Either Way: Part 2 - Written By : Lovon P.
Tony sat on the cold bench in the holding cell, staring at the cracks in the floor like they held all the answers he didn’t want to hear. His mind was a mixtape stuck on repeat—Laura’s punch, Marcus’s disappointment, and the look on the cop’s face when the cuffs clicked shut. The only thing louder than the regret in his head was the faint hum of his song "Ether Way" still playing outside those steel bars. The world was moving on without him. When he finally got out, the air felt thick with disappointment.
Marcus was waiting for him, arms crossed, that look in his eyes saying everything without a word."You gotta get your head right, T," Marcus said, breaking the silence. "This your second shot. Don’t waste it."Tony nodded, swallowing the bitterness in his throat. He tried hitting the studio, pouring himself into the mic, but every beat felt hollow. The fire that once fueled him was burned out. One night, walking past that same liquor store, guilt dragged him inside.
The cashier—an older man with tired eyes—gave him a nod, then slid a folded note across the counter."Someone left this for you. Said you'd need it."Tony unfolded the paper. "You’re better than this.
Prove it." No name. No clue who left it. Just those five words digging into him deeper than any lyric ever could.Weeks passed. Tony kept his head low, but everywhere he went, Heartless was blowing up.
Posters plastered on every wall. Their faces, their sound—his sound—taking over the city. It cut deeper than any betrayal ever could. One night, his phone buzzed. Unknown number.
Hesitant, he answered."T, it’s Derek. We need to talk."—They met in an empty parking lot under a flickering streetlight. Derek looked different—hollowed out, stressed.
"Look, man, I messed up," Derek admitted. "We all did. But we’re in deep now. That label? They’re not who they seem. Shady deals, threats—it's getting bad."
Tony crossed his arms. "Why should I care? Y’all kicked me out."Derek swallowed hard. "Because we need you.
And let’s be real—you need this too."Silence. The bitterness in Tony’s chest battled with the love he still had for music—and for the band they built together."What’s the plan?" Tony finally asked.
bRehearsals were tense at first, but something shifted when Tony brought a new sound to the table—a raw fusion of rock and rap, gritty and real. They poured everything into the track, mixing Derek’s sharp guitar riffs with Tony’s fiery bars and Wes’s thunderous drumming. The sound was electric—unpredictable and powerful.They had one shot. The label’s big concert was coming up, and they were going to crash it.
The night of the concert, the arena pulsed with energy. Heartless was supposed to play their sanitized, label-approved set—but instead, Derek grabbed the mic and introduced Tony back on stage. The crowd went silent. Then Tony stepped up, eyes blazing, and let the beat drop.The fusion hit hard—guitar strings wailing over heavy bass, Tony’s verses slicing through the noise.
The energy was electric. The crowd roared as they ripped through the set, reclaiming their sound and making it clear they weren’t here to play by the label’s rules. By the end of the performance, the place was shaking. The label’s reps tried to pull the plug, but it was too late. The people had already decided.Backstage, breathless and sweaty, Tony and the band shared a look."We’re back," Tony said, and this time, it felt real.To be continued…