Chapter 3: Christmas Eve

The next day was Christmas Eve and Amanda and Zoe seemed to be whirling around preparing themselves. Robbie decided it would be a good idea to get out of the way and leave them to it. He had already agreed with Amanda that he was going to prepare the Christmas meal the next day and he had a list of things he needed to pick up for that. He suggested to the girls that he spend the day shopping for the meal and they agreed quickly, glad to get him out so they could wrap up his presents.

Zoe reminded him that Alison was arriving that afternoon and that they were all going to the Christmas ball at the High School that night. Robbie said he was looking forward to seeing Ally again and to the dance too. He phoned a taxi and left the girls to get on with things.

Once he arrived at the mall Robbie took some time to gather the various ingredients and other odds and ends he would need for Christmas day and for the dance that evening. He reckoned he still had a couple of hours before he needed to return to Amanda's and he had an idea of how he could spend it.

Robbie had noticed a high-end music store in the mall the day before and he was itching to try out some of the kit it was sure to have. He made his way to the store and began browsing through the extensive stock of electric guitars. The middle of the road stock was all within easy reach but what he really wanted to get his hands on were some of the customised models that were displayed high up on the walls of the store.

He managed to attract the attention of one of the store assistants and explained that he wanted to try out the Eric Johnson Fender Strat. The assistant looked at Robbie, obviously considering his age and by extension his likely disposable income. He suggested that Robbie should limit himself to the cheaper guitars. The Johnson Strat retailed at $2,500.

Robbie was somewhat taken aback by the assistant's response and attitude. He thought he knew what was behind it.

"Look, I promise you, I can afford to buy that guitar if I like it. But I want to try it out first, see how it feels, hear how it sounds. I don't think that's too much to ask. Now, will you get it down for me please?"

The assistant remained sceptical and decided to ask for his manager's opinion on what to do. The store was well used to any number of teenagers coming in to just have a go on some of the valuable instruments, without there being a hope in hell of them ever buying them. Robbie looked like just another one of those.

Robbie waited patiently for the manager to approach him.

"Can I help you Sir?"

At least the manager was scrupulously polite and courteous Robbie thought.

"I'm thinking about buying the Johnson Strat up there and wanted to give her a little work out to see how she feels. Your assistant seems to think I'm just looking to fool around with it and I seem to be making him kinda nervous. If you doubt my ability to buy the thing perhaps you'd like to take my card and check my credit with the bank?"

This offer convinced the manager that Robbie was on the up and he directed the assistant to get the Strat down for Robbie to try.

"Did you have anything in mind as a preference for a box?"

Robbie assumed the manager was asking what kind of amplifier set-up he wanted to try the guitar out on.

"Have you got a Marshall MG100 DFX?"

"We surely do," replied the manager, "just follow me."

Robbie trailed behind him towards the middle of the store where there was a display of various Marshall amps, headgear and cabinets. The manager proceeded to make sure the MG100 was wired and powered up. The assistant appeared at Robbie's elbow with the Johnson Strat and a lead. He appeared as if he was going to check the tuning for him but Robbie stopped him, taking the axe and perching on a nearby stool. He fished a pick from his pocket, something he always carried and focussed on the beautiful instrument in his hands.

He adjusted the settings on the amp to get an acceptable volume and made sure he was on a 'clean' channel. He proceeded to adjust the tuning on the guitar and then ran through a few of the major scales to warm up and get his fingers loose.

Robbie began to play segments of a number of tunes to get a feel for the fretting on the Strat and to hear how she sounded. The Johnson pick-ups delivered a rich sound he liked and after ten minutes or so of familiarising himself by just mooching around, Robbie launched into the Stones 'Brown Sugar', alternating between rhythm and lead. He was perhaps half way through the track when he was brought out of his focus by the realisation that someone had joined in and was laying down a tight version of the rhythm.

He looked up and spotted a longhaired teenager with a thin looking, straggly beard on his chin. He was dressed in jeans and an AC/DC tee shirt and he was watching Robbie intently, interested it seemed on what Robbie would do next. Robbie dropped completely into the lead role for the tune and immediately recognised how strong a musician the other boy was. He had never achieved such a tight arrangement with another guitarist before, even after rehearsing for months with some band members. It was clear to Robbie the tight arrangement was mostly down to the stranger anticipating every step that he took, adjusting to him with uncanny precision.

Robbie was really enjoying himself and knew he had to keep this going. He segued into 'Black Dog' by Led Zeppelin and watched as the other boy smiled and easily followed him, once again immediately establishing a fantastic, tight, rhythm behind Robbie's lead.

The grin on the boy's face was infectious, as was the feeling from achieving such a great sound and Robbie soon found himself grinning like a fool too.

The other boy obviously felt that turnabout was fair play because he waited for an opportunity and then segued into a well known Nirvana riff, eyeing Robbie to see whether he would follow. Robbie made the transition with relative ease and soon the two of them were laying down a raucous performance. Robbie switched to 'All my life' by the Foo Fighters and settled into the rhythm role to give the other guy a chance to play lead. It was clear that although he was accomplished, he was not in Robbie's class on lead but an absolute wizard on rhythm and he quickly bowed to Robbie, indicating they should swap back to their preferred roles.

Robbie slipped back into the lead role and they played the rest of the song through before crashing to a finale in perfect timing together.

Robbie put the Strat down carefully and went over to introduce himself to the other boy.

"Hi, I'm Robbie MacRae, awesome backing Bro'. I've never had the privilege of playing with anybody that tight before. Thanks, that was a real blast, massive man."

"Jake Crawford man, you're pretty tasty yourself. My pleasure. We seem to have attracted a little fan base."

Robbie only then realised that some 18/20 people had gathered round where they were playing, a mix of staff and people who had been browsing. They were all applauding loudly, clearly impressed by the impromptu performance Robbie and Jake had put on.

"Fancy giving them one more?" Asked Jake.

"Just let me change axe man from this Strat to something more my style."

"You mean you managed all that while playing something you're not used to?"

Robbie shrugged, a little embarrassed. He approached the manager and asked if he could have a try out of the Angus Young signature Gibson SG that was on the wall. The assistant was dispatched to get the guitar down and he returned, handing it to Robbie with a great deal more respect than he had shown earlier. Robbie's obvious ability had elevated his standing considerably.

Robbie quickly tuned the SG and then switched the channels on the Marshall amp to 'gain'. He adjusted the settings to achieve the sound he wanted and then launched into the opening of 'Whole Lot of Rosie' by AC/DC. His greater familiarity with the Gibson showed, as he played even better, really letting the solo in the middle of the song rip. Jake had kept up and was riffing a really tight rhythm behind him and the two of them wound things up into a shattering, thundering climax. The crowd that had gathered went crazy when they had finished and Jake put his guitar down before grabbing Robbie's hand and holding it aloft in triumph.

"Fucking A! Awesome man, absolutely fucking awesome. Are you looking for a band? Who do you play with now? Why haven't I heard of you before?"

Robbie smiled at the barrage of questions from Jake and shook his head as he explained he had only recently arrived in the US and that although he had been in a band at home in Scotland, he wasn't involved in anything local yet. Jake slipped Robbie something and he looked down to see a business card advertising a band called 'Riff-Raff'. Robbie smiled at the incongruity of Jake giving out business cards and at what the name of the band suggested by way of their tastes.

The crowd was calling for more but Robbie and Jake agreed that enough was enough.

"I hope to see you around dude, give me a call." Jake called as he made his way through the crowd and out of the store.

Robbie approached the assistant who had originally refused him the use of the Johnson Strat and informed him he wanted to buy the Gibson and the Marshall amp, cash to go. The manager had a huge grin on his face behind the sales desk, both for the sales he was getting but also the interest that Robbie and Jake had generated through their excellent performance. The sounds had brought passers-by in the mall into the store and many had remained to browse through the available merchandise. With any luck he would secure some additional sales from them too.

When Robbie arrived at the sales desk he paid for his items and the manager asked how he was going to get the guitar and amp home. Robbie explained he just assumed that he would be able to have them delivered as he had arrived at the mall by taxi. The manager suggested that he could easily afford to let one of the assistants drive Robbie home, the least he could do in return for such a big sale and the free entertainment that Robbie had provided. Robbie was impressed and pleased at the offer and happily accepted.

Amanda and Zoe were intrigued when a strange van drew-up in the drive and even more curious when Robbie got out of the passenger side. Amanda opened the door to a sheepish looking Robbie.

"Uh, Amanda, I'm really sorry, I know I should have asked about this before going ahead but I guess I got a little carried away there for a while."

Amanda raised an eyebrow; still not clear what Robbie was apologising for, what he had done. She knew it couldn't be anything too outrageous, it just wasn't in his nature, so she smiled encouragingly at him, hoping to find out what he had been up to.

"I uh, I bought a new guitar and an amp."

"Is that all? There's nothing for you to worry about there."

"Mmm, you might not think so when you see the size of the amp."

Just then, Robbie's favourite assistant from the music shack opened the rear of his van and called for Robbie to help him carry the amp. Amanda realised now why Robbie was a little anxious as she saw the two of them carrying a large box, almost two thirds the size of a vaulting horse, she thought, past her and into the house.

Robbie decided it might be best if he took the amp directly upstairs to his room, out of sight, perhaps out of mind. A few minutes later the pair re-appeared, the shop assistant now toting the box on his own, obviously now empty. Robbie followed him to the rear of the van and returned with a hard guitar case which contained his new Gibson SG. He waved to the assistant as he reversed down the drive and departed.

Zoe was almost jumping up and down with excitement as she had recognised what Robbie had taken upstairs and what was in the case he was carrying.

"Robbie, play for us, play for us, come on!"

Amanda looked less enthusiastic but allowed herself to be dragged upstairs by Zoe and along to Robbie's room. The amp stood in the corner, large, shiny and almost threatening Amanda thought. Robbie powered up the amp and plugged-in the guitar, once more running through a few scales to loosen his fingers. He thought carefully for a few moments, trying to imagine what kind of music would appeal to both Amanda and Zoe. He let a smile play across his lips as he thought of something and the launched into 'Layla' by Eric Clapton. Amanda and Zoe were dumbstruck at the quality of his playing and the sound he was able to create with the SG and the amp.

The girls nagged him into playing four or five additional songs before the sound of the doorbell interrupted and allowed Robbie to escape. When all three of them retreated downstairs, Robbie opened the door to see the assistant from the music shack, a number of carrier bags in his hands.

"Oh god! I completely forgot! Cried Robbie stepping forward to take the bags from the youth.

"Thanks man, you've just saved my life. It would have been a disaster if you hadn't brought these back. Thanks man, thanks a million."

The girls were once more intrigued by what Robbie had purchased, still upset at what they saw as his dirty trick the day before when he had hid his purchases inside black bags. Robbie brushed past them, indicating it was just odds and ends for the next day's Christmas meal. This seemed to satisfy Zoe but Amanda was still showing considerable interest and followed him through into the kitchen. Robbie quickly deposited two corsages in the fridge and held his finger up to his lips to motion to Amanda to keep quiet. He stored the foodstuffs he had also purchased. Using those things that needed refrigerated to hide the floral arrangements as best he could. Amanda smiled broadly at him, thinking that once more he had shown himself to be a very considerate, thoughtful and indeed romantic individual. She knew that Zoe and Alison would not be expecting the flowers and that they would be absolutely thrilled with them.

"You have just earned a lot of brownie points young man. I know two young girls who are going to try and make sure you get lucky tonight!"

"Aww, that's certainly not why I got these Amanda. But you know if I have to defend myself from beautiful women who throw themselves at me then I guess I'll just have to do my best!"

Amanda laughed with him.

Robbie went to help Zoe get things ready for Alison's arrival only to be shooed away by Zoe who obviously saw this as a girl only activity. With little else to do he returned to his room, plugged in a set of headphones and amused himself with his new SG and amp. During a pause to give his fingers a rest he heard a squeal from Zoe that could only indicate Alison was here. He took off his headphones and made his way downstairs to investigate.

He found Zoe and Alison hugging and dancing around the family room, obviously very happy to see one another again. Alison's Aunt had not hung around after dropping her off and was already on her way back home. Robbie looked on, smiling at the two girls' excitement and when they spotted him they raced over to grab him and include him in their mad dance. Amanda came into the room to find out what the commotion was all about and the three teens promptly swamped her and forced her to join in too. At last the two girls broke away and jigged out of the room. Robbie and Amanda laughed together at the sound of them literally bouncing up the stairs. A few minutes later the girls shouted down to ask Robbie to carry Alison's bag up to Zoe's room.

Robbie could not believe a medium sized bag could weigh so much. He wondered what Alison had in it; it felt as though she had packed a full set of dumb-bells. He struggled upstairs with the bag, groaning all the way, and dragged it into Zoe's bedroom. He dumped it in the corner and was a little put out that the girls barely acknowledged his presence as they were so focussed on catching up on their gossip.

The girls came downstairs later, dressed to kill and both wearing subtle touches of make-up to highlight their youthful good looks. Robbie knew what Zoe intended to wear and had used that information to help choose the corsage he had bought for her. The dress was a beautiful virgin white with simple, classic lines and styling. It was nipped in at the waist, accentuating Zoe's figure superbly. Robbie was pleased to see that Alison had chosen to wear a blue woollen dress, as that would match the corsage he had bought for her. He applauded them both, telling them how stunning they looked.

"You both look beautiful, absolutely stunning. I do think there's something not quite right though."

The girls' faces fell somewhat and they looked each other over quickly, trying to identify what Robbie thought was out of place. Robbie ducked into the kitchen and returned with two beautiful corsages, one mainly featuring white flowers and the other predominantly blue. Both girls squealed with delight and allowed Robbie to pin them carefully onto their dresses.

Glasgow High School had scheduled the Junior High dance between six pm and nine pm, with the senior dance between nine thirty and twelve thirty. Zoe was in her final year of Junior High so they were all ready to go to the early function, the girls in their dresses and Robbie in a tux. Amanda drove them to the school and agreed what time to return and pick them up afterwards.

Zoe and Alison dragged Robbie to a table that was occupied by two other couples, obviously well known to the girls and it seemed they were keeping seats for them. Robbie was introduced to the others who all seemed shy and even a little intimidated by his age and size. He worked at getting them to relax, laying on the charm with the girls and talking music and sports with the boys. He made sure he spent equal time on the dance floor with both of his 'dates' and even managed to convince the other two girls at the table to get on the dance floor with him. Both Zoe and Alison also danced with their friends from the school too. Robbie was especially attentive, making sure that the girls were well supplied with snacks and soft drinks throughout the evening and all in all the three of them had a thoroughly enjoyable time, even dancing to the obligatory Christmas songs and the inane party songs and games. They were really quite tired when nine o'clock approached but Robbie was thinking furiously about how he was going to handle the traditional 'last dance' issue. He supposed it would only be right for him to dance that with Zoe but he felt bad at the prospect of leaving Alison out.

"You're worrying about the last dance aren't you?" Zoe asked. "Well you can stop worrying because Alison and I are well ahead of you. We agreed this afternoon that all three of us should have the last dance together."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely!" The girls answered together.

When the DJ announced that he was about to play the last song Robbie took the floor with both Zoe and Alison. They received a few funny looks but most people hardly took any notice and when the lights dimmed, the three of them simply hugged and shuffled round in time to the music. Robbie took the opportunity to share a passionate kiss with both of them before the song ended. They unanimously agreed that it had been a great night and they wished their table companions all the best for Christmas before grabbing their coats and heading out to look for Amanda. As they were walking through the main school hall, Robbie heard his name being called.

"Robbie! Dude! Wait up!"

Robbie turned to see Jake hurrying towards him.

"It's a small world dude, meeting up with you twice in one day. What brings you to Glasgow High School?" Asked Jake.

"I was escorting these to beautiful princesses to their Christmas dance and we are just heading home after having had a great night. What are you doing here? I wouldn't have thought a school Christmas dance was exactly your scene. You don't exactly look dressed for a dance either."

"Normally I wouldn't be seen dead at one of these but tonight my band, 'Riff-Raff' are providing some of the entertainment. We are tonight's band."

"I wouldn't have thought your stuff would have got past the organising committee."

"Well, we had to kinda re-do our normal playlist," Jake said, his face flushing at this admission. "Say, how about you play some numbers with us dude? We can always use another guitar; the more the merrier and you can certainly lay it down man. I normally play lead in the band but you'd be much better!"

"Yes! Do it Robbie, you'd be great," Zoe urged him.

"Um, I don't know, I mean, I haven't got my guitar with me and I'm not exactly dressed for gigging. I don't even know what's on your play list."

"No problem man, we're here early to set up. The DJ takes the first hour and the last half-hour and we get the ninety minutes in the middle. You've got plenty of time to make it. Here's the play list. It's easy 'cause we've no vocals so if you know the tunes there's nothing to worry about."

Robbie was surprised to hear the band didn't have a vocalist but he agreed it would make playing with a strange band much easier. He was sorely tempted when he recalled how tight he had played with Jake that afternoon and how much fun it had been. He enjoyed performing a lot, whether on the athletics track or on stage. He looked at the playlist and recognised the vast majority of the tunes on it, as they were well known hits. They ranged from Bryan Adams to Springsteen, the Beatles, Bon Jovi and even one by Huey Lewis. The band had obviously tried to stick with rockers but had toned things down considerably.

"Ok, I'd like to do it but I need to make sure I'm good to go for transport. I can't rely on getting a cab on Christmas Eve." Robbie said at last.

"Yes!" Squealed both Zoe and Alison as Jake gave Robbie a high five, a huge grin on his face.

"This is going to be awesome dude, you rock and tonight's crowd don't know it yet but they're in for something really special," Jake said.

Robbie and the girls made their way out of the school and quickly spotted Amanda's car. Zoe couldn't contain herself and she was babbling that Robbie had been invited to play with the band before she had even managed to get in the back seat. Robbie took over and, slightly more calmly, explained to Amanda that the band, or at least Jake, had asked him to play and that he had just over an hour to get changed and grab his guitar. He added that he had met Jake at the music shack and also made it clear to Amanda that he hadn't finally committed to playing before he could ask whether she would be willing to drive.