Disclaimers:
This story, though it makes use of several of the characters and general ideas from NBC's "American Dreams," is still mine. No infringement was intended since this is fan fiction and meant solely for fun.
Love/Sex: Sometime in the future, I foresee sex and love (or love and sex) for these characters - between two adult females, by the way. So, if that's not your cup of tea, tough.
Violence: Perhaps in later parts, but I will try not to make anything too gruesome. J
Comments: Hope you like, always love feedback. bmoonwriter@yahoo.com
The raucous seemed to almost possess the young bodies moving to the music. The beat was loud and the atmosphere filled with adrenaline and with the sounds of young people enjoying the melody of a good tune. They were dancing as though their very lives depended on it. In the middle of the dance floor the two most prominent dancers grooved to the music. One compact with curly blonde hair bouncing on her forehead, and the other lean with black hair made into a fashionable sixtees do. The cute blonde was smiling for all she was worth as the final straining sounds of the tune slowly drew to an end. Her pearly white teeth gleamed with a healthy shine, giving her sweet face a beautiful glow. Her smile showcased twin dimples on the top of her cheeks and made her blue eyes flash with bright enthusiasm. The dark haired girl couldn't help but smile in response to her best friend's enjoyment. She loved being the first to hear any newly released song and dancing in front of the camera to the catchy beats was but a bonus. Roxanne knew that her friend Meg felt exactly the same way. American Bandstand gave them that necessary thrill that neither could live without. That was the excuse that brought Meg's father around. Even though he was initially completely against the idea, his daughter's knack for dancing and music was hard for even him to ignore.
The song came to an end in the background and the dancers applauded the performers before being called back to their seats. Both Roxanne and Meg moved to their usual spot on the bleachers, all along smiling for the camera.
"Lenny and his group are back from their tour, you know," said Roxanne quietly.
Even though they weren't supposed to speak during the performances, Meg and Roxanne were veterans on the show and consequently harbored no fear of their superiors. However, they still tried to maintain a modicum of interest and speak in hushed tones about the life altering matters that ruled the lives of teenagers everywhere.
"Yeah, so are you going to get back with him?"
"I don't know if I should, you know what happened the last time we saw each other. And besides, one of his band mates is kind of cute and he seems interested?" she smiled cunningly, wiggling her eyebrows to match her expression.
Meg crooked a smile, shaking her head at her friend. Roxanne has been her best friend since they were kids, but at times even she found her over the top. Suddenly remembering something she had been meaning to discuss with her friend, she asked, "Hey, have you heard about that new place on the other side of town?"
Roxanne shook her head after a brief moment of thought, "No, what place?"
"There's this new bar, I think, with live music all night long. I've been wanting to go there, check it out."
Roxanne scrunched her face in thought, "I don't know, you sure your dad will let you go? Besides, how will we get there?"
Meg smiled triumphantly, "You know what they say, what he doesn't know won't hurt him, and we can take the bus."
Roxanne couldn't keep the look of surprise off her face when she answered, "Are you serious? That is so unlike you."
Shrugging, Meg said, "I know, I know. I just really want to go and with everything going around, I really need to get out for a bit."
What with Roxanne practically living in the Pryor house, she knew everything that was going on and could easily understand Meg's need. The Pryors were constantly worried about their son JJ fighting in Vietnam; they were still just recovering from Will's surgery; Patty was a handful as a growing wise crack, and Meg seemed to hardly be at the top of their list of concern any longer. She had her own set of personal problems to combine with her familial ones.
"Alright, we'll go then. You can tell your parents you're coming over to study and we won't stay late."
Meg's smile was blinding in its intensity, "Great, it's a plan." It wasn't as though they had never done anything like that before, she rationalized.
Both girls were already fidgeting with excitement; they couldn't wait for the show to end so they could put their plan into action. Before long, the show came to an end and the girls were the first out of the door. As always, fans of the show were waiting outside to get the stars' autographs and both Meg and Roxanne were more than happy to oblige.
Rushing up the driveway, Meg entered her house. Seeing her mother putting away the dishes in the kitchen, she greeted her cheerfully and headed to her room to change. Her mother's voice rang throughout the house, "Meg, do you want some dinner, honey?"
"No thanks, mom. I'm going over to Roxanne's so I'll probably grab something there." She yelled back.
Freshening up in the bathroom quickly, Meg pulled on a pair of dark, warm slacks and a jacket to keep away the cold. She tucked some money into her pocket and checked herself in the mirror one last time before heading back to the kitchen and out of the door. "Bye mom."
"Don't be late, honey." Her mother's words came through the already closed door.
With a noticeable bounce to her step, she headed for Roxanne's house that wasn't but a block away. She came to a halt near the bus station where she found Roxanne already waiting, obviously freezing in a flimsy shirt and tiny skirt. "Roxanne, why didn't you put on something warmer, it's freezing out here."
"Noooo?" Roxanne drew out the word sarcastically, which lost its effect as it was said through chattering teeth. "I just thought that a jacket would look too bulky over this." Again, Meg could only shake her head in wonder.
The bus didn't take too long to arrive and they were on their way to the new bar off on the other side of town. The bar was called "Bailey's" and it seemed like a cozy little place if one could judge it from the outside. Few cars were parked in front of the establishment and the girls were delighted to see that the place wasn't overcrowded. Some heads turned their way when they came in but the low rumble of voices immediately resumed. The bar was indeed on the small size but could still probably fit about a hundred people. A few wooden tables were scattered around the middle of the room, in front of a stage. To the right stood a long, wooden, polished bar and a door that seemed to be leading to a back room and perhaps, to an upper floor. Meg found her way to a nearby table, took her coat off and sat down.
"I'll go get us something to drink." Roxanne offered.
Meg looked around and tried to gauge her surroundings. It was certainly not the kind of place she used to frequent and her father would probably kill her if he ever found out. Most of the bar's clientele were bikers and their women, but there were some regular drunks as well. Meg breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed that no one was paying any kind of attention to neither her nor her friend. She was content to simply sit, enjoy the ambiance and hopefully listen to good music. Roxanne returned with two glasses containing a dark liquid, which she set on the table. "The bartender said it was good and that we should try it." Throwing caution to the wind, Roxanne shrugged and took a sip. At the grimace that appeared on Roxanne's face, Meg decided to forgo the drink.
The girls chatted for a while until the sounds coming from the stage averted their attention. A man of about sixty was arranging the stage for the performance, placing a single chair in front of the microphone.
"I thought you said there'll be a live band." Roxanne said accusingly.
"No, I said there'll be live music."
All conversation ceased immediately though when the figure of the lone musician stepped onto the stage. She was a striking figure, with long black hair and a tall, lean body to compliment her broad shoulders and muscular physique. She wore a simple white shirt with black slacks and combat boots. Ascending the stage, she held a guitar securely in her hand. She took a seat on the afore-prepared chair, perched her guitar on her lap and repositioned the mic to fit her height. The crowd grew silent in the face of the performer. With the first strum of the guitar, she began to sing. The sound of her pure, sultry voice struck a chord in the hearts of her listeners. If they hadn't been captivated by her striking beauty, they found themselves enamored with the sound of her voice. Like the sirens' song before her, she had the power to pull in stray travelers, and hold them in her charm till their parched lips and throats cried for a drop of water. The song seemed to go on forever as no one wanted to break the enchanted atmosphere. Meg was no different; she was as captivated as the rest of the crowd. Her heart skipped a beat whenever the singer strummed her long fingers over the strings, and then came back with double speed whenever the singer would throw a glance her way. The singer's bright blue eyes were probably her best feature, thought Meg. She could turn you into a human block of ice or surround you with her watery depths. Finally, the spell was broken when the singer thanked the applauding crowd with a bowed head. She excused herself for a few minutes and then stepped off the stage, leaning her guitar on the chair.
"Wow, she's good," the tones of appreciation oozing out of Roxanne's voice.
Meg simply nodded dumbly since she couldn't find her tongue to speak. She had to swallow thickly before she managed to utter a word, "I'm going to get some air, I'll be right back, okay?"
Roxanne took another sip from her now half full glass of dark liquid and nodded. The taste didn't seem so bad anymore and her grimace could hardly be seen by then. Meg pulled her jacket on and headed for the exit. She had a secret agenda under the guise of going for some air; she had noticed the singer slip outside after her set and felt the need to follow her. She couldn't explain her feelings but the singer piqued her interest. Being on Bandstand, she heard many talented new artists, but never anyone like her; she was a natural and surprisingly enough, she wanted to learn more about her. As she stepped into the chilly night air, she hoped she wouldn't make a complete fool of herself in front of the talented stranger or be faced with hostile rebuff. Strolling casually into the open, she searched for the figure with her eyes. On the other side of the building she saw the singer reclining on the wall of the bar, busily blowing puffs of smoke out of her mouth. Nonchalantly, Meg started in her direction. She stopped less than a foot away from the reclining figure and gazed interestedly at the stars. She was nervous and she couldn't fathom why. The stranger kept taking puffs out of her cigarette while looking into space. She didn't seem bothered by the fact that Meg stood there watching her, albeit discretely, and yet she didn't seem all too interested in making conversation either. Meg couldn't take the silence any longer, being a chatty individual at heart, and said, "Nice night, huh?" trying to entice the dark woman into any kind of conversation.
The singer pulled on her cigarette and blew the smoke slowly into the air, letting the billows mingle with the vapors from the cold, before answering. "Yeah, it is. Kind of cold though." She gazed at the young blonde that was studying her profile. Offering a lop-sided grin, she extended her hand in greeting, "Hi, my name's Luke, and you are?"
Meg smiled happily and took the older woman's hand in a firm shake. "Hi Luke, I'm Meg. I just wanted to tell you how much I liked your performance, I think you were wonderful."
The same half smile appeared on Luke's chiseled features when she thanked the young girl. "Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it."
After introductions were made, Luke returned to her previous reclining position, smiling when she saw Meg do the same. Meg pulled her jacket tighter around her body and couldn't help but look over at Luke to see her only in her t-shirt. "Aren't you cold?" Asked Meg, shivering slightly.
"No. Aren't you supposed to be in bed by now?" Retorted Luke teasingly, the cigarette dangling precariously from her lips.
Meg narrowed her eyes in mock threat but relented quickly at the teasing glint she noticed in the singer's eyes. Even though she barely knew the singer, Meg could still feel a certain connection to the woman. She had felt that same sort of connection a long time ago and that had turned out into the long lasting friendship she had with Roxanne. 'She had trusted that feeling then and she would gladly trust that feeling now,' she concluded. Finishing her cigarette and stubbing it with her boot, the singer turned to the young woman at her side, "So, are you going to listen to the second set or are you in a hurry?"
"I'm in no hurry, I'll be here."
Luke smiled crookedly and said, "Good." With nothing further to say she pushed herself off the wall and held the door to the bar open for Meg to get in.
The evening slowly blended into night as the girls enjoyed Luke's music and a few brief chats in between. They hadn't noticed how long they had been sitting in the bar and when Meg finally looked at her watch, she jumped out of her chair as though she had been bitten by a snake. Roxanne had had quite a bit to drink and her reflexes weren't as sharp as the terrified Meg's. Pulling Roxanne to her feet, Meg barely registered anything that went on around her. She spared no second glance toward the stage or the back room, where Luke was last seen, and made her way to the door as fast as her legs could carry herself and the stumbling Roxanne. By the time they reached the bus station, it was already close to midnight and she knew she was doomed. Dropping off the inebriated Roxanne, she walked toward her own house. Her steps were heavy and measured, much like the ones of a death row prisoner on his final walk. When the door to their kitchen opened, all hell broke loose.