The Gig
The warm sun slowly made its descent towards the horizon as the City of Taboo Dreams began its awakening for another night of naughtiness. The wind drifted softly, lazily, across the streets delicately caressing those who walked about, whether heading to or from some hot action. That sun had heated the day to near boiling temperatures -- typical for a summer's morning in Shorehaven. But tonight it merely bathed the City in a blanket of warmth. The kind of atmosphere where you didn't want to wear too many clothes but weren't wearing a bikini because of the heat either.
Somewhere in the district of Gainborough long shadows began to stretch as the sun dipped behind buildings that rose higher in the Downtown district to the west. The heat was slowly fading here and slowly became a comfortable warmth that promised less bedsheets for the night ahead. And a lot less clothes for some people. Especially within the Thomas household -- though no one had any idea of what was to come at that point in the night.
Making his way downstairs carrying his guitar case and strapped up tight with his backpack, Nathan Thomas leaped the last few stairs in a 'cool' almost skateboarder fashion. The eighteen year old walked down the hall and popped his head into the lounge.
Sitting in one of the chairs was his mom, Abigail Thomas, though people usually just called her Abi. Well, Nathan didn't. He called her mom. Abigail sat dressed in an over-sized t-shirt and a pair of shorts, her legs curled up beneath her as she sat drinking from a glass with umbrellas in it -- a pinkish liquid that looked kind of like grapefruit to Nathan -- as she watched the television.
As expected Nathan's father wasn't anywhere to be seen. He was likely working from home again. He always had late hours working for a big corporation as he did. Though what exactly he did do Nathan had no idea. All the eighteen year old knew was that his dad made a lot of money and worked in some office somewhere Downtown. When he wasn't working from home in his little office that was.
"Hey mom. I'm going now." Nathan said as he propped his guitar case against the doorframe and waved.
"Alright, Nate. You have a good night. And make sure you keep yourself safe." His mother replied warmly as she looked over from where she was.
"Will you tell dad I said I'd see him later?" He asked as he hiked his backpack on his shoulders to get more comfortable.
"You can tell him yourself. He'll be out in a minute for some more coffee." Nathan's mother answered back.
"I've really got to go. Jason is going to be here any minute to pick me up and I can't be late. The show starts after practice." Nathan replied, "Just tell him I'll be back later."
"Mason!" Nathan's mother called out after giving her son a look of amusement.
There was a moment's silence before a door opened and in walked a tall man from a door way back at the end of the room.
"What's up, love?" Mason Thomas asked as he came to stand near the sofa with a half-drunk cup of coffee in his hands.
"Your son is about to go out. He wanted to say goodbye before he did." Abigail answered, glancing over her shoulder to him before she smiled back over her drink to her son.
"Oh yeah! Big night tonight, ah son? Glad I got to see you before you go." Nathan's father said cheerfully.
Nathan smiled to himself and felt a little warm. It was nice knowing his parents were proud of him and supported his dreams.
"I just wanted to say I'd see you both later. Jason'll be here any minute." Nathan reiterated with yet another small wave.
"Well, don't mind us. You go and have a good night. I hope you blow them away." Mason responded, raising his mug as for a 'cheers'. "No drinking though, remember, you're only eighteen."
"I know, you've told me before." Nathan replied, having heard the latter every time he went out with his band.
"Just have a good night, Nate." Abigail added.
"And mind those groupies. If you have to bring anyone back, be safe." Mason chucked in, and Nathan's face went red just like it did anytime his parents talked to him about sex. Parents could be so embarrassing.
"I will." Nathan replied in a near mumble, much to his mom and dad's amusement. Mason opened his mouth to say something else but a van horn stopped him and perked Nathan's ears up. "Gotta go! Have a good night you pair. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
His parents both waved him goodbye with a smile as Nathan picked up his guitar case and headed for the front door. Heading out into the warm night he made his way towards Jason's van where the rest of the band were hanging out and put his parents and their night ahead out of his mind. He had a gig to go to. His band's first ever live show. They had been practising for months in preparation and tonight was the big night.
He was going to make sure that the night ahead was one he never forgot. Little did the eighteen year old know just how life changing this night was about to be.
- - -
Abigail Thomas heard the door close behind her son as she turned back towards her husband.
"Still busy?" She asked brightly.
"Yeah. Virgil has a whole stack load of forms he wants done by tomorrow. Looks like another late night." Mason answered with a tired sigh. Then he finished his coffee and headed into the open-plan kitchen around the corner. "Not to worry, coffee will get me through it."
For a moment Abigail looked thoughtful, chewing on her bottom lip. But it wasn't what her husband had just said that made her frown pensively, it was having said goodbye to her son.
"Mason, do you think we're good parents?" She asked after a moment.
"The best." Mason answered without a second thought. "And we've got an eighteen year old who loves us and can stand to be in the same room as us to prove it."
Abigail nodded at that, but it wasn't really what she had been thinking anyway. At least it only led into it.
"Do you think we should have gone with him tonight, then?" She asked her husband as he set the coffee machine gurgling.
"Gone with who? What do you mean?" Mason answered confusedly.
"With Nathan. It's his first big show and we won't be there. We've never actually been to any of his practices either. And this band means so much to him. Do you think we should have gone tonight to watch and support him?" Abigail asked what was really on her mind. She was a little worried they hadn't shown enough interest in something their son loved so much.
"I think Nathan prefers his big night without his old folks around." Mason replied amusedly.
"I know that. But maybe it would have been nice to have our support for his first gig. You know?" She said again, a little less confident than before but still a little worried.
