Westpoint Tales

by Kiwi

Entangled Tales - 95 - Whozzat's Movie & Tony's Family

As they did the song, the curtain above them quietly slid up and out of sight, exposing the whole of the screen. They finished, the keyboard played them out, the lights went down and the screen was lit up with the same image as on the banner outside.

The screen was white with 7 cartoon faces over the red block-letters, 'Whozzat's Movie'. The theatre applauded, the screen turned pink and then orange as the letters and faces faded. Clouds appeared and they were looking at one of Westpoint's characteristic sunsets.

The camera panned down, showing a large old pine tree, black silhouetted against the sky. It zoomed in on the tree-house and the long-limbed boy sitting in the doorway. He sighed, slid one long leg out below him, and then jerked it back up and looked down.

"Feck, Dee! What the hell are you doing?"

Over the next two hours, with lots of music, the movie showed the beginnings of Whozzat - the formation of the group with the introduction of each new member, including Crispian and his transformation. They didn't bother with Cody, but they showed, briefly, Tony's holiday meeting with them, his return home and his flight from there. They showed some of his nightmare journey back to Westpoint, their search for him in the missing weeks, and their joyful reunion. ("Where the feck have you BEEN?")

They showed West FM, parties on the beaches, dances at school and in the Union Hall, and their decision to stay at school and make a movie to share their music. There was the Independent record label, ('Rebel, Rebel"), and Billy's Burgers with lots on the party in the Square, weekend trips to open Billy's Burgers in other towns, and their weekday life at school.

Finally, they summed up with the announcement that the movie was finished and the premiere would be in the St. John's theatre in Westpoint. The screen went black and silent, and then lights started to appear, picking out a shining trail along the main street.

The camera followed along the trail and focused on the multi-coloured St. John's. The wall went white as the banner unfurled and the words appeared again. There were quiet shots of the excited crowd filing into the theatre for the premiere and taking their seats. The Mayor gave his speech, the curtains opened and Whozzat sang and played, "And We Danced".

The cartoons and words appeared again, the screen turned pink and then orange and the final credits rolled to the music of North'n West Coast Sun.

The party afterwards was out in the street in the hot summer night, (catered by Billy's Burgers), and it went on until dawn. The movie was an absolute triumph in Westpoint. Everybody loved it, even the reluctant 'stars'.

It played all week exclusively, no other films screened at all, and there were packed houses for every showing. Crispian was the town's hero for a few days.

The following week it began showing in other West Coast towns, and then further and further afield, spreading their name, their fame and their music to an ever increasing audience. CD's, DVD's, T-shirts, posters and books were sold at every screening. Whozzat were on their way, and the kids went back to school.

A few days after the Shaw family had gone home, to everyone's relief, (even Jonathan's), Tony's family arrived in town.

Thursday morning, he was called out from a maths class, which he didn't mind at all. The messenger, Sherry Coombs, told him that he had to go to the principal's office, there were people there waiting to see him. Who? Well, she didn't know!

On the way past the front entrance of the school, Tony stopped and stared out of the doors.

"What's the matter, Tones? Have you seen a ghost or something?"

"That's my mother's car. My friggin' mother's car! What's she doing here in Westpoint?"

"Probably waiting to talk to you. Now you know who's in Mrs. Lowry's office."

"Bloody hell! I've got nothing to say to those people, Sherry. Why can't they leave me alone?"

"You're not alone, Tony. Not in this town. Go and tell them to fuck off."

"I will. Thanks. I'll tell them to fuck off!"

Tony went to the principal's office and Sherry, who loved a drama, ran to get Superboy. He felt nervous as he stood outside the door. Should he go and get Danny? No. Fuck 'em, not Danny's problem. It was his family and he'd deal with them. What could they do? He was 16 now.

He knocked on the door, and entered when called.

"Ah, Tony. Thank you for coming promptly. We have visitors for you, your family have come a long way to see you."

('I'm not blind, Mrs. Lowry. I can see who they are.')

Tony looked around the crowded office. His mother and both of his grandmothers were sitting there, with his two brothers standing back against the wall. "Hello, Alex," he said and then turned back to Mrs. Lowry.

"I can see my brother. I don't know the rest of these people."

"What? Don't talk nonsense, Tony," said his Grannie Erickson. "Of course you know your family."

His eyes filled with tears. ('Fuck it! Control yourself, Tony.') "I know my family. I know who they are. My family are Danny, Justin and Billy, and Whozzat and Nita, Tom, John and George. My family are Lucas and Jonathan and everyone else who loves me."

"We love you, Tony." His other grandmother got to her feet. "Your mother, your grandparents, your brothers, we all love you."

"Fucking great way of showing it, haven't you? Sorry, Mrs. Lowry, but these people damm near killed me. He beat me up and threw me out and not one of them lifted a finger to help me - except for Alex."

"I did so!" Brian burst out." I stopped him. I pulled him off you, or tried to."

"You stopped him? What a hero! You fucking started it in the first place! You're the worst of them, Scumbag. I don't want to know you. Fuck off, the lot of you. Go back to your home and leave me in mine."

"Tony, please!" his mother spoke for the first time. "We were wrong. All of us were wrong, but especially me. I'm really sorry, Tony. I'm your mother and I failed you when you needed me most. I can never, never fix that, but I want you to know that I know how wrong I was and I'm so sorry."

Tony stood staring. His whole world narrowed down to just him and her - his mother, his tear-streaked, crying and sorrowful mother, and he lost his anger.

"Mum!" He sobbed as he flew into her arms.

"Tony. Oh, Tony, my baby."

Mrs. Lowry's eyes filled with tears as she watched a loving family repair their wounds. She got up to leave them alone. Un-noticed, she quietly opened the door and slipped out.

Outside, she was confronted by a crowd. A large group of silent, grim-faced people stood there waiting. Students mainly, some staff and even people from around the town - a large crowd and growing bigger by the second as more and more arrived. A flash-mob, called by their cellphones.

The only smiling face she could see was that of Sherry Coombs, bouncing up and down in her excitement. ('Bloody little Drama Queen!')

A worried looking Daniel O'Brien stood in the front, surrounded and supported by the Reynolds' twins, Superboy and the Iceman, with Peter Lewis, Jay Kynnersley and all of this silent and growing crowd behind them.

"Mrs. Lowry, what's going on in there? Can I go in to him?"

"It's all right, Daniel. Don't worry, everything's going to be fine."

"It had better be!" snapped the chilly tones of the Iceman.

"It's fine, Jonathan - 'Iceman'. No troubles here." (She had never seen him in action, but she'd heard all about what the Iceman was capable of).

"Mrs. Lowry," Justin spoke. "Please go back and tell Tony that Daniel is waiting out here, and then we'll see."

She went back into her office. A few seconds later, the door opened and a tearful Tony appeared. His eyes widened in shock as he looked around the crowd. He blushed and said a quiet, "Thank you", and then took Daniel's hand and pulled him into the office, closing the door behind them.

They stayed a few days at the Westpoint Motor Hotel. Kathleen didn't care; she was not having those people in her hotel. Tony and Daniel both stayed there with them and everything was sweet.

His father had gone, moved out and he wouldn't be back. His mother couldn't live with that man any longer. Even his own mother, Tony's Gran, didn't want to know him, the bastard!

Tony and Daniel took them all to meet and eat with, Nita, Tom, George, John and Beth. They introduced them to the Todds and showed them around their town, meeting with more friends everywhere they went.

Crispian arranged a private screening of Whozzat's Movie for them - his mother and grandmothers cried all the way through it. They left on the Monday, with hugs and tears.

Alex promised to fly back for the next school holidays, and Tony and Daniel, arms around each other, stood waving as they drove away. Life was good.

Summer rolled on and slowly came to an end. The days got shorter and temperatures fell. Summer games, reluctantly, gave way to Winter sports and the brilliant colours of Autumn almost matched the glories of Westpoint's sunsets.

Whozzat had an international hit record. They stayed at home and gladly sent out videos to promote their music. Billy's Burgers went from strength to strength, city to city and opened in Australia even. Lana and Claudette were both glowingly pregnant.

There were no great dramas. Everything was cruisy. Life was good.