We're Trouble Bound

September

Oliver was sitting in his mum’s house, watching television. He was browsing channels out of sheer boredom. He’d been off tour for barely three days and he was already out of things to do. He’d slept until three in the afternoon, got up in time to have tea with his mother before proceeding to smoke a quick blunt and then sit around doing nothing.

He was positively thrilled when his mobile rang. He was hoping that it was one of his mates wanting to go out somewhere. When he checked the ID, to his surprise, it read ‘KYC Jaime’. He quickly scrambled to answer it. “’Ello?”

“Hey boy,” her bright voice burst.

“D’yeh miss me o’ready?” Oliver asked.

“Well duh… but that’s not why I called.”

“Yeh don’ ‘ave ta lie about it. S’okay ta jus’ say yeh miss me.”

“Alright,” she laughed. “I miss you. I can’t stand not seeing you. I’m dying without your constant presence in my life.”

“Right. I knew it.”

“Now that I’m done stroking your ego…”

“Too bad tha’s the only fing yer strokin’.”

“Oh boy, did I ever miss your come ons—please don’t say something about coming on anything.”

“Fine, I’ll keep it to meself then.” He was glad that she could keep up with his vulgarity. “Unless yeh want me ta keep talkin’ dirty to yeh…”

“Oh, that would be quite nice. Transatlantic phone sex with you.”

“Yeh’d be surprised how good I am at it.”

“Lots of practice?”

“Naturally.”

“Well how about I practice my phone sex skills and next time I call you we’ll try it out then?”

“Can I least ask wha’ yer wearin’?” He joked.

“It’s not anything interesting… I’m just sitting in my room in my underwear—“

“Wha’ d’yeh mean yeh knickers ain’t interestin’? Tha’s downright sexual. Maybe you should—“

“Not now Oliver.”

“But next time?”

“Sure.”

“I’m holdin’ yeh to tha’.”

“Alright,” Jaime sighed. “Now what I called you about seems silly.”

“Wha’ was it?”

“Have you heard all the fuss about us?”

“Wha’?”

“Apparently we’re feuding.”

“ ‘oo’s feuding?”

“You and me.”

“We are?”

“So says the internet.”

“The internet?” Oliver was already reaching for his lap top that was sitting on the table in front of him.

“Yep. Everyone thinks we hate each other.”

“Why would any’un fink tha’?”

“Cause I called you a motherfucker at Reading.”

“Yeh did?”

“You were there.”

“I were?”

“During our set… I told you to suck my dick… or something.”

“Right… I remember.”

“Somebody posted a video of me saying it on Absolute Punk and it got ridiculous.”

“Eh?”

“I’m getting hate mail on MySpace.”

“Yeh are?” This was news to Oliver.

“I am… saying that I’m just angry ‘cause you didn’t want to sleep with me.” Jaime laughed.

“Wha?”

“And that you’re a million times better vocalist than me… that I’m just a shitty poser wannabe.”

“I don’ know ‘bout a million times… maybe a thousand.”

“Fuck you, Oliver,” she said but her tone was not angry; it was playful. “No, but seriously. Check the comments on our MySpace… yours probably too. People are getting heated.”

“’Cause they fink we’re fightin’?” Oliver had brought up their MySpace on his screen.

“Yep. It’s hilarious.”

Oliver was relieved that she wasn’t upset. Some of the things on the comments were quite rude.

“They’re hating on you too though, babe. They’re patting me on the back for standing up to you.”

“But yeh was jus’ fuckin’ around.”

“I know, that’s why it’s so funny. I just wanted to make sure you knew that I don’t hate you.”

“Yeh was worried?”

“Not really, just being courteous.”

“Well fanks,” he smiled to himself. She had been concerned about him. That was almost sweet. “This is a bit funny.”

“I know right! The ones about us dating or fucking are killing me. Pfft, as if I’d get pissed over you not wanting to sleep with me.”

“As if I wouldn’ want to,” he added.

“Good point,” Jaime said cheekily. “Ha! This girl said that she saw us making out at an after show party… I know we were drunk a lot together but I think I would remember that. At least I’d want to remember…”

“You wouldn’ remember this’un ‘cause I slipped yeh sumfin…”

“Oh, Oliver, if you wanted to have sex with me, you didn’t have to roofie me.”

Oliver almost dropped his mobile. He knew they’d been flirting but he didn’t understand the sudden innuendo. He tried to come up with something cheeky. “Love, yeh can’t be sayin’ things like tha’, especially after tellin’ me yer in jus’ yer knickers. ‘S gettin’ me all hot…”

“Is it really?” Jaime asked ponderously. “Then it’s too bad there’s a whole ocean between us, huh.”

“Uh huh.”

“Well if you need to give yourself a hand, I can let you get to it. I’ve gotta go soon anyway…”

“Did yeh jus’ tell me ta… yeh jus’ said…” Oliver was really enjoying where she was going with her flirtation. “Shit, Jaime.”

“I’m just saying if you’re so hot… that you might wanna talk care of that.”

If anyone else had been around then, Oli would have been very embarrassed by the state she was putting him in.

Jaime laughed abruptly. “Oliver...”

“Eh?”

“I’m sorry.”

“For?”

“Hitting on you… It’s just one of those days.”

“One o’ fose days where yeh wanna boff my brains out?”

“Every day is like that—“

“Yeh been drinkin’, love?” He was very confused.

“I had some wine with lunch earlier…”

“I shoulda known yeh was drinkin’.”

“I’m not drunk,” she insisted.

“Yeh must be ef yeh tryin’ ta… ta…”

“Why do I have to be drunk to flirt with you?’

“Because you don’t hook up.”

“Right…” Jaime sounded skeptical before jumping to her own defense. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out, honey. I’m just… whatever. Sorry.”

“S’not anyfing.” He definitely didn’t mind.

“I should go.”

“Jaime…”

“I just wanted to make sure we had that shit sorted…. About the thing.” Her voice was low and strange, maybe a little embarrassed. Which was weird because to Oliver’s knowledge, Jaime didn’t get embarrassed about anything.

“S’o’reight.”

“I’m gonna go now… I’ll talk to you soon, yeah?”

“Aye. Soon.”

--

Late September

Jaime closed the door of her bedroom. It was a going away party of sorts. Keep Your Composure was heading back on the road in two days. For whatever reason, Jaime, the queen of the party scene, wasn’t feeling much like drinking and socializing. She sat her beer on her night stand. It was getting warm anyway. Her earlier buzz was wearing down, fading away. She leaned against her pillows and ran her hand through her hair. She’d dyed it a vibrant candy apple red. The blonde had been good for the summer but it was time for a change; it was almost October and it was getting cooler in the States, where they were touring for the rest of the year.

“Jai?” Nadine entered the room, attempting to conceal her inebriation. “I knew the 151 was a bad idea, Jai Baby.”

Jaime sighed. “I have the same beer I did when we did those shots…

“You’re not drunk?”

“I’m not always drunk, you know?” Jaime was beginning to hate this assumption. She was not constantly drinking or drunk. It was becoming part of her definition and that was not okay with her.

“I know.” Nadine nodded slowly. “You sick?”

“Maybe.”

“You need anything?” Nadine sat on the bed beside Jaime.

“Do you think I freak people out?” Jaime asked her friend.

“What? No way. Why would you say that?”

“I think that people think I’m... I don’t know… too much to handle or something.”

“Jaime… no… You have a lot of personality, yeah. But it isn’t… a big deal.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Alright. Just wondering.”

“Is everything okay, babe?”

“Yeah, fine.” Jaime took her beer from the table, taking a sip. “Just tired, I guess.”

“You can tell me if there is….” Nadine said very deliberately.

“I know.”