1975

The next afternoon we were doing a lot of shopping. Kim said as the frontwoman I had to wear clothes that made me stand out to the crowd. "Have you seen Freddie Mercury for god's sake, he has more fashion sense than you." I rolled my eyes getting used to the constant insults by this man.

Harry sat down bored out of his mind as I looked through the sections of clothes. I was more comfortable in a t-shirt or a nice pair of pants, rather than the skimpy little outfits Kim kept throwing at me.

I felt rushed and had to try some of the items on in outfits not just pieces. I walked over and sat with Harry when Kim walked out to use a payphone and make a call. I sat on Harry's lap pouting to catch his attention. "Can't you take him out of here and let me do what I need to do, you look miserable."

"I am miserable baby, but daddy wants to see your pretty outfits." I rolled my eyes knowing he just wanted to see me naked in the dressing room.

"Please get him out of here, I can't hear another one of his backhanded compliments." He nodded kissing my neck before I got up and went to look some more.

There were a few girls at the clothing shop all looking at Harry, clearly noticing me but ignoring my presence completely. It didn't bother me, mostly because once they saw the ring on his finger, the gold band I drunkenly placed on his finger a few days before, they realized they might not have a chance.

Twenty minutes passed, sorting through jackets and hideous fur coats when the bell to the store rang. Catching my attention was a black haired girl I recognized as Joan. She gave me a smile and called over another girl who seemed a bit annoyed. "Blondie, how's it going- Lita this is the leader of that band we listened to."

Lita's frown dropped and was replaced with a half smile. "Oh shit no way, rip her to shreds was fucking bitchin." My eyes widened.

"Thanks, I- I wrote it." A look of respect came over her features as Joan looked around at all the clothes.

"So Kim told us to come down and help you look like a 'more fashionable bitch' I guess." She made air quotes with her hands. "You would look so cool in a pair of leather pants." I looked down at myself and sighed.

"I've never worn any, aren't they warm?"

"Totally-"

"Extremely-" both the girls said at the same time. "But they make your ass look great." I looked down and shrugged telling them to help me.

Joan and Lita cursed a lot and although I picked up a nasty habit from the band, it was worse. They took me to some shop where I found a pair of leather pants and a black shirt. "See now you look like a rockstar."

I played with the ring on my hand and nodded telling her I was going to get the pants. "Nice ring." She lifted it up to her face and raised an eyebrow. "You married?"

"Yeah?" I said a bit shy. Besides the guys and obviously Robert Plant, she was the only one to know.

"Aren't you like nineteen?" I nodded again feeling her judgment. "Sorry I don't have a filter but that must be a lot to handle, I don't think I would ever get married it's bullshit." I looked at myself in the mirror where she sat behind me as I checked myself out one last time, going back to the dressing room.

I began thinking about my mother, all she wanted was for me to grow up and find a rich husband. I told myself I wouldn't get married and because I finally found a boyfriend I let him propose to me, at a strip club? Anger began to boil at the thought of our drunken mistakes being more permanent. I shook my head needing to talk to Harry at that moment.

"Joan, where did Kim and the guys go?"

"I think they went to a bar nearby?" I nodded taking off the pants and walking out of the dressing room. I told her I wasn't feeling well and she understood walking with Lita and me to the bar.

Inside Harry and the guys, all drank and watched a pool game. Harry was up just as I walked in.

He noticed me right away, smiling his way over to grab my ass. What is it with men having to show that a woman belongs to them, I belong to myself. "Hey, baby." He wasn't drunk, luckily just barely on his first or second drink.

"I want to go back to the house, with you." He could tell I wanted to talk and so he told Kim who told the rest of the group, along with a few girls and guys at the bar, to follow them so they can continue the party at his house.

We made it to our room and I locked the door turning to Harry who was unbuckling his pants. "I'm not here to have sex, Harry!"

"Oh, okay then what's up?" I looked down at my ring and sighed. "Debra-"

"You proposed at a strip club Harry- God I can't even begin to tell you how-"

"You said yes! What the hell?" he stood confused at my words.

"I said yes because I love you, you idiot. I would have said yes no matter what- but you were supposed to ask me somewhere special that meant something!" he rolled his eyes.

"You sound crazy, what does it matter where I propose to you. The deed is done we got married and now you're mine and I'm yours." he threw his hands in the air, clearly frustrated but not understanding what the problem was in the first place.

"I don't remember my wedding Harry, no one was there to walk me down the aisle-"

"Pink said he did-"

"Gregory also caught the bouquet Harry!" I sat down and huffed. He looked down, crouched over thinking to himself.

"God damn it, woman! What do you want from me?!" he yelled.

"I want a real wedding, where I wear a white dress and you wear a tux!" I stood, too short to look him eye to eye.

"Deb we're too fucking broke to have a wedding!" I looked away and felt him try to touch me but I pulled away. "Okay look at me alright." he turned me. "We just need to get this album out there okay and then we can start making money. Please don't be upset," he begged.

His hands held mine tightly, his face was worried so I just nodded. "Okay, I'm sorry-"

"No I'm sorry for fucking proposing to you in a strip club- god I'm so stupid!" he pinched the bridge of his nose. I couldn't hold back the laugh that escaped my mouth.  He glared at me, picking me up over his shoulder and spanking me.

"Harold!" I screamed as he threw me in the bed to tickle me. I screamed trying to run away, but of course, he caught me and tickling my sides led to us making out. Until there was a knock in the door, that is.

Harry let out a groan deep against my neck as he pushed himself up. At the door, Kim stood there in a suede suit with a smile. "Blondie I want to see what you got and see if you're worth where I'm taking you tonight." I rolled my eyes.

"I bought a few items but I don't really know if it's my style-"

"Let me see and I'll be the judge of that." he took my bags and dumped them onto the bed. He threw things aside telling me he hated them or they looked like something a nun would wear. Harry was about to say something but I stopped him as Kim pulled out a little sequin dress I got in Vegas.

"Yeah that'll do." he threw it at me. "You have a gig tonight and I say wear it." I looked at him and nodded smiling.

"Yes sir." he patted my head and turned to walk out as I gave him the finger.

There was a serious rush of adrenalin before I go on stage. The guys play a bit of a tune before I get on stage and then I get on and sing. I had a beer in one hand and a mic in the other as I walked on stage in front of about two hundred people, pushing and shoving each other around.

Fuck that sequin dress.

A song on the radio on our way here caught our attention by a band from Australia. The fact that they were from there and we're in California listening to their song was amazing, it was our dream. We practiced the song and I wanted to start with it to get the crowd hyped.

Stepping out in a pair of white pants with a t-shirt I smirked when across the crowded room I saw an angry Kim staring me down. I slipped on my sunglasses and smiled waving at him.

Ridin' down the highway
Goin' to a show
Stop in all the by-ways
Playin' rock 'n' roll

Harry smiled playing the guitar and nodding his head as I sang. There was a group of guys in the front row cheering so loud I couldn't hear myself.

Gettin' robbed
Gettin' stoned
Gettin' beat up
Broken boned
Gettin' had
Gettin' took
I tell you folks
It's harder than it looks
It's a long way to the top
If you wanna rock 'n' roll

I didn't care what Kim had to say, I did whatever and wore whatever I wanted to on stage. I also said what I wanted to on stage. "Thank you very much, I am Blondie and this our band The Lips!" They cheered and I smiled at Harry.

"You see we come from New York and we're some hard-headed cunts who won't let some psycho tell us how to play our mother fucking music! So I want everyone to put your middle fingers up and say fuck you to anyone who tells you no!" The crowd copied me and cheered. I knew I was in trouble. "Fuck anyone who says you can't be yourself! And most importantly-" I giggled. "Fuck you, Kim!"

"One two three four!" Josh counted down, leading us into the next song.

Thanks for reading. Xx

-k