Jem…Chapter 141

*Before…

I hip shove Kim over to get some room and I lean ahead and gesture for Carmen and Molly to come over too and when they get there I look around at them.

“This, this is what I want. Us, A band and a team and sisters all together but working and doing things and being there to lift each other up and when we can to pass that along.”

I hold up my pinkie and they all get it and we all look at one and other and we’ve been through so much and we’ve done so much and we’re just getting started and them we all lean forward as one and link our fingers together.

Rayne says. “Starlight.”

And Brooklyn and Kim say. “And Butterflies.”

I think it’s from before and all and I look at Carmen and Molly and then the girls too and we all say it together. “Starlight and Butterflies.”

I look at the clock after we break it up and get up. “If we hurry we can get home and we can get rehersal in and then be on time for the gig tonight.”

There’s a flurry of hugs and kisses and thank you’s over and over again and we’re just getting out of there and I see one of the younger girls with her face painted with a butterfly mask picking up Jan’s guitar and it’s huge on her and I can’t help but to smile at how intense she looks doing that.

Rock on little sister, rock on.

*And Now…

It’s still a rush to get us packed and seen out of the yard even and Mr. Tower gives me a card of his and says. “Call me sometime I would like to talk more.” I give him a smile as I’m getting into the van. “I will, I look forward to talking again with your sir.”

I get in the van and Rayne cranks the stereo inside and we pull out as *Stone cold crazy* By Queen is blaring out over the speakers and Brooklyn’s car is following us and I’m a little hyper and excited from everything that has happened and we actually end up pretty much going straight home and Dad and Uncle Mitch and Mike’s there and Davey and Billy and we stop and we get out and I was about to say something to then when Davey actually starts with the clapping.

And all of our guys are clapping and I look at Dad and I can’t help but to get choked up as soon as I see him and that look that he has on his face when he sees us.

And the guys are clapping and he’s coming over and he hugs me and he spins me around and buries his head in my shoulder. “I am so proud of you.” And the squeeze he’s giving me is just amazing.

And then he says. “I have such an amazing daughter.”

And I’m crying at that one because it wasn’t just that he said that it was how he said that and Dad said that and it was like just so much emotion in it that it was like this, this wasn’t me in transition and discovering myself and PAIS but it was like I just always was.

“Thanks Daddy that really means a lot, it does.”

He lets me go and he’s hugging Rayne and Brooklyn and Kimmie who are all just as into it as I am and yeah even Rayne who is sometimes sort of on the fence with the whole dad stuff sometimes because of her own dad issues is soaking up all of this.

And then he hugs Carmen too who looks surprised by it and she does that head on his shoulder thing for a second and she exhales.

Like one of those important exhales.

And she looks at Molly and Dad looks at Molly and she’s sort of blushing but she takes Carmen’s hand and she lets herself be hugged even if I can tell that she’s not really comfortable with it.

But she’s trying.

And while she’s not soaking it in like the rest of us she does come away from the hugging with a smile at least and she’s looking at Dad again with that still trying to process him look.

She does take hugs a bit better from Davey and Billy and she actually lets Mike actually hug her tight.

After he’s done with Brooklyn.

They do our video and our current online stuff together and they’ve talked a lot and it’s Mike he’s with Brooklyn and that makes him safer and all. It’s kind of nice to see that she does trust someone and that she has a friend in Mike.

And it’s highly cool that Brooklyn’s okay with that because there’s some girls that sexuality or not having a boyfriend that is friends with a girl is a definite bad thing.

Then we’re inside and it’s sort of chaos as we’re heading for showers and we’re getting things ready and we’re trying to get something to eat and I so cheat with that since we have all the bread made it’s French toast and grilled cheese sandwiches and then we’re doing rehearsal with the playlist for tonight and then it’s the whole thing of tear down and pack up and the guys are handling that while we’re getting all cleaned up and then into our outfits for the gig tonight.

It’s scary how fast time flies by too while we’re doing all of those things.

It’s the Wednesday night show and it’s the fun one with the more heavy songs and one of the ones that we’re going to cover tonight had Dad sort of rocking out like he was in the crowd there in the living room and that was fun and there’s another one that I we actually had to rearrange the set list for because Rayne wrote another song for us.

I’m doing the tuck and fit and shimmying into my jeans and then my inserts and doing up all of that and that’s feeling a little stranger too now but in a good way and I had to stop twice because of itchy boobs and I had to adjust my straps a little too.

And that’s a good thing though really, I’m growing boobs, my own and I want them and I’m actually pretty happy over that truthfully.

Though if you actually told me that before all of this started I’d have never believed you. I mean it wasn’t like I was some jock or whatever you have that’s like all the bastion of masculinity and stuff but I honestly had no idea why I was like the way that I was other than being a cancer survivor.

I go with a SLB tee-shirt but under it I have my red and black corset with the shoulder straps on under it and I make sure all of the girls and the skin are in place before I end up getting all fastened in.

Even without the make-up I love this look; I like the curves that the corset is giving me as well. I just sort of stood there looking in the mirror in my and Rayne’s room. Yeah if there was a way I’d definitely want it, just a little more curve like just like this.

It gets better when Rayne slips up behind me and she runs her hands over my sides and the lace and she starts kissing my neck. And she slips her hands up and she cups my breasts lightly so not as to upset things that are already in place and she’s purring into my ear.

“Today was a very good day.”

I nod and sort of nuzzle against her head. “It was one of the best days really; it felt like a really big deal for us together and everything.”

She slides her hands down to my hips and presses into me. “You know it’s you right? None of this would have happened without you.”

“There’s a lot of the right place at the right time though and nothing would have gotten done without Molly.”

She leans in and she kisses my neck really in this sort of deep way like she has her lips pressed to me in a kind of prayer or something. “God Angel you are so, so not like Summer please just be you.”

“Well…with the hormones you do know I’m going to get a bit more curvy and softer too.”

“Mmmm…that’s not what I meant but like yay for that.”

“I know, come on let’s go and get ready and head out.”

I pull on the red band tee over what I’m wearing and we head out without the make-up and everything because Carmen’s going to be doing it there and we all load up and we start to head out and when we get to the Pine Tree the street’s parking is full and we have to pull in out back again and there’s a line already there to get in and we’re really early.

Josie is there and she’s beaming at us as she sees us pulling in and there’s some of the staff with the truck and their moving things in and I smile and I get out and I give her an hug and she gives me a hug and she looks at the other girls.

“Holy fuck you girls seriously rock you know that. That video kicked ass and I was like crying and stuff when I watched it.”

I hug her back hard. “It was cool and one of those things that just sort of happened and it was Molly’s idea I went and backed her up and she did like all of the computer work.”

Molly goes red and some of the people loading tables into the box truck are looking at her and there’s smiles.

“Yeah but really Angel it’s been years since something this cool was done in house here in town it’s like the old days.”

“Old days?”

“People giving a shit and doing stuff and there was like this kind of feel here like even when things were shitty there was places that you could go to and it was like…”

She hugs me again. “You did something you guys and no one does anything anymore.”

I blush and I hug her back and she opens the topgate of her truck cap and the tailgate and she has all of our stuff there for our merchandise and I grin. “This looks like a good night tonight with the crowd shaping up already.”

She’s grinning. “It hit twitter like all afternoon with all the kids from the school and stuff and I heard them talking about you and the shelter and their page on the local radio station on my way over here kiddo you girls are news.”

“Oh…well holy crap it might be a long night maybe?”

Josie’s nodding and she takes some boxes and she pulled them out. “I was kind of thinking of some stuff too and I came up with a Kimmie shirt.”

Kimmie bounces over. “Huh what!?”

Josie takes out a bright pink tee-shirt and on the front it’s a print coating sparkly version of our cosmic butterfly logo image on the front and then on the back is a solid balk image of a girl dancing like in the I-pod commercials and she’s wearing a pair of boy-cut panties that are done in silvery pink sparkle coating and under the dancing girl in the sparkling panties it says in the same silvery pink letters…. “Magical”.

Kimmie squeals. “Holy shit that’s awesome!”

I’m laughing and hugging Kim. “I got to agree Josie that’s pretty awesome.”

She laughs. “I though the other night that it’d look kind of cool you don’t mind right?”

I’m like. “Heck no, I think that we’ll sell a bunch of these. How much?”

“I just put it on the invoice if that’s cool.”

“Totally.”

We actually shake hands and I like that it’s this kind of respect thing and Carmen comes over and she takes on and she slips off her blouse and she puts it on. It looks good and it’s actually kind of cute too.

We head inside and I take a few of the new shirts and Kim and I head to the front doors and the place is busy and it smells awesome in here and they’re doing the finger foods and all sorts of things and Mr. Walker smiles and waves me over and I go to where he’s directing stuff.

“Evening Sir.”

He smiles. “It looks like, I saw your video and the links and we’ve been getting calls and people are asking about the show and I was wondering?”

“Wondering what sir?”

He gives me a serious look. “Can you stay over? I’d like to maybe do another show tonight while your press is hot.”

I look outside and nod. “Sure we can do that we’ll need fifteen minutes between the shows though to rest and everything.”

He smiles. “What you girls did was a good thing and it’s doing that trending thing and I’m not sure we’ve had a trending thing at Harper’s Point before. I want to see what we can do with this.”

I think a second. “Do you want me to announce it and tweet it and things?”

He brightens and smiles. “That’ll be a big help.”

“Okay I’ll be right back.”

I take Kimmie with me and I grab a chair and drag it to the front doors and Davey comes with us and he’s got his Security black t-shirt on and we open the doors and I get up on the chair and look at the people waiting and in the line that’s there.

“Hey everyone!!!”

There’s some cheers and a few pictures taken and flashes and some whistles. I grin at Kimmie as we hear someone in the front say to someone else. “Wow they came out.”

I look back at the crowd. “Looks like the shelter video got out and everything did you all see it!?”

There a lot of cheers.

Someone yells. “Thank you Jem!”

And “We love you Roxy!”

I throw her a new tee shirt and she looks it over and she screams and she’s showing it and people are excited. “We have new shirts and we’ll have them inside at our table but here’s some freebies for being cool!”

Kim and I start throwing out the rest of the handful of shirts I took and when we’re done I look at the crowd. “We’re having a big night tonight and to be cool and not cause The Pine Tree any trouble with the fire inspectors and the police and stuff the manager and then band though wouldn’t it be cool if we added a second show!”

There’s more cheers and pictures being taken.

“We’ll start it a half an hour after the first show so we can get people in and out and they can have pee breaks if they want to come back in and do it all over again!”

Kimmie’s yelling. “Get on your phones and get on your Twitter and spread the news okay we’re going to have a cool dude on the door so we have everyone having a chance to come in and dance hump day away!”

I finish by yelling out. “We’re going to have good shows in this town, we’re going to have places to go and things to do and we’re going to have a heck of a lot of fun doing it! So the more that you Text and Share and Tweet and come to shows like this here and in other places in town the more people will know that Pointer’s rock!”

And I yell again. “Pointer’s!”

The crowd gets it immediately. “Rock!!!”

“Pointer’s!”

“Rock!!!”

I hop off the chair with Kimmie and we head inside and she’s bouncing and she looks at me. “That was awesome.”

I nod. “I know, I want that out there so lie I told them the more people talking about town the more people will want to show up here and do stuff.”

Mr. Walker is looking at me and he’s openly smiling and Josie’s setting up the tables with all of our stuff and her eyes are bright too. She yells at me. “You know I’m going to have to make a Pointer’s Rock shirt now right!?”

I yell back at her. “Design it but don’t make them yet, because that’s going to so be a totally outrageous name for the town’s first Indie rock festival!”

People stopped doing what they were doing and stared at me.

“What?” I head out back giggling.

But I am serious and Mr. Walker was seriously looking at me as I was heading out back and Dad was grinning from ear to ear.

Getting people to come here is the big thing, that’s what’s going to take the work and if we can do that and get that reputation as a place to go to then it all spreads and it builds and I…I’d like to see Harpers Point in the Summer Season with all sorts of band posters and kids into music and help wanted signs in windows because people in town are that busy that it becomes a job thing.

I mean you’ve head of a flash of vision?

Seriously Pointer’s Rock could actually be a yearly thing specific to here.

I so need to get my butt into doing something educational.

Carmen is sitting Kimmie down and me and she’s doing our make-up and it’s faster to do Kim’s usually but Carmen’s got her with some stuff that makes her eyes pop but also she has one of those hair clip things with the kitten ears on it and a red pom too and Moogles have well pointy ears and a red pom thing in Final Fantasy and that actually looks good on her.

Then it’s me with the layers of pink with red accents and she does that whole spike-fluff to my hair way better than I ever did it and Kim offers me one of her Red Bulls and I chug it back before I get my lips done and I shiver a little since honestly the stuff tastes like medicine and battery acid.

But it kicks in pretty fast.

Brooklyn’s looking rocker with her hair with some chrome ribbons in it and somehow Carmen got them literally attached to her long stretched out curls and there’s enough of them that her hair has this really cool shimmer almost sci-fi look under the lights and she has popping eye make-up too and that all goes together with her band tee and black jeans.

Then Rayne, wow she really tricked out Rayne as Raven and she’s in black faux leather pants and her asskicking boots but she is wearing fingerless gloves now and the starscape nebula butterfly shirt in black but her make-up is goth but different, her hair is like mine with that sort of spike fluff but it’s black and her lipstick is blue black? And her eyes sort of match her lips and she has her choker on around her neck and she just looks amazing.

And at the same time I look at Carmen. “Holy crap I think we’re getting a look now?”

She’s smiling. “So…you like it then?”

“Definitely!”

“Enough for a budget?”

The other girls say altogether. “Definitely!”

It’s cool to see her blush but smiling too.

We hug her and Molly and Mike and we head up onto the stage and the place is packed, like a lot of people and a lot of regulars and they’re into the food and the drinks and they’re definitely ready to go and we come out and there’s whistles and there’s cheers and there’s camera flashes and we start.

It’s the new cover and Kimmie starts first with big drums and as Brooklyn starts the guitar with Raven on bass the place start’s to cheer because everyone knows this song and I’m doing this harder version of it with a long start in that almost Joan Jett if she sang this song. *Wild Thing* By The Troggs.

“W..iii…lllll..dd Thing!”

And the whole place just loses it and scream-sings back loud enough I think the windows had to have shook. “YOU MAKE MY HEART SING!”

Me… “You make every….thing…Grooovy!”

Them (And I mic the crowd.) “WILD THING!”