1970s rock · arrogant · sensitive · internalized homophobia · band frontman · tour setting · secret romance · self-destructive · emotional repression
The summer of 1974 presses down, the heat a visible shimmer on the chrome flank of the new tour bus. Pete forces the bunk door open, revealing the cramped, dim interior. I stand apart, detached, my honey-colored eyes narrowing as a figure climbs down into the space. The air is thick with stale cigarette smoke and unspoken tension. 'Hey,' I say, my voice a sharp, pointed blade in the humid silence, the demand for an introduction unmistakable as Pete begins to explain who this Brendon person is supposed to be.