Adult-FanFiction.org : Celebrity

14 Years	By : lunavin Category: Singers/Bands/Musicians > Metallica Views: 2583 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not know the members of Metallica. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1
- 2
- 3
I'm adding dates to avoid too much confusion because I'm only doing lyrics in italics.

This Chapter: James and Jason discuss the state of Metallica.

PRESENT TIME

Three songs later, most of the stage group had disbanded. The drummer and William had remained onstage. Other musicians, famous and semi-famous, came up to replace the others. Slash invited both James and Jason back to his table in the back where he'd been drinking with Scott Ian of Anthrax and some guys from the Insane Clown Posse. James and Jason, friends with Scott Ian, followed Slash to his table.

At the table, James sat next Scott and immediately started catching up. Jason ordered a water bottle from a passing waiter before sitting down a few chairs over and striking up conversation with one of the guys from the Insane Clown Posse. Slash stirred the ice in his whiskey and stared back and forth between them all with a smirk. James and Jason may have had two people between them, but they were still at the same table, and Slash wondered what else the night might bring.

It had been a funny moment in Slash’s history trying to get James and Jason off the stage. Both seemed determined to remain if the other one was still there. Slash figured it was in part to keep up appearances. Neither man wanted to be the one to back down though he suspected neither man really wanted to stop playing with the other either. He’d had to tell them both to come back to the table with him, a suggestion not phrased as a question, and then turned to leave before either could respond.

After about an hour the crowd at the bar was starting to dissipate. The members of the Insane Clown Posse had left. Slash’s phone rang and he excused himself with a wide smile about the same moment Scott Ian had said his goodbyes.

There's no need to say it was awkward between James and Jason when they were left alone together. The tension was so thick you'd need a chainsaw to graze the surface. They looked at each other and took long swigs of their waters before looking around for possible escape routes. But Jason knew there was no way he'd fold under James Hetfield again. And James was too proud to move away first.

"What's with the water?" James asked.

Jason had been looking to the stage. His head turned quickly to James at the sound of his voice. It took him a moment to realize James was speaking to him.

"You're drinking water," Jason defended.

"Yeah, I'm a recovering alcoholic."

"Exactly. It'd be an asshole thing for me to do to start chugging away in front of you."

"We're in a -" god damn bar, James finished in his head when his anger management kicked in. He hated when people treated him differently because he was a former alcoholic. It made him feel like they were judging him somehow. Then he realized that Jason was just trying to be considerate. Jason was playing nice, and by God, James would play nice too. "So, what are you doing in New York?"

"On my way to Canada actually," Jason said. "Voivod. Just lay-overed a couple of days to visit some people. You?"

"Promo for the new single."

"I heard the new single," Jason said.

"Yeah?" James said. His ears perked up, but he didn't want to have to ask, and acted indifferent.

"I like it," Jason said. "It's more on the heavy metal side."

"Yeah."

"I'll have to check out the album when it comes out."

"Yeah." James was verbally stuck. He had a million questions for Jason running through his head. He wanted details of what Jason thought of the new single. He wanted to know if Jason would buy the album or wait for someone else to play it for him. He wanted to know what Voivod's new songs sounded like. He had an equal number of insults for Jason running in his head as well.

Jason looked away and smiled.

"What?" James asked defensively.

"Nothing," Jason shook his head.

"If you have something to say then say it," James finished. He mentally slapped himself across the head. Sometimes, it just seemed like Jason brought out the worst in him.

"All you can say is 'yeah'" Jason said normally. So use to James’ flying into rages at him, a raised voice was nothing of notice. "I just found it amusing."

"You're secretly hoping it fails, aren't ya?" James’ eyes bore into him.

“What?” Jason asked confused.

“The new album,” Jason said. “You hope it sucks, and fails.”

Jason laughed. "Nothing Metallica does can outright fail. There will always be fans. But no, I've said it before and this time I’ll say it to your face,” Jason turn to look James straight in the eyes, “I wish all of you the best."

James looked at him with some disbelief.

Jason smiled. "All right, maybe I was secretly glad St. Anger wasn't the best album since …and Justice for All;” he leaned back in his chair. “But that was years ago. I still count myself a Metallica fan."

James scoffed.

"Don't do that," Jason said seriously. "I was always a fan. You know that better than anyone."

"Is this another one of those speeches on how you were always on the outside with us and never fit in and we treated you like shit?" James rolled his eyes.

"Do you need reminding?" Jason asked, but it sounded rhetorical when he said it. There was no anger in his voice. It was the detached tone that struck James and made him stop his offensive attack.

Jason turned his attention to the band on stage. The makeshift band was playing “Dream On" by Aerosmith.

The past is gone
It went by like dust to dawn

"No," James said. "It's true."

Jason eyes remained on stage, but he answered with the same air of apathy, "what's true?"

"We treated you like shit," James said. Jason was stoically silent. "Not always, but yeah. We weren't functioning like a team. It's better now."

"Better with Rob?" Jason asked. But he didn't look at James when he said it.

"Better now," James emphasized. "It's not about Rob, though he's a great guy; great bass player. Therapy helped -”

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that," Jason said. It wasn't exactly a regret that he hadn't agreed to the therapist. He just didn't think it would really help his own situation in the band. He was ultimately afraid that the therapist would just try to placate him into feeling more comfortable with James’ domineering ways.

"It's all right," James said. "You leaving was just the kick in the ass we needed."

Jason smiled sadly. He bobbed his head softly to the rhythm of the song playing.

I know what nobody knows
Where it comes and where it goes
I know its everybody’s sin
You got to lose to know how to win

"I needed it," James said. "The therapy I mean. Lars did too."

"Yeah, I always thought so," Jason said with a smile.

James laughed quietly, "Asshole."

Jason smirked and looked over at him. "You know I remember the first time you ever called me that."

"What? An asshole?" James asked.

"Yeah."

"How can you remember shit like that," James asked. He leaned back in his chair.

Half my life is in books written pages
Live and learn from fools and from sages
You know it’s true
All the things come back to you

"I remember a lot." Jason said cryptically.

"So when was the first time I called you an asshole, smart ass?" James asked. He was genuinely curious. It was such a random thing to remember. He was sure Jason had called him an asshole more than once, but he'd be damned if he remembered when the first time was.

"It was after my first gig with Metallica," Jason said.

___________________________________________

NOVEMBER, 1986

Jason knew he hadn't played perfectly. How can anyone learn all those songs in such a short amount of time and play them perfectly. What's more, how could someone learn all those Cliff Burton parts in such a short amount of time and play them perfectly. Jason had done a pretty decent job. But when he walked off that stage he was still apprehensive.

It wasn’t until they got on the tour bus that he heard anything about it.

"That went well," Kirk said. Jason couldn't tell from the tone of voice if he was being sarcastic or not.

"We can finish the tour anyway," Lars said. "You fucked up on “Battery”, Jase."

"And "Horsemen", and "Fight Fire", and "the thing that should not be"," James admonished.

"You just need some more practice," Kirk said. "Starting... now," he laughed.

"I know," Jason said. "I knew a lot of the songs already, but I mean, I didn't play them every day, you know."

"Well if you want to be a member of Metallica after we finish this tour you better get fucking better real fucking quick" James reached into their mini-fridge for a beer.

"James, lay off," Lars said. "Jase, you can practice in the back of the bus."

Kirk scoffed. "That's discrimination!"

Jason got up and walked towards the back of the bus.

"It was fine for a first show, Jase," Lars said. "Fix those songs for tomorrow night."

"I'm trying," Jason called behind him.

"Well try harder asshole!" James yelled.

Jason pushed past the curtain. He was expecting shit from them, and this wasn't really so bad. He picked up his bass and started playing “The Thing that should not be” while watching the cars pass by through the window. He was touring with Metallica, and he couldn't think of anywhere else he'd rather be.

_____________________________________________

PRESENT

The waiter put another water bottle in front of both men before walking way.

James was laughing hard while Jason opened his water and took a drink.

"I didn't fuck up the next night," Jason said.

"No, you got real good real quick," James said with a smile and opened his own bottle.

Jason almost knocked over his water. The compliment was so offhand and therefore all the more sincere. It's not that Jason had never heard James compliment his bass playing. He just hadn't heard one from James in so long. It was completely unexpected and he hadn’t been ready to feel that old sense of self worth he use to get. He hadn’t realized James still had the power to do that to him.

Sing with me, sing for the years
Sing for the laughter and sing for the tears
Sing with me, if it’s just for today

"Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away," James sang. He looked up and Jason was just staring at him. "What?"

"I worked really hard."

"I know," James said and sipped his water.

Jason, at a loss for words, took a sip from his own bottle.
- 1
- 2
- 3
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

14 Years