Chapter 07: Rollercoaster Ride

APOV

After the night of hearing her say Eric’s name, I listened more closely when SB would call in and I was amazed at how well she hid her southern drawl. It was cute and I was curious as to why she did it.

I spoke with Pam about it and she said she didn’t hear it. But she said she would try to make her slip up again to prove one way or another that it was or was not Sookie. She wanted Eric to be happy just like I did and if we had to team up to get to that point then so be it. But of course the slip up never happened.

The weeks started to move by slowly and I am sure it was even slower for Eric.

I am pretty sure he was on pins and needles about the whole dedicated songs issue. He knew Sookie was close but he didn’t really know or maybe he did that SB and Sookie were one in the same person.

The thing that threw me off was Sookie dropping off the rose and CD, or did she, nobody seems to remember who dropped them off but they were waiting in the control room when Jake arrived so he made sure we got it.

Yeah Jake knew Eric’s name but kept a tight lip about it.

Jake played by Stuart Reardon

He mentioned to Pam that he wished he had thought of the whole anonymous stick, the groupies were driving him nuts. Jake was a nice looking kid and he was having the same issues as we all did. Pam told him he would figure it out sooner or later, he was still young and wet around the ears.

I knew I would be supportive of Eric and how he wanted to handle this going forward but I figured it was going to be a long haul anyway it went.

Eric was a quiet person about his feelings; the only time I ever and I mean ever saw them on his sleeve was all those years ago in Shreveport. I think it was the first and last time he let anyone see how Sookie affected him. I just hope that by what she said in the dedicated messages and by sending him a RED ROSE that she would make a move soon so that my best friend could find his true happiness again.

The ‘Name that Tune’ game continued as before but we changed it up a bit after SB started to call in herself and pose questions to us about Music. It couldn’t have worked out any better if we had orchestrated it like Victor wanted us to. Pam however was determined to beat her at her own game but we were running out of ammunition.

So Eric suggested Theme weeks.

The themes would run a week long and we all picked the following as our themes to work with: Boy Bands, Love, Breakup, Pop questions (we say a few lines and you tell us what Pop song it is from and who sang it), Old Rock Bands, Margaritaville (yes Jimmy Buffet), and Country and Western.

Pam was all for it and she wasn’t going to hold back any more she wanted to smash SB into smithereens. But SB made it hell on her the first week out.

The theme Pam chose was Boy Bands.

Pam would ask who sang a particular song and SB would have to name the artist, well the twist that Pam put on it was the songs were all from old Boy Bands- NSync, Jackson 5 and The Osmond’s and she figured that SB would never know any of this artists since they were probably before her time. See Pam thought SB was a teenager or early twenties, not our age or older.

… Pam was so pissed that SB got all of the answers right…..

Nsync – ‘It’s Gonna Be Me’

The Osmonds – ‘Puppy Love’

Nsync – ‘Space Cowboy’

The Osmond’s- ‘Gabrielle’

Jackson 5- “I want you Back’

So the following week it was SB’s turn to ask the questions. It was funny that she actually picked one of our themes or close to it that we already had in the pipeline.

Her theme was old songs of love.

But her twist was she used all Country and Western artists, which Pam was lost on.

I really wasn’t any better but at least I tried. When we got stuck Eric would bail us out like usual. She would ask us for the artists name when she named the song, twice she even sang the lyrics for us, which didn’t help us much either. She has a beautiful voice no wonder she was a music teacher.

It seemed simple enough.

…. Yeah RIGHT…Not even close….Simple was not in SB’s vocabulary.

‘When My Ship Comes In’ -Clint Black

‘He Thinks he’ll Keep her’ – Mary Chapin Carpenter

‘She’s got the Rhythm (and I got the Blues) – Alan Jackson

‘Lonely but only for You’ – KT Oslin

‘Loves Got a hold of You’ Alan Jackson

Man did we BLOW…. Suck wasn’t even a term we could even use… it was a bad bad week for Pam and I. SB-5, A&P-0.

The third week Eric changed it up a bit. He wanted them (he and SB) to do a round robin of sorts. He would name a song and she would have to figure out the theme and rebut with the same themed song the following day.

I didn’t know what he had up his sleeve but it turned out that he had SEX on his brain and that was the theme.

I couldn’t help but laugh when she answered back with the same Artist each night but a different song. I think Eric has met his match in every way when it comes to music trivia.

Eric’s song was ‘Animals’ by Nickelback

SB’s responses were: ‘Something in Your Mouth’, ‘Shakin Hands’, ‘S.E.X’ and ‘Follow you Home’.

The games were fun but they didn’t last long each night because SB never really held a lot of conversation with us and I think that is what caused the melancholy in Eric. Her voice was soothing to me but I think he wanted to hear her voice more, something to hold on to, but she never really stayed on the phone long enough. She would answer our question or pose her own and then hang up too quickly.

My theory was that I think she was trying to figure out how to approach Eric next. I don’t think she was playing cat and mouse, at least I hope not, but she was very cautious I could tell that much from her voice and actions.

Which even surprised me so I wondered again what she might be hiding or hiding from. But I guess that is an answer I will have to wait on.

Despite our nightly games with SB I could tell Eric was becoming withdrawn again and I didn’t know if it was because of Sookie; him wanting to up root us again or because SB was getting under his skin like Sookie always had. I wanted to tell him I knew she was one in the same person but I figured he wouldn’t believe me anyway. I never felt I could or should broach that subject.

It wasn’t until the next week that we had a bit of a break, oh who am I kidding a HUGE FUCKING BREAK.

There happened to be a school break that week and the kids were at home and listening to our show. We happened to get a few dedications to Miss S; To our favorite music teacher, and one was to SB but I think that one was actually from Eric but again I didn’t press the subject.

The different music selections played for her were true to what we knew of her personality or what we knew of it; she loved all types of music and the proof came from her students and their dedications to her through songs which were Michael Bublé (L-O-V-E), Pink (Sober), Lynyrd Skynyrd (Gimme Three Steps), Theory of a Deadman (All or Nothing) and Katy Perry (Roar).

Can you figure out which one came from Eric, I sure the hell can. Well maybe it was a toss-up between two songs but I actually took the dedication for Miss S for the Michael Bublé song so I know it wasn’t that one.

But our even bigger break was that we had new callers to our questions for the Name that Tune game, it was going to be a interesting week, SB was battling for the first caller phone call against her own students that much we knew for sure and we were curious who was going to win each night…

Our Theme for the week was Pop Questions.

On Monday evening we decided to start early so we posed the question at midnight.

Our first song has these lyrics in it.

In the day
In the night
Say it right
Say it all
You either got it
Or you don’t
You either stand
Or you fall

Our caller was just as quick as SB usually is. Her name was Crystal and she said the artist was Sara Bareilles and the songs name was ‘Love Song’.

We asked her how she knew the song so quickly and she said her high school chorus was taught the song by their music teacher.

We had a busy night that night with kids calling in asking for certain songs to be played; some of them were even the songs that Eric and Sookie dedicated back and forth to one another the previous weeks. I was trying to figure out why they were doing it or how they even knew what songs were dedicated but I guess I would have to wait to find out.

Maybe we could pump some of the kids for info on their music teacher and have Eric one more step closer to finding Sookie.

On Tuesday night we did another song and asked the question again at midnight instead of the 1-2 am Name that Tune time. We figured if kids were calling in then we should make it earlier to be on the safe side, didn’t want to get anyone in trouble.

Plus we made sure they knew there would be no prizes given out since we usually didn’t have any participation except for SB.

So our next lyrics were:

From my body
I could show you
A place
God knows (That only God knows)
You should know

And again our caller was just as quick to call in tonight, his name was Kevin. He told us that this is a song that their music teacher Miss S. sings to them sometimes; the artist name is Nelly Furtado and the songs name is – ‘Say It Right’.

Again we were floored about their music teacher and we were getting closer and closer to an answer on if their music teacher was either SB or Sookie OR a jackpot of it being the same person.

So we went through the motions again the next night.

Pam said the lyrics words of Wednesday night’s song:

Somehow I’m still here to explain
That the darkest hour never comes in the night
You can sleep with a gun
When you gonna wake up and fight for yourself

And a different student called in, this time it was Calvin and he let us know that the artist name was Shinedown and the songs title was ‘Sound of Madness’. Calvin really wasn’t a talker he said he was just happy to get the right caller number before the other students did from his high school.

Well now we new Miss S was a High School Music teacher and I think that was right up Sookie’s alley.

ONE STEP CLOSER than before.

So when Thursday night rolled around Eric stepped in to pick the song lyrics. I knew that Pam had picked some lyrics out but we let him have at it, we figured he knew what he was doing and he was hoping to draw out SB and preferably Sookie.

Just like a crow chasing the butterfly
dandelions lost in the summer sky
When you and I were getting
High as outer space, I never
Thought you’d slip away
I guess I was just a little too late

Our caller tonight was Hadley and she said that it was a song by one of Miss Stackhouse’s favorite bands, Shinedown and the songs title was ‘Crow and the Butterfly’.

She also let the cat out of the bag a little bit more by telling us that Miss Sookie had told them about the Name that Tune game that she listens to at night; she was telling them all about it one day during class time and she told her students since she was an insomniac it was better that she listened to the radio and had fun, then out driving her car at night where she might end up in an accident again.

Well one thing was for sure we knew Sookie was their music teacher, now to just figure out if SB was Sookie. But the accident part was new to us, but since 10 years had gone by I wondered when that happened and by the look on Eric’s face he was wondering the same thing too.

Friday night came and it was midnight, the phone calls coming in were off the charts and it was everything Pam could do to answer them but she held firm and we let the students know to be patient we would play the songs they wanted us to play just give us some time.

However about 11:30 a dedication came through by an unknown voice to be played for Eric and Sookie. It was by Shinedown and it was ‘If You Only Knew’.

If you only knew
I’m hanging by a thread
The web I spin for you
If you only knew
I’d sacrifice my beating
Heart before I’d lose you
I still hold onto the letters
You returned
I swear I’ve lived and learned

[Chorus]
It’s 4:03 and I can’t sleep
Without you next to me I
Toss and turn like the sea
If I drown tonight, bring me
Back to life
Breathe your breath in me
The only thing that I still believe
In is you, if you only knew

If you only knew
How many times I counted
All the words that went wrong
If you only knew
How I refuse to let you go,
Even when you’re gone
I don’t regret any days I
Spent, nights we shared,
Or letters that I sent

[Chorus]
It’s 4:03 and I can’t sleep
Without you next to me I
Toss and turn like the sea
If I drown tonight, bring me
Back to life
Breathe your breath in me
The only thing that I still believe
In is you, if you only knew
If you only knew

If you only knew
I still hold onto the letters
You returned
You help me live and learn

[Chorus]
It’s 4:03 and I can’t sleep
Without you next to me I
Toss and turn like the sea
If I drown tonight, bring me
Back to life
Breathe your breath in me
The only thing that I still believe
In is you, believe in is you
I still believe in you
Oh, if you only knew

I don’t know how this person knew these two but the song was perfect for them… And by the look in Eric’s eyes he felt the same way too. Now only if Sookie would call in.

So at midnight we gave the last set of lyrics out:

Say your faith is shaken
You may be mistaken
You keep me wide awake and
Waiting for the sun
I’m desperate and confused
So far away from you
I’m getting here
Don’t care where I have to go

Who can comfort me
Why won’t you answer me?
Your silence is slowly killing me

And of course the caller was a student and her name was Tara.

First she told us the name of the group was Maroon 5 and the songs title was ‘Misery’.

She then told us she was the caller who asked for ‘If You Only Knew’ to be played because from all the nights listening to Eric and Sookie play songs for one another this one fit them to a tee and being it was Miss Sookie’s favorite band it only seemed right.

Thirdly, she told us if we haven’t figured it out by now that Miss Sookie and SB or Southern Belle, as we know her, are the same person. She knows that SB wanted to remain anonymous but she thinks it is time for Miss S to find herself true love and to be happy and if this Eric dude makes her happy then she is thrilled.

Pam asked her how she became so smart and she said that ever since Miss S. came into her life she has had a better one and knowing that there is nothing wrong with her by being an insomniac she feels ten times better about herself, plus and this is a big plus, she is observant as hell and listens to what people say. Tara even hinted to the fact that she may know who Eric might be but she said she wouldn’t out him like SB. It wasn’t her place since she didn’t know him personally.

If you ever saw someone with a deer in the headlights look, that is EXACTLY what Eric looked like.

So now I can say Cat is out of said Bag. Now how to get these two kids together once and for all.

At 1pm we received a phone call from SB, and she had a song for Eric to listen to and if he understood the meaning to it, she would call back in ten minutes and give the Mistress of Darkness her phone number for him to call…

Wrap me in a bolt of lightning

Send me on my way still smiling

Maybe that’s the way i should go

Straight into the mouth of the unknown

Left the spare key on the table

Never really thought i’d be able to say

I merely visit on the weekend

I lost my whole life and a dear friend

I’ve said it so many times

I would change my ways

No never mind

God knows i’ve tried

Call me a sinner call me a saint

Tell me it’s over i’ll still love you the same

Call me your favorite call me the worst

Tell me it’s over i don’t want you to hurt

It’s all that i can say so i’ll be on my way

I finally put it all together

But nothing really lasts forever

I had to make a choice that was not mine

I had to say goodbye for the last time

I kept my whole life in suitcase

Never really stayed in one place

Maybe that’s the way it should be

You know i’ve led my life like a gypsy

I’ll always keep you inside

You held my heart and my life

And you know I tried

Well the Vampire jumped on the chance to answer SB for Eric with, Shinedown and the title is ‘Call Me’ and he said that Eric would be a fool if he didn’t get the meaning of the lyrics nor call to get her phone number.

Well don’t you know we got a few calls in saying that they were Eric. Yeah as if, we knew who Eric was now we just needed to wait for her phone call and her telephone number to pass on to him.

At exactly 1:10am all the phone lines started ringing.

Damn it, we would all have to answer phone lines to get through them all.

But we were only looking for one phone caller and it seems Eric was the winner to that call.

His eyes lit up as she started to talk on the other end.

He was in his own Nirvana and I didn’t hear him speak at all, he was just listening to her talk. I don’t know if she knew she had him on the line or not until I heard him chuckle.

ALL I heard after a minute or so was

“Sookie”…..