DANNY Chapter 39 by Roberta J. Cabot This is a story about Daniel, a guy with a unique talent and an even more unique problem: A great singing voice and the looks of his gorgeous sister. And how he and his family deal with his having breasts. And how he ends up as the female lead singer for a high-school cover band as well as a radio DJ. As Mrs. Piper watched Danielle singing, she contemplated her plans for the station, and how Danny was so essential to them. As she watched the show, behind the scenes, Danny did his Nighthawk program from the fake booth that Tracey set up. Chapter 39 is yet another musical chapter. Be prepared! Truly, there never is a dull moment with Batch Fourteen, and Dan & his gang.

 
Chapter Thirty-Nine:  Sneaking Danny On-Stage

***** (Fallon) *****

Danielle's song was great - simply because it was pretty easy and light, and wasn't too tiring. We needed a break, and the song was a great way to gear down. But what really helped was Danny's Nighthawk call-in program afterwards, because it gave us a chance to really rest.

When that big projection screen started coming down, I felt nothing but relief. And when it was down, we all tried to appear we weren't rushing to our dressing rooms.

"Oh, dear!" Betsy said as we entered the room, "my feet are sooo tired!" She plopped down into one of the chairs.

"Me, too, kid," I said.

All of us draped ourselves over our chairs in various stages of pooped. Ahhh! It's so good to be off my feet! I bent down and took off my heels. Whooo!

"Danielle?" I called. "Can you get me a bottle of water, please?"

I plucked the bottle Danielle threw to me out of the air, and finished it off in nothing flat. "Can you get me anoth…" Anticipating it, she threw me another one before I even asked. "Oh! Ummm, thanks!"

Danielle gave me a wink, and handed the others drinks as well, too.

Each of us took turns in the bath. Jeeze, I must've peed a gallon. What I wouldn't do to get some sleep or something. Someone had left some snacks on our makeup tables - there was an apple, a banana and a sandwich on mine. Just enough to get me to the end of the show without making me sleepy, plus a couple more bottles of water and a Gatorade.

Of course, the break ended all too quickly. We could have rested a little more but it was time for the mid-program costume change. I've always thought those costume changes those big stars made in the middle of their shows were so… I guess the word I was looking for was "showbiz," If you know what I mean - a big star wanting to glam it up.

But I found out that costume changes were actually necessary. I don't know about other performers, but I've practically soaked through my outfit. And I caught myself almost slipping in my shoes several times because of sweaty feet. Whatever the case may be, I really needed a change.

So we all changed into new outfits.

June had switched to a simple yellow tanktop bandage minidress - from the front, at least. It totally didn't have a back. Wow! She also switched from her shoes to white patent-leather high heels. She caught me looking at her, and gave me a giggle and a wink.

As for Betsy, she picked a hot, sexy bandage minidress as well. The top was like a tight, long-sleeved collarless closed-neck sweater, the front part and right sleeve in white, and the left sleeve and back in satiny black. From below the breast down, though, it was like a tight, stretchy black miniskirt outfit with wavy cuts going down covered in stretch black mesh. And you knew she wasn't wearing underwear because you couldn't see any waistband from any underwear through the mesh.

She also caught me looking at her, too, and giggled.

For Danielle, she wore a sexy, floral two-piece bandage party dress in white lace. It was like a cross between lingerie and a prom dress. The top was like a lace crop top bustier with lace spaghetti straps, the bottom part ending in lace. It was still cut high enough that her midriff was mostly exposed. The bottom was basically a super-tight lace overlay over full-panty style stretchy-white briefs.

Wow.

As for me, I had picked a simple backless, bandage mini LBD, except that the straps looped around my neck creating a peekaboo kind of panel that showed off my cleavage. At best, I was a large B or a small C, but I think I had more than enough up top to make it work. My outfit was the most conventional but the peekaboo panel made it the sexiest, I think.

After renewing our makeup, we waited for our call.

The dressing room was silent, with all of us just soaking in the cool air-conditioned air and resting. We all had our shoes off and our tootsies up.

"What do you think of the show so far?" Betsy asked me in hushed tones, as if she was afraid of breaking the stillness.

"So far?" I said in the same hushed tones. "So far, I think it's been great. And, I'm sure the fans are over the moon. And I wanted to say…"

"Yeah, Fallon - what is it?"

"I wanted to say thank you. To all you guys. For making me part of this. You had no reason to, except for Danny vouching for me. And it's been the most incredible thing to happen to me in my life so far."

Betsy reached out and held my hand.

"You're welcome," she said.

After a bit, we heard June starting to snore, and we all started to giggle.

That woke her up. "What," she mumbled, "what's happening?"

"You better not fall asleep, kid," I said. "We might be called up soon."

And true enough, we heard the inevitable call.

"Two minutes, ladies," the same guy from before called from outside our dressing room. "Everyone on stage in two minutes!"

Everyone groaned. No one wanted to move.

I sighed. "Time to get up," I said. Still, no one moved.

After maybe ten seconds, June finally responded.

"You first."

And everyone laughed.

- - - - -

***** (Danny) *****

It was the first time for me to see what Danielle had picked out for my second outfit, and to say I had some misgivings about it would be an understatement.

After all, the top was nothing but a glorified bustier and the skirt was like an extra-large lace handkerchief!

But then, what can I do? No doubt Danielle was already on stage parading around in this… costume. I turned Tracey's little TV on, and, yep. I was right.

So I used a big towel and scrubbed my face clean of all makeup. I rinsed my hands in an astringent solution and stuck on new red, self-adhesive nails.

"Turn around, Trace," I said, and without waiting for her to respond, I took off my boots, leggings, bodysuit and men's thong briefs. I then wiped myself down all over, and powdered myself with baby powder down there, as Danielle taught me, and pulled up a white full panty-style gaff, adjusting myself appropriately, of course.

I then fitted the bustier-style top around my babies, and zipped up - the zip was in front but was hidden - and wrapped the lace skirt around my gaff that looked like panties.

I then took off the brunette wig, took out the pins as well as the hoop earrings, put on the dangly ones in the bag, and fluffed up my regular hair. I then got the half-wig and put it on. Now my hair was down to my butt again.

I did my face in the style the make-up people did originally. As a final touch, I tied the white, lace scarves I founf inside the bag around my wrists and stepped into the white heels, also in the bag.

I looked in Tracey's little TV and… Oh, no! The band was already halfway through the song!

"I gotta go, Trace!"

"Leave everything, Danny! I'll take care of this! Go! Go!"

I gave Tracey a quick kiss on the cheek, and rushed out.

Tippy-toeing through the hallways, I made sure I wasn't seen and heard. Soon I was in position.

- - - - -

***** (Dale) *****

I was the one who suggested Kenny Loggins' song, actually. I was a Kenny Loggins fan. But the real reason I picked the song was because it was a duet between Kenny Loggins and Stevie Nicks.

Although Stevie Nicks was one heck of a pop music star, and was one of the sexiest seventies singers around, her voice was also one of the most limited in range. No one can doubt it especially if they've heard any of her songs. And, because of this, it might just be the ticket for Danielle. I confided in Danny about this, and he agreed, in secret.

I sold the idea of the song to the guys as a classic seventies hit and didn't even mention Stevie Nicks, and when they listened to it, they agreed. But their problem was it was a duet between a guy and a girl, and if this was one of Danielle's songs, then she couldn't do the Kenny Loggins part. She'd fall apart.

The band had Mongo and I for male vocals, and it was clearly closer to my range and style than Mongo's. Everyone had looked at me suspiciously then. They laughingly thought I suggested it so I could sing the lead on TV, which I pooh-poohed. Still, they said yes, whether they believed my denial or not.

So, here we were.

We were all set up behind the projection screen, waiting for our cue. The lights were down to maximize the quality of the projected images, but there was enough light coming through the screen's fabric so we could see.

Everyone had changed outfits. Mongo and I were wearing leather vests over silk button-down shirts, leather pants and boots. My shirt was maroon while Mongo's was dark-green.

Even the Glee Club kids had changed outfits. The guys had switched to crisp, white, long-sleeved button-downs, slim-fit jeans and solid-colored unbuttoned vests (one of the guys in a neon-blue vest, one in dark red, and the other in neon green) while the girls were in sleeveless white minidresses with sheer mesh covering the v-cut neckline - the mesh in a different color for each girl, too.

As for June, Betsy and Fallon, they all wore different dresses, in black and white. June was in yellow, but it all seemed to match.

Center stage was me and Danielle standing in front of mic stands with the attached wireless microphones. It was our song, after all, so we stood in the middle in pride of place.

The stage had also been dressed a bit. The back stage was covered by a black canvas with a starfield painted on it. There was a large billboard-size canvas poster just behind it. The idea was, at the proper moment, the black canvas would be dropped to uncover the poster. What that poster was I didn't know - guess we'll find out when it was revealed.

As for the rest of the stage, several four-foot wide cloth panels hanging from the rafters like curtains had been dropped down. The cloth panels were black with what looked like star streaks, comet tails and other similar bright things painted on them.

The panels were randomly distributed through the stage, and there was at least one panel on either side of each of us, and it made the essentially-empty stage feel decorated.

I looked to Danielle and she looked really nervous.

"Hey," I said to her. "You did good before. You'll do good now. Just do it like we rehearsed."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Thanks, Dale," she said.

"No prob. Okay, here we go."

- - - - -

***** (Danielle) *****

We could see Danny, as Robin the Nighthawk, through the projection screen, reversed, of course. And over the coliseum's speakers we could hear her. And then we heard her introduce us.

The video faded out and, in the silence, we heard the very faint whine of electric motors as they raised the canvas projection screen up and into the rafters.

The audience roared in anticipation, and clapped and screamed.

But the house lights were down and all that could be seen were Dale's and my silhouettes.
We waited for the applause to die down, and as soon as it was quiet enough, Dale and the Glee Club kids started to hum in harmony.

And then a spotlight hit Dale, and he started to sing.

"Whenever I call you 'friend,'" he sang, like Kenny Loggins, or maybe more like Robbie Williams. Regardless, the audience ate it up.

"… I begin to think I understand. Anywhere we are, you and I have always been forever and ever…"

And then a spotlight hit me, and I started harmonizing with him.

"I see myself within your eyes," we sang, "and that's all I need to show me why. Everything I do seems to take me home to you…"

And the Glee Club guys sang. "Forever and ever!"

With Mongo laying a backbeat, the house lights were brought up. Dale and I took turns singing.

"Now I know my life has given me more than memories," Dale sang, "Day by day, we can see…"

and then I sang. "In every moment there's a reason to carry on!"

And then the two of us again. "Sweet love showin' us a heavenly light. I've never seen such a beautiful sight. Sweet love glowin' on us every night. I know forever we'll be doin' it… Sweet love showin' us a heavenly light…"

"I've never seen such a beautiful sight," Dale interjected.

And then the two of us. "Sweet love glowin' on us every night…"

"And then Dale. "I know forever we'll be doin' it right…"

It was my turn now. "Whenever I call you 'friend,'" I sang, "I believe I've come to understand. Everywhere we are, you and I were meant to be forever and ever…"

"I think about the times to come," Dale took over, "Knowin' I will be the lucky one, and ever our love will last. I always want to call you 'Friend!'"

"… friend!" I harmonized with him, and we continued together. "Sweet love showin' us a heavenly light…

"I've never seen such a beautiful sight," Dale sang.

And then the two of us again. "Sweet love glowin' on us every night…"

And then Dale. "I know forever we'll be doin' it…"

Then Betsy took over with her violin, playing the part of the saxophone in the original. The audience exploded again, and Betsy hammed it up a bit, to the delight of the fans.

After Betsy's interlude, I took over. "Now I know my life has given me more than memories," I sang.

"Day by day," Dale sang, almost in a scream, just like Kenny Loggins. "We can see…"

"In every moment there's a reason to carry on," I followed.

And then the two of us again. "Sweet love showin' us a heavenly light…"

"I've never seen such a beautiful sight," Dale sang.

And then the two of us again. "Sweet love glowin' on us every night…"

Then, Dale - "I've never seen such a beautiful sight."

Us again - "Sweet love flowin' almost every night. I know forever we'll be doin' it, doin' it… Sweet love showin' us a heavenly light…"

Then me - "I've never seen such a beautiful sight."

Then us again - "Sweet love flowin' almost every night. I know forever we'll be doin' it, doin' it, doin' it…"

And then us and the Glee Club kids sang over and over in harmony until the song faded away - "Sweet love… Sweet love… Sweet love…"

It was yet another of those amazing moments, and we basked in the glow. I felt relief, because I knew my bit was done. But then I felt sad as well, since my time in the limelight was over now…

Dale signaled us and we all bowed at the same time. He signaled again, and we bowed a second time. No wonder the guys loved this. I waved and threw air-kisses to everyone.

Though I wanted to bask some more, it was time. Otherwise, I might not leave the stage at all. Waving, I started walking to the side of the stage where Danny's and Dale's guitars were. To get there, I had to walk behind a couple of the hanging panels. Oh, boy. Here we go...

to be continued...

 

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