Girl at the rockshow

GIRL AT THE ROCK SHOW

Chapter 1: The Rock Show

So, when do you know if you're in love? A question that has been asked,
debated and discussed for over two thousand years. The answer? You just
know. This is my story of when I fell in love all those years ago, and
how did I know? I just did.
"I fucking hate moshers" I said changing the channel from the
depressingly bad Karrang, which was forcefully inflicting terrible rock
music onto my delicate ears. I flicked it onto the Dance channel and
smiled. This was my type of music. "Do you not want to go to the rock
thing Niall's having then," my best friend Paul asked.
"Don't be stupid, cheap drink, were going" I said. When you're a
seventeen year old student, cheap drink is a high priority.
Paul looked at his watch and sighed. "Right go and shower then and
hurry up, were off in an hour." I nodded my agreement.
I wasn't planning to see anyone worth bothering to get dressed up for
that fateful Saturday night so I just wore blue jeans and one of my
many outrages shirts. This one was tastefully decorated with
multicoloured burning fish. I knew I wouldn't be clashing with Paul as
his style ranged from the jeans; t-shirt and tidy hair look to, jeans,
t-shirt and messy hair look. We were real connoisseurs of fashion back
then.
I did however still spend five minutes on my hair, the absolute
minimum, if it was a bigger night out I would have been styling for ten
to twenty minutes. My hair was my fixation. I decided a standard spike
configuration for my short black hair would be good, not to showy but
still very fetching.
After I was showered and dressed, I checked in the mirror and
pronounced myself fit for the outside world. I was considered to be
somewhat handsome by my peers, and my dark eyes especially got
admiration from the opposite sex.
I phoned a taxi while Paul rolled a joint, we had just finished
smoking it by the time the taxi appeared and as we got into it giggling
stupidly the driver just shook his head.

Oxygen was a small nightclub in the back alleys of town. It was a place
that hadn't been discovered by the mainstream and at that time was
considered quite hip. Local promoters and budding entrepuneurs lined up
amateur DJ's and bands over the weekends. My other best friend Niall
usually ran R&;B nights, but in his infinite wisdom had decided that
a rock night would make some money, due to the increasing trend of
sixteen year olds that had started listening to the ghastly
music.
Walking into the dark, smoky club entrance a bouncer asked me to empty
my pockets. I did so knowing he wouldn't find anything. Although I was
fond of the odd bit of weed, I never took it out with me, a lesson we
had learned the hard way a few years back.
After the search I went upstairs, the loud music easily discernible.
Pushing through the doors into the main area I groaned inwardly. The
dance floor was packed, the bar was worse. I spied Niall at a corner
table just beside the bar, as far away from the speakers as was
possible and went over. "This is making me loads of money" were his
first words to me.
"Great, think you can get us a drink." Niall went off to get the
drinks. The privileges of knowing the runner of the night. No waiting
in long queues.
Niall returned two minutes later with two pitchers of beer and a few
glasses. "This should start things off nicely" he said setting the tray
down. "It's free drinks all nights so no worries there."
Paul grinned as he poured the beer. "Free drink just about makes up
for the music" he said wryly. I nodded my agreement, already the music
was making me want to slice my ears off.
I drank my first pint quickly before refilling my glass and feeling a
bit more relaxed. "So how have things been," I asked Niall.
"Not bad, parents are at it again, but what can you do" he said
checking his watch. "Sorry about this but I'm going to have to go and
network for ten minutes so I'll catch you guys soon" and with that he
was gone, sucked up by the crowd.
"His parents arguing again?" Paul asked me as soon as Niall was out of
ear shot.
"Yep, worse than usual apparently, but like he said, what you gonna
do."
My own parents had been divorced for nine years and after a life time
of them fighting, shouting and trying to out do each other I had taken
on a fairly cynical view of marriage, and relationships in general. My
own love life was in a bit of a shambles as it was.
"We should have a party to cheer him up" Paul said. "Get some drink,
some drugs, maybe a stripper." I laughed.
"Sounds good but I don't think Hannah will be too happy about the
stripper part, she'd kill Niall, and us" I said.
"Yeah I suppose but I think a party is a good idea, I mean my parents
are away for another week so we got the house to ourselves."
"Where are they anyway" I asked pouring more beer into our glasses and
lighting a fag.
"God knows, they just bod off do they, as long as they leave me money
I'm not fussed."
I couldn't help but laugh at Paul's outlook on life. Anymore relaxed
and the boy would have been dead.
"What?" he said. "It's true."
"I know mate, that's what worries me." He politely told me to fuck off,
which I did, to the bar.

I wasn't enjoying my beer and decided it was time to move onto
something a bit harder. Since I'd decided to limit my drug taking to
the odd bit of cannabis I had no choice but to start on the
Vodka.
Standing at the bar I scanned the dance floor for anyone I recognised.
I noticed some people from school and a few from college, but no one I
had a desire to stand beside, let alone have to converse with.
I ordered six vodkas deciding I wasn't going to wait at the bar again
for awhile. I'd been nudged several times and the bar itself was
covered with drink, spit and something that I didn't, or want to
recognise.
When I finally got back to the table Niall was sitting pouring
champagne in Paul's mouth. "Compliments of the club" he said as Paul
started to choke.
"Excellent, get these down you." I handed out the spirits and we all
gulped one down crashing the glasses onto the table. Niall grimaced,
Paul laughed.
"Fuck" I said shaking my head. "I don't even know why I drink this
shit." I'd had a bad incident with a bottle of Brandy when I was
fourteen and since then spirits were just bearable to me.
"Cause it gets you pissed" Paul all but roared in my ear.
"I think your there already like" I said lighting another fag and
washing down the shot of vodka with the surprisingly good
champagne.
"We were thinking about having a party" I said turning to Niall.
"Would you be up for it?"
"Excellent. When?" he said waving a member of the bar staff
over.
I shrugged my shoulders and looked at Paul.
"What about tomorrow" he said. "I'll set up the barbecue and
everything; it'll be a bloody riot."
"Now that is a good idea" agreed Niall.
"Tomorrow it is then, six would be a good time" I said pointing at my
glass of vodka as the barwomen appeared.
"What?" she said staring at me.
She was very attractive with short blonde hair and a nice voice that
made Paul sink lower in his chair groaning. She ignored him.
"Could you fill us up" Niall asked smiling.
"Get them your self's, I'm not a waitress" she said looking pissed off.
The bar was busy and here we were demanding service, I could see her
point.
"Go on" said Paul sitting up straight, "I'll let you give me a
blowjob."
And with that she was gone, a look of disgust on her face.
"Well done" said Niall.
Paul just grinned.

An hour later the time had just gone ten and we were all drunk. Paul
had managed to balance a beer pitcher on his head, quite an achievement
we all agreed when I first spotted her. She was beautiful.
She wore a long denim skirt and a tie dye t-shirt, her long black hair
was in a braid and her tall, thin, lithe body moved in time to the
music. Something I had actually thought impossible to do.
I couldn't see her face clearly but I know she was cute; she was
smiling openly as if not a care in the world. I was mesmerised.
"What you staring at" Niall asked. I barely heard him. After repeating
the question twice without getting any reaction Paul got pissed
off.
"What the fuck are you doing" I shouted as Paul attempted to set fire
to my hair. With the amount of gel and hair spray I had on it, I
properly would have had became a human torch.
"What are you staring at" he said slowly emphasising all the
words.
I pointed to the girl. "Her, she's?" I searched for the right word.
"Magical." The moment I said it I knew the reaction I was about to get.
Both Niall and Paul fell into a paroxysm of laughter.
I waited patiently till they had calmed down. "Oh my god, what the
hell are you talking about" said Paul.
"Well she's not bad" Niall said.
"Yeah alright she's actually fairly bonnie from here but magical" Paul
said, "For fuck sake, slight exaggeration."
I was about to tell Paul what I thought of his opinion when the song
stopped and the girl and a friend obviously heading for the bathroom
headed our way.
The bathrooms were positioned outside the main area through a set of
double doors, which would bring her straight past our table. A bit of a
pain if walking wasn't your thing but I offered a silent prayer to the
architect for the design, it meant I would get to see her
properly.
We were all staring at her quite blatantly as she walked past, she
glanced at me and I smiled. She smiled back; she had dark eyes and a
small nose with a stud in it. Below that was set an inviting pink mouth
and gleaming teeth. Her face was the picture of innocence. In that
moment my heart skipped a beat. I had just fallen in love.
"Wow she is nice" said Niall.
"She's a shag alright" Paul said. "I suppose we could let you
off."
"Well, actually no we can't" said Niall devilishly.
"Why not, she's nice and look at Josh, he's obviously in love with her"
Paul said mockingly, not realising how close he was to the truth.
"True but look where we are, remember what she was wearing. I hate to
say it but that girl is a mosher, and correct me if I'm wrong, Josh
hates moshers."
"Very true, sorry mate but she's a no go" said Paul to me.
I hadn't really been listening to them but I caught the drift of the
conversation. "I know she's a rock chick, but I don't care" I said
defiantly. I had just changed my life view in about three
seconds.
I don't know who was more shocked, them or me. "What do you mean"
asked Paul suspiciously.
"I mean I need to know who she is, I need to speak to her." I don't
know what convinced them so quickly. The fact I had known them all my
life and we had been through more shit together than I would care to
remember definitely helped. I suspect the look on my face had a lot to
do with it though. I was serious, and they knew it.
"Fair enough mate" said Niall standing up. "Give me five
minutes."

Paul and I spend the next five minutes drinking, smoking and wondering
where Niall was off to.
"We could invite her to the party" Paul suggested seeming to be
slightly more sober than earlier.
"Hmm, maybe we should wait and see if she even wants to talk to me
first. She might have a boyfriend for all we know."
"Yeah but he'll be a gimp, we'll just do him and that'll be that" Paul
said.
I wasn't sure if he was serious or not, it wouldn't have surprised me
if he was.
"I'm looking forward to the barbecue though to be honest" Paul said
excitedly.
"You bet, just try not to burn the house down, or the neighbour
hood."
"What would be the fun in that" said Paul laughing.
Out of all the people I knew Paul was the only one who could take
apart anything in under five seconds, the amazing thing was he could
put it back together even quicker. That was his talent. He used to joke
he would one day would build a machine to destroy the earth, just to
prove he could. We never doubted him.

Niall came back looking a lot drunker than when he had left us. He
staggered over to the table and slumped into his chair. "What's up with
you" I asked.
"They made me drink four whiskeys first" he said slurring his
words.
"Who did?"
"The people I asked about Claire, wouldn't tell me anything about her
until I had. Bastards thought it was funny."
I exchanged a quizzical look with Paul. "Who's Claire?" asked
Paul.
Niall sighed as if disgusted with our ineptitude to understand him.
"She's the bird Josh fancies of course. The table at the top over
there" he pointed in some random direction as if to prove his point.
"Big group of moshers, I thought they might know her, and they did, you
can thank me later by the way" he said.
"Thank you for what" I enquired.
"The information" Niall said.
"You haven't told us anything yet."
"Haven't I, shit I must be pissed. Anyway her names Claire, she's
seventeen so she's legal for a shagging."
"Important detail that is" said Paul. "Wouldn't want to be put away for
that, you know what they do to you in prison if you're a pedo?"
"Could I continue please" Niall said annoyed at the interruption. Paul
stayed silent.
"Good, right where was I, Oh yes she's seventeen and is a mosher,
nothing major though, she isn't a Goth and she isn't into
Manson."
Niall was referring to Marlin Manson, the bane of any normal person's
musical taste.
"She lives on the Perth road, one of the big houses so I reckon she's
loaded. Properly only comes here to rebel against her parents. You know
how it is." We did.
"Are you listening" Niall asked punching me in the arm.
"I'm listening" I said "go on."
"Well that's about it actually, never told me anymore, and the
whiskeys fucked me up so I just left." Claire walked past us again just
as Niall had finished talking.
Paul nudged me, "Now is your chance, go and speak to her."
"What do I say?"
"I don't know, you keep telling us you're the smooth chick magnet, make
it up, Hurry," and with that he pushed me off the chair.
Due to my inebriated state I promptly fell flat on the floor. "Fuck" I
shouted not amused with Paul's subtle hint.
Claire turned as she heard the commotion and saw me lying on the
ground shouting expletives. She laughed and came over to me, offering
her hand I accepted and staggered to my feet. I wobbled a bit and
suddenly realised how drunk I was.
"Have an accident did we" she said.
"Something like that" I said looking over at Paul who was sitting
smiling angelically.
"My names Josh" I said.
"Mines Claire, nice to meet you" She said.
Being in such close proximity I could smell her perfume, it was so
sweet and pleasant that I just stared at her. I properly looked like
the village idiot; I'm surprised I wasn't drooling.
"Is something wrong" she asked.
"No no" I said quickly. "It's just, your so beautiful, to be honest I'm
a bit awe struck."
I could see her face redden with embarrassment. "Thank you, but does
that line ever work" she asked, now slightly amused.
"It's not a line, you really are." I didn't know what I was doing but
so far she hadn't hit me or ran off, so things were going alright on
that front.
Claire looked down at the ground as if thinking whether to speak or
not. "Would you like to join me at my table? Your friends as well of
course" she said after a small pause.
My shoulders sagged down in despair. "I can't" I said.
"Why, what's wrong."
I wanted to tell her it was because I hated the people she liked, and
hung out with. Five seconds sitting with a group of them and I would
have had a nervous breakdown. The inane gibbering about skate parks and
baggy clothes was too much.
Of course I realised the moment I told her the truth that would be the
end of our short lived relationship, and that I did not want. I didn't
want to lie to her either though and my mind raced to try and get
myself out of this dilemma.
"I've got work tomorrow" I said rather lamely. The alcohol had turned
my brain into some sort of useless vegetable, incapable of giving me a
first-class excuse. "I have to leave now."
"Oh" she said a look of disappointment on her face.
"My friends having a barbecue tomorrow at his house" I said pointing to
Paul. "Would you like to come?"
"I don't know" she said sceptically. I could understand why in a world
of date rape and violence she was reluctant to take up an invitation
from a stranger.
"Don't worry you can bring your friends with you, it'll be very good" I
said trying to sound reassuring and not desperate and needy.
"Okay then, give me his address and I'll think about it." Better than
nothing I thought.
I grabbed a pen from the bar and scribbled Paul's address and the time
of the barbecue onto a beer mat. Not very classy but I was in A-Team
mode.
I handed the mat over to her; she looked amused as she put it in her
pocket.
"Thank you" she said. "I might see you tomorrow." As she turned and
left I couldn't stop myself from saying "I would really like to see you
again." This time I sounded staggeringly desperate and needy. I was
however rewarded with a wink that seared itself into my heart.