["... The Answer's Been Staring You In The Face For Most Of A Decade..."]

"Yep, that was it," Mindy began, poping the bubblegum again. "You both wanted to be musicians, rock stars to be specific, and have adventures and exciting events. Instead your living an easy, comfortable, simplistic, routine: and bored out of your skulls! The answer to this issue that's been running your sex life for the past ten years has been staring you right in the face for most if that time: get new instruments, practice till you're back to where you were when everything went sideways, form a new band; and lay the fuck off the this time!" Mindy explained.

"I'm your new manager, I'm going to make sure you practice every day, get booked for gigs, and don't sign any contracts that will ruin your careers, because while second chances are fairly easy to come by in this industry, third ones are almost non-existent for two unknowns like you." 'Mindy' explained, still chewing that stick of gum, though it doubtless had not a bit of flavor at this point.

"Zoey, go to the bottom drawer of your writing desk and get the new compositions. We need to start picking out the content of your new band's first album," Mindy said, and Zoey hurriedly went to do so...

:I hope they like 'The Night The Music Died'...: Zoey thought as she dug for the journal with her ideas for new songs in it. She hadn't touched this journal in over a year, but when 'The Midwest Zombies' were together she'd been their main songwriting talent, just like Allan had been the lead vocals...

Just as she laid hold on the book Zoey was reminded that the Ghirabo could read minds... "And Yes, I think 'The Night The Music Died', will make a great song for the album, but I think 'What Have I Become?' is probably going to be your hit single for this album. It's going to speak to a lot of people's feelings these days..." Mindy said in response to Zoey's thoughts.

For the next 2 hours they went over the book, picking out songs to start practicing, ending up with an 18 song list, but then Mindy dropped a bombshell. "For a break-out first album these days you need at least 24 songs, Al, go get YOUR book..." And Allan blanched white as a ghost.

"But, those were just idle scribbles, only three of them are even complete...!" He trailed off, still panicking.

"Just get it: what you haven't completed we can collaborate on. We need six more songs for this album, and everything left in Zoey's book is either too ambitious for a first album, in severe need of a rework before it's ready to release, or even less completed than yours," Mindy said.

Reluctantly Allan went and retrieved his own book of song notes, then they sat and went over what he had for another two hours. Halfway through that they moved to the master bath and Zoey started using a box of dry erase markers on the mirror to do composition and arrangement, noting down the final forms in a spiral notebook when they were satisfied. Even so the end result was 22 songs, not 24. (Two of the complete songs were inappropriate: one too ambitious, one so childishly simple that it would be laughed off the stage...)

"Don't worry about it: I'm sure your new band mates will be able to fill in the rest, most musicians your age have dabbled in composition," Mindy said confidently, then told Al and Zoey, "Your kids will be home from daycare any minute, go get ready!" And pushed them out of the bathroom...