Hello dear readers! I'd like to say, thanks a bunch for all the nice reviews, and for the ones containing constructive criticism. As an aspiring author, I see as important to receive both. Anyway, I'm really sorry for keeping you all waiting for so long for the updated version of "Blue and Yellow." I sincerely hope it was worth the wait, especially since I just suffered through a semester of Creative Writing. By the way, I don't think I'll make this a standalone either. In fact, I'm not sure how many parts it will have, however many it takes for me to write it, I guess?
--
Most fans don't like to imagine their favorite rock stars as people who once led normal lives where they ate, slept, breathed, and were forced to go to school in one particular area of the world, just like every other member of the working class in America. They'd rather idolize the musicians, put up posters that took up half of their bedroom walls and yell during their performances as if driven mad by the striking of a single cord on a guitar. In fact, it probably required actually being in a band to realize that just because you could play an instrument really well didn't mean you were a god. Sure, certain drummers liked to believe they were, but weren't stupid enough to actually convince themselves that they had unearthly powers. But hey, at least the part about being able to bag just about any chick stood true, a fact of life that had once again prevailed on that particular night.
Freddy Jones stumbled through the door of the School of Rock tour bus, a busty platinum blond glued to his side. Katie, who was sitting on the couch playing Guitar Hero, didn't have to look away from the small television screen to see what the cat had drug in that particular night. She was pretty sure that if she had to struggle through one more conversation with some chick that had no doubt been dropped on her head as a child and been handed everything on a silver platter her whole life, she'd puke. Keep down the amazing Chinese food she'd had for lunch earlier that day, or end up wearing it? It didn't really require too much thought...
"Hey Katie-baby! Where is everyone?" Freddy slurred cheerily as he and the girl made their way through the bus, stopping by the couch.
"Call me Katie-baby again and I'll snap your fucking neck." She replied distractedly as she focused on a particularly challenging series of notes in the song she was playing. "Tomika went to Target to pick up some shit she needed and forced Zack to go with her since Summer had to go see her grandma in the hospital, Lawrence, or 'Larry' as I guess he likes to be called now, is listening to music in his bunk, and Dewey's off getting wasted in some bar."
"Alrighty then! Me 'n Kelly will be in the back if you need us..." Freddy informed her with grin before heading off again.
"Ugh, poor Larry." Katie mused softly, pushing the button to continue once she'd finished the song.
"What was that?" Freddy's voice drifted towards the front area, mixed with Kelly's oh-so-pleasant giggling. She was going to bring Spring back within minutes... Seriously, how could any guy stand females that seemed to have taken up annoying as an official job title?
"Nothing, now go make love to your catch of the night." Katie rolled her eyes and chose 'Less Talk More Rokk' to play next, if only because she needed cheering up and quick, not to mention, to distract her from the graphic sound effects that would be coming soon.
About half an hour later, Zack and Tomekia made their entrance. It sounded as if she was once again complaining about the other two back-up vocalists choosing to stay behind instead of coming along on the tour. They seemed to care so little about the band any more, that most of the members assumed they'd be quitting soon, but none of them had the heart to share their suspicion with Tomekia. Luckily, Zack was one of those people who could sit through hours of listening to other people talk and still come out completely unscathed. If more people were like him, the world would be a much better place, no doubt.
"I wish I could hear one of Alicia's jokes right now..." Tomekia sighed.
"I know." Zack spoke soothingly, reaching over to pat her on the arm, then looked over to where Katie was sitting. "How's it going, Katie?"
"Oh, I've had better days," she grunted. "By the way, I'd refrain from traveling to the back forty just yet. You-Know-Who, and I don't mean Voldemort, has brought another prize home for the night."
"Lovely. Just the type of music I was hoping to hear tonight!" Tomekia rolled her eyes. "I hope Larry has his turned up high enough if he's back there... I don't know why Freddy can't just wait until we get to a hotel or something."
"Ditto." Katie shook her head at the unfairness of it all, then winced as the squeaky noise that meant she'd missed a few notes spilled from the speakers of the television.
Tomekia sighed again and headed in the direction of the bathroom, not the most ideal place in the world to be bathing, but females had to worry about doing so more frequently than guys, so sometimes it was necessary. You just got used to it after awhile, if you were smart.
"Guess I'll just chill here..." Zack smiled wanly and sank down onto the couch next to Katie. A loud, girlish moan was suddenly heard, followed by more obnoxious laughter. A pained expression shot across Zack's face as he glanced towards the hallway. Normally, Katie would have assumed that he was expressing the fact that he was just as disgusted as her, but this time she got the feeling it went a little deeper than that.
"Hey Zack, you okay, other than the fact that our considerate drummer couldn't hold out on the sex for a day or two?" She asked.
"Yeah, fine," he murmured, avoiding her gaze by pretending to search for his cigarettes, even though he knew exactly where he'd placed them last.
"Liar," Katie replied curtly. She'd known Zack Moonyham since preschool, not to mention he was as easy to read as an open book. Alright, and maybe it didn't hurt that she had a female's intuition on her side, either?
"Excuse me?" he arched an eyebrow as he narrowly avoided crushing the small carton now clutched in his right hand.
"You heard me. Now cough it up, or I'm going to sit on you or something until you do," she demanded, folding her arms across her chest for good measure.
Zack stalled by lighting up and taking a long drag, but there was no ignoring the dark brown eyes attempting to burn holes into him. Knowing Katie, she'd probably achieve it one day, best not to make it that particular night...
"What if-" he began, not really sure how to start. He'd kept the secret for so long that he'd become adept at hiding it, and now that he could let it out, the feat was nearly impossible. He took another quick drag and started to speak again, drawing strength from the nicotine. "What if I had a crush on one of our band mates?"
"Oh my God, you have a crush on Freddy?" Katie squeaked. It took every ounce of her willpower not to yell out the words. This was pretty shocking news. Maybe Zack wasn't as much of an open book as she'd been led to believe? She wasn't sure whether to be pleased or unnerved by such a realization, so settling for a mixture would have to do for the time being. "Since when?"
"Since we started high school... Shit, I can't believe I'm telling you this!" Zack moaned planting his forehead in his free palm. Katie wrinkled her nose as the cigarette smoke curled up and into her nose. She'd always thought it was a nasty habit, but when it came to talking the guys into quitting, she might as well have been holding a conversation with a brick wall.
"Why, you don't trust me?" Katie questioned, a hint of pain obvious in her tone. "Listen, if you don't want me telling him how you feel, then I won't," she assured. "But don't think I'm not going to stay on your case until you do something about it."
"What? Katie, I can't do anything about it!" Zack cried. "Last time I checked, Freddy was straight as a fucking flag pole and it's not going to change any time soon."
"How do you know that?" Katie arched an eyebrow, a small smirk spreading across her ruby lips. A plan was already beginning to formulate in her mind, and lucky her, Summer wasn't around to put an end to it before things got off the ground.
--
Katie's plan was simple, really, or at least she told herself it would be. That was all she needed to set everything in motion, along with the firm belief that Freddy was a major closet case. Yeah, he had a new girl in his lap every night, but who was to say that wasn't a cover-up? The more she paid attention to the way he and Zack interacted, the more justified she felt in her assumption, that she was doing the right thing by meddling a little.
At long last they'd arrived at a hotel, but hadn't had much time to enjoy it since they had a show later that night. It calculated into Katie's plan perfectly, however. Everyone was always wired after playing their hearts out to thousands of fans and willing to do just about anything, including getting drunk off their asses. Even Zack, the assumed 'straightedge' of the group could be bothered to accept a little vodka in his Red Bull.
Once everyone seemed to have enough alcohol in their systems, she attempted to get their attention. If she'd allowed herself to get as trashed as usual, she knew it wouldn't have been so annoying that their attention was on everything but her, but she'd have to make do with what she was able to get. It was that or see her plan fall through.
"Guys, let's play Spin the Bottle!" Katie made sure to feign a bit of a slur so that her random suggestion could be blamed on one too many beers. The guys would never let her forget otherwise because hey, everyone did stupid shit when they were drunk, right?
Tomekia giggled as if she were one of the preteen girls that typically enjoyed playing such a game, Zack just stared, poor Larry was already passed out because it wasn't just coincidental that 'lightweight' and 'Larry' began with l's, and Freddy smirked.
"Alright," he agreed. "There's only two chicks though."
"Freddy, Larry's passed out and probably won't wake back up until about noon tomorrow," Katie rolled her eyes. "Or are you chicken?"
"No!" he balked. "Let's do it."
"How 'bout you guys?" Katie turned to look at Zack and Tomekia.
"I haven't played this game in forever!" Tomekia giggled again. "So yep, I'm in!"
"What about you, Zack?" Katie pressed.
"I don't know..." he muttered. "I like you guys and all, but-"
"Oh, come on Zacky-Poo!" Freddy urged, swinging an arm around his band mate's shoulders, nearly missing in the process. "You're not a chicken either, are you?"
Zack shook his head slowly. "No way man. I'm down."
"Good, everyone's on board then," Kate gave a nod of approval before leaning out of their mock circle to grab one of the empty beer bottles that cluttered the floor, then placed it in the middle. "So, who wants to go first?"
"I will," Freddy was quick to volunteer, smirking. Wobbling a bit, he reached forward to spin it, eyes going a bit wide when it landed on Zack.
"Oh, shouldn't have been in such a big hurry to spin," Katie teased.
"Get on with it!" Tomekia demanded gleefully, holding up her drink in cheers.
"Fine, just shut the fuck up already," Freddy laughed at her as he edged closer to Zack.
Katie did her best to ignore the slightly panicked expression Zack shot her, telling herself it was for his own good. And if he didn't get what he wanted out of it? Well, that possibility was best considered at at a later date, far as she was concerned.
She gnawed anxiously on her bottom lip as she watched them draw closer and closer by the second, and held her breath when their lips connected. When they didn't pull apart immediately, she emptied her lungs of the oxygen. It could only be a good sign...