Chapter #1: A New Job
" Arsenal, turn that down!" my mother shouted from the bottom of the stairs. I rolled my eyes and turned the volume to medium. I couldn't help that my favorite band was Van Halen and I liked rock n roll. Maybe I should tell you about myself.
My name is Arsenal, like the famous rock band. I think that's what my parents named me after. I only have my mom. My mom and dad had gotten into a fight when I was a baby (which was sometime in the 70s), and my dad left my mom. I have no idea who he is, since my mom doesn't talk about him a lot. My mom looks like me in only two ways. We have the same voice and personality. She said I was an exact replica of my father.
So anyways, I was sitting up in my room, listening to loud music, and flicking through a magazine. I heard a knock on my bedroom door. "Yeah!" I yelled over my music. The door opened and my mom stood there. She sat down on the bed and stroked my hair.
" Hey honey. Are you still looking for a job?" my mom asked. I looked at her carefully.
" Yeah, but you know I want to go into the music industry," I sighed. She smiled.
" Well, they have a job opening for a band, they need someone who can play the keyboard." She said. " I recommended you."
"Which band?" I asked. " AC/DC? Van Halen? Poison? Arsenal? Tell me!"
" It's Arsenal," my mom smiled. I gave out a little shriek. Stacee Jaxx was in that band, and he was my idol. Even though he drank a lot and had sex a lot, he still had lots of good songs. I had always dreamed of working with him. " Where do I go to file for a job?" I asked.
" The Bourbon Room." I loved that place. It was one of my favorite places to be, since my mom and I lived in Hollywood. My friends Drew and Sherrie worked there. They had even met Stacee Jaxx! I never got to see him at the Bourbon Room, though, because I was at a AC/DC concert (I had bought a ticket and reserved it for a year). I got up and turned off my record player.
" I'm going to the Bourbon Room!" I said, running out of my room.
" Good luck!" my mom said as I ran out the front door. I walked down the street and began to sing one of my favorite songs.
I come home in the morning light,
my mother says "when you gonna live your life right?"
oh, mother dear, we're not the fortunate ones
and girls, they wanna have fun
oh girls, just wanna have fun
I was halfway to the Bourbon.
The phone rings in the middle of the night, my father yells "What you gonna do with your life?"
Oh, daddy dear, you know you're still number one
but girls, they wanna have fun,
that's what they really want, some fun, when the working day is done oh girls they wanna have fun
Some of the teenage girls around my age joined me.
girls they want, wanna have fun, girls wanna have...
I saw the Bourbon in my vision. I jumped up onto a light pole and looked at the bright blue sky.
Some boys take a beautiful girl and hide her away from the rest of the world
I wanna be the one to walk in the sun
Oh, girls
Just wanna have, that's all they really want
Some fun..
When the working day is done Oh, girls, They wanna have fun, Oh girls, Just wanna have fun...
I jumped down and ran down the street, getting closer to the Bourbon with each step.
Girls, they want, wanna have fun, girls, wanna have.
They just wanna, they just wanna..
They just wanna, Oh, They just wanna, girls just wanna have fun, oh
Girls just wanna have fun, they just wanna, they just wanna, they just wanna, they just wanna, oh
They just wanna, girls just wanna have fun, girls just wanna have fun
When the working day is done, Oh, when the working day is done, oh girls, girls, just wanna have fun
I was at the doors, ready to enter. I saw a man in the window, staring down at me curiously.
They just wanna, they just wanna, they just wanna, They just wanna have fun
Girls just wanna have fun, they just wanna, they just wanna, they just wanna, they just wanna, have fun
They just wanna, girls just wanna have fun, they just wanna, oh girls, wanna have fun, girls just wanna have fun
When the workin, when the workin day is done, oh, when the working day is done, oh, girls, girls just wanna have fun
They just wanna, they just wanna, oh girls, They just wanna, have fun, Oh girls...girls just wanna have fun
That song could be a description of me. I just wanna have fun and live my life while I still have it. I entered through the front door and made my way over to the bar. It wasn't too jammed packed today. Lonny and Dennis were behind the bar. " LONNY!" I yelled. He turned.
" Hey Arsenal," he replied.
" Mom told me that Arsenal were having job openings and the forms were here!" I said.
" You're lucky I saved this form for you," Dennis said, handing me a piece of paper and pen.
" Thanks Dennis!" I sat down on a bar stool and began writing down my information. Name: Arsenal Jackson Age: 17 Birth date: May 9th Eye Color: Blue- green Hair Color: Dark Brown Any criminal records: None Job: Keyboarder Gender: female Height: 5'5 Weight: 110 lbs. Talent(s): Song-writing, singing, dancing Disorder(s): Anxiety, Depression, Bulimia Parents: Madison Jackson, father unknown
Even though I didn't get some of the questions, I still answered them honestly. " Where do I turn in the form?" I asked.
" Just hand it back in," Lonny said. Lonny looked over the form and frowned. " It's not getting better, is it?" he asked. I knew he meant my disorders. " Not really," I replied.
" It will. You can get through it. Promise," he said. I smiled slightly. Lonny was always the dad that I'd never got to have. Dennis took the form up to his and Lonny's office.
" You know what's funny," Lonny said, trying to change the subject.
" What?" I asked.
" You look A LOT like Stacee Jaxx."
" Why does everyone say that? That's impossible," I sighed.
" You don't know that," Lonny said.
" How's Drew and Sherrie been?"
" They've been good. They were waiting for you to fill out a form. They recommended you to Stacee," Lonny answered.
" Are they here?" Lonny opened his mouth to reply, but was interrupted by hearing voices upstairs.
" ARSENAL!" someone yelled. I turned around and saw Sherrie.
" SHERRIE!" I yelled back. We hugged each other.
" How have you been? I haven't seen you for months! How's touring been?" I asked question after question.
" It's been great! They're looking over your form in Dennis's office. I think you might get to tour with Drew and me!" It felt like fireworks were exploding in my chest.
" Come on!" Sherrie grabbed my hand and dragged me to Dennis's office. " What's it like being on tour with Stacee Jaxx?" I asked as she pulled me along.
" He seems a bit different, after, you know, Constance died during child birth and their baby died afterward..." Sherrie trailed off. I sighed. I always liked Constance with Stacee. She seemed pretty cool from what Sherrie told me about her. We reached Dennis's office and Sherrie opened the door.
" DREW!" I said/yelled. Drew turned around and smiled.
" Hey Arsenal!" Drew replied, giving me a hug.
" Arsenal?" a cool voice asked from behind Drew. I looked over his should and saw a man. He had a fur coat with a cowboy hat and sunglasses, and slightly tight black leather jeans. He had no shirt. I gasped. It was the one and only Stacee Jaxx! I pulled from Drew and I's hug.
" That's my name," I replied. Stacee just kind of stared at me for a moment or two. " Nice name," he finally said.
" Thanks. My parents named me after your band," I replied. Sherrie gave an awkward cough. " Stacee, this is the girl we recommended to you. Arsenal Jackson?" Sherrie said, signaling to me.
" Oh, right," he said. He picked up the form I had filled out just minutes ago. He looked over it long and hard. " 'father unknown'? " Stacee asked.
I sighed. " I don't know who he is. My mom never told me." He gave a 'hmph' sound and said," Interesting."
A monkey came out from under Dennis's desk. He ran over to me and flung itself onto my leg. " What the-?" I began. Stacee Jaxx looked down and saw the monkey on my leg.
" Hey Man," he sighed.
" Hey Man what?" I asked.
" That's the monkey's name," Drew explained. I nodded.
Hey Man wouldn't get off of my leg. Even when Stacee beckoned him away, he wouldn't do it. He and I ignored the situation.
" Ok, a keyboarder and singer. How do I know you can actually do those things?" Stacee asked.
" Do you want me to show you?" I asked. He nodded slightly. I headed down the steps slowly, since Hey Man was still stuck to my leg. I reached the main stage and walked over to the keyboard after pulling up a chair. I looked at the small crowd of people and gulped. I had always had stage fright. The crowd was of Dennis, Lonny, Sherrie, Drew, and Stacee.
" Any requests?" I asked.
" Don't stop believin'!" Drew said. I smiled. One of my favorite songs. I cleared my throat and began playing on the keyboard.
Just a small town girl, livin in a lonely world.
She took the midnight train going anywhere.
Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit, he took the midnight train going anywhere...
Drew had come up on stage to play the air guitar.
A singer in a smoky room, the smell of wine and cheap perfume.
For a smile they can share the night it goes on and on and on and on
Stacee glanced at me, probably surprised by how well at singing I was. Lonny just smiled. He had NEVER heard my voice before now.
Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard.
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlights, people
Livin just to find emotion
Hidin', somewhere in the night
Workin hard to get my fill
Everybody wants a thrill
Payin anything to roll the dice
Just one more time
Some will win, some will lose, some were born to sing the blues
Oh, the movie never ends
It goes on and on and on and on
Strangers waiting, up and down the boulevard
Their shadows searching in the night
Streetlights, people
Livin' just to find emotion
Hidin somewhere in the night
We finally reached my favorite part.
Don't stop believin'
hold onto that feelin'
Streetlights, people
Don't stop believin'
hold on
streetlights, people
don't stop believing, hold onto that feeling
streetlights, people...
I heard clapping, even Hey Man was clapping, who was still stuck to my leg. I gave Drew a high-five and said," Thanks for helping me out a bit."
He just smiled. Stacee came up on stage, smiling. " You're hired," he said, shaking my hand. My eyes went wide. " You're not joking, right?" I asked. He laughed.
" No. I heard you from outside too, you know." He must've been the man I saw in the window.
But, HE WAS SERIOUS! I was a roadie now! And with the band, Arsenal! Hey Man released my leg. " I guess Hey Man wanted you to join us," Sherrie said. I smiled.
" When do we like, leave or when do I start?" I asked.
" The tour starts tomorrow. We'll be by tomorrow at 12 p.m. ," Drew said. I knew he'd show Stacee where to go. Drew used to always come over to my house. He's known me for a while now. My mom used to have him babysit me and he'd come over for dinner sometimes. He's was like the brother I never had.
" I gotta go and tell mom!" I said hopping up quickly and jumping off the stage. I ran from the Bourbon after saying," See you tomorrow!"
I went down the street and went ahead and sang again. I need to express my happiness and love for rock!
I saw him standing there my the record machine
I knew he must've been about seventeen
The beat was going strong
Playing my favorite song
And I could tell it wouldn't be long before he was with me, yeah me
And I could tell it wouldn't be long before he was with me, yeah me
I wasn't aware of Hey Man following me.
Singing, I love rock n roll
so put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n roll
so come and take your time and dance with me, OW!
I jumped up into the air and kicked my leg out like a true rock fan would.
He smiled, so I got up and asked for his name
But that don't matter, he said, cause it's all the same
He said Can I take you home Where we can be alone?
And next we were moving on, he was with me, yeah me
Next we were moving on, he was with me, yeah me
Singing, I love rock n roll
so put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n roll
so come and take your time and dance with me, OW!
I was home now, so I stopped singing. I noticed Hey Man sitting on the door step. " Hey Man! You need to go back to The Bourbon Room!" I said, bending down to his level. I noticed he had a note stuck to him. I got it and read it:
Arsenal-
Welcome to the crew.
-Stacee Jaxx
I smiled. " That's why you followed me, then," I said. I found a pen in my shoulder bag that I had been carrying and wrote on the back of it:
Thanks. I can't wait to start.
-Arsenal
I taped the note to Hey Man's leather jacket and he ran off down the street. I stood up and ran into the house.
" MOM!" I yelled. I heard a pan drop.
" ARSENAL!" my mom yelled, irritation apparent in her voice. "WHAT?"
I ran into the kitchen and saw mom holding her foot. " Oh, sorry. BUT GUESS WHAT?" I said. She looked at me expectantly.
" I GET TO TOUR WITH ARSENAL AS THEIR KEYBOARDER!" Her eyes went wide.
" Are you serious?" she asked. I nodded. She hopped over to me and hugged me. " That's great, honey! When do you start?" she asked.
" They'll be stopping by tomorrow at noon!" Mom paled slightly and sat down. " Mom, what's wrong?" I asked.
" Nothing, it's just, I won't be here. I'm, um, going grocery shopping," she replied. I raised a brow, but shrugged it off.
" Oh, I wish you could be here! You could meet Stacee Jaxx!"
"Yeah..." she mumbled. She looked up and smiled. " You should get to packing."
I nodded and ran up to my room. I grabbed my small suitcase. I put all of my best clothes into my suitcase and a few pieces of jewelry. I knew Sherrie would want to take me shopping for clothes while on tour, so I didn't pack my whole closet. I put all of my records (about 10 in all) on top of my clothes and all of my cassette tapes into the top pocket along with my cassette player and headphones.
I put on my black bangle bracelets and silver ring. I was already wearing my dagger(knife) necklace and premium red guitar pick necklace. My mom said they belonged to my dad. I placed my keyboard into its case and set on top of the suitcase.
I set my stuff by the door and began packing a shoulder bag. I put things like my hair brush, perfume, toothbrush, etc. into it. I began to wonder about my mom. I knew she didn't have to go to the grocery store tomorrow. I just went a few days ago. Why was she lying to me?
I plopped down on my bed and stared at my Arsenal poster on the ceiling. I never thought I'd get to be a roadie with them. I couldn't wait until tomorrow.
A simple dream had turned real.