A Jewel Whodunnit...
BLAST FROM THE PAST
PART ONE: CURTAIN DOWN
Chapter One: The 'Anniversary'

"Well, seems like Jewel are back to their best again."
Sheila Pelligrini sat down at her desk, a dry smile on her face as she surveyed the large pile of letters she had yet to tackle. "More and more requests for them to play at the opening of this or the anniversary of that, and it's a damn good thing you set up a seperate PO address for fanmail else we'd be swamped."
"I think ahead." Phyllis Gabor, her business partner responded, not even looking up from the cupboard where she was impatiently hunting through the applications of several thousand music hopefuls for one that caught her eye. "They're playing loud enough though, don't you think? I'm gonna go downstairs and yell at them to shut the hell up in a minute, they're giving me a headache."
"Pizzazz, what's eating you?" Sheila, or 'Jetta', as she still preferred to be known cast a frown in her friend's direction, setting aside the letter she had been about to read. "You don't usually mind Jewel practicin' when we're workin' up 'ere. Usually you like 'earin' them play."
"Yeah, well, usually is not today, all right?" Phyllis snapped back, her tone petulant. "I told you, I have a headache, and they've been practicing all damn morning long. Don't they ever take a break?"
"Right, that's it." Jetta frowned. "Come on, out with it. Something is buggin' you, an' don't tell me it ain't, Phyllis Gabor, because I've known you too damn long for you to lie to me. Spill. What's up?"
"Oh, shut your face." Phyllis groaned. "I don't need you playing Mom, Jetta, I'm fine. Can't a woman have a little headache any more without getting the third degree?"
"Nope." Jetta told her firmly. "Whilst it's durin' office hours it's my business. What's wrong?"
Phyllis sighed, sitting back on her heels and dumping the folder of applications unceremoniously on the floor, sending files every which way.
"It's Alan." She admitted finally.
"Alan?" Jetta raised an eyebrow. Phyllis had been living with doctor Alan Garcia for some years now, and their relationship had never been properly defined, for Phyllis preferred not to feel she was tied down and Alan had always been perceptive enough to let her think she was free to end it whenever she pleased. As a result, the relationship had flourished, and they had their own kind of commitment between them. Though Phyllis would never say it out loud, she had no desire to try her luck with another man. Glamorous and youthful beyond her years, the billionaire's daughter had finally found some security, and subconsciously she had done everything she could to try and keep it.
"Yeah, Alan. You know, the creep who lives with me." Phyllis snapped.
"I know who he is." Jetta said quietly. "I'm wondering what he could've done to upset you."
Phyllis rolled her eyes.
"He's being a pain in the butt." She announced. "And I didn't sleep at all last night because of it, either. Stupid men, why is it that the minute they get their foot inside your door and then beneath your sheets they think that they suddenly can call the shots and start talking about 'relationships'?" She made exaggerated quote marks with her fingers, and Jetta pursed her lips.
"Sounds like the devil's child at work." She bantered.
"Shut it." Phyllis snapped. "You have no idea. I mean, the nerve of the guy!"
"All right, out with it. What did he do that's so awful exactly?" Jetta looked interested.
"He asked me where I wanted to go for our anniversary." Phyllis responded darkly. Jetta stared at her friend blankly. Then, despite herself, she burst out laughing.
"Don't laugh at me!" This did nothing for Phyllis' hot temper and she got to her feet, approaching the desk and banging her hands down on it. "Stop it! Shut up now!"
"Oh God, I'm sorry." Jetta choked back her giggles as much as she could, trying to fix her companion with a sober look, though inwardly she was decidedly amused at the melodrama Phyllis had put into such an innocent seeming phrase. "So he asked you what you wanted to do...so?"
"It's not that...it's the other thing. The 'anniversary' thing." Phyllis stormed, once more resorting to quote marks. "Anniversary suggests commitment, which suggests monogamy, which suggests a relationship, which suggests love and I'll be damned if I'm going to be involved in some sappy romance story like you got sucked into twenty whatever it is years ago with Justin Pelligrini!"
"Mmmhm...so just because you've lived with 'im for more than ten years, not seen any other blokes in that time an' basically taken 'im to every major social engagement goin', doesn't mean you're committed to 'im, or even remotely attracted to or in love with 'im?" Despite herself, Jetta's voice shook once more with amusement. "Well. Makes perfect sense to me!"
"Oh, gimme a break." Phyllis rolled her eyes, tossing her mobile phone at her friend in her frustration. Jetta caught it deftly, setting it down on the desktop.
"Well? What do you expect 'im to think?" She asked innocently. "It could be worse, Pizzazz. 'E could've asked you to bloody well marry 'im an' all!"
"Ooh, don't even go there." Phyllis retorted. "I'm not you. I don't fall for men's lines like you did."
"Yeah, an' look, I'm still payin' the price." Jetta grinned. "I mean, jus' think, if I'd refused Justin in Las Vegas twenty four years ago I could've avoided all that 'appily married nonsense, couldn't I?"
"If you don't shut your face, Jetta Pelligrini..." Phyllis threatened. Jetta held up her hands in mock surrender.
"Okay, okay, I give." She relented. "Seriously, Pizzazz, what's the big deal? I mean, okay, so 'e called it an anniversary, but what in 'ell else is it, when you've been together as long as you 'ave? I know you ain't got plans to marry 'im, an' you've always been wary about settlin' down with a bloke, but look at it this way for a moment, will you? You've been involved with Alan since when, '97, '98? That's at least fifteen years 'e's been livin' in your 'ouse. Much as you 'ate to admit it, girl, you got a steady relationship goin' there. You ain't slept with another guy since you shacked up together, an' 'e's damn devoted to you, an' all. You might as well face it. You're whipped."
"Oooooh!" Pizzazz let out a shriek of rage at this last statement. "Why in hell can't you be serious about this for once! I am not whipped!! And just because Alan and I live together doesn't mean I couldn't do without him, or that I'm in love with him. It's done for convenience, that's all. No other reason."
"When I first got involved with Justin I swore blind that I weren't even a touch in love with 'im." Jetta reminded her. "Well, 'ere we are, more'n twenty years down the line, an' I guess I can't 'elp but admit to it now. Look, it ain't that big a deal. You like Alan's company, 'e likes yours. 'E wants to take you out - 'ell, e's a bloke an' 'e bloody remembered you guys 'ave an anniversary! Most guys need a kick in the backside to remember stuff like that! You shouldn't be complaining. You're on to a good thing."
Phyllis sighed, sinking down into an empty chair.
"You think so?" She asked doubtfully. "I never really asked myself what the deal with Alan was. It just happened and I guess I let it. I dunno, Jetta. I don't like the idea of being tied down like you are. I mean, are you really happy with that damn ring on your finger, always reminding you that you're stuck with Justin till you die?"
"Yes." Jetta nodded her head, all trace of humour gone from her voice now she realised that her friend's question was in earnest. "I know it's not like the big mouthed independant Jetta who came to Los Angeles in the eighties lookin' for a music contract, Pizzazz, but yeah. At the end of the day, noone wants to die alone, do they?"
"I...I guess not." Phyllis groaned, rubbing her temples. "I dunno. We had a hell of a row, anyhow. Well...actually, I had a hell of a row." She paused, somewhat confused. "He didn't really say much. He just let me rant on at him and then said, 'well, let me know where you wanna go when you've decided' and went to work."
Jetta laughed.
"Sounds like the perfect bloke for you." She said, amused. "Seriously, Pizzazz, everyone 'as to grow up, right? An' you ain't never been 'appy with any guy till you settled with 'im. Listen...it's either that or you wind up 'ow you were before, takin' gambles on jerks like Eric Raymond and the like."
"Don't remind me." Phyllis shivered. "If I ever see that guy again it'll be too soon."
"Well, there you go then." Jetta shrugged. "What you complainin' about? Look at Stormer, she's blinkin' divorced! You're luckier than that...you got a decent bloke to go 'ome to." A wicked smile touched her lips. "Jus' ask 'im to take you somewhere really swank an' impressive, an' be done with it."
"Maybe." Phyllis did not look altogether convinced. She sighed. "Oh well. Enough of him, anyhow. Men suck, Jetta. All of them, even your damn husband." She retrieved the folder half heartedly from the floor, flicking through a couple of applications, then dumping the remainder down on the desk, scattering them. "I'm so not in the mood for this. At least Jewel seem to have given it a rest for the day...my head can't deal with much more noise."
"Well, they 'ave a single to come soon." Jetta reminded her. "Now Topaz's movie is over with and the band 'ave a full complement, they should be on course for another big 'it. Signin' those girls was a stroke of genius."
"Mmm...my genius." Phyllis reminded her. "You were iffy about letting your Nancy sign on, but I was right, wasn't I?"
"Yeah, yeah, I guess so." Jetta conceded. "I was just worried she wouldn't react so good to all of the news hype an' all, but it turned out okay. Man, an' she's twenty two in September. Time bloody flies!"
"Tell me about it." Phyllis grimaced. "My daughter is a constant reminder of how old I am...something I can easily forget when I look in the mirror. But Emily turns 24 this month...dammit, another thing to worry about! Life was so much easier before I decided to have family!"
With that she headed out of the office, banging the door behind her.
Jetta laughed. She'd become fond of Phyllis during their years together, first as Misfits in a successful eighties girl rock outfit, and later as business partners in Misfit Music, now Los Angeles' most impressive music company. Bought initially for his daughter by the wealthy Harvey Gabor, Phyllis had really made a go of her 'project', and now was reaping the benefits of her hard work, though if she was honest, it was often left to Jetta to put in the real hard graft. They made a good team, however, and both of them had an ear for talent, something which had served them well in the signing of the aforementioned 'Jewel'. Originally the band had been made up of three; Jetta's daughter Nancy, the songwriter and guitarist for the group, former Misfit Stormer's daughter, Sylvina Martescu, or Sylva, who played keys, and percussionist Elizabeth Santiago, or 'Copper'. Since then, however, the group had added Canadian singer and bass player Aurora Stapleton, or 'Topaz' to their number, and during Topaz's maternity leave from the group the previous winter, the band had taken on board English born guitarist Sadie Monahue as a replacement. Sadie had soon become a bonafide Jewel, however, so it was now a five piece band that held the esteemed position of California's top rock group.
Phyllis' own daughter Emily, or 'Sirena' was also highly successful in the music business, singing as a soloist, and signed to the same company. Though for many years mother and daughter had been estranged, in recent years the bond had been rebuilt, and now, despite Phyllis' complaining, she would not be without her daughter and subsequent grandson Michael in her life.
"It's about time she realised 'ow things were with Alan. She ain't gettin' younger, whatever she thinks about it." The executive mused now, pushing the stray applications aside and going back to her letters. "An' I don't suppose it 'elps 'er bein' a grandma to Mike an' all, convinces 'er even more she's over the 'ill, especially after last year's milestone birthday. S'pose I'll 'ave that to worry about an' all when Copper an' Aaron finally tie the knot."
And with that, she returned her attention to her work, Phyllis and her problems for the time being forgotten.



BLAST FROM THE PAST: PART ONE

Prologue: 1989
Chapter One: The "Anniversary"
Chapter Two: Jewel's Sound
Chapter Three: At Sirena's Place
Chapter Four: Jewel's Video
Chapter Five: Fanmail
Chapter Six: A Stranger
Chapter Seven: Stefana's Date
Chapter Eight: The Results
Chapter Nine: A Moment's Weakness
Chapter Ten: A Shock For Zoe
Chapter Eleven: A Surprise For Jetta
Chapter Twelve: Fire!

DISCLAIMER: PLEASE NOTE
Copper, Nancy, Sylva, Anna, Blade, Raesha, Sirena, Topaz, Aaron, Sophie, Justin, Elliot, Rosita, Luis and any other characters in this fiction which do not appear in the animated Jem series are copyrighted to me (E.A Woolley) as of January 2002 <unless otherwise specified> and are not to be reproduced without permission ANYWHERE. Jetta, Pizzazz, Stormer, Roxy, Raya and all other original Jem characters are the copyright of Hasbro Inc, Sunbow, Christy Marx and the other writers of the Jem series. The future world of Pizzazz, Raya, Jetta, Roxy, Stormer, Clash, Synergy, the fate of Jem and her memorial are all copyrighted to me. The future world of Kimber and Shana is copyrighted jointly to myself and Gemma Dawn.
The concept of 'Jewel' is entirely my own, and any apparent link with any fictional or actual person or persons of this name is entirely coincidental. Equally the characters in this fiction are not based on any real life individual.
The concept behind the future world of Danse, Aja and Craig, the idea behind Jerrica's futureworld and the split of the Holograms is copyrighted to Gemma Dawn, whose Teenangel Outsiders fiction is directly twinned with Just a Dream. The character Sammi and any of the other Teenangel Outsider characters mentioned in this fiction are entirely copyright to Gemma Dawn and appear here only with her permission.
Pay her page a visit!