The jet had taken off from LaGuardia, the band was starting their trip to stardom. Mike told them that they would be flying to LA for a national television appearance and to record an album. Since the flight would take about five hours, everyone was exhausted. Mike had put on his Serenghetti sunglasses to shade his eyes and laid his head back. Gandalf had on his walkman as he drifted off, and Kip was reading a Playboy. Ross had gone to sleep with Rachel laying on his chest . The only two who were awake were Chandler and Monica.
"I still can't believe this. I mean we are flying to Los Angeles and you guys are going to make a real record." Monica exclaimed.
"I know I feel like I am living an episode of the Partridge Family or something. I half expect Danny or Reuben to show up." Chandler laughed . He looked at Monica's face and her eyes. For a minute they were silent and just looking at each other. Monica moved closer to Chandler and then started to kiss him. He took her face in his hands and then opened his mouth wider. "Come on." He said as he took her hand and took her to the back of the plane. Caught in the throes of passion, he lifted her shirt and then she helped him off with his. The sweat was pouring off his body as they wriggled together. "No , no this is all wrong." Chandler pulled himself away. Monica was shocked. "Now what is it?Didn't you have that talk with Ross?" Monica pulled her shirt over her head.
Chandler sat Monica down in one of the empty airplane seats. He took her hand. "I care about you very much. I want our first time to be very special, Not in the bathroom of some jet. I want it to be sweet and tender and memorable. " Chandler said tenderly. Monica smiled and then turned to kiss him on the cheek. "That is the sweetest thing that anyone has ever said to me." She sighed. "I want my first time to be with you." She whispered in his ear. At that point the plane started to drop .
"Looks like we are in California. Swimming pools and movie stars." Said Gandalf.
"I wonder if Victoria Principal is busy?" said Kip slyly.
As the plane dropped., Rachel opened her eyes slowly and realized they were getting ready to land. She shook Ross . "Honey, we are in California now." She said. "Huh." Ross was not the type to wake up right away. "Aw, I think someone needs a wake up kiss." Rachel leaned down and kissed him hard on the mouth. He immediately came to life.
"What was that for?" he asked , then he looked out to see the view of the many houses and pools of LA becoming larger and larger.
"Okay boys, this is it. The limo will take us to the hotel. " Mike said as he hopped up and grabbed his briefcase. "Girls , you guys grab your stuff as well. You will have your own room." He said . Rachel got up and then protested. "Won't Ross and I be in the same room?"
"Sweetie, you guys aren't married and we can deal with the sleeping arrangements later. Plus he can't have a girlfriend right now, it is very bad for rock stars to have steady girls. They have to be accessible to their fans." Mike explained. Monica's face sank. She wouldn't be able to be with Chandler either. "You are along ecause you are his sister and you are along as the costumer ." Mike said matter of factly.
"Rachel is my girlfriend and the public deserves to know that I am taken." Ross protested. Mike put his arm around Ross shoulder. "Trust me on this , Ross, I didn't say you couldn't be with her, It's just that the public thinks of bands and singers as sex gods, and it would destroy your reputation if the public knew you were taken. So to the public you are a single man." Ross looked over at Rachel as she pulled her carry on down from the overhead. "Don't you listen to him. You are my girl." She smiled and then kissed him on the cheek.
The entourage got into the limo . Within an hour, they were at the hotel . With the sun out and just to relax., everyone went down to the pool. Rachel walked down carrying her little bag and wearing a pink bikini. Ross took off his sunglasses and studied every little move she made. Some guy on the other end of the pool saw her and whistled and howled. Ross stood up to see where it was coming from. She then dived into the pool and then Ross jumped in from the side. Monica and Chandler were playing and both of them fell in as well.
"Hey let's play chicken." Rachel screamed. "Us against you guys." Rachel was used to climbing because of her cheerleading . so she put her wet foot on Ross shoulder and climbed up and sat comfortably around his neck. Monica had Chandler help her up and she made herself comfortable.
"Hey we used to do this at the beach, but I always climbed up on Monica then." Ross said. Monica took her two fists and gave him the finger like when they were kids. "Okay Dino Boy, it's payback time." She said fiercely. Gandalf and Kip ran over to the side to watch . Two hot girls in bikinis were going to fight and get wet. Monica directed Chandler over and then the two girls were giggling and trying to knock each other off. Rachel went tumbling into the pool and then Chandler pushed Ross under. Everyone was swimming around and laughing.
"Hey we are going to have to get a huge pool." Ross said.
"Yeah and then fill it with Playboy centerfolds." Answered Gandalf as he high fived Kip.
"Okay guys, we have the studio tomorrow from one till ten. You guys will record Emotional Knapsack and one other song. We'll release Emotional Knapsack as a single and then do the album at a later date." Mike explained.
"Who records the lead on Emotional Knapsack?" Ross asked.
"I do , I am the lead singer." Answered Chandler.
"But I am the one that got us the contract." Ross countered.
"That's just because I wasn't there when you made the decision." Chandler yelled. "You are a writer and the keyboard player."
"Here we go again." Kip said as he crossed his arms. "They do this all the time." He said to Mike.
"Boys , we'll do two cuts, Ross will sing on one and Chandler on the other , the best one is the one we'll use." Mike said. "You gotta know how to handle egos in this biz." To Kip. Ross gave Chandler a look that said I got my way again. Chandler just got his towel and grabbed a cigarette from the pack by the pool. He lit it and then on purpose blew a smoke ring into Ross ' face. "Come on Monica, let's go for a walk." He gave him a dirty look while Monica stepped out of the pool and dried herself off. Monica literally skipped over to meet him . Then they walked away.
"If you guys will excuse me, I am going to get a drink." Ross said as he dried himself off. Rachel ran over and he tossed her off of him. "No babe, I just need to be alone right now. One drink okay." He put on his sunglasses and t shirt and walked away angrily.
"That's one thing you have got to understand about Ross. He has been the favorite of my parents my whole life. He was a straight A student , he won trophies at the science fairs, he was in the scouts, there wasn't anything that he couldn't do in my parents eyes. I have always been their fat , stupid daughter." Monica moped. Chandler looked her in the eye. "Don't' say that , don't ever let me hear my girlfriend say that she is stupid." Chandler said defensively. Monica stopped. "Girlfriend?" she asked anxiously. "Monica you are so beautiful , and sexy , and you can cook too. I want you and I to be together." Monica couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But what about Ross?" Chandler took another drag from the cigarette, "Fuck Ross." He said plainly. "I am Way/ No Way."
Ross sat at the bar and drank his scotch. He needed stronger than beer right now. Rachel pulled her top down and slowly strolled in. "I'll have a vodka." She said as she pulled out her fake id. "I'll take care of the lady." Ross pulled out a fifty and then Rachel put the money back in her purse. "Can I sit here?" she asked . Ross motioned for her to do it. "I am here because I wanted to let you know that I was behind you. I think you are the one who should record the song." Rachel said as she put her arm around him. "I know I can do this. That is a love song and I am definitely in love. I can put the feelings in it and it will be the song that shoots us to number one." Ross said. Rachel knew the answer to that but she just wanted to hear it. "And who are you in love with?" she asked sweetly. "You." He smiled. Rachel knew with her behind him , there was no stopping him.
The next day , it was the first time in a real recording studio. Gandalf went back to the drum set that now had a logo painted on it with the words Way/ No Way. He sat down on the tall stool and then began to bang the cymbals. "Now this is cool." He said and then looked up and saw the boom mike hanging over the drums.
Kip strapped on his bass and then put the headphones on. "Wow look at us , we're musicians." He said as he played a Hendrix rift on the instrument.Ross went to his keyboard and then moved the mike toward him. "Guys, guys. We do the instrumental first and then the vocal tracks." Mike said. Chandler lifted the guitar and then he waited for the engineer to signal that they were ready to record.
Rachel and Monica sat next to each other as they watched through the glass window. Mike came in and talked to the director and then sat next to the girls.
"Way/ No Way Emotional Knapsack. Instrumental take one." The engineer yelled as he pushed the button. "Quiet in the booth." He said to the whispering girls. They hung on to each other and and watched.
Ross counted off the song and then the band began to play. They were tempted to start singing , but knew they only wanted to get the music on the track, the vocals would be done later. It only took eighteen takes before they had the perfect instrumental track. As the boys sat in the recording studio and heard the playback from the speakers, they nodded their heads.
"Wow do we sound that good?" Kip asked .
"With a little bit of mixing, yes you do." The engineer laughed. "Okay now I understand we are going to have two singers and the best one is the one we will print." Chandler got up and started to walk over to the boom mike and put on his headphones. "And just what do you think you are doing?" Ross exclaimed. "I am the lead singer of this band, and the regular lead singer should go first." Chandler said as he adjusted the headphones. Ross looked at him angrily and then walked back to the stool and joined the others as they prepared to be the background vocals. He looked in the booth as Rachel blew him a kiss and then he sat ready for the signal to begin.
After Chandler had made his version of the song. Ross charged ahead and then took over at the main boom mike and put on the headphones. "Now you are going to hear the good version , the one that got us to here." He said. "Rach, could you stand by the window?" he said into the studio mike into the booth. Rachel was in plain sight and then the engineer counted down all over again.
"Emotional Knapsack, Vocal 2, take one." He said as he pushed the button. The reel to reel started spinning and the red light came on.
Ross sat on the stool and cupped his hand to the one headphone as he began to sing. Rachel just melted when the song began. Chandler had to admit he was pretty good , maybe there was room for two lead singers . He had a more mellow quality and Chandler had a rockier edgier quality. And then after listening to both versions, they decided that the B side would be Chandler and Emotional Knapsack would be Ross.
"My baby is gonna be a star." Rachel ran from the booth and then leaped into her arms. Monica came over and put her arm around Chandler . "You will always be my star." She whispered. "Soon lover , soon." Ross looked over at Chandler and his sister. Something was going on. …..
a special dedication of this chapter to Barb P… thanks for the support…you are awesome…