impossible was something he would have to learn to live with. It was his fault he had been foolish enough to let her tangle in his emotions, and now he would have to suffer the consequences.
Eddie saw things from a different perspective. For some ridiculous reason, he blamed Lee for Roddy’s inability to devote the necessary efforts to their music. Roddy’s inattention affected the whole band, not just Roddy himself, and Eddie had fun reminding his best friend of his obligations every time they saw each other.
“That piece really sucks, Rod,” Eddie said point-blank one day at the end of rehearsal.
When Roddy would have gone off, Zeke tactfully piped up, “I think he means it’s not as good as your usual stuff.”
“No, I meant it sucks,” Eddie insisted. “Maybe we can sell it to a tennybopper bubble-gum band, but it’s not going on a record with my name.”
“He’s got a point,” Mike quietly agreed. “Any song you write can be sold.”
“But nobody wants to do that one,” Roddy grumbled.
There were nods and murmurs of assent all around.
“Anyone got any better ideas?” he asked, glowering at the band.
“What about that song you were working on during the tour?” David suggested as he carefully set his guitar on the floor.
Eddie cracked a grin, but kept his mouth shut for once.
Roddy stopped short. “I don’t want to do that one.”
“But it’s great!” Mike chimed in from his quiet corner. “I mean, that song is inspired! The lyrics rock, and Eddie’s guitar part is sheer dynamite. That song is a hit waiting to happen.”
“I said I don’t want to do that one.” Roddy’s tone got cold and deadly.
Generally, when Roddy took that tone of voice, the other guys backed off, but Eddie just grinned.
“Roddy’s a little…ah…sentimental about that song, guys,” he said on a chuckle.
“What?” Zeke snorted. “Rod’s the guy who always told us sentiment sells.”
“It’s not exactly the song he’s sentimental about,” Eddie found it necessary to explain.
“Shut up, Eddie.” Roddy’s voice was glacial.
Eddie and Roddy went way back, and were as close as brothers. The other guys wouldn’t push their leader if he got stubborn, but Eddie wouldn’t allow that to stop him. If he believed the song would be a hit, he would put the best interests of all of them first, not just Roddy’s emotions. Instead of showing any remorse for his behavior, Eddie just sat there and grinned.
Bolstered by his offhand attitude, the other guys decided to ignore Roddy’s bad mood and sided with Eddie.
“So you wrote a song about a girl. So what? It’s not the first time that’s ever happened,” Mike piped up.
Before Roddy could put him off, Eddie chimed in. “Mike, it’s the first time Roddy has ever felt this way about a girl and wrote a song about it.”
A chorus of, “Oh,” went through their ranks.
“Roddy’s in love!” Zeke couldn’t resist chanting.
Roddly glared balefully at all of them. “You’re acting like a bunch of high school kids,” he snapped. “Just because I don’t want to capitalize on this one song…”
“Our contracts say we get to vote on the songs he writes,” Eddie interrupted his excuses. “And since I co-wrote this one, I can automatically put it up for the vote. So, who wants to record I Could Love Her ?”
Everyone but Roddy voted for the song.
“And who wants to be associated with this piece of trash?” Eddie asked, waving a sheaf of papers in the air.
Not even Roddy voted for it, which said volumes to the band. It wasn’t like him to give in so easily.
Lee and Debbie sprawled around a pizza in the middle of Lee’s tiny living room. Debbie was engaged in a show Lee didn’t enjoy while Lee scowled over her bills.
“Now I know why some girls get married right out of high school,” she grumbled. “It would be so nice to lay all this responsibility on someone else’s shoulders for once.”
“And when you got home from a
Eddie saw things from a different perspective. For some ridiculous reason, he blamed Lee for Roddy’s inability to devote the necessary efforts to their music. Roddy’s inattention affected the whole band, not just Roddy himself, and Eddie had fun reminding his best friend of his obligations every time they saw each other.
“That piece really sucks, Rod,” Eddie said point-blank one day at the end of rehearsal.
When Roddy would have gone off, Zeke tactfully piped up, “I think he means it’s not as good as your usual stuff.”
“No, I meant it sucks,” Eddie insisted. “Maybe we can sell it to a tennybopper bubble-gum band, but it’s not going on a record with my name.”
“He’s got a point,” Mike quietly agreed. “Any song you write can be sold.”
“But nobody wants to do that one,” Roddy grumbled.
There were nods and murmurs of assent all around.
“Anyone got any better ideas?” he asked, glowering at the band.
“What about that song you were working on during the tour?” David suggested as he carefully set his guitar on the floor.
Eddie cracked a grin, but kept his mouth shut for once.
Roddy stopped short. “I don’t want to do that one.”
“But it’s great!” Mike chimed in from his quiet corner. “I mean, that song is inspired! The lyrics rock, and Eddie’s guitar part is sheer dynamite. That song is a hit waiting to happen.”
“I said I don’t want to do that one.” Roddy’s tone got cold and deadly.
Generally, when Roddy took that tone of voice, the other guys backed off, but Eddie just grinned.
“Roddy’s a little…ah…sentimental about that song, guys,” he said on a chuckle.
“What?” Zeke snorted. “Rod’s the guy who always told us sentiment sells.”
“It’s not exactly the song he’s sentimental about,” Eddie found it necessary to explain.
“Shut up, Eddie.” Roddy’s voice was glacial.
Eddie and Roddy went way back, and were as close as brothers. The other guys wouldn’t push their leader if he got stubborn, but Eddie wouldn’t allow that to stop him. If he believed the song would be a hit, he would put the best interests of all of them first, not just Roddy’s emotions. Instead of showing any remorse for his behavior, Eddie just sat there and grinned.
Bolstered by his offhand attitude, the other guys decided to ignore Roddy’s bad mood and sided with Eddie.
“So you wrote a song about a girl. So what? It’s not the first time that’s ever happened,” Mike piped up.
Before Roddy could put him off, Eddie chimed in. “Mike, it’s the first time Roddy has ever felt this way about a girl and wrote a song about it.”
A chorus of, “Oh,” went through their ranks.
“Roddy’s in love!” Zeke couldn’t resist chanting.
Roddly glared balefully at all of them. “You’re acting like a bunch of high school kids,” he snapped. “Just because I don’t want to capitalize on this one song…”
“Our contracts say we get to vote on the songs he writes,” Eddie interrupted his excuses. “And since I co-wrote this one, I can automatically put it up for the vote. So, who wants to record I Could Love Her ?”
Everyone but Roddy voted for the song.
“And who wants to be associated with this piece of trash?” Eddie asked, waving a sheaf of papers in the air.
Not even Roddy voted for it, which said volumes to the band. It wasn’t like him to give in so easily.
Lee and Debbie sprawled around a pizza in the middle of Lee’s tiny living room. Debbie was engaged in a show Lee didn’t enjoy while Lee scowled over her bills.
“Now I know why some girls get married right out of high school,” she grumbled. “It would be so nice to lay all this responsibility on someone else’s shoulders for once.”
“And when you got home from a
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