Friday, September 7, 2012

To Groupie or Not To Groupie

Prompt:  This week you have 350 words to write a fiction or creative non-fiction piece in which a local or regional item or industry plays a role. This actually happened--the movie Michael was filmed in Gruene, Texas.
 
 
 
"Are you going?"  Mary asked me. I looked at her in confusion.  She was always happy to be the bearer of news; it was the coin of our long and fruitful relationship.  She leaned in conspiratorially.

"John Travolta is in town. He's filming a movie at Gruene Hall."

My jaw dropped in surprise, my mind conjuring an image.  Over 100 years old, the wood of the floorboards at Gruene(Green) Hall creaked lyrically when you walked inside, and the screen door sometimes whacked you on the butt to hurry you inside the bar. A number of well-used tables sat waiting.  The chairs at the table were comfortable, and the distance between people was more intimate, allowing for some conversation.  Once the crowds arrived and the dancing commenced in the dusty darkness of the hall, the temperature climbed.  I never cared; everyone sweat until they were drenched, and we shouted at each other over the sound of whatever band was playing.  I loved that. 

"Jodi and a bunch of other people are going to head over there after school is out to see him," Mary continued.  "Are you going?"
 
I had to admit that the idea of John Travolta being in the vicinity was tempting.  I had never seen myself as a groupie, but this was a pretty big star to be so close.  I tried to picture Travolta wearing jeans, leaning on the bar at the Gruene Hall I knew, sipping a longneck; the white polyester suit from Saturday Night Fever seemed more suited to the man than jeans and boots.  
 
But what would I do when I got there?  My mind raced as I gave serious thought to standing in a crowd outside Gruene Hall for hours, hoping for a split-second glimpse of John Travolta.  Was I supposed to scream or faint if I saw him?  Should I wave my bra to get his attention?  Was I supposed to wait for him to speak to me, like royalty?  Were curtseys required?  Why didn't I pay more attention when reading Tiger Beat magazine as a teenager?
 
"Nah," I finally said.

13 comments:

  1. I'm kinda the same way. I ever tell you when we ran into Mick Jagger in NYC. Ran smack into him as we were coming out of a building and we both said "excuse me" and moved on. I had no idea it was him and didn't believe when others were freaking out. All I could think of was how much shorter in real life he was......

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    1. Lol! As much of a sex machine as Jagger was reported to be, you're lucky you didn't end of pregnant!

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  2. Yep ... I would have declined as well. The sheer thought of bumbling over my words at the sight of a celebrity keeps me home. :) But it makes for a good story.

    Visiting from Write on Edge.

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  3. I remember seeing that movie. So cool to have it filmed so close to you. I admit though, I would hesitate to go just for a split second glimpse. It'd have to be a movie star I was gaga over.

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    1. I can't really think of any star I would be that gaga over, either.

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  4. I wouldn't have gone. I just am not that star struck, to go and wait for a celebrity. Like Lizabeth, I run into folks everyso often when I lived in CA. I saw Rob Lowe in Santa Barbara one time having dinner with his family.

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  5. I loved the description of the bar and the idea of John Travolta as an almost-afterthought. Nice job!

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  6. LOVED! I giggled when you mentioned Tiger Beat, I used to read it faithfully!

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  7. Oh! Heart-stab! You DIDN'T GO???? :)

    That was a great ending, btw--the twist was perfect.

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