The perversion of Mallory 1990

Untitled Part 1

THE PERVERSION OF MALLORY 1990

All week long Junior pushed the others to keep up the practices despite Mallory's continued absence. Finally after Thursday night's session he decided to debrief the others on the mission ahead, and to offer what morale he could. "You guys want a coffee? It's a bit late for beers."

"Yeah ok." replied James, and Cameron just nodded.

"Cameron," said Junior," if you come up here around two tomorrow we'll load up the van with James' kit and the PA and everything. It'll take a while to set everything up if there's just the two of us. Now James what time did you say you could get there?"

"Oh, I'll probably get ready first so I don't have to go home and change again, say around five, no later than quarter past." he responded.

"That's heaps of time. We'll set up your drums and mic them up but I'll need you to adjust it all and play some time for a soundcheck." instructed Junior.

"What about Mallory?" Cameron asked.

"Oh I'm pretty good with guitar sounds but you'll probably have to mix her level on the fly after we've started. It's pretty easy, you know how it sounds on the tape, all you have to do is get her guitar volume to fit with the rest like that. You'll probably have to stay with mixing desk and make sure no-one spills anything on it while we're are playing though."

"Yeah that's cool but do you think she'll be in practice on the songs though?" Cameron clarified.

"Yes I do." Junior said confidently, "She doesn't want to sound like crap for her one and only gig to prove Hammerhead right, and what's more she doesn't really want to lose this band. When everyone's shouting for more I think she'll see that."

"Do you really think they'll be shouting for more?" asked James as if day-dreaming.

"Yes." insisted Junior positively, "Unless you really stink they always do. Trust me, they won't let her walk outta there at nine. But remember one thing, we've used our collective power to get her there, but when things start rolling, give her back the reigns. She's the inspiration, we're just the Mallory Kendall support vessel. Whatever direction she takes, we'll go with that."

Friday night was still and hot, hot, hot! There was not supposed to be any alcohol involved or permission to use the Station Master's Hall could never have been granted. But this was Reanton and parties meant booze, so it was not surprising to Cameron and Junior to see a dozen cases of spiked soda arrive around the back. The fridge in the hall kitchen also contained several casks of wine and some other unmarked mystery plastic bottles of yellowish fluid. Cameron mused as to what this might be. In fact there was no room even for a couple of bottles of coke for the band.

The people started to appear very quickly from about six-thirty, and Junior was certainly right about one thing, the crowd was not at all limited just to underage high school students. The average age was well over eighteen, and most of them quite plainly brandished bottles of spirits and mixers. At seven o'clock Junior started playing tapes through the PA system, and turned on the simple lighting rig that he had rented from the Music Lab.

James, Cameron and Junior, all three were getting jittery when Mallory hadn't showed by twenty to eight but at a quarter to, she walked in with her guitar case and said, "Can somebody give me a hand with the amp?"

James was quick to oblige and in no time Junior had her set up and ready to go. For once Mallory had bought a packet of cigarettes, and was smoking like a chimney. She had also elected to go with a little make-up and seized every opportunity to take a mouthful of whatever she had in the flask in her jacket pocket.