Date: 1965
*Looking for the Good Times*
Life continued on as normal, well as normal as life could after a death. They guy’s continued on with the band after Davy’s cast had been removed. They had a couple of gig’s here and there but nothing like before the death. Davy’s spunk seemed to have vanished. But they had asked Mary to play during their breaks, which of course Mary agreed to. She had seemed to get past her stage fright and plus she passed around a hat and got a little extra cash for herself. So it wasn’t all that bad.
Soon it was mid June and gradation was fast approaching. They had all attend prom the weekend before. Micky and Davy had found dates, well more like Micky found Davy a date which he had talked Davy into going with. Davy seemed to have found his spunk that night and forget all his worries but just for that night. Mary even seemed to overlook that Micky’s date was a total ditz, she was the one that gave blondes a bad name, not that her hair was naturally blonde anyways, or that Micky was so nervous that he had spilled punch all over Mary’s handmade dress. All and all the night was a big hit.
A week before gradation everyone was sitting in Peter’s room working on a new song.
“Love is understanding,Don't you know that this is true?Love is understanding,It's in everything we do.” Peter stopped singing and put down his guitar to write down some notes. “How’s that sound?” Peter looked up from his paper.
“Groovy but what if I do this on the drums?” Micky showed them the idea.“Yeah that sounds better and I think you should sing it since I’m not the strongest singer.”
“Are you sure Peter?”
“Yeah I think your vocals will be perfect for it, and Davy just do you thing.”
“Will do Petah” Once they were done, they went and sat on the bed were Mary was reading. Mary jump when she felt the weight. She was totally absorbed in her book.
“Hey guys, done with the song?”
“Yeah for now we are.” Peter replied.
“Well the next gig we get will be really far-out with the new song” Davy said.
“Yeah but we haven’t had a gig is over three week, I’m beginning to think that there are now too many bands around here.” Micky said frowning.
“Don’t worry guys, after grad it will pick up again” Mary tried to reassure them but she was having the same doubts.
“I’ve got an idea, what if we move to Malibu?” Peter asked nervously.
“Why?” Micky asked as if Peter was out of his mind.
“Well I’ve been thinking, I have a friend down there. I’ve known him since I was 12; I met him when I lived in Texas with my folks. So he rents out this beach house and is having problems making the rent. He needs some room mates and if we move down there we could live with him. Plus the music since is really talking off here. I hear it’s really far-out. There’s always work. So what do you think?"
“I say when do we leave?” Mary laughed.
“Well sure why not.” Micky laughed also.
“And what about you Davy?” Peter asked.
“Move I think you’re all out of your birds... umm crazy.”
“Come on Davy just think about it, girls in little swimsuits, girls as far as the eyes could see” Micky said in a dreamy voice.
“Just like I said great idea Petah.”
“Then its settles, after grad we moved and oh by the way he’s joining the band.”
Peter got up from the bed quick.“WHAT!” Davy and Micky said at once.
They got their arrangements all made. They were to leave the day after gradation. There wasn’t enough room for Mary to live with the guys so she was going to share an apartment with a friend of Peter’s friend. Mary would have rathered stayed with Peter but didn’t argue. Plus if she didn’t like the girl she could always just rent her own place.
Graduation came quicker then anyone would have liked, but it came never the less. It was a beautiful outdoor ceremony. Davy was asked to give the closing speech. Davy’s closing gave everyone a good laugh.“And the school would like to thank Miss Mary Lane who helped organize the fundraiser to help re-build the science lab.” At the end of last year Micky had been trying to build a time machine and had accidentally blown the science lab up.
After graduation Mary went home to finish packing. She couldn’t believe that she was leaving all she had ever known behind. Tears sprang to her eyes just thinking about it. But she couldn’t think about everything now, she had packing to do. When she was done Mary sat down on her bed and looked around her now bare room.“Think only of the road ahead” Mary found herself saying to the room.
“Knock, knock” came a voice from Mary's door.
“Come on in Micky”
“Your mom said you were up here packing” Micky said sitting down beside Mary.
“Yeah I just got done. So how’d your mom take it when you told her you were moving?”
“Better then I thought, but I think she’s just grateful to get me out of her hair and she also has my sisters”
“What she say when you told her you were leaving tomorrow?”
“That’s where she got a little mad. She started yelling her head off........“MICKY YOU’RE LEAVING TOMORROW, TOMORROW. WHAT ARE YOU THINKING YOU CRAZY BOY? DON’T YOU HAVE ANY SENCE IN YEAH? YOU’RE GOING TO BE THE DEATH OF ME MICKY. DO YOU KNOW THAT? YOUR SISTERS WOULD NEVER DO THIS TO ME.” Micky remembered their conversation that happened only a few hours earlier. Mary couldn’t help but laugh. “She calmed down after about an hour. So how’s your mom take it?”
“Good, I think she’s just happy to see me living my life. After some tears she seemed alright. She took it much better then Peter’s parents did. Peter’s parents are really mad. His father wants him to go to college and forget about ‘that awful music’ as he puts it. They told him if he needed any money, they didn’t have any.”
“Yeah Davy was telling me about it yesterday. But Mary, I should get going I still have to pack up my stuff”
“You have so much stuff Mick. You should just have it cleaned and burned.” Mary laughed.
“Ha, ha funny. I’m not bringing as much stuff as you think” Micky said getting up.
“I hope not, I need room for my stuff you know. I’ll see you tomorrow morning Micky” She gave him a hug and then he was gone.
They all left early the next afternoon. Peter had wanted to be on the road earlier but Micky was not even done packing. Typical Micky! Then it took them another hour to be able to get all of Micky’s stuff into the small trailer that they had bought for the trip.
“Micky man do you really need all this stuff?” Peter was trying to get the totem poll that Micky insisted he bring into the trailer.
“Petah we're lucky he only brought this much stuff” Davy said picking up a box from the sidewalk. “Geeze Micky what’s in ‘ere?”
“Oh that must be my box of bricks”
“BRICKS!” Davy, Peter and Mary said shocked.“Why do you need a box of bricks?” Peter asked.
“Why wouldn’t you need a box of bricks” Micky said as if that was the most logical answer.
“You’re odd, man” Peter went to get another one of Micky’s many boxes.“That’s how I get all my friends” Micky laughed.
“You got friends Mick, you should bring them over sometime” Mary said slapping Micky on the back.
“That was uncalled for” Micky replied seriously. Mary bursted out laughing, which cause Peter and Davy to start laughing too.
“Hey I’m being serious here” That just made them all laugh harder. Mary was now sitting on the sidewalk bent over in laughter. Micky turned and walked to the front of his car. After the laughter died down, Mary wipped the tears from her eyes and helped herself up. She walked to the front of the car to see what was up with Micky. Micky was sitting on the hood of the car, pouting.
“I’m sorry Micky but you should have seen your face, it was priceless. It was just funny that’s all” Mary hopped up next to Micky.“That’s all I am to you guys, a big joke. No Micky can’t ever be serious can he, well Mary you should know I can be.” Mary didn’t know what to say, Micky was never like this.
“Micky what’s really a matter; clearly there was something more to all of this?” Micky looked around, then back at Mary.
“Mary this place is the only place that you and I have ever called home and I know we have always wanted to get away to bigger and better things but Man I’m going to miss this place.” Mary grabbed Micky’s hand and squeezed it.
“I know Mick, I’m going to miss it too but just think what’s up ahead” Mary always wanted to get out but now she didn’t even know if she wanted to leave.
“I’m just scared, that’s all. I’ve never lived out of my house and never been away from my family for more then a couple days and now we are moving across the country. I’m scared to death Mary.”
“I’m scared too Micky but everything will be alright, I promise. And we can do anything as long as we got each other,” Mary said giving Micky a hug. “Come on let’s go” Suddenly a loud bang came from the back of the car, and then a shout.“Bloody ‘ell” Mary and Micky looked at each other, and then ran to see what had happened. When they got there Davy was sitting on the sidewalk, scattered around him were books of all kind. Peter had started picking them up one by one.
“What happened?” Mary asked looking at the mess.
“The bottom of the box fell out when I lifted it. Books fell right on me foot. Who’s ever these book are I’m goin’ to bloody well kill yeah”
Mary picked up one of the books and read it’d title ‘STRANGE HAPPENINGS IN THE USA’. Mary looked at Micky; he was smiling like a schoolboy. She put the book into the box but didn’t say a word. Once they had everything loaded into the trailer everyone got settled into the car. Micky drove with Davy sitting in the front and Peter and Mary took the back.
“California here we come!” Micky shouted. He started the engine. Everyone gave a cheer, and off they went to start their new lives on the sunny coast.