Music Industry Blues
Chapter 1
“I am seriously sick,” Kennedy screamed, throwing Cd's into the air, “Of this woman! I am so sick of the radio! I’m disappointed in music in general! You can’t even call this music!”
Matt nervously glanced at other people, wondering what it would take for her to calm down. She was fine thirty seconds ago when they walked into the store, until that song came on. To make it worse, a girl was gushing about the song, but that wasn’t cute to Kennedy. That was what made her snap.
“Is it bad enough that I can’t watch Disney anymore without the Jonas Brothers wrecking my ears?” She exclaimed, finding their Cd's and flinging on the floor. Matt sighed, knowing that this breakdown was a longtime coming. Every time she flicked the radio on, her anger management skills would come into play, but this time she had enough. “Jesus! Then I turn on the radio. T-Pain! How many tracks is the man going to be on?”
“I don’t know, Ken,” Matt shrugged. Eying the pissed off manager and the crowd starting to form around them, he sheepishly suggested that they try another store. He knew it was only a matter of time before she started cussing. But it was too late. Kennedy was now on a roll.
“Shut up and drive? I want her to shut the hell up, and to just buy her boyfriend his own umbrella! Who the heck is Ella? And when is she going to get off the stage with her last bow, or whatever the stupid song is?” Now she was wringing her hands in the air, stomping on the CDs with all her might. A teenager in the crowd reached her hand out and grimaced. She was there for that particular CD, but all the copies were now being crushed by Kennedy’s sneaker-clad foot. “Then we got T-Pain. Boy, I thought I had issues!”
Matt sighed. “Baby, really.”
Kennedy kept going, unaware that the crowd behind her was full of disapproving parents and ticked off teenagers. “No, really, Matt. He’s in love with a stripper. It’s worse than Brian’s habit! He supplied that man with a theme song! Then we got to hear a three minute prelude to a bartender! He’s Lil’ Jon the Second! Always on everyone’s damn track, going on about apple bottom jeans! Enough,” she glared at the broken CDs, “is fucking enough!”
“Excuse me, miss?” the now-meek manager approached the two. Kennedy was about to go off, but Matt stepped forward, pulling her into his chest to calm her down. She didn’t need anger management again; the last time she pulled a girl’s weave out and the judge told her that she would spend time in jail the next time.
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to ask you to leave. You’re exhibiting language not suitable for this environment.”
Kennedy’s eyes narrowed- a look Matt knew all too well. Trying his hardest not to laugh, he quickly backed away.
“What the hell do you mean I’m ‘exhibiting language not suitable for this environment’? I’m not fucking cussing!” Turning to look at Matt, she placed her hands on her hips. “Babe, am I cussing?”
He wasn’t going to point out the truth. She was trying to make a point, and he would be damned before he wouldn’t be able to laugh. “No, you’re not.”
“See? I’m not cussing!”
“You destroyed property,” he squeaked. “You’re going to have to pay for that.”
“I’m not paying for this piece of shit! You ought to be sued for selling this crap, I mean, God! No wonder people have no fucking taste in music, they’re brainwashed by this-“
“Um, Ken.” Matt said eying the passing security guard. Kennedy waved her boyfriend off and continued her tirade, ignoring his voice. “Kennedy, it’s time to go.”
“You see me talking,” she hissed. Matt grinned, but still tried to steer her out of the crowd. Unfortunately, the guard was entering the aisle just then. Seeing him now, she started groaning. “Not again.”
---------------
“Disturbing the peace again, Carmichael?” Brian grinned as soon as they were released. Both Kennedy and Matt flicked Brian off, not to be amused. The cop in the jail left his radio on all night, and the song that kept playing just happened to be “Umbrella”. Matt was now convinced about Kennedy’s rant and no longer found it amusing. The two spent the whole night twitching and whining. As soon as they were told they were free to go, Kennedy asked the cop where he lived.
When they were riding in Brian’s prized Escalade, Brian started whistling a tune that sounded hauntingly familiar. When he turned the CD on, Matt started to groan.
“Not Boys Like Girls! Brian! Man, please, no.”
Kennedy groaned, reaching into her purse for her iPod. Something told her that this would not be pretty.
Matt nervously glanced at other people, wondering what it would take for her to calm down. She was fine thirty seconds ago when they walked into the store, until that song came on. To make it worse, a girl was gushing about the song, but that wasn’t cute to Kennedy. That was what made her snap.
“Is it bad enough that I can’t watch Disney anymore without the Jonas Brothers wrecking my ears?” She exclaimed, finding their Cd's and flinging on the floor. Matt sighed, knowing that this breakdown was a longtime coming. Every time she flicked the radio on, her anger management skills would come into play, but this time she had enough. “Jesus! Then I turn on the radio. T-Pain! How many tracks is the man going to be on?”
“I don’t know, Ken,” Matt shrugged. Eying the pissed off manager and the crowd starting to form around them, he sheepishly suggested that they try another store. He knew it was only a matter of time before she started cussing. But it was too late. Kennedy was now on a roll.
“Shut up and drive? I want her to shut the hell up, and to just buy her boyfriend his own umbrella! Who the heck is Ella? And when is she going to get off the stage with her last bow, or whatever the stupid song is?” Now she was wringing her hands in the air, stomping on the CDs with all her might. A teenager in the crowd reached her hand out and grimaced. She was there for that particular CD, but all the copies were now being crushed by Kennedy’s sneaker-clad foot. “Then we got T-Pain. Boy, I thought I had issues!”
Matt sighed. “Baby, really.”
Kennedy kept going, unaware that the crowd behind her was full of disapproving parents and ticked off teenagers. “No, really, Matt. He’s in love with a stripper. It’s worse than Brian’s habit! He supplied that man with a theme song! Then we got to hear a three minute prelude to a bartender! He’s Lil’ Jon the Second! Always on everyone’s damn track, going on about apple bottom jeans! Enough,” she glared at the broken CDs, “is fucking enough!”
“Excuse me, miss?” the now-meek manager approached the two. Kennedy was about to go off, but Matt stepped forward, pulling her into his chest to calm her down. She didn’t need anger management again; the last time she pulled a girl’s weave out and the judge told her that she would spend time in jail the next time.
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry, but we’re going to have to ask you to leave. You’re exhibiting language not suitable for this environment.”
Kennedy’s eyes narrowed- a look Matt knew all too well. Trying his hardest not to laugh, he quickly backed away.
“What the hell do you mean I’m ‘exhibiting language not suitable for this environment’? I’m not fucking cussing!” Turning to look at Matt, she placed her hands on her hips. “Babe, am I cussing?”
He wasn’t going to point out the truth. She was trying to make a point, and he would be damned before he wouldn’t be able to laugh. “No, you’re not.”
“See? I’m not cussing!”
“You destroyed property,” he squeaked. “You’re going to have to pay for that.”
“I’m not paying for this piece of shit! You ought to be sued for selling this crap, I mean, God! No wonder people have no fucking taste in music, they’re brainwashed by this-“
“Um, Ken.” Matt said eying the passing security guard. Kennedy waved her boyfriend off and continued her tirade, ignoring his voice. “Kennedy, it’s time to go.”
“You see me talking,” she hissed. Matt grinned, but still tried to steer her out of the crowd. Unfortunately, the guard was entering the aisle just then. Seeing him now, she started groaning. “Not again.”
---------------
“Disturbing the peace again, Carmichael?” Brian grinned as soon as they were released. Both Kennedy and Matt flicked Brian off, not to be amused. The cop in the jail left his radio on all night, and the song that kept playing just happened to be “Umbrella”. Matt was now convinced about Kennedy’s rant and no longer found it amusing. The two spent the whole night twitching and whining. As soon as they were told they were free to go, Kennedy asked the cop where he lived.
When they were riding in Brian’s prized Escalade, Brian started whistling a tune that sounded hauntingly familiar. When he turned the CD on, Matt started to groan.
“Not Boys Like Girls! Brian! Man, please, no.”
Kennedy groaned, reaching into her purse for her iPod. Something told her that this would not be pretty.