November 15 1978

I stayed with Stelle all night and all of the next day. Her room had a washing machine and a dryer so we didn't even have to leave the room to do laundry. They operated by coins though, much like at a laundromat. Finally my clothes got the wash they so needed. I picked out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt with a picture of Astro from the Jetsons on it and put them on. 

Stelle also wasn't kidding about her room service bill. For breakfast and lunch she pulled out all the stops. Chicken and beef and veggies and eggs and everything in between. I was shocked my jeans still fit! She ordered a bottle of champagne for the night and I declined. "Suit yourself," she said. "Angus doesn't seem to like it either."

Oh, I know...

Stelle put on a swipe of lipstick and hung her camera around her neck. She was dressed a little more impressive than I was but I just wanted to be comfortable. Bus rides were not my favorite without my medicine. I'd be sure to sit up front.

Where the party wasn't.

With her camera and my notepad we left the hotel room and took the long walk to the other hotel. Stelle would once in a while snap a photo of something on the way, usually a glowing sign or the large bus that drove by advertising MILO. It was toasty out and the sun was still low in the sky without any sign of setting. "I can't wait for summer," Stelle said. "Are you staying here then?"

What could I say? I had no clue. "I don't know," I said keeping my eyes straight ahead. "I should probably just go home and type up the article."

"Oh, you should stay for the summer! I would but I've got the Scorpions to shoot." We finally made it to the hotel where the boys were staying. 

"Who are we looking for?" I asked.

"Cliff if we're lucky," she said. "If not him, a roadie of some sort."

There were a few other women there in the lobby of the hotel dressed very nicely. Some in dresses and some were in jeans like I was. Some had their hair feathered or straightened with clips while a few of them just tied their messy hair up like I did. There were a few men talking to them, mostly directing their attention to the women wearing small dresses. 

But we were all groupies. None of us were better than the others even if some got more attention. We were all here to support our favorite band, no matter if we were "hot" or "not". Male attention didn't define our worth.

The third rule of groupies is

3. We women support other women.

We're girls' girls. If a lady wants to do her makeup like Stelle, let her. If she wants to go without like me, that's fine too. Dressing a certain way may get more attention from the men but it doesn't make them any better nor does it make them any worse. Dressing like a nun doesn't make anyone more holy.

The band were nowhere to be seen. Once again. Stelle led me over to the hotel bar and we finally saw Cliff there with another guy. "Aha, there he is!" Stelle said scurrying over to him. "Cliff!"

He turned around at the sound of his name. "Hey, it's you two," he said waving us over. We took a couple of seats next to him. He was drinking a small glass of wine. "You two comin' with us?"

"Of course we are, right, Hannah?" I smiled and nodded. As usual, I would not be driving the conversation tonight. The hotel bar was small; just large enough to accommodate a few small groups. The lights were on low overhead giving the room an evening glow. The bartender came up to us but Stelle kindly dismissed him. Thank goodness. "We're on duty right now so anything you want to offer in terms of photograph or interview you should do it now."

Cliff brushed away the long hair from his eyes. "Nah, I'm good," he said. "Not much to photograph." He gestured to his face.

"What?" Stelle asked. "You're stunning, Cliff, come on."

"Ya' have any questions for me, Hannah?" Cliff asked looking past Stelle and at me. 

"No, I don't think so," I said. 

"Alright then," Cliff said. "I've got nothin' then." Stelle sighed. Cliff gave her a big smile and wrapped his arm around her. "Photograph me later, I'll have somethin' to work with later."

"But all the photographers get concert shots," Stelle said. "I want to be the one who gets the candid photos, the ones of the band just being themselves."

"Mm, is that why you came to our rooms that mornin'?" he asked.

"Yes," Stelle said like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Just one, please?"

"Alright, take whatever," Cliff said drinking. "Make it as candid as possible." Stelle snapped as many photos as she could in seconds while Cliff remained still. 

"Perfect, thank you, Cliff," she said smiling. He patted her on the shoulder and set his empty glass down. "When does the bus leave?"

"Oh, any minute now," Cliff said with a tiny smile. 

"Hilarious," Stelle rolled her eyes. 

"It's out front if ya' wanna claim your seats," he said. "You two get approval to come aboard since you're on a job. Jus' tell that to anyone who gives ya' trouble, alright?"

"I guess that's our cue," Stelle said as Cliff hugged her with one arm. "See you at the show then?"

"Sure," Cliff said. "During, after, I don't mind." We left the bar while Cliff waved to us. "Knock 'em dead, ladies!" he called out to us.

"Come on, maybe we'll get better luck on the bus," Stelle said. 

**********

"Where do you wanna sit?" Stelle asked as we boarded the bus. Just like I thought, there were plenty of people hanging out near the back. Even further back were the tour beds and probably the room with the table. There was almost no one near the front. 

"I think I'd better sit up here," I said. "You can sit where you want."

Stelle shrugged. "Alright then," she said heading towards the action. I took a seat at the front, a window seat. It still shocked me to see the driver's side on the right side of the vehicle. I stayed right where I was, not wanting to bother anyone. Imagine I came up to someone deep in conversation with another person and just interrupted. How rude of me! No, I would stay in my spot and wait for someone to address me first. 

That's the way it worked, and that's the way I liked it. 

After a long time of sitting and waiting the bus finally started moving. There was another bus in front of us that took off as well, taking us all to our destination. I jumped when someone sat  next to me. "An' what are you doin' here all by yourself, hm?" the man asked. 

I looked at Bon who was dressed in a lovely pair of torn jeans and a matching denim vest. He was drinking a Coke. "I have to sit up here," I said.

"Have to?" Bon asked. I nodded.

"I get carsick." He frowned and I wanted to laugh when he leaned backwards a bit.

"You're alright now, aren't ya'?" he asked. 

"Yes, I'm fine," I smiled. "As long as I sit up front." He relaxed a little. 

"Alright," he said. "But if ya' have to get up give me a warnin' first, alright?" I laughed. "Ya' see I'm not wearin' much..." I laughed harder. "An' ya' know I've got a show to do this evenin'...."

"I'll be fine," I said not knowing for sure if I'd be fine. What I wouldn't do for some Dramamine or something...maybe I could buy some with the money I had left.

"If ya' say so," Bon said leaning back in his seat. "So how's the ol' job goin'? Ya' gettin' good stuff?"

"I think so," I said. 

"Shovelin' dirt?"

"Uh..." Did he mean getting juicy tidbits and tell-alls? Ew. "No, I wouldn't say that..."

"What?" Bon asked feigning surprise. "No gossip? No shoe sizes?"

"Ew!" I grimaced and gently swatted his arm. "I don't want that in my article!"

Bon started laughing and ruffled my hair. "We appreciate that, hun." The bus rolled down the road, picking up speed. As we left a group of people had waved to us, cheering us on. Well, cheering the band on, anyway. "Too many scuzzy books out there, ya' know?" Bon said. "Written by people I've never even met! At least...I don't remember meetin' 'em..." He shrugged. "Who knows with me..."

"I haven't read any of those books," I said. And I never planned to. Books that went on about the private lives of famous people and went into...ahem....graphic detail never appealed to me. No, I didn't want to know that So and So's dick was thirteen inches long. No, I didn't want to hear about how you slept with fifteen women in one night. So I left those books to rot on the shelves whenever I saw them. 

"Oh, ya' haven't?" Bon asked. "Some of 'em haven't been properly fact checked, ya' know?"

"And they're being sold for money," I said. "Books are written in ways to appeal to the public to make money, even if it means exploiting the private lives of famous people." Bon didn't interrupt me. "Same thing with movies made by Hollywood, you know they don't actually care about the people."

"Ya' think so?" Bon said. I guess I didn't know for a fact but I was pretty damn sure. Hollywood never came out and said so but their first and foremost mission is money. 

"They add things to their movies to spice the story up," I said. "They add random sex scenes because people enjoy that?" Question mark? I still didn't understand how others viewed sex and I didn't suppose I ever would. I mean it just...exists...why make such a big deal about it? It's not like it was a cup of tea, it was just sex!

"Not a fan of that, I take it?" Bon asked after I finished my speech. I shook my head. "I mean...I myself am not so interested in watchin' others..." He made a motion with his free hand. "gettin' together but when I do it it's fun." He gleamed his bright smile at me and I almost shielded my eyes. "Course you're not writin' about that, are ya'?"

"Absolutely not," I said. "That's your business."

"Thanks," he said. The bus kept a steady pace. "Jus' imagine for a second that they did make a movie about us..."

I winced. "I'd rather not imagine that," I said. 

"You don't wanna see me up there bein' Bon?" he said. "Or the band, ya' don't wanna see us?"

"Except I wouldn't be seeing any of you, I'd be seeing some actors who look nothing like you pretending to be you," I explained. Could you imagine seeing some guy who's nothing like him, trying to make you think he's the Malcolmest Mitchell?? 

How dare you stand where he stood...

"Hm, don't like that either, eh?" Bon asked. "What about a movie about jus' us?" I looked at him. "Ya' know, jus' concerts an' things like that. If they filmed...us onstage, ya'know, what about that?"

My mind drifted to Let There Be Rock, the movie consisting of concert footage, interviews, and...Malcolm playing soccer while he squeaked like a chew toy...

I admit, I enjoyed that one.

"'Cause they're considerin' somethin' like that...if you're interested," Bon said nudging my arm. "I don't know about it myself, could be fun. I don't mind bein' on camera. Course the others are all different, I wonder how they'll take it. For longer periods of time, I mean. But they're great, they really hold their own out there."

"Maybe that would be better," I said. "I'd rather see you than some...fakes."

Bon nudged me again. "Flattered," he said. 

The bus pulled up to the venue and Bon stood up. The other patrons riding along with us also stood up and started piling out. By now the sun was setting and the air got a little chillier. I was glad I wore my leather jacket. 

"Well, here's where we part ways," Bon said. "For now, anyway." I stood up after him and followed him off the bus. Some people went running inside the place. "Jus' in time for soundcheck, I expect. Be seein' ya'?" I smiled and waved him off right as Stelle came up behind me. 

"You'll never guess who I sat with," she said, her jewelry rattling. "Almost the whole roadie crew!" she beamed. "Well, like four or five of them which is hardly any...but it was so great, snapping photos of them just messing around, chatting up. How about you, did you fare well?"

"Bon sat next to me," I said. 

"Bon again, eh?" Stelle saw him entering the building from the back entrance where we were parked. "Keep it up you might just steal his heart."

Uh....huh?

I didn't say anything. I wasn't looking to steal any hearts! I just wanted my Wattpad story! The very idea of any of those men taking any interest in me was absurd! Disgusting, I couldn't believe she said that! Stelle saw the look on my face and laughed.

"I'm just teasing you, love," she said and grabbed my hand. "Bon's not looking for that right now, he's got his career ahead of him."

I hoped she was right.