"Avril Lavigne is in the top 10 in pop music this week."
Avril frowned as she watched the news on MTV. "Pop?" She asked herself. "When the fuck did my music become pop?"
She decided she'd watched too much MTV. Instead, she thought she should go online and check her site out. Once there, she noticed many people dissing her and comparing her to Britney Spears. She slowly became furious. "I'm not like Britney Spears damnit!" She whined, turning off her computer.
She lay on her bed, trying to calm down. She was fed up with it all. She never wanted to come across like a pop slut like Britney or Christina. She thought she'd made her mark. Singing "skater boi" was meant to show she wasn't into that bubble gum crap that Britney and Christina sing about.
Just then the telephone rang.
"Hello?" Avril answered sounding frustrated.
"Yes Ms. Lavigne, your ticket for the Aerosmith and Rolling Stones concert has arrived." It was Avril's butler.
Avril rose from the bed and couldn't help but smile. "Yes! Thank you. Just bring them up to my room."
She hung up the phone and jumped up, laughing and singing Aerosmith's "Crazy."
"I go crazy! Baby! I go Crazy!" She sang loudly until she heard the knock on her door. Her butler stood there holding the ticket in a small white envelope.
"Here you go Ms. Lavigne."
"Thank you!" She said happily, grabbing the ticket and shutting her door once again. She held her ticket by her heart and sighed. Finally she'd be able to hear good rock music not like what was out there today on the radio.
She was glad to see that her VIP status had delivered on front row seats as well as backstage passes to meet the guys from Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones. The two big acts were doing a concert together for only one night and Avril would be part of it. She'd been a fan since she was a small child and now she'd finally be able to get away from all the shit she'd had to put up with.
"I bet Britney Spears never goes to an Aerosmith or Rolling Stone's concert," Avril said out loud kissing the ticket.
* * *
The night of the concert came quickly. Avril put on a short red wig to disguise her appearance. She told her bodyguards she wanted to go alone so she could have some fun. They said they'd wait outside for her until she was finished.
Avril looked very different in her red wig. She was relieved people didn't recognize her. Wearing a pair of tight leather pants and a tiny white tee that read, "rock n roll" with a black guitar printed on, she felt she finally belonged.
She waited in line just like everyone else and then made her way up front to get her seat. After the sound check and all the important things that go on before a concert, Avril felt her heart racing. The first band to play was Aerosmith. She stood up and sang to all her favorite Aerosmith tunes.
She noticed Steven Tyler, the singer of Aerosmith eyeing her and winking at her. "Does he know who I am?" Avril thought. She had to admit he looked really sexy for a guy his age. The way he moved made her blush. The way he sang made her wet.
After Aerosmith came the Rolling Stones, another one of Avril's favorite bands. She watched Mick Jagger swaying sensuously to the beat. His trademark lips were as sexy in person as in a video. Avril clapped and sang along as well to the songs she knew. When they began to sing "Start Me Up," she went crazy dancing and moving her body around. She noticed Jagger kept eyeing her too. He even moved the microphone to her so she could sing along with him! Avril was quivering with excitement as she sang along with Mick.
"Thank you all very much, and young lady let me tell you, you got one hell of a voice," Mick complimented Avril after their sing along.
The entire crowd cheered and clapped until the Rolling Stones were finally off the stage. Avril made her way quickly towards the back. A ball tall and bald security guy stood by the door.
"Excuse me, where do you think you're going?" He asked sternly.
"I've got backstage passes!" Avril argued.
The guard took a quick glance at the passes and nodded. "Alright go on."
Avril made her way through the door and the narrow hallway. She could hear voices and laughter. She knew they probably had groupies back there but she didn't care. She just wanted to meet the guys from the band.
She walked by one room and a few Aerosmith band members were there with some groupies. She didn't want to interrupt them, so she continued walking. Passing another room, she again saw more groupies but this time they were with the Rolling Stones. One young blonde girl sat on Keith Richards lap. He was smoking pot, paying little attention to the groupie. Avril rolled her eyes and continued walking.
"Excuse me. What are you doing back here?" Avril froze when she heard that voice. It was Steven Tyler!
She slowly turned around and looked embarrassed. "H-hi Steve," she stammered. Tyler poked his head out of a small room
"Hello there, young lady. But no one calls me Steve. Officially, it's Steven. My mates call me Stevie. Care to join me and Mick for some drinks? Then you could qualify as one of me mates."
Avril nodded and walked towards the small room . It had a big bed covered with pillows and a few leather chairs. She walked in and saw Mick Jagger combing his hair in front of a lit mirror.
"Hey she's the one that sang with me. She's got a voice on her, I tell you," Mick said sweetly.
Avril walked in with her arms crossed. "Please have a seat," Steve said removing some of his shirts off a leather chair.
Avril slowly sat down and couldn't move. She was in shock that she was actually face to face with Steven Tyler and Mick Jagger.
"You're awfully quiet," Steven said.
"I-I'm sorry, it's just that I'm so happy to be here," Avril admitted. Despite her own success, in this moment she felt just like a little girl in Nappanee again, in awe of these singers.
Mick and Steven laughed. Tyler handed her what seemed to look like a dark soda. Avril put it up against her nose and smelled the strong alcohol in it. She sipped it anyway and almost choked on it.
"Are you ok?" Mick asked.
"Y-yes," Avril said, controlling her coughing.
Steve scoffed and handed her a bottle of water. "Here you go. I'm sorry; I guess I made that too strong for you."
Avril tried not to look like such a child. "No you didn't, it's just that I haven't drunk in such a long time," she lied.
Steven eyed her curiously and looked at her hair. "That's not your real hair is it, little one?"
Avril knew she'd have to come clean with them. Would they even know who she was? Big time guys like them might not even know she had a best selling album. Avril slowly took off her wig letting her long brown hair fall to her shoulders.
Steven and Mick stared at the youthful beauty. "Avril Lavigne!" Steven cried out.
Avril smiled and ran her fingers through her hair. "You know who I am?"
"Who doesn't?" Mick asked sipping on his drink.
"Well, I'm flattered you know me."
"You are quite a talented young lady," Mick said.
"Yeah I know Liv loves your music," Steven said smiling at her.
"Really? Wow! I am always being compared to Britney Spears for some odd reason."
Mick and Steven laughed. "Britney Spears? No you and her are from different worlds. I can tell," Steven said.
Avril blushed. "So tell me Ms. Lavigne what brings you here to listen to a bunch of old codgers like us sing?" Mick asked.
Avril shifted in her chair. "Well, I've loved your music since I was a child. I don't think you're old at all!"
"Well that makes me feel better," Steven teased, taking a sip from the glass Avril had earlier.
Avril noticed Mick was searching for something in a drawer. He pulled out what seemed to look like drugs. Avril's eyes looked suspiciously. Steven noticed her staring.
"We're going to do a bit of pot and some cocaine, little one, care to do some with us?" Steven asked touching her hair.
Avril bit her lower lip. "Y-yes, sure ," She said nervously. She wanted to know what all the buzz about drugs was about.
Mick rolled up a big joint and made three lines of cocaine. Avril watched, fascinated by the ritual. Mick lit up the joint and inhaled. He closed his eyes and slowly exhaled.
"Mmm that's some good stuff. Here, little one," Steven said, handing Avril the joint.
Avril had never smoked pot, so she just decided to smoke it like a cigarette. She took a small little puff and immediately began to cough. Steven and Mick laughed.
"Here little one, drink some water," Mick said handing Avril the bottle of water.
Avril drank and slowly recovered. She held the joint in her hand looking embarrassed. She handed it to Mick who took his turn with it. Avril grabbed the joint once again taking it away from Mick and inhaled deeply. She held the smoke in and slowly let it out.
"Ooh I'm feeling good!" Avril announced cheerfully.
"There you go, you're learning," Steven said.