How Not To Be A Groupie

Chapter Seventeen: Angus Young

I didn't realize people liked to socialize so much. I was exhausted just watching everyone. I spent my time finishing up writing down everything Angus and I talked about and went on to describe the party. There were no balloons or anything, not even a cake. Just cases of beer, cigarettes and joints, happy attenders, lots of chatter, folding chairs, and a table with finger food. 

I was used to birthday parties filled to the brim with elderly relatives. This was quite a change of pace. 

"The band leave or what?" a voice asked. I looked up to see one of the Glamour Girls standing over me, the one with lots of blush on her cheeks and blue eyeshadow. 

"Might be in the showers," I guessed. At least Angus was. 

"I'm Candace, by the way," the woman said holding out her hand for me. "In the group they call me 'Trouble'."

"I'm Hannah Ruth," I said shaking her hand. 

"They call you anything?" she asked. 

They call me Anna, Elena, Ellen, Banana, anything that's not my actual name Hannah. And anyone who shares that name will understand. But something told me that wasn't what she meant. "Call me?"

"You know groupies have little names," she said and I could have slapped myself for being so dumb. Should I tell her Gemini? Or should I pick a different name?

"I'm still thinking," I said. 

"You don't want a bad name," she said. "That'll be the name you're remembered by around here." She looked around for the other members of her posse. "There's Victoria over there," she said pointing to a woman with similar makeup but with bright red lipstick and jet black hair. "She goes by Cherry." I nodded. "And...." She turned around. "Oh, there's Mary, she hates her name so call her Hollywood." I craned my neck to see a plump woman with flaming red hair and several earrings. "And those three over there are Susan, Diana, and Mildred. They're called Storm, Ice, and..." Trouble shrugged. "Mildred just likes to be called Millie."

I nodded, hoping I would remember all that. "How did you think of all those names?"

"Well, I was always trouble in school, so it fit," she said. "Cherry wears cherry red lipstick and she thought it sounded sensual." I nodded. "Mary got her groupie career started in Hollywood on the strip so she took that. And Storm and Ice are sisters. They must have come up with their names together. Ice is older by two years. And Millie is just Millie."

What deep dark secrets in my past would make for a good name? I was way too good of a student in school despite not being very smart. I hated getting in trouble. Cherry was a bit too...sensual for me, as they pointed out. I'd never been to Hollywood, or anywhere else cool that warranted a name. Storm and Ice were tough names and I was a borderline chicken nugget. So what, I shorten my name like Millie? Han? 

Sounds too close to Hans...

"You don't need to think of one right now, but maybe soon so we can spread the word for you. Get your name out there."

"Thanks," I said. She nodded at my notebook.

"What are you writing?"

"I'm a journalist," I lied. "I'm writing an article about the band." Trouble narrowed her eyes.

"A journalist and a groupie?" she asked. I winced and nodded, clutching my book. "Lucky," she said. I breathed out in relief. "We'd love to have a job like that. An excuse to follow bands around without the demeaning labels. Of course we're not ashamed of what we are," she added. "But sometimes you wanna stick your resume in a man's face."

"Hey, Candy!" someone called. Trouble looked up to see her friends waving her over.

"Candy's another nickname, but it's more like Millie. Not my groupie name. I gotta go," she said leaving me alone. It appeared they had cornered a roadie and he was loving every minute of the attention.