The Girl In The Band - The Lead Singer - Chapter 21

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I felt a little overdressed. I was wearing one of my “little black dresses”, hose, and heels and I’d had my hair done that afternoon. Chad was wearing a pair of jeans, and a t-shirt with an unbuttoned regular shirt over the t-shirt. He jumped out of his pimped-out Hummer and tossed the keys to the waiting parking valet at Julia’s apartment building.

I waited a moment, but Chad didn’t come around the car to open my door for me. I opened the door and climbed down. At least he held the door open for me. We walked down the short hallway to the elevators. Chad punched the button for the twentieth and top, floor.

I was excited. I was going to a big Hollywood party with the hottest rocker in the world. I wished Kayla could see me! I was wearing her necklace. The elevator door opened revealing another short hallway with only a few doors. I could only imagine how huge each apartment was judging by the size of the building. My guess was that only the top floor had this few apartment. Anyway, at the end of the hall stood a longhaired, bearded guy dressed in a leather jacket, pants, and large boots.

Chad noticed my reaction and whispered in my ear as we approached, “Julia usually hires some biker gang dudes for security. She doesn’t want anyone crashing her parties. Don’t worry about it.” That immediately gave me an uneasy feeling. What was going on in these parties if she couldn’t hire a regular rent-a-cop? As we approached the biker guy, he and Chad did a high-five followed by a rather silly ritualistic handshake. The biker guy said, “Hey, Chad, mi Hermano!” Chad said, “Barf! Yo, man, like how’s it hangin’?”

“Barf” turned his eyes toward me, and I immediately wished I could shrink and disappear. I felt dirty after his eyes touched me. He turned to Chad and gave him two thumbs up and said, “I approve!” Another high-five and we entered the apartment. All my senses were instantly assaulted upon entering the room. There was loud, heavy metal music coming from speakers built into the ceiling. A grating mix of various incense mingled together in the air. The air was heavy with the smell of cigarettes and other odors I couldn’t identify.

The crowd was large and noisy. There were a lot of sleazy-looking people here ranging from punk rockers and metal heads, to a few celebrities that surprised me, down to what I later learned were porno stars, mostly male ones, all the way down to a Congressman. Chad surprised me first by pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. He offered the pack to me. I waved it away and said, “No thanks. I didn’t know you smoked.” I was immediately put off by it. Chad said, “Sure. Just about everybody I know in this town smokes. My publicist makes sure that not many pictures of me with a cig get published.

Your Tommy boy doesn’t smoke.” Speaking of which, I was beginning to think I should have taken his warning more seriously. “Chad!” called a female voice from our right. I looked and it was Julia. “Darling! How wonderful of you to come! And you brought Michelle! How... mmmm... delicious!” When her eyes scanned me from top to bottom I just wanted to scream and run. I tightened my grip on Chad’s arm. Julia continued by pointing across the room, “Everything you can think of to drink is right over there. And there are other... umm... party favors in the room next to the bathroom. Enjoy!” Chad tugged on my arm and said, “Let’s go get something to drink, babe.”

Julia didn’t exaggerate. There was every kind of alcoholic beverage you could imagine there. There were also some bottles of cola, I guessed for mixed drinks. Chad started looking through the bottles and asked, “What’ll you have?” I said, “I’ll just have a Coke or something.” Chad frowned and said, “Come on, girl. Live a little. I was hoping that goody-two-shoes shit was just an act.” With a worried tone in my voice, I said, “We shouldn’t be drinking this stuff!

I mean, I’m only fourteen.” Chad frowned again and said, “Yes, I know. You’ve told me.” He waved his arm in an arc and continued, “Look around. Do you see any parents here? Any cops? That Congressman over there doesn’t count.” Chad put some ice in a glass, poured a bit of some kind of alcohol into it, and then poured some cola into the glass.

He said, “Here, try this. I put more Coke than booze in it. Go ahead, drink it! Don’t worry about it!” I took a little sip and my God it was nasty! How do people drink this stuff? I decided I’d had enough of the party and I just wanted to go home. I coughed a couple of times, set the glass down, and said, “Chad, thanks for inviting me, but this isn’t my kind of party. I brought money for the cab fare. I think I’ll just go home now.” Chad furrowed his brow and said, “What? No pin the tail on the donkey?

Listen, no girl runs out on me, babe! No one!” His tone softened a little as he said, “Michelle, please stay. You need to loosen up. Have some fun!” Julia came up from behind me and patted my butt and let her hand linger there. She said, “I just love your dress, girlfriend.” I turned to move closer to Chad so that her hand fell away and I nervously said, “Thanks. And that’s an interesting outfit you’re wearing.” I looked at Julia, really noticing her for the first time that evening.

She was wearing a sleeveless see-through skintight top and no bra, clearly revealing her nipples along with really tight silvery pants that left a very distinct camel toe. She leaned in real close, her breath stank of alcohol and tobacco and God knows what else. She said, “I’m so glad you like it!” She gave me an odd look and a smirk and then walked away.

To Chad, I said, “She scares the hell out of me.” Chad laughed and said, “Don’t worry about it. That’s just the way she is! Here. This only has Coke in it.” He handed me another glass. I sniffed at it suspiciously. Chad laughed and said, “Oh, just drink it!” I tasted it, but couldn’t detect any alcohol, so I took a gulp.

My throat was already intensely dry. The odors in the air made it hard to breathe. Chad tugged on my arm and said, “Come on. You need to meet some of the other guests.” I started to feel a little dizzy. At first, I thought maybe Chad had slipped me what Dad would have called a “Mickey Finn” but after a moment I was okay. I think the lack of oxygen in the room was the cause of the dizzy spell. Chad introduced me to some of the other inmates at the party.

I was shocked at some of the really big names there. These were the types that wreck their hotel rooms and force airliners to land so they can be kicked off. They just weren’t local bad boys either. There were a couple of British groups there, that new group from Germany, and a Polish band that no one’s heard of. There was a wide range of actors there as well. Julia was passing by when Chad grabbed the glass from my hand.

He said, “Could you get Michelle a refill? She’s just drinking Coke.” Julia hesitated a second and Chad said, “Snark here is in the middle of a story...” Julia said, “Gotcha...”

I said, “I’m fine. Really.” Julia just smiled and said, “No problem, Sweetness.” And she walked away. When Julia returned with my refilled drink, my head was starting to pound. I needed some fresh air really bad. I took a sip of the drink and it seemed to have a slight aftertaste. I’m sure my sense of smell was pretty shot by then, so I didn’t really think of it. By the time I’d finished the glass, I was finding it difficult to stand.

Chad saw me wavering around and said, “Michelle? Are you okay?” I put an arm around Chad as I teetered on my high heels, “I feel suddenly nauseous. I need to sit down.” Chad started to lead me over to a chair. I only made it as far as a nearby coffee table and I collapsed on it. I couldn’t focus on my eyes. Sounding far away, I heard Chad say to Julia, “Did you put something in her drink?”

Julia replied, “Didn’t you want me to?” Chad said, “No, not really. At least not yet.” Julia laughed and said, “Look, I guarantee you that girl is a cherry. Don’t you want to be the first one in?” The voices all sounded so far away, and I couldn’t bring myself to move a muscle. I heard Chad say, “I don’t know. This is statutory...” Julia said, “So? It’s not your first time, and she won’t remember anything.” She leaned in close to me and said, “I’m not even sure if she’s even aware of what’s going on.” “Mind if I borrow your bedroom?”

Chad asked Julia. Before she could answer, Snark yelled out, “Do her here, man! Right here, man.” A chorus of whoops and hollers filled the room. Julia said, “If you don’t do her, I’m gonna do her!” Chad pulled off his shirt and said, “I don’t know. Look at her. She looks like a kid.” A chant started with the crowd saying in a rhythm, “Do her! Do her!...” Just as Chad dropped his pants, there was the sound of the apartment door slamming open. Everyone turned to look. Angrily, Julia shouted, “What the hell are you doing here?” “Oh my God!” I heard Tommy’s voice shout. “Michelle! What have they done to you? Get away from her, asshole!” I managed to turn my head in the direction of his voice. Julia shouted, “This is a private party, dick weed! How did you get past security?”

As Tommy knelt beside me he said, “You shouldn’t hire criminals for security. I just paid him more than you did and he left.” He lifted my eyelids and checked me over. He turned to face Julia and said, “You fuckin’ bitch! What have you done to her?” Looking over at Chad, who was standing there only in his underwear, Tommy yelled, “And just what the hell were you about to do?” Chad just sneered at Tommy and said, “Nothing that you didn’t try to do, bucko.” Tommy leaped to his feet and rushed towards Chad. Chad tried to take a step backward and tripped over the pants that were still down around his ankles, causing him to crash to the floor.

Yelling at Chad and pointing at me, Tommy said through clenched teeth, “I didn’t drug her and try to rape her!” Chad lifted himself up on his elbows and said, “What are you talking about man? We were just playing around. It was just a little initiation to bring Michelle into our group. You didn’t think that we were… man, how could you think that!? You perv!”

“Leave my apartment, Tommy!” shouted Julia. “I’m leaving right now, bitch!” Tommy shouted right back. In a lower, steady tone, Tommy added, “This is a new low, even for you, you worthless sack of shit.” Tommy bent down and gathered me up in his arms and started to pick me up off the coffee table. Chad was back on his feet and said, “Hey man, that’s my date!” Tommy ignored Chad as he walked towards the door.

To me, he whispered, “You’re okay now, baby. I’ve got you. Don’t worry.” Tommy held me all the way down the elevator and then carried me out to his car. He had the top down on his car and he tried to lay me down in the back seat as gently as he could.

As he was trying to lower me over the doorframe into the back seat, my panties and pantyhose caught on something and began to be pulled down. Tommy didn’t notice that I was being exposed until he had all but my legs in the back seat of his car and my skirt had flipped up. “What the hell?” As small as he was, Mike Jr. was very noticeable as he slipped out over the top of my panties. Tommy’s eyes were wide and his mouth hung open. “You’re a, you’re a, Oh my God! You’re a guy!”

I don’t remember the ride home. From the backseat of Tommy’s convertible, I could see an occasional streetlight glaring in my eyes, and then I’d drift away. When I was vaguely aware of things again, I managed to notice that both Mom and Tommy were helping me navigate the short path to our house and up the steps, and finally through the door. They both had to steady me, but I managed to walk to my bedroom.

Both Tommy and Mom gently lowered me onto my bed. While he must have talked to Mom when he first got me home, Tommy hadn’t said a word during the whole time they led me to my bed. Finally, Tommy said in a whisper, “I’m pretty sure she’ll be okay, Mrs. Gray. I don’t think they gave her anything lethal or that would cause permanent damage, at the party. They just wanted to knock her out. I wish to God I could have gotten there just a minute or two sooner.” Mom said quietly, “Thank God you were there at all! I should call the police right now!”

“Don’t bother,” whispered Tommy dourly. “I’m sure they started cleaning that place up the moment I left. There’d be nothing there for the cops to find.” “I just can’t believe they’d do that to her!”Mom fumed. “She’s just a girl!” There was a pause and then Tommy said, “Well, I wouldn’t say that.” “What do you mean?” asked Mom. Slowly, Tommy said, “I mean, I know that she’s not a girl.” “Of course, she’s a girl!” asserted Mom. “Mrs. Gray, I wasn’t trying to do anything, I was trying to save her, for God’s sake!

But her underwear slipped down as I was sliding her into the back seat. She, he, well, something girls don’t usually have popped out of her panties.” Mom sucked in a breath and said, “Oh my God! You saw” “Yes ma’am. I saw.”He paused for several moments. Finally, he said, “Mrs. Gray? Why? Why Mrs. Gray?

Why didn’t you or hear him tell me that Michelle was a boy? We’ve kissed and, and,” Their voices were starting to grow faint as I lay there. I was trying to hold on to consciousness long enough to hear the whole conversation, but I could feel myself slipping away. “I’m sorry Tommy. I know it wasn’t fair to you. I think everyone just got too caught up in everything. I think Michelle should tell you in her own words rather than mine.

I know she’ll want to thank you for what you did tonight, and I’m sure she’ll want to explain herself. But Tommy?” “Yes, Mrs. Gray?” “I know you’re disappointed and angry and feel like you’ve been made a fool of, but please remember. No matter what you saw, Michelle feels that, though she’d probably deny it if asked, Michelle feels that she’s a girl. And I feel that she’s a girl. Be angry if you must, and I don’t blame you at all. Just remember, that to her, you’re the opposite sex.” “I don’t know what to think right now.

I can’t describe how I feel. You, Michelle, Mr. Winters all of you, lied to me. I don’t like being lied to. I’ll tell you right now” And that was the last I heard.

I woke up to a splitting headache. I was in my bed. I sat up quickly, which I immediately regretted. I sat there a moment and waited for the pain to subside. I noticed I was wearing a nightgown. I looked out the window and it appeared to be mid-morning. How did I get here? The last thing I remembered was feeling nauseous at the party.

Then bits and pieces of memory started to fall in place. Oh my God! Tommy knows about me! Did anyone at the party find out? I don’t remember anything after I started to feel bad. Then I realized that Chad or somebody at the party had drugged me. Probably some kind of date rape drug. What had happened to me? I slowly pushed my legs over the side of the bed. I waited a few moments, not sure if I could stand or not. Finally, I was able to stand and even walk, although very slowly.

A few agonizing minutes later, I found myself in the living room. Mom was sitting there watching television. At the sound of my shuffling, she looked up. “Michelle! You’re finally awake!” She stood up and rushed to give me a hug. She then helped me to the couch. “Thanks, Mom,” I said after she helped me lower myself to the couch. “What’s going on? What happened to me?” Sighing, Mom said, “They drugged you, Honey. At the party, Tommy came there to get you.

He was hoping he’d arrive before they tried anything.” Mom then told me about Tommy’s discovery and how he brought me home. I started to cry, “Tommy knows!” I hugged Mom tightly as I continued to cry. “At least no one else does,” said Mom. “I think your secret is safe with Tommy.” “But he knows! Don’t you understand? He won’t ever date me again.”

I lifted my head up to look directly at Mom as I said, “I love him, Mom! I love him.” “I thought you were mad at him?” asked Mom. I buried my face into Mom’s breast as I cried, “I love him!” over and over until I fell back asleep.