Ch. 1.

And so it begins….


After three years of writing obits, updating the daily police blotter and taking various calls from people who wanted their 15 minutes of fame, Trina Logan needed to do something else.
She tried to be patient, she tried to do everything that was asked of her but still she was working the afternoon shift at the Philly Post. A place where she watched both friends and enemies get further than her.
“Maybe I’m not pretty enough.” She told her friend Darryl one day at lunch in the company’s break room.
Darryl, one of Trina’s best friends and one of the Post’s best reporters, hated when his friend got down. Unlike her personality, he attempted to cheer her up.
“What? Trina, you’re pretty. Where’s this coming from?” Darryl asked.
“Julie Gibson got the TV reporter position.” Trina said.
“So? Do you really want to watch TV 24/7? I know I couldn’t do it.” He replied.
“Trina look a bite out of her sandwich and put it down.
“It’s something different. I could have interviewed celebrities, got to wear cool clothes, got to see shows before anyone else-“
“And it would have drove you insane!” Darryl interrupted as he took a sip of his iced tea.
He was quick-witted and kind. Trina could always trust his opinion. Good or bad, right or wrong. Darryl was always someone she could count on. He gave Trina a blank stare. She pursed her lips. Although, seemingly agitated, she knew he was right.
“So what if it did? It’s my insanity. It’s more money. It’s the beginning of something.” She retorted.
He shook his head.
“You are so stubborn. You are a good writer Trina. You and Julie are two different animals. She may be pretty, but she would runaway from her own shadow. You? You need people. You feed on your observations, your need to inform others. When you do that, the stories you translate are great. Watch her stuff. It’ll be like this… ‘It was a good show. Watch for this show on Saturday night. Catch ya’ on the flip side!’” Darryl said mimicking Julie’s soft voice. Trina let out a huge laugh.
“Okay, you got me. “ she said. “So what am I going to do?” she asked.
“There’s a music writer position going up. Fletcher’s retiring. “ Darryl told her.
“Really? What kind of clips do they need? “
“An original. So that is proves that you can think on your feet and meet a deadline.” Darryl said.
“The position hasn’t gone up yet. “ Darryl continued. “You’re hearing this through the grapevine.”
“It isn’t official yet?” Trina said.
“Nope. Fletcher told us all during our staff meeting before lunch.” Darryl said.
“Hmmmm. An original piece….” Trina thought as she took a potato chip out of a small plastic bag, she looked at the chip’s shape. It was an individual, an original. Just like her.
“Bon Jovi’s playing at the Spectrum on Saturday.” Darryl said.
Trina laughed.
“Oh yeah. Like they would let me into that show.” She snickered.
“Why wouldn’t they?” Darryl asked.
Trina stood up in front of Darryl and twirled herself around. She was petite with long, brown wavy hair and huge blue eyes. She showed off her Khaki’s and white sweater as if she was gearing up for a Versace fashion show.
“You look gorgeous.” Darryl said. Trina smiled back. She took her glasses from her purse and put them on.
“Now tell me again. Do you think Bon Jovi’s people would let me in? I’m telling ya, the collegiate look is in. “ she quipped.
“All they would care about is how you portrayed them. I doubt Jon Bon Jovi would care about how you looked. “ Darryl said.
“Well he’s fucking gorgeous. Dear God.” Trina told Darryl. “Aside from the fact that I know who he is; I don’t know a single song of theirs. “ she said.
“You don’t know any of their songs? “ he asked. “What the hell planet have you been on?”
“I don’t know. I’m into Duran Duran, stuff like that.” She said.
“You do not know ‘Wanted?”
“Wanted what?” she asked.
Darryl sighed. “His temples suddenly began to throb. He took his fingers and began to slowly massage his them.
“Dead or Alive…Wanted. Do you know Prayer?” Trina looked at him blankly. She nodded no.
“Wow!” Darryl said.
“We got some work to do.” Darryl said getting up suddenly and putting on his jacket.
“Where are you going?” Trina asked.
“Going to help you out. I’ll be back.” He said as he sprinted out of the break room.
“Trina walked back to the table. She took another potato chip out of the bag. “Prayer?” she asked out loud.
“Umm. Trina that would be “Livin on a Prayer.” Said Julie Gibson coming up from behind her. She took Trina’s potato chip from Trina’s hand and popped it into her mouth.
Pretty with long blond hair and blue eyes. Julie turned around and glared at her. “Hell, call me a wallflower, but at least I know Bon Jovi songs. “ Julie said walking out.
Trina couldn’t stand her. She knew she had more talent in her little finger than Julie had in even one brain cell. She would provide to everyone that she could do this and get that job. Her time was now.