This Old Hotel - Chapter 03
Chapter 3 - The Waiting is Through
May 17, 2010; Warner Brothers Records, Studio 6
Coffee: the most important thing ever to be invented. At least this early in the day it was. I took another long sip as Mikey and I exited the Starbucks a few blocks from my place.
“That was Ray. He’s already at the studio messing around with some of the new sound equipment they bought in.” Mikey pocketed his cell phone, which had previously been attached to his head.
“He always makes it there before us. He probably thought of a hundred new ideas over the weekend that he wants to experiment with.” Chuckling I sat my cup on the roof of my car and pulled my keys out of my jacket.
Mikey gave me a smirk. “You say that like you didn’t brainstorm all weekend too.”
“I did some comic book work too,” I huffed as I climbed into the car.
He didn’t say a word as he took a long sip from his cup and I started the car. The drive to the studio wasn’t long, but we did seem to hit the shittiest luck at one light on La Brea. If there was something to hate about LA it was the incredible lack of turn signals everywhere.
As we pulled up behind the studio it wasn’t hard to miss both Ray’s and Frank’s cars sitting off to the left of the shining glass doors. “Damn it, Frank beat us too! Its because you needed your damn special coffee.”
“Hey, its not my fault they were training a new chick and I’m particular about my coffee.” Readjusting my sunglasses I got out of my car and started inside.
Mikey caught up to me easily with his long legs. “Sure its has nothing to do with with your coffee addiction or anything.”
“Did I hear something about a coffee addiction? We must be talking about Gerard then.” Frank’s voice echoed from our right as we entered the relatively empty recording studio lobby. He stood at the reception desk apparently finishing a conversation with the morning security.
Swaggering past me Mikey went to join him leaning against the counter. “We are talking about the one and only Gerard Way. Coffee addict and closet vampire.”
“I didn’t realize his vampirism was a secret.” He chuckled as he watched my sour expression.
“Well it was until you two told security, damn, now I’ll have kill him to cover our tracks.” This caused everyone laugh.
Even through Ray was upstairs alone I decided to lean against the counter where there had obviously been some type of gossip taking place.
Looking between the guitarist and guard I took a drag of my coffee. “Is there any reason you’re down here and not with Ray.”
This caused Frank’s enthusiasm to jump start again. “Dude, there were new people!”
“New people?” Mikey raised his eyebrow at the vibrating guitarist.
“Yeah, this group came in a few minutes ago with Harvey. You should have seen them.” A person would think they has built a candy store in the lobby with his excitement.
The guard chuckled at Frank’s antics. “He’s just excited because he thought one of them was pretty.”
“It wasn’t just that. I think they’re the ones Harvey’s been trying to sign for the last couple years. We’re the last ones who held out that long on a contract. I’m curious to see them, so sue me.” Shrugging he pushed himself away from the raised counter of the front desk.
“We’ll probably see them in the next few weeks. If they begin recording soon them they’ll be here as much as we are.” I nodded in agreement with Mikey’s statement.
Walking up to the elevator I pressed the button a few times. We had left Ray for way too long. As the elevator beeped reaching the first floor Mikey and Frank reluctantly came to stand with me.
“Has anyone spoken to Bob since the other day?” We all stepped into the box and waited for the doors to close and take us up to the fourth floor.
Frank slouched against the rail. “I left a few voicemails, but he hasn’t called me back yet.”
“Same here.” Crossing his arms Mikey gave me a grim expression.
Shaking my head as we exited the elevator I threw my now empty cup in the trash. “I guess it’ll take a couple of days. I’ll make sure to leave him another voicemail this afternoon.”
My mouth was drawn in a thin line. This was already hard enough restarting without having Bob gone.
From the recording studio the sounds of Ray messing with some of the new equipment could be heard. If nothing else it was refreshing compared to the stress of the last few weeks. Pushing open the door I saw Ray standing in front of a table filled with colorful, clear plastic bells.
“Took you guys long enough,” he said without lifting his head. I gave him an apologetic shrugged when he finally looked over his shoulder.
Frank hopped in behind me. “Blame Leo, he drew me in with solatious gossip.”
“Or more like you drew is in.” Mikey’s voice rose as a traitorious murmer. I snorted in to the cup as Frank turned to glare at him.
“Nice try man, but you slowed everyone down. Did you get caught up discussing Harvey’s new group he signed?” Leaning against the table Ray folded his arms over his chest. “I saw a couple of their members down the hall earlier.”
“They’re on our floor?!” Frank perked up at the words.
We all stared at him in silence. It stretched out for a long awkward moment. “You’re not serious right?” Mikey was the first to speak, but Frank didn’t respond he just continued to grin like an idiot.
Laughing hysterically I walked to our sofa and dropped into the seat. Waving over the guys I pulled out my notebook. “ Go stalk the new group later. Right now we have to come up with a plan of action.”
Everyone took seat and pilled their own notebooks out. This is what I had been looking forward to for days. Band Time.
Keith and I sat waiting in our new recording suite for the others to return form a run to the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf a couple blocks away. The suite was awe inspiring to say the least. I would never have guessed we would jump from a small indie studio to a group of rooms we would be working in for the nest few months.
“They’re going to take all day if Georgie is in charge of picking out our orders,” Keith griped while strumming random rhythms on his bass.
Taking my pen from my mouth I tapped it slowly against my lips. “If Leslie picks you;ss hate it no matter what.”
“Why did we let them out on their own again?” My eyes met his for a brief second.
Quirking an eyebrow he gave me an expectant look. “They were giving me a headache.”
Not being able to hold it in anymore I broke into a fit of giggles. Keith just smiled smugly to himself. Five minutes later when the rest of the guys came in I was still laughing softly to myself and Keith was plucking a new beat out.
“What are you laughing at?” Leslie dropped a warm sup of tea in my hand as she walked past.
“Your brother,” I replied simply as I sipped my cup.
Her pretty face scrunched up in disgust. “The only thing he finds funny is other people’s pain.”
“Only yours dear sister, only yours.” He mumbled from his own cup.
Pouting Leslie dropped down next to him and threw her feet into his lap. As they started up a sibling bickering match Georgie turned to me. “Tell us dear leader, how shall we start out first meeting in these hallowed halls.”
Rolling my eyes I set my tea down on the coffee table in between us. “I’m not your leader, and you know full well we were planning on going over everyone’s brainstorming today.”
I pulled my tattered moleskin notebook, pieces of paper and ribbon sticking out at odd angles from my book bag. Even the elastic band holding it all together looked stretched to its breaking point. Setting it on the table gently I gave him a look.
“Damn woman, how are we suppose to follow that?” Alexander stared in disbelief at the bulging collection of my thoughts.
Les shrugged and pulled out her own more primly decorated purple hardbound sketchbook. It was far less beat up and more neatly put together than my own, like usual. “She always comes in with a notebook that looks like its about to fall apart from how much she shoved inside it. We can’t help it if she’s a workaholic.”
“She’s not the only one,” Georgie replied sarcastically as we watched Keith pulling out his own folio of loose papers. I kept my disgruntlement at being accused of being a workaholic to myself.
“Alana is not a workaholic. You’re just concentrated on different things than she is.” He gestured to her outfit. Choosing to ignore the implied comment about himself. His own collection was nearly as big as mine and just messy.
Alexander started to tap his guitar. “All of my stuff is right here.”
With those words Georgie pulled out a music notebook, and smiled quite proud of himself. “I at least wrote mine down.”
Alexander’s face fell as he glared at the other guitarist’s notebook. Keith set his hand on the younger man’s shoulder to her his attention. As Alex’s eye turned to him I giggled silently to myself. A silent Keith lecture was worse then just him being upset. He coated your insides in disappointment.
“You’ll be writing those down for tomorrow, right?”
Nodding his head like a kicked puppy Alex turned his head back to his guitar.
This meeting was going to be short without Alexander’s material written down. Both Georgie and Leslie worked better if they had a prewritten piece to collaborate with when it wasn’t their own original work. Ignoring the disappointment it caused knowing this would be a brief brainstorming meeting I focused on what we could use the rest of the day for. Working out sound and just having a jam session to see what flowed out.
Clapping my hands together I brought everyone’s attention back to myself. “Okay, if we can’t concentrate on brainstorming today lets blow this studio up.”
A/N: Hey folks! Its been awhile. I know I practically never update, but I'm trying. Just hang in there with me. Thanks!
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