That Thing You Do! (Multiband Fan Fic)

Chapter 38 - How Would You Celebrate?

Katie's P.O.V

"... My step dad is called Phil!" Eddie laughed, sat on the couch with Stevie and Todd.
"Phil Collen, Def Leppard, best band ever! Phil Collins! Genesis!" I smiled.
"Monroe, great taste! Change my name then!" Phil challenged Eddie, as we've been in the studio for over thirty minutes. We haven't been in the sound room yet, we started talking to Phil about the people he's worked with.
"How?!" Eddie laughed.
"Nah, Phil Collins, Phil Collen, Philip Bailey-"
"Phill Jupitus! British comedian!" Stevie added.
Dylan pointed to him. "You're just another Phil. Get over it." Dylan looked at Eddie.
"Wait! You've worked with Joe before, you produce albums and you tour." I looked to Phil. The door was shut and he was stood, leaning back on it. "There's only one name we can call you, that won't have us all confused and like this." I shrugged.
"What name?" Phil asked me, intrigued.
"Guv'nor. Gov, for short." I shrugged.
"I like it!" Dylan nudged my arm, sat on my left, at the booth still.

"It's a new name. I've been called worse." Phil smiled.
"Your name's Phil! Just call him that!" Todd didn't get it.
"Read mah lips!" Stevie looked at Todd. "We know more th'n one Phil!"
"Lighten up, Todd!" Eddie looked at his friend.
"I've worked with Axl Rose before." Phil mumbled, only Dylan and I hearing him.
We looked at each other, Dylan and I, and we snickered.
"Gov's got balls." Dylan smiled. "All in favour of Gov?"
"I!" Stevie, Eddie, Phil, Dylan, and I raised our hands.
"Settled. I'm the Gov'nor!" Phil smiled.

. . .

"Sign here, signature here." Peter pointed it out.
We were back in his office. This was what we had been waiting for.
Todd signed his contract.
Dylan signed his contract.
Eddie signed his contract.
Stevie signed his contract.

I signed my contract.

A photo was taken of us standing around Peter's desk, with him sat in his chair.
It was official. We were a signed band.

. . .

"I'm gonna... Take a walk..." Dylan spoke up, as we walked out the building. It was 04:00 PM.
"I'm going back to the hotel. I need a drink." Todd walked away.
"Anybody need a ride anywhere?" The gov offered, as he walked down the steps towards where we were gathered.
"Nah..." I shook my head. I didn't know how I felt. It was strange.
"In a bit..." Dylan nudged Eddie's upper arm, before walking the opposite direction from Todd.
"Can we do sumthin' fun?" Stevie asked me, standing on my left.
Eddie looked from Stevie to me. "I'm in."
"What though? I don't know this place." I looked around the area.
"There's LA tour buses down that way!" Gov pointed them out, down where Dylan was disappearing into the crowds.

. . .

"OK! This is fun!" I smiled, sat at the back of the tour bus. It was open topped, taking us everywhere!
Stevie sat in the middle, me on his left, Eddie on his right.
"Doesn't this go any faster?" Eddie laughed, as he hit more red lights.
The bus was moving so slowly. It wasn't even hitting twenty, I don't think!

"Hollywood sign!" Stevie pointed it out, almost knocking the hat off my head.
"Whoa!" I smiled, as it stood tall on top of it's hill.
The sun was shining bright, not a cloud in the sky, the streets were buzzing, cars and people everywhere, a lot of tourists.
"Watch this bus blow up, when it goes over thirty!" I joked, making the guys laugh, as we started to move once again.

. . .

Dylan's P.O.V

"Still as shit as I remember!" I commented, leaning back on a wall, by a red door, somewhere downtown.
The guy who walked out turned around and looked at me. "Shit! Dylan." He gasped.
"Your band's still shit." I told him.
"You can't talk. What band do you have?" Jacky stopped to chat.
"Janie's Gun. You'll hear from us within two months, maybe three..." I shrugged.
"Sounds like shit." Jacky crossed his arms over his chest.

Jacky was the guy who kicked me out my last band. I knew they would be coming to LA, I just had to have the last laugh.
We're stood outside a garage. These things get rented out by all sorts of people. Jacky was rehearsing with the old band.
He's just shorter than me, by an inch or two, long dark hair. Another cowboy, but this city ain't big enough for the both of us...

"Janie's Gun give a full 15% to Janie's Fund, from every little penny we make. A fund I know you know about. Good luck, with this shit." I told him.
"You wrote the songs, dickhead!" Jacky commented back at me, as I started to walk away.
"But I never said you could keep them, so wanna go to court?" I asked him, looking back over my shoulder at him.
He looked at me, spooked.

Some guy on a Harley rode by and I knew what I was about to do with my money.

"See you around, maybe..." I looked at Jacky.
"Dylan!" He started. "Take your songs..."
'You keep them' I thought, as I walked away on that.

I walked all the way to a motoring store, which was a bit away from Jacky's garage.
Jacky wasn't hard to find, as he always uses the same name - Jackson Eastwood, after his love for Clint Eastwood movies. I looked at the garage owner's log book and I had the guy. It was my idea to rent a garage in LA for the band. I just made the mistake of telling Jacky my plan.
Guess I don't need a garage now, as Monroe hooked us up with the Star Lounge...

I walked into the store and got a look around, heading for the bikes.
All lined up and all looking nice. I knew Stevie wanted a bike too, so I'd have to bring him here at some point, but for right now... I want my taxi.

And for $27,000 - I found her.

. . .

Stevie's P.O.V - Later That Evening

I lay on my bed, smoking a joint. I just rolled her, my second one tonight.
"Man, I coul' buy so mucsh weed..." I told Todd.
"How am I only getting 25%?!" Todd cried out, pacing the room.
I jumped and looked at him. He was pacing, looking stressed.

I lay back down, sinking into my bed, the sheets wrapping around me, taking me down into the rabbit hole, where the trees are upside down.
I made a ring of smoke, as Todd went all weird...

"OK... I can write songs. We'll put those on the album, they'll see I did all the work, I'll have to get paid more. Who the fuck does Dylan think he is?! He's a cock sucker! Fucking twat!" Todd cried out.
"He's a dickhead." Not a cock sucker, or whatever else Todd just said. "Did you know-"
"Exactly! A dickhead!" Todd looked at me.
"-Sharks don' 'ave bones! I heard thah and I was lieh!" I did the mind blown action. "I's true, man. Look it up... You mind if I puh on sum Stones?" I asked, reaching for my phone. "Oh, my D's in!" I smiled, seeing my dealer got in touch.

"Stevie, give me 5% of your cut!" Todd grabbed my phone, taking it from me as I was messaging my dealer.
"'Ey, man!" I whined at him.
"I need 5% of your cut!" Todd told me.
"I' belongs to Janie's Fund... I'm noh given you no moneh. Todh, man... Do you hav' any berries?" I asked him.