Jem…Chapter 54

Chapter 54

I can hear the sirens getting closer and closer and Brooklyn in still sobbing into my chest and I’m crying a bit too as just how close we came to losing her just now.

Kim plop falls down beside us and she drapes herself over Brooklyn and starts to cry and to slap brook on the back saying sobby cusses I think in Japanese over and over.

I hear Rayne. “Mike…here sit down before you fall down.”

“I’m okay…”

“Yeah, yeah you’re a tough guy stiff dick and all that you’re bleeding so sit down and just shut up.”

“Rayne…”

Brook sits up from me in a flash and she screams at him. “Just sit the fuck down!!!”

He stares at her and she stares at him and the tears are pouring down her face and falling in huge drops and she’s got that can’t control the shivery tremble in her chin.

“Pu...Please…Mike...”

God he’s bleeding and from several place like his head and his ear and it’s getting all over his shirt and yet he’s standing there blinking at her and then he comes over and he sinks to his knees in front of her and the tears start to slip from his eyes and run down his face and he reaches out and cradles her trembling chin in both hands and then he chokes out a small sob…

She let’s out this little sob of… “Mike…”

He does that sob-guy-crack voice… “Brook…”

She’s starting to shake-sob again and he leans forward on his knees and pulls her into him in this kiss…it’s one of those kisses that you only ever read about…or see in movies. It’s a kiss that no matter who you are or what you are sexuality wise…you just want…need someone to kiss you like that.

It was actually the perfect time for Rayne to make her way over and to crouch down and help me up to my feet. Ow…my shoulder…not broken but I can swear that I feel it bruising already. But it’s not a minute on my feet before Rayne’s hugging me from behind. Breasts pressed into me and her face on the back of my neck.

“Fuck that was close…” She says softly right on the edge of sniffling. “Thank you…god just….”

I wrap my arms around her in that sort of hugging myself way and lean into her. “We got lucky and those guys…assholes they could’ve killed Brook…”

The sirens get louder and Kimmie who you’d think would be really freaking out is waving them down with a strobe app on her smart phone. It’s two of the local P.D. cars and they’re getting out when a RCMP GMC-Jimmy pulls in too.

They come over and they’re talking and that cop to cop stuff but also there’s this something in between then like The Mounties know the reputation the local cops have and aren’t saying stuff because they have no proof they’re a bunch of paid off assclowns but that unsaid… ~You’re an assclowns.~ is there. And the local cops know that they are what they are and they know the Mounties know so there’s that too.

It says a lot when one of the locals is drinking a coffee.

And he’s the town’s corporal and he sort of draws himself up. “Okay, so what happened here?”

Mike looks at them and sighs. “We were coming home from the Amsterdam Pub to get ready for our gig there…”

The cop cuts him off. “You guys are minors; you’re not supposed to be at a pub.”

The Mountie frowns and looks at the cop, of yeah it was the corporal that was mouthing off. “Roscoe, Ennis let him finish talking.”

The regular cop looks confused but coffee-bot get’s the reference. I bite down on a smirk. But even as shaky and sniffly as brook is she does this quiet little. “Yee-hee-hee…” imitation of the Roscoe laugh.

Oh yeah he’s so not amused.

Mike shoot’s this look to her and there’s more flashing lights as the ambulance shows up and Dad and Uncle Mitch are right behind them. I can tell Daddy want’s to make sure we’re okay in a rush but Uncle Mitch is with him so they’re sort of both playing it cool.

“Alrighty, how about we take it from the top then.”

I raise my hand.

“Yes Miss?” The Mountie asks.

“Benton sir. Uhm Rayne and I had an encounter with these guys before we recognized the truck.”

“Recognized it?”

“We sort of ran into them when me and my girlfriend were out on a date. They seen us and they had followed us pretty closely that night.”

“Oh and you know why they might have been following you too?” That Roscoe the corporal. I really don’t like the tone his voice took. The Mountie shoots him a look.

“They saw us making out.” Rayne says with that edge some people get when they’re fed up with the homophobes.

“And that’d make them follow you why?” He says as he’s taking a drink of his coffee.

“Could be because the town’s full of red necked homophobes.” Rayne almost shoots back.

“Lookit here missy.” He huffs.

“Look where? You’re as much on the ball with this as you guys are on any case that has someone that’s gay involved.”

He gives her this really almost snobby look. “There’s a lot of those cases still open, it’s not our fault if the public gets all non-compliant when they find out you types is involved.”

“You types!?” I’m sure this’d get us in even more shit so I turn around and I walk her back and away. I get my face in front of hers so she’s not looking at him.

“Chill…we don’t need him mad enough to start looking for reasons to give us trouble down the road.”

She looks like she’s going to say something and her mouth does open a few times but she closes it. “Fine…”

Oh…yeah it’s so not fine.

The EMT’s come over and the Mountie tells them to check out Mike and Brooklyn then takes Kim aside and starts going over stuff her has written down. Apparently she gave a description of the truck. He asks us all too what happened and takes our statements with periodic breaks to answer his radio. You know most Mounties talk French on their radios outside of Quebec and English in Quebec…I didn’t really but it helps I guess the nosy ones from hearing too much.

The Local guys don’t even question us saying that he’ll get it from the RCMP officer instead. “Just a waste of time with him already taking stuff down.”

I run interference between Rayne and the cop along with Dad and Uncle Mitch who is really pissing the local cops off because he’s RCMP but on “vacation” and I think the word Mike had leaked has made the rounds of the whole public service bunches that aren’t exactly on the up and up.

Mike got a snapshot of the guys, sort of it’s blurry considering how he took it and you don’t get a whole lot of details except it was two guys, and it’s definitely a Dodge truck and they were wearing hoodies and leather jackets with the hoods up so it’d be hard to get a look.

The RCMP officer takes the phone after updating the APB out on these guys and we get our statements taken while they’re patching up the scrapes and cuts that Mike had gotten. Apparently it doesn’t tale a whole lot to have a head wound be a bloody mess.

The local cop’s pissed that he didn’t get Mike’s phone and has to settle for a downloaded copy of the image and he does impound Mike’s car as evidence. The Mountie looks like he might have said something but I saw Uncle Mitch say something quietly to him and they called a wrecker to come and get the car.

And Dad’s quietly talking to Uncle Mitch too.

Mike’s okay he didn’t need stitches just a couple of steri-strips and some bandages and Brooklyn’s okay just twisted her ankle when she went down and the EMT’s had a cold pack we could use to reduce the swelling.

They offered to take both her and Mike to the hospital to get checked out just in case but both of them had said that they were okay and they’d be fine. Mike had a few cuts and Brook had her ankle but it was mostly her nerves that had gotten really shaken up. Both the local police head out to do whatever they sort of said that they’d do and the Mountie does leave to follow up with the other RCMP involved.

We’re getting ready to get into the cars and I look at them both. “We can call in and cancel the show, Jake wouldn’t mind I’m sure because of what happened.”

Brooklyn looks at me. “Hell no we’re not going to do that and besides guys this creepy they might have been friends of Scummer’s trying to get us not to play.”

“You think she’d do that?”

Rayne nods. “They didn’t actually hurt us that much past scaring us so maybe?”

I nod. “Adam…it’s not like he couldn’t do the same he’s got the money and he has enough pull with his family that he could’ve bullied someone into doing this.”

Mike nods. “And he has a serious hate on for me and wouldn’t want to dirty his hands.”

I sigh. “Okay we go back and we get cleaned up and then get ready for the show. Let’s stick together tighter okay guys this is getting to really get dangerous. And even if it is a bunch of red necks there’s safety in numbers.”

We head home to the house and Mike’s gone with his dad to my old house to get cleaned up and shower the glass and blood out of his hair.

*An hour and a half later……

“Oh…ow…(Hiss.)…that feels good…” It hurts but it feels good as Rayne’s rubbing in some cream stuff that she has for bruises.

“You got a nice one, it’ll hurt for awhile.”

“It’s okay, I got to Brook…it wouldn’t have mattered if I broke my shoulder doing it just as long as she was okay.”

“Yeah…I can see that you’ve got a serious hero complex you know. Me and the car and Brook.”

“Hey, I did those things because I care about you. And that’s heroine thank you.”

“Sorry, so is this helping any?”

“Yeah it’s pretty good stuff and doesn’t stink either but it the hands that are helping the most.”

“Okay Wonder Woman that deserves a kiss.”

She leans over and kisses me over my shoulder and I kiss her back and she’s touching my sides and smiling at me. “Dazzler actually you’re Wonder Woman.”

“Who?”

“Rock star mutant girl from marvel comics.”

“Oh..” She kisses me and shrugs at the same time.

“Besides if anyone here is Wonder woman it’s you.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, tall with long black hair, strong and with great breasts.” I grin at her and she’s blushing.

“Maybe we should dress up for the comic shop thing.”

“Maybe…that could be fun.”

“C’mon we need to get ready.”

“Okay.”

I get up from my bed where she was rubbing my shoulder and she heads to her room to get dressed. I look through my stuff and there’s going to be more of a hard rock crowd there so I go with some of my new stuff. Black skinny jeans…there’s some tucking there well more of a push flat…hold zipper then I get my breasts on, I go for a good bra one with a bit of push up to it and then a pink baby tee-shirt that shows lots of navel.

Again…really I need more clothes.

I work on my hair and go with that pink fluffed up spiked sort of K/J-pop look that’s right out of the cartoon show and add some glitter in it this time. There’s lots of these gel stuff you can get that has glitter in it and that’s what I use right out of The Dollar Store or Dollarama I’m not sure which one I got it at. Make up’s next and I go for the same look like well it’s very glam rock from back in the day only very pink.

I do spend some time getting my lips right and using a lip pencil to enhance the frosted pink that I’ll be using. And I take out some cheap rub on tattoo’s and put a heart about an inch wide under my navel but above my waistline for the jeans and once it’s on there I paint some liquid bandage over it to make sure it stays there during the show.

I’ve got pink sneakers that I’m going to wear on the stage.

I need more shoes too.

I grab the rest of the stuff to take to the show and I’m sore but okay I took some Advil before getting my shower and it’s starting to kick in and everything. We pack up and we drive to the Amsterdam and we’ve only got about twenty minutes before we’re ready to start.

That whole damned thing with those assholes just took and ate up all the time that we thought that we had and we’re setting up and we’re talking over the play list and the place is actually pretty packed. There’s a lot of just regular people there, working stiffs and the usual Friday night types that don’t go for the “pulse” and “trance” music dance clubs which is actually by the look of it a pretty good number of people.

Not really surprising as this is Ontario and we’re pretty loyal to out liking for real rock and roll here.

There’s not practice and I’m really glad that we had stuff measured and taped off it’s really saved us a lot of work and time.

I get ready and the others are all set and I step up to the microphone and start.

“Hey! How’s everyone doing tonight!?”

“I’m really sorry that we’re here late. We were coming back form here after our song checks and we had a pair of assholes in a Dodge Ram truck try to mess with us. It’s a beat up piece of crap with red primer and grey primer on it with a cap and it’s being driven by two guys in leather jackets and hoodies…they bashed out our buddy Mike’s driver side window with a tire wrench and almost ran Brooklyn her the hell over so if anyone knows anything we’d love a heads up.”

Yeah maybe I shouldn’t but I’m still kind of mad and still got more than enough grr chick going on that yeah. I’m telling them.

“I hope you all don’t mind we’re a little wound-up right now and we Really, really need to play it out of our systems.”

We open the show with…. *Shake my Tree.* By Coverdale & Page….this is really good to open with as it’s rock and it has a killer guitar intro that let’s Brooklyn just cut loose.

*Come on feel the Noise.* By Quiet Riot is after that.

*Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.* By AC/DC is next but I know it out going in my Joan Jett style and that open me up to getting into that girl rocker sound.

*Raise a little Hell.* By Trooper is after that and it just fits our mood.

*Bleed like me.* is after that and people are getting wound up, and starting to party.

*Oh Love* By Greenday’s next and one of the new songs to the mix but still kind of a good pub kind of song really, it’s got this nice…cadence to it.

*Boots of Chinese Plastic.* By The Pretenders is after that.

Okay they’re getting hopefully into the party I wanna dance mode and I slip us into chick-rock but a more friendly kind of chick rock.

*I love Rock and Roll.* By Joan Jette is really the ticket as we hit those opening chords and there’s happy cheers and yells and when those beats hit there’s thumping up some of the tables and there’s that energy coming off of them that just sinks into me as I sing…belting out the words and I get to the chorus and just about every woman in the place is singing along with us!

There’s nothing like the felling of that live.

*AC/DC* By Joan Jette again is next and that just builds up that feeling and excitement and sound…oh yeah and if there was ever a song that so beats out Katie Perry’s version of I kissed a girl it’s this….some girls get hot, and most of the guys like it too.

*Raise Your Glass.* By Pink is a great song for this crowd and there’s lots of people up dancing now.

*Drops of Jupiter.* is next and we do that one to lead us into doing train and there’s a cheer after we finish and we’re watering ourselves as we’re finishing the crowd that’s got some of our fans see Brooklyn’s new little surprise and she takes out this ukulele that she bought out of her own money and starts the intro finally with that going as I start to dance and then sing.

*Soul Sister.* By Train one of our best covers and finally with the right stuff! I’m dancing with the tune getting my funk up and letting my inner freaky girl out. Yeah so really me, that kind of way a girl just cuts loose…it’s me. It’s been me awhile now.

It’s likely not a often heard song here but our fans are in the crowd and there’s instantly a bunch singing out the “Hey’s” and I shove the mic out to them and we get that back and forth going as they sing along with me. It catches people like to do that stuff.

*Can’t stop.* By the Red Hot Chili Peppers is the next song that keeps me dancing and it’s a great song for all of to sing together as well as I like the way it’s sung it’s as close to a rap thing as I’ll likely get. Such a great song to Bop to really.

*Love Shack!* By the B52’s gets tossed in because it’s a really great tune and people love to sing and dance to that just because it’s fun.

*Black Betty.* By Ram Jam is a older tune that’s just great for this but I’m not singing it’s Rayne and she’s really good with the rapid fire lyrics. I’m dancing like crazy just using up all that energy. It’s an old rock kinda place and it fit’s the crowd.

*What I like about you.* By the Romantics and not a bad tune good to dance to and I’ve picked the vocals back up now and slowing things down bit by bit.

I sway with the microphone a bit as the girls just sort of riff and play.

“Thanks everyone for letting us get tat out of our systems and it’s getting late so we thought we’d pull out just some good tunes to cuddle up and dance to when we get back we’re going to take a short break.”

Sixteen songs…yeah time for a break.

We stop and head backstage and we’re sweaty and really in need of using the ladies room. Thankfully there’s a staff bathroom out back here and It was a serious relief to get to get that relief and some air on my legs. Okay skinny jeans might look good but wow they get hot and sticky…especially when you’re doing something like this. I actually use some of the toilet paper to rub off some of the sweat.

I get out switching places with Brook. “How’re you holding up?”

She calls over the stall. “Good, I’m okay Ange…my ankle’s sore as hell but I’ve got it wrapped and the boots help.”

“Okay, I just wanted to be sure honey.” The girl use of honey, not that she’s my honey.

“I just wish we had more time to get the songs set and maybe some more tunes of our own that’d fit into the more upbeat stuff.”

“Yeah me too, we really need to sit down sometime and write stuff out. Get some other songs other than the Emo stuff.”

Rayne nods. “Let’s do that, seriously sit down and work out new songs for the different kinds of nights we’ll be playing.”

Kim’s hopped up on the sink counter. “Really? So’s this like before?”

I sake my head. “No…all of us, between all of us we can come up with some songs and if not whole songs verses or even lines…but all of us.”

There’s a group hug and we touch up our look and we head out to play some softer rock and roll.

*Maybe I’m Amazed.* By Paul McCartney is what we open up with and it’s one of those good songs that just sort of sparks the mood. I actually like this, just leaning into the mic and just letting go and singing.

*Dream On* By Nazareth…what a good song that’s a really great band and they’ve got some of my favorite tunes.

*I Remember You.* By Skid-Row because hair band power ballads are always good.

*Soul to Squeeze.* Another good tune by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

*Invisible.* By Us. I’m smiling and surprised though when the lighters come out with out fans.

*Under the Bridge.* By The Red Hot Chili Peppers again…yes but it’s a really good song and I don’t want it to become too much of a K&T cover standard.

*Send me an Angel* By the Skorpions another great ballad tune. And a decent enough song to dance to.

*Always.* By Bon Jovi, you can almost never go wrong with them for a good rock song that’s also slow and great to dance to.

*Don’t know why.* By Nora Jones…sexy, slow and just a good song. I’ve been thinking about this for our Tuesday night’s show.

*Forever and Always* By Us. This goes over a bit better than Invisible did with the crowd here and I’m still impressed by our fans reactions.

*Billy Holiday.* Comes after that and we’re playing more of our stuff and that seems to be another dance together and hold out the lighters song. Rayne’s still got that amazing voice.

*Time after Time.* By Cyndi Lauper and it’s a good song for the slow dancing.

We lead in to the end of the show with *We’re Here for a good time.* By Trooper and that’s the end of our sets and we do our stage bows and the D.J. takes over while we tear down. We went a little long but I don’t think Jake cares we had the place hopping. But honestly I wanted to sort of do better and maybe close the place down but this is more than good enough plus this place on a Friday night won’t shut down until two in the morning.

We’re tearing stuff down and we’re doing autographs and talking about the songs and what had happened tonight and Jake’s there listening too having come over with some food and stuff.

The food’s decent except for the basket of fish and chips. That was actually the best thing he’s got or brought over. The fish was a really light batter but not tempura and the fish was lake pickerel which is local but there’s a really nice kick to it. The batter though even though it’s light is good, like addictive good.

And they do chips here. Not fries, you can order fries but these are fat chips, with this crispy outside and soft fluffy middle and I can’t help but to really eat a lot of those especially with malt vinegar on them and something dad does and that’s ketchup with a couple of shakes of bitters in it and a squeeze of lemon. I get both from the bar.

We just actually relax and eat and talk to the crew and Brook’s sticking close to Mike and they’re talking about how they’ve gotten together though it’s an edited version where Jason’s family and stuff.

I’m going over the tips and while really decent it’s not great when we add in the pub staff and including the kitchen crew we get out of it with eleven dollars and change.

But it’s not just about the cash, every staff got some, we were willing to share what we got. No, okay they didn’t pool theirs in with ours here but again it doesn’t matter. We’re building decent rep with people. And you know the bartenders and waitress’s might not have been wowed by the amount but the kitchen guys were thankful to be included.

Jake and I agree to talk later about the website stuff given the night that we had. I give him a hug and say we’ll talk soon. The check he give us is for a hundred and thirty instead of just a hundred. “It’s a small bonus given everything and I’ll be paying your going rates on the next shows okay.”

“That’s more than okay Jake, I’ll see you soon alright?”

“Anytime Angel I’ll never be…Uhm…I’ll make the time.”

Dad and Uncle Mitch drive us home and Mike’s crashing with us tonight, well Brooklyn. I Hug Dad. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow?”

“Sure thing honey. I’m proud of you y’know that.”

“Dad…”

“No, I don’t say it enough but my daughter’s a heck of a stand-up girl and it was a good show.”

“It could’ve been better.”

“Cut yourselves some slack this would throw anyone off.”

“Yeah it did.”

“Not that much.”

“Sigh okay Dad just not too early?”

“How’s ten.”
“Perfect.”

I give him a hug and a kiss then head off to get changed. I’ve got my top off and there’s a knock at my door. “Yeah?”

Mike asks. “You decent?”

“Sort of…”

“I brought the stuff I’ve been recording at school.”

“Oh….” And there’s still enough left over from earlier. “C’mon in I want to go over it, and bring one of the laptops too okay?”

“Sure.”

Yeah I might not have been popular but I know who’s who.

***Jeremy Powers……

I head home.

It’s been a long day, and there’s been a lot going on with well with everything.

I honestly meant the stuff I said to Angel. I’m good with it, I think I have been oddly enough since I fist say her on the doorstep and I was just stunned ay how much she looks like her mom.

That being said I’m really not happy that my daughter or my girls are being messed with.

I saw it in the photo Mike took…I never mentioned it to Mitch but the guy with the tire iron was a biker. Spokes club of Satan’s choice from just outside Hamilton. I know a lot of bikers and have done some favors for them a time or ten. He had the club’s ink on his hand, I could see that much clearly.

But why the hell would bikers go after Mike or Angel, it could’ve been Brooklyn with her family in some kind of shit and them reaching out through her. I bet even money that’s who torched Mike’s car too.

Time to make a few phone calls to some old friends and see if anyone’s heard who’s in town and why.