Chapter 5
Durbbie:
"Here we are," I said starting to get set up with all my equipment. Melissa was doing the same with her art stuff. "You nervous?"
"You could say that," she said as she got out various paintbrushes and pencils and things. "What do you think they'll be like?"
I shrugged. "I don't know," I said. I didn't really care. I mean, this is just another gig. This was either going to make us or break us, so I was more concerned about lighting than actual interacting. Pop music was OK by me, don't get me wrong, but I'd much rather listen to Metallica or Eminem or something like that.
Before long, other technical people arrived and set up a coffee pot, which I quickly raided and set up more lights. I adjusted my cameras and put in various speeds of film.
"Hi girls," Maggie, their road manager, greeted. "I'd like to you meet your clients."
"Hi," I said extending a hand in their general direction. I caught that Melissa was absolutely star struck and wasn't going to talk any time soon, so I made the introductions. "I'm Durbbie Tobias and this is my partner in crime, Melissa Gago. I'm the photographer and she's the artist. And you all are?" I trailed.
"I'm Brian," a guy with amazing blue eyes said smiling and shaking my hand.
"Nick," a blond giant said.
"I'm Howie," a guy with a fro said. OK, what's up with that?
"AJ," a man with several tattoos said shaking my hand with a firm grip.
"Did you say your name was Durbbie?" a tall man with dark hair and glowing green eyes said looking confused.
"Yeah," I said. "That it is."
"Oh," he said seeming like he got caught totally off guard. "I'm Kevin."
"Nice to meet y'all," I said. "Just giving you a warning now: I'm not going to remember any of this in about 5 minutes, so if I refer to you as hey you or something, don't get offended."
They all shrugged and muttered to themselves. "Now, if you'll excuse them," Maggie said. "They've got to get to makeup so you can work together. Excuse us."
Melissa:
My jaw was still on the floor. "Dude, they probably think you're stoned!" Durbbie said snapping me out of my daze.
"Huh?" I asked totally confused.
"Man, you need to talk. They probably think you're high on something."
Talk about blunt. "I, I just…wow," was the only thing I was able to sputter. "Those were…the Backstreet Boys."
"Mazel tov. You're quick," Durbs said going back to her cameras.
"How can you stay so calm?" I asked totally perplexed.
"Easy. I'm not a fan."
Nick:
"What kind of name is Durbbie?" I asked as we made our way to make up. "What drugs were her parents on when they named her?"
"I don't know, but names aren't everything," Howie pointed out.
"But did you see her CLOTHES?" I asked.
"Eh," Brian said trying to keep still so people wouldn't smudge his face. "She kinda looked like she raided AJ's closet."
"What was that?" AJ said walked over.
"Talking about Durbbie," Brian said.
"Oh the picture chick?" he asked.
"The one with the cow things on her legs," I pointed out.
Durbbie:
"Dude, where are they?" I asked getting impatient. "I gotta go get some things from the stores."
"Calm down," Melissa said.
"Yeah, look who's talking," I said over my shoulder. Melissa shrugged. I watched them come out of the make up room and walk over to the set that was set up. "Finally," I said. "It's about time."
Melissa shot me a look. "Be nice," she said through clenched teeth. "Don't blow it."
I shrugged it off. Whatever. It's another gig. It's another week. Nothing big. Nothing new. Just more people to capture on film.
"Hey Melissa, what's his name?" I asked pointing to the blond guy. "He needs to be in the back next to that other guy."
"Alright. Nick, go in back next to AJ, Brian come in front, and Kevin and Howie find places for yourselves," Melissa said speaking up.
"So she speaks," Brian said cracking a smile.
I shook my head and laughed a little. "Told you so," I said to Melissa.
Brian:
After a few more comments back and forth between the five of us and Melissa and Durbbie or whatever her name is, the ice broke and we were rolling on the floor laughing. Durbbie was clicking away at her camera and Melissa was trying to paint various backgrounds for us.
"Alright people, take 5," Durbbie instructed.
We all got out of our positions and I went over to Durbbie who was over by the coffee table. "Hey," I said.
"Oh hey. Brian right?" she asked glancing at me quickly.
I nodded. "What do you think of France?"
"Oh Paris! Il a tres bien! Tres magnifique. C'est vrai?" she said.
"Um, no parlez-vous?" I asked trying out the maximum of my French abilities.
"Sorry," Durbbie said filling her cup with coffee. She seemed to be drinking a lot of that. "France is cool."
"Yeah, it's impressive," I added. "You speak French?"
She took a sip of coffee and crinkled her nose. "Forgot the sugar," she said searching the table for the stuff. "Yeah. I took 4 years of it in high school. Well, I would have anyway."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"I kinda sorta didn't exactly finish high school," Durbbie said still searching for the sugar. "Where the hell did it go? It was just here a minute ago."
"Here," I said handing the sugar to her. She looked at me surprised and shocked. "So you didn't finish?" I asked.
"Yeah," Durbbie said avoiding the subject slightly. "It's not big deal though. I'm doing just fine on my own though," she said defensively.
I backed off. Sensitive subject. "I didn't mean it like that," I said. She was a pistol and a half.
"Most people think differently," she said with a slight nervous laugh. "It's not what you think."
"If you don't mind, why?"
"Why did I drop out?" she asked as she looked at me and looked directly into my eyes with her green ones. "To follow a dream."
"Is this it?"
She laughed. "Nah. This is only a hobby. My dream kinda turned into a nightmare though, so I gave up and started photography."
"What were you trying to do?" I asked.
Her expression totally changed. She stiffened up completely. "You wouldn't understand," she said coolly.
"If you two don't mind, we have to start again," Melissa said coming in and interrupting my thoughts.
What wouldn't I understand? I don't get it.
"Be right there," Durbbie said avoiding my curious eyes and heading over to her cameras.
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