Another Goo Story
By: Rebekah Parham

-7-

I walked with Reagan into the club the guys were going to play at tonight. Being that it was a Friday night and the college was near by, crowds of college students had already begun to form around the bar. We made our way through, stopping every now and then to speak to someone we knew. Looking around the smoke infested room, I tried to see if Zack had shown up yet. I finally spotted him sitting at the far end of the bar. I told Reagan I would be right back and walked over to where he was. He stood up and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek when he saw me, "Late as usual I see," he said maneuvering us through the crowd to a table near the stage.

It is always fashionable to arrive late in this business or haven�t you noticed yet?" I said with a smile and a wink.

"I have noticed that your tardiness hasn�t held you back in anything" he said stand to pull out Reagan�s chair. "Reagan, it good to see you again. How are you classes going?" Zack asked.

Polite as always, "They're pretty much over now. I just had my last exam day before yesterday. So now only time will tell if I passed or failed," Reagan said shrugging her shoulders. "Too bad I don�t have my friend's knowledge of business matters. Those things just seemed to come like second nature to her." Reagan replied looking in my direction.

"Don�t be so hard on yourself, Reagan. You did so well this semester," I said in a sympathetic tone. I knew just how hard she had had to study to pass all of her classes.

Now the lights were beginning to dim and I heard Robby�s saying "Hi, We�re the Goo Goo Dolls."

The show was just as I had predicted, fantastic. The crowd loved them. Once again, Robby and John�s shenanigans on stage won over the crowd. They even had to sing some of there songs twice just to satisfy them. I could tell that Zack was impressed too. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Looks like you might have found yourself a few new stars."

"I really can�t take the credit for finding them, Artie did. And they are going to be big one day. I just know it," I said, taking pride in knowing of the success that they would one day have. Hoping I would be there to see it.

"And you are never wrong about these things. I wish I had your insight. It would make my job a whole lot less hectic," Zack said looking back at the boys walking off the stage.

When Zack tried to stand up I took him by the arm, "Are they going to get it?" I said.

Knowing I was implying a contract Zack just nodded his head saying, "Have I never not given any of your boys one; and these guys are by far the best you shown me."

I tuned back to look at Reagan who was already smiling at me. Taking my hand she said, "Looks like you have definitely found your calling in life."

"Oh Reagan, I knew from the moment that I went to work for Artie that this was in my blood. I don�t know what it is but I get some sort of weird high from it," I told her, sitting back down beside her. "Does that sound strange?"

She looked me right in the eye, "No, it�s not strange. I just means that you love your job, and it doesn�t hurt that you can kick some ass at it too."

We were both laughing when Zack, John, Robby and George came to sit at our table. All of them had smiles on their face but none as bright as Robby�s. "Looks like you boys may have just won the lottery or something," I said after everyone had sat down.

Almost ready to burst Robby said, "Or maybe we just got something even better."

The rest of the night Zack tried to tell the boys what they could expect from Mental Boys Records. They were a small recording company but knew how to make musicians into stars. They would go on tour in small clubs for a few months but first he wanted them to put together an album. Zack said he would fly them out to LA in a few weeks to get things started. We all stayed until the last of the die hard clubers had gone and decided it was time for us to leave also. I said my good-byes to Zack and thanked him once again for coming. After his rental car had pulled out of the parking lot I turned and walked over to everyone else.

When I got to where they were standing I heard George say, "Man, I�m too excited to sleep. There has got to be some place we can go and celebrate."

Robby was in total agreement, "Yeah, lets go bowling. Hey you two want to go with us. We are going bowling."

Reagan decided that she had better go on back to the apartment and get some sleep. She had to go to work the next morning to a job that did allow her to make her own hours. The rest of us piled in the car and headed down Broadway. We pulled up in front of the all night bowling ally and got out. When we walked in I noticed that there were only three other lanes busy. We chose one of the far lanes at the opposite end from everyone. We decided to split into teams. John and Robby were a team, and George and I were a team. The team that lost had to buy the drinks. After the fourth game, when both teams had lost two and won two we decided to call it quits.

On our way home I asked the boys if they had been writing any new material. John said over his shoulder, "I�ve been working on a couple of things but nothings definite yet. We need to jam together for a while to see if the songs are going to be any good or not."

"That�s good. You guys can work on your new material for the next week or so before we head out to California," I said yawning. Robby pulled up in front of mine and Reagan�s apartment building and I got out telling them I would call them later in the week after I had talked to Zack again.

-8-

I slept late Sunday morning on account that I had been out until nearly 4:00 am on Saturday. I called Artie, and we agreed to meet for lunch at a local deli. Once we had both ordered I started my usual running off at the mouth, which he had become quit use to. I told him about how well the guys had performed Friday night, and that Zack had agreed with me that they had a lot of potential. Artie, as always, was very happy for both me and the guys.

I knew the next few days weren�t going to be very exciting. Zack had called earlier to say that he was leaving for Dallas and he would call me in a few days. John, Robby and George were working on some new songs, and Reagan was working and getting ready for graduation. So that pretty much left me with a lot of time on my hands. I told Artie that I would be happy to set up a few gigs for some of the other clients. Artie was more than will to keep me busy until it was time for me to leave.

In the next two days I had set up six different gigs for a band called The Domino and agreed to go watch Cosmic Echoes play on Thursday night. Reagan and I were both friends with the keyboardist. We were fixing to walk out the door when the telephone rang. I answered the phone recognizing Zack�s voice. We talked briefly because he was getting ready to board a plane back to LA. He wanted to call and tell me what he had worked out for the Goo Goo Dolls.

"Did you get some bad news?" Reagan asked as we were walking in the club.

"Why do you ask?" I said.

"Because you didn�t say one word to me during the 15 minute drive here, it may very well be a record for you," Reagan teased. "Couldn�t help noticing that your silence started after you talked to Zack. Did the guys deal fall through or something?"

Jerking around to look at her "Oh lord no, nothing like that!" I said a little to forcefully.

Reagan�s eyes were becoming wide as she was beginning to see how worked up I was getting over this. "Ok if not that, then what? And don�t you tell me nothing. I am your best friend remember, so I won�t buy that crap."

Letting out a deep breath and slumping down even more in my chair I said, "Zack thinks it would be best if the guys would drive out to LA."

"So, what the big deal with that? It�s only a 3 day drive," Reagan said.

Raising my voice an octave higher I said, "The big deal is that it won�t be just a three day drive, it�s going to take two months."

"What are you talking about? Why would it take two months?" Reagan asked.

"He wants them to play in as many clubs along the way as possible." Seeing that Reagan was still not getting what my point was I continued, "He wants to make sure that the guys have what it takes to be musicians. The only money that they will get is the money they earn playing in the clubs. He is, however, going to rent them a van to travel in."

"Why?" Reagan asked still not understanding.

"The record label is tired of spending money on all these up and coming bands and then the band giving up when the going gets rough. Zack said he was going to sendl me a list of the clubs and their owners that he thought they should play," I said eating a few of the nuts that were sitting on the table.

I thought Reagan was going to jump across the table when she leaned over and grabbed my arm, "You mean you will be going with them?!" she asked disbelieving.

Think that she was implying that I was too spoiled to make it on the road I said, "I can do it Reagan! I am not made of glass and I won�t brake. Look at everything we have had to put up with since we moved to Buffalo."

"Kayla, there is no doubt in my mind that you can�t do this. I know better than anyone just exactly what you are capable of doing," Reagan said. "The problem that I foresee has to do with you and John in a small van together for the next 60 days."

"Oh that. I don�t think that will be a problem. We have gone the past 5 days without fighting," I said nonchalantly.

Leaning further over the table to look more closely at me she said in a sarcastic voice, "Could the reason be, that you haven�t seen John in the past 5 days, Kayla?" Standing up, Reagan pulled me out of the club so she could talk about this without disturbing the show that had just started.

As soon as we were outside she started in on me again. "I know you too well, Kayla. As soon as you and John are crammed together in that small, confined space, you are both going to go for the others jugulars."

"Reagan, you make it sound as if we hate each other. We don�t" I told her thinking that she was blowing this out of proportion.

"Ok, I�ll give you that much, you two don�t hate each other. You just want to see who can out do the other one. And let me tell you Kayla, I have seen you two together before. I think that you might have finally found someone that can match wits with you." Reagan was now looking over my left shoulder. I turned to see who she was starring, and it was none other than the topic of our conversation along with Robby and George.

-9-

Reagan had now moved closer so that the fast approaching bodies didn�t overhear her when she whispered, "You think your going to get through two months without fighting, lets just see if you can get through the next fifteen minutes." Reagan then turned and greeted Robby, George, and John.

"Hey girls. What are you two doing here?" Robby asked giving both me and Reagan a hug.

"We just came to see our friend�s band play," I said returning Robby�s hug.

Pulling a cigarette out of his pocket and lighting it John said, "Then what the hell are you standing outside for?"

Not daring to look over at Reagan and fighting back my temper I said, "We were actually talking about you guys. I heard from Zack today." Swallowing hard I continued, "He seems to think that it would be beneficial to your career if you would do a small tour before going into the studio."

Stepping more closely to me John said, "How small?"

"Only two months," I replied. "This will get your name out there. It will allow people, other than in Buffalo, to see who you are." Hoping the change the subject "Have you finished any of the new songs you were working on?" I said taking a step back so that I didn�t feel so smothered.

I should have known that John wasn�t about to let me get away that easily. "No, I am not finished talking about how you screwed up," John said walking directly in my path.

I was about to let him have it when Reagan gave an oh-so-sutble cough, reminding me of what she had said earlier. "John, I didn�t screw up. The record company just wants to make sure that they are going to get a return profit from you guys. This really isn�t my fault," I said in an ever so sweet tone of voice.

"You�re incredible. First you come in and turn our entire career upside down; and then you have the audacity to say that it�s not your fault. She tell me sweetheart who the hell else�s fault could it possibly be," John shouted in my face.

That was it, I had had it, a person could only take so much. Not going to let him intimidate me, I placed both hands on his chest and pushed as hard as I could. He only stumbled back a few feet but by the time he had regained his footing I was as close to him as he had been to me only moments before. "Listen here," I said poking my finger into his chest, "you are a selfish, overbearing, pig headed, pain in the ass..."

Pushing my hand away from its continual poking he said, "As long as we are airing out the dirty laundry let see about yours. You are a spoiled, simple minded, nieve, small...."

Cutting him off before he called me �small town� again I shouted right back, "Don�t you dare say it! Don�t call me small town. And you think I�m spoiled, what about you," I yelled just as loud, looking him up and down. "You think that you are God�s gift! That a recording contract should just fall into your lap. Well let me tell you something, I have been in this business for a couple of years now and there a plenty of people with your talent that are still praying for the opportunity that you are getting. But you are too much of an ass to see that." Once again pushing him away from me I said, "And stop trying to intimidate me. In case you haven�t notice it doesn�t work."

People had begun to come out of the club to see what all the shouting was about. Reagan and Robby were now pulling me and John to opposite the sides of the parking lot. Still fuming about the nerve of that man "Can you believe him?" I said to Reagan once we were away from everyone else.

"Yeah, you really did a good job of controlling your temper around him" Reagan said sarcastically.

"I am in no mood for your shit right now, Reagan. In case you missed it I got enough of it from that dumb ass over there," I told her trying to calm down. I could feel my pulse pounding in my temples.

After I had calmed down George walked over to where we standing. "Kayla, I want to apologize about John. The way he went off I mean. He is usually not like that. It�s just that deep down he is insecure."

Looking up at George, and feeling my temper start to rise again at just the mention of his name I said, "Well that maybe true, but up front he�s an ass hole."

"Kayla, George isn�t the one your angry with, so don�t take it out on him," Reagan reminded me in a soft but firm, motherly voice.

"No, it�s all right," George was saying.

"No, it�s not, and Reagan is right. Just because John is an ass doesn�t mean that you are. I mean, you and Robby have both been super nice to me. I am just sorry that I won�t be able to be there to see you guys really make it big," I said reaching out to touch George�s arm.

I hadn�t heard John and Robby walk up behind us but my back immediately stiffened when I heard his voice. "You going to turn and run home to mommy now that you have screwed us over," I heard John growl.

Determined not to let him see me retreat under fire I spun around looked him directly in the eye and said in my sweetest voice, "I wouldn�t dream of it. You guys are stuck with me now whether you like it or not." On that I whirled around sending my long blonde hair to slap John across the face. I strutted back into the club with a huge smile on my face, knowing I had won that round.

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