The One Finger Salute

Soon after Steve-O and I returned from New York, I became a little mad at myself. I had spent all this time in my work, that I hadn't had the chance to really 'take in' the college experience. Isaiah was actually transferring down to Miami so that most of our group could be back together again, which was nice. I was laying down on my bedroom floor trying to figure out how I could become more social. I guess I could start by actually getting out of my apartment. I grabbed my skateboard and skated over to the closest coffee shop, and sat down with my book. After I got my coffee I noticed a community bulletin board. I walked over to it, just to try and see if anything interesting caught my eye. I quickly scanned the board, missing dogs? Nah. TV for sale. Psh, like I need any MORE TV. Lead Singer Needed. Ooh, I can sing. I quickly grabbed the number and sat down with my book. After I got back to my apartment I quickly called the number. "Hello?" A boy asked on the end of the line. "Hi, I was calling for... A John. I was wondering if you still need a lead singer." I said looking for a name and was relieved when I found one. "Oh! Yeah we do! Um, when can we meet?" He asked. "Well, I'm free all day today if your not busy." I said. "That's great actually, um can I get a name please?" John asked. "Oh, yeah it's Tay." I said. "Great Tay this is my address and I'll see you soon." He said. We hung up and I went around and cleaned the apartment.

"Oh Tay-O!" Steve-O called out as he walked in. "Oh Steve-O!" I mimicked. "Hey, some friends and I are going to a party tonight. You in?" He asked hopeful. When I was about to say no, I stopped myself. I had to become more social. "Yeah sure. I have to meet someone in fifteen minutes. Pick me up here at eight?" I asked. He seemed surprised, but shook it off and said,'' Yeah, See you at eight!" He said walking out of the front door. I laughed as he hit the door frame not paying attention. I got dressed in Jeans and a Nirvana band tee. I put on some eyeliner and mascara. I grabbed my skateboard and walked out the door. Skating to the address John gave me.

I knocked on the door of a house near campus. The door swung open and there stood a tall white kid with long skater type blond hair. "Hi, I'm John. You must be Tay?" He asked me. I shook his hand and said,''Yeah, Tay Parks." He lead me inside and sat down on the couch and offered me to do the same. "So, you can obviously sing right?" He asked me. "Yeah, I also play guitar and piano." I told him. "Great! You can sight read right?" He asked me. I nodded. "Great, here is some sheet music can you sing these lines?" He asked me. I nodded and looked down at the notes. "I'm not coming back. I've done something so terrible. I'm terrified to speak but you'd expect that from me. I'm mixed up, I'll be blunt. Now the rain is just washing you out of my hair. And out of my mind. Keeping an eye on the world. So many thousands of feet of the ground. I'm over you now I'm at home in the clouds, towering over your head." I sang. He clapped and then gave me a few more to sing. "Well, band practice starts tomorrow at eight. Do you have a job?" He asked me. I nodded. "Well, if you can give me a copy of you job and school schedule that would be great. You are a student here right?" He asked me. I laughed and nodded. I pulled out the two schedules and handed them to him. "Oh, and if you know any drummers. That would be awesome." He said leading me to the front door. "Actually I do. One of my friends his name is Isaiah. He can play the drums." I told him.

I made it back to the apartment where I just waited for Steve-O to pick me up. Five past eight there was a knock on the door. Steve-O stood there with another dude and Isaiah. I walked out and locked the apartment door. We walked over to Isaiah's crappy car and all got in. "So, Isaiah. Interested in joining a band?" I asked. "To Drum?" He said keeping his eye on the road. I had beaten Steve-O and his friend to the front seat and they were still pretty pissed. "Exactly." I said. "Um okay, but you have to be there. So you even a part of this band?" He asked me. "Yeah, lead singer." I said. "Tay! Yay! Finally your voice is gonna be heard!" Steve-O yelled from the back seat. I laughed as we pulled up to a house where the music was way to loud. Perfect. I turned to the guys, who were just standing there. "Come on!" I yelled as I grabbed Steve-O and his friends hand. We ran into the house and I started to socialize. I went around talking to people and getting numbers and all that crap. I finally felt like a normal college student.

-Fast Forward To Next Year-
So the band was going pretty strong. We named our selves The One Finger Salute. We were going pretty strong. I had grown close with all of them. Isaiah was one of my best friends and John coming in close second and playing rhythm guitar. Jonah, a Filipino who played lead guitar. Josh came in fourth but he was still really nice and he played bass.

Steve-O had moved to Arizona or New Mexico for the time being. He always called me weekly and when it got hard, he called me everyday. He said that he was going to be in clown college, and be a crazy stuntman. I didn't tell him it wasn't gonna work, he is Steve-O he can do anything he sets his mind to. "Tay-O! I miss you!" Steve-O whined through the phone. "I miss you too. You need to come back to Miami!" I said. "I will, maybe. But I'm nervous. What if they don't pick me?" He asked. "Steve-O, whether they pick you or not it doesn't matter. You are a great stunt man." I said.

I woke up the next morning with a call from Steve-O. "They didn't chose me, but a few cruise lines offered me a deal." He said. "Aw, well at least you got something. Hey I'm sorry to cut this short but I really have to get to class." I said. We said our goodbyes and I rushed to get ready and skated to class. Once again the teachers tried to tell me that I should stay and try to get my doctorates but I wasn't really interested.

-Fast Forward Another Year-
Steve-O had moved back from I think New Mexico and was working at the local flea market circus. It didn't pay well but it kept him fed. I was driving on my way over to his work. Yes, I said driving. All that money I worked for went to a used car. It wasn't crappy but it wasn't a sports car either. As I was driving I saw Steve-O's crappy car sitting in the parking lot of a pet store. He was sitting there trying to puke up something while some people where filming. I parked and ran out of the car. "Who let him do this?" I yelled. I know what he was trying to puke up. He had been talking about a gold fish trick for a week now, but never actually attempted it. I told him not to do it, but of course he just goes ahead and does it. "Um, I did?" A guy standing behind a camera man said walking towards me. "Why did you let him do this?" I asked but then he puked up the goldfish and started to carry it around like a trophy. "Tay-O! Did you see what I did?" He walked over and hugged me. "Yes I saw, I told you not too!" I said slapping him up the head. "Sorry, but my car broke down on the way to my place." Steve-O said showing me the fish. I turned back to the guy who let Steve-O do this. "And who are you?" I asked. "Jeff Tremaine." He said I stopped in my tracks. "Jeff Tremaine as in Big Brother Jeff Tremaine?" I asked. He nodded,''The very one." He said. "Tay Parks, sorry I over reacted, god I feel so stupid now. Steve-O was doing stunts for you huh?" I asked. He nodded. "Well, who is this?" Some guy said with a country accent, high water jeans and high top chucks walked over. "Johnny, Jeff, this is my best friend Tay. She is as about as crazy as I am." He said to them. "Tay, this is Johnny Knoxville some crazy dude from Tennessee. Then he turned to me. "Tay, how bad do you want that guitar your saving for?" He asked me. "I really want it. I has the perfect..." I started to say but Steve-O cut me off. "Yada Yada. If you, do the elephant poop stunt. I will give you my next paycheck. Which comes in Oh! Today! Do it!" He said. As being the stupid person I am, I agreed. Hell I was getting a lot less smarter these days. I let Steve-O teach me how to jump off the roof and into the pool. He taught me all these acrobatic stuff and a whole lot off other things required to do stunts. We all made it over to his house and he started to set up the poop. "So you are actually gonna do this?" Johnny asked me. "Yeah, why not?" I asked him. "Eh, just seems very nasty to me. You do stunts too?" He asked me. "Yeah, I mean I'm no Steve-O but I can do stunts." I told Johnny. So once it was set up I climbed up the ladder and flipped off into the poo. Then Steve-O did it. Then we drove to a place with a roof and a pool and I flipped off the roof and into the pool. We then left the pool and went to the skate park where me and Steve-O showed them the field goal and a bunch of other tricks. Once we got back to Steve-O's place, Jeff signed me a form. "This is a consent form, because all the footage we just shot was for a pilot. It's for a TV show called Jackass. It's basically stunts, gross things, and skateboarding." He said. "Oh, that's cool." I said. I hesitated for a bit when signing the form but then I did it. "We were wondering if you two wanted to become regulars. That is if the show takes off." Jeff asked. "I am in!" Steve-O yelled. I laughed at him. "I guess so. What's there to lose?" I ask. No one said anything. Oh Boy.