2000 Light Years Away, chapter 9
We carried on walking until we reached John's flat. It was all right, y'know, a typical punk guy pad sort of thing. It was pretty huge though; about twelve stories high, maybe more, of grey concrete.
John walked up to the door and punched in the key-code, Tre, Mike, Billie, and me following. He opened the door and we all stepped in. I smell burned my nostrils as I walked in a smell of alcohol and urine. John saw my face and jerked his thumb over to the door of number one. I nodded, guessing that the smell was from the guy in there. As we walked up the stairs and onto another floor. This time a different smell caught me. It seemed that every floor had its own distinctive smell. Strangely, this time it smelt like nail polish and wine (I have a very good sense of smell).
"Hey, John?" I asked.
"Ye-ah?" he said, spinning round.
"Isn't this, like, a guy's place?"
John nodded.
"So why does it smell like nail polish?"
"Oh," John whispered. "It's these girls, they live here even though, like you said, it's a guy's place. They don't understand the meaning of 'Go away'. They just keep to this, floor though. All the guys here have banned them from going anywhere else. They're so annoying. Everyone hates them."
I nodded. I just imagined them to be show-offs-like the pretty, blonde cheerleaders back in high school, but their career as a model had ended, so they're short of money and living in a dump. Well, not too much of a dump, but to those 'Oh my god! Like!' girls-it probably was.
We finally reached the third floor where John's apartment was. John shoved a key into number 10.
"Welcome to paradise, Adie," Billie said as I went in. This time it didn't smell like booze or thankfully urine, and I would be quite worried if it smelt like nail polish, although it could be black, which Tre had on his nails.
Anyway, the guys all collapsed on the sofa as I had a look around John's lounge. At once, I spotted a lush, red drum kit. I was just about to sit on the stool, but Tre got there first.
"Ahem," I said sarcastically.
Tre looked up at me, still not moving.
"Fine," I said. "Budge up!" Tre shuffled along and let me sit down on the stool with him. I picked the drumsticks off the floor and was just about to start when...
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Tre said, holding his hands up. I raised my eyebrows.
"You drum?" he asked.
"To hell, I can drum!" I said and started showing off. Tre looked impressed.
"Whoa," John said, "Tre, she could give you a run for your money!" Tre scowled and took the drumsticks off me.
"Oh yeah-oh-oh yeah!" Tre stammered, looking for a comeback.
"Well, I will leave you to it!" I laughed, getting up and joining Billie and Mike's conversation.
"...Yeah, we should do that..."
"Do what?" I asked.
"Oh, we're just thinking about a new song. I was thinking about writing one about you, Adie," Billie said.
"Awwww," I said. "You're so sweet, Billie!" He turned red.
"Yeah," said Mike. "He was a real high school sweetheart-weren't you, Bill!" Mike laughed, nudging Billie. Billie turned even redder.
"So what are you gonna call it?" I asked. Billie showed me the piece of scrap paper him and Mike were scribbling idea down on.
[i] Song: 20
Adie & Billie 4eva!!
Song name Ideas:
When will I see you again?
I Miss You
Far Away
Light Years Away
2000 Light Years Away
Final choice: 2000 Light Years Away.
Chorus:
I hold my breath and close my eyes and
Dream about her
Cause she's 2000 Light Years Away
Years Away!<i/>
"What do you think?" Billie said hopefully.
"I love it!" I cried.
Billie smiled in relief. "It's just that when I go back to California, I'm not going to see you for ages, so I wanted to write a song that reminds us of each other. I'll make sure we record it soon so I can post the CD to you."
"That'll be great."
Tre was still bashing the drums until there was a knock at the door. John and Billie got up, sighing.
"I wonder what they're complaining about?" Tre asked.
"How do you know they're complaining?" I asked.
"Oh, they always do," Mike said.
"Yeah," Tre agreed. I laughed as Tre was actually being serious about wondering what they were complaining about after he'd bashed the hell out of the drums at one in the morning.
I heard one of the guys slam the door. Probably in the person's face, but I didn't mind. I was actually glad-no one ever stops Tre in the middle of drumming and gets away with it!
"Hey, John?" Billie asked. "Me and Adie are probably gonna go to bed now, if that's all right with you lot."
"Yeah, please?" I asked. John led Billie and me through the hallway and into his bedroom. Like the rest of the house, it was a typical guy room. Grey walls plastered with posters of famous rockers and photos of Billie, Mike, and John in concerts. He had a huge double bed with a leopard skin blanket thrown over it. John closed the door behind him as he left. I flopped on the bed, and Billie did the same.
John walked up to the door and punched in the key-code, Tre, Mike, Billie, and me following. He opened the door and we all stepped in. I smell burned my nostrils as I walked in a smell of alcohol and urine. John saw my face and jerked his thumb over to the door of number one. I nodded, guessing that the smell was from the guy in there. As we walked up the stairs and onto another floor. This time a different smell caught me. It seemed that every floor had its own distinctive smell. Strangely, this time it smelt like nail polish and wine (I have a very good sense of smell).
"Hey, John?" I asked.
"Ye-ah?" he said, spinning round.
"Isn't this, like, a guy's place?"
John nodded.
"So why does it smell like nail polish?"
"Oh," John whispered. "It's these girls, they live here even though, like you said, it's a guy's place. They don't understand the meaning of 'Go away'. They just keep to this, floor though. All the guys here have banned them from going anywhere else. They're so annoying. Everyone hates them."
I nodded. I just imagined them to be show-offs-like the pretty, blonde cheerleaders back in high school, but their career as a model had ended, so they're short of money and living in a dump. Well, not too much of a dump, but to those 'Oh my god! Like!' girls-it probably was.
We finally reached the third floor where John's apartment was. John shoved a key into number 10.
"Welcome to paradise, Adie," Billie said as I went in. This time it didn't smell like booze or thankfully urine, and I would be quite worried if it smelt like nail polish, although it could be black, which Tre had on his nails.
Anyway, the guys all collapsed on the sofa as I had a look around John's lounge. At once, I spotted a lush, red drum kit. I was just about to sit on the stool, but Tre got there first.
"Ahem," I said sarcastically.
Tre looked up at me, still not moving.
"Fine," I said. "Budge up!" Tre shuffled along and let me sit down on the stool with him. I picked the drumsticks off the floor and was just about to start when...
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Tre said, holding his hands up. I raised my eyebrows.
"You drum?" he asked.
"To hell, I can drum!" I said and started showing off. Tre looked impressed.
"Whoa," John said, "Tre, she could give you a run for your money!" Tre scowled and took the drumsticks off me.
"Oh yeah-oh-oh yeah!" Tre stammered, looking for a comeback.
"Well, I will leave you to it!" I laughed, getting up and joining Billie and Mike's conversation.
"...Yeah, we should do that..."
"Do what?" I asked.
"Oh, we're just thinking about a new song. I was thinking about writing one about you, Adie," Billie said.
"Awwww," I said. "You're so sweet, Billie!" He turned red.
"Yeah," said Mike. "He was a real high school sweetheart-weren't you, Bill!" Mike laughed, nudging Billie. Billie turned even redder.
"So what are you gonna call it?" I asked. Billie showed me the piece of scrap paper him and Mike were scribbling idea down on.
[i] Song: 20
Adie & Billie 4eva!!
Song name Ideas:
When will I see you again?
I Miss You
Far Away
Light Years Away
2000 Light Years Away
Final choice: 2000 Light Years Away.
Chorus:
I hold my breath and close my eyes and
Dream about her
Cause she's 2000 Light Years Away
Years Away!<i/>
"What do you think?" Billie said hopefully.
"I love it!" I cried.
Billie smiled in relief. "It's just that when I go back to California, I'm not going to see you for ages, so I wanted to write a song that reminds us of each other. I'll make sure we record it soon so I can post the CD to you."
"That'll be great."
Tre was still bashing the drums until there was a knock at the door. John and Billie got up, sighing.
"I wonder what they're complaining about?" Tre asked.
"How do you know they're complaining?" I asked.
"Oh, they always do," Mike said.
"Yeah," Tre agreed. I laughed as Tre was actually being serious about wondering what they were complaining about after he'd bashed the hell out of the drums at one in the morning.
I heard one of the guys slam the door. Probably in the person's face, but I didn't mind. I was actually glad-no one ever stops Tre in the middle of drumming and gets away with it!
"Hey, John?" Billie asked. "Me and Adie are probably gonna go to bed now, if that's all right with you lot."
"Yeah, please?" I asked. John led Billie and me through the hallway and into his bedroom. Like the rest of the house, it was a typical guy room. Grey walls plastered with posters of famous rockers and photos of Billie, Mike, and John in concerts. He had a huge double bed with a leopard skin blanket thrown over it. John closed the door behind him as he left. I flopped on the bed, and Billie did the same.
