Our Songs, Our Story, Our Love.

Chapter 9.

It was mayhem here. Pure unadulterated mayhem.
People were bustling about, hurrying and yelling at everything and everyone.
The two school kids from Forest Hills, Queens in New York City looked on from the sanctuary of their own little corner of this vast holding area at the television studios with complete and utter bewilderment at all that was going on around them.
They were both finding it very difficult to understand just what on earth was happening here and were still finding it extremely hard to actually believe they were both even standing there, waiting to enter the stage and sing on live national television!
They had travelled from New York to Philidelphia, which was an adventure in itself, as the two boys had never really been outside of their home city. Paul's father had driven them with Paul sat up front and in charge of the radio station and Artie was sat on the backseat reading a book.
The two boys had both grown up watching the TV show, American Bandstand and now tonight they were actually going to be on it, performing their newly released single Hey School girl, under the guise of Tom and Jerry.
Artie had settled on being called Tom Graph, after his math studies, whilst Paul stayed with his original idea of being called Jerry Landis.
They were now standing together in an adjacent room, along with all the other artists, just off from the stage where they would be performing on, in little under half an hours time. They watched with avid interest at all the goings on and all the efforts in putting on a very successful live music television show.

The main star on this evenings programme was none other than Jerry Lee Lewis, performing his hit, Great Balls of Fire. Initially when Paul and Artie had first arrived, they had actually seen him standing there combing his hair!  And were thrilled and excited to actually see such a big singing star such as he was. But as more and more people started to arrive,  he had been quickly ushered hurriedly away and put into his own dressing room well away  from the rest of the other performers, so as not to be seen or disturbed by any of them. But for both Paul and Artie, just being in the same building as such a big star as he undoubtedly was, had given the two young school boys more than enough to be thinking of!

The teenagers were excited and terribly nervous all at the same time. Paul especially was buzzing with the pure joy and ecstasy of actually being here. His father however, remained none plused by the whole situation and was stood drinking coffee from a vending machine with Sid Prosen. Louis Simon was not especially animated by these rock n roll types and wondered why on earth his son should be so excited about it all. To him it was just a lot of rebellious teenagers all trying to get noticed without them having any particular talent at all. He also continously failed to understand why his own  over exuberant son was so desperate to become a part of all this and was convinced that it was actually Art Garfunkel who had been pushing his eldest boy into this kind of life.
Of course, nothing could be further from the truth!

Artie and Paul had hardly spoken with one another since they had arrived, such were their individual nervous tensions. The two of them just preferred there very own quietness as they watched and observed everything that was going on around them. They   often did this when they were not quite sure about a certain situation, preferring to just take it all in.
Paul and Artie had rehearsed over and over again, in that well furnished basement at the Garfunkel residence and were now pretty confident in their ability to do themselves justice. What they weren't really sure about was why everyone around them seemed to be panicking.

"You boys okay then?". Sid Prosen said, suddenly coming up behind them and swinging his arms around both of their shoulders.

Paul looked around at him.

"Yeah, we're good thanks". He answered,
"Still can't believe that you managed to get us on here though, I mean American Bandstand of all shows! ".

"Ah well, that's why I'm good at my job you see. I like to make discoveries and get them out there. You guys, I know, will simply do great!". Sid exclaimed.