Sequel: The Federation ›
Legion Of Rockstars
Induction Ceremony
“Damn, girl, you look like a million bucks,” Amy commented as she stepped into the bathroom where I stood caking the eyeliner on as usual. She’d curled her hair into shimmering ringlets that poured down her back and over her shoulders. Smoky makeup surrounded her eyes, and she wore scarlet lipstick on her lips for a splash of color. I personally thought she looked gorgeous, and cringed inwardly at all the hard work she must’ve drudged through to look that good.
“I better,” I said with a smile, finishing up my eyeliner and leaning away from the mirror. I applied a little bit of lip gloss to my lips before checking myself in the mirror and brushing past Amy to put my shoes on. “That’s what this outfit cost me. You look like two million bucks, though.”
“Thank you,” Amy replied, smoothing down the front of her dress. “But you better hurry. We don’t want you to be late.”
I pulled my shoes on and together we walked out of my room. We hurried towards the nearest elevator, stepping in swiftly moments before the doors slid shut. Amy frowned at her reflection on the polished silver door before pushing her palm against a hair trying to be unique by sticking up from all the rest.
“You real sturdy in those heels, Asher? Every year, a girl trips because of her damn shoes.”
I looked around to see Brian, Matt, and Jimmy standing behind me, all three of them grinning. Matt’s eyes kept straying to Amy, who’d stooped slightly to look closer at her reflection so that her ass stuck out.
“Hey, Matt, stop checking Amy out when she’s worried about her hair,” I said loudly. Amy squeaked and straightened up, running her hand subconsciously down her ass to make sure her skirt hadn’t ridden up while she’d stooped. Matt blushed and pivoted his body away from us, staring fixedly up into the corner of the elevator and crossing his arms tightly across his chest. “Actually, yes, Brian, I am very sturdy in these heels. I’ve jumped around on stage before in four-inch heels for an hour straight. I think I’m okay with these.”
“Just making sure,” Brian said as the elevator door slid open. Amy led the way out of the elevator into a very crowded, very small hallway decked out completely in marble. Two sets of double doors on each end of the hallway led into the large ballroom where the occasional dance and Induction Ceremonies were held. Amy grabbed my arm and pulled me up beside her as we blended into the crowd making their way into the ballroom.
“Was Matt really checking me out?” Amy muttered out of the corner of her mouth. I could barely hear her above the chatter of hundreds of other rockstars.
“Yeah,” I answered with a wink. “He totally was, and I could tell he was liking the view.”
“Well, I’ve just had the biggest crush on him for a really long time,” Amy admitted, still talking rather quietly. “But I guess him checking my ass out is nothing to go on...”
“Maybe he’ll dance with you tonight,” I said with a shrug as we emerged into the enormous ballroom. Amy smiled happily at the idea before nodding her head towards the front of the rows and rows of chairs.
“All the trainees sit in the first four or five rows. Good luck,” Amy told me. She gave me a quick hug and I continued walking on the strip of carpet laid down between the two columns of chairs set out in front of the huge stage. On the right side of the aisle, three rows from the front, sat Matt Tuck and his band mates. Matt and I had become good friends over our two months of training, so I decided to sit down next to him.
“They should give you an A+ just for that one roundhouse kick,” Matt said with a smile. He cleaned up real nice. Come to think of it, most of the guys here did. None of them wore tuxedos, but they wore nice dress shirts and such. I smiled back at him, reddening slightly in embarrassment as I, too, remembered the day I’d kicked him in the face.
“I’m still really sorry about that,” I told him, entwining my fingers in my lap and looking around at all the other trainees grabbing seats all around us.
“Don’t be,” Matt replied, patting my knee consolingly. “The instructor was being a total ass to you that day. I understand that you would be frustrated with him.”
“Everyone, please find yourself a seat,” Joan’s voice blasted from the stage, and a slight scuffle ensued as everyone who wasn’t seated hurried to find a seat, like a strange game of Musical Chairs without music. She looked gorgeous as usual in an elegant black dress, standing behind the microphone stand. Behind her and to the right stood Ozzy wearing a black dress shirt and pants underneath a black trench coat. A table laden with badges and pagers sat behind him.
“Welcome to the 2009 Induction Ceremony,” Joan continued with a warm smile that encompassed the entire Legion. “I want to say hello to my recent agents, and also to the fabulous trainees who will become agents this evening. It’s such an honor to be surrounded by all the talented young rockstars of yesterday and today.
“This evening, after two months of hard, difficult training, after two long months of learning the odds and ends of this place, after two long months of Powerpoint presentations and classroom work that feels like you’re back in high school, the fresh, new trainees will become official agents of the Legion Of Rockstars. They will receive their badge and pager, which will alert them of any new missions I have assigned them to. Tonight is as much of a milestone in their lives as their first record deal, their first album, their first concert, or their first attack by crazy fans. All of the trainees here tonight deserve to join the Legion, and I know that they’ll make fine additions to this organization.
“As most of you well know, I am much too lazy to say all the names of the trainees, so I drag in some other famous rockstar to do it for me,” Joan continued, earning a few knowing chuckles from the crowd. “So, everyone please give a warm welcome to the one, the only, the magnificent Steven Tyler!”
She backed away from the microphone clapping her hands along with the crowd as my father, who I’d missed dearly over the past two months, stepped up onto the stage, waving towards the crowd and looking spiffy in his dress shirt. He stepped up to the microphone and opened his mouth to say something, but stopped abruptly. He took half a step back from the stand and blinked at the microphone. Then, he smiled and pulled a few scarves out of his pocket. He quickly tied them onto the stand before starting his speech.
“Hey,” Dad greeted with a small wave. “Well, looks like we’ve got an eager bunch of trainees this year.” He bounced up on his toes, smiling warmly down at the trainees. He slipped his hands casually into his pockets; our eyes met for a second, and he smiled larger for half a second before his gaze left mine and skated across the crowd. “I remember my Induction Ceremony. Being a trainee is sort of like being a freshman in high school. You don’t know where the hell you’re going, the seniors are all giving you dirty looks, and everyone seems so much taller than you. At my Induction Ceremony, I felt equal amounts of anxiety and excitement about becoming an official agent. It felt like graduation all over again, except I think I was a little stoned for graduation and the details are real foggy...
“But I had a great time as an agent. It’s such an amazing opportunity for all of you to participate in, and it teaches you so many life lessons about loyalty, friendship, teamwork, hard work, and determination. And then along came the beautiful pink bundle named Asher, and I’d found my new addiction. I quit the Legion when my daughter came along, but it wasn’t begrudgingly or because the wife forced me to. I volunteered to quit the Legion because I wanted Asher to have the best childhood possible, and I needed to be there to spend everyday with her. And I don’t know what you guys think, but I figure she turned out pretty spiffy.” Dad winked at me. “I guess what I’m trying to say is for all the new trainees to just give every mission your all. You won’t regret a moment of being a Legion agent, and it’ll teach you so many things that you’ll feel wiser after every mission. It’ll make you a better person, and I think everyone can afford to be better. This is such a fabulous opportunity. Don’t waste it.”
Dad turned towards Joan, stepping back from the microphone. Joan hurried up for a second to tell us what to do.
“Okay, once Steven calls your name, step carefully up onto the stage. Ozzy and I will give you your official LOR badge and pager, and you will become an official agent,” Joan explained. She nodded at Dad, and he resumed his spot behind the microphone before starting to state off names.
“I better,” I said with a smile, finishing up my eyeliner and leaning away from the mirror. I applied a little bit of lip gloss to my lips before checking myself in the mirror and brushing past Amy to put my shoes on. “That’s what this outfit cost me. You look like two million bucks, though.”
“Thank you,” Amy replied, smoothing down the front of her dress. “But you better hurry. We don’t want you to be late.”
I pulled my shoes on and together we walked out of my room. We hurried towards the nearest elevator, stepping in swiftly moments before the doors slid shut. Amy frowned at her reflection on the polished silver door before pushing her palm against a hair trying to be unique by sticking up from all the rest.
“You real sturdy in those heels, Asher? Every year, a girl trips because of her damn shoes.”
I looked around to see Brian, Matt, and Jimmy standing behind me, all three of them grinning. Matt’s eyes kept straying to Amy, who’d stooped slightly to look closer at her reflection so that her ass stuck out.
“Hey, Matt, stop checking Amy out when she’s worried about her hair,” I said loudly. Amy squeaked and straightened up, running her hand subconsciously down her ass to make sure her skirt hadn’t ridden up while she’d stooped. Matt blushed and pivoted his body away from us, staring fixedly up into the corner of the elevator and crossing his arms tightly across his chest. “Actually, yes, Brian, I am very sturdy in these heels. I’ve jumped around on stage before in four-inch heels for an hour straight. I think I’m okay with these.”
“Just making sure,” Brian said as the elevator door slid open. Amy led the way out of the elevator into a very crowded, very small hallway decked out completely in marble. Two sets of double doors on each end of the hallway led into the large ballroom where the occasional dance and Induction Ceremonies were held. Amy grabbed my arm and pulled me up beside her as we blended into the crowd making their way into the ballroom.
“Was Matt really checking me out?” Amy muttered out of the corner of her mouth. I could barely hear her above the chatter of hundreds of other rockstars.
“Yeah,” I answered with a wink. “He totally was, and I could tell he was liking the view.”
“Well, I’ve just had the biggest crush on him for a really long time,” Amy admitted, still talking rather quietly. “But I guess him checking my ass out is nothing to go on...”
“Maybe he’ll dance with you tonight,” I said with a shrug as we emerged into the enormous ballroom. Amy smiled happily at the idea before nodding her head towards the front of the rows and rows of chairs.
“All the trainees sit in the first four or five rows. Good luck,” Amy told me. She gave me a quick hug and I continued walking on the strip of carpet laid down between the two columns of chairs set out in front of the huge stage. On the right side of the aisle, three rows from the front, sat Matt Tuck and his band mates. Matt and I had become good friends over our two months of training, so I decided to sit down next to him.
“They should give you an A+ just for that one roundhouse kick,” Matt said with a smile. He cleaned up real nice. Come to think of it, most of the guys here did. None of them wore tuxedos, but they wore nice dress shirts and such. I smiled back at him, reddening slightly in embarrassment as I, too, remembered the day I’d kicked him in the face.
“I’m still really sorry about that,” I told him, entwining my fingers in my lap and looking around at all the other trainees grabbing seats all around us.
“Don’t be,” Matt replied, patting my knee consolingly. “The instructor was being a total ass to you that day. I understand that you would be frustrated with him.”
“Everyone, please find yourself a seat,” Joan’s voice blasted from the stage, and a slight scuffle ensued as everyone who wasn’t seated hurried to find a seat, like a strange game of Musical Chairs without music. She looked gorgeous as usual in an elegant black dress, standing behind the microphone stand. Behind her and to the right stood Ozzy wearing a black dress shirt and pants underneath a black trench coat. A table laden with badges and pagers sat behind him.
“Welcome to the 2009 Induction Ceremony,” Joan continued with a warm smile that encompassed the entire Legion. “I want to say hello to my recent agents, and also to the fabulous trainees who will become agents this evening. It’s such an honor to be surrounded by all the talented young rockstars of yesterday and today.
“This evening, after two months of hard, difficult training, after two long months of learning the odds and ends of this place, after two long months of Powerpoint presentations and classroom work that feels like you’re back in high school, the fresh, new trainees will become official agents of the Legion Of Rockstars. They will receive their badge and pager, which will alert them of any new missions I have assigned them to. Tonight is as much of a milestone in their lives as their first record deal, their first album, their first concert, or their first attack by crazy fans. All of the trainees here tonight deserve to join the Legion, and I know that they’ll make fine additions to this organization.
“As most of you well know, I am much too lazy to say all the names of the trainees, so I drag in some other famous rockstar to do it for me,” Joan continued, earning a few knowing chuckles from the crowd. “So, everyone please give a warm welcome to the one, the only, the magnificent Steven Tyler!”
She backed away from the microphone clapping her hands along with the crowd as my father, who I’d missed dearly over the past two months, stepped up onto the stage, waving towards the crowd and looking spiffy in his dress shirt. He stepped up to the microphone and opened his mouth to say something, but stopped abruptly. He took half a step back from the stand and blinked at the microphone. Then, he smiled and pulled a few scarves out of his pocket. He quickly tied them onto the stand before starting his speech.
“Hey,” Dad greeted with a small wave. “Well, looks like we’ve got an eager bunch of trainees this year.” He bounced up on his toes, smiling warmly down at the trainees. He slipped his hands casually into his pockets; our eyes met for a second, and he smiled larger for half a second before his gaze left mine and skated across the crowd. “I remember my Induction Ceremony. Being a trainee is sort of like being a freshman in high school. You don’t know where the hell you’re going, the seniors are all giving you dirty looks, and everyone seems so much taller than you. At my Induction Ceremony, I felt equal amounts of anxiety and excitement about becoming an official agent. It felt like graduation all over again, except I think I was a little stoned for graduation and the details are real foggy...
“But I had a great time as an agent. It’s such an amazing opportunity for all of you to participate in, and it teaches you so many life lessons about loyalty, friendship, teamwork, hard work, and determination. And then along came the beautiful pink bundle named Asher, and I’d found my new addiction. I quit the Legion when my daughter came along, but it wasn’t begrudgingly or because the wife forced me to. I volunteered to quit the Legion because I wanted Asher to have the best childhood possible, and I needed to be there to spend everyday with her. And I don’t know what you guys think, but I figure she turned out pretty spiffy.” Dad winked at me. “I guess what I’m trying to say is for all the new trainees to just give every mission your all. You won’t regret a moment of being a Legion agent, and it’ll teach you so many things that you’ll feel wiser after every mission. It’ll make you a better person, and I think everyone can afford to be better. This is such a fabulous opportunity. Don’t waste it.”
Dad turned towards Joan, stepping back from the microphone. Joan hurried up for a second to tell us what to do.
“Okay, once Steven calls your name, step carefully up onto the stage. Ozzy and I will give you your official LOR badge and pager, and you will become an official agent,” Joan explained. She nodded at Dad, and he resumed his spot behind the microphone before starting to state off names.