A Wildcat Summer 16
 
Teri looked out the bus window as they snaked down the Palisades cliffs onto the George Washington Bridge. They were all hanging around the front of the bus in the lounge together. She leaned over Jenn’s shoulders to look down at the Hudson River. “I used to dream about traveling with a band. And now the dream is happening. This Wildcats tour should be amazing!”
 
Gina leaned over and smiled. “Jenn, our gal Teri lit the fuse that got us all blown up! She wrote the songs, she thought of the website, and the pay-what-you-want idea.”
 
Teri tried to drown her out. “C’mon, Gina. You were already a successful rock band when I practiced with you.
 
Lisa laughed. “Teri, we were a road band. We played in dives, small clubs, and bars. We hoped the club owner would put us up for the week when we played there. We scraped by.”
 
Teri laughed. “I’m sure you paid your dues, and it was about all the hard work. And that’s my point. You had already played together for four years. I was just fine-tuning your sound.”
 
Lisa made a raspberry noise with the palms of her hands. “Right. The sound that you engineered, arranged, and wrote. Without your intervention, we would have been all over the East Coast playing in dance clubs and bars up and down all the shore towns from New Jersey to Myrtle Beach.”
 
Jenn patted Teri’s cheek. “I agree. Since the band became Bill Wiggin's golden child, you’ve knocked all the walls down and broken the glass ceiling holding the Wildcats back.”
 
Teri smiled. “Sure, but before Bill and Warner’s, we’d already had a dance club song that was hot on the East Coast and in France thanks to DJ Blank. We had made a live Wildcats show and posted it on a new website sponsored by Zoe’s dad. We were downloading our songs and asking people to pay what they thought they were worth. We got Mike to film a set at the Rendezvous and made that available on our YouTube channel.”
 
“See, that’s what I’m saying.” Gina had a big grin on her face. “None of that had ever happened without you. We never would have caught Phil and Richard’s attention. The Wildcats would have never recorded a four-song demo.”
 
Lisa laughed. “And don’t forget that cool video Mike made for our first Wildcats collaboration, “Summer Song.”
 
Teri just slumped back on the couch. “C’mon, I’m a mess. What other eighteen-year-old kid who agreed to dress up as a girl to play in the band. And that’s about the time I discovered I was intersex. You’re kidding. The band did all the heavy lifting. I barely kept up with you buried under a heap of self-discovery.”
 
“Right, you were barely functioning," says Zoe sarcastically. “Your friend, DJ Blank, put the word in with Ellen. She got wind of us and liked us enough to play us every day on her show for a month. Billy Williams downloaded our songs and gave us twenty bucks. That’s when his dad, the big honcho at Warner’s, started talking to us.”
 
Tiffany grinned. “Since then, he’s made it all easy: The Tonight Show, the Thursday night concert at the French Town Festival in front of thirty thousand people, and the double album of live and studio hits, which was all Teri’s idea.”
 
Jenn smiled. “I know he thought of the at-home-studio so she could stay in town to record the record.”
 
Gina patted her on the head. “I remember her talking about “Music From Big Pink,” the Band’s first album.
 
Teri smiled. “I think you’re all tired from playing in the hot sun and just need a little rest and relaxation.”
 
Then she turned back to Jenn. “It’s always been a fantasy of mine, and I hoped that traveling was cool.”
Jenn patted him on the cheek and kissed him softly. “And you’re going to get a first-hand view of Americana. A highway education is waiting for you this summer. And you need to take advantage of all of it. Read about the local history and brush up on the world. It will only make you more well-rounded and a better writer.”
 
Teri thought about it for a minute. “Really?”
 
“Sure. Look at all the artists who wrote about the people in this country. Real people can be the key to your writing.”
 
Yeah. Great idea.”
 
“C’mon and Google it for me, Teri, honey.”
 
Teri reluctantly got out her phone and studied it for a minute. “Holy cow! Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Sting, Peter Gabrielle, and Alicia Keys. There’s a huge list of amazing people. Wow!”
 
“See. It doesn’t all have to be about fantasy or inner angst.”
 
Teri was quiet. “You really do have a good point. How do you know all this stuff?”
 
Jenn laughed out loud. “I’m smarter than you and more mature, too.”
 
Teri thought for a minute and turned to Jenn. “Maybe my girlfriend will help me study and improve myself.”
 
Jenn shook her head. “And that’s why I love you. Some people would have gotten defensive if their girlfriends had talked about maturity and getting smarter. But you are nice and caring. Even when I say stupid things with good intentions that come out wrong, you still love and care about me. What am I going to do with you?”
 
“Stick around. Maybe something good will happen.”
 
 
The Wildcats left the festival right after their performance. It had been a great show, but everyone was left feeling unsatisfied. “An hour of playing is just not long enough, Tiffany said.”
 
Gina smiled. “Hopefully, having two full evenings in front of three thousand people at the Fillmore Theater will satisfy your rock needs, girl.”
 
Lisa spoke up. “I’m feeling just how everybody else feels. An hour only makes you want more, kind of like potato chips. Does anybody have any ideas?”
 
Teri raised her hand. “The next time we are given time restrictions like this, we should go in at full speed and give them an hour of hits! We give them everything they listen to and have heard online. We fill all the empty air with album songs but give them what they know and love. We talk less and hit ‘em harder.”
 
Tiffany nodded. “Yea!” She pretended to make a sad face. “No time for cello in an hour show. Just pow, pow, pow!”
 
Zoe was nodding. “I feel sorry for our little furies, but Fur Face has gotta be cut, too.”
 
Gina laughed and waved at Tiffany, pretending to blow her a kiss. “Goodbye, Pink Poodle, for now.”
 
Tiffany smiled as she gave Gina the middle finger, “Fuck you, Tabby Cat.”
 
 
After booking the Greenwich Village gig, they canceled their center-city hotel in favor of taking the top two floors of a boutique hotel, Maple Shade, in the Village. They arrived before dinner, immediately unloaded their luggage off the bus, and went into the hotel. The crew took the truck to the theater and unloaded their amps. The Cats would be shuttled from their hotel to the theater. In the meantime, their tour bus was parked in a secure lot near the river.
 
Richard had explained it simply. “We’re meeting on Sunday with GLOW for the better part of the morning and the afternoon. And then you play from nine to midnight at the theatre on Sunday and Monday. It just makes more sense to have a hotel closer to the theater. And Phil knows the owner of this place, and he says you’ll like it.”
 
Tiffany loudly exclaimed, “We’ll have time for dinner and some clubbing.”
 
Everybody turned to look at Tiffany. “I know, I know.” She sang in a sing-song voice. ‘Tiffany needs to stay sorta sober tonight because tomorrows going to be a long day.’”
 
Zoe laughed. “You really are an alcoholic, babe. What the fuck is sorta sober? You mean only one drink an hour until you fill the tank and merrily pass out?”
 
Tiffany lost it. “Oh, fuck you, Zoe. I love you, but this is not a fuckin’ intervention. I don’t need to drink; I just like the feeling. I never drink on the day of a show or during a show. No weed, no booze. I only drink when I can fit it into my schedule, which seems to be filling up quickly.” She sat up and crossed her arms across her chest. She did not look happy.
 
Gina laughed. “Of course, I will go to dinner with you and enjoy clubbing. It’ll be fun watching Tiffany withdraw when she smells the alcohol.”
 
Tiffany stood up and glared at Gina and then at Zoe. “Okay, pick on me ‘cause I might have a substance problem. Maybe I do need to sober up and dry out a little. Maybe you’re right and only give me shit ‘cause you love me. Or maybe you hate me and want to see me replaced with a fuckin’ nun who plays the bass.”
 
Gina laughed. “A bass-playing nun. Awesome. Teri, ya gotta write a song.”
 
Tiffany realized that no one was responding to her words. Zoe came over and hugged her. She squeezed her and kissed her cheek. “You’re still my best friend, and I love you. But maybe you need to talk to Grace when you see her tomorrow.”
 
Tiffany whispered, “Fuck, fuck, fuck. Zoe. You’re right. All I can think about is how I want a drink. It’s like in my head all the time. I smell the gin and the bourbon. What’s happened to me?”
 
“What’s happened is okay,” Zoe patiently explained. “You’re starting to see that you are digging yourself a hole, but you’re only up to your ankles. You’ll be able to step away from it, but you’ll have to go clean, not bits here, bits there. We’ll do it together. Maybe Mike will get you pregnant and give you a real reason to stay sober.”
 
Tiffany was wiping the tears from her eyes. “No. A drunk can’t be a good mother. You’re right. Maybe I can talk to Grace tomorrow.”
 
Tiffany turned to Gina. “Hey, moron.”
 
Gina smiled. “Yes, dear.”
 
“Would it be okay if I picked Grace’s brain while we’re at GLOW tomorrow? Maybe I need some advice.”
 
Gina nodded. “Sure. Grace would enjoy talking to you. She has a thing for tall blondes.”
 
Tiffany looked puzzled. “Tall blondes. Huh? You are far from a tall blonde.”
 
“Well, I’m just a placeholder. Just warning you.”
 
Tiffany turned back to Zoe. “Oh, my god. Do you think she’s going to put the moves on me? She is insanely gorgeous, but I don’t want to break Rat Face’s heart by taking her lover away. And batting for the other team?”
 
Zoe smiled and patted her on the back. “Concentrate on the drinking thing, and don’t worry about Grace. I think, no, I know Gina is still playing with your mind. Move forward with talking to her as a friend who can steer you in the right direction.”
 
Tiffany shook her head and wiped a tear from her eye. “Maybe the alcohol is already fucking with my mind. I gotta stop.”
 
Waiting for the women to finish their discussion, Richard spoke quietly. “I need to share some personal information. Normally, it’s not about me, but I must say this.” He turned to Tiffany but spoke to everyone. “I have been sober for seven years. Sometimes it’s not easy, but having support and love helps you through the tough times.”
 
Nobody said a word. They all sat quietly and looked at each other. Finally, Lisa spoke. “Richard, thank you for sharing something so intimate. You are more than our boss or our agent. You are a friend, a real friend, and we love you.” She got up, went over, and gave Richard a hug. Suddenly, he was surrounded by Wildcats who all wanted to share some sugar and love.
 
 
After they all sat back down, Zoe spoke. “Uh, Richard. I think you were going over our schedule.”
 
“Right, thank you, Lisa. So Phil has made us dinner reservations, and then we’ll walk around the Village on a Saturday night. We will drag Jessica and Mac along with us tonight to ensure everyone gets back to our hotel safe and sound. Now, collect your keys and discover your rooms.”
 
Jenn and Teri took the elevator to the top floor and walked down the hall. Their door had a sign on it, The River Suite. They realized that every Wildcat was following them as they walked through the door. Teri turned and looked at the suite. The massive room had two walls of solid glass windows that looked out upon the city. As Teri looked around, she realized that this was the living room, and they’d each have their own bedroom and bath.
 
“Hey, this reminds me of our suite in Philly while making our demo. Do you remember that?”
 
Zoe laughed. “The big question is, do you remember that? You got pretty wasted.”
 
Teri smiled. “Uh-huh. I made a fool of myself by showing you all my enhancements from Isabella.”
 
Lisa shook her head. “Yeah, but we created a hit song and bonded that night. I think it was a great experience. In the meantime, I want a shower. We only played for an hour, but I still got a workout outside in the humidity. Now, where is our promised wardrobe?”
 
Two women appeared in the suite’s doorway as if on cue. They smiled and pulled two full clothes racks. "Hi! We’re from Jersey Girl! We’ve got a delivery for Lisa, Teri, Tiffany, Zoe, Gina, and Jenn.”
 
At the same time, uniformed staff from the hotel pulled in the racks in the box van. The women kept looking for name tags on each garment bag when everyone left. As they found their names, everyone opened the bags to look inside.
 
Lisa turned and saw Teri just piling the bags on the sofa. “Hey, sis. Aren’t you going to look inside?"
 
Teri shrugged. “Not really. I’m sure everything will fit and look fine.”
 
All the rest of the women turned and looked. Zoe laughed. “We really need to help her. She is so still not a girl.”
 
Lisa turned to Jenn. “You’ve got to do your magic. Your girlfriend is still trying to put both feet on the ground. She needs more encouragement.”
 
Jenn shook her head. “Honestly, Lisa, I’m starting to feel protective. Everything flies at her in every direction, and I’m trying to be a filter. I try to be encouraging. I think she’d do better each day.”
 
Teri turned and looked at all of them. “Hey, I’m in the room. I’m here. And I don’t see the need to become all voodoo over clothes. Can’t I just  be a tom-girl?”
 
They all stared at her, and everyone said, “No.”
 
Teri laughed. “But I see my character coming from my adventure with Tasha. We used words to describe her image like euro-trash, anime, and punk rock.”
 
Gina shook her head. “Another term you could use is a touch of bad girl masc, as in masculine.
 
Zoe raised her hand. “Teri, honey. I hear what Jenn is saying, and it’s okay. You don’t have to be all fou fou over your clothes. But I think you’re afraid, too. Sure, you know that you’re beautiful and sexy, but it’s frightening to step up and bat for the team. You just go at your own pace but grow some thick skin ‘cause this group can deal out cruel love sometimes.”
 
Teri nodded. “No, I hear it, and sometimes just ignore the kidding. You know, I get it. But the old Terry would have never chosen to do all of this. And playing Tasha was fun, but I was never being too serious. And now, the new Teri is taking it head-on, and sometimes it’s overwhelming. I’m not quitting, and right now, I’m enjoying everything, but sometimes I want a time out.”
 
Zoe looked concerned. “Are you sharing all of this with Grace?”
 
 
Teri nodded. “Sometimes, I feel like a broken record. It’s all my fault, you know. I’m not fitting in and try to ignore my failures.”
 
Zoe got very close to her. “Hey, lighten up on yourself. All the women around you had a real head start on you. To tell you the truth, these Wildcats were all tomboys and played sports like it was a life-and-death issue. None of them were all fou fou, but they slowly made a game of it.”
 
She paused and grabbed Teri by the biceps as she leaned into her. “Now, look at me. Okay. Think for a minute. How often have you seen me in a dress on and off the stage?”
 
Teri thought for a minute and smiled. “You wear high-style cocktail dresses with stilettos, but most of the time, you never wear a dress! You really like black capris.”
 
Zoe was nodding. “Right. So, I am who I am. I can rock a cocktail dress with casual elegance, but this girl would rather wear a shirt and capris.”
 
Zoe smiled. “I’m not a dressy girl—never was, never will be. I loved playing field hockey and welding that big stick. I loved seeing the fear in those other girls’ eyes when I charged to score. I only wished we’d had a rugby team so I could have used my fists and my body to take someone out. But don’t get me wrong. I’ve never wanted to be a guy, and I love Bruno.”
 
Teri was trying to take it all in. She never remembered hearing so much from Zoe.
 
Zoe grabbed her arm. “Okay. I’ll stop. But one last thing. We are all healing in our own way. My mom never forced me into dresses and encouraged me to find my own center. She never played the foofoo game.”
 
Teri stood up and grabbed her garment bags. “Okay, watch. I will take all these outfits, hang ‘em up, and pick out what I wear tonight and tomorrow night. And I’m hoping that Barbara enclosed some daytime clothes, too.”
 
All the Wildcats, including Jenn, stood up and applauded. Teri was speechless, surrounded by the most beautiful women she knew, kissing and hugging her.
She’d never admit that deep inside, she still got a mind-blowing rush when Tiffany or Gina kissed her.