Chapter One- The Beginning

The year was 1982. I remember it like it was yesterday...

About 20 years ago...

. . .

"Angela, hurry up, we're going to miss the concert."

I put the finishing touches on my makeup, then put on my earrings. "I'm coming, I'm coming, don't rush me. It's not like we're gonna be late for the concert."

"Well, if we don't get out of here now, we wont make it in time, and I'm dying to see Joey," said Mayra. "You know how long I've waited for this."

"Calm down, I'm done. Let's go."

Me and the rest of the girls screamed and jumped into the car outside. We listened to the Ramones all the way there.

"Oh, I just cant wait to see Joey!" Mayra squealed. "I just love the way he sings into the microphone leaning over like that. I've waited my whole damn life for them to come to Baltimore!"

"Me too!" My other friend Ann said. "Dee Dee is just adorable!"

Everyone in the car booed her, and she playfully waved them off. "Angela, what about you?"

Here came the moment of truth. I didn't know if I wanted to tell my friends who I desired the most in the band. What if they made fun of me for it? "I...uh...I don't think-"

"Come on, just say it."

I exhaled. "Okay...I like Johnny."

Everyone gasped in the car.

"You like...him?" Mayra yelled out. "What's so great about Johnny?"

I suddenly got a little angry. "What do you mean by that? He's probably one of the best guitarists in the world, not to mention he's hot. Why wouldn't I like him?"

"Angela, you do realize that Johnny Ramone is a complete control freak?", my other friend Jessica said. "He's such an asshole."

I shrugged. "Maybe you guys just don't understand him the way I do."

"Girl, you've never even met the man before. How could you possibly think that he's nice?" Mayra said.

"Well, how can you possibly think that he's mean? You don't know him either."

"Look guys, lets just forget about this. Lets all have a good time tonight, okay?" Ann said.

"Yeah, you're right," I said. "We're here to have fun, right? So lets do that."

The limo pulled up to the theater. My heart raced! I was going to see the Ramones in action! This was seriously the best day of my life. When we got inside, there were already tons of other fans. Alot of them had their shirts off already and the concert hadn't even started. I was really surprised. The announcer then came to the mic. "Okay, alright guys. Settle down." He cleared his throat. "The Ramones will be out in two minutes, so settle down."

Everyone screamed and threw random things in the air. My heart was beating faster. I looked around and realized I couldn't find my friends anymore. I also found myself somewhere in the front row. How the hell did that happen?

"Ladies and gentlemen: We present...The Ramones!"

Wait...they were coming out? I was actually about to see them? The crowd went crazy, and I found myself screaming too. Then, like magic, it happened...Joey came out to the stage. I heard girls screaming out his name loudly. I could have sworn I heard Mayra the loudest though. Joey was really tall and lanky as he stood behind the microphone. Marky walked out after him and took his position at the drums. Then Johnny walked out with his gleaming guitar, and I sighed pleasurably at the sight of him. To me, he was the most beautiful man I'd ever looked at. He stood next to Joey and positioned his guitar. Then there was Dee Dee. He walked out and waved to the fans, then took his position too.

"Good evenin' folks," Joey said into the microphone. "How's everybody doin' today?"

The crowd screamed. I laughed when I saw Joey laugh at the audience's reaction.

"We hope you have a good show tonight. Dee Dee my man, start us off!"

In a flash, Dee Dee yelled his signature "1,2,3,4!" and they started off with their song "Blitzkrieg Bop", one of my favorite songs by them. I sang the lyrics with Joey. I didn't think that it had completely set in my mind yet that I was actually at a Ramones concert, in the front row. Joey looked like a giant standing in front of me, and Johnny wasn't that far from where I was standing. I wished I could get myself closer to him some kind of way. I decided to try to move. With alot of pushing and shoving, I eventually got right in front of him. Just looking at him made me start licking my lips. He was gorgeous!

The next song that they played was "Go Mental". I liked that song too. The crowd was beginning to get restless and wild. People were throwing things and themselves everywhere. My arm actually ended up getting hurt in the process. The security guards were really busy with trying to settle people down, and people were shouting inaudible things...I think they were high or something. In all honesty, I was beginning to get scared. It was my first concert, so I wasn't quite used to it. The noise, the wildness of the fans made me a bit uncomfortable, and I wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation. Should I leave? No! I'd waited for years for the Ramones to come play here, I wasn't actually going to leave. No way. But the noise was getting to me, and I actually ended up climbing onto the stage, and slipped on a wire. I fell, and my leg ached. That hurt.

I looked up to see that I was on the side of the stage, and in front of my were a pair of worn out sneakers. I followed those sneakers up to the owners legs. Then the black leather jacket, and finally the face. That long, bowl haircut and bright green eyes stared into my soul that night. Johnny Ramone strummed his guitar while looking at me gawk at him like the dummy that I was. Was I dreaming? Was I really in his presence at that moment? I had to have been dreaming. I wasn't even here.

"You alright?" He asked me, yelling over the noise, and still playing his guitar. I was speechless. I couldn't move, couldn't speak...he spoke to me! He actually spoke to me! What was I supposed to say? Should I have said something to him? Anything? My mind was racing with questions, and my heart was just about ready to pop out of my chest and crawl right into Johnny's palm. He smirked a little. God, that smirk of his...it got to me everytime, so easily. My eyes, that entire time, stayed on Johnny. There were obviously other people everywhere, but he was truly the only one that I saw, that I wanted to see. Was it bad? I stayed sitting on the stage, surprisingly unseen by the security guards. How did they not see me sitting there, gazing at one of God's most successful creations, Johnny Ramone? How could they not?

And so, for the rest of the concert, for about three hours straight, I sat in that position, just watching Johnny strum vigorously at his guitar. The fierce, stern looks that formed on his face made me want to bite his neck lightly, seductively. I loved the way Johnny bit his mouth as he played, and the sweat that was drenching his hair. My girl parts tingled with desire, yet I stayed put until the end of the show. His eyes were so fierce and burned an inner fire that I could see clearly...

The concert had five more minutes until it ended, and I stayed in my spot on the side of the stage. Johnny was getting tired, I could see it in his strumming...it was slower, more reserved, but still just as great. The band played one final song, which was "Judy Is A Punk", then Joey shook his head, his long black hair whirling back and forth.

"Thank you everybody, and good night!" His voice was raspy and breathless from singing so much. Another concert well done, boys. The moment Marky got up from his drum set, my heart began beating faster, because they were leaving. I didn't want them to. I wanted them to stay. I wanted Johnny to stay...he removed his guitar from over his head and held it up beside him. I sighed, he was so strong...

Then suddenly, the most amazing thing happened. Johnny walked up to me. He leaned his mouth to my ear and whispered, "Why don't you meet me backstage?"

He straightened himself up and simply walked off the stage, leaving me sitting back there in pure awe. I didn't even know if the security guards would let me back there, but what the hell? People didn't get this kind of opportunity everyday. In that moment, I'd forgotten all about my friends, about everything, because I was only focused on one thing...seeing Johnny backstage. He'd always been my favorite member, since two years ago. I saw him on TV doing a live interview with Joey and the rest of them. It was the first time I'd seen something so beautiful. Those green eyes tugged at my heart, and from then on, I just couldn't let go. I was never able to since then.

"Hey! Get out of the way!" An angry fan popped me out of my flashback.

"Oh, sorry." The guy pushed past me to the exit. Why did people have to be so mean these days? But I'd forgotten about that incident in a flash when I remembered Johnny's words to me. He wanted me backstage, but what for? What could I possibly provide for him? Was it because I sat on the side of the stage as he played? What was it? I wasn't very pretty, so it couldn't be because I was attractive and he wanted to sleep with me...I had no idea what he could want, but maybe he just wanted to meet me, I didn't know.

I worked my way through the crowd, shoving insensitive, adrenaline-filled souls past me. I saw from a distance the back exit from a place where the group performed. There was one security guard there, but he wasn't very big, and he seemed to be distracted by another person. So as quietly as I could, I snuck past him. I walked down the hallway, somehow unnoticed. Finally, I came to a door with the band name on it. This had to be where Johnny was. He was right behind this door. From inside, I could hear Joey talking, but it was hard to make out the words...

Should I...? Will Johnny want me here?

A million questions went in my head. I almost chickened out and walked the other way, but I thought of those green eyes...that long hair, and I realized that it was right now or never. I knocked lightly on the door at first, but noone answered.

I knocked again, louder this time, and inside the room, everything grew quiet...