Jem… Chapter 155

*Before…

I stare at the ceiling though and sort of just look at it and smile because Mom always wanted a four poster bed and dad sort of wheeled and dealt with people until he could bet posts which I think a friend of his made since the real deal is actually really expensive and stuff and he hooked all of it up and she made the cloth top and curtains and drape stuff herself.

It’s been here forever though and for some reason just looking at something mom made is actually making me feel better, fell happy or well happier and I stare at it for a while and it’s just sort of one of those things that just gets your head in the right space for no particular reason.

I’m seeing my and Rayne’s own bed but with a new sort of cover-tent-drape thing over head but with like this sort of quilty thing only it’s not like a quilty thing instead it’s like a band tee shirt kind of thing from like all these old and vintage bands and then there’s a few more ideas and a few more ideas and then…

Then I’ve got a notepad out and I’m writing again.

And somehow writing leads to grinning and I think that this will be another good song.

*And Now…

It’s almost like magic me getting done a great writing session and I hear from outside through the window music starting up from out in the garage and the girls are starting the rehersal sets for the gig tonight at The Amsterdam.

Never let them win.

Just like Adam.
Never let them win.

Never let them break you right?

Damn skippy.

I head down and look for the others and no one’s here at all and I see all of the vehicles except for Billy and Davey’s bikes and it’s still early so I think that they might have gone out hunting.

Godspeed boys, happy hunting.

I really, really want some of this done and over with.

I get a coffee and start a new pot and I head outside to the garage and the girls are all set up with everything and our poor van’s being used as a prop with all the damage done to it and they’re filming it too as I see a sort of impromptu video being done and it’s Rayne and Roxy and Brooklyn and they’re jamming out really hard to *Highway to Hell* By AC/DC.

That’s such a play on the van and it’s Brooklyn singing it and she’s still angry and she’s pissed and there’s that whole, whole vibe of playing it all out and when then get to the really kick ass guitar riff bit about three quarters through I step in and I’m dancing like a mosh-spazz and doing the rocker hair and I just go with it.

Yeah….that…that’s hitting the spot.

It doesn’t take too long to get my guitar and to join in as we start playing really hard with a whole lot of intensity.

*What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.* By Kelly Clarkson actually ends up getting talked about and listened to and then paid for and we run through it a few times because this is actually a really good tune.
That’s actually a hell of a tune too for us and how we’re feeling and we’re going to add that to tonight’s gig and it’ll work well with that old rock and kinda country sort of atmosphere that they have at The Amsterdam.

We get done and I take a breath and I look over at Rayne.

“I take it there’s not good news about the van?”

Rayne looks at me and she shakes her head. “We’re getting zilch until the police report comes back to them and then only after they take a look at it.”

Kimmie… “Assieheimers.”

I snerk and grin and they’re looking at me. “Good news?” Brooklyn asks.

“Talked to our landlord and we’re good actually with stuff at the house as long as we get the permits and stuff to do the work for the expansion and everything.”

Rayne looks at me. “Really?”

“Yeah he’s heard of us and has a family member fan so I’m going to send her a bit of band stuff and maybe a shout out too online.”

Brooklyn asks. “So what about the van? I sort of need wheels too and we really do need a van for stuff like that?”

I shrug and look at them. “We buy one? I mean we might not be able to get like a new van but I think we might be able to swing something used.”

Rayne looks at me. “We have that kind of money?”

“No, not likely but we might have enough for a down payment on one and then finance the rest.”

Dad says. “I know where we can get one, I’ve been looking around and things and talking to a few guys that I know and I think I can get an old utility van.”

I look at him. “What’s it like?”

“Cheap, it’s old but we can rebuild a lot of it here and do the body work and stuff here too.”

I nod but look at Rayne who’s nodding. “Definitely if you think, I mean if it’s like, if it’s not too much trouble and stuff?”

Dad goes over to her and he gives her a hug and pulls Brooklyn in too with it. “You’re my girls and I love you all and that means that I get to do Dad things like get you an old beater car or a van and fix it up for you all.”

There’s a lot of hugs going around this time for him and Dad just has that thing were he’s like diffusing the whole situation by being The Dad and I’m still so proud of him for that.

He kisses cheeks and he heads for the office in the garage. “I’m going to get started on that actually right now while you girls jam.”

I smile and we start up again slipping into the playlist for tonight and we start to crank out the tunes and getting into the frame and mind set for playing all that old school rock at The Amsterdam and that really helps.

Then we’re talking and packing up and there’s some about the gig tonight and there’s some about the gig for Ace’s comics that we’re doing on Sunday and there’s a lot of interest in that especially from Molly.

“We’re playing a comic shop?”

I nod. “We said that we would they seem like a pretty good bunch of people over there and they’ve been some pretty serious fans coming to a lot of our gigs too.”

“You think that we’re going to bring people in?”

“Actually more than likely but I’d seriously love to get that to be a thing here for them in town on a regular basis too.”

“Why?”

“Well for one it’s girls that are seeing us there and that’s claiming space back. There’s a lot of girls that are into comics and that are into games that aren’t just video games and if we can break that gender barrier here in town girls get to have a better place to go to and ace makes more money and there’s just a whole lot of win-win with it.”

Rayne pipes up. “Ace said he’s going to like teach stuff like Magic the gathering and I think that there’s going to be like prizes and things too.”

She literally has stars in her eyes. “I go there sometimes but if there’s like too many guys there it’s sort of scary because I get in there and there’s like all this fanboy judgingness and stuff.”

I nod. “Well if we can actually make a dent in that then we can maybe get some of the geekette crowds in there and girl friendly titles and some of the awesomesauce stuff that they have out in like the indie comics and things.”

Molly nods and she sighs. “Harpers Point having its own mini-con.”

I laugh. “That would actually be really cool.”

Kimmie comes off with. “Harper’s Hall, come play at the bard’s table.”

There this whole us staring at her with this Oh my gawd look.

I point at her. “I’m so selling Ace on that Sunday, that’s friggin brilliant.”

She does a bow with a hand full of drumsticks. “Thank you, thank you and if we like ever do this I’m so gonna run like a Final Fantasy game.”

Molly laughs. “That’s so Moogle!”

We all laugh too at that because there’s a saying that goes ‘That’s so metal’ and that sooo fits with Kimmie.

The mood’s definitely picked up and we’re definitely in a lot better headspace as we pack things up for the gig into Brooklyn’s car and into Mike’s car and Dad’s truck after Mike and Uncle Mitch bring it around and then we head in the house to get changed into our show outfits and then head out to The Amsterdam where we’ll do make-up once we’re done setting up for the gig heading over early just to get ahead of things there.

Dad has always said no matter where you work go in early. One if that’s your habit being late is seldom a thing and it gets you into the headspace of being there.

Jake’s there and so is Josie and they’re definitely doing the whole we’re into each other thing and all of our merch is printed too and we get some help getting stuff loaded inside too as stuff at the place is getting into the swing of things and the place looks nice.

Like it’s still The Amsterdam but Jake must have done some serious cleaning and things while we were doing other things and there’s some new paint in places to actually brighten things up some and the rest has had a really good cleaning and polishing too and I see a whole bunch of glassed in cases some big one’s near the doors and then there’s like glassed picture frames of things on the walls over the booths and it’s the old pictures and the old programs from when they were a band touring spot and the bigger acts and some of the cool stuff is in the big cases at the door with lights to shine down on them and then there’s a glass cabinet near the main cash with lights and they’re selling The Amsterdam tee-shirts with some of the old band pictures of people playing here and stuff printed on them and there’s some with just the plain bar-tee-black and then there’s one that is set up for us.

It’s the Starlight Butterfly logo with the ink-blot nebulascape on it and inside of that is our introduction cheer for The Amsterdam…and there’s a line with my name.

Angel Benton and the date of the night when I came up with it.

Wow…

Jake and Josie come over and he asks. “I hope you don’t mind, we wanted to like do something for that since you girls are the biggest act that’s come through here and is steadily playing here in a long time and well…”

Josie says. “It’s that Amsterdam thing…It’s our Cheers thing and it’s still going on when you girls aren’t here.”

“It is?”

Jake grins. “It’s how we open Happy Hour here.”

I look at the shirts. “We’ll come over to the shop and we’ll sign some of the masters as long as we can get some of them on our website for the band that we can sell and like profit share.”

Jake extends his hand and we shake. “Deal.”

I go from that into a hug and head off to get us started into set up and sound checks before the show gets going.

I think it’s going to a good night.

I’m getting things and we’re all setting up and I’m taping down cords and setting marks and I’m starting to hum and Brooklyn looks at me and she smiles and we both actually start to sing.

“A very good friend of mine….”
“Told me something the other day…”
“And I’d like to pass it on to you.”
“Because I believe what he said to be true.”

Rayne and Kimmie and Mike and some of the bar staff actually all chime in with us all acapella with no back up.

“We’re here for a good time!”
Rayne back sings soulfully… “For…a good time.”
“Not a long time.”
Rayne comes in with… “Not a looooong time…”
“So have a good time…the sun can’t shine everyday…!”