the guitarist in The Mighty Storm. He died in an automobile accident when I was about five years old.

Not that I ever knew him.