SandScript 2022

For the rest of the night, he kept playing music, carefully using the mixing board like Dave had
taught him. He had picked a list of heavy hitters, artists and songs that were real crowd-pleasers, but he was careful
to intersperse a few songs that he liked that Big Dave might not have picked. So, for instance, in between Ozzy
Osbourne’s “Flyin’ High Again” and Megadeth’s “In My Darkest Hour” he slipped in “Runnin’ With the Devil.” It
was a way to demonstrate that while he respected Big Dave’s judgment, he would also try to make the show his own.
That he had the self-confidence to do so surprised him, and yet he realized he wasn’t afraid anymore. He had found
one place where he had no self-doubt or self-consciousness.
Of course, he knew he had to keep on his toes. He had been apprehensive that he would bump
one of the turntables, or make the CD player skip, or pull up the wrong fader. He had been especially worried that
he would say something awkward or stupid, which was a perpetual fear he had that kept him restrained. But as the
night went on, he felt more assured. This could actually work.
About halfway through the show, he felt something else. He felt a newfound pride. Here he was in a
roomful of Latinos, just like himself. They didn’t seem to feel ashamed of who they were, and he realized he didn’t either.
Who was going to discriminate against him here? So he actually started doing his announcements partly in Spanish, like
calling the crowd “hermanos y hermanas.” Speaking Spanish in public might not have seemed rebellious to others, but for
Billy it was a giant step. He was who he was and he no longer felt any inhibitions about that.
The night went on and on. He fumbled his words a few times on the microphone, and yet the crowd
didn’t laugh at him. Instead they were warm and encouraging. Some of his transitions were a little rougher than he
wanted and yet no one seemed to notice. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the music and having a good time. He
could not have asked for a better night.
When he finally checked his watch again, he was shocked that it was already 2 AM. Time had flown by, and
Big Dave had not come up. So he announced the last song, which was “Antisocial” by Anthrax and told the audience
goodnight. He then couldn’t resist adding, “So this was my first night filling in for Big Dave. Que tal, amigos?” The
resulting roars and cheers gave him a feeling unlike any he had ever felt in his life. The elation and warmth were
something he would never forget.
Finally, Billy sat back, relieved. It was over. He had done it. He had actually done it by himself. He
had found the courage to take a chance and he had won.
78
He was not the timid loser kid anymore. He didn’t imagine he would ever be again.
Tavo came up to him and slapped him hard on the back. “That was fuckin’ awesome, Billy! You
gonna do the show now?”
Billy couldn’t help smiling. “Thanks, Tavo. And yeah, I’m gonna do some more shows from now on.”
Tavo slapped him hard on the back again. “That’s fuckin’ great Billy! I’ll see you next week!” As he walked
away, he let out a loud bellow that nearly shattered Billy’s eardrums. But Billy was so elated that he didn’t even mind.
As he started packing up the gear, he heard Dave’s voice coming over the murmur of the departing
crowd. He looked up to see Dave approaching him, grinning.
“So, you did great. Congratulations, I knew you could do it.”
Billy was thrilled. “You didn’t even come up to correct me once. You stayed at the back of the hall the whole time.”
“Yep. And I’m glad I did. You didn’t need me at all. I knew you wouldn’t. It’s all yours if you want it, Billy.
Billy felt as calm and eerily relaxed as he had ever felt in his life. “I do want it, Dave. And thank
you.” He stuck out his hand to shake Dave’s.
Dave looked at Billy’s hand. Then he reached over and hugged Billy, slapping him on the back.
“Tu eres mi hermano,” he said quietly. Then he walked away.
Billy couldn’t believe the night was over. He put his headphones down and packed up all of Dave’s
gear, slipping the records back into crates, carefully sorting the CDs and unplugging the components from the board
and locking them in Dave’s hard-shelled carrying cases. Finally, after a lot of work, he was done. Exhausted, he
stepped outside, holding his water bottle.
He took a sip from the bottle. As he did, he looked up at the sky. It was that strange mixture of gray,
blue, and black that makes up the early hours of morning. The sun wasn’t up yet, but it was coming. After an intense
night of noise and craziness, Billy savored the relative tranquility. He sat on the steps of the doorway and watched
the early morning pass by. It was a new day, and Billy felt young. He had a whole world in front of him and the rest
of life to be who he always wanted to be.
79