Taking place in the summer of 1978, the story follows 18-year-old aspiring music journalist, nicknamed Goldie, tasked with following up-and-coming UK rock band - The Orphans - while they do their first tour of the U.S. New to life on the road, Goldi...
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"Always love yourself above all else. Be selfless. Give when someone's in need. But never let anyone make you feel like you're less than you're worth. If someone hurts you, don't let it beg the question 'why me?' or 'why do people hurt me?' Tell yourself you won't let them hurt you because you deserve the world, my darling sunshine."
Her mom's speech floats in her head as she stares at the underside of the mattress above her bunk. The distant memory of her mom's face is burned into the insides of her eyelids, there to comfort her every time she shuts them.
Goldie's sadness isn't only the result of Harry's crude behavior at the radio interview. It's also the anniversary of the day her world collapsed in on her. The anniversary of when her mom passed away. It was years ago but on this day every year it felt new again. Her body convulses with every sob, then shakes from the sudden stop of the bus.
Light peers through the thick curtain of her bunk for a second as a familiar large hand sneaks through. Harry's apologetic paw places something on her shoulder while keeping the rest of his body hidden. His hand lingers, almost touching her arm, but pulls away before contact. He can feel the heat of her emotional skin as his fingertips slip up the sheets and back out of the curtained bunk.
"I miss you," he whispers softly. So softly, in fact, it's as though she isn't meant to hear it.
She wipes the moisture from her face and reaches over to grab Harry's delivery - a Snickers bar. The sound of his footsteps slowly dissipates, joining the rest of the band as they leave the bus.
Harry and Goldie haven't spoken to one another in over a week. They were used to quiet but not like this. It was the first time they had explored true love and appreciation, as well as the real pain that comes along with it. The two are trekking and creating new paths on the moon, in a universe filled with living organisms, stars, and planets, only to feel more alone and insignificant than ever.
With New York in view, so comes the last stop on the tour. This is when Goldie and Harry, as well as the band, should be taking advantage of the time they have left together. Yet Goldie has isolated herself, using this time to self reflect and write her article. Her original purpose. The moment at The Orphans radio interview brought a lot of inadequacies into focus. She worries she's lost focus of that.
* * *
"Jimmy! So great to hear your voice." Goldie stands in a phone booth on the curb outside their hotel.
"For the last time, it's 'dad' to you." Jimmy's chuckle crackles through the distance of the telephone wires and open air. Goldie can practically smell the waffles cooking and feel the beach air against her face. "How's it going over there?"
"Um..." Goldie peers through the glass pane of the booth at the band standing at the front entrance of the hotel. They all talk to each other, the hustle and bustle of the traffic zooms past them. Harry catches her line of vision and perks up. He aggressively waves, hoping to catch her attention. But Goldie turns her back to him and continues her conversation with her father. "It's alright. Maryland and Pennsylvania were great. In New York now. Last stop before coming back to L.A."
