Part III: Imperfect Perfection: Chapter XI: Reel Too Real

The first part of the ending of Imperfect Perfection

Part III: Imperfect Perfection

Chapter XI: Reel Too Real

Samson

“Hi, Samson.” A nerdier looking version of Samson says to him.
“Who are you?” Samson asks.
“I’m you.”
“You look like a dork.”
“Hah, you’re such a ballbuster. Come on, follow me.” They start walking, and Samson finds himself backstage at a concert.
“This is my first memory. Dad’s last show of his ‘89 tour. Damn, look how young he looks. And me, holy s**t, I honestly don’t remember being that tiny, but I do remember this show. After ‘Wildfire’ Dad tries blowing his fire, and it failed, and I found it hilarious. Lucky for him, the pyrotechnics backed him up, but I remember how pissed he was.”
“Alright, who fucked up?” Samson’s father enters the backstage.
“Sorry, I had to piss.” one of the tech guys says.
“You’re f*****g fired.” He turns to little Samson.
“Did you at least enjoy the show?”
“Daddy’s cool!” Little Samson says.
“I used to look up to my dad when I was a kid.” Samson says.
“He was a cool guy, I mean come on, did you hear that crowd? Dad rocked!” Other Samson says.
“Yeah, unfortunately, his choice in friends sucked. Imagine me, 10 years old...” Samson says as the scene changes to another concert in a different venue.
“Don’t you love going to dad’s shows? 10 year old Samson asks 7 year old Luxor, who is doing homework.
“I find his rhythm patterns more pleasing in the bass sections than the wail of his guitar, it sounds like power tools.” Little Luxor says.
“That’s why it’s called metal.”
“Intriguing.”
“Oh, hey Rayven, get back here, you can’t go on stage. Maybe someday, but not today.” Young Samson grabs his 4 year old sister from wandering onto the stage as the show is going on.
“I wanna sing too! I wanna sing like daddy!” Rayven whines.
“Ok, but not while daddy and his friends are playing. There’s a lot of people out there, see? You want all those people to see you?”
“...no...”
“Just wait for daddy to be done and all those people leave, and maybe daddy will let you play with the microphone.” Maggie, holding a baby, tells Rayven.
“...Thank you, we are Kronyx State, good night!” The band comes backstage. “Hey guys, do we rock, or do we rock?” Samson’s dad says.
“I thought you said you were ending with ‘Firetwister’!” Little Samson says.
“We didn’t have time, sorry bud, I know you like that one.”
“Are you ready to go?” Maggie asks her husband.
“Hold on, I gotta do autographs for the VIP and then we can go.” A crowd of fans swarms the band, and they all autograph pictures, cd’s, breasts, cassettes, whatever the fan has to sign. Security escorts the fans out. “Alright, let’s go.” They head out through the special way out without being seen by anyone and get on the tour bus. "Another tour down. I’m glad, too, I hate that the label is making us play that grunge s**t. Good thing we can play some loud songs, or I’d blow my f*****g brains out, this bleeding heart s**t is not what I signed up for.”
“No, you signed on to wear makeup and dress like girls.” Little Samson laughs.
“It’s called glam rock, and that’s what was cool then.”
“And now grunge is cool, so you just gotta roll with it, dad.”
“Yeah, it could be worse.” Maggie tells him.
“Yeah, they could have me rapping, I suppose.” Samson’s father says. They all laugh at the idea.
“I had no idea that would be the last time I’d ever be backstage at one of my dad’s concerts. Which sucks, cause ‘Firetwister’ really is my favorite song.” Samson says. It all fell apart because of uncle Ruby, his drummer. I used to call him uncle because he was a beloved family friend. He was arrested for sleeping with groupies that were way under eighteen. My dad even testified on his behalf that booze and drugs were to blame, but for some reason, none of the other members of the band didn’t. I don’t know if dad did while he was married to mom. I’d like to think not, but most probably in the older days. Anyway, my mom was furious that my dad publicly defended a pedophile, and so, they divorced...” The scene changes to the interior of the mansion to two people arguing. Young Samson creeps his way downstairs to the sounds of his parents yelling at each other.
“No, you tried to make him sound like he was such a great guy!” Maggie yells.
“All I’m saying, is what teenager doesn’t wanna sleep with a rock star? Plenty of adults do.” Samson’s father argues back.
“Yes, adults, who can make adult decisions, teenagers can’t make adult decisions, and besides, hello? He’s in his thirties! That’s f*****g disgusting, these girls were 12, 13, 14, 15! What the f**k?”
“You act like we’re the only famous people to sleep with teenagers!”
“And so that makes it ok? Have you?”
“Have I what?”
“Ever slept with a teenager?”
“A couple of them might’ve been 16 or 17, but that’s like the youngest I’ve ever done, and that was in the 80’s. Ever since we got married and had a family, I haven’t slept with a groupie since like ‘88, ‘89.”
“We were married too then, a*****e!”
“Were we? I was on so much s**t back then.”
“Yeah, we were, and I know, I remember!”
“At least I haven’t done drugs in a while!”
“I want a divorce.”
“What? No! Please!”
“And I’m taking the babies with me. Samson seems to idolize you, so you can have him, and Luxor can choose who he wants to go with. We’ll figure out something so the kids can spend time with the other and each other. But who knows? Maybe I’ll be too busy to stop by, especially after I sell my book.”
“A book?”
“Oh yes, I’m going to write a book.”
“About what?”
“Oh, just some memoirs.”
“Is there going to be anything about me in it?”
“Perhaps.”
“I suppose we should talk to the kids tomorrow.”
“Not until I finalize the process.”
“Finalize?”
“I filed back when you publicly defended Ruby. Your image is destroyed, and as long as I’m married to you, so is mine. You don’t seem all that heartbroken.”
“B***h, please. I’m Samson F*****g Alpha, The Mutated Rivethead 714, I can have any f*****g woman I want.”
“Then why did you build a family with me?”
“It’s good for my image.”
“Which you’ve completely shattered.”
“Master Samson, you should not be awake at this time.” Bimbleton whispers to Little Samson. “Come, let’s get you back to bed.” The scene fades out.
“Imagine that, someone you hugged, loved like an uncle, turning out to be a pedophile. They were in your house, shared a tour bus with, and he’s humping children.” Samson says. I forgot all about that conversation, but I remember the conversation we eventually had much clearer. The scene is the mansion again, but a different room.
“...so, we’re splitting up.” Maggie tells the children.
“So, who do we live with?” Little Samson asks.
“Well, I’m taking Rayven and Wolfgang with me.” Maggie says. “You can stay here with your father.”
“Good, I didn’t feel like moving.” Little Samson says.
“Luxor, the decision is yours.”
“I too do not feel like relocating, I will stay here as well.” Young Luxor says.
“Fine, half and half works for me.” Samson’s father says.
“Fine, if you two wanna be like that.” Maggie says.
“It’s nothing personal, mom.” Young Samson says.
“Yeah, sure.” she rolls her eyes. The scene fades out.
“That was part of the reason I didn’t contact my mom for so long, I thought she held it against me that I was glad I was staying with dad. I called her every Friday night to see if she could pick us up to spend time with her and our siblings, but she spent a bunch of years book touring. Then she wrote a second book, and just kept touring. But before I hung up the phone, we always told each other we loved each other. Dad tried fixing the band’s image, but it fell on deaf ears. We started running low on funds, but at the time I didn’t realize it, I was just an arrogant rich kid. This should have been my first clue, but for some reason it never registered...” Samson says. Two years pass, and Samson’s father is having a conversation with Samson and Luxor.
“So, yeah, you guys are going to have to go to public school now.” Samson’s father tells them.
“What? Public school? That’s where poor kids go!” Young Samson complains.
“I agree, I may not get the sufficient education I can get from my current school!” Young Luxor complains.
“Sorry guys, album sales have been in the toilet, ever since your mother dropped her sequel. Leave it to a woman to not be able to shut up in one book. I can just imagine the things she says about me. I don’t want you two to read them, do you hear me?”
“We promise.” the kids say.
“Just think of it this way: you’re the richest kids in school, and if you get into trouble or something, I’ll always bail you guys out, that’s how I’ll make it up to you, I’ll buy you anything you want at school.”
“Increase their funding so I may get the adequate education I require.” Luxor says.
“Donation? I can do that. Samson?”
“All I wanna do is play football, I don’t wanna do school, I just wanna show up for gym, pick on nerds, and play some football.”
“I’m not sure I can get you out of required classes, but I can probably make it so you don’t have to choose any electives and have study hall most of the day.”
“As long as I can do what I want.”
“Yeah, I can make that happen, but don’t get into too much trouble, keep your offenses minor, I don’t wanna have to make more than one donation to that school.”
“Whatever.” The scene fades out.
“Shortly after that, my dad got himself a new girlfriend, which I’m sure didn’t help our financial situation. The pool was her idea, so I can’t be too mad she was spending all of his money, but still. I was such a f*****g spoiled brat back then, I’m glad we didn’t see my meltdown at my seventh birthday, or the time I smacked Bimbleton because he didn’t bring me chocolate milk.”
“Yeah, you kinda sucked, didn’t you?” Other Samson asked.
“I blame dad, he was a rock star, and the fact that I’m named after him made me think I was better than everyone.”
“How’d that work out for you?”
“For the most part, pretty good, school was so much fun, I wish I could do it all over again, I remember when I finally got transferred to public school, the principal introduced me to Johan and Leo...” It shifts to a classroom.
“Samson, these two also come from affluent families, I figure you types always stick to your own kind. This is Johan, he is a foreign exchange student from Switzerland, he’s hoping to become a full citizen here. His hosting family hopes to adopt him. And this is Leo, his father owns the local hardware store. I’ve put you three in classes for this year, so you’ll always have a friend around, Samson. I know It's not easy coming to a new school, but we just wanna make sure you feel comfortable. Class starts in five minutes, go on.” The three of them leave the office and head to class.
“So, what’s so great I have to be friends with poor kids like you?” Young Samson asks.
“Hey, I’m not poor, my dad has two classic sport cars, and four stores in this city, and one a town over.” Leo says.
“I ams nots knows whats my host parents dos. In Sweden, we do not ask such questions unless it is family business to be learned.” Johan says.
“The principal said you’re from Switzerland, not Sweden.”
“The principal is a joke, he lumps all the Hispanic kids as Mexican.” Leo says.
“Oh, so he doesn’t know the difference?” Young Samson asks.
“Exactly. Now what exactly makes you such hot s**t?”
“My dad is TMR 714.”
“Of Kronyx State?” Leo asks in shock.
“Yeah.”
“They play very good show in Sweden. Parents take me to concert with them, it was good show, ‘Firetwister’ is my favorite.” Johan says.
“I remember that show, it WAS pretty kickass. Unfortunately, he never played it again.”
“Alright, color me impressed.” Leo says. “Welcome to P.S 27, with you around, we can do whatever the f**k we want.”
“Oh you have no idea.” Young Samson says. The scene fades out.
“We met the girls after, we did a little digging to see who would qualify to be the girl half of our posse. People respect you more if you have a nicely mixed posse. I learned that from my dad. Oh to be young again, before we had all of these problems.” Samson says.
“Yeah, school was a lot of fun once we met these two, huh?” Other Samson says.
“For the most part, once Leo started doing real bad s**t, I focused more on other people.”
“Yeah, who knew that twelve year old held a monster inside?”
“I had no idea, he seemed normal to me.”
“I’m surprised our friendships lasted as long as they did, honestly.”
“Yeah, I was meant to be so much more, I figured once I hit the big leagues we’d all lose touch, who knew it’d end the way it did, but at least high school was a lot of fun.”
“Dad paying everyone off was great.”
“I honestly don’t remember learning everything. I was pissed when Luxor caught up to me and we both ended up in the same grade. But dad promised to pay me if nothing happened to him because he knew he’d get picked on for being smart. Oh well, I guess I was jealous that my brother is in the same grade as me.”
“You’re not stupid, you could have applied yourself.”
“Yeah, but the only thing on my mind was football and hanging out with my friends, that’s what high school meant to me.”
“And what fun it was!”