Sweet music drifted through the warm breeze of L.A. as two girls were performing on a corner. One on acoustic guitar, and the other rocking out on the tambourine. A small crowd of seven applauded as they came to the end of 'I Can't Help Falling In Love With You' by Elvis Presley. The girls were awarded with ten dollars in tip from there performance. As the crowd departed the two girls sighed in disappointment as they looked at their money. There was no way they would be able to rent a room with the little money they were earning.
"Holly, I think that we may just have to give up hope. There is no way will be able to get enough money at this rate to find a place to stay," said the youngest girl.
"Crystal, we have to try. We can not go back to the life we previously had, it wasn't right for us, so let's be positive and keep playing. I mean I don't know about you, but I don't think anyone can resist the groovy sound of the tambourine," Holly joked.
Crystal gave Holly the most amused face she could muster. Holly simply walked up to Crystal taking her two pointer fingers, and pressing them against the corners of Crystals mouth, trying to get her to smile. That small action caused Crystal to try and bite at Holly, but she stopped mid bite when she heard laughter behind them. Crystal, surprised by the laughter, quickly turned, accidentally slapping Holly in the face. She turned to see a boy that was probably a few years older than her. He had dirty blonde hair, in kind of a bowl cut, brown eyes, and a childish, dimpled smile.
"You girls are pretty good for street performers," he said in a kind voice. He paused as if in deep thought, "Oh! I'm Peter by the way!" He said as if he almost forgot.
"Thanks Peter, I told you Crystal, people like our music. Oh, sorry, she's Crystal and I'm Holly. Do you play Peter?" asked Holly
"I do play, I'm actually in a band myself," answered Peter.
"A band. That's so far out! What is your band called?" Crystal asked as she perked a bit from the lack of money earlier.
"The Monkees," Peter answered.
"I love monkeys," shouted Holly, "How do you perform with monkeys?" Holly scratched her head in slight confusion.
"No," Peter said "The band is just called the Monkees. M-O-N-K-…E-E-S!"
"Sorry about Holly. She likes meeting people, and becomes hyper easily," Crystal said to Peter.
"That's not true," Holly whined while bouncing in circles, proving Crystals point.
"I-" Peter paused left wordless for a second as he looked at Crystal, "I see your point, she reminds me of my friend Micky."
"I'm not trying to sound rude, but why are the two of you performing on the street," Peter just realized that the situation seemed strange.
"We...um...we don't have a home," Holly answered with the look of a scolded child.
"You don't have a home? Where do you girls stay then?" Questioned Peter.
"On a nearby park bench, but let me tell ya, the blankets have quite interesting reading material," Crystal joked.
"You can stay with me and my friends," Peter blurted.
"No thanks man, we hardly know you," Crystal answered.
Thunder crashed in the distance, causing Holly to jump, and give a high pitched screech.
"Crystal, I'm scared," Holly shrieked as lightning lit up the sky, grabbing onto both Crystal's and Peter's arms.
"Will there be hot cocoa," asked Crystal while glancing worriedly at Holly, "because Holly despises coffee."
"Of course," answered Peter.
"Then we can be there in a hour," Crystal said as Peter began to write his address on an old wrinkled piece of paper from his pocket.
"A hour?!" Holly screeched looking to the dark sky, "But, but the…thunder…"
"We will be fine. We just need to pick up some of our things we hid in the park and get something to eat with ten dollars," Crystal said as she got the address from Peter and picked up the tips.
The girls separated from the corner, and Peter went on his way to his pad. The whole way he was wondering how he would explain to the guys that he invited strangers to stay over, especially Mike. Mike, even though he won't admit it, is the father figure of the boys, and as childish as it sounds Peter doesn't like when Mike is disappointed with him. He entered the beachfront pad with the all to familiar, "Keep Off the Grass" sign. He was greeted by Mike, Micky, and Davy relieved to see that he was finally home.
"Why were you out so late," asked Mike with great concern evident in his voice.
"Funny story," answered Peter nervously.
"What did you do Peter," questioned Micky.
"I invited a couple of girls to spend the night. They didn't have a home, and I felt bad," Peter sighed.
"Are they cute," asked the British, flirtatious shorty, known as Davy Jones.
"That's not the point David," Mike said at Davy's remark, "do you know what letting girls in our house overnight could do to our reputation?"
"No…" Peter said, "I said they could stay on the couch."
"Also, they are strangers! You know, stranger danger," Mike said trying to get to Peter language.
"They aren't strangers. They are Crystal and Holly. My new friends," Peter smiled.
"That you met about five minutes ago," Mike simply said.
"So?…" Peter looked at Mike square in the eyes, "They are my friends, they have no home, and I think they need someone who they can stay with and feel happy with. They are staying…please?" Peter stepped back a bit after he realized what he just did to Mike.
"Fine, but I will keep an eye on them. They can stay," Mike gave in.
"Yay," Peter yelled as Micky and Davy came to Peter with little flags that said "Go Peter" and Mike left them do their thing. There was a quiet knock on the door, interrupting Peter's victory celebration. Peter walked over to the door, both a curious Micky and Davy behind him. The two girls walked in, drenched from the rain.
"I call the one with black hair," Davy whispered, glancing toward Crystal.
"No," Peter replied defensively.
"Then how bout the brunette," Davy asked.
"No," Peter answered calmly.
The girls walked in shutting the door behind them and Peter whispered to the side to Davy and Micky, "open the bed in the couch," and walked up to the girls to help them with their coats.
Micky and Davy looked at each other and then looked at the couch and scrambled for it. The cushions went flying in the air behind the couch and they flipped open the bed only for it to flip on top of them, pushing them to the ground under it. They both shoved trying to get out from under it at the same time without trying to even lift the mattress off of them. Some laughter came from the door as all the girls could do was enjoy what was going on in front of them.
Mike entered the living room and saw the two boys trying to get out from under the mattress and he simply walked by them and to the girls. He felt a little bad for them because they were soaked from the rain. His sympathy turned into shock when he felt the weight of his hat no longer on his head. He turned slightly to see Holly wearing it on her head.
"This is a really groovy hat man," stated Holly while twirling around the room.
"Listen here..." Mike started.
"Holly," answered Holly, she quit spinning round.
"Listen here Holly, that is my hat, and that is a very good way to spread lice," Mike tried to remain calm.
"You have lice?" Holly asked innocently./
"No," Mike shouted, frustrated by Holly's childish antics.
"Good, because I really like wearing this hat, makes me feel calm," commented Holly while patting Mike's hat on her head.
"Can you please give me my hat," questioned Mike.
"Where's the fun in that," said Holly.
Micky, Davy, and Peter were all laughing at the back in forth between Mike and Holly. They never see Mike get frustrated easily, and it was hilarious to them that one girl could bring out his frustrated side, while it took three of them to get him that worked up.
"If you want the hat," Holly started, "You'll have to answer my question."
"Fine," growled an almost angry Mike.
"What's your name?" asked Holly.
"Mike Nesmith," Mike sighed in frustration, while Holly tossed his hat at him.
"Nice to meet you Mike. I can already tell we'll be great friends," Holly held out her hand and Mike shook it.
The three boys were still laughing as Mike exited the room huffing in anger, for he thought he had enough of Holly to last him a life time. Next for introductions was Micky. He walked up to the girls doing one of his many infamous impressions.
"Hello, I'm Micky Dolenz," shouted Micky with great excitement.
"Great, another Holly to deal with," stated Crystal with a hint of sarcasm, "hey, I'm Crystal, and the one who made a great impression on Mike is Holly."
"Hi ya Micky, was that impression I heard the great James Cagney?"
"The one and only," answered Micky while giving a small bow.
Davy squeezed his way between Micky and the girls so he could get a chance to meet them, and maybe get one to fall for his charms. After all, girls were always falling for him.
" ello, I'm Davy Jones, and might I just say that..."
"Are you ill? I believe I see stars in your eyes, or have I become ill and now I'm seeing things. Crystal?" Holly panicked.
"You're not ill," Peter laughed, "he just gets that way when he...um when he uhh... Sees pretty girls," he finished nervously with a quick glance to Crystal.
"Then why is he looking at us like that?" Crystal questioned.
"Because, I guess we are cute!" Holly answered.
"Because he thinks you're cute," Crystal said plainly.
"Orr…I think you are both cute," Davy winked.
"Debatable," Crystal smiled.
"It's obvious, you're a beautiful girl," Davy smiled to Crystal, and she slightly smiled back.
"Hehe…sorry to interrupt, but it is getting late and the girls must be tired," Peter burst into Davy and Crystals conversation.
"You aren't wrong. It has been a long day," Crystal yawned.
"Well, goodnight," Peter dragged the boys to their rooms while the girls set up their bedding.
"I think they are so nice!" Holly said as she settled, "don't you, Crystal?" There was no answer, "Crystal?"
Holly looked toward Crystal, who was already asleep after such a long day. Holly shrugged and curled up into her blankets to sleep in something that wasn't a park bench and newspapers.
The next day, the sun came through the windows, and it woke up Crystal. She stretched as she stepped out of her bed knocking over her acoustic guitar and acoustic bass cases over. Crystal looked around to see it hadn't woken Holly, and she doubted it awoke anybody else. She opened a case, inside was her acoustic bass, and she pushed the open case to the side because a string was broken. Crystal could not afford to pay for a new string on her bass so she grabbed her acoustic guitar instead and ran out with the case and guitar in hand. She wanted to earn money for the boys since they were so generous to let them stay with them. She stepped to a curb and opened the case in front of her. She strummed a little tune that was famous throughout the US. Crystal sang with the guitar tune.
"Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away,
Now it looks as though they're here to stay,
Oh, I believe in yesterday."
It was Crystals favorite song, Yesterday by the Beatles. She played a little tune between verses and suddenly heard an acoustic bass join in. She saw Peter walk up to her playing her acoustic bass that no longer had a broken string. Peter had repaired it for her. He then sang the next verse.
"Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be,
There's a shadow hanging over me,
Oh, yesterday came suddenly."
Crystal smiled to him, and she joined the next verse with him.
"Why she had to go?
I don't know, she wouldn't say,
I said something wrong,
Now I long for yesterday.
Yesterday love was such an easy game to play,
Now I need a place to hide away,
Oh, I believe in yesterday.
Why she had to go?
I don't know, she wouldn't say,
I said something wrong,
Now I long for yesterday.
Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play,
Now I need a place to hide away,
Oh, I believe in yesterday.
Mm mm mm mm mm mm mm.
Crystal smiled to Peter as they finished the song together. When she looked at her open case there were a lot of tips in it, and a group of people gathered and were cheering at their little duet. Crystal shut the case and they left the street corner together going back to the pad.