How Not To Be A Groupie

Chapter Twenty Seven: Invitations

"Any plans, boys?"

Stelle and I stood by the backdoor. Backstage was filled with fans and crew. I caught sight of Hollywood during the night and Bon went off to spend time with her. Angus kept to himself in a corner while he got dressed. He wouldn't look in my direction. I wondered how much he read, and how much he actually believed. I mean, come on. Who would believe someone time traveled back to the seventies? 

Cliff looked ready to pass out and take a nap right on the couch and Phil had also left. Malcolm gathered his stuff. "I'm goin' out for a drink. I can walk back in the mornin'."

"Hang on, Mal, I'm comin'." Cliff stood up and followed Malcolm out the door. A couple roadies joined up with them and the group left together for a drink. 

"Angus? You have any plans tonight?"

"No," he said putting on his shoes. "Not anythin' worth writin' about."

That had to be a jab at me, right?

"Hannah and I are throwing a party at my hotel room in a few days," Stelle said. "You're always invited, you and the others."

He sort of smiled and stood up from his chair. "Thanks. I'll consider it." Stelle grabbed my hand and grabbed another can of beer for the road.

"Come on, we gotta get back so I can call up my friends." Stelle led me out of the building and I took one last look at Angus. He glanced up at me once before Stelle ushered me out the door. 

Now how was I going to ask him about it...

Maybe I didn't need to? Maybe he'd just brush it off as something silly I wrote down or....who was I kidding? This was nothing to brush off. And I knew good and well when Angus got the chance...he'd tell the others. 

Stelle forwent the buses and hailed a taxi. We took the scenic way back to the hotel, passing swarms of bars and nightclubs on the way. They were so pretty. I loved the city at night with the flashing neon signs and the light traffic. But it really was quite the jungle. Rather a big pond for such a little fish. 

Not to mention it smelled like weed.

**********

Back at the hotel Stelle made for the phone and I made for the fridge. It would take her friends a while to get to Australia so I knew the party wouldn't be for a few days. That put me at ease for the moment. I grabbed whatever leftovers were under the tin foil and settled on that for dinner. 

Stelle came up to me with a notepad and a pen. "Bad news, Morgan can't make it. She's already in China and can't leave until her job is finished." I was actually a little disappointed to hear that, I liked Morgan Steele. "But Bunny said she'd be happy to fly over from Georgia and tomorrow I'll call some others."

"How many do you expect to show up?" I asked.

"Oh, not many," she said inspecting one of her nails. She chewed on it a bit. "Oz is such a far away place, people really underestimate how long the trip is. Your legs must have been aching on that plane!" I swallowed. 

"Yeah....yeah they were..."

"Don't be surprised if it ends up being a slumber party," Stelle said waving off any concern on my face. "We're all so busy working and being adults that we forget how to have fun sometimes. And with the trip as long as it is...." I could see a bit of concern on Stelle's face too. Suddenly I wanted this to be the best party she's ever been to. She probably missed all her friends and wanted so badly to have a good time. Remember throwing a birthday party and inviting all your friends and classmates and none of them showed up? 

I sure do.

It would be selfish of me to hope no one showed up. I'd be a good sport about this. I'd let Stelle introduce me to her friends and we'd listen to music and dance and they'd drink and have fun and Stelle would be given a toast and I'd have a lot of fun. I'd give it a chance.

"Hey...what would you say about inviting the Glamour Girls to my party?" Stelle asked, her face brightening. "They like to have a good time, don't they? Next time you see one of them can you ask for their number?"

"Sure," I smiled. 

**********

Luckily it didn't take me long to find Hollywood outside our hotel the next day. She was smoking a cigarette and eating an apple. "Excuse me?" I said walking up to her.

"I know you," she said in a strong Aussie accent. She wore a t-shirt and jeans, her arms covered in tattoos. "You're one of the groupies for AC/DC, aren't you?"

"Yeah," I said, trying not to blush. Despite being here for so long now and getting in good with the band I still wasn't used to someone else point blank calling me a groupie. "You know Stelle? Their photographer?"

"I've seen her around a bit. Trouble says she hangs around you most of the time." 

"Well....I guess I actually hang around her," I admitted. Hollywood shrugged. 

"Potato, potahto. Does she want something?" I took a deep, calming breath. 

"She's throwing a party," I said. "We're still waiting on the date since she's inviting friends over from Europe and places like that....she wanted me to invite you and the others...if you weren't too busy..." I bit my lip and shielded my eyes from the glowing sun. The flies were outrageous. A restraining order couldn't keep them away! 

"You staying in this hotel?" she asked thumbing behind her. 

"Yeah, the party's in our room." Well, technically Stelle's room....

"Hmm....I'll tell the others and see what they think. Maybe I'll come," she said. "The others can do what they want, I don't really care either way."

"Are you...staying in this hotel too?" I asked.

"Nah, we've got a place down the road. Susan's and-sorry, Storm's and Ice's place. We all take our own car to the concerts instead of taking the buses."

"Oh," I said. She took another bite of her apple.

"I'm out here wondering if Bon had dropped by. We went out last night and we went to a motel afterwards and he was gone this morning. He mentioned a couple of hotel names and this is one he talked about."

"I haven't seen him," I said, as if that would help. She shrugged again.

"Eh, it's alright. Tell your friend we might come. You said there isn't a day yet?"

"No," I said. Stelle's still working it out." Some cars honked behind me followed by a long string of words that start with "F". 

"Alright, pick a day and next show we're at she can tell us," Hollywood said finishing her apple. "Is the band coming?"

"I don't know if Stelle officially invited any of them...well, wait, she sort of invited Angus."

"Angus, huh?" Hollywood's eyes sparkled and shone with mischief and I felt a bit jealous. I tried to hide my pout. "Maybe we'll come just to see him. And if I can't find Bon, who knows...I'll enjoy someone else's company." She took off down the sidewalk and waved. 

I let myself pout. I wanted to stamp my foot like a child but I didn't. Instead, I turned back to the hotel to see if Stelle was around to share the news with.