Hollow Words

L.A. Here we were. It wasn’t ALL it was cracked up to be. There was one of every type of person that lived in this town, good and bad. It had been a month since we got to L.A. We were stuck in a small two bedroom apartment and no money. We lived all the way across town and took a bus to the studio.

We had, in fact, been in the studio for the past three days and all we had SLIGHTLY recorded were three out of the twelve songs we were signed to do. Feelings in the studio and at home were very…odd.

“Keep your purse close to your side.” I whispered to Wendy. She nodded as we walked fast up a tiny hill to a studio.

“I don’t like this Jan…I really don’t.” She complained. And coming from our small town it is very understandable.

“Don’t make eye contact and you will be fine.” I leaned over once again and whispered into her ear as we passed a rather large group of homeless people. I pulled out my phone as it began to vibrate. “Hello?” I asked into the receiver.

“Where the HELL are you?!” Matt yelled into the phone. I sighed in relief as we walked up to the door.

“Right outside, now, press the little buzzy button.” He slammed his phone shut and the door buzzed.

“What took you guys so long?” Adam asked. He was sitting on a sofa in the tiny lobby while the rest of the guys must have been in the back.

“Wendy decided that we would be mugged at the Chevron, and as we all know, we don’t have the money for Starbucks; so we had to turn back.” I fell onto the couch, Wendy glaring at me.

“It isn’t MY fault that that old dude honked at us!” She yelled. It was true. There was an old man, he did honk, but not at us…but at the prostitute standing on the corner. I rolled my eyes and grabbed a magazine that lay on the tiny table.

“HEY! Look who’s on the front!” I said throwing Wendy the copy of AP. She squealed.

“PANIC! It’s PANIC!” She fondled the front page. “I would give my left kidney to meet them.”

“What about your right one?” Adam asked, trying to associate himself within the group.

“I like my right one…” Wendy said softly, looking down at the picture. “I named him Kenny… BUT LOOK! IT’S PANIC!” She jumped up and down.

“Very good Wendy…want a cookie?” I asked.

“No, No cookies. Recording. NOW.” Matt called over the intercom.

“YES GOD!” We yelled. Ever since we got INTO the studio…and were left alone for lunch, etc, He would have to rule over everyone as if he was God…and he did a damn good job of it.

We walked into the small back room to see Matt, Henry and Kent sitting in three black chairs.

“Ladies and…Adam…” Kent stood and faced us. “I have a question to ask you. Well…all of you.” He looked at Matt and Henry as he said this. “These to fellas and I have been talking and I have decided that, to get you out there, that you will be performing at the Friends or Enemies annual party.”

“What?” I said softly.

“YEA!” Wendy and Adam jumped up and down.

“Matt?...Henry?...Janis?” He looked at us.

“Well…YEA! We can’t turn that down!” Matt said. Henry and I nodded in agreement, to stunned for words.

“Alright then. It is this Saturday. Will you be ready?”

“Of course!” Wendy REALLY needed to stop answering for us.

“Good. Well, Brad should be back soon. Have fun!” Kent left and within seconds Brad, the sound tech, came back to deal with our jumping and celebrating.