Yep, that's me there with the lovely Colleen right behind. She's actually at my home and we're going to spend time together...just the two of us. How has this happened? Well you're not going to believe this but she approached me...apparently from next semester the school's going to produce a weekly newspaper and Colleen is one of their star reporters. They need stories and she remembered that I had just started a band and she now wants to do a story about it...so she approached me down at the park and asked for an interview. Well, that's good free publicity AND she even remembered my name correctly this time! Big win for me, eh?
"Welcome to my humble home, Colleen. How's the newspaper going? Got any good stories lined up?"
"Oh lots! The problem will be working out which ones will go in the first edition. I want one of my stories in it, maybe even the front page!" Well, that's enthusiasm for you. I like her style.
"I suppose I'd better tell you all about The Bluestones then" I say, smiling warmly at her.
"The who?"
"Not The Who, The Bluestones. That's the name of our band"
"Oh, I see. Groovy name. Where did you get the idea to call yourselves that?"
"From a blue quartz gem I bought at the market. It was actually the suggestion of...." and that's where I stop myself from continuing that sentence because the idea came from Lulu Strang, who is hated by all the girls at school for some reason I haven't yet worked out. Best not to bring her name up in this conversation with Colleen... "...erm...a collective decision by the three of us: Rohan, Efrain and myself"
I show her inside and I offer to get her some refreshments but she says all she wants is a glass of water. It might not be an exotic cocktail but I make an effort to present it to her as if it was. I show her the couch and invite her to sit next to me. Already I can feel my heart beating faster just by being near her but I try to maintain a cool exterior.
"Well, can you tell me a bit about yourselves...who are you, who plays what, etc?"
"I'm Jamie McGregor" I give a little self-deprecating laugh when I say my name. I'm not sure she's impressed by that.
"I play guitar and sing a bit. Then there's Efrain Webber, bass and vocals and Rohan Elderberry, keyboards"
"And vocals?"
"We're not sure if he can sing at this point."
"And what about drums, or a lead singer?"
"No drummer as yet but we might not need one" I avoid the topic of lead singer because Lulu wants to do that; sure, she's got a terrific voice but there's that unpopular tag she has. I know it's cruel on her but I figure we build up the band's reputation first and then unveil Lulu as our singer. Or we can put her in a mask and refer to her as 'The Mystery Singer'".
Right about then, Dad suddenly appears and he's got this glint in his eye that I think is one of approval of something.
"Oh, hello Jamie. I didn't realise you had company"
"Hi Dad. Yeah, this is Colleen and she's at school with me. She came over to interview me about the band and my music."
"Hi Mr McGregor. I hope I'm not intruding"
"You're not. In fact, it's fortuitous you being here at this time..." he says, enigmatically.
"Why's that, Dad?"
Dad said nothing but instead cleared his throat and nodded in the direction just past me. I look behind me and see there's a guitar on a stand! I look back at Dad with a puzzled look on my face.
"Yep...it's that guitar you said you wanted. I got a promotion at work and kept my promise that when money wasn't so tight I'd get you one. Now your band can really get going..."
"Wow...Dad...that's fantastic! Thank you! Thank you so much!" I go to hug him and stop myself, because Colleen is watching, so I change it to a hearty handshake instead.
"Didn't you have a guitar before, Jamie?"
"I had to borrow one, Colleen. But, hey, this one is good and there's no going back now...The Bluestones are really going to be in business!"
"So, Mr McGregor, do you support your son's musical ambitions? What about Mrs McGregor? And your neighbours?"
"Sure. It's a bit of harmless fun and it's good for Jamie to have a hobby. Both Mrs McGregor and I support him and his band. We're not sure about what the neighbours think, though..."
The guitar sounded good, but it needed tuning properly. I strummed a few chords and nodded appreciatively. I turned to my Dad and Colleen to check out what they thought. Dad was smiling and Colleen looked on with interest before she checked her wristwatch.
"I've just seen the time...I need to head on to the Casbah Gallery for my school project that's due in next Semester."
"Sorry to hear that...I was hoping to show you some of our setlist." I was just starting to ease up around her and now she has to go. Improvise, Jamie, improvise....
"Maybe another time, Jamie"
"Hey, as it happens I have to head that way anyway...they have a music room. How about we head down there together and we can continue with the interview? Then, when we get there, you can do your stuff and I can do mine?"
She nods and says "OK" and inside I cheer whilst outside I maintain my cool.
"...and although The Beach Boys are our main influence I've recently been digging Bob Dylan and Donovan. Well, we're here."
"We are. That was really interesting what you were telling me."
"I hope I'm not boring you"
"Not at all, this is really good. Lots of things that can go in the article."
"You know, if you've got any follow up questions, don't hesitate to ask"
"Shall do. OK, we'd better get inside"
As we head inside the gallery I know I'm here under some false pretentions. I don't really have to go to the music room here, it's of some usefulness and it's not urgent, but the chance to hang out with Colleen is a 1 in a 1000 one and after the pool party fiasco I want to make a good impression on her. I try to be cool about this, that our interests are just happening to coincide this time but she's a classic beauty...at school guys either pine for Judy Keith or Colleen Corby and there are many who would give anything to be in my place right now.
"So...I'll see you later. Good luck with your project, Colleen."
"Yeah, I'll see you around."
"Look forward to it"
There's a brief, awkward pause between the two of us. I make what I think is a warm, friendly gesture of thanks and she kinds of nods and heads off.
I head up to the music room and strum around for a bit. The guitar here has a lovely, clear quality to its sound and the acoustics in the room are fantastic. I rarely get a chance to come down to the Casbah and practice because it's always fully booked out at weekends and it's more expensive to hire than the snug at Desert Bloom Park.
I don't know how long I was playing for...30 minutes, 45 maybe but I wanted to head to the bar to get a drink so I put the guitar down and left the music room, whereupon I bump into Colleen! She was still here.
"Hi there...I didn't know..."
"I didn't know you'd still be here"
"Yeah, likewise. So, Colleen...how did your project work go?"
"Great, thanks. I'm doing a thing about pop art so there's lots here to take a look at. I'm going to buy a book from the gift shop so I'm heading downstairs now"
"Right...right...well, I'm done as well. So....we're going the same way, I guess?"
"Yeah, sure."
Well this conversation is flowing with wit and repartee...I'm so nervous I don't know what to say.
We head downstairs and I see the cafe area is still open.
"Do you have to head straight home, Colleen, or...."
"I'm not in a rush"
"Would you like to get a coffee before you go? I was going to get one as I worked up quite a thirst in the music room."
"Well, if you're getting one then sure"
Whilst she goes into the gift shop to buy a book I go to the cafe and order a couple of coffees. I sit at the counter, eagerly awaiting her return. I can feel my heart beat faster but at the same time I can also feel my stomach churning. Eventually she comes and joins me in the cafe.
"Thanks Jamie...hmmm that tastes good."
"Did you get that book?"
"Yes, thank you. It's what I need for my project. The trouble with the local, general bookshops is that they don't have those really rare and niche interest books on art and literature I'm in to and it's too far and expensive to go to the really top stores so this small gift shop came up trumps."
"I'm glad it's worked out for you"
"Hmm, and I hope things go well with your band. The last time I saw you there was talk about getting me and Judy free tickets to your next gig: Is that an offer that still stands?"
"Absolutely! We need to build an audience and it doesn't hurt to have a friend in the press" I say, smiling to her. I wonder if she reacts to me calling her a friend?
"Hello Colleen...are you ready to go?" that was another voice entering the conversation. A guy's voice.
"Almost, David. Well, it's been a blast today, Jamie. See you later"
I look around and see that the other guy is none other than David Watts: The #1 head honcho at school. Of course he'll be dating Colleen...of course! Colleen grabs her book and purse and goes over to greet David, who doesn't even acknowledge my presence! Then she takes his arm and they saunter off together. Who was I kidding? I never stood a chance today with her. OK, she's the school newspaper reporter, that is all. A strictly business relationship from now on. Time to go home, salvage some positives like the new guitar and an upcoming story in the school newspaper. Not a win on the romance front, but...hey...free publicity.
"I hope you're not going to just leave your plate next to the TV, son!"
"Erm, I was considering it...that corner of the TV stand looks bare..."
"Nice try, Bucko. Now take it through to the kitchen and wash it up"
"Aww, Dad! Do I have to?"
"You wash your plate and cutlery....CLEAN...and put them away and I'll give you a dollar"
"Now why didn't you say so in the first place? I'll take Mom's plate as well now she's finished."
Money is always a good incentive, it rarely fails and although it's just one dollar I can put that towards my guitar fund.
One dollar and a few brownie points done, it's time to crack on with homework. I need to get it over and done with because I have got plans for today. Well, I say 'plans' but so far it consists of getting out of the house and then...well...make it up from there.
More praise but, sadly, no bucks from Mom as I crack on with my homework. It's useful having her around to correct my spelling as well.
I spend about 2 hours in total on my work and then, mid-morning, I'm free. Free for the rest of today. I wonder what I'm going to do with all that time. A question Mom is asking as well.
"So what are you going to do today? It's a lovely day outside...will you go out or stay here?"
"Definitely go out. Go down to the park, see who's there and hang out for a bit."
"Or you could invite a friend around to hang out here?"
"I'm not sure about that...I'd like to go out."
"How's things at school, Jamie..."
"Mom! I don't want to talk about it..."
"I notice you don't call your friends much and apart from that Morgan girl you don't invite them around either...or go to their houses. Are you making friends here?"
"Mom, I'm fine! It's just that...well...I'm not really...socially connected with a lot of the people at school. I mean I'm friendly with everyone but not in a group."
"Hmm, that's important to you, isn't it?"
"Well...it's like this...erm...I don't really have a 'role' in the groups at school. I'm more a freelancer, a lone wolf."
"Wolves like being in packs"
"I know...that's one of the reasons I want to go out today; meet people from school but outside of it. Get to know them a bit more."
"I understand. And are you still seeing Morgan?"
"No...at least I don't think I am. Two bad dates with her, I don't want a third!" OK, that's slightly untrue...I would say yes to a third date if she didn't blow hot and cold like she did on the last two.
"She's certainly...what you would call...'flaky'. I'm sure you can find a nicer girl to go out with."
Don't get your hopes up, Mom. Most of the girls around here can't even remember my name!
"Anyway, I hope you have a good time and find something positive, Jamie. You've put in so much hard work at school, you deserve a day off."
"He can always help me out in the garden if he's at a loose end..."
"Sorry, Dad, places to go, people to see...I'll help out tomorrow: Promise"
I go get my bike before Mom changes her mind about my plans for the day and Dad thinks up more chores for me to do. My first stop will be the youth club hangout at the Desert Bloom park. There's always one or two people from Buckingham or Copperdale High hanging around and, with any luck, one of them will be Judy Keith or one of her many friends.
I'm not quite at the desperate to be liked stage...yet. At least, I don't think I am but...dang it, I could do with a break on the social front. Whenever I start to make friends with other guys, they find themselves busy like Efrain or their parents make them study so hard they don't have time for a social life, like Rohan. Added to that are so many god-damn social hierarchies to be navigated and they're controlled by a small clique who determines who is in and who is out. At the top are two guys vying for control of the student body: Malcolm Landgraab, who is a real snooty creeep but his money talks and David Watts, captain of the school sports team, principal's favourite and who looks like a movie star. Fortunately I haven't crossed swords with Watts and I don't want to either! Landgraab's got my card marked as 'undesirable'.
I arrive at the youth club to find out I'm the first one there. I park my bike inside because there's been a spate of thieving in the area of late and bicycles are one of the things being stolen in high numbers.
To try and attract visitors I start playing the guitar there; it's my usual way of getting practice with it until I can afford a guitar of my own. I play a piece or two but, sadly, it's to myself.
I'm not sure where my musical style sits at the moment: A couple of years ago I liked all the teen idol stars like Tommy Roe, Brian Hyland and Bobby Vee but The Beatles ruined that for me...they were, simply, amazing. Everything changed once I heard "She Loves You" and then the Beach Boys raised their game and along came The Byrds, The Rolling Stones and now Jefferson Airplane. Music's going in all these different directions and I can't make up my mind which songs I should learn and perform. At the moment, given I'm limited to an acoustic guitar, I'm angling towards a kind of folk meets pop kind of vibe...so like The Byrds, I guess.
I put down the guitar and wonder what to do next when I see out the window someone I think I recognise...I exit the snug and start to walk towards the edge of the park where I see her and, yes, I do know her...well, kind of know her...It's Colleen; a girl from school who I met a couple of weeks ago right here. She's a friend of Judy's and almost as beautiful. What to do, Jamie boy, what to do? Is it right that I should just go over to her and start chatting on the basis that we've met just the once and that's all the justification of stopping her to talk? Aw, heck, what else am I going to do?
I break out into a run and make my way quickly to where she is before she leaves the area....remembering to slow right down just before I do reach her otherwise it looks like I was running specifically to catch up with her...which I was...but I can't be seen to be doing that because that makes me look desperate....which I am but that's not an important issue to address right now.
"Hello there, it's Colleen, isn't it?"
"Erm, yes, do I know you?"
"I'm Jamie. We met here a couple of weeks ago. You were with Judy..."
"Oh, you know Judy, do you?"
"I do. A bit...well since 6th grade on and off, mainly. In a kind of general, roundabout way socially."
"Oh yes, I remember now...you play guitar here sometimes? I thought you were called Paul?"
"No, I'm not a Paul, but yes I play guitar here...in fact you've just missed my set over there in the snug."
"Aww, shucks, I'm sorry...I remember I missed your other set last Friday"
Yeah, thanks for reminding me of that. You and Judy said you'd be there but you never showed. Instead I had Rohan, Efrain and Cassandra Goth as an audience, with Cassandra asking me to play more quietly after every song.
"There's always next time, Colleen."
"For sure...I really want to hear you play; a few of us do"
"Oh, really?" Now this sounds interesting.
"Yeah, Judy, Gillian..."
This just gets better and better! The trinity of the most groovy chicks in Sim City want to see ME play guitar!
"I'd better get practicing and I'll post a note up on the school notice board. You can all get front row seats"
"I like the sound of that, VIP treatment!"
Whoa! Colleen's just fluttered her eyelashes at me! We've reached the flirty banter stage already! I'm here having flirty banter with Colleen from school! She's top tier like I was mentioning before and I think she's in David Watts' social circle. My goodness me, she's gorgeous and charming! OK, play it cool...
"Hi Colleen, sorry I'm late"
Wait, what? Who's this? Some blonde chick has just shown up and interrupted our little banter thing me and Colleen have got going here.
"That's OK, Haley...we're still in time for the party"
"Party?"
"Oh, Haley...this is Paul, erm, I mean Jamie. Is that right?"
"Yep, I'm Jamie, nice to meet you....?"
"Haley. We've not met before, have we?"
"No, can't say we have. Nice to meet you too."
The whole Judy Keith Set is just pure beauty. I hope my critics are watching me from afar right now and noticing that, yes, I can have a nice conversation with pretty girls thank you.
"Haley, we need to get going if we want to get to the party before all the guys have taken over the pool...you know what they're like!"
"Ugh, total show offs; forming human pyramids and dive bombing everyone! Last time they really messed up my nice new hair do! We need to get there early and stake our claims to the sun loungers. Now do you have the tickets, Colleen?"
"I've got both our tickets here in my bag, don't worry. I'm wearing my swimsuit under my dress and the pool provide the towels. Are you invited to Judy's pool party, Pau..I mean, Jamie?"
"Oh sure, sure...I left my invite back at my house. I'll swing by there before heading to the....pool?"
"Yeah, you know, the big pool in town? We'll see you there."
"Nice meeting you, Jamie...hope to see you at the pool"
"Oh, totally. You just try keeping me away, ha-ha!"
OK...I now need a plan. If I ask the girls which pool that will tip them off that I'm not invited. So I'm going to race home on my bike, grab my swim shorts, and race back to the pool. Then I'll claim my invite was in my jeans which my mom washed and is now destroyed but I'm SURE my name must be somewhere on the list and...failing that, I'll just drop a few names and if I see Colleen or Haley I can wave them over and they'll get me in. A tricky and high risk plan but if it works...IF IT WORKS...I can get higher up that ol' social greasy pole and be surrounded by groovy chicks. I can see myself at the top of that human pyramid they were talking about. What could possibly go wrong?
"Hi Mom, hi Dad, just grabbing some swim shorts, see you later...don't know when...bye Mom, bye Dad"
...and out of there before they can even ask a single question! So now I'm heading for the big pool in Newcrest; that's the main one in town.
Getting in was easier than I thought. The guy at the front desk just took the basic admittance money and waved me through, no questions asked. OK, let's get changed, get in that pool and schmooze my way to popularity!
...or maybe I'm too early? Aww, let's face it, I'm in the wrong place! There must be another swimming pool in the city I don't know about and that's where the party is. It's clear; I'm just not in the loop and my encounter with Colleen this morning just underscores that. Did she genuinely want me to be at the party or was she asking if I was going as a sign of whether I'm one of the in crowd or not?
The only group meeting here today is a children's swimming lesson. They have it easy, kids today. All the different clubs and groups they can be part of, no overly complex social pyramids to negotiate and all girls are yuck or, if you're a girl, all boys are yuck. That makes life much simpler and less of a gut wrench when you get things wrong...
I guess the swim itself, in a quiet pool, is nice enough and I'm trying to take some positives from it. I've certainly got time and space to think while I'm here. There's plenty of people out there selling messages of taking chances, taking life by the horns, getting out there and being proactive but I've done all that and ended up failing at what I want.
But what do I want? What did I want from that party, had I made it, had I been allowed in? On the surface I want to be surrounded by beautiful girls like Judy, Colleen, Gillian, Haley and a whole host of others. OK, so you're surrounded by them, Jamie, then what? Well, I suppose I like one of them and they like me enough to go out with me, go on dates, kiss, cuddle and then go to the next level...what every guy my age wants. I want a share of the love pie...OK, take Malcolm Landgraab or Marcus Mueller...those guys are complete jerks and yet they've got girlfriends. Malcolm went out with Gillian for six months, dropped her and is now dating that French exchange student. And Marcus, who's he going out with? Only Yuki Behr, who is one of the nicest and most decent girls in school and she's dating a jerk!
Dried, dressed and ready to go I leave the pool and...as luck would have it...I spot my buddy Efrain in the distance. I say 'buddy' but I haven't seen him outside of school for a couple of weeks now so I don't know if I'm still in his good books or not. But at this stage I could do with some friendly company.
"Efrain! Wait up! It's Jamie!"
"Jamie! Man, it's been a while. What are you up to?"
"Well, I was trying to find a pool party but instead all I found was a pool with no party"
"Whose pool party were you trying to find?"
"Judy Keith's...it was a long shot; I wasn't even invited but I went to the wrong pool."
"Ouch. Well, I didn't even know there was such a party. Anyway, I'm glad to see you, Jamie...I've had a crazy couple of weeks!"
"Oh yeah? Do tell"
"I had a few dates with....Cassandra Goth...they didn't go well."
"You and Cassandra? I wouldn't have guessed that"
"We were in the school library one lunchtime and well, she liked what I was reading and was an expert in the book so she helped me finish my homework and...well...she's pretty in a way and useful for when homework becomes too difficult so I asked her out on a date to see a movie and she hated it; kept criticising every last little detail..."
"Which movie did you go and see?"
"Major Dundee....anyway, I then took her for a meal and she kept going on and on about the starving children in Africa so that was it, really. She just has this way of killing any enjoyment when you're hanging out with her. So, Jamie, how's your love life? Still pining for Judy?"
"Not given up there yet but I also had a couple of dates with a girl...Morgan Fyres"
"Morgan Fyres! Wow! Respect, my man! She is seriously hot in a strange way...like, got that whole Beatnik style down to a T."
"She is hot, that's for sure, but she's hot and cold big time. 'I want to be with you, Jamie!' 'GET AWAY FROM ME JAMIE!' I changed my mind, I want to be with you, Jamie. I couldn't stand it anymore."
"That is the red headed temperament for you, Jamie. Anyway, what are you up to this evening?"
"I haven't thought about that. I put my hopes on gatecrashing the pool party."
"Desert Bloom Park? Hang out at the snug...mind you, I'm getting hungry so shall we stop off somewhere along the way?"
"Or...we could swing by the market, get some hamburgers and buns and grill us up some food at the park...that way we can lure in some company as well."
"Good idea, Jamie, I like the way you think"
We swung by the market to get some things we could BBQ with and then headed back to Desert Bloom Park to cook food for ourselves and friends we weren't sure would be there or for other teens we've never even met.
Efrain doesn't know how to cook, even to flip a burger, so I get him slicing the rolls. I enjoy doing this and I look out to see if we're getting approving looks from other people in the park...well, we are, but they're mainly from the kids on the climbing equipment.
We sit down and eat a burger or two. OK, there are no cute girls around but it's good to catch up with Efrain again after not seeing him outside of class for a few weeks.
"Thinking about it, Jamie, I rushed into things with Cassandra because she was the first girl who payed me any attention. I didn't stop to think about whether we'd get on with each other at all. There's a lot to be said for patience."
"Yeah, it was similar with me and Morgan but she did come on strong with me at first. I think she's being pressured into doing wild and crazy stuff because she's got a strict home and she's holding a candle for this Wolfgang Munch character...I think she shows up at my place whenever she's trying to make him jealous."
"Wolfgang Munch, you say? There's a lot of rumours about him, none of them good."
"So how are we going to improve our social lives, Efrain?"
"Hmmm, now there's a question! Hey, you play guitar...chicks dig guys who can play music."
"I'm trying that...it's not quite working out..."
"...yet. Give it some more time. Maybe getting a band together would be a good next step."
"Yeah, I thought about that some time ago but the only person who sounded interested was Rohan Elderberry. Do you know him?"
"Yeah, I know Rohan a bit. Bit of a nerd but he's OK. Why not talk with him again about setting up a band...heck, I'll even dust off my bass guitar"
"You would? That's great! Now I've got to track down Rohan"
"He's standing over there..."
"So he is....wait here, I'm going to invite him to join us."
Never let a good opportunity go to waste, as they say. Rohan said he played piano and was the most enthusiastic about starting a band back when the idea was first floated.
"Hey, Rohan, how's it going my man?"
"Jamie? Oh hello. I'm fine. Sorry I haven't been around a lot lately; my folks make me study real hard but I haven't given up on that band idea, I really haven't!"
"Good man. That's exactly what I wanted to talk with you about. Efrain over there is going to play bass and if you still want to play organ or piano in our band that would be fab."
"Yeah, count me in, bud! Oh man, this is gonna be awesome! Hey, look out, that's Lulu Strang coming our way! She could be a groupie because she's so cute!"
"Lulu Strang? Isn't that the girl no chick in our school likes? I've heard some stuff about her like she steals other girls' boyfriends and that she smells..."
"They say Lulu smells?" says Rohan a little too loudly and it attracts attention...mainly from Lulu Strang herself. Oh no, she's coming over to us and she doesn't look happy.
"Did I hear my name being mentioned?" She sounds angry and she's fixing us both with a hard stare. Another woman is walking right past us and she heard what Rohan and I had said: Now we're pariahs with women.
"Erm...no...not at all! Erm...we were talking about something completely different...what were we talking about, Rohan?"
"Not you, Lulu, not at all, we were talking...about..."
"ZULU STRONG! That's it, we were talking about that new men's cologne; Zulu Strong, and how that smells."
"How does it smell, boys?"
"It makes you smell like...erm...what do you think it smells like, Rohan?"
"It makes you smell like...a....erm...a Zulu, of course!"
"What is a Zulu supposed to smell like, then?" Lulu has now crossed her arms and is still fixing us with a hard stare.
"A very good question, Lulu...we've not met before, I'm Jamie..."
"Jamie McGregor. I've heard your name being mentioned before...you're supposed to be a bit of a pathetic joke who fancies himself as a pop star. And you, Rohan, don't fare much better: Everyone thinks you're a loser."
Well, that's kind of taken the wind out of our sails and made us all feel bad about ourselves. At least I no longer have to think about what a Zulu smells like and how it got bottled for sale.
"So, yeah, boys...either everyone we know at school is a jerk or we really are a smelly boyfriend stealer, a pathetic joke who fancies themselves as a pop star and a complete loser. Which one is it?"
"I'm sorry, Lulu. It was mean of us to repeat gossip in front of you."
"Thank you Jamie; it gets so tiresome to be labelled as something you're not."
"So I'm not a complete loser then?"
"That's not quite the take away message here, Rohan, we upset Lulu."
"Oh yes, sorry. Hey, Lulu, we're putting a band together..."
"Are you? What are you called?"
"We haven't got a name yet; we're really at the planning stage. But it's going to be me, Rohan and Efrain in it."
"OK, you guys sound serious"
"Oh we are, Lulu, and you should come and hear us rehearse some time"
"When we've sorted out a few things first, let's not be too hasty, Rohan. In the meantime I play a set over in the clubhouse there every Friday evening...so if you want to see me...solo...you're more than welcome to."
Lulu just acknowledges that but she seems taken by Rohan, who is doing his best "aw shucks" puppy dog eyes look. I'm also detecting no bad odours from Lulu so I'm guessing that whole rumour has no basis in foundation.
"Well, Lulu, we'll make sure you get front row seats to our first gig"
"Thanks, Jamie, I look forward to it and if you need a singer..."
"Do you sing?"
"Yeah, I can sing, I'll come and audition for you"
"Cute girl singer, could be a plus for the band, eh Rohan?"
Its times like this when ideas are buzzing around and there's plenty of enthusiasm for something that I feel alive and at my happiest. Sure, I missed out on the pool party but meeting Ethan, Rohan and even Lulu Strang was even better. Onwards and upwards; nothing can stop us now!
Meanwhile, over on the other side of the park, Gillian Hills had just arrived and was keen to see who else was around. All she could see were Jamie, some skinny kid in clothes that were too big for him and....the accursed Lulu Strang!
"Oh dear, Jamie" thought Gillian. "What are you doing bothering with the likes of Lulu STRANG? How can you stand the stench? *sigh*, I thought you might have had potential, Jamie, you might have made the grade but...you are judged by the company you keep. OK, just keep walking by like you don't know who they are..."
"Ewww, what's that smell?" asked Barbara, as she entered the kitchen to see Jeremy at the stove. He was creating a lot of smoke cooking whatever it was, perhaps eggs?
"I might have put too much Tabasco in the eggs" he muttered as he looked on the frying pan with some concern.
"Tabasco? In eggs! Phht, you Americans shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a stove. How about adding a touch more milk to the eggs before scrambling them so that they have a creamier flavour and texture to them?"
"I'll bow to your expertise." said Jeremy.
Barbara noticed that Jeremy wasn't his usual, cheerful self this morning and worried that something might be troubling him. However, all attempts to get him to open up were met with small talk or shrugs and she concluded that whatever it was that was bothering him he didn't want to share it. He didn't say much over breakfast either and avoided eye contact with her as well.
He was preoccupied with a lot of things in his mind. He had broken the hold the Landgraabs had over his mind but he hadn't returned to his old self. He was now more anxious, letting all kinds of thoughts bother him...and at the moment he was wondering how did he end up living with a gorgeous strawberry blonde who was always so kind, so affectionate and understanding whereas he was a bumbling, uptight nerd who wasn't so good looking? Surely it was only a matter of time before someone better, smarter and more handsome would show up to whisk her away. He had noticed that men started showing up at their house trying to either sell them something or promote a cause...and it was always Barbara that they spoke with, never him. Babs was not quite 20 yet, she lived in a fashionable world that often went way over his head and the lure of more exciting adventures was surely just around the corner...
He had an adventure of his own this morning at work. He intended to discover more about the Landgraab's brainwashing programme and knew the exact place to look for evidence. Damn those two! They opened up his eyes to a whole world of darkness and malevolence and struck at his core being. Well, he'd show them but on the surface he had to act the loyal and dedicated employee whilst secretly he was committed to their downfall.
Meanwhile Barbara was busy with work concerns of her own. Business last week was brisk and so many of the mannequins needed dressing and the pace of change in the fashion world meant that she had to look at a vast swathe of fashion magazines, wholesalers and designers to make sure what she was selling was up to the minute. She pushed her concerns about Jeremy out of her mind for now as she counted down the seconds to opening time.
Her first customers didn't fill her with much joy either: A couple that kept on bickering about having to go shopping. She wanted him to look smarter, he was resentful he was giving up his spare time to go clothes shopping. As Barbara tried to help them find something suitable, the man wandered off gazing at nothing in particular whilst his girlfriend bad mouthed him.
"He's always like this when we have to do a 'must do' job. His one suit...ONE...is full of moth holes and is about 10 years out of style, he'll wear the same shirt for days on end AND he wears odd socks!" she explained, at length.
"Well, let's see if we can find something he'll really like..." said Barbara, diplomatically.
"I doubt it" said the man, glumly.
"There you go again, Tony: Moan, moan, moan, complain, complain, complain..."
"Maybe if you didn't make every little thing such a drudge I wouldn't have so much to complain about, Keira!"
...it dawned on Barbara that it was going to be one of those days.
Meanwhile, over at the Landgraab Corporation building, Jeremy decided to do some snooping around during his mid-morning coffee break. The room which contained the computer was the obvious destination: Action had said he'd seen something suspicious in there. Jeremy had only the very basic instruction on the machine, but he knew enough to start it up and try to find information on it. He was well known and senior enough to gain access to the computer room without raising an eyebrow so all he had to do was supress his nerves and go there as if he were perfectly entitled to.
There was a clipboard with the start-up checklist for the computer lying on a desk nearby and Jeremy picked it up and followed each step meticulously. Once the computer was up and running, he tried to find out whatever information about the brainwashing programme he could find. He began by requesting a copy of his own employment file, so he filled in the requisite punch card, inserted it into the computer and waited while it did its work.
The results came out on the printer next to the computer, so Jeremy's next task was to request a complete floor plan of the entire building, especially the downstairs basement area.
The time on the wall clock told him he had only minutes to go before one of the regular staff members assigned to the computer room returned from their coffee break. He found some files that looked promising and then filled in a punch card to get them printed off.
Meanwhile Barbara was trying to extricate herself from the bickering couple and she saw her chance when one of the young, fashionable set among the local high schoolers entered the shop. Barbara tried to remember the young lady's name as she had seen her in the shop before: She was a friend of regular patron Gillian Hills. Collette, Catherine? Ah, Collen! That was it!
Barbara was only able to greet the teenager before she was pestered by the arguing couple again. "I don't need a suit!" said the man.
"Yes you do!" said the woman"
"Don't!"
"Do!"
"Don't!"
"Do!"
And then they both went quiet; indignation written across their faces.
Back at the Landgraab Corporation Jeremy returned to his desk after lunch to discover a small, sealed envelope on it. It was unmarked so he opened it up not knowing what it was about or from whom. Inside was a neatly folded sheet of writing paper which contained a simple, if cryptic, message.
Your actions are being observed, watch your back.
I have information that you seek.
Meet me at the tree...you know the one. Tonight 7pm.
A friend.
Neil folded the letter, put it back in the envelope and quietly placed it in his inside jacket pocket. Things were taking a strange turn once again...
Meanwhile the squabbling couple, Tony and Keira, had managed to patch up their differences momentarily and he had agreed to try on a few smart suits in exchange for only having to buy one and it was going to be 100% his choice. Tony approached Barbara while his girlfriend was busy looking at all kinds of outfits.
"Listen, lady, I don't want you to waste any more time on me. What's the best suit you have and I'll say I like it to keep Madam over there quiet and then we can exchange cash for goods and I'll be out of your hair?"
"Sounds good...step right this way, Sir, I think I have exactly what you want..."
In less than five minutes Tony had emerged wearing a double-breasted grey plaid suit, cut in the mod style.
"Are you sure this is good?" he asked Barbara, dubiously.
"This is top of the range, with it and cut in the classic Saville Row style with mod stylings. Let's show your girlfriend"
Keira was, by now, sitting down on one of the shop's bench seats getting increasingly frustrated at how much of a fuss her boyfriend was kicking up. However, when he emerged from the changing room she was stunned by how he looked...and she wasn't the only one: Even Colleen, the teenage it-girl was impressed.
The couple were satisfied and wanted to buy the suit. Barbara rang up the sale on the till and then got straight back to work trying to deal with the other customers. Because she had taken up so much time with one client, she'd put the others on hold and now there was a backlog. First up was one customer she really wanted to please: Colleen...a good word from her and all her hip teenage friends would flock to the shop.
"Hello there, I'm Barbara and I own this shop...how can I help you?" asked Barbara.
"Wow, fab, the owner! Wow! I'm impressed at what you've got here...my friend Judy says this shop is where it's happening!" replied the extremely pretty, green eyed and raven haired girl. Barbara reckoned she would be fighting off the boys at school.
"Are you looking for something specific, like for a special occasion or just browsing?" said Barbara.
"Well, yeah...something a bit special. In fact, something I saw in the window" replied Colleen.
"Ah, would that be the blue floral dress with orange sleeves? The sky-blue chiffon cocktail dress or the black and white mod dress?"
"None of those...I want...that!" and Colleen indicated a black lace Basque and stocking set.
"Erm...that's something we keep in stock for our more...erm, 'mature' customers" said Barbara, who thought the lingerie set was far too sexy and provocative for a high schooler.
"I'm almost 18!" exclaimed Colleen "and I need something like that for a special occasion" she added, coyly.
She's got a date with a cute guy lined up, I bet. Thought Barbara. However, there was no age restriction on lingerie so Colleen's money was as good as anyone else's and the sale was made. A few customers, one in particular, thought it strange and suspicious that a young teenage girl was buying a racy set of underwear...
At nearly closing time Barbara was cheered to see Jeremy had stopped by instead of going straight home. He looked nervous and ill at ease about something and she became concerned for him. She announced to the remaining customers "I'm closing up shop in five minutes".
Then she turned her full attention to her boyfriend. "Jeremy, lovely to see you. You came by on your way home, sweet. Are you OK?"
He nodded. "Yeah, sorry about being tetchy earlier: I have a lot on my mind"
"That's OK, Cherie, but you know you can talk to me about these things?" Barbara replied.
Jeremy looked to the ceiling and then to the floor. He couldn't find the words to describe what was bothering him. "It's that..." he began, stumbling over his words. "Well, the other day at the party...and just now when I see you with the customers...you get on with people so well and there are all these cool, handsome guys around...and...I can tell they like you..."
"Jeremy, are you jealous?" she asked.
He didn't answer at once. He looked down at the floor again and kicked his shoe against the carpet. "Maybe..." he mumbled.
Barbara stroked his arm gently. "You shouldn't be...I love only you!" she said.
"It's that we don't spend as much time together anymore. At the party you were in one room and I was in another and you were dancing with that Burr DeBenning..."
"I hardly know Burr." she replied. "I was just being friendly to him as he is the one man in the world who's shyer than you! You know, I'm saving a dance for you...a very special one"
"That's kind but I'm too exhausted to go to a nightclub tonight" he replied.
Barbara looked at him and battered her eyelashes at him, in a flirtatious way. "I wasn't talking about actual dancing..." she said.
"Ohhhhh" said Jeremy, getting her point.
After shutting up the shop the two of them went home. As they arrived at the front door Jeremy checked his watch and saw it was nearly 7pm and time for his clandestine meeting with a mystery person.
"You go on in and I'll catch up with you soon...I'm just going for a brief walk around the block" he said to Barbara. She looked confused. "Don't worry, I'm just going to deal with something, but I'll be with you soon." he said, trying to reassure her.
Jeremy walked over to the tree and stood around, anxious as to who would show up. Soon a man in a large, grey-blue jacket and sporting a goatee beard showed up and approached him.
"You Saint?" he asked.
"I'm Jeremy Saint...and you?"
"Darrin Lew, I work at Landgraab's as well. So, I noticed you accessed the computer to retrieve some data that is strictly for upper management's eyes only!"
"How do you know that?"
"Computers, unlike rifling through filing cabinets, keep a track on who's looked at what. They're electronic stoolpigeons that way. When I checked the system after lunch, I noticed the discarded punch cards and had the machine run them again to see what was accessed."
"OK, what's your angle on this? If you thought it was a serious security breach then you'd have reported me already."
"True. But I want to know what your angle is on this as well. We could be working to the same end, or we could be working at cross purposes. Which is it?"
"I want information on what's in the basement" said Jeremy.
"Did you find it?" asked Darrin.
"I did...what do you know about it?"
"I know all about it" said the mysterious Darrin Lew. "And just to let you know, I don't like it either."
"That's reassuring to hear" said Jeremy. "So why do you want to meet me tonight, and by this tree? Do you know all about that as well?"
"I know some things about it...like how Nancy and Geoffrey are very protective towards it, hence their plan to buy up this whole neighbourhood."
"Once they've done that, what then?"
Darrin looked all around Foundry Cove before answering. "All this..." he said with a sweep of his arm "...will be the site of a massive research facility dedicated to the study of that tree"
Jeremy looked at the impressive but odd-looking tree. "Then they don't know what it is either" he mused.
"What does that mean?" asked Darrin. "I know it's important to them, but I'll be damned if I know why"
Jeremy snapped to his senses once more. "Mr Lew...what are your intentions?" he asked.
"Like you, I grow worried about the company I work for and the people who run it. I've seen things...dark things, things that shouldn't be. For months I've felt isolated, alone and looking over my shoulder but now I think I might have found an ally. What are your intentions?"
Jeremy drew a deep breath. "I want revenge for what the Landgraabs did to me: They brainwashed me into hating the people I care about, they've used me to push their lies!"
"Then I think we can work together, Mr Saint" said Darrin.
"Call me Jeremy"
Meanwhile Barbara was smartening herself up whilst waiting for Jeremy. She saw that he was talking to someone she didn't recognise but the conversation appeared genial enough so she didn't worry about it. Just so long as he didn't take up too much of their precious time spend talking to some random guy.
Poor Jeremy, she thought, jealous, nervous and insecure. She thought about all the rough stuff he'd been through recently, especially the brainwashing by the Landgraabs. She warned him not to work for them but his honour and decency overrode his judgement. Well, as a loving partner she saw it as her duty to help him feel valued and treasured.
Then Jeremy came indoors and made his way to the bedroom. "Sorry about that" he said, "that was a work colleague I had to talk to."
"Oh, did it go OK?" she asked.
"Oh yeah...fine. In fact, it was very productive. Interesting guy which I will tell you all about at another time. Now, you have my complete attention" he said.
"I'm glad about that. I'm so sorry you've been feeling down, darling, but you do know I love you and I would never do anything to hurt you. Phht! Burr can't hold a candle to you...no man can"
"I feel like a jackass" he said.
"Don't be so hard on yourself...come, let's sit down together on the bed and...see what happens"
