Another Goo Story
By: Rebekah Parham
-19-
"Zack called you this morning," Reagan said as we were eating breakfast.
Looking up from my plain toast and coffee, I said, "Oh really, What did he want?"
"He said he needs to talk to you. You're suppose to meet him at this restaurant," she said, holding out a piece of paper with a name and address written on it.
"Okay," I said and the subject was forgotten.
At 7:00 that night I stepped from the taxi and walked toward the front of the restaurant. I saw Zack wave to me from the bar as he came towards me. "Our table is ready," he said when he reached me.
We found our table. It was in the back, near a large window overlooking a pond with goldfish swimming in it. "To what do I own this dinner?" I asked.
"Lets order a drink first," he said motioning for the waiter to approach. "What would you like?"
"Whatever your having will be fine."
"Two vodka tonics with a squeeze of lime please"
"Yes sir. Will there be anything else?" the waiter asked.
"Not right now, thank you," with that the waiter turned and headed toward the bar.
"Zack, what is all this about?" I asked. "I know you never have time for personal dinners, so I'm guessing this is about business"
"Yes it is," he said. "Kayla, you know how much talent I think your boys have but..." he trailed off
"But what?"
"But the company thinks they are wasting their money on them."
"You can't be serious? They are working their asses off everyday for them." .
"I know they are, but the fact is, Kayla, they are not producing the amount of capital we originally thought they would,." Zack said.
"So what do that mean? Are you just going to drop them?" I asked fearful of what the answer might be.
"No"
"Then what?" I asked again.
"We are going to give them another shot. Let them go back into the studio and record another album," Zack said trying to explain that it wasn't all bad.
My spirits brightened at his answer, "Zack, you had me worried there for a minute. That's great, they can start recording after the first of the year."
His smile faded and he took a deep breath, "Not exactly. They want the guys to start recording next month."
"Next month, Zack, they can't possibly start recording next month. They are still touring and ..." I stopped when he held up his hand.
"Kayla, the rest of their tour has been canceled," he explained.
"You can't do that to them," I managed to get out.
"It's for the best, really. This way they can start over and do it quickly," Zack finished before the waiter returned with our drinks.
"Would you like to order now?" The waiter asked.
"Kayla?" Zack said handing me a menu.
"No, thank you, I'm lost my appetite," standing up and walking out of the restaurant.
"Kayla, Do be like this. Your guys aren't failures yet", Zack said as I was getting in the taxi.
Turning back around to glare at him I said, "Yet? They have not and will not fail, Zack. They are going to go back in that studio and make another record and you will see how talented and special those boys really are."
"I'm sorry, Kayla"
"You should be," was all I said getting into the awaiting taxi. What was I going to tell the boys. They were going to be heart broken, and I was already sick at just the thought of having to tell them. Why did this have to happen now?
-20-
I found everyone in the cafe' across from the motel we were staying at. Reagan was the first to realize that something was wrong. She didn't say anything in front of the guys but subtly got up and followed me to the bathroom.
"What's wrong?" Reagan asked as soon as we were alone.
"What makes you think something is wrong?"
"Because you look like at any second your going to burst into tears," she said handing me a napkin just in case that's what I decided to do.
"The guy's tour got canceled," I said finally.
"What? Why?"
"The same old reasons...money. They aren't doing as well as the record label had expected them to," quoting what Zack had said.
"But that's ridiculous. Do you know how talented those guys are?"
"Yes, Reagan, I know exactly how talented each one of them are," I snapped, taking my frustration out on her.
"Of course you do. I'm sorry..."
"No, I'm sorry. I'm not mad at you, and I shouldn't have taken it out on you."
"What are you going to tell the guys?" Reagan asked nervously.
Thinking for a moment, "I guess I can only tell them the truth," I said walking out of the bathroom.
"Did you get all of your business taken care of in there?" John asked as we sat down with them.
"Guys...." I started but was cut off by Robby.
"Why do girls feel the need to go to the bathroom in groups? If you saw a bunch of guys going to the bathroom together, you would think they were fags."
"Guys," I said more loudly drawing everyone's attention. "I need to tell you something."
"Well, we're listening," Robby said.
Swallowing hard I said, "I talked to Zack tonight. He thinks it would be better for you to stop the tour and go back into the studio and record another album."
"Kayla, that's great we have been dying to record some new stuff," George said enthusiastically.
John didn't look so happy when he said, "Why would he think this?"
"Well, you guys aren't really getting a whole lot of publicity playing at these small clubs."
"So if we do this next record, we won't have to tour clubs anymore?" John asked. Looking at my expression he said, "I didn't think so"
John stood up and tried to leave but I got in front of him. "Don't walk away, we aren't finished."
"Kayla, every musician knows what is going to happen when the record company cancels their tour. It's only a matter of time before they drop us all together," John said trying to step around me.
"Then prove them wrong. You guys can do this I know you can."
"But what you think doesn't matter, Kayla," John yelled at me.
"So what? Your just going to give up, walk away from everything you have worked so hard for?" I screamed. When John didn't say anything and Robby and George looked like they were in agreement with John I said, "Well, looks like I had you guys pictured all wrong. I thought you were made from tougher stuff than this."
George and Robby had stood up and were following John out the door. Grasping at my last straw I yelled after them, "Do you guys honestly want to live the rest of your life wondering how good you could have been or do you want to find out first hand?"
They stopped but didn't turn around. "If you spend the next three months recording and it does flop then what have you lost? Nothing, and at least you can say you gave it a shot, but if you don't..."
"We get the picture, Kayla," John said looking at Robby.
"I'll do what ever you want to do man," Robby said to John.
"It's up to you," George said.
John turned back to look at me. I was standing beside the table, my stomach doing summer salts waiting for his answer. "What do we have to lose right?"
-21-
Recording their second album the guys seemed to be in high spirits all the time. This was much different than the last time they were recording. It appeared that I saw them more now than I did when we were touring together. They were always at the apartment or we were at the studio with them. For three months they had been doing nothing but writing and recording. The new album was set for release at the first of the year. We all had such high hopes this time around. I knew that this was going to do it for them. They were finally going to break through and when they did I was going to be there to see it, or so I thought.
The phone rang at a quarter to two. Drowsily I picked up the receiver, "Hello"
"Kayla?" I immediately recognized my mom's voice.
"Hey mom what's up? Did I forget to mention there's a three hour time difference between South Carolina and California?" I asked, looking at the clock.
"Sorry about calling you so early but I thought you would want to know," she said with her voice cracking.
"Know what?" I said sitting up in my bed.
"Kayla, it your grandfather. He is in the hospital and it doesn't look good."
"What's wrong with him?" .
"Who's calling this early?" Reagan asked stumbling into my room.
Waving my hand at her to be quiet I listened to my mom's description of my grandfather's diagnosis. He had been a severe diabetic for years and the disease had finally taken its toll on him. I told her that I would call her back later and hung up the phone.
"Kayla?" Reagan said reminding me that she was in the room.
"It's my grandfather, he's dying," I said when I finally found my voice. Reagan came to sit beside me on the bed and we both cried until we didn't have anymore tears. She had become a part of my family over the years as I had in hers. She loved them just as much as I did.
I got up off the bed and went over to the closet. I reached for my suitcase and pulled it down. I started snatching things out of drawers and tossing them in the suitcase. "When are you going to leave?" Reagan asked
"Mom says there is a plane leaving from LAX at 7:00 in the morning. I guess that will give me enough time to pack," I said still throwing things around
"What are you going to do about the guys?" She wondered.
I had forgotten all about them. I sat down on the bed and looked at her. What was I going to do? I had no idea. I walked over to the phone and dialed Zack's number. I apologized for waking him up and the preceded to explain my situation. In less than twenty minutes he was knocking on our door.
"Thank you for coming in the middle of the night," I said hugging him.
"Hey, no problem"
Taking a seat on the couch he looked at me and asked, "Is there anything I can do?"
"Yes, I need for you to find the guys a manager," I said
"That won't be necessary. If you're only planning to be gone for a few weeks then they really won't need one."
"Zack, I don't know how long I'm going to be gone. I want them left in capable hands, someone who knows what they are doing. Those boys deserve every opportunity you can offer them and I want to make sure they get it," I said looking him in the eye.
"Kayla,..."
"Zack, just tell me that you will do this for me," I pleaded with him.
"Of course I'll do it. When do you need him to start?"
"Immediately"
I spent the rest of the morning and most of the day arranging my flight and packing. Reagan did her packing too. I told her their was no use in us both going, but she was insistent. I finally gave up and finished packing.
Reagan had volunteered to tell John, Robby and George but I said that I wanted to do it. I went to Robby's apartment first and found both him and George. John was still recording some vocals but they were suppose to meet up later at Breakdown, a local club where they sometimes played. I told Robby and George about my grandfather. They were both very sorry to hear I was leaving but they knew if it had been any of their family members they would be doing the same thing. I explained to them that Zack would be finding them a replacement manager while I was away. After many tears and hugs I told them that I loved them and left them to find John. As I walked from Robby's building into the night, I had a feeling he wasn't going to be as supportive.
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