Chapter 9

Mark and Diggs

"Look, this is going to be a ultra-low tech approach to music production. First we need to record the music onto a tape by itself. We'll use the basic piano and or guitar for that depending on the song. Then, using that as the background, we can create a second tape to combine both the music and a singer, that's us right now, into what we want the singers to mimic. The same tape will be used to get the chorus and the band synchronized with what I want the outcome to be. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, I think I got it. It'll become clearer when we do the first one."

"Good. This part alone will take us a solid week of work. Meet me in the music room every night this week at 7:00 pm. Then we'll be able to give some of the work over to the lead singers, chorus and band. That's the part where you come in."

Dean and Diggs

"Jesus, that kid is a workaholic. My ass has been run ragged. I've had to work with every lead singer on the production just trying to get them to sing it the way he wants it. That in itself is a battle just as he knew it would be. There is going to be organized resistance to this whole production, I can feel it coming."

"Well, he's supposed to be the expert. Try to humor him," Debra said.

"In my spare time, I've been trying to keep the band from mutinying. He threw out half of them as incompetent. The rest he has been working to death on the songs. They're going crazy. So far I've kept them in line. It's a bitch."

"Has he fucked you again?" Debra asked.

Gloria blinked a couple of times at the sudden change of subject. But she was getting used to it. "He has never really fucked me, he just did things with his mouth down there. He hasn't even repeated that."

"I think that he likes you, Gloria."

"How could I tell. He treats me like a business partner."

"Did I ever mention that whenever someone turns him on, he drops by here and fucks the living hell out of me. That's bad enough. Then twice a week or more, the head of the school board calls for a DATE. At least with him I get a free meal. The kid doesn't spend a dime on me. I wish that you could at least take some of the hornyness out of Mark before he gets to me."

"I'm sorry Debra. I wish I could help. With me he's strictly business. I tried last week to tempt him. I took off my panties and kept my legs open for most of the time we were together. He did flush a little but never touched me."

"Was that last Tuesday?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"The bastard showed up at my door at about 11:00 pm and practically raped me in my own living room. He didn't leave until after 4:00 am. You would have enjoyed it, Gloria. I could hardly walk the next day." Debra shivered remembering it. She was tempted to tell Gloria every single thing he had done to her. But she had to keep her stoic persona intact. When he wasn't violating her, she was thinking about him doing it. Even now, despite the rather cool weather, she had the window open. She had noticed weeks ago that whenever anyone came in to her office they tended to take a deep sniff and smile. Especially her decadent office staff. She'd swear that those bitches took turns coming into her office with the piddlingest concerns. She had kept her masturbating confined to her office bathroom which had a vent, but she still tended to leak continuously whenever she thought about the boy's outrageous behavior.

Music Department Conference Room

"OK, all of you singers, listen up. I called you all here to address a problem. That is the prick that's running this year's review. I've heard your grumbling and I've had the same problems. I can sing my song, my way, better. I'm sure you all feel the same way I do. Who in the hell does this kid think he is. Any comments so far?"

Everyone seemed cowed by Micheal's little speech. After all he was a senior and he had been prominent in all the reviews for the last three years. He did like pointing that out to everyone. Finally, Bette, a newcomer to the school, spoke up reluctantly. "I felt the same way initially. But the more I sang the song as he wanted it to be, the better it sounded to me. Now, I just can't imagine it any other way."

"That's the problem," Micheal said. " He's trying to browbeat us into doing it his way. The singer is everything. The songs are easy. Hell, notice how simple they sound when you read the words to the song. I could probably write the songs myself if I took the time to do it. The thing you have to remember is that without us, he's nothing. Here's the deal. At the first assembly for the school, We'll sing it the way he wants. Then just before the dress rehearsal on Friday night, we'll just hang solid and threaten a boycott to make him relent. Then we can add some real originality to this year's review. Does everyone agree?" Since no one seemed willing to disagree, Micheal assumed that he was in control.

Friday night dress rehearsal

On Friday at the dress rehearsal, Micheal made his move. Behind the curtain, he found Mark and Gloria speaking together. At the same time he was hearing murmuring in what he thought was an empty auditorium. He disregarded that as his imagination.

"I want to talk to you two and it won't wait. The cast is behind me. on this. We either sing it the way we want or you can do them all yourselves," he said facing Mark and Gloria. "The band members are mostly ready to back us."