Chapter 1
It was now October 2014, and the air was cooling down all across the New England countryside.
Danny Dakota had grown up into a fine young man. He was now a freshman at MIT majoring in music. Besides, Danny was great with the guitar and also had dreams of being a famous musician. It was those countless stories about The Rocking Tones by his grandmother Diane that gave him the bug to pursue music as a career.
It was early in the evening, and Danny was in his dorm room that he shared with fellow freshman Bobby Eastman. Bobby had short black spiky hair and believed that he was a ladies man on campus.
Danny relaxed on his bed, located on the right side of the small dorm room.
He studied his textbook on music history. On his bedside table to the left of his bed, a CD player played one of his favorite The Rocking Tones songs – Rockers at Heart. Next to the CD player was a framed picture of Jack and Heather Dakota both in their mid-thirties. They were his parents that were long gone but still vivid in some of his memories.
While he listened to that song and read his textbook, he would glance at an old poster of The Rocking Tones on his wall. This was a small gift from Diane that she had when she was a teenager.
The door of the room opened, and Bobby Eastman entered with three textbooks in hand.
Bobby rolled his eyes the second he saw Danny and heard that song from the CD player. A song he heard over and over again. "I can't believe you always listen to that old sixties music," he said while he walked over and plopped down exhausted on his bed.
"What do you mean, these are great tunes and inspired so many rockers of the eighties," Danny replied then he hummed along with the song.
"Whatever. I'm going to rest my eyes for thirty minutes. The gig starts in two hours. I hope you're up for it," Bobby replied, then closed his eyes the second he got on his bed, and his head hit the pillow.
"I am."
"Good, because I heard Cindy Perry was planning on showing up tonight," Bobby replied, as he knew Danny has a considerable inch to date Cindy.
Danny looked a little nervous while he glanced over at Bobby then at his closet. He really had the hots for Cindy the first time he set eyes on her during his American History class last month.
Two hours had passed.
A nightclub was located off MIT campus was called The Detention Center. It was a favorite hangout for many of the MIT students after classes. Instead of stamping a students hand to show that they paid the small $5 cover charge, the nightclub would hand out a Detention Slip to the student. For some of these students, this slip was far better than the Detention Slip they received when they attended high school.
The nightclub was packed tonight as so many students needed to unwind from a grueling day of hitting the textbooks, taking exams or listening to their boring professors.
There was a bar at the rear of the club, then a small stage and dance floor at the front. In the middle were scattered round tables that typically sat four customers. But often more students crowded around the table to party with their friends. Besides providing booze, the bar also served food like sandwiches, hamburgers, and chicken wings. Nothing fancy but good enough for the students.
On the stage was a drum set, two electric guitars, a bass guitar and a keyboard set up thirty minutes ago. This was the third attempt for this band to play at this bar.
Ricky walked onto the stage and sat behind the black Ludwig drums. A few of the students, mainly friends of Ricky, started clapping
Wendell walked onto the stage and sat behind his Yamaha keyboard. Wendell's friends began clapping.
Kent walked on the stage and over to his brown Ibanez bass guitar. He placed the guitar strap around his neck while the sound of his friends clapping was heard.
Bobby walked on the stage and placed his ash-colored Fender Telecaster electric guitar strap around his neck while his friends clapped.
Then Danny nervously walked on the stage. He had mediocre claps from a few of the students in the bar. One of the claps came from Cindy Perry.
Cindy was drop-dead gorgeous blonde with silky hair down to the middle of her back, perky breasts, a nice shapely ass, and large soft brown eyes.
Danny stared at the audience while he placed the guitar of his Sunburst Les Paul guitar around his neck. His knees got a little weak the second he noticed the bar was packed tonight. Then he spotted Cindy sitting near the front, and his knees almost gave out ultimately.
Bobby walked over to the microphone in the front middle of the stage. He saw Cindy then winked at her. "Hello, we're the Hard Tones. And welcome to our rock show where we do a song from the eighties," he said into the microphone.
Danny looked at all the eyes of the audience that were on him.
Bobby motioned for the band to start playing.
The band started a rock song. They started their version of Slash's By the Sword.
The drummer started banging out beat by hitting the cymbals.
Danny just stared at the audience while the fingers of his left hand just rested on the six non-vibrating strings. He started to sweat. He began to get pale. He began to feel weak in the knees.
Bobby looked at Danny for the intro riff. Danny just stood there in a stupor.
So Bobby had to jump in and play Danny's opening riff. He was furious while his fingers moved around the six strings.
Bobby noticed Cindy and smiled at her.
Cindy gave Bobby a little smile and wave in return.
Danny passed out and dropped to the floor, almost taking Bobby down with him. But Bobby was quick on his feet and was able to hop over Danny's body. He did not miss a note.
The band stopped playing.
"Ah, we have a slight technical issue to resolve. Give us a minute, and we'll be right back with our rocking show," he said into the microphone.
Bobby knelt down to Danny.
Some of the MI medical students rushed over to the stage to help Danny.
Cindy looked concerned from her seat.
Fifteen minutes had passed, and Danny was removed off the stage.
Carl Jenson filled in for Danny, and the Hard Tones put on an excellent show for the patrons of The Detention Center nightclub.
Hours had passed, and Danny sat on his bed back in his dorm room, looking ever so sad. He was upset with himself for passing out on stage again.
The dorm room door opened, and Bobby entered with his guitar case and amplifier in hand.
Bobby was quiet as there was something he had to say, and he was not looking forward to it.
He tucked his guitar case and amplifier inside his closet. He turned around and looked at Danny, who looked so sad.
I hate these moments. Bobby thought to himself while he stared at Danny.
Bobby walked over to Danny's bed.
"Ah, listen. The guys and I talked and ah, we, ah, agreed that the Hard Tones would survive if Carl Jenson were our rhythm guitarist," he said after he finally got the courage to tell Danny.
Danny looked at Bobby in a little disbelief they kicked him out of the band.
"This was the third time you passed out in front of an audience. And this was our third gig," said Bobby then he hesitated. "I don't understand it. I mean, you wail during practice and give us the sound we need. But you freak out in front of an audience. So I'm sorry we had to kick you out of the band, but we'll never make it with your stage fright."
Danny looked at Bobby. "I understand."
"I see you later. I have this hot blonde inching so meet with me," Bobby said then turned around, headed over to the door and left the room.
Danny glanced over at The Rocking Tones poster. "I guess I wasn't meant to be a rocker," he said then.
Danny got off his bed and headed to his door. He needed some fresh air to think about how he can have a rewarding career in music.
It was nighttime across the New England area.
The MIT campus was quiet but still had a few students that milled around the grounds. Some of them had some night classes that just ended. Some of them were returning from a night of a little partying.
Danny bought a cup of coffee at the Caffeine Palace located on campus. This coffee shop stayed open late on school nights to provide the nighttime students with their much-needed caffeine.
Danny sulked on a bench by a sidewalk pondering his life while he drank a cup of coffee.
Then Doctor Richard Youngblood, an elderly professor, walked down the sidewalk toward Danny.
Dr. Youngblood had his old brown leather attaché in hand. He had thinning gray hair that went all over the place as if he did not believe in combs. His gray beard was straggly and in dire need of a trim. Personal appearance of the professor was not necessary. Physics was the driving force in his life and the main reason he never married.
Dr. Youngblood's eyes widened over the sight of Danny sitting on the bench staring at the sidewalk.
"Hello Danny," Dr. Youngblood said while he stopped at the bench.
Danny glanced up and saw Dr. Youngblood standing in front of him. "Hello, professor Youngblood."
"Why are you sitting out here so late? You should be in bed studying or sleeping," Dr. Youngblood said while he sat down on the bench next to Danny. He spotted the cup of coffee in Danny's hand. "Of course coffee will definitely keep you up all night," he added then noticed Danny's depressed look. "What's wrong? You look so down. Are you having troubles with your classes? If so, maybe I can help."
Danny took a drink of his coffee. "No, I'm doing fine with my classes. The problem is that I got kicked out of my band tonight."
"Kicked out? Why? You're a talented guitarist like your father."
"I pass out whenever I'm in front of a crowd. Stupid stage fright."
"I can't help you there. That's something you need to work out for yourself."
"I know. So, how have you been? I haven't seen you in a while."
"I've been busy with classes and research projects," he said then hesitated for a few seconds. "How's your grandmother?" he asked to change the subject.
"She's doing great."
"Give her my love the next time you talk with her." Dr. Youngblood said while he stood up from the bench.
"I will."
"I'll see you later, Danny. And don't worry, you can work out your stage fright," Dr. Youngblood said while he walked away. After he took a few steps away from the bench, he turned around. He looked back at Danny. He wanted to say something else but decided that maybe he might arrive at a later date.
He walked away, feeling a little sorry for Danny and his stage fright that's ruining his dreams.
Danny stayed on the bench sulking and drinking his coffee.
Then way off in the background, Danny spotted Bobby walk hand in hand with a female. He only saw their backs but recognized Bobby's shirt that he wore at the bar. He did not remember the blonde, as he could only see her long blonde hair that ended in the middle of her back. He shrugged it off, got up off the bench, and moped back to his dorm room.