There’s No I in Team

Episode 1

(Opening theme Superstar (ft. Matthew Santos) by Lupe Fiasco)

Brian and Daniel at Epic Noise

“Hey Daniel, how’s it hanging man?”

”Cool, cool. What’s good with you?” Having been called in to see the manager of his label, there was a tension in the air, built around expecting the proverbial other shoe to drop, the ‘Why am I here?’ that you ask yourself but dare not ask aloud.

“Everything’s good for now man. You’re probably wondering why I asked you to meet with me so early. The reason is we reviewed the 7 tracks you did so far and we’re liking the way they’re sounding so far but you’re behind schedule. Why?”

“I didn’t realize when you said you wanted 7 songs by last Wednesday and I gave you 7 songs by last Wednesday that I was behind schedule…”

“We actually wanted at least 9. We were hoping you’d take the initiative and give us a couple extra tracks. Aren’t you putting 14 on your debut album?”

“13, and you guys are the ones that made that decision.. I’m supposed to be heading into the studio now to work on another track, but where am I instead?”

“Alright! I get your point. Go long. Wait, one more thing. How’s Terrence?”

”T’s fine last time I checked… why do you ask?”

“He still doing de shite he’s do? You gotta watch he hear!”

Daniel pushes back his chair and stands to leave.
”Yeah, I know. Anyway, I gone. I gotta be at the studio in 20 minutes so I can’t waste any more time. You know what they say, time is money.”

Knock on door

“Come in.”

”Mr. Bentley, there’s a T here to see you, he insists it’s urgent. Should I send him in?”

“Yeah Melissa, Daniel and I are finished, he’s going to the studio to work on some more tracks for us, I know you’re a big fan” He winks at Melissa, the blood now drained from her face. She turns to make a hasty exit.

“What’s T doing here?”

”I don’t see how that’s your business. I thought you were in a rush to go record. Lata”

“Okay, okay, you stay there.” The venom in his tone was unmistakable but he knew he had to watch how he spoke to Mr. Bentley Record Exec.

“Hey Danny, I didn’t you know you were going to be here this morning.”

”I was just thinking the same thing about you, T. We’ll talk.”

“Yeah man sure, Call me lata.”

Episode 1:

There’s No I in Team

(Opening theme Hook Me Up by The Veronicas)

“De foam machine ting ain’ working so you can’t get that. You want something else?” Tiffany just stood there, as though in shock, then her mouth opened.

“My lady, is something wrong? Must you be so unpleasant? No wonder you’re there behind that counter serving coffee! When I meet people like you, I does just want to ups a rock and…”

“Tiffany!” Amber shouted from a nearby table where she was watching everything unfold. “Leave the young girl alone and just get something else.”

“I done! I want nothing else from in here, I’ll finish my sandwich with the bottle of water I brought with me.” Tiffany joins Amber at the table.

“So anyway you were telling me, Brian proposed?” Amber seeing herself as less than the marrying type lives vicariously through her more family oriented friends, somewhat of a morbid curiosity is how you can look at it.

“Yeah, he did. It was kind of weird. There we were having a quiet dinner at Vista D’Oro when out of the blue he looks up from his brazed lamb and stares into my eyes. Thinking I got something on my mouth I take up a napkin and start dabbing. He smiled and then asked, ‘Do you know how much I love you?’ Of course to this I respond no because I have my eye on a hot new bag from Sak that ‘Friedling’s’ just brought in. Then he drops to one knee, reaches into his jacket pocket, opens up this cute velvet ring box from Tiffany’s and pops the question.”

“Well fuck me running, that is so romantic! So when’re you getting married.”
”We’re not.”
”What?”
”I said no.”
“Um… why?”

“I’m not ready yet, I like where we are and I’m not ready to become ‘Mrs.’ anything. I like being Tiffany Williams a little too much to just become Mrs. Bentley. I would feel stripped of my identity.”
”You don’t have to take his name you know.”
”You’re missing the point. I’m just not ready for all of that. Besides, he could have tried a little harder with the ring. I didn’t get too good of a look at it, but from what I observed it was .5 carat SI1 princess cut set in white gold, one major stone and 4 minor stones, two on each side.”

Cell phone rings

“You, you gather yourself, I need to take this call. This is Amber Fitzpatrick, how may I help… Alex, what do you want?”
”Is that Alex from your office? I think he likes you.” Amber gives her the middle finger because Tiffany is aware that Amber loathes Alex with a passion usually reserved for child molesters and rapists.

“Yes I’m representing Mr. McMillan and his property, he’s very excited about finally getting rid of it after he won it in his divorce… No, I haven’t heard from him today, why… SHIT! I’ll be right in!” Amber grabs her bag and keys off the table with a sense of urgency. “Tiffany, we’ll catch up, I have a situation to deal with.”
”Okay… what’s the matter?’
”Mrs. McMillan just set the family home on fire! I need to see how much of the house was burned and if I could somehow keep this out of the ears of the interested buyers until I get a crew in to clean up… assuming there’s still a house left to repair… God I hate my job. Kisses love.”
”You have fun with that. I think I’m heading back to my own office, that little bitch from the counter keeps giving me nasty looks. I’m about to jump over it for her, she ain’t know me!”
”Okay, I’ll keep you posted, hey, you wouldn’t happen to want to buy a smokehouse?”
”Um… not today no. Sorry, bye.”
”Yeah, I didn’t think so. Catch ya later bitch!”

This weekly blog serial chronicles the lives of a group of twenty-somethings who find themselves caught halfway between what they expected life to be and their harsh realities. Mommy and daddy never told them life could be this messed up.

First we have Brian and Tiffany, the couple everyone thought was meant to be… what was another question. After the good old college days came to an end B & T as their closest friends used to call them decided to move their relationship to the next level- moving in together. After just a couple of months, they found themselves on the verge of what could be their final break-up. Let’s call this ‘irreconcilable differences.’
“Tiffany, will you marry me?”
“Brian, this is so sudden… no.”
“Pardon me?”
“Um…. thanks…. but… I’ll pass.”
“Wait! You think you’re a fucking prize or something?”
“Well I must be more of a prize than your impotent ass!”

Then there’s Amber, a bit on the heavy side, she finds working in an office full of hot young bodies doesn’t do much for her ego, and she wants to quit, but college loans being what they are decides she’ll use the fact that she doesn’t look like everyone else to her advantage. Unfortunately, she doesn’t quite know how to do it.
“Amber, you joining us at the gym this evening?”
“Have I ever joined you at the gym Alex?”
“Hence I’m asking if you’ll be joining us this evening.”
“No I won’t be joining you at the gym, why the sudden interest?”
“Well, the office has noticed that you could stand to lose a few pounds…”
“Fuck the office. The bible says Eat Drink, Be Merry, not Diet, Exercise, Be Skinny!”

Finally we have Daniel the up and coming musical sensation, and gripping firmly to his coat-tails is his best friend of 11 years T, just the letter as he likes to remind everyone because he thinks it’s cool. Daniel works hard at everything he does and is very cautious about how he spends his money and the things he does, which is all fine in theory, however given the fact that his best friend is somewhat of a spendthrift, alcoholic with no actual talent or skills to speak of, his career is in jeopardy because of the amount of time he spends getting T out of trouble.
*cell phone rings*
“Start talking it’s your nickel.”
“Danny, how much do you love me?”
“If this is T not as much as you’d think… whose phone are you calling me from, I don’t recognize the number.”
“I think police station payphones come up as private…”
*sigh*
“Should I ask or just bring my cheque book and Grif?”
“No need for the lawyer… just the cheque book”