Mistakes Were Made
Jammin'
“You’re coming out?” I asked excitedly, running a hand through my hair, “When?” I took out the little notepad Michelle kept in the drawer of the table the phone sat on. Since finding out about Ginny and beginning recording this album, I’ve been finding it harder and harder to remember anything.
“Ginny’s Spring Break, about a week.” Claire said into the receiver, my face paled, they were getting the ball rolling pretty fast, so to speak, I voiced my concerns.
“So soon?”
“Don’t fuck us about Brian-”
“What do you mean, ‘fuck you about’? All I mean is it’s pretty quick-”
“And you said you wanted to get to know her, the opportunity came up at work and I figured this would work out in everyone’s favour. Look if you don’t want us out there, tell us now and I’ll make something up. I’d rather you told me now instead of Ginny getting hurt because her dad’s too busy or shell-shocked to care.”
“That’s unfair, Claire.”
“ Is it? I don’t think you realise how serious or important this all is. I’m letting my daughter get to know you, our daughter, Brian.”
“I’m sorry, I am. I’m just… really fucking nervous. I don’t know how to look after a sixteen year old girl.”
“Well, I’m going to be there the first couple of days, and after that, well, there’s always Val, or your girl. It’s not all that hard, you two have a lot in common.”
“Yeah, we’ll figure something out,” I reasoned, “Anyway, Claire, I’ll let you get back to making dinner, or whatever.”
“We’ll be seeing you soon.”
A thought hit me, “-Wait, Claire, Matt’s having a barbeque the day you get in. I’ll come get you at the airport, or something, we can hang out there.”
“We’ll see what Gin thinks. Anyway, I really have to go.” I said my goodbyes and hung up. I grabbed the beers I had originally came through for (which I almost forgot about completely due to the phone ringing, lucky I have to walk past to the fridge really) and went back down into the basement where we having our second jam-sesh since getting off tour.
It wasn’t going well.
We all had different ideas one how things should sound and what should go where. It got to the point today where we decided to forget new songs altogether and concentrate on playing old songs of ours or covering some of our favourite bands’ stuff. I handed out the beers, handing the last two to Val and Michelle, the only two of the five girlfriends present, and took a long swallow. I needed it.
“Who was on the phone, babe?” Michelle asked, moving my guitar so it was leaning against the couch I was sitting on and sat down beside me. She leant her head on my shoulder and brought the bottle to her lips.
“Oh, it was Claire.”
“What’d she say man?” Matt asked from his seat beside the computer, his head leaning against Val as she sat on his lap.
“They’re coming down.” I noticed Michelle shift slightly next to me, seeming to drink her beer faster.
“Awesome, when? I really need to see this kid to believe it.” Zacky said, earning a slight glare from Jimmy.
“Dude, this kid is like… like Gates’ girl alter-ego or something.” everyone laughed a little but I really couldn’t get my head around it. They’d be here, in about a week.
“Anyway dude, when they coming by?”
“About a week-” Michelle sat up straight and stared at me, eyes blazing slightly.
“They’re not staying here-”
“Claire never asked, I assume since they’re really only coming down for Claire’s job that they hooked her up somehow.”
“What does it matter to you anyway, Michelle? It doesn’t really concern-” Johnny stopped short when he saw my hands flailing trying to get him to shut up. Ginny was a touchy subject with Michelle.
When we’d gotten home everyone came to our house and we had the whole ‘Welcome Home’ party barbeque, and that’s when I told them, everyone. The guys knew of course, and Val, but the other girls had gone home by the time I’d found out and Michelle hadn’t even bothered to visit. When the words came out that I had a daughter, well let’s just say, if looks could kill the one Michelle was shooting me would have killed me thirty times over. She tried to cover it up saying I was drunk and didn’t know what I was on about. Truth be told, I’d had one beer, well… maybe two, I can’t be sure. And then Matt mentioned Claire and well, she threw a fit, dragged me into the kitchen and screamed at me in front of everyone. She went to her parents that night and stayed for a few days. Although I would never admit it, I was glad to have some peace to think it all through.
Michelle came home as pissed as when she left and I thought (and still am) to myself, “Is it really worth it?”
“Ginny’s Spring Break, about a week.” Claire said into the receiver, my face paled, they were getting the ball rolling pretty fast, so to speak, I voiced my concerns.
“So soon?”
“Don’t fuck us about Brian-”
“What do you mean, ‘fuck you about’? All I mean is it’s pretty quick-”
“And you said you wanted to get to know her, the opportunity came up at work and I figured this would work out in everyone’s favour. Look if you don’t want us out there, tell us now and I’ll make something up. I’d rather you told me now instead of Ginny getting hurt because her dad’s too busy or shell-shocked to care.”
“That’s unfair, Claire.”
“ Is it? I don’t think you realise how serious or important this all is. I’m letting my daughter get to know you, our daughter, Brian.”
“I’m sorry, I am. I’m just… really fucking nervous. I don’t know how to look after a sixteen year old girl.”
“Well, I’m going to be there the first couple of days, and after that, well, there’s always Val, or your girl. It’s not all that hard, you two have a lot in common.”
“Yeah, we’ll figure something out,” I reasoned, “Anyway, Claire, I’ll let you get back to making dinner, or whatever.”
“We’ll be seeing you soon.”
A thought hit me, “-Wait, Claire, Matt’s having a barbeque the day you get in. I’ll come get you at the airport, or something, we can hang out there.”
“We’ll see what Gin thinks. Anyway, I really have to go.” I said my goodbyes and hung up. I grabbed the beers I had originally came through for (which I almost forgot about completely due to the phone ringing, lucky I have to walk past to the fridge really) and went back down into the basement where we having our second jam-sesh since getting off tour.
It wasn’t going well.
We all had different ideas one how things should sound and what should go where. It got to the point today where we decided to forget new songs altogether and concentrate on playing old songs of ours or covering some of our favourite bands’ stuff. I handed out the beers, handing the last two to Val and Michelle, the only two of the five girlfriends present, and took a long swallow. I needed it.
“Who was on the phone, babe?” Michelle asked, moving my guitar so it was leaning against the couch I was sitting on and sat down beside me. She leant her head on my shoulder and brought the bottle to her lips.
“Oh, it was Claire.”
“What’d she say man?” Matt asked from his seat beside the computer, his head leaning against Val as she sat on his lap.
“They’re coming down.” I noticed Michelle shift slightly next to me, seeming to drink her beer faster.
“Awesome, when? I really need to see this kid to believe it.” Zacky said, earning a slight glare from Jimmy.
“Dude, this kid is like… like Gates’ girl alter-ego or something.” everyone laughed a little but I really couldn’t get my head around it. They’d be here, in about a week.
“Anyway dude, when they coming by?”
“About a week-” Michelle sat up straight and stared at me, eyes blazing slightly.
“They’re not staying here-”
“Claire never asked, I assume since they’re really only coming down for Claire’s job that they hooked her up somehow.”
“What does it matter to you anyway, Michelle? It doesn’t really concern-” Johnny stopped short when he saw my hands flailing trying to get him to shut up. Ginny was a touchy subject with Michelle.
When we’d gotten home everyone came to our house and we had the whole ‘Welcome Home’ party barbeque, and that’s when I told them, everyone. The guys knew of course, and Val, but the other girls had gone home by the time I’d found out and Michelle hadn’t even bothered to visit. When the words came out that I had a daughter, well let’s just say, if looks could kill the one Michelle was shooting me would have killed me thirty times over. She tried to cover it up saying I was drunk and didn’t know what I was on about. Truth be told, I’d had one beer, well… maybe two, I can’t be sure. And then Matt mentioned Claire and well, she threw a fit, dragged me into the kitchen and screamed at me in front of everyone. She went to her parents that night and stayed for a few days. Although I would never admit it, I was glad to have some peace to think it all through.
Michelle came home as pissed as when she left and I thought (and still am) to myself, “Is it really worth it?”