15
Despite the overall optimism surrounding everyone in regards to how they would all fare after the eventual parting of ways, there was, however, a somber tone that hung over their heads whenever the subject was discussed. After all, the Go-Go’s had come this far in life by being together, not by being separated. It was impossible not to feel a little bit of apprehension stepping out on your own without your main support group behind you. You were entering uncharted territory.
They all had their own likes and dislikes. Jane and Kathy each enjoyed being actresses and both of them considered pursuing movie roles when the show was over. They both liked writing stories and poetry, and would often collaborate on mutual projects together. In fact, it was a common sight to see the two of them drop in at the writer’s room during the season, help out with the scripts, and yuck it up with the boys. That was the highlight of the day for the writing staff.
They even talked about writing a screenplay together on many occasions. But, when Kathy told Jane she had come up with a movie idea about a guitarist who hacks up her bandmate with a kitchen knife, Jane avoided the topic of screenwriting for the next several weeks.
There was hardly anything that was completely out of the question. As impossible as it was to think, for a short period of time, Jane even considered asking the studio if they would give her a variety show of her own. She figured CBS might give her a shot if she agreed to stick with the network. She was still riding the fence on the idea, when her and Belinda’s witchy friend, Insufferable German, stepped in and advised against it.
“Suffy” was the band’s spiritual advisor and mystic counselor. She would tell the girl’s fortunes with tarot card readings and was a bona-fide, class act. (on Tuesdays, you could find her hawking incense out front of a boarded-up boutique on Hollywood Boulevard)
Suffy was one of Jane and Belinda’s closest friends and was a sturdy ally when it came to telling juicy secrets about the Hollywood elite and other people in the music industry. Suffy would even try to tell Charlotte what stocks to choose based on her cosmic connections. Charlotte went along with the gag, but in private would tell Belinda where Suffy could shove her 10-inch candles.
Not everyone was a believer.
Gina, on the other hand, was done with acting for a while. She decided if she could not get the gig as the drummer for Led Zeppelin, she would throw a tantrum and lock herself in her room for the next six months.
Suffy advised against that as well.
But, Gina wanted more than just that. She needed to hear Jimmy Page himself say in his awesome British accent, “Okay Gina, you’re in. How can we survive without you, ya know? I mean, if we can’t have the star of her own sitcom as our drummer, then we don’t deserve to have anybody. You know what I mean?”
Gina then opened her eyes and realized that she was sitting in a chair at the Department of Motor Vehicles next to a fat, smelly guy, whose T-Shirt did not cover his belly-button.
“Number Sixty-Three!!” a voice called out.
“Oh, shit, that’s me,” she muttered to herself. “Man, I gotta’ watch where I fall asleep.”
Belinda was the only one of the five who never talked very much on what she planned on doing after the disbandment. It was almost as if she were keeping a secret bottled up inside of her. Whenever somebody would broach the subject with her, she would simply go silent and look uncomfortable. It was hard to tell just exactly what she was thinking. Eventually, people stopped asking her altogether. One afternoon, she took Charlotte aside, hugged her tightly, and said to her, “I’m scared, Char. Sometimes, I get really scared.” Belinda then released her and walked away. Charlotte never knew what to make of it and the event was never brought up ever again.
At times, Belinda contemplated taking a couple of years to travel the world incognito, experience some adventures, and have numerous love affairs with exotic, foreign dudes.
Suffy did not advise against that. She liked that idea a lot.
But, as time went on, Belinda was starting to become more and more conflicted. She was starting to fall for a guy whom everyone knew. She was starting to fall for a guy who worked right there at the studio. She was starting to fall for a guy that a lot of women had their eyes on.
Including Charlotte.
Copyright 2020
by Clark Wright