{"id":1737,"date":"2021-06-27T06:49:11","date_gmt":"2021-06-27T13:49:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/?p=1737"},"modified":"2021-08-09T10:06:05","modified_gmt":"2021-08-09T17:06:05","slug":"backup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/needlepictures.com\/tbd\/2021\/06\/27\/backup\/","title":{"rendered":"Backup – AKA Fight at the Gum Club"},"content":{"rendered":"

    This is my first ever piece of literary fan fiction in which I take Dani Dassler’s<\/a> intrepid punk jock character Andrea, (AKA Dre,) the main character of PR<\/a> and Coming Up Gray<\/a>, and put her in a story with my very own punk extraordinaire Skye Wright, MC of my last novel What the Hell Ever Happened to Yuri Rozhenko?<\/a><\/p>\n

    I have written fan fiction before, but it was very silly Sci-Fi fan fiction!<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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     She turned the corner, hoping to find Onion or Scream.
\n      She stopped in her tracks. No one was there, save for a mop of curly blonde hair that was bent over a cigarette.
\n      Skye stepped cautiously into the alley as if she were entering a crime scene. The complete absence of her new Los Angeles crew was throwing her off. The blonde mop was wearing a leather jacket and a plaid skirt, her ripped up fishnets going down to the top of her boots.
\n      \u201cHeya,\u201d said Skye. \u201cWhere everybody at?\u201d
\n      The blonde mop just shrugged. Cigarette smoke creeped through her blonde curls.
\n      \u201cGot an extra cig?\u201d asked Skye.
\n      The blonde mop held out a cigarette without raising her head.
\n      Skye took the cigarette. \u201cThanks.\u201d Skye looked through her jacket pockets. \u201cY’gotta light?\u201d
\n      The blonde tilted back her head and her hair fell away from her face. \u201cYou want me to smoke it for you too?\u201d The blonde held out a lighter.
\n      \u201cNice shiner,\u201d said Skye as she took the lighter.
\n      \u201cThanks. I wish I could say I made it myself.\u201d
\n      Skye lit her cigarette. \u201cClub brawl?\u201d
\n      The blonde mop shook her head. \u201cSome putas gave me a beat down because some jerk went and kissed me.\u201d
\n     \u201cWhat? You gamin’ on someone’s guy?\u201d asked Skye as she handed back the lighter.
\n     \u201cNope. Brown on white. They’re pissed at me ’cause they say I took one a’ their Latin boys.\u201d
\n     \u201cDamn. We don’t have that shit so much in the Bay Area. It’s not so much of a thing up there.\u201d
\n     The blonde mop didn’t say anything.
\n     \u201cI’m Skye.\u201d
\n     \u201cAndrea,\u201d she said through her locks.
\n     \u201cYou native? I’m down from San Francisco.\u201d
\n     \u201cI’m from a town you never heard of.\u201d
\n     \u201cSure.\u201d Skye leaned against the wall. \u201cYou seen any of these bands before?\u201d
\n     Andrea lifted her head and looked at Skye. \u201cI’ve seen Dani and the Jackals, but I don’t know the other bands.\u201d
\n      \u201cThey any good?\u201d
\n      \u201cWhat?\u201d
\n      \u201cDani and the Jackals. I’ve heard of ’em but I’ve never seen them play.\u201d
\n      “They’re a fuckin’ riot,\u201d said Andrea as she tossed her cigarette butt. \u201cMy friend’s band was supposed to play. I didn’t know they were canceled until I got here.\u201d
\n     \u201cDamn. I hate it when that happens.\u201d Skye looked around the alley. \u201cUsually some of my friends are back here with a twelve pack. I was hopin’ to scam some beer offa them.\u201d
\n     \u201cI could really use a beer,\u201d said Andrea as she sat back. \u201cThose putas are in the club.\u201d
\n     \u201cThe ones who gave you that shiner?\u201d
\n     \u201cYep,\u201d said Andrea as she took out another cigarette.
\n     Skye reached into her jacket and took out two bottles of Moosehead. She held out one for Andrea.
\n     \u201cYou carry beer around with you?\u201d asked Andrea.
\n     \u201cThat one was for my friend Casey. But she ain’t here.\u201d
\n     Andrea eyed the bottle. \u201cIsn’t she gonna be pissed off that I drank her beer?\u201d
\n     \u201cShe ain’t here. She snoozes she loses. Besides, I can’t sneak this shit into the club, so someone has to drink it.\u201d
\n     \u201cSure,\u201d said Andrea as she took the bottle. \u201cIt’s still cold.\u201d
\n     \u201cI just nabbed it from the corner store. We drink back here so we don’t have to spend fifty dollars for beer in the club.\u201d
\n     Andrea opened her beer and took a good long chug
\n     \u201cYour friends are still here though, right?\u201d asked Skye. \u201cEven though their band got canceled?\u201d
\n     \u201cNope.\u201d
\n     \u201cWell, sounds like you’re gonna have a fun night.\u201d
\n     \u201cI don’t know where they are.\u201d Andrea looked at her cell. \u201cThey haven’t returned any of my texts yet.\u201d
\n     Skye shook her head. \u201cThat’s the life, ain’t it? Too much chaos.\u201d
\n     Andrea turned and looked at Skye. Andrea looked as if she were about to say something. But she didn’t say anything.
\n     \u201cYeah. I’ve been there,\u201d said Skye as she nodded.
\n      Andrea chugged the rest of her beer. \u201cThe first band’s about to go on.\u201d Andrea stood up and stubbed out her cigarette.
\n      \u201cYou really gonna go in there? I mean, not knowing if your backup is here?\u201d
\n      \u201cFuck it. I’m not gonna let those bitches keep me out. I wanna go in the club. I don’t want to wait.\u201d
\n     Skye tilted her beer bottle. \u201cHey, if you want, you can hang with me and my friends.\u201d
\n     Andrea looked right at Skye. \u201cWhat?\u201d
\n      \u201cMeet my friends Casey and Scorch. Come hang with us crusties.\u201d
\n     \u201cCrusties? Because you’re old?\u201d
\n     \u201cPhysically yes.\u201d
\n     Andrea stood straight. \u201cWhy would I want to do that? Why would I need to do that?\u201d
\n     Skye held up her hands. \u201cHey, the chicas locas got there thing goin’, why can’t we have our own white girl corner of the club?\u201d
\n     Andrea took a couple of steps towards Skye. Skye did not budge. \u201cI don’t need your backup. I can take care of myself.\u201d
\n     \u201cI don’t doubt it,\u201d said Skye flatly. \u201cBut you know, punks can kick it, right? Just hang out?\u201d
\n     Andrea turned away from Skye. “I don’t need your help.”
\n     Andrea looked out of the alley and marched away, leaving Skye all alone with her half-finished beer.
\n     Andrea made her way back into the club, flashing her stamp at the door and walking out over the dark floor.
\n      She couldn’t see the chicas. She could not see Dereck or any of her other friends. She wondered if she should wait for them by the bar. The bar was where most of the club employees were, and they would break up any dust ups that started over there. She decided to avoid the bar. She didn’t want to look like she was taking the easy way out. She would never get any respect that way. She looked out over the floor and decided she would check out the stage to see if she couldn’t spot the playlist for the headliner.
\n     Andrea stood near the center of the floor which only had a few milling people. She wondered where the first band was. Only a few roadies were onstage, fiddling with microphones and amps.
\n     She never saw them in the crowd until the squeezed past a small gang of flannel shirts. They barged right up to her, stopping just a few feet away from her.
\n     \u201cWhat the fuck bitch. Who gave you permission to come here?\u201d
\n     \u201cYour madre did,\u201d said Andrea. \u201cShe said so when I passed her on the corner.\u201d
\n     The lead chica brought up her fist and palmed it with her other hand as she glowered at Andrea.
\n     Andrea stood her ground and started flexing her right hand, moving her fingers in and out, which were still stiff and sore from the last fight.
\n     Only this time she was ready. She was ready for the jump. She was going to throw the first punch if she had to and see how much damage she could do before the main throwdown got started.
\n     She told herself she was going to try and win the fight, despite the odds.
\n     They gave her their hard stares. Andrea felt a twinge go through her arm. Her shoulders tightened up.
\n      The lead chica’s two homegirls sided up right behind her. They were balling up their fists. A slight tremor tried to well itself up inside Andrea, but she did her best to hold it down.
\n      She knew the leader would throw the first punch, and then the other two would hit her from the sides. She was about to get peppered by fists. The short leader would be her first target. She was going to go for her face. Maybe she could cut them down from three to two if she got in a good shot on her nose.
\n      Slowly, the expressions of the three chicas started to soften. Their eyes became wide. Their scowls dropped. The lead chica unwrapped her fists, flexing her hands flat and bringing them to her side.
\n     The lead chica narrowed her eyes at Andrea for just a moment before all three took a step back. Andrea’s eyes became wide and her mouth was agape as she watched the three back up and melt back into the crowd near the stage.
\n     Andrea brought down her hands and held them at her side, ready to bring them up again quickly if they decided to double back. Her mind raced as she wondered what they were doing.
\n      Andrea turned around. Right behind her was Skye, standing with half a dozen other punks, including a very tall woman with wild black hair, and an enormous women with buzzed cut hair, wearing a black leather jacket.
\n     \u201cWhat the fuck!\u201d blurted Andrea.
\n     Skye held up her hands. \u201cWhat? We’re just hanging out.\u201d
\n      Andrea narrowed her eyes at Skye. She felt her hand tightening.
\n      The tall one with the wild black hair also held up her hands as if she was surrendering. \u201cJust a bunch of us girls hanging out. Really! That’s all.\u201d
\n      \u201cYeah, ain’t no thang,\u201d said the large woman in the leather coat. \u201cJust waitin’ for the show!\u201d
\n      Andrea looked at them for another moment. Her mind went blank. Her right arm trembled.
\n      Andrea turned and walked out of the club. Getting through the door, her skin stood one edge as it had become cooler outside. She lit a cigarette just as Dereck walked up.
\n      \u201cWhere the fuck have you been?\u201d asked Andrea.
\n     \u201cStuck behind a pile up on the freeway. We were jammed for days!\u201d
\n     \u201cFuckin’ a.\u201d
\n     \u201cI saw those evil Latinas taking off. Did they fuck with you?\u201d
\n      Andrea looked back at the club. She turned back towards Dereck.
\n      Andrea let out a long breath.\u201cNo. No big deal.\u201d<\/p>\n


\nCheck out Dani Dassler’s PR, available on Amazon in Paperback and for Kindle.<\/p>\n

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