2000 Light Years Away, chapter 7
I decided to have a quick shower before the concert. Actually, no, it takes me ages in the shower! I went across the landing - Amelia's door was still shut. I leant my ear against the door. Nothing. Not a sound. I carried on until I reached the bathroom. I shut the door behind me and turned on the shower. I let it run hot whilst I got undressed. I stepped in, the water hit my back as I started to wash my hair.
When I was finished, I stepped out, wafting away the steam that was circling my head. I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my hair. I pulled my bath robe off the hook on the door and put it on. I shuffled out of the bathroom, across the landing to Amelia's room. Once again, I leant my ear against the door. Oh! This time her stereo was on, 50 Cent - it sounded like. I walked away and into my room and closed the door. I flopped on my bed and relaxed for a bit.
I woke up suddenly. What? Oh my God! I'd fallen asleep! Luckily, I had a bit of time before I had to go. I pulled on my underwear, then my black strappy top, long purple skirt and my big black boots. I drenched myself in perfume and put my hair up in its usual high clipped up ponytail - letting my blonde dreadlocks run wild! Hmmm...I thought, looking at myself in the mirror. What's missing...
Ah-ha! My beloved eyeliner! How could I forget that?! I applied it thickly, making my eyes framed and even darker than they already were. I did one flick with the mascara brush and there we go. Done.
By this time I had five minutes. I grabbed my handbag and hitched it up onto my shoulder. I knocked on Amelia's door. She opened it - her eyes still slightly red.
"Oh - are you off?" She asked.
"Yeah," I said
"You look lovely."
"Thank you," I smiled. "See you later." I hugged her and made my way downstairs. I shouted bye to Mom, Dad, Aaron and Steve and shut the front door behind me.
I looked down the street. It was already getting quite dark. I knew a quick way to Florence Cafe, but it meant walking down a dark and dingy alleyway. Nah, no thanks. I walked up the road, passing the park. A group of teens were hanging around there, drinking already. 3 of them I recognized as the trainees from work but they go kicked out as they kept abusing one of the younger girls there.
I kept my head down before they could shout anything stupid at me. I carried on walking, down the road, round the corner, up the street until I saw bright pink fuzzing lights reading 'Florence Cafe' flicker above me. I opened the door and saw it was rather busy.
There was a small stage at the top end of the Cafe and all the tables and chairs had been turned to face it. At the other end of it, opposite the stage was a very fancy bar lit up with lights which made the glasses of wine and cocktails glitter. All of a sudden, I saw a familliar face sat at a table alone. I sneaked up behind him.
"Hello stranger!" I said. Billie spun round.
"Adrienne!" He cried. He got up, knocking the table and sending his can of beer clattering across the floor but he didn't even notice. We flung our arms around each other and hugged for ages. He kissed me lightly on the cheek - and then blushed. I smiled. We broke away and then changed our minds as we hugged again - even tighter this time.
"You're cold." Billie said.
"Yeah, I'm freezing!" I said. Billie unzipped his hoodie and put it around my shoulders.
"There," He said, grinning.
"Thanks," I said. "When are you gonna play?" I asked.
"Actually..." Billie said, picking up his guitar. "Right now. We were just waiting for you."
"We?" I asked him. All of a sudden, from the table behind me jumped up three more guys. They all made me jump.
"This is Mike, my best friend and roommate," Billie said. I shook hands with a tall guy who had a lovely smile.
"This is John, our drummer," This time a shook hands with another guy.
"This is Tre, the drummer who's going to be taking John's place when he leaves." Billie said. I shook hands, this time, with a guy who seemed absolutly insane! Who calls themselves 'Tre Cool' anyway?!
"It's French," The Tre guy said to me. "It means Very Cool." I laughed. Already, Tre started to become my favourite - apart from Billie, of course.
The 3 guys: Billie, Mike and John all stepped up on stage and Billie started talking into his microphone.
"Um, hey everyone!" He said. "Welcome to our 2nd gig! My name is Billie Joe, this is Mike on the bass and this is John on the drums. We will be playing a few of the songs we've written and um...well, I hope you enjoy!"
Tre signalled for me to go and sit in the chair right at the front with him. I did, where I got a great view of them. Billie counted them in and they all started playing. All I kept thinking was 'Wow! These guys our absolutley amazing!' But I was speechless after Billie started to sing. He had the most beautiful rock voice ever. The best I've ever, ever, ever heard!
"They're good, aren't they?" Tre said.
"Amazing." I said, my mouth wide open.
"I can't wait to join their band," Tre said.
"Yeah, I bet you can't."
They played about ten songs - all as good as each other, I couldn't pick a favourite even if I tried. Afterwards, when they were finished and the cafe started to empty, I went on stage with Tre to see Billie.
"What did you think?" He asked. I laughed and flung my arms around his neck.
"That's one satsified customer!" Mike said. Billie, Mike, John, Tre and I all walked down and sat in the bar. Billie bought me a drink and we shared some fries. By this time, the late-night crowds were coming in and filling up the bar. Billie looked uncomfortable.
"Hey, lets go some place else," Mike suggested.
"Yeah, please," I said. Us five left the guys and girls to swig their beer by themselves as we walked down the street.
"Do you want your jacket back?" I asked Billie, seeing the goosebumps on his arms.
"No, my girl comes first, eh?" He laughed, putting his arm around my waist.
"Awww!" I laughed. We finally found a cafe down the High Street. As we went in, it was nice and warm as I took of Billie's jacket and handed it back to him. He tied it around his waist as we sat down at the bar, just us five.
"So....how many days?" Mike said.
"What?" Billie asked.
"How many days have you been together?"
"Erm, just the one....or the two?"
"Yeah," I said, "One or two." I couldn't actually remember. All I was thinking about was Billie. Me and Billie. Billie and me. Billie. me. Together.
Mike, Tre and John all started having their own conversation - something about the band but Billie wasn't really listening. His beautiful green eyes were fixed on me. I blushed. All of a sudden, he leant into me. Oh my God! He was going to kiss me!!
When I was finished, I stepped out, wafting away the steam that was circling my head. I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around my hair. I pulled my bath robe off the hook on the door and put it on. I shuffled out of the bathroom, across the landing to Amelia's room. Once again, I leant my ear against the door. Oh! This time her stereo was on, 50 Cent - it sounded like. I walked away and into my room and closed the door. I flopped on my bed and relaxed for a bit.
I woke up suddenly. What? Oh my God! I'd fallen asleep! Luckily, I had a bit of time before I had to go. I pulled on my underwear, then my black strappy top, long purple skirt and my big black boots. I drenched myself in perfume and put my hair up in its usual high clipped up ponytail - letting my blonde dreadlocks run wild! Hmmm...I thought, looking at myself in the mirror. What's missing...
Ah-ha! My beloved eyeliner! How could I forget that?! I applied it thickly, making my eyes framed and even darker than they already were. I did one flick with the mascara brush and there we go. Done.
By this time I had five minutes. I grabbed my handbag and hitched it up onto my shoulder. I knocked on Amelia's door. She opened it - her eyes still slightly red.
"Oh - are you off?" She asked.
"Yeah," I said
"You look lovely."
"Thank you," I smiled. "See you later." I hugged her and made my way downstairs. I shouted bye to Mom, Dad, Aaron and Steve and shut the front door behind me.
I looked down the street. It was already getting quite dark. I knew a quick way to Florence Cafe, but it meant walking down a dark and dingy alleyway. Nah, no thanks. I walked up the road, passing the park. A group of teens were hanging around there, drinking already. 3 of them I recognized as the trainees from work but they go kicked out as they kept abusing one of the younger girls there.
I kept my head down before they could shout anything stupid at me. I carried on walking, down the road, round the corner, up the street until I saw bright pink fuzzing lights reading 'Florence Cafe' flicker above me. I opened the door and saw it was rather busy.
There was a small stage at the top end of the Cafe and all the tables and chairs had been turned to face it. At the other end of it, opposite the stage was a very fancy bar lit up with lights which made the glasses of wine and cocktails glitter. All of a sudden, I saw a familliar face sat at a table alone. I sneaked up behind him.
"Hello stranger!" I said. Billie spun round.
"Adrienne!" He cried. He got up, knocking the table and sending his can of beer clattering across the floor but he didn't even notice. We flung our arms around each other and hugged for ages. He kissed me lightly on the cheek - and then blushed. I smiled. We broke away and then changed our minds as we hugged again - even tighter this time.
"You're cold." Billie said.
"Yeah, I'm freezing!" I said. Billie unzipped his hoodie and put it around my shoulders.
"There," He said, grinning.
"Thanks," I said. "When are you gonna play?" I asked.
"Actually..." Billie said, picking up his guitar. "Right now. We were just waiting for you."
"We?" I asked him. All of a sudden, from the table behind me jumped up three more guys. They all made me jump.
"This is Mike, my best friend and roommate," Billie said. I shook hands with a tall guy who had a lovely smile.
"This is John, our drummer," This time a shook hands with another guy.
"This is Tre, the drummer who's going to be taking John's place when he leaves." Billie said. I shook hands, this time, with a guy who seemed absolutly insane! Who calls themselves 'Tre Cool' anyway?!
"It's French," The Tre guy said to me. "It means Very Cool." I laughed. Already, Tre started to become my favourite - apart from Billie, of course.
The 3 guys: Billie, Mike and John all stepped up on stage and Billie started talking into his microphone.
"Um, hey everyone!" He said. "Welcome to our 2nd gig! My name is Billie Joe, this is Mike on the bass and this is John on the drums. We will be playing a few of the songs we've written and um...well, I hope you enjoy!"
Tre signalled for me to go and sit in the chair right at the front with him. I did, where I got a great view of them. Billie counted them in and they all started playing. All I kept thinking was 'Wow! These guys our absolutley amazing!' But I was speechless after Billie started to sing. He had the most beautiful rock voice ever. The best I've ever, ever, ever heard!
"They're good, aren't they?" Tre said.
"Amazing." I said, my mouth wide open.
"I can't wait to join their band," Tre said.
"Yeah, I bet you can't."
They played about ten songs - all as good as each other, I couldn't pick a favourite even if I tried. Afterwards, when they were finished and the cafe started to empty, I went on stage with Tre to see Billie.
"What did you think?" He asked. I laughed and flung my arms around his neck.
"That's one satsified customer!" Mike said. Billie, Mike, John, Tre and I all walked down and sat in the bar. Billie bought me a drink and we shared some fries. By this time, the late-night crowds were coming in and filling up the bar. Billie looked uncomfortable.
"Hey, lets go some place else," Mike suggested.
"Yeah, please," I said. Us five left the guys and girls to swig their beer by themselves as we walked down the street.
"Do you want your jacket back?" I asked Billie, seeing the goosebumps on his arms.
"No, my girl comes first, eh?" He laughed, putting his arm around my waist.
"Awww!" I laughed. We finally found a cafe down the High Street. As we went in, it was nice and warm as I took of Billie's jacket and handed it back to him. He tied it around his waist as we sat down at the bar, just us five.
"So....how many days?" Mike said.
"What?" Billie asked.
"How many days have you been together?"
"Erm, just the one....or the two?"
"Yeah," I said, "One or two." I couldn't actually remember. All I was thinking about was Billie. Me and Billie. Billie and me. Billie. me. Together.
Mike, Tre and John all started having their own conversation - something about the band but Billie wasn't really listening. His beautiful green eyes were fixed on me. I blushed. All of a sudden, he leant into me. Oh my God! He was going to kiss me!!
