Dedicated to
Drop792 — Rain
Other account — Rain_can_write3
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To Rain — A wholehearted thank you for your support. This chapter is dedicated to you as a recognition of my appreciation of you and our friendship 💗 I advise you not to read further as I know you haven't gotten to this point of the story.
You are the definition of caring enthusiasm. You are wise beyond your years. Surprisingly, you can't cope with sad endings, while both of us sure have our fun tormenting our characters. But really, it makes sense knowing you have a big heart, and in the end, it is all about the journey. I must admit I've been enjoying your comments while waiting for Sal and Elvis to happen. Maybe I've laughed a little too evilly, but it is all in good fun 👀
For the countless conversations, for sharing of yourself and your trust—thank you. For listening, being there and carrying your heart at your sleeve, when I know what that took of you 💕
This chapter was the immediate thought that came to mind when learning about your happiness of seeing Elvis enjoy himself without a care in the world.
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Elvis POV
25th of June, 1957
«Cut!» Richard called. «That's a wrap on Jailhouse Rock. Congratulations, you did it!»
While greatly smiling, thanks to having enjoyed the cast, the story, and the whole scene around this picture, I felt a pit in my stomach—saddened by the inevitable end that played out in front of me. Starring as Hunk, my cellmate, I walked up to Mickey. With fifteen more years to his name, he would be bound to know a thing or two more than I—someone who had only been in the acting game for less than a year.
Steady hands met before a hug got exchanged. «I learned so much from you, Mickey. I'm never gonna forget it.»
«Boy, it was an honour working with you.» He grabbed my shoulders with a smile making up his entire face, shaking me, and leaving me with a good ol' punchy pat. As he let me go, I turned to Judy. Wearing her white shirtdress from the last scene, I prided the patterned bathrobe. Last summer, I had a crush on Debra, my co-star from my Love Me Tender days. However, I had never gotten to know a co-star like I did Judy. Not seeing her would make knowing what to do with Sal a lot more challenging. Closing in on the feet separating us, I embraced her. «You were brilliant, Judy.»
«Aw, thank you, E.» Shying away, she laughed at my compliment as she stepped back, not wanting to take it for being the truth. «I hope you see how good you did yourself. This was a good script, and you made it better. Excellent, actually.»
«Thank you..» Itching my neck, I took my own pill of doubt. «Now, what's your plan for the summer?» I smiled curiously.
«Gregory and I are heading home to New York in just a few days. Mostly, we want to spend time with family, and we're picking up a cat and a dog before we go—growing our family.» Opening her purse, she fetched out her lipstick, applying it while continuing to talk—sounding goofy as she concentrated on looking in a hand mirror she, to my surprise, also carried with her. Did her purse have a second invisible compartment I didn't know about? I knew women carried mystery bags, but I didn't realize they brought their whole bathroom in there, as well as a pharmacy and a makeshift pop-up office if needed. «So... The offer of you and Sal joining us for dinner tomorrow still stands. It would be so lovely. I want to meet her, E.»
Judy gave no rest to her persuasive, eloquent trait. Sal was coming over with Red today to spend a few days with me in Hollywood. See the sights and watch a few exclusive early screenings of pictures I was allowed to see. All of them showed during night time. Being mobbed by fans couldn't be avoided if we went in daylight.
«Sounds both lovely and wild—both a cat and a dog?» I chuckled, making her laugh with me. «We'll let you know by the end of the day.» I smiled crookedly, winking at her nonchalantly.
«Good.» She nodded markedly, pouting her lips at her reflection. A sharp smack surfaced as she closed her folded-out mirror and smiled at me.
«Great.» I followed up, giving her a wave before heading off to say my goodbyes to the next person.
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She ran to me, not away this time. Important detail right there, if I could say so myself.
Red had rolled up to the back entrance of the Hollywood studio, closed in by rocketing fences and other buildings. Grinning like a fool, I met Sal with open arms and an open heart. Open everything, actually.
«How was jail?» Familiar banter was never far away with her, making me laugh as her positive tone sounded like the sun had multiplied its brightness—blending you with shameless glee.
«Sure you want to come so close to me? You could never be too careful; I was in for murder, you know?» Ignoring her question, I got my own jokes going, talking into the top of her head. At her release of me, her eyes frightened me. A little smirk on her lips let me know I was in for something.
«As I got rid of all your guns, I'm not sure what threat you'll make.»
Hoping she was joking, I raised one brow and lowered the other. «You did what now?» I pressed through my lips, watching her turn away with a classic curved lip reminding me of my own.
«I guess you'll see at home.» She played off her visibly entertained mind. And though I no longer could see her face, I knew what expression she held heading back to Red, who rested his frame up against the side of the car with a silent chuckle my way as Sal spoke. The glint in his narrowed eyes, hit by the sun, flickered in yellow through his red hair as he straightened up. I wondered how the hell their road trip from Memphis went. Nearly thirty hours or so on the road alone in the car with Sal could make anyone go crazy.
Shaking my head, I went after her. «I'm gonna have faith in it being a bad joke. If not, bad move, Sal.»
«I've done those many times.» She waved her hand nonchalantly with her back to me, even though I could hear her strangled laughter trying to break out through a clenched jaw—giving it her best shot at keeping her cool.
Red side-eyed me with a subtle look of amusement, opening the door for Sal. Climbing in, I followed her—patting Red on his cheek two times before dumping myself down in the passenger seat while Sal made herself comfortable in the back. «Don't make me count 'em.» I, mildly provoked, spat back, embodying a portentous look in the rearview mirror—not close to subtly executed.
On the knocker, she immediately bounced off my threat to raise her hand with one finger held up. Her eyes overly showed off her act of concentrating. «Let's see, the first one being you.»
«Me? Sal, that wasn't funny.» My eyes narrowed, turning my head back to look at her as Red joined us in the front seat, turning the key.
«You sure? I find you immensely laughable.» Her lips puckered slightly after her quick remark. Her expression grew increasingly more and more into the look of one piece of shit. She was upright toying with me, twisting my every word.
«Sometimes Sal...» I rolled my eyes dryly with my annoying and followed tendency to lift the corner of my mouth a smidge—even now, shaking my head as Red both rolled out of the studio back area and rolled out his laugh.
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Rosalie POV
Red and black were the colors of the foyer as my heels clicked underneath me. The warm-toned carpets led the way, and the moment I hit the edge, the sound muffled out—traded with the boys' loud laughter taking over the room's acoustics. Red, Elvis, Scotty, Bill, George, and Lamar were all bountiful feet behind me.
An empty movie theater seemed weirdly less lively than I'd expected. Still, my row of boys did a lot to spur the place up with the echo of their voices as I went around the corner. Meeting me were shelves upon shelves of sugar. Sugar of all kinds, shapes, and forms. Candy canes in red and white swirls, lollies, gummies, chocolate, toffee, caramel popcorn, and endless varieties of them all. In conclusion, the sweetness was almost intoxicating. The overload of sensations was just as a movie theater should be.
Bill walked up next to me as I got myself a striped white and pink paper bag. «I suggest getting popcorn as well.» He nodded towards the red and white striped and lit-up popcorn dispenser by the checkout counter.
«I'm really full from dinner...» I hastily replied, thinking of our various ordered dishes by room service, filling each plate in a way that made me believe we were trying to reach a new record. «We could share, though?»
His rounded cheeks grew as he smiled at me, and a light chuckle escaped his kind-looking features. His eyes told the story of it being a bad idea. «Oh, I think you need your own. You didn't hear it from me, though.» He said, pointing at himself as he went for his desired popcorn to our right.
«Bill, is there something I should be aware of?» I asked, raising my brows as I watched any minuscule move he made.
As he goofily laughed, his popcorn container topped itself. It wasn't just one thing about him that felt off tonight. Something bubbled under the surface. Throwing one popcorn piece to his mouth and flicking the second one in the direction of me, a slight grin on his lips showed—like a send-off before he went for a bottle of soda.
In a matter of seconds, he left his goofy side with Goofy, the character, and got real quiet at the turn-up of the others. With Bill all checked out by the counter, the base player left the shelves to be taken over by the rest of the gang.
Sounding like the school hall the second the bell rang, they hurdled the place as if deprived of sweets.
Going through the guys one by one, my eyes followed each and every one of them, getting themselves the biggest, enormous containers of popcorn with one exception. With red and white stripes in all their palms, Elvis walked empty-handed to my side. Looking past my shoulder, he peeked into my empty bag of no sweets. «Oh, I just looove air too.» His lip curled up, snatching the bag from me.
«Hey, give it back!» I called as he walked off, shoveling scoops of chocolate into it.
«Get your own.» He chuckled, looking behind himself as he kept turning his back to me when I tried reaching for my bag.
«It was mine,» I argued, pronouncing each word with more annoyance than the last.
«There was nothin' in it, sweetie.» He grinned, picking out a piece of chocolate to bite down on it as he faced me. «Now there is.» He mumbled, chewing.
«Ew, shut your mouth, Elvis.» I made a face, watching his chocolaty teeth as he spoke.
Laughing, he shook his head at me and went for a second piece of caramel-filled chocolate. The rich and enticing scent had been noticeable from his, but pushed against mine, the chocolate debuted in an enriched spectrum. I pressed my lips together with no hope of stopping him. Smirking, he licked his two fingers covered in melted chocolate, eying me. Being a little on the miffy side, I still smiled at his foolishness.
«I swear, you annoy the crap out of me sometimes.» I crossed my arms as the chocolate finally melted away.
«Ditto.» He leaned near my ear, grinning as he walked off. «And Sal?»
«Hm?» Undeniably, I got the urge to raise my guard. So did my brows as if they had clicked the penthouse button of the elevator. Unsure of what to expect, I kept gazing after his back.
«You're really late to the 'bag-game'. The picture is rolling soon. So hurry up.» The way his lips curled to tease me didn't annoy me the least.
Giving him the taste of his own medicine, I knew what I was doing when I fired back. «Oh, no, I'm good.» I declared light-toned with my hand to my heart before dropping it and looking straight at him. «I already have my douchebag right here in front of me.»
Accepting his defeat, he gave me a dopey smile as he almost giggled. «I'm never gonna win, am I?»
«Face it; I'm just better than you.» I winked at him, biting my lip cocky as hell.
A grin plastered his face. «Who has the big ego now, darlin'?»
Toché, I thought to myself as the tables turned.
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With the mixture of glowy ruby and wine red, the velour seat caught me. I did as Bill suggested and got myself a medium-sized popcorn of my own. With the pop of white in the corner of my eye, I found Elvis' white tee sweep in next to me as he joined me. To my surprise, the guys didn't usually sit together in one group. They split up in pairs or sat alone—Bill and Scotty glued to the other, Lamar and George let their chins nod, talking, while Red sat by himself.
«Why aren't we sitting together?» I watched them all, puzzled, lowering my voice as the ads started playing on the projection screen. A drawn advertisement about toothpaste with eyes on every featured object jumped around. What a fitting ad for sugary movie-goers.
Shrugging, Elvis tilted his head sideways toward me, keeping his eyes on the screen with flickers of unnatural colours depicted in his eyes—stronger as the lights gradually evaporated, all while I felt the bright neon blue, purple, and green hit my cheek in my glance his way. «We just don't? Depends on if we feel like it. It's dark and quiet anyway.» He said.
«How long has Bill and Scotty known each other? They seem close.» I wondered as I saw them talk with big smiles deep in conversation.
Drawing his eyes away from the overly dramatic ads, he found mine—connected through the closing-in-darkness and flowing colours moving with the imagery. «They are. They had their own band earlier on, Starlite Wranglers, but split up soon after we started jamming together. Some drama went down with the other members after 'That's All Right' released.» Gesturing, he lively let his hands participate in the conversation, referencing his first single.
«Drama?» My curiosity led me to snoop. It could be both a drag and a blessing depending on the matter.
«Jealousy.» He whispered closer to me, with extra care to ensure no one heard us.
«So the other band members didn't join you?» I frowned at his statement, thinking through the new information I'd just gotten on his two bandmates.
He shook his head, taking a sip of his Pepsi bottle before letting me in on what happened with their band. «No, Bill and Scotty were working at Sun Records studio when I showed up, and it just happened that way. They got paid a whole lot more than their band members did... So... They didn't cope, I guess? They've been with me since 54, and I love 'em, but they have history, of course. Like Red and me.»
«You trust Red a whole lot, don't you?» I wholeheartedly smiled as I gazed over at Red, sitting calmly, accompanying himself. With jet-black locks and a sharpened show of his jaw, Elvis looked to my side, capturing me.
«With my life.» He nodded, while his whole composure expressed confidence in his statement as the advertisement flew into the beginning credits of the picture.
As the last light glow fell, Elvis lost my attention. Bill sent me a wink as he ate another piece of popcorn, looking past his shoulder just before I saw nothing but the screen. Leaving me confused, I noticed Elvis lean back in his seat as he went still. Soundless. I knew the movie should have grabbed me right away, but my thoughts fought the different sides of my scepticism. And so my eyes fell to my popcorn container. I didn't know if Bill was flirting with me or letting me in on a popcorn secret of some sorts. He was married, so I doubted it was the first one.
Leaning over, Elvis grabbed a handful of my popcorn. In return, he offered his bag of chocolate with a belonging look of affection, and it made me forget about his previous rudeness in the candy shop. Sweetly smiling, I searched for a piece I liked. Daintily, lifting a minty bit to my lips, I laid my eyes back on the movie again.
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As the last of the images would roll, ending off the movie, a song known to the boys came on. As one joined in, they all did—singing, clapping, and wiggling their torsos to the beat. Standing up, Elvis started turning with his arms up and rolling. Shaking his behind from side to side, he made me laugh. His first and nearly lethal mistake was turning his back to the boys. With one heck of a gang standing up as if planes had taken off, I grasped what was about to happen. It wasn't just Bill's plan; it was all of them. No hesitation occurred as they all turned into vultures, grabbing full fists of popcorn. Elvis swinging bum had no idea; still in his half-turn as I ducked away, breaking free from a disastrous happening—crawling off and across the floor as popcorn got the ability to fly.
Hearing Elvis, you'd believe he got attacked by grenades flying in from everywhere.
«Fuck you all!» I heard him shout as he ran. I took my chances and looked past myself on all four. He had kidnapped my complete joke of a half-eaten medium-sized popcorn bucket up against their giant ones as he ran—striding over and down each row with his long legs as if taking on a track of hurdling.
With the target closing in on the front row and screen, I was out of range and could guiltily put my hands on the seat before me, peeking over the rows to watch the guys circling Elvis. They bombarded him with their not-even-touched popcorn containers of a seemingly boundless size. Covering my mouth with my hand, I bawled out laughter. Tears of hysteria were building as one Elvis with popcorn hitting his every crease ended up on the floor in a fetal position with no seats shading him.
Bill turned to me with a salute of his hand and a smirk impossible not to notice even from far away.
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The summer night in Los Angeles was remarkably warmer than Memphis or Georgia, for that matter. It breathed out the ambiance resembling that of a tropical sauna, somehow heavenly welcomed. Still brushing off crumbs of popcorn off his shoulders, I reached up to remove a popcorn stuck in his hair—assisting him. Stopping at the edge of the sidewalk by the movie theatre, it had been hours since the popcorn fight went down. It was all cleaned up at the cost of the boys and our two unlucky innocent souls.
«They're really stupid, but you know, there's never a dull moment.» He chuckled as he ruffled through his hair, trying to get every last piece out by himself. Drizzled to the ground, it must have been the first snowy escape at sight in the warmest of the seasons. It echoed the consistent fun you'd have inside those theatre doors, like imagery imprinted with fleeting fun and memories.
It was almost half past four and no longer as dark as when we entered the movies. Still, inside, the others apparently had the opposite of motors in their asses.
Fixing his hair to the best of his abilities, Elvis cleared his throat as he turned to face me head-on. «Looks good?»
«Dashing, darlin'.» I messed with him, pet-naming him in a lower voice to imitate him.
«I'll take that.» He laughed as he gestured in front of himself with an open palm.
Strolling down the streets, his hands went into the pockets of his leather jacket. Only a few souls walked it with us, far away—looking like miniature figures. We'd parked a few blocks down, and about every tenth foot, a blooming tree caught onto the streetlight's last moments of my first night in Hollywood. Shadows shifted, grazing the ground where the lights couldn't reach and the start of the day hadn't come upon.
I smiled gently in the corner of my lips as the sounds of sound wind and grasshoppers caused a pleasant silence between us. Sufficiently tired, I yawned, and humorously humming next to me, a yawn escaped Elvis too. For pretendingly choosing to defy the need for a pillow to rest on for hours on end, it wasn't too bad, but breaking free from sleep had its limits.
Turning the corner, a large group of people traveling the streets of Hollywood, very much like our group left at the theatre, howled and laughed. We heard them too late not to set foot in their path, but it didn't stop Elvis from grabbing my arm firmly—sweeping me away to safety, out of sight. His skin was heated from the air, not letting go of yesterday's sun, and cooled down by the whispering breeze.
Gasping for air, I'm up against the edge of the wall nearing the corner. With grey brick behind me, Elvis' palm was placed flat by the side of my head. His frame towered over me, and the refined edges of each color, the darker blue of the night, sneaking pale blue promising a new day would begin, and the yellow light bulbs cast upon us crazed our every feature. The rough surface beyond his hands contrasted his silky facade.
The lay of the land unraveled, untangling him from the rest of what was—turning the backdrop into a blurred fog. With the discovery of my eyes finding his, the strong déjà vu from the mansion threatened to take over my every thought.
Desperately my eyes took in the sight of his lips as they parted. Not moving away, I watched him calmly place his other palm on the wall. His hands mirrored each other as I felt his breath near me. The sweet scent of chocolate, buttered popcorn, and Elvis consumed me with the desire to lean in.
The radiant feelings dancing between us were as obvious as the coming day and night. I knew it, he knew it, and no one knew what to do about it. Afraid and wanting, we stood there frozen in time—feeling as though there was a mountain between us, when in reality, all it would take to meet was no more than a light push off the wall.
Voices forced their way onto us, followed by Elvis taking a deep breath as he stepped away, leaving me with yet another mountain, breathless by the close call. Praising the wall for supporting me, I felt my body drop.
The surroundings melted and returned, easing into my view again.
Every limb of his was slow and controlled as he started walking off, gazing past his shoulder. «Are you coming?»
«Yeah..» Lightheaded, I let out what was left of the little oxygen percentage I had taken in. The height within had left me incapable of bodily normalcy. Collecting myself to make sure I could stand, I pushed myself off the wall, and my hurried steps closed in on the space he was ahead of me.
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Grey bricks had been switched with sleek gold. The doorknobs turned simultaneously just short of a millisecond by each hotel room door. Side by side, the walkover from the wall to here had been nothing short of quiet. Not much had been said. Not much at all.
«Sal?» Elvis said, clearing his throat gently the second before I went in. The lack of anyone's voice left us with no sound but a blank space—a confined room now filled with nerves caused by the ripple effect. I wondered how a single mention of my name could cause a slippery slope down the mountain site.
Stopping, I watched him cautiously. «Yeah?»
«Judy and her husband invited us out for dinner tomorrow, well today. Would you want to go?» He asked with carefully spoken words. As if I could hear the written words between the lines, it rang of its importance to him. You needed no more speculation; this meant a lot to him. He seemed afraid I would tell him no, reminding me of how he'd looked back in Madison the morning after I admitted to him being too much to take care of. He had nothing to worry about, though, as I'd love to.
«Sure I do... I just need some sleep first.» I softly laughed.
Nodding with a tired chuckle, he gave me a crooked smile. «Night, Sal.»
«Night.» I yawned with a beginning smile right at the start of what would soon become a belated day for the two of us.
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Author's note:
'The sweet scent of chocolate, buttered popcorn, and Elvis consumed me with the desire to lean in.'
Did anyone else just wish they had the courage to lean forward a little bit closer?
The almost kiss. One of the most intense feelings exchanged between the two happened in this chapter. In a mix of rolling laughter, the world of Elvis' friends and bags of air and no sweets—what did this chapter make you feel? And where do we go from here? How steady is that mountain between the two?
Down below is a series of pictures from the set of Jailhouse Rock. To me, many of them show the genuine connection Elvis had with Judy and the rest of the cast. Judy exudes jollity to her core.
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Judy Tyler and Elvis Presley having fun on the set of Jailhouse Rock
Photographer — Unknown
In the picture — Judy Tyler and Elvis Presley
Directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman
Starring — Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy, Vaughn Taylor, and Jennifer Holden.
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Coffee and smiling on the set of Jailhouse Rock
Photographer — Unknown
In the picture — Judy Tyler and Elvis Presley
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Three stars on the set of Jailhouse Rock
Photographer — Unknown
In the picture — Judy Tyler, Jennifer Holden, and Elvis Presley
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Fun posing on the set of Jailhouse Rock
Photographer — Unknown
In the picture — Dean Jones, Judy Tyler, and Elvis Presley
Directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman
Starring — Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy, Vaughn Taylor, and Jennifer Holden.
Dean Jones had the role of a disc Jockey in Jailhouse Rock. You might have seen him as the race car driver Jim Douglas in the Herbie movie series—and maybe even from Dr. Herman Varnick in Beethoven (1992). He acted on Broadway and had a radio show.
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Sunny smiles on the set of Jailhouse Rock
Photographer — Unknown
In the picture — Jennifer Holden and Elvis Presley
Directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman
Starring — Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy, Vaughn Taylor, and Jennifer Holden.
Jennifer Holden had the role of starlet Sherry Wilson in Jailhouse Rock, which was her movie debut. She had a theatre and modeling background and studied drama before getting the part. After her acting career, she turned to sing Rock'n roll.
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Cellmates on the set of Jailhouse Rock
Photographer — Unknown
In the picture — Jennifer Holden and Elvis Presley
Photographer — Robert J. Bronner (Cinematographer)
Directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro S. Berman
Starring — Elvis Presley, Judy Tyler, Mickey Shaughnessy, Vaughn Taylor, and Jennifer Holden.
Mickey Shaughnessy officially started his active acting career in 1952. However, Shaughnessy's first role was in The Princess and The Pirate (1944). It was uncredited. He went on to continue his acting career up until 1985, with 35 movies to his name. He took on roles not many would have taken notice of if it hadn't been for him. His talent influenced smaller parts in a significant way.
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I do not own any pictures. Pictures taken prior to 1978 that didn't renew their copyright right are free to use for all. After 1978 there were new copyright laws. You no longer need to renew every 28th year. Copyright protections after 1978 last for the lifetime of the creator and an additional 70 years.
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Number 1 Elvis License Plate from 1996
Earlier this week I bought a souvenir bought at Graceland from 1996. Got asked to share a picture, so here it is! ☺️
E.P.E Official Product
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(Chapter 48/64)
This chapter is edited with Grammarly.
New chapter every week (Tuesdays)
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