Hiding In Plain View: Normily

Chapter 9: Concert Signs and Parental Guidance

Chapter 9: Concert Signs and Parental Guidance

Standing back stage, Emily feels more sick than ever. The roar of the crowd today is intimidating. Simon comes up with his guitar ready and looks at the nervous woman pacing the floor.

"You okay today? You seem way too jumpy." he places a hand on her shoulder and Emily flinches involuntarily. "Em? You okay. We can call it off ya know."

"No. No. I'm fine Simon. Just some pre-show jitters." she looks out in the crowd from the stage corner wall and can see her parents sitting talking. She then spots Norman right up front with white poster board. "Shit."

"What?"

"Nothin, thought I lost my phone, but I remembered I left it with someone."

"That's reassuring." Simon is slightly sarcastic and Emily relaxes a bit.

"Now ladies and gentlemen the show you've been waiting for. She's the cute farmer's daughter with a bit of a moonshine problem...it's Emily KINNEY!" Emily walks out after Chris introduces her and Simon follows. The crowd cheers and whoops and stands up. When they do Norman holds his sign up. Reading it quickly it says, "Beth will you Marry Me!" She blushes like crazy and everyone sits down. Norman places the sign beside his chair and just smiles at her. She steps up to the mic and places both hands on it to steady herself.

"Thank you Chris. And I thought I told AA to stop sending me notifications. It was one jar." The crowd laughs, and Chris rebuttals.

"Well, just incase we have his the matches and money wades so this place doesn't get burned down from yer drinking games. And if I remember correctly yer partner in crime, Norman Reedus is in the crowd too. So that means double trouble." Everyone laughs and Emily just shakes her head.

"Yeah. That's the spin off title for Beth and Daryl. Double Trouble Moonshiners. It's about Beth an Daryl opening a Moonshine still."

"How's business for em?"

"Terrible. They drink a bit then burn the still down. It's a very short spin off." Everyone laughs so hard Emily starts feeling a little better. Norman winks at her and she almost looses it again.

"Well, maybe Beth and Daryl can start a band called Bethyl. She obviously has some talent."

"Yes. That would be interesting. I'm not sure Daryl would tolerate playing a banjo though."

"Banjo? Why a banjo?"

"We're in the sticks. He's a redneck. It makes perfect sense to start a banjo band called Bethyl." Norman laughs an Chris looks back at Emily.

"So you've been here all week. What has been your favorite experience?" Well she would say being proposed to but, she can't.

"Oh ya know. Sight seeing. I love coming to San Diego to try and find Carman."

"Wow. Carman San Diego. Haven't had a joke like that in a very long time. Haha. So everyone one pretty much has a buddy on this trip that they sort of travel with or hang out with during the days. Who's been your buddy on this trip?"

"Uhmm. probably Norman." The crowd ooos and both Emily and Norman sorta cringe. "Haha, no. It's no like that. I mean. Norman and I hang out and then you have Steven and Lauren, Chad and Melissa, Andy and Danai. And then we take turns on who gets Mike. It's all planned out very nicely an in an orderly fashion. Haha."

"Well, I think the crowd has had fun listening to you, but I believe what they're really here for is to listen to you... sing that is. So I'll let you get to it.

"Thank you. Okay, so how is everyone tonight?"

"Woooo!" the crowd answers.

"Great! so the first song I'n going to start with is actually my favorite one. So there is this guy I really like. And I know we'd be perfect for each other. But the only problem is, is that he has a girlfriend, and her name is Julie." The crowd cheers and Norman never heard the explanation before, finds this kind of awkward. "So I started this campaign and I have tee shirts and they say "you plus me minus Julie equals true love" Now it's not meant to be mean to Julie, it's just supposed to put two people who are meant to be together, together and I hope that trough this campaign and song that he'll understand it and he'll make the right choice. So during the chorus I'm gonna need you to yell "take home Julie!". But you don't have to join me in the first one, I'll just point to you and you yell it. It's really fun and it's fun to yell some times. It's very freeing. And if you haven't yelled today well... here's yer shot."