Indigo Blues

by Danielle Joseph

  I'm cleaning up my pad a little before it's studio time. Then I can come home and totally collapse after the marathon session we have planned for today, which of course includes beer.

  I pull out my Swiffer and mop the kitchen area, all five feet of it. Whoever invented this mop is pure genius. I'm singing "Sugar Rush" and my blood's pumping. And that's my phone ringing ... if it's Hannah, I'm going to have to call her back. Don't bother a man when he's cleaning, because you never know when he's going to clean again.

  Eli Jackson? Why's he calling me?

  I Swiff with one hand and pick up the phone with the other. "Hey, what's up?"

  "Adam?"

  "That's what they call me." I'm stuck on a grape juice stain on the floor. I squirt more liquid and press hard, back and forth.

  "How are you? It's Eli."

  "I know. Everything okay?"

  "Yeah, I just wanted to ask you if you'd be interested in doing an interview."

  "With you?" I set the Swiffer down and move on to the counter.

  "Heck no. With Sabian Lime on the E! network."

  "Sabian? How would you score that?"

  "I already did."

  "Geez, I should've hired you as my publicist. How did you pull that off? Nobody picks up the phone and just calls Sabian Lime."

  "I emailed first. Then got to talking with one of his PAs. Then Sabian actually called me a few days later about a show idea they were already planning. He said it was perfect timing."

  "About?" Sounds too good to be true. This kind of exposure would be amazing for the band-over a million homes, easy.

  "It's an expose called `Twisted Love."'

  "And how does Blank Stare fit into that?" I run the sponge through the tap and squeeze out the excess water.

  "Well, actually, it's not for the whole band."

  "Just me?" More squeezing.

  "And Indigo..."

  "Huh?"

  "We're talking Courtney Love, Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears ..."

  "Whoa. Indigo would never go for this."

  "I'll handle that. So, if she says yes, will you?"

  "I don't know. I saw her website. I have no idea what you guys are up to.

  "Ah, sorry, that was my fault. I was trying to set something up to satisfy the media, but I got a little carried away."

  "Still. I don't know." I look up at a photo of Blank Stare on a wall. It was taken during our senior year of high school. Battle of the Bands. We won first place. We look so young, so innocent. "This could backfire. Make me look like a dumb-ass."

  "No, Sabian's pretty tame, and think about how many people watch the The Sabian Lime Show."

  "I know." I pace back and forth. "Gina might be down for this," I mumble.

  "So you'll do it?"

  I throw the sponge up in the air. It lands on my keyboard. Damn. "What the hell, if Indigo's game. I'm in."

  "Awesome! You won't be sorry."

  "Okay, buddy. Hope you're right."

  "Listen, I gotta get back to class. I'm on a bathroom pass, but I'll call you later with the deets. Just mark your calendar for a week from this Sunday."

  "Sunday?"

  "Sabian's trying to cram in a bunch of tapings before he goes on vacation. His sister's getting married in Hawaii."

  "Right, sure."

  But immediately after we hang up, I'm not so sure. With my luck, this could be the worst day of my life. They'll probably change the name of the expose to "Star Losers" or even offer me my own show, Down Low with Adam Spade. I guess I can always call back and cancel.

  I wash the few dishes that are in the sink and make my way to the studio. When I get outside I hit the train station, but decide to keep on walking. There's no thinking room when you're crowded up down below with random people staring at you. I need to get back into the "Sugar Rush" groove.

  It's about a fifteen-minute walk, so I head west. A little tougher with my guitar, but periodically I switch shoulders. I still want to be able to play when I get to the studio. I picture myself hanging out with Sabian on his huge lime sofa. Talking about how Blank Stare got started in Zach's basement, then got bumped to his garage and finally to a warehouse before we moved to Manhattan. And how before we hooked up with Gina's brother, Scott, we just played in our apartments.

  It all goes well, until I picture Indigo next to me. I thought I knew her until she and Eli put up the website. Maybe she's just waiting for this on-air opportunity to publicly blast me for writing the song. She seemed chill when I listened to her voicemail, but still, I need to be cautious.

  Gina's the only one in the studio when I arrive.

  "Hey, are you ready to record?" she asks after I grab a water bottle and take a seat next to her.

  "All set. Feeling charged."

  "Well, you all sounded great the other day. I have a good feeling about this tune. You guys have really grown in the past few months."

  I pat my stomach. "Yeah, I better watch my beer intake."

  "Somehow I don't see you going haywire."

  "No, probably not." I reach down to tighten my shoelaces. "But I did manage to score an interview with Sabian Lime."

  "Really? How did he get ahold of you?"

  "Actually, Indigo's brother Eli set it up."

  "What? I'm confused."

  Zach walks into the room and asks what we're talking about. I explain what I've told Gina so far and then let them know the premise for the show. About the other big names that will be on the segment, too.

  "I'm skeptical about this." Gina shakes her head. "You could really mess things up for the song's debut."

  "How?" I ask.

  "Yeah, how?" Zach repeats.

  "Sabian has a way with questions, and you could get stuck in a hold and panic. Then you'll end up saying something that you regret," Gina says.

  "But this will give us both a chance to explain ourselves. Show people that I'm more than just the guy who wrote `Indigo Blues."'

  Gina shakes her head. "And it could give Indigo a chance to step all over you."

  Zach pats me on the back. "I've known Adam for a long time. If he says he can handle something, he can. Right?"

  "I can do this." I think. I hope. I know.

  "I'm surprised Indigo agreed to the interview," Zach whispers to me after Gina leaves the room.

  "She hasn't yet ... but Eli says it won't be a problem."

  "Okay, cool. E! Not too shabby."

  The others guys join us and we hustle into the studio. Time is tight since we're not the only band in town trying to record a hit song. We go through the same process as usual, a warm-up and a sound check.

  Gina tries to rev us up with morning stretches. When that doesn't work, she announces, "It's pep-talk time!"

  "For what?" I ask. We're all totally jamming, so I don't see what the point is.

  "Just want to make sure we're all on the same page before we get rolling." I realize that she's wearing a silk shirt and black pants. A far cry from her usual jeans and tee. Even Gina is game for the image upgrade.

  Jack bangs the drums. "Ready to rock."

  "Yeah, man." Tommy does some mad strumming on his bass.

  Gina claps her hands. "Good, I'm glad you're all ready. I just wanted to say that this song could really push you guys to the next level. It's your it factor. `Indigo Blues' got you in the door, but `Sugar Rush' will keep you on top."

  "I like being on the top." Zach laughs.

  Gina throws him a smirk. "I'm serious. You guys are young. You have the rest of your careers to think about."

  "Thanks for everything," I say. I know she works hard and I can't remember when any of us actually thanked her for more than bringing us grub.

  "We love you, Gina!" Zach stands up and opens his arms wide. "Group hug!"

  "This is so corny," Tommy mumbles, but when we see Gina smiling we all get in on the action. It's only a matter of seconds, though, before the group hug turns into a smack down.

  Gina quickly pulls away. "Hey guys, slow down. Thi
s isn't the WWF!"

  Zach fake punches Tommy and he falls to the ground. I pretend to trip Jack, but he comes back at me with a slap on the back.

  Derek, the sound engineer, sticks his head in the room. "Hey, cut that out. We don't need our studio insurance any higher than it already is."

  I catch my breath and pick up my guitar. Now I'm ready to rock!

  've been spending entirely too much time today trying to figure out what is wrong with Eli. Like, is he on crack? I quickly ruled that out, due to the fact that he's a total miser and purchasing drugs would only drain the "independent film fund" that he's been saving up for since he was eleven. I pondered the idea that he might have had a recent fall that none of us are aware of, or perhaps he has adolescent onset of some rare psychological disorder? Those are the only things that would explain why he thinks I should go on The Sabian Lime Show. I mean, hello, that's E! And the icing on the cake is that they're doing a show on jilted lovers or something. And I would have to go on the show with Adam.

  And even worse, Eli had the nerve to wake me up ten minutes before my alarm was supposed to go off this morning. Like he couldn't wait until I was showered and dressed to drop the bomb on me.

  I can't think about this anymore. I throw on my work clothes and charge down the stairs. I need to grab a bite to eat before I leave because I'm pulling a double and working until ten tonight. Eli's in the kitchen with one hand in the box of Frosted Flakes and the other holding his cell. As soon as he sees me, he tells the caller he has to go.

  I pull sliced deli turkey and bread out of the fridge and fix myself a sandwich. "You didn't have to get off on account of me."

  "Trevor talks too much anyway."

  "You just figured that out? You've only been friends since third grade."

  "By the way, he thinks you should do the show."

  I cut my sandwich into triangles. "And I should listen to him?"

  "I'm saying you should give it some thought."

  "I dunno. It could be like the fuel that feeds the fire, and people keep on coming back for more."

  "Or it could be the bucket of water." Eli smiles. I know he's proud of himself. I guess he should be at least mildly proud. How many fourteen-year-olds can say they set up a major interview for their sister with the E! network?

  "You're relentless." I take a bite of my sandwich. "Listen, I have to run to work."

  "Just think about it."

  I grab the other half of my sandwich and my car keys. "Bye, Eli."

  "This is The Sabian Lime Show..." he says, in the best TV voice he can muster.

  "This is Indigo Jackson signing out..." I slam the front door and say hello to Darnell.

  There are no customers in the store when I get to Rock Candy, so I straighten up the counter while Tony does the inventory. Sara's coming for swing shift but she doesn't get here for another three hours, so it's all me up front.

  A couple of middle schoolers in soccer uniforms stroll in.

  I lean over the counter. "What can I get you?"

  "Just want to get some candy," the one in the ponytail says.

  "What size bag?" I point to the three different-sized bags taped up in front of the register.

  "Medium."

  "Me too." The other girl unfolds the dollar bills crunched up in her hand.

  "I think TJ likes you, Lisa," Ponytail says.

  "Really? He's so cute. I would die. Have you heard him play the trumpet in band?" Lisa hands me the money.

  "Mrs. Simpson is always bragging about him," Ponytail whines.

  I hand Lisa back her change and say, "Can I give you some advice?"

  "Sure," she says.

  "Dating a musician can be dangerous, very dangerous."

  Both girls look at me like I have three heads.

  "I'm just saying, from experience." I try to retract my statement but I don't think it's working.

  "Okay." Lisa finally nods, clutching her empty candy bag.

  "How about a free piece of fudge?" I ask. "Creamy Peanut Butter?"

  Both girls nod. Works every time.

  After that I keep my mouth shut and don't interject into any of the customers' conversations. I have to bite my lip when two freshmen are talking about how they can't wait to work at the TV studio. I was afraid they might have recognized me from my interview with Krista, but I think my Pearl name tag throws them off. Sara walks in at three while they're still jabbering away, but she doesn't say anything either. She usually keeps to herself.

  Tony finally emerges from the back. "Anyone want to make crushed toppings for the fudge?"

  "I'll do it." Sara turns to me. "Unless you want to?"

  "No, go for it," I say. She heads to the back and Tony leans against the chocolate case while I fill the napkin dispenser.

  "So, what's eating you?" he finally asks.

  "Is it that obvious?" I'm trying my very best not to think about the interview. Not to imagine my fifteen min utes of fame ending in an infamous episode of "Tainted Love," for all to TiVo and watch over and over again.

  "You've been working here for over two years."

  "True. Eli wants me to go on The Sabian Lime Show."

  "The E! channel? Cool."

  "That's not all. It would be with Adam, on some episode about twisted loves or something."

  "But this could be your opportunity to express yourself." Tony pops a marshmallow into his mouth.

  "Something tells me it's not a good idea." I flatten a stray pink sprinkle left on the counter with the tip of my fingernail.

  "Well, what did your car Darryl have to say?" Tony laughs.

  "His name is Darnell, and it's not funny."

  Tony straightens out his face. "Sorry, please give Darnell my apologies. But seriously, I would seize the opportunity. You have nothing to lose."

  "Nothing?"

  "Hear me out, Indigo. You're young. You did nothing wrong, and I'm sure deep down Adam knows this, too. So just go on the show and be yourself. And let the world know what a great person you really are."

  "Thanks, Tony. You might have a great future as a guidance counselor."

  "No, I do better with chocolate. My mom was a great believer that good food is the perfect stall medicine."

  "Huh?"

  "Give them something sweet, let them thaw out, and then they'll figure it out." Tony tosses out the near-empty container of malt balls.

  "So I need to eat a boatload of chocolate before I go on national TV?"

  "I dunno. I don't think my mom had that one in mind when she doled out her advice." He pats me on the back and tosses me the keys. "Just be your sweet self."

  "Where are you going?"

  "You're closing tonight." Tony sticks his head in the back room. "Sara, can you stay, too?"

  I hear her say yes.

  "Great. You can lock up, Indigo."

  "But, I..."

  He walks out the door and doesn't look back.

  Sara returns to the counter and fills the containers of jellybeans. I take my break in Tony's office and flip through a cooking magazine on his desk. After less than fifteen, I'm back at the front.

  The remainder of the afternoon is pretty steady with customers, and then at six a bunch of moms and toddlers stroll in for a boy's third birthday. Guess those kids are going to be bouncing off the walls when they get home. They're cute, though, and I show them all how to make chocolate-covered pretzels.

  In the evening, it slows down, and I'm just left to think about what Tony said. Maybe he has a point. Maybe I could do it. Maybe it will clear the air and then everyone can move onto something else.

  While Sara and I are sweeping up, I finally ask her what she thinks.

  "I have no idea what it's like to be in your shoes, but you have nothing to hide." She moves the broom under the counter.

  "How do you know?" I laugh.

  "It might be fun, and you get to go to New York."

  "Yeah, that's true, I didn't even think about that." Cat and I have been dying to go sh
opping in Manhattan and this could be our ticket. It sounds a bit more enticing now. But do I want to expose myself to the world on national TV for one weekend in the Big Apple?

  On the way home, I call Cat. "Good or bad news first?"

  She doesn't hesitate. "Good. Always."

  "We have a reason to go to New York next weekend."

  "Really? Do we need a place to stay? Because, you know, my cousin Jane's dying to have us visit."

  I slow for the blinking red light on Evergreen Street. Nobody is out tonight, and there's only a few other cars on the road. "That's if we want to go."

  "What's the catch, then?"

  "Eli booked me on The Sabian Lime Show with Adam."

  She screams into the phone. "No way! I love that show! When do we leave?"

  "Not so fast." I hit another light. This one's at the intersection of Route 16 and is not blinking. "It's about twisted loves and could be a total disaster."

  "No, this is what you need. This is your comeback!"

  "My comeback? I never knew I left."

  "Well, your moment to shine, then."

  I pull into my driveway but don't get out. "I don't know. This could be a huge mistake."

  "It's going to be awesome. I'll help you come up with some solid answers like I did for Krista's interview. Think of it as a girls' weekend in the city-shopping, parties, good food."

  "What about our parents?"

  "Well, we know yours will be cool with it. And trust me, if I can get you to say yes, I can get my parents to. So do I hear a yes?"

  I turn Darnell off and grab the box of Rocky Road fudge that Mom asked me to bring home. "Si," I finally say.

  "Yay, you won't regret this!" Cat makes kissy sounds into the phone.

  "I hope you're right," I mumble.

  'm still totally shocked that Eli got Indigo to agree to this interview. Because it also means that I can't back out now. I better not choke, or I'll never hear the end of it from Gina. She's been really stressing out about our image. I never knew so much went into creating a lasting band. Silly me. I used to think it was all about the music.