Chapter 8: Farewell Concert P.2 The Road To “Another Lost Memory” Concert
It was finally the end of the American Dreamers concert when the curtains slowly closed up, and the stage disappeared from the sights of the audience. You could hear the crowd shout out and clap their hands in cheer, as they tried to get out their love for the legend of the band, and for congratulation for being able to play for this band legend. Dane looked to the band one last time.
“I guess this is the last time I get to see you guys play, or anybody out there. I guess it was a great and long ride to stardom and I have to say, good luck with the future.” He turned around to face the door but the members grabbed him by the shoulder. They just twisted him around.
“This is not over unless we say it is over. Sure we are retiring but this does not mean that we can not play again. We will still be out there when you need a little help controlling your band or finding the perfect song or something like that. We are here for you man, like you were there for us.” Jeremy said turning around and walking back to his guitar. Dane turned his head to Jeremy as he just smiled and walked to the exiting door. Looking towards the door he stretched out his right arm and grabbed a hold of the door knob. He just turned his head back to him, and twisted the doorknob, so that he would be able to open it. As he twisted it, he pulled on the door knob and opened the door up.
“See you guys later.” Dane said once the door opened, so he exited out of the room walking into the hallway. Once he was in the hall more fan ran right back to him to greet him in the hallway, after waiting for everyone to leave the place, and be able to get an autograph. Dane looked to them and said. “Well. I guess I could give you an autograph now that the concert is over.” He said accepting the CD’s and the pictures and pulled a black pen out of his left pocket and looked down the hall at American Dreamers and Another Lost Memory. He remembered that the other concert was going to occur in an hour.
He looked back to the fans next to him, and then saw Danielle walking down the hallway towards him. But, he just looked down at the pen and the paper, and clicked it, so that he could sign the poster there in his hands. “Hey. I did not even know that my face was on a poster. When did this come out?” He asked the fan confused.
Danielle answered for her. “I decided to create it and sell it in stores. Your band thought it would be a great idea, since I knew that you were going to go and sign up for the concert anyway. I called up American Dreams and Another Lost Memory, while you were sleeping in the ambulance. That is why I was so tired, and I called your friends and called to get them to give them away on the internet. These fans decided to buy them and come here for the autograph to them. Everybody thought it would be a good idea for a welcome back present. A bunch of fans, and to be able to play with two of the biggest legends in the USA. I hope you did not mind.” Dane walked up to her while she was standing in the hall and hugged her.
“Thank you. It feels great to be back here playing music after five years of stillness. That coma took a lot out of me, but I guess it feels better to have friends here to guide me along the way. I have a present for you, but it is still getting created in the shops. It costs millions plus, and I thought that if I had the raise then I guess I would spend it on something special. You will love it, and it just might change our lives and everyone’s around us. Well, wish me luck for the big concert in about an hour, and I guess we should have a farewell song with both bands. I got the perfect one for us to perform, and you will all love it.” Dane said turning to the fans, before turning back to Danielle and giving her a pretty long and passionate kiss. This was going to be a pretty long night for both of them, and the end of the week will become much bigger.
Dane let go of her and looked at the bands. “Thanks guys. I did not expect you guys to help me out, and I am glad you did. I am going to be outside with Danielle and the fans alright? I will see you guys in about thirty minutes. I have to go and give these kids thirty minutes of fun, and I will meet you guys down by the stage, and I will get everything ready when I return.” he said to the band, before turning to the fans. “Are you guys ready for a thirty minute fun time?” Dane just stared at the kids and ran out the door and saw a football player standing there by the door waiting. “And let me guess. You asked Ryan McGorn to wait for me here too?” The man just looked at him.
“I thought you would want to play a little catch or football here to entertain the kids. That is why I am here.” Ryan said tossing the football to Dane, and allowing him to catch it.
“Or, better yet, lets give these kids a chance to play a little football themselves. We could teach these kids how to play some professional football, and when I go in to get the concert started, then you could help these kids with their techniques. I mean, they might be some good football players when they get older. You ever heard of Powerpuff, Ryan?” Dane asked him looking at the girls and guys. He pointed to a sixteen year old and said. “Well. Aren’t you a football player for the Lakeville Varsity Football team? I heard you were good. How about you get one of your buddies here and we’ll play a game.”
“Sorry. I just got out of a very rough practice about three hours ago. Maybe at one of your concerts down in Lakeville. Maybe then, I can get my whole football team together after the concert. If you can find enough players to play us. But remember, we have injured fifteen kids last season, and these guys are tough.” The little boy said looking at the football. “But for now, lets just play a little catch until the big concert later tonight and maybe you could live to play that guitar of yours in the concert.
Ryan looked at the kid and called for the ball from Dane. Dane backed up a few yards and pointed the football at Ryan, and pulled his arm back and released it forward, high up in the air. This ball flew about ten yards to Ryan, but he could not catch it standing up. Ryan saw the football fly behind him, so he jumped backwards and dove for the ball. He caught it right into his hands as he looked up at Dane and the others. “That is what you have to do when you can not catch the ball while standing up. That dive is usually very painful if you do not fall in the right position on your way down. This move was a real outstanding dive in the football league according to the skills of the National Football League players. Brett Fieldings was one of the players to do this move during the finals, and he was famous for this catch until Rondelle Wonder did it about a year ago. How do I know this? You could say that I watch football a little too much from other sides and not enough from my own side, but that is one of the only ways to get by in the league. Study your opponents at all times, and know where they are going to go whenever you throw the ball. Same thing is used in Hockey, Basketball, Tennis, and many more sports,” Ryan just continued on but Jeremy started whispering to his friend Brad.
“This guy talks a little too much, don’t you think? What a know it all.” Jeremy said as Brad just nodded, acting like he was listening to him. Brad was interested in football, so he just listened to Ryan for the information he will need when he gets into the football leagues such as the National Football League and the NCAA teams.
Dane watched Ryan get up and just turned to Jeremy before just shaking his head with disgust. Ryan then turned to Jeremy and then turned to Dane and shrugged. Ryan pointed to Dane, and pulled his arm back with the football and pointed it towards him. Pulling back the football, he gripped the football tight, before releasing it right in the air. Dane though knew where it was going to go, so he just leaped up into the air, since the ball was going to go over his head, and just barely caught it in his hands. He shook his right hand a little bit since at the high speed, the strength made the catch hurt.
Ryan said. “There is the power throw. Watch out for it, because if it hit you in the face it could make your nose bleed for a pretty darn long time. So, catch it with both hands and it will only hurt half the amount that it does with only one hand. So, keep your face covered at all times, and you will not get hurt, but maybe your hands will. This technique of catching includes the diamond catching symbol. But here is a new technique that most of you will find a little difficult but if you pay attention then it really will not.” Ryan then looked at Dane and signaled for him to throw it back to him. Dane just pulled back a couple yards, and chucked it down about twelve yards a little low so that Ryan could demonstrate this other technique. It was going down low, so Ryan jumped down lowering himself on the floor though still on his feet, falling backwards with his arms down like a bowl as the ball hit his arms. The ball was caught in his bowl shaped arms, as he hit the ground with the ball still in his arms.
“That is how you catch a ball that is thrown beneath your waist. But if it is below your knees, you dive backwards and flip your hands so that they are palm up, so that it touches your hands and lays there for the while. That in fact is noticed as a catch and it could be a first down or a second or third or whatever. If you catch it on Third down and it is a first down then it is noticed as a conversion. Here’s a demonstration. It is third down, with three yards to go.” Ryan said jumping up onto his feet. He then dropped back a couple yards, and pulled his arms back, so that he could release it at anytime. With his arms pulled back, Dane was ready to catch as Ryan chucked it about twelve yards. It was above Dane’s waist, so he dropped back, and held up the diamond and the ball fell flat into his hand. “That is a catch, and a twelve yard gain. And that is about all you need to know to play good football.” Ryan said walking forward to Dane and reached out his hand to shake Dane’s. “Great job teaching man. You should play football yourself. But, I have to get going. I have to get to football practice within two hours and the field is about an hour and a half away. I will see you later.” Ryan turned around and walked off to his car.
Dane looked at the kids and turned around to go into the stadium. As he walked in, he saw Danielle standing there with her hands ready to wrap around him. Dane lifted up Danielle, and said. “Did you see that? Ryan McGorn came here to play some football with me. But I got to go get ready for the performance. I will see you a little bit later.” he said kissing her on the cheek before dropping her and walking down the hallway. He just then just noticed the pop machine again, but ignored it and walked over to the entrance door to the stage where the band was. He slowly extended his arm out to the door, and twisted the doorknob to the right, and pulled on it to open the door. “Hey guys. How’s the preparations going?” He yelled up the stairs, as he started to walk up them. “Only five minutes left guys. You ready for the big finale?” He said going up to his guitar and hooking it up to his amp and got it ready to tune up. Dane then just looked at the curtain and looked a little excited for the next song or two.
“How did the whole football thing go?” Gene asked looking towards Dane and then to his guitar to tune it up. “I guess you got a little more on your hands than anyone ever expected. You got talent, and that is why we picked you to play in this concert with us and being your idols, I guess we had to. We got a message about you wanting to meet us and hang with us, and we thought we would let you join us for a couple songs for our farewell concert. Glad that we did, because you are a great guy to hang with. Maybe we could meet each other again somewhere. When is your next concert and where?”
“I do not exactly know, but I am thinking about making it up there in Lakeville, you guys are invited to come and check it out. If you think I am good now, just wait until I show you my better songs. As you may know I make these songs out of my dreams and memories from the past, and how I lived them and survived the heartaches in life. Maybe I will even dedicate a song to you guys someday, and give you a little boost in showbiz in my first video someday. I already have my video entered into Hollywood, and I thought that you guys would want to join in it. I am thinking about going in and calling it, ’another memory lost in stardom.’ I will even have my own, yours, and American Dreamers, music videos and songs in it. My friends thought it would be a great idea to dedicate it to the two retiring legends.” He said having to stop as the announcer announces the band to perform for them, as they all got into their positions and got ready to play. The curtain opened and the concert began to thunder across the stadium with the fans shouting out their names. Dane could hear them screaming, as he started to play with all his might and the concert was finally started.
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