Thieves in the Temple: A Prequel to Purple Rain

Ch.33 Oops Upside Your Head-The Gap Band

The Mid City Players had one more rehearsal before the Mid City High School Spring formal. Everybody gathered in the Day-Brake garage feeling relatively good about their audition with Mr. Northe.

"Is your mom mad about the song? " Alex asked Morris hesitantly.

"I'm not sure. She didn't say much," Morris said with a crinkled nose.

"That's a first," Alex said.

"Watch it, Fool."

They tuned up, played scales and started rehearsing the usual songs.

Sunny's entrance halted the music. There were times when she glided in and out of the garage and they did not pay her any mind. She retrieved a bag of frozen green beans out of the deep freezer or used the garage as a thoroughfare to her car parked outside. Sometimes she rushed in with a smile excited about some new gig she hustled up. Other times she stopped and folded her arms because she did not like sour notes she heard from the kitchen. Today, something about her entrance told them to stop playing and listen to her. There was a seriousness in her green eyes.

"Guys, I need to tell you something," she said as their last funky notes escaped the room. "I don't like what you did yesterday but seemed to work in our favor so I'll let it go." She pointed at Kid, "Just don't ever do something like that to me again." She took a deep breath and looked at each of the boys a moment. "You boys are growing up and I'm going to have to start treating you like men. That means as your manager, I'm going to have to tell you the truth straight like professionals." She looked up and took another breath. "We might have to make some serious changes to our act."

"Like what? Did Mr. Northe call yet?" Morris asked.

"Well, no he did not. But I can predict a few things. Like, they really liked Kid. And... I have a feeling they want Kid to sing lead," she continued, now pacing the floor.

They all looked at each other surprised. Kid felt darts hitting him on all sides. But he didn't care because he had predicted the same thing. He could tell by the look on their faces during his guitar solo. Before they left, Bobby asked him if he had written anymore songs.

"I got dozens," Kid whispered.

"Why would they want him instead of me?" Lex asked as if the notion seemed utterly preposterous.

"It's just marketing, Lex. But this is good thing because as your manager, I'm prepared to negotiate a deal that will work for all of us." Why does she keep emphasizing that she's our manager? Kid thought.

"But I'm the lead singer," Lex whined. "Kid can't sing lead. He sounds like a girl!"

Sunny ignored Alex's tantrum. "This is what we are going to do. If they want Kid to lead, that's okay. Alex, you will sing background and play the cowbell."

"I don't know how to play no cowbell!" Lex yelled.

"Alex shut up and listen. You have the skills to be a talented actor so I need you to act. You're going to hold up that mirror while Kid is singing," she said pointing to a new huge mirror they had not even noticed leaning against the wall. "And Kid, you will play the part of a conceited ladies man like Fonzie on Happy Days."

"I don't have a leather jacket."

"You're going to wear a suit."

"You want me to say 'Ayeeee??'" Kid asked in bewilderment.

"No, you're going to say, "Heeey, I'm so cool.'"

"That's corny, Mom!" Morris said. "He's never been cool a day in his life! Why would they want him to sing lead?"

"Because he's cute" Sunny said exasperated. They all looked at each other.

"It's just show biz, Guys. Girl's go to concerts where the cute guy sings lead."

"Are you saying I'm not cute?" Alex asked indigently with his hand on his chest.

"Alex you have a lot of charisma and we need that. That's why you have to be the one holding the mirror."

"For him?" Lex said as if Kid was a pile of rotten fish. "I'm not holding shit for him."

"You will if you want a place in this group!" Sunny said with her top lip curled up, hand slipping off her bony hip.

"Bitch, you must be crazy!"

Morris hopped over his drum set a second too late. Sunny had already slapped Alex with an open palm that made him stumble. It echoed through the garage and wind of it entered their gapping mouths.

"That's the way it's going to be!" Sunny screeched at the top of her lungs.

"Do you un-der-stand -me?!" She stomped out each syllable out on the concrete floor. She let her hunched shoulders return to their natural position.

Lex stood stunned with his hand on his face, eyes wide and teeth grit. He surveyed them all one by one and landed on Sunny. 

"Fuck all y'all!" Lex ran down the street; the same street, Kid had run down and fell into the arms of his mother.  Kid felt a little sorry for Lex. Lex's mother was at least a bus ride away.

Sunny broke the silence. "Kid I need to talk to you later," she said calmly as she walked up the stairs to the kitchen.

They played music for forty minutes but they did not rehearse. Everything was off but they ignored it. They just wanted to get it over with. Sunny Day had already made the whole band hate Kid but he did not care. Finally he had some power to make decisions. Before he wanted to go back to the partnership he and Morris once had but this was even better. He had dethroned them both with one song. Now who was buying the gas for the van?