My Punk Rock Princess Ch. 02

The fights started. It was never big. Just a minute or two of some smartass remarks we would make to each other. Her about me not spending time with her between tours and I about her changing her mind about my future and wanting me to have dinner ready when she got home. It was never a big fight. Until one day she came back from a small three week tour up the coast of California and I wasn't there. I was with Lizz and the band critiquing their latest performance at a small venue in east LA.

"Where the fuck were you? You knew I would be home today." Spat Mayra as I walked in the door.

"With the band they had a gig."

"And that was more important than seeing me."

"You know you are more important to me but I needed to be there."

"They can handle one show on their own."

"It's my responsibility to give them feedback and help them improve."

"And you have no sense of responsibility when it comes to seeing the girl you love for the first time in three weeks."

And so the argument continued. This had been building up for a while and it all got let loose that night. It had been by far the worst fight of our relationship and one that took the longest for each of us to say sorry for. For a week we were walking on eggshells around each other until we finally had a civilized talk. In the end we decided to make concessions. She would realize that I started on my dream like she had so long ago and would do more to support me and when it wasn't absolutely necessary I would leave the band on their own and make sure to spend more time with her.

That was a tough week to promise that though. I had decided to show Jesse the band and so to prepare I had been and was going to continue filming the band and take the best of the best to show Jesse in a few days. So, I had increased the number of practices and booked two shows as well. I was actually concerned I would burn them out, but their ambition and stamina impressed me. So I was usually with the band or editing either recordings or video of them on the new computer I had bought for just that occasion. Mayra and I had another small fight about that when she saw what it cost.

"What time is your meeting with Jesse?" asked Mayra.

"1 o'clock."

"Then it should be no problem getting back here at six."

"Should be home by five."

"Then six won't be a problem. I was planning on making us dinner."

"Wow, a sexy rockstar with housewife skills. How did I get so lucky?"

"Robert, I'm serious about this. We haven't even been on a real date in months and we promised to spend more time together."

"Then why don't we go out?"

"I want to do this for you here. Plus, if we're home we can just talk here privately about anything and then just lay on the couch and watch a movie together like we used to. I miss doing that."

I thought about when we first moved in together. We would stay up late often just talking about anything. Serious conversation or irrelevant bullshit, I never had longer conversations with anybody else. Every other girlfriend I had would be lucky if she got one thirty minute conversation with me during our relationship without having a long pause in the middle. Mayra got one of those from me at Denny's at two in the morning after one of her shows before we even started going out. I used to love talking to this girl. I used to watch her expressions and would commit to memory what each one meant based on what she was telling me at the time. I picked up little quirks she had like the way she tucked her hair behind her ear whenever I complimented her in public when someone might hear during those conversations.

The frequency of these conversations obviously dropped since we spent so much time together, we naturally knew all of each other's stories and tendencies. Still, given the sudden drop in time spent together, we should have new things to tell each other, and yet, we had not sat down and just talked in so long. I suddenly realized how much I missed the girl I lived with.

"Ok. We'll make it a stay-in-date. The date will be for six o clock on the dot."

"Thanks." She ran to me and jumped up to hold on to me. I lifted her up and she gave me a passionate kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too. You're my punk rock princess, remember?"

"Shut up." She always said that nickname was corny, but I knew she liked that I had a nickname like that for her.

***********************

I greeted Jesse and we gave each other a handshake that turned into a shoulder bump as we sat down to eat. He was the one that wanted to meet at a restaurant. He said something about it being tax deductible. It seemed weird to me how casually he took everything when I was nervous as hell. Its not like he was a stranger but he still had the power to jumpstart my goals or possibly crush them with his criticism. We chit chat for a bit asking about how me and Mayra were doing and if I thought the band was still getting along great, again bringing up the fact that he had seen so many bands break up at this point. We ordered our food and finally he got down to business.

"So, what's with this new band?" he said as he took a sip of his early afternoon beer.

"They're called Starlight. They are a female led band. Similar to Mayra's 'Till Dawn but they definitely have their own sound. They are a bit harder rock and I doubt they would do a ballad, but their sound is still has that commercial appeal."

"You said the magic words. Got a sample?" I handed him a CD for him too keep and then my iPod so he could listen to it now. He put on the headphones and brought his gaze down slightly and seemed to concentrate on the music. He listened to the first song for about 2 minutes and then skipped to the next for a couple more and finally to the third one. "Not bad, would be nice to have a slightly better recording but I know they're still poor. What do they look like?" I just grabbed the Ipod and played the video I had spent so much time filming and editing for just this occasion then handed it back. Again he concentrated on it and took a minute or so and then fast forwarded it the video. "Hey, she ain't bad. She could use a tighter shirt but otherwise she's got that tough sexy look. I could work with this."

"Glad you like them."

"Whoa whoa, easy there. I said I could work with them, doesn't mean I will." Apparently I didn't hide my disappointment in my expression because he chuckled. "Its not the end of the world. First tell me a few things. Do they have a myspace?"

"Of course."

"How many friends?"

"Around 3500."

"Ok, lets see. We can assume that among the four of them they got roughly 50 of those from family and close friends. Another 300 minimum from aquaintences and classmates from highschool. And I would say another 500 from other bands they have played with and their closest friends and fans. Then we got the random people they sent friend requests to and some of those just accepting it because they want people to think they are popular and therefore are not fans. That takes away about another 500. So, that's about...2150 real fans... maybe. How long have they been playing gigs?"

"They started a year and a half ago."

"How far have they gone out?"

"From LA to San Bernardino."

"Not a bad territory, but still really local. I would look for a way to get them to at least San Diego and then maybe up to Santa Barbara and then head north. Hell, see if you can at least get them to Yuma. If you do that and bring their friends to over 10000 I can see getting them on some of our artists' tours and eventually signing them."

"No chance you would do that now?"

He gave a loud laugh. "I see you got some boldness to go with that ear of yours. I like that. But, they are still too green for me. I am still relatively small, so I can't afford the money to promote them from nothing and take a chance on them. 'Till Dawn had a following when I signed them. And Mayra is smoking hot... you lucky bastard." It was my turn to laugh. "But, knowing your ear for talent and your eye for the ever so necessary although sometimes overwhelming commercial aspects that a band needs to make it big, I have faith that they have real potential."

"Thanks, I appreciate that." Our food comes and we begin to dig in. "You got any advice or any other help you can give me?"

"Well," he swallows the food he had in his mouth, "try to find shows for them in the cities I told you. Also, try some beach shows in LA and San Diego, specifically ones that are tied to other city events and are free. They attract a lot of random locals and tourists that would not normally go to a show. That's about all I got for advice. As far as help, I got a couple of friends setting up an all day battle of the bands in a couple of months and they need a couple of bands. I'll give you their number and let them know I gave it to you. Just cause their new there really is no chance that they will win, but its all about exposure right now."

"Wow, thanks. I really appreciate it."

"Not a problem. Keep me posted on the band. Let me know when they hit 7000 friends and send me another video and we'll talk again."

We went back to random chit chat until the food was gone and we went our separate ways. I was ecstatic as I went to go see Lizz and the band. I pulled up to Lizz's house and I could barely hear the band practicing in their garage. The soundproofing we did worked pretty well. I took a deep breath and calmed myself. I waited for them to finish the song and then knocked on the side door. Larry, the guitarist opened the door. I really hated that name for a guitarist, hell for anyone involved rock music.

I relayed the message that they had great potential but needed work. They seemed disappointed at first but I then told them the conditions for having Jesse check them out again. I gave them a talk that had them focused on the goal that Jesse gave us. So after insisting on rehearsing a couple of more songs I let them go. I helped clean up and was the last one there when I felt arms come around me.

"Thanks." Said Lizz.

"For what?"

"For making good on your promise."

"I haven't gotten you signed yet."

"But I know you will." I turn around and see her smiling face. When she isn't decked out for her gigs, she can actually pull off this cute innocent look. "You brought us out of a rut."

"Does that mean new songs?"

"I think I got some ideas and a few things written down."

"Show me."

She led me inside where I greeted her mother. She asked what was new so I told her what I had told the band. She got excited and asked way more questions than the actual band had asked about what I was planning. I was finally rescued by Lizz when she brought out a couple of notebooks. She laid them out but would not let me touch them. She didn't want me to see anything she didn't want me to see. After over a year with Myra, I understood how artists got when it came to protecting their art. I read what little she had. She showed me four songs she was working on and each page followed the same format: a brief description on what the song was about, a blank space for the title of the song once completed and then the lyrics. She had only one first draft completed but no title maybe one verse on the next song done and then a few lines she said she liked and wanted in the song. The others had the chorus down and again a few lines she liked. Some notes on the side as well to help her remember what she had in mind when she went back to the songs.

She looked anxious as I was looking at the pages. "Not bad. Hard to get a feel for them without music on top of it being a work in progress. Got a guitar?" She quickly ran to her room and brought out an acoustic guitar. I thought back to all the guitar lessons Scott had given me and how I was putting them to use now. I played a generic melody and then changed it based on what Lizz had in mind for the song. She didn't go all out but softly sang the song to give me an Idea of what it the songs might sound like finished. It was very raw with my less than masterful guitar playing, but it sounded like they would be great songs... with some tweaks. I was as careful as I could be with my criticism and I had Lizz frowning at me a few times but I made sure she knew that I just wanted to push her to write the best songs possible. She seemed to calm down a little. Finally, when I felt like I helped get her mind on what she wanted in the songs I decided to leave. I looked at the time, 6:04. Damn, I was already late and it would take me at least half an hour to get home.

I was already on the road when I grabbed my cell phone that I had left in my truck and saw I had a couple of missed calls. I opened it and saw the battery light flashing. Damn, I had forgotten to charge it. Both calls were from Myra, one was around the time I got to Lizz's place and the other was made ten minutes ago. I hit send to call her back and it rang a few times before she finally answered. "Hello." I cringed at the way she said it. She didn't sound angry, but it was obvious she was not happy.

"Hey babe, sorry but I got held up here with the band after the meeting and Lizz showed me some new..." that was as far as I got before I heard the melodic tone of my cell phone powering off. "Shit!" I cursed all the way home. I got home at 6:41. That was more than an hour and a half after I had told Myra I would be home and 41 minutes after the absolute deadline she had given me. I was in deep.

I opened the door and stepped inside. I looked on the dining table and saw a plate of cold food and another one that just had the remnants of a meal. She had not waited for me before she ate. I sigh and head to my bedroom. She was already dressed for bed and not the way she usually dresses. She had put on some sweats she used during the winter, which she only put on the coldest nights. It was barely dark out and the coldest nights where still at least a month away. She stared blankly at the TV watching some crime drama show.

"I'm sorry I'm late." I waited for a few seconds and got no reaction. "After the meeting ran long, you know how Jesse rambles and then after I told the band and heard them practice, Lizz showed me a few songs she was working on and I had to help her a little and I just lost track of time." I was expecting her to say something but got nothing. I suddenly went from feeling apologetic to angry. It was one of my pet peeves and she knew it. Being ignored so rudely was infuriating to me. I didn't even want her to say it's alright, I would have been happy with an "uh-huh" to at least signal to me that she had heard me. I held back though. I knew it would be even worse if I lost control. "Please say something."

"You were late."

"I know, I am so sorry. The thing with Jesse ran a little longer than usual and then after I was done informing the band I got Lizz to show me some new material and I was helping her and lost track of time because I didn't have a watch and I left my phone in the truck and then it died..."

"You were late... Late when you promised me you wouldn't be."

"I know I..."

"Late when I said there would be no excuse, when I said this was important to me."

"I..."

"You were late because something was more important. And not the meeting with Jesse that could have had big implications; you were late because you were helping a girl instead of heading to see the girl you say you love who you have not spent any time with lately."

"Is it that you're jealous. You have nothing to be jealous about."

She sat up and turned around to face me. "The hell I do. You spent the past two weeks at her house and you were out with her late at night."

"There is nothing going on between us!"

"Maybe not sex but she is taking you away from me. Her and her band. I bet she has more stories that only she knows about you in the past few months than I do! And just an hour ago you chose to spend time with her rather than with me."

"It's all band related stuff. I told you this is what I wanted to do. The damn ambition you wanted me to develop! That means that especially now when they are unknown I need to work my ass off to get them known. You went through this too!"

"I still found time to spend with you though!"

"Not as much as you think! Most of the time we spent together we also spent with the band. How many rehersals did I go to? How many shows? Especially when you first started getting really known beyond the crappy little venues how much of that time you say we spent together just the two of us?"

"A hell of a lot more than now. You know with the shows we are getting now I am gone for days or weeks at a time. There are big labels scouting us and the stress is getting to me. And when I finally get to come home you aren't here."

"Well shit, I should just drop everything then shouldn't I? You leave me here all alone with nothing to do and despite telling me to make something of myself you tell me you have complete say of what I do when you get back. My career doesn't count?"

"You are booking shows at shitty venues. That's not a career."

"Hey, you started there to. You worked your ass off to make your dreams come true and I want to do the same."

"Helping her with her shitty songs will not make you accomplish your dreams any faster. You throw yourself into this like you already signed them to a multi-million dollar deal. You don't have to be there for every rehersal and you sure as hell don't need to stay after rehersal all alone with Lizz."

We both turned and gave a frustrated scream. We weren't hearing each other. Somehow during our fight we had brought some major things that were weighing us down in this relationship. We should have taken a breath and continued talking. We should have continued the fight until we resolved it no matter how uncomfortable or painful. That's what people in healthy relationships do. Instead after almost a minute of turning our backs to each other she turns up the volume of the TV to sit down and watch it and I go to the computer in the living room. I pull up my music collection and play the angriest and most brutal death metal I have. I had not listened to most of it in a long time, but now it seemed to match my mood pretty well right now.

That was the first of many fights. Almost nothing seemed to be resolved afterwards. There were a few good times. We did try to make some time for each other after a couple of fights. Things were going great for a while too. The angry make up sex was amazing. I will always remember the urgency on Mayra's face to turn her anger into pleasure. The way she thrust her ass back against my hips as she looked over her shoulder and growled at me to fuck her harder. We had more sex than normal during that time. I think it was because we realized if we were having sex, we weren't fighting. Then, came Mayra's shows on the east coast.

I started getting used to having her gone. It had been a month. A month without any fights. I liked that, it was peaceful. I didn't listen to any death metal during that time. Then she came back. We had our usual passionate sex after her return. Like I said earlier I just love the feel of that girl and she never fails to excite me. But afterwards, my libido wasn't the only thing she excited. She also seemed to anger me more and I returned to the death metal. And then the fateful day came...

************************

"Oh my god, oh my god. Fuck me!"

She had her legs out wide which made it easier to try to pound her through the mattress. She would occasionally lift her head up and give me a hard kiss on the lips. She had already orgasmed three times and her pussy was absolutely drenched cutting down friction. Mayra compensated by squeezing her muscles around my cock as much as she could. I knew I couldn't last much longer. I had been going at a break neck pace for a while and as Mayra came for at least the fourth time I hoisted her legs onto my shoulders grabbed onto her glorious tits and tried to break her hips. Mayra went crazy under me. I'm sure that crazed lustful look on her face matched mine. And finally I felt my balls tense up once more and release my seed deep into her already soaked pussy and then she screamed out for a final time as the pleasure made her shiver.