The band that Reckless Disregard was to tour with, a group the called themselves Crosshairs, decided that the tour would start off in the Mile High City; Denver, CO. “It will give your families the opportunity to see in live before you visit every other city in the country”, said Timothy, the band’s bassist.
“That will be cool. Dad will get to watch us with a big set up and all that”, Malachai said to Jordan.
“Yeah, I can just see Uncle David sitting in a sky box to watch us”, Logan said.
“Hold on”, said Sammy, Crosshairs’ guitarist. “Did you just say Uncle David, Logan?”
“Yes.”
“As in David Draiman?”
“Yeah.”
“He’s your Uncle?”
“Godfather.”
“He’s my father”, Jordan said.
Kelsi, the other band’s drummer, looked at Jordan like she’d sprouted a second head. “You’re kidding right?”
“No.” She pulled a picture book from her purse. She flipped it open and showed them all pictures. There were pictures of little Jordan at five years old sitting on Daddy’s knee, of her whole family when she was nine after Marc and Jessi were born, pictures of her and her twin brother when they were infants.
Royce, the vocalist for Crosshairs, laughed. “Is that cute little curly headed girl YOU, Jordan?” The picture he was looking at was one of Malachai, Jacob, and herself helping their father with the quads as Maddie watched.
“Which one?” she asked. She knew the picture well.
“The one with her back to the camera.”
“No, that’s my little sister Madison. I’m the one holding the baby.”
“Who’s the little boy with the curly brown hair?” Kelsi asked.
“My twin”, Jordan asked.
The girl’s eyes almost popped out of her head. “You have a TWIN?”
“Why is that so hard for people to believe? Yes, I have a twin brother. I am one half of a set of fraternal twins.”
“We have eight other siblings, you know”, Malachai chimed in.
“We?” Sammy asked.
“My last name is Draiman too.”
“But you look nothing like Jordan.”
“My Dad adopted me when I was five. We all share a mother. David Draiman is the only father I know.”
“Have you ever met your birth father?” Timothy asked.
“Yeah, he’s a dick. Called my mother a whore and it was all my Dad or I could do not to whip that bastard’s ass.”
“I didn’t know your sperm donor called Mom a whore”, Jordan said.
“Yeah, he said he was a whore when he met her and he was sure she’s a whore now.”
“And you and Dad didn’t knock that son of a bitch into oblivion?”
“Nope. Believe me, Jord, I wanted to, but the fucker wasn’t worth it. He’s a miserable ass.”
Kelsi couldn’t help but laugh. “That all sounds really familiar. My father said the same thing about my mother.”
Malachai laughed himself. “Are you sure we’re not related?”
“Is your father’s last name Coolidge?”
“Nope.”
“Then, yeah, I’m sure.”
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The night of their first show as a professional act, Jordan was sick to her stomach. She hadn’t been able to hold anything down all day; the nerves were that bad. She placed a call to her father. When he answered the phone, he sounded like he’d been sleeping. “Yes, Jordan?” he asked.
“Dad, I have a question for you and I want you to be completely honest with me, please.”
“You got it. What’s up, baby?”
“ You know that tonight’s the first show of the tour, right?”
“Yes.”
“Is it normal for me to be so nervous that I’m puking?”
David couldn’t help but chuckle. “Oh, baby girl, you have NO IDEA!”
“What do you mean?”
“I was once in your shoes. I can’t say that I was throwing up, but I was so nervous I couldn’t eat. And we were on tour with our idol. We were on OZZ FEST.”
“You mean the festival that was founded by the late, great Ozzy Osbourne?”
“One in the same. Our second year on Ozz Fest, we were going to headline the second stage but we’d developed such a following that THAT wasn’t happening. The first show overflowed the area we were allotted for the second stage so we were bumped up the opening the main stage. Imagine your father’s nerves as he’s singing and the man himself is standing just off stage rocking out along with the music.”
“You had to be scared shitless.”
“Oh, I was.”
“But, you impressed him.”
“Sure did.”
“What do you suggest I do, Dad? I’m scared out of my mind.”
“I understand, Jordan. So, here’s what I suggest you do. Eat something really light so that you have something on your stomach before the show, drink some of that tea your Mom gave you to warm up your throat and, for the love of GOD child, RELAX! You’re going to be phenomenal! Just breathe, baby.”
She smiled. “Thanks, Daddy. I needed that reassurance. Oh, are you and Mom going to be at the show tonight?”
“We’ve got a babysitter for the younger kids. Mandy’s got a babysitter for the twins. Your Mom, Mandy, Jake, and I will all be there. And we’re going to have a great view.”
“Let me guess, the sky box.”
“Yep.”
“I’m so going to throw that in Logan’s face.”
“What?”
“Logan sarcastically said that you guys would get a sky box, meaning that you guys wouldn’t even show. I’m going to fuck his world ALL up.”
“Picking on Logan might make you feel better too.”
She laughed. “Thanks again, Daddy, for the advice.”
“Not a problem, sweetheart. Always glad to share my experience. I’ll see you tonight.” And he hung up.
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As she prepared for the show, warming up her voice with Malachai, Logan came running into backstage from watching the crowd file in. “Jordan, guess who’s here!”
“Other than my parents and sister in law?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Bigfoot!”
“No, smart ass. Think smaller and female.”
“Mrs. Santa Clause!”
Logan laughed. “You’re being stupid, Jordan.”
“I know because I’m not even sure I want to know. Just tell me though.”
“Sasha.”
That was all that Logan had to say. Jordan knew that she could get her revenge on that cocky little bitch after the show was over. “Have security tell her I want to see her after the show and give her a pass.” There was an evil little look in her eyes.
“What are you thinking little cousin?”
“Oh, Sasha has something coming from me, that’s for sure.” And for Jordan to say that, there had to be something bad going through her mind. Logan just wanted to know what that something bad was.
--------------
The show started and Reckless Disregard showed that they were going to be a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. Malachai, Caleb, and Logan were on their A games. Jordan showed the world that she was just as dynamic on stage as her father was. She didn’t just work the stage, she owned it. She glanced up a few times toward the sky box to see her father standing at the window with is arms crossed over his chest, nodding and singing along. There were a few times when the music stopped and Jordan interacted with the crowd. She got them involved in the show. She was an animal on that stage.
At the end of the night, she looked out over the crowd and smiled wickedly. “Ladies and gentlemen, we hope you enjoyed the show. If not, oh fucking well! We’re going to get the hell off the stage now and let the next act on. Let me hear you ONE… MORE… TIME! WHO ARE WE?”
The crowd roared back at her, “RECKLESS DISREGARD!!!”
“That’s right, mother fuckers! We are Reckless Disregard! GOOD NIGHT!!!” The boys joined her at the front of the stage and they took their bow, then left the stage.
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