Not Just Any Whatsername
I Can't Control Myself...
Alex's eyes fluttered open, the sunlight filtering through her opened curtains shining on her face. She sighed, shifting so she was laying her stomach. Her feet shifted under the duvet, searching for a cold spot. Her toes brushed over an unfamiliar pair of legs that were resting next to hers. She smiled as last night began flooding back to her. Her head slowly moved so she was looking at the green hair that belonged to the famous drummer. His eyes were already open.
"Morning," He whispered, propping his head up on his arm.
"Morning to you too," She whispered back, her smile widening as she looked at the shirtless drummer. He isn't too hard on the eye... She thought to herself, inwardly grinning at her thoughts. "You sleep well?"
"Very well, thanks for asking," He said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
She giggled, stretching her arms above her head and yawning, the shirt she was wearing resting slightly higher on her stomach. She pulled it back down, noticing she was wearing the anime t-shirt Tre had had on the night before. Throwing the duvet off her body, she sat on the edge of the bed, her legs dangling onto the rug that rested under her bed.
"No... stay in here... " Tre began to whine, pulling on her arm, not letting her rise off the mattress.
She sighed through her nose, making a sound that resembled a snort. Smiling, she closed her eyes, considering her options. She could stay in bed with a gorgeous half-naked man, or get up into the cold and drink pissy instant coffee. The choice wasn't that hard to make when she thought about it. Letting her body go limp, she slipped back under the covers, pulling the duvet back on.
"Five more minutes... " she said, sighing as she relaxed under the covers.
His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Running her hands over his strong forearms, she sighed, leaning back into him.
"So, why'd you move here from Australia?" he asked her, his voice ringing through the room and breaking the silence.
"Huh?!" Her reaction was unexpected. He felt her body stiffen against his as she tensed up.
"You said you moved here from Australia." He said, he could see nothing wrong with his question. "I was just asking why."
"Oh." Awkward silence followed. She swallowed, inhaling sharply. "I just needed to get away and this was the only place I could think of coming." She said, shrugging her shoulders slightly, though her voice was not as relaxed as she tried to make it appear.
Tre could sense she was holding something back, but he decided not to probe. He began to trace invisible patterns on her arms, not saying anything. The silence was awkward, it was like a stench hanging in the air that neither of them wanted to approach.
"Look," she said sighing, sitting up and facing him. "I'm just not comfortable talking about my past. It was a hard time for me, and I try not to talk about it unless I can help it. I'm sorry."
He sat up as well, his large hand slipping over her own smaller one. Giving it a reassuring squeeze, he smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'm sorry I asked."
Her lips curved into a small smile as she bit down on her lower lip. "Thanks."
She leaned back into the headboard of the bed, seemingly relieved at the escape from the conversation topic.
"So, do you like... go to college or something?" He asked her, making another stab at conversation. Then realising he didn't even know how old she was, he added that to his sentence. "How old are you anyway?"
She giggled at his curiosity; his blue eyes were staring up at her from their position on the mattress. "I'm 22, turning 23 in October. I intend to go to college, I've always wanted to do a degree in literature, and I want to be a writer."
"Oh... the intellectual type, eh?" he teased her, propping his head up on his hands as he leaned onto his elbows.
"Nah, not really. I've just always liked writing."
She picked up her phone from her bedside table, checking the time. "Shit, it's almost 11." Standing up, she stretched her hands above her head again, yawning as she did so. "I think Alex needs a coffee or some form of caffeine."
Tre chuckled softly. "Does Tre get one too?"
She grinned at him. "I say we get out of this apartment. There's a Starbucks down the road... "
"Well, I think we should pay the Starbucks a little visit... I also think we should stay up here and-"
"We'll think about the second option."
Alex walked towards her dresser and began rummaging in one of the drawers. "Why do I get the feeling I'm supposed to be somewhere today?" she wondered out loud, pulling out a pair of jeans.
"Because you probably are," Tre murmured, rising from the bed and coming closer to Alex. His hands found the small of her back and pulled her closer to him.
"Oh yeah?" she whispered, her hands snaking up the back of his neck and fingers lacing into the back of his vivid green hair.
"Yeah... " his head swooped down, capturing her lips with his.
She sighed into the kiss, her arms snaking around the back of his neck as she leaned up onto the tips of her toes. He started to move backwards, towards the bed, his hands coming down to rest on her hips.
One hand drifted lower down her body and began tugging on his shirt that she was wearing. He began to slowly pull it up over her lean torso, his lips never leaving hers. Suddenly, they were interrupted by a loud banging on Alex's front door.
Alex groaned, pulling away from him and stepping back from his embrace. "Shit!" she said, rolling her eyes as she ran her hands through her hair.
"ALEXIA ANNE! OPEN THIS GODDAMN DOOR SO HELP YOU GOD!"
Alex closed her eyes and sighed loudly. "Just a minute!!" she yelled in the door's general direction. "Tre, you have to leave."
His face took on a dejected look, his lower lip poking out in a pout. "Thanks, way to make a guy feel wanted."
She smiled slightly, a sound that appeared to be a snort escaped her. "I'm sorry... it's just I don't really want Allie finding out until later or another time."
He cocked an eyebrow towards his hairline. "So there is going to be another time?" he asked, seemingly amused.
This seemed to catch her off guard. "Oh... uh... I... not... if you don't want... " she stuttered, unaware of the fact her foot kept missing her shoe.
"Believe me, I want to... " he said, trailing off and shooting a cocky grin at her, as he pulled on the shirt she had returned to him.
She smiled back at him, savouring the brief moment of silence that was broken by Alison's resuming her constant and persistent pounding on the door. "Thanks... I just don't want her to overreact and all that shit."
Then, pulling a black The Clash t-shirt over her head, he hurried to the door, grabbing a brush from a chair near her door and running it through her hair as she ran.
"Hang on you retarded blonde," She yelled as she quickly padded across the carpeted floor.
Tre grinned to himself as he did up his red and black tartan pants. Slipping on his checkered Vans, he ran a hand through his hair and left the bedroom, taking one last glance as he left.
"Allie, calm down." Alex told her friend, making gestures with her hands to imitate her words.
"How the HELL can I calm down? You didn't answer your phone last night, or this morning. I was supposed to meet you at Starbucks 20 minutes ago so we could go set up for tonight's gig." Alison glared at her friend, taking in her rumpled appearance. "You forgot, didn't you?"
Alex bit her lip and looked down at her black and green Vans. "Just a little bit." She said sheepishly.
Alison looked ready to launch herself at Alex, her blue eyes widening in anger.
"Allie, look. Go back down to Starbucks, I'll be there in 10 minutes. Tops. I just need to do something first. Uh... get my guitar ready. Remember, I'm doing that one song on guitar," She added as Alison looked at her curiously.
"Alright," She sighed, whirling around and picking up her guitar case. "If you're not down there in 10 minutes, I have permission to spork your eyes out." she called over her shoulder as she walked down the hall and down the stairs. She never used the elevator in case it got stuck between floors.
Peering after her, Alex quickly looked down both directions of the hall. Opening her door all the way, she quickly sent Tre in the elevators direction. He started running towards the silver doors. Then, suddenly, he turned around and ran back towards Alex.
"Gig?" he asked her.
"Tonight, 7:30, Dormien's Nunquam nightclub. Me and my band performing," She said grinning at him.
"And Alexia Anne?"
"Long story. Don't ask."
Tre grinned, and then quickly, he pressed his lips against hers, his hand finding its way to the back of her head.
She smiled into the kiss and tangled her fingers in his hair, forgetting the fact that they were making out in the middle of her hallway.
Alison hurried down the stairs of Alex's apartment building, running through a mental checklist of things they needed for tonight.
"Shit!" she said out loud, stopping on a staircase. She had forgotten to tell Alex she needed her music and lyrics for one of their new songs. Turning around, she started heading back up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
She finally reached Alex's floor, mentally cursing herself for her fear of elevators.
She expected Alex would still be outside, probably leaning against her doorway thinking about the gig, so she started yelling her reminder as she ran down the landing.
"Hey Alex, don't forget your... holy shitake mushrooms!!" She trailed off as she saw Alex locked in a fierce embrace with the drummer of Green Day.
Alex broke away from him, looking at the source of their distraction. "Shit." She said, hitting her head on the anime character in the middle of his shirt, her hands still on his shoulders.
Alison stood there in the hallway, staring at the two people in front of her, mouth hanging open... literally. She blinked a few times, thinking the sight would change if she did so.
Alex looked up at Tre, murmuring under her breath. "Do you think she really saw you, or can you make a break for it?" Those words seemed to break the blonde woman from her trance.
"I may be blonde, but I'm not deaf Alex," She said, walking towards them. When she reached them, she stood there, her arms folded over her chest.
"I'm Tre... But you obviously know that," Tre said, leaning around Alex to shake Alison's hand, his other hand still resting on Alex's hip, grinning as Alison gripped his hand briefly, shaking it.
"Alison," She muttered under her breath, avoiding eye contact with Tre or Alex.
"Oh, is THAT the time?" Alex said with fake enthusiasm, checking one of the three watches that glittered on her wrist. "Tre, don't you have to... leave?" she said, obviously hinting around the subject, never one for being subtle.
"What? Oh yeah... I... uh... have to go and... record this morning. Cya!" he quickly leaned over and gave Alex a brief kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight." Then, waving at Alison, he started running down the stairs, occasionally stumbling over his own feet.
Both women were looking at him as he ran, both chuckling slightly as he stumbled over every invisible bump. As soon as he was out of view and out of earshot, Alex looked down at her feet, an uncomfortable look gracing her features. "You're going to say things now, aren't you?"
"Oh, I'm going to do more than just say things." Alison answered, folding her arms over her chest and drawing herself up to her full height. "I cannot believe you went out with Tre Cool last night and did not tell me. I can't believe you lied to me about where you were going last night, and how you kicked me away from your apartment just so you could get some? Oh, and am I forgetting the fact that you told me you wouldn't call him?"
Alison stopped talking, drawing breath quickly as she followed Alex back into her apartment. "Look Allie... I didn't plan on him asking me out. I didn't even plan on calling him. I called him, hung up, then he used the freaking caller ID thing on me, we talked, he asked me out. Fast forwarding to last night... we went bowling, took a long walk... and then... well... you know. I didn't want to tell you just yet, because I knew you'd make a big deal about it. And I'm sorry I lied to you." She added the last part quietly; biting her lip as she quickly ran to get her guitar and music.
She came running back into the living room, carrying her guitar case and a black messenger bag that was filled with folders. She pulled on her black and white striped hoodie, zipping it up as she did so, brushing her hair off her shoulders. Looking at Alison, who was still surveying her through slitted eyes, she wrapped a thin black scarf around her neck, pulling her hair out and into a ponytail.
Turning around, she slung her messenger bag around her neck and over her shoulder.
"I've always told you to watch out for caller ID."
Alex spun around, looking at her friend who had spoken. She was hiding a small, but impish grin, her arms still folded across her white and grey striped jacket, covering the logo of her Volcom t-shirt that was peeking through the opening at the front.
Biting her lower lip again, she picked up her guitar case, hooking her fingers through her apartment keys as she did so.
"So, you still buying me a chocolate doughnut?" Alex laughed, slinging an arm over Alison's shoulders, grinning broadly.
"You wish... .If anything you owe me a chocolate doughnut, and more than one hot chocolate."
"You seriously need to lay off the chocolate woman... "
"Alex!"
She rolled her eyes as she and Alison made their way across the dance floor of the club in which they were playing that night, a skim latte in Alex's hand and a hot chocolate in Alison's.
Setting down their guitars and bags, they walked towards the stage, passing a doughnut between them as they walked, its size slowly deteriorating.
"Hey George," Alex said as they passed their blonde haired bassist. The girl nodded, looking up from her bass, smiling at the two as she went back to tuning her bass.
"What do you want Adam?"
They had finally reached the stage, where their lead singer, Adam, was nervously pacing around the instruments and sound system that had already been set up. Looking up at the girls, he ran towards them, jumping off the stage, his black fringe falling into his face and his thick black glasses askew.
"Thank god you're here!" he practically yelled, nervously jumping from one foot to another, his tight black t-shirt riding up slightly with each jump.
"Calm down and tell us the problem, emo nerd," The dark haired woman said, polishing off the rest of the glazed doughnut, wiping her hands on her own jeans.
The man hesitated long enough to shoot her a venomous look, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses. "Shut up, smart ass. Just letting you know, there was a little... accident on the way over here, and there's a massive hole in the middle of the snare." He said, stalling over the word accident, looking down at his shoes, knowing the girls would start exploding in a moment.
"I. Am. Going. To. Castrate. You," Alex began, her voice shaking slightly, though it was oddly calm. Adam looked up at her. She had an odd smile on her face.
"There are NO fucking music stores open that sell drum skins on Sundays. I thought we told you before to be extremely careful loading the van. Now, I should really run you over an electric sander and take the excess skin to cover the snare drum so we can still play tonight, but luckily for you, there are spare skins inside one of the cases," Alex grinned at him and walked off towards the metallic purple drum kit, flipping Adam off as she went, leaving him in awe at how she changed moods so quickly.
"Women... " he muttered under his breath as she walked away.
"So what are we doing here anyway?" Billie Joe asked, turning to Tre, his sunglasses pulled low over his eyes as he surveyed the inside of the Dormiens Nunquam club.
"I found out this morning that Alex is in a band, and I wanted to come see what they were like," Tre said absently, shrugging his shoulders as they looked for a table that surrounded the floor area.
"What instrument does she play?" Mike wondered, pulling off his jacket as they sat down.
Tre opened his mouth, his index finger pointing upwards. "You know, I have no idea. I know she can play guitar, they mentioned something about it this morning. Her friend that was in the diner the other day is in the band as well," He said, adding the latter as an afterthought. "I think I want a beer. You guys want anything?" he asked, standing up and fixing his spiked hair.
They nodded as he walked away, calling their orders after him.
Turning to the table behind him, Billie tapped the shoulder of a dark haired man. "Have you seen this band play before?" he asked, gesturing towards the stage.
"Yeah," The man answered, not looking directly at Billie, more interested in his Corona.
"They any good?"
"Yeah, they are. Their name's Hidden Message, and it's four of them. Alex, Allie, Adam and Georgie," He offered, still not looking at Billie, now his gaze directed to the stage.
Billie thanked him and turned back to Mike, supplying him with the information he had received, then repeating it to Tre when he returned with their beers.
"Only one man in the band?" Tre asked, surprised as he sipped his beer.
Billie shrugged. "I guess so."
Suddenly, the crowd began to cheer. The trio looked up at the stage. At the back, on a small platform, a metallic purple and black checked drum-kit was standing, the band's logo across the front of the bass drum, a purple lightening bolt running through the words 'Hidden Message', which were written in a black scrawl. Two microphones were set up at the front of the stage, obviously for the back up vocalists.
Four people came spilling out of the wings, two carrying their instruments. The band couldn't spot Alex at first; they were too busy drinking in the sight of the other three musicians.
Their lead singer, Adam, they guessed, was wearing tight black jeans, a black Queen t-shirt and black and white chequered Vans. His black hair was long at the front, framing his face and falling just above his chin, the back short and spiked. His labret piercing glinted in the spotlight as he spread his arms out, milking the attention.
The girl they had seen at the diner was standing near a microphone, black and red guitar hanging off her shoulders. She was wearing tight dark blue denim jeans and a grey Volcom t-shirt. Her feet were covered in lime green Converse and her blonde hair had been pulled up in a messy ponytail, showing off the numerous piercings in her ears. She was grinning down at the crowd, encouraging them with their cheering as they crowded around the stage, eager for a good view.
Another girl was standing behind the other microphone, dark blue bass hanging in front of her. She was also wearing tight black jeans with a purple and black striped tank top. They noticed as she made wild hand gestures at the crowd that she was wearing black fingerless gloves, covered in badges. Her blonde hair was pulled back, her long fringe covering the side of her face.
They craned their necks, trying to get a good glimpse at Alex, who was obviously behind the drum kit, but the crowd was too thick.
Adam glanced over his shoulder, as though receiving a silent message from his band mates. Suddenly, as though fireworks were erupting around them, the band launched into their first song, a fast rock song that was clearly a favourite with the crowd.
"Now guys, this last song's gonna be a little different than what we usually do." Adam addressed the crowd, almost two hours later, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Although most of you know I am extremely talented," he paused, chuckling with the audience. "Not many of you know that I can play the drums, OR, that our little Alex back there can sing and play guitar?"
On hearing the girl's name, the three members of Green Day straightened up, eager for a look at what was happening.
"This song," Adam continued, "Is one that Alex wrote a long time ago, and we want to hear her sing it. So, we hope you like it, and don't forget that I'm still your favourite lead singer." He added the last part, winking at the audience as they laughed along with him.
Alex appeared from the side of the stage, her purple guitar hanging around her shoulder. Shaking her head, she slapped Adam on his butt as he walked towards the drum kit, laughing as she did so.
"Hey guys," she laughed into the microphone, adjusting her The Clash t-shirt as she did so. "Now, I'm not really that good with the guitar, so, I'm not going to be playing it that much. After all, according to Adam, I'm a drummer; all I know how to do is play with pots and pans. I wrote this song a long time ago, it's called Secret Friend, and I really hope you like it."
Adjusting her guitar in front of her, she looked down at the floor one more time before Adam began the count into the song.
The mirror has two faces,
So they say
Ones the one you love,
And ones the one you hate
That's what all this is to you,
Secrecy lies and all that you hide
That's what all this means,
You'll never let it known
Because you've apparently changed
Secret friends, secret lies,
That's what I am to you
The one you fall back on,
The one that makes you laugh
But I'm the one you keep hidden,
I'm your secret friend
I'm the one nobody knows
The one behind the scenes
Who only comes out when you need
When you're sad,
I dry your tears
When you're mad,
I'm your punching bag
I'm the one who knows you best
But you don't acknowledge,
You only want ones
Who make you look good
I'm sorry if that isn't me,
But get over yourself,
And think of what's really best
Secret friends, secret lies,
That's what I am to you
The one you fall back on,
The one that makes you laugh
But I'm the one you keep hidden,
I'm your secret friend
I'm the one nobody knows
The one behind the scenes
Who only comes out when you need
Secret friends, secret lies
Secrecy lies and all that you hide
Secret friends, secret lies...
"Thanks guys," Alex said, gripping the microphone. "I think these guys behind me deserve another round of mad and crazy clapping. They do all the work," She paused, waiting for a response from the crowd, which she got. "And even more for our Adam, who did an amazing job on the drums just now," She added, gesturing towards Adam, who had come up beside her.
He placed his hand on his chest, pretending to blush. Then, draping an arm around Alex's shoulders, he grabbed the microphone, dragging the stand towards him. "And of course, our crazy little lady here deserves some of you're adoration." He grinned at her, looking down at her long hair, which was held up in a messy ponytail.
She bit down on her lip as the people on the floor acknowledged her with more applause.
"Now, remember, we're selling some CD's after the show. Ask Mel, our official 'groupie' if you want one, all tonight's songs on it."
Then, joining hands with Alison and Alex, they all raised their arms above their heads and sunk down into a bow. Waving a final time at the audience, they walked off the stage, laughing with one another, applause ringing in their ears.
Among those clapping, were the trio at the table, drinks abandoned as they stood up and gave the band the applause they deserved.
"Morning," He whispered, propping his head up on his arm.
"Morning to you too," She whispered back, her smile widening as she looked at the shirtless drummer. He isn't too hard on the eye... She thought to herself, inwardly grinning at her thoughts. "You sleep well?"
"Very well, thanks for asking," He said, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
She giggled, stretching her arms above her head and yawning, the shirt she was wearing resting slightly higher on her stomach. She pulled it back down, noticing she was wearing the anime t-shirt Tre had had on the night before. Throwing the duvet off her body, she sat on the edge of the bed, her legs dangling onto the rug that rested under her bed.
"No... stay in here... " Tre began to whine, pulling on her arm, not letting her rise off the mattress.
She sighed through her nose, making a sound that resembled a snort. Smiling, she closed her eyes, considering her options. She could stay in bed with a gorgeous half-naked man, or get up into the cold and drink pissy instant coffee. The choice wasn't that hard to make when she thought about it. Letting her body go limp, she slipped back under the covers, pulling the duvet back on.
"Five more minutes... " she said, sighing as she relaxed under the covers.
His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Running her hands over his strong forearms, she sighed, leaning back into him.
"So, why'd you move here from Australia?" he asked her, his voice ringing through the room and breaking the silence.
"Huh?!" Her reaction was unexpected. He felt her body stiffen against his as she tensed up.
"You said you moved here from Australia." He said, he could see nothing wrong with his question. "I was just asking why."
"Oh." Awkward silence followed. She swallowed, inhaling sharply. "I just needed to get away and this was the only place I could think of coming." She said, shrugging her shoulders slightly, though her voice was not as relaxed as she tried to make it appear.
Tre could sense she was holding something back, but he decided not to probe. He began to trace invisible patterns on her arms, not saying anything. The silence was awkward, it was like a stench hanging in the air that neither of them wanted to approach.
"Look," she said sighing, sitting up and facing him. "I'm just not comfortable talking about my past. It was a hard time for me, and I try not to talk about it unless I can help it. I'm sorry."
He sat up as well, his large hand slipping over her own smaller one. Giving it a reassuring squeeze, he smiled. "Don't worry about it. I'm sorry I asked."
Her lips curved into a small smile as she bit down on her lower lip. "Thanks."
She leaned back into the headboard of the bed, seemingly relieved at the escape from the conversation topic.
"So, do you like... go to college or something?" He asked her, making another stab at conversation. Then realising he didn't even know how old she was, he added that to his sentence. "How old are you anyway?"
She giggled at his curiosity; his blue eyes were staring up at her from their position on the mattress. "I'm 22, turning 23 in October. I intend to go to college, I've always wanted to do a degree in literature, and I want to be a writer."
"Oh... the intellectual type, eh?" he teased her, propping his head up on his hands as he leaned onto his elbows.
"Nah, not really. I've just always liked writing."
She picked up her phone from her bedside table, checking the time. "Shit, it's almost 11." Standing up, she stretched her hands above her head again, yawning as she did so. "I think Alex needs a coffee or some form of caffeine."
Tre chuckled softly. "Does Tre get one too?"
She grinned at him. "I say we get out of this apartment. There's a Starbucks down the road... "
"Well, I think we should pay the Starbucks a little visit... I also think we should stay up here and-"
"We'll think about the second option."
Alex walked towards her dresser and began rummaging in one of the drawers. "Why do I get the feeling I'm supposed to be somewhere today?" she wondered out loud, pulling out a pair of jeans.
"Because you probably are," Tre murmured, rising from the bed and coming closer to Alex. His hands found the small of her back and pulled her closer to him.
"Oh yeah?" she whispered, her hands snaking up the back of his neck and fingers lacing into the back of his vivid green hair.
"Yeah... " his head swooped down, capturing her lips with his.
She sighed into the kiss, her arms snaking around the back of his neck as she leaned up onto the tips of her toes. He started to move backwards, towards the bed, his hands coming down to rest on her hips.
One hand drifted lower down her body and began tugging on his shirt that she was wearing. He began to slowly pull it up over her lean torso, his lips never leaving hers. Suddenly, they were interrupted by a loud banging on Alex's front door.
Alex groaned, pulling away from him and stepping back from his embrace. "Shit!" she said, rolling her eyes as she ran her hands through her hair.
"ALEXIA ANNE! OPEN THIS GODDAMN DOOR SO HELP YOU GOD!"
Alex closed her eyes and sighed loudly. "Just a minute!!" she yelled in the door's general direction. "Tre, you have to leave."
His face took on a dejected look, his lower lip poking out in a pout. "Thanks, way to make a guy feel wanted."
She smiled slightly, a sound that appeared to be a snort escaped her. "I'm sorry... it's just I don't really want Allie finding out until later or another time."
He cocked an eyebrow towards his hairline. "So there is going to be another time?" he asked, seemingly amused.
This seemed to catch her off guard. "Oh... uh... I... not... if you don't want... " she stuttered, unaware of the fact her foot kept missing her shoe.
"Believe me, I want to... " he said, trailing off and shooting a cocky grin at her, as he pulled on the shirt she had returned to him.
She smiled back at him, savouring the brief moment of silence that was broken by Alison's resuming her constant and persistent pounding on the door. "Thanks... I just don't want her to overreact and all that shit."
Then, pulling a black The Clash t-shirt over her head, he hurried to the door, grabbing a brush from a chair near her door and running it through her hair as she ran.
"Hang on you retarded blonde," She yelled as she quickly padded across the carpeted floor.
Tre grinned to himself as he did up his red and black tartan pants. Slipping on his checkered Vans, he ran a hand through his hair and left the bedroom, taking one last glance as he left.
"Allie, calm down." Alex told her friend, making gestures with her hands to imitate her words.
"How the HELL can I calm down? You didn't answer your phone last night, or this morning. I was supposed to meet you at Starbucks 20 minutes ago so we could go set up for tonight's gig." Alison glared at her friend, taking in her rumpled appearance. "You forgot, didn't you?"
Alex bit her lip and looked down at her black and green Vans. "Just a little bit." She said sheepishly.
Alison looked ready to launch herself at Alex, her blue eyes widening in anger.
"Allie, look. Go back down to Starbucks, I'll be there in 10 minutes. Tops. I just need to do something first. Uh... get my guitar ready. Remember, I'm doing that one song on guitar," She added as Alison looked at her curiously.
"Alright," She sighed, whirling around and picking up her guitar case. "If you're not down there in 10 minutes, I have permission to spork your eyes out." she called over her shoulder as she walked down the hall and down the stairs. She never used the elevator in case it got stuck between floors.
Peering after her, Alex quickly looked down both directions of the hall. Opening her door all the way, she quickly sent Tre in the elevators direction. He started running towards the silver doors. Then, suddenly, he turned around and ran back towards Alex.
"Gig?" he asked her.
"Tonight, 7:30, Dormien's Nunquam nightclub. Me and my band performing," She said grinning at him.
"And Alexia Anne?"
"Long story. Don't ask."
Tre grinned, and then quickly, he pressed his lips against hers, his hand finding its way to the back of her head.
She smiled into the kiss and tangled her fingers in his hair, forgetting the fact that they were making out in the middle of her hallway.
Alison hurried down the stairs of Alex's apartment building, running through a mental checklist of things they needed for tonight.
"Shit!" she said out loud, stopping on a staircase. She had forgotten to tell Alex she needed her music and lyrics for one of their new songs. Turning around, she started heading back up the stairs, taking them two at a time.
She finally reached Alex's floor, mentally cursing herself for her fear of elevators.
She expected Alex would still be outside, probably leaning against her doorway thinking about the gig, so she started yelling her reminder as she ran down the landing.
"Hey Alex, don't forget your... holy shitake mushrooms!!" She trailed off as she saw Alex locked in a fierce embrace with the drummer of Green Day.
Alex broke away from him, looking at the source of their distraction. "Shit." She said, hitting her head on the anime character in the middle of his shirt, her hands still on his shoulders.
Alison stood there in the hallway, staring at the two people in front of her, mouth hanging open... literally. She blinked a few times, thinking the sight would change if she did so.
Alex looked up at Tre, murmuring under her breath. "Do you think she really saw you, or can you make a break for it?" Those words seemed to break the blonde woman from her trance.
"I may be blonde, but I'm not deaf Alex," She said, walking towards them. When she reached them, she stood there, her arms folded over her chest.
"I'm Tre... But you obviously know that," Tre said, leaning around Alex to shake Alison's hand, his other hand still resting on Alex's hip, grinning as Alison gripped his hand briefly, shaking it.
"Alison," She muttered under her breath, avoiding eye contact with Tre or Alex.
"Oh, is THAT the time?" Alex said with fake enthusiasm, checking one of the three watches that glittered on her wrist. "Tre, don't you have to... leave?" she said, obviously hinting around the subject, never one for being subtle.
"What? Oh yeah... I... uh... have to go and... record this morning. Cya!" he quickly leaned over and gave Alex a brief kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you tonight." Then, waving at Alison, he started running down the stairs, occasionally stumbling over his own feet.
Both women were looking at him as he ran, both chuckling slightly as he stumbled over every invisible bump. As soon as he was out of view and out of earshot, Alex looked down at her feet, an uncomfortable look gracing her features. "You're going to say things now, aren't you?"
"Oh, I'm going to do more than just say things." Alison answered, folding her arms over her chest and drawing herself up to her full height. "I cannot believe you went out with Tre Cool last night and did not tell me. I can't believe you lied to me about where you were going last night, and how you kicked me away from your apartment just so you could get some? Oh, and am I forgetting the fact that you told me you wouldn't call him?"
Alison stopped talking, drawing breath quickly as she followed Alex back into her apartment. "Look Allie... I didn't plan on him asking me out. I didn't even plan on calling him. I called him, hung up, then he used the freaking caller ID thing on me, we talked, he asked me out. Fast forwarding to last night... we went bowling, took a long walk... and then... well... you know. I didn't want to tell you just yet, because I knew you'd make a big deal about it. And I'm sorry I lied to you." She added the last part quietly; biting her lip as she quickly ran to get her guitar and music.
She came running back into the living room, carrying her guitar case and a black messenger bag that was filled with folders. She pulled on her black and white striped hoodie, zipping it up as she did so, brushing her hair off her shoulders. Looking at Alison, who was still surveying her through slitted eyes, she wrapped a thin black scarf around her neck, pulling her hair out and into a ponytail.
Turning around, she slung her messenger bag around her neck and over her shoulder.
"I've always told you to watch out for caller ID."
Alex spun around, looking at her friend who had spoken. She was hiding a small, but impish grin, her arms still folded across her white and grey striped jacket, covering the logo of her Volcom t-shirt that was peeking through the opening at the front.
Biting her lower lip again, she picked up her guitar case, hooking her fingers through her apartment keys as she did so.
"So, you still buying me a chocolate doughnut?" Alex laughed, slinging an arm over Alison's shoulders, grinning broadly.
"You wish... .If anything you owe me a chocolate doughnut, and more than one hot chocolate."
"You seriously need to lay off the chocolate woman... "
"Alex!"
She rolled her eyes as she and Alison made their way across the dance floor of the club in which they were playing that night, a skim latte in Alex's hand and a hot chocolate in Alison's.
Setting down their guitars and bags, they walked towards the stage, passing a doughnut between them as they walked, its size slowly deteriorating.
"Hey George," Alex said as they passed their blonde haired bassist. The girl nodded, looking up from her bass, smiling at the two as she went back to tuning her bass.
"What do you want Adam?"
They had finally reached the stage, where their lead singer, Adam, was nervously pacing around the instruments and sound system that had already been set up. Looking up at the girls, he ran towards them, jumping off the stage, his black fringe falling into his face and his thick black glasses askew.
"Thank god you're here!" he practically yelled, nervously jumping from one foot to another, his tight black t-shirt riding up slightly with each jump.
"Calm down and tell us the problem, emo nerd," The dark haired woman said, polishing off the rest of the glazed doughnut, wiping her hands on her own jeans.
The man hesitated long enough to shoot her a venomous look, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses. "Shut up, smart ass. Just letting you know, there was a little... accident on the way over here, and there's a massive hole in the middle of the snare." He said, stalling over the word accident, looking down at his shoes, knowing the girls would start exploding in a moment.
"I. Am. Going. To. Castrate. You," Alex began, her voice shaking slightly, though it was oddly calm. Adam looked up at her. She had an odd smile on her face.
"There are NO fucking music stores open that sell drum skins on Sundays. I thought we told you before to be extremely careful loading the van. Now, I should really run you over an electric sander and take the excess skin to cover the snare drum so we can still play tonight, but luckily for you, there are spare skins inside one of the cases," Alex grinned at him and walked off towards the metallic purple drum kit, flipping Adam off as she went, leaving him in awe at how she changed moods so quickly.
"Women... " he muttered under his breath as she walked away.
"So what are we doing here anyway?" Billie Joe asked, turning to Tre, his sunglasses pulled low over his eyes as he surveyed the inside of the Dormiens Nunquam club.
"I found out this morning that Alex is in a band, and I wanted to come see what they were like," Tre said absently, shrugging his shoulders as they looked for a table that surrounded the floor area.
"What instrument does she play?" Mike wondered, pulling off his jacket as they sat down.
Tre opened his mouth, his index finger pointing upwards. "You know, I have no idea. I know she can play guitar, they mentioned something about it this morning. Her friend that was in the diner the other day is in the band as well," He said, adding the latter as an afterthought. "I think I want a beer. You guys want anything?" he asked, standing up and fixing his spiked hair.
They nodded as he walked away, calling their orders after him.
Turning to the table behind him, Billie tapped the shoulder of a dark haired man. "Have you seen this band play before?" he asked, gesturing towards the stage.
"Yeah," The man answered, not looking directly at Billie, more interested in his Corona.
"They any good?"
"Yeah, they are. Their name's Hidden Message, and it's four of them. Alex, Allie, Adam and Georgie," He offered, still not looking at Billie, now his gaze directed to the stage.
Billie thanked him and turned back to Mike, supplying him with the information he had received, then repeating it to Tre when he returned with their beers.
"Only one man in the band?" Tre asked, surprised as he sipped his beer.
Billie shrugged. "I guess so."
Suddenly, the crowd began to cheer. The trio looked up at the stage. At the back, on a small platform, a metallic purple and black checked drum-kit was standing, the band's logo across the front of the bass drum, a purple lightening bolt running through the words 'Hidden Message', which were written in a black scrawl. Two microphones were set up at the front of the stage, obviously for the back up vocalists.
Four people came spilling out of the wings, two carrying their instruments. The band couldn't spot Alex at first; they were too busy drinking in the sight of the other three musicians.
Their lead singer, Adam, they guessed, was wearing tight black jeans, a black Queen t-shirt and black and white chequered Vans. His black hair was long at the front, framing his face and falling just above his chin, the back short and spiked. His labret piercing glinted in the spotlight as he spread his arms out, milking the attention.
The girl they had seen at the diner was standing near a microphone, black and red guitar hanging off her shoulders. She was wearing tight dark blue denim jeans and a grey Volcom t-shirt. Her feet were covered in lime green Converse and her blonde hair had been pulled up in a messy ponytail, showing off the numerous piercings in her ears. She was grinning down at the crowd, encouraging them with their cheering as they crowded around the stage, eager for a good view.
Another girl was standing behind the other microphone, dark blue bass hanging in front of her. She was also wearing tight black jeans with a purple and black striped tank top. They noticed as she made wild hand gestures at the crowd that she was wearing black fingerless gloves, covered in badges. Her blonde hair was pulled back, her long fringe covering the side of her face.
They craned their necks, trying to get a good glimpse at Alex, who was obviously behind the drum kit, but the crowd was too thick.
Adam glanced over his shoulder, as though receiving a silent message from his band mates. Suddenly, as though fireworks were erupting around them, the band launched into their first song, a fast rock song that was clearly a favourite with the crowd.
"Now guys, this last song's gonna be a little different than what we usually do." Adam addressed the crowd, almost two hours later, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Although most of you know I am extremely talented," he paused, chuckling with the audience. "Not many of you know that I can play the drums, OR, that our little Alex back there can sing and play guitar?"
On hearing the girl's name, the three members of Green Day straightened up, eager for a look at what was happening.
"This song," Adam continued, "Is one that Alex wrote a long time ago, and we want to hear her sing it. So, we hope you like it, and don't forget that I'm still your favourite lead singer." He added the last part, winking at the audience as they laughed along with him.
Alex appeared from the side of the stage, her purple guitar hanging around her shoulder. Shaking her head, she slapped Adam on his butt as he walked towards the drum kit, laughing as she did so.
"Hey guys," she laughed into the microphone, adjusting her The Clash t-shirt as she did so. "Now, I'm not really that good with the guitar, so, I'm not going to be playing it that much. After all, according to Adam, I'm a drummer; all I know how to do is play with pots and pans. I wrote this song a long time ago, it's called Secret Friend, and I really hope you like it."
Adjusting her guitar in front of her, she looked down at the floor one more time before Adam began the count into the song.
The mirror has two faces,
So they say
Ones the one you love,
And ones the one you hate
That's what all this is to you,
Secrecy lies and all that you hide
That's what all this means,
You'll never let it known
Because you've apparently changed
Secret friends, secret lies,
That's what I am to you
The one you fall back on,
The one that makes you laugh
But I'm the one you keep hidden,
I'm your secret friend
I'm the one nobody knows
The one behind the scenes
Who only comes out when you need
When you're sad,
I dry your tears
When you're mad,
I'm your punching bag
I'm the one who knows you best
But you don't acknowledge,
You only want ones
Who make you look good
I'm sorry if that isn't me,
But get over yourself,
And think of what's really best
Secret friends, secret lies,
That's what I am to you
The one you fall back on,
The one that makes you laugh
But I'm the one you keep hidden,
I'm your secret friend
I'm the one nobody knows
The one behind the scenes
Who only comes out when you need
Secret friends, secret lies
Secrecy lies and all that you hide
Secret friends, secret lies...
"Thanks guys," Alex said, gripping the microphone. "I think these guys behind me deserve another round of mad and crazy clapping. They do all the work," She paused, waiting for a response from the crowd, which she got. "And even more for our Adam, who did an amazing job on the drums just now," She added, gesturing towards Adam, who had come up beside her.
He placed his hand on his chest, pretending to blush. Then, draping an arm around Alex's shoulders, he grabbed the microphone, dragging the stand towards him. "And of course, our crazy little lady here deserves some of you're adoration." He grinned at her, looking down at her long hair, which was held up in a messy ponytail.
She bit down on her lip as the people on the floor acknowledged her with more applause.
"Now, remember, we're selling some CD's after the show. Ask Mel, our official 'groupie' if you want one, all tonight's songs on it."
Then, joining hands with Alison and Alex, they all raised their arms above their heads and sunk down into a bow. Waving a final time at the audience, they walked off the stage, laughing with one another, applause ringing in their ears.
Among those clapping, were the trio at the table, drinks abandoned as they stood up and gave the band the applause they deserved.