What? I Can Dream Too..., chapter 1
"Mike!"
"What!? What did I do now?!"
"Nothing, I just wanted to know where you were, that was all, I came in and I couldn't find you. I wanted a hug with my favourite person..." Hannah pouted and gave Mike serious puppy dog eyes as she lend over the top of the sofa. Mike so couldn't resist.
"Thats alright then -"
"But what have you done? - you sounded all guilty. Very very cute, but guilty" By this point, Hannah had made here way over the top of the sofa Mission:Impossible style and was sitting opposite a half naked Mike trying not to laugh as his face tried to look innocent as he admitted defeat
"Well, I kinda invited the guys over..." Now it was Mike's turn to do the puppy dog eyes thing.
"Is that it? That's fine, as long as my friends can come round too. And we get beer."
"Hhmmmm...I suppose so - just not that weird one - what was her name? Something odd...worked in some shop or something..."
"Marian?"
"Yeah that was it - I don't want to know about her work and I never want to hear her rendition of Boulevard of Broken Dreams again, that was disturbing!"
"Ahhhh, you know you loved it really, I think Billie Joe was more worried, bless him. Imagine writing a song then having it murdered like that...Just be thankful you've never had anything you wrote played on the handbells..."
"Good point-"
-Ring-Ring--Ring-Ring--
Hannah lent over the arm of the sofa and grabbed the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hello, is that Hannah?"
"Yes, it is indeed"
"It's your auntie Lynn here-"
"Hello Auntie Lynn" Mike looked confused...unsurprisingly...
"No need to get sarcastic on me young lady-anyway, I'm just ringing to tell you that you are coming round on Sunday for your cousin's birthday-"
"But, I've got a friend staying here h-"
"Well, whoever it is can come too, meet your family. Are they there now? I'll ask them if they want to come. Pass me over."
"Well, OK, hang on..." Hannah lent over to Mike with her hand over the reciever. "Mike, my everloving Auntie Lynn would like to talk to you"
Mike raised his eyebrow, "Why?"
"Just talk to her..." Mike took the phone reluctantly.
"Hello?"
"Yes, hello. Is this Hannah's friend?"
"Yes, it is, I'm Mike."
"Hmmmm...right...and you are male?"
"Yes, I am indeed a man" Hannah couldn't help but laugh and Mike was trying his best not to.
"Hmmmm...I hope you aren't sleeping in the same room as Hannah. Anyway, I was just telling Hannah that she is coming round to her cousin's birthday and she was trying to get out of it by telling me that you were there, so you are coming too."
Mike's expression read pure horror. "I am? I mean, of course I am and so is Hannah, we'll be there."
"Good. Give me back to Hannah and I'll tell her when to be here."
Mike hadn't even waited until the end of the sentence to throw the phone back across the sofa and run into the kitchen for a much deserved beer.
"Yes, this is Hannah again...Yes...2 o'clock on Sunday...Yes...Right, OK...We'll do that...yes...of course...what!?.no, no it will be fine...OK...well I have to go...yes, Sunday at 2 and I'll ring Grandma and Grandad...bye Lynn."
Hannah didn't know if there was anything else, but it seemed to be a good time to slam the phone down before Lynn could make her take any more friend round for her ritual bitching session.
"She wants us to go and pick up my grandparents before we go, I don't see why they can't drive themselves, but heaven forbid we should disobey Lynn...Do I get a hug now?"
"Not for that you don't - making me talk to her like that...please tell me your family aren't all like that?"
"If I say they aren't will I get my hug?"
"Only if its true."
"Well, my Grandad, Lynn and her husband David are like that, just answer their questions with as short an answer as possible and you'll be fine-"
"Like the press?"
"Something like that, yeah, anyway, my uncle Giles drinks beer like its going out of fashion...spends a lot of time at beer festivals and things like that, Jean and Stuart are the relatively normal ones - live in upstate New York, Jean's the one who made me that bag Tre likes - you know the fluffy one...ummm..."
"So you're the youngest then?"
"No, I've got three cousins and a brother. Claire is like her mother but shorter and younger chronologically at least, Mark is a wuss, doesn't have his own opinion, I'm sure he'd wear an anorak 24/7 if he was bought one, Toby is the cool one - takes after Jean more than Lynn, my dad always used to call him Sticky when he was little."
"And I met your brother..."
"Yeah, I think thats it. DO I get my hug now?" Puppy dog eyes again.
"I suppose-"
"YAY!" Mike didn't look like he quite expected the force of hug he got, judging by the gasp and the way he fell over backwards as Hannah jumped on him. "And where's my beer gone?! I deserve it more than you do..."
"But, its not ladylike and I'm sure your Auntie Lynn wouldn't approve"
"When has any of that ever stopped me before - Lynn doesn't approve of anything I do ever since I didn't go to Uni and went to CA instead...so Nyeh!" The confusion on Mike's face lasted just long enough for Hannah to pinch the half full bottle of beer off the table behind him and down the contents, all finished off with a loud burp on the way to the kitchen to get more out of the fridge.
"We need to go shopping."
"But, we only went yesterday, I don't my feet can handle all that again...nobody told me you don't just have the mall here, you have shops all around it as well..."
"Not that kind of shopping, but we'll do that too-"
"NO! It's fine, really."
"We need to go get beer and food if people are coming round, unless everyone is suddenly into chocolate biscuit sandwiches..."
"Well, let me get some shoes on and we'll go, OK?"
"I'll go start the car."
For once in history it was hot and sunny in England (it does happen occasionally) and the pair of them were glad that the car had air con, even for the ten minute drive to the supermarket. Plus the 5 minutes it took to find somewhere to park.
"Why is it so fucking busy - all we want is beer and random junk food...what is it about british people, it gets sunny so you all go to the supermarket?"
"Well, you know - there is a distinct possibility that they might run out of Pimms or something vitally important like that, have to stock up."
The next trick was to find a trolley and a fast track scanner (why wait in the queue if you don't have to?) and then fight past the british public to get to the large pile of beer in the middle of the entrance.
"How much of this stuff should we get? Two cases and then something random?"
"Sounds like a plan - can we get this?" Mike asked, holding up a bottle of Tia Maria while reading the label.
"If somebody is going to drink it...Would that choice have anything to do with the fact that its coffee flavoured by any chance?"
"Maaaybe." Mike made an innocent face, opening his eyes wide and pouting.
"Stop it. You know I can't resist that face. Get it if you want it." With that, the bottle found its way into the trolley and was quickly joined by several bags of crisps, pretzels, dip, mini muffins, doughnuts, ice cream, sprinkles, Jammie Dodgers, biscuits...anything sugary and bad for your teeth was there, scanned in and thrown into bags.
"We should probably pay now - you know Tre will try and eat it all, anything more and he'll be sick all over te house and I sure as hell won't be cleaning it up."
After paying and having a quick look to see if there were any good CDs or DVDs on sale (there weren't), Mike and Hannah found their way outside and found the car, quickly chucking all the crap they bought into the boot, getting in and turning the air con on in record time.
"I know what we need..."
Hannah drove back out of the carpark and back onto the main road towrds some more shops.
"We'd better not be going where I think we are..." Mike raised his eyebrow, remembering the previous day's marathon shopping expedition.
"No, we're going to the party shop - I want Balloons and silly noisy things!"
"You actually are a three year child aren't you?"
"Yup! and I want balloons!" Hannah bounced out of the car and practically sprinted into the party shop, grabbing anything that was brightly coloured and plastic - stopping briefly to push a pink plastic stetson onto Mike's head
"Beautiful"
"I don't think so" Mike put the hat down and picked up the pirate hat on the shelf above. "There, much better!"
"Well, while you're finding an outfit for Ascot, I'm going to pay for this lot and get you lot a present..." Hannha gave Mike a half smile and disappeared round the back of a display. "I'll meet you back at the car." came from a disembodied voice in the general direction of where Hannah had disappeared.
"OK, I'll ring the others and make sure they've remembered that they're supposed to be coming round."
Mike made his way out of the shop, fumbling in his pocket to find his keys and got into the car, switching the engine on and skipping through the CDs in the changer to find The Clash and sat there humming and tapping along on the dashboard until Hannah stuck her head through the open window next to him.
"I can see why you're a world famous musician!" She stuck her tounge out at him, "I'm just going across to the music shop to pick up some new reeds, you wanna come?"
"Yeah, OK. As long as I don't get mobbed like in HMV..."
"They wouldn't notice if Jimi Hendrix walked in in there, try it when we get in there, find a bass and play something - they'll just carry on with whatever they're doing until you stop, give you a quick round of applause, then go back to what they were doing."
"I might just try that" His voice didn't exactly suggest that he was completely convinced, but his face said that he was willing to give it a go.
"What!? What did I do now?!"
"Nothing, I just wanted to know where you were, that was all, I came in and I couldn't find you. I wanted a hug with my favourite person..." Hannah pouted and gave Mike serious puppy dog eyes as she lend over the top of the sofa. Mike so couldn't resist.
"Thats alright then -"
"But what have you done? - you sounded all guilty. Very very cute, but guilty" By this point, Hannah had made here way over the top of the sofa Mission:Impossible style and was sitting opposite a half naked Mike trying not to laugh as his face tried to look innocent as he admitted defeat
"Well, I kinda invited the guys over..." Now it was Mike's turn to do the puppy dog eyes thing.
"Is that it? That's fine, as long as my friends can come round too. And we get beer."
"Hhmmmm...I suppose so - just not that weird one - what was her name? Something odd...worked in some shop or something..."
"Marian?"
"Yeah that was it - I don't want to know about her work and I never want to hear her rendition of Boulevard of Broken Dreams again, that was disturbing!"
"Ahhhh, you know you loved it really, I think Billie Joe was more worried, bless him. Imagine writing a song then having it murdered like that...Just be thankful you've never had anything you wrote played on the handbells..."
"Good point-"
-Ring-Ring--Ring-Ring--
Hannah lent over the arm of the sofa and grabbed the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hello, is that Hannah?"
"Yes, it is indeed"
"It's your auntie Lynn here-"
"Hello Auntie Lynn" Mike looked confused...unsurprisingly...
"No need to get sarcastic on me young lady-anyway, I'm just ringing to tell you that you are coming round on Sunday for your cousin's birthday-"
"But, I've got a friend staying here h-"
"Well, whoever it is can come too, meet your family. Are they there now? I'll ask them if they want to come. Pass me over."
"Well, OK, hang on..." Hannah lent over to Mike with her hand over the reciever. "Mike, my everloving Auntie Lynn would like to talk to you"
Mike raised his eyebrow, "Why?"
"Just talk to her..." Mike took the phone reluctantly.
"Hello?"
"Yes, hello. Is this Hannah's friend?"
"Yes, it is, I'm Mike."
"Hmmmm...right...and you are male?"
"Yes, I am indeed a man" Hannah couldn't help but laugh and Mike was trying his best not to.
"Hmmmm...I hope you aren't sleeping in the same room as Hannah. Anyway, I was just telling Hannah that she is coming round to her cousin's birthday and she was trying to get out of it by telling me that you were there, so you are coming too."
Mike's expression read pure horror. "I am? I mean, of course I am and so is Hannah, we'll be there."
"Good. Give me back to Hannah and I'll tell her when to be here."
Mike hadn't even waited until the end of the sentence to throw the phone back across the sofa and run into the kitchen for a much deserved beer.
"Yes, this is Hannah again...Yes...2 o'clock on Sunday...Yes...Right, OK...We'll do that...yes...of course...what!?.no, no it will be fine...OK...well I have to go...yes, Sunday at 2 and I'll ring Grandma and Grandad...bye Lynn."
Hannah didn't know if there was anything else, but it seemed to be a good time to slam the phone down before Lynn could make her take any more friend round for her ritual bitching session.
"She wants us to go and pick up my grandparents before we go, I don't see why they can't drive themselves, but heaven forbid we should disobey Lynn...Do I get a hug now?"
"Not for that you don't - making me talk to her like that...please tell me your family aren't all like that?"
"If I say they aren't will I get my hug?"
"Only if its true."
"Well, my Grandad, Lynn and her husband David are like that, just answer their questions with as short an answer as possible and you'll be fine-"
"Like the press?"
"Something like that, yeah, anyway, my uncle Giles drinks beer like its going out of fashion...spends a lot of time at beer festivals and things like that, Jean and Stuart are the relatively normal ones - live in upstate New York, Jean's the one who made me that bag Tre likes - you know the fluffy one...ummm..."
"So you're the youngest then?"
"No, I've got three cousins and a brother. Claire is like her mother but shorter and younger chronologically at least, Mark is a wuss, doesn't have his own opinion, I'm sure he'd wear an anorak 24/7 if he was bought one, Toby is the cool one - takes after Jean more than Lynn, my dad always used to call him Sticky when he was little."
"And I met your brother..."
"Yeah, I think thats it. DO I get my hug now?" Puppy dog eyes again.
"I suppose-"
"YAY!" Mike didn't look like he quite expected the force of hug he got, judging by the gasp and the way he fell over backwards as Hannah jumped on him. "And where's my beer gone?! I deserve it more than you do..."
"But, its not ladylike and I'm sure your Auntie Lynn wouldn't approve"
"When has any of that ever stopped me before - Lynn doesn't approve of anything I do ever since I didn't go to Uni and went to CA instead...so Nyeh!" The confusion on Mike's face lasted just long enough for Hannah to pinch the half full bottle of beer off the table behind him and down the contents, all finished off with a loud burp on the way to the kitchen to get more out of the fridge.
"We need to go shopping."
"But, we only went yesterday, I don't my feet can handle all that again...nobody told me you don't just have the mall here, you have shops all around it as well..."
"Not that kind of shopping, but we'll do that too-"
"NO! It's fine, really."
"We need to go get beer and food if people are coming round, unless everyone is suddenly into chocolate biscuit sandwiches..."
"Well, let me get some shoes on and we'll go, OK?"
"I'll go start the car."
For once in history it was hot and sunny in England (it does happen occasionally) and the pair of them were glad that the car had air con, even for the ten minute drive to the supermarket. Plus the 5 minutes it took to find somewhere to park.
"Why is it so fucking busy - all we want is beer and random junk food...what is it about british people, it gets sunny so you all go to the supermarket?"
"Well, you know - there is a distinct possibility that they might run out of Pimms or something vitally important like that, have to stock up."
The next trick was to find a trolley and a fast track scanner (why wait in the queue if you don't have to?) and then fight past the british public to get to the large pile of beer in the middle of the entrance.
"How much of this stuff should we get? Two cases and then something random?"
"Sounds like a plan - can we get this?" Mike asked, holding up a bottle of Tia Maria while reading the label.
"If somebody is going to drink it...Would that choice have anything to do with the fact that its coffee flavoured by any chance?"
"Maaaybe." Mike made an innocent face, opening his eyes wide and pouting.
"Stop it. You know I can't resist that face. Get it if you want it." With that, the bottle found its way into the trolley and was quickly joined by several bags of crisps, pretzels, dip, mini muffins, doughnuts, ice cream, sprinkles, Jammie Dodgers, biscuits...anything sugary and bad for your teeth was there, scanned in and thrown into bags.
"We should probably pay now - you know Tre will try and eat it all, anything more and he'll be sick all over te house and I sure as hell won't be cleaning it up."
After paying and having a quick look to see if there were any good CDs or DVDs on sale (there weren't), Mike and Hannah found their way outside and found the car, quickly chucking all the crap they bought into the boot, getting in and turning the air con on in record time.
"I know what we need..."
Hannah drove back out of the carpark and back onto the main road towrds some more shops.
"We'd better not be going where I think we are..." Mike raised his eyebrow, remembering the previous day's marathon shopping expedition.
"No, we're going to the party shop - I want Balloons and silly noisy things!"
"You actually are a three year child aren't you?"
"Yup! and I want balloons!" Hannah bounced out of the car and practically sprinted into the party shop, grabbing anything that was brightly coloured and plastic - stopping briefly to push a pink plastic stetson onto Mike's head
"Beautiful"
"I don't think so" Mike put the hat down and picked up the pirate hat on the shelf above. "There, much better!"
"Well, while you're finding an outfit for Ascot, I'm going to pay for this lot and get you lot a present..." Hannha gave Mike a half smile and disappeared round the back of a display. "I'll meet you back at the car." came from a disembodied voice in the general direction of where Hannah had disappeared.
"OK, I'll ring the others and make sure they've remembered that they're supposed to be coming round."
Mike made his way out of the shop, fumbling in his pocket to find his keys and got into the car, switching the engine on and skipping through the CDs in the changer to find The Clash and sat there humming and tapping along on the dashboard until Hannah stuck her head through the open window next to him.
"I can see why you're a world famous musician!" She stuck her tounge out at him, "I'm just going across to the music shop to pick up some new reeds, you wanna come?"
"Yeah, OK. As long as I don't get mobbed like in HMV..."
"They wouldn't notice if Jimi Hendrix walked in in there, try it when we get in there, find a bass and play something - they'll just carry on with whatever they're doing until you stop, give you a quick round of applause, then go back to what they were doing."
"I might just try that" His voice didn't exactly suggest that he was completely convinced, but his face said that he was willing to give it a go.
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