Chequered Nettle

Here I was, standing before the the building whose address matched the one on a small slip of paper. It was a very modern house that protruded from the hillside. From the outside I could see a large two car garage and a balcony with white railings.

Outside the garage there were three cars parked in the driveway. One very yellow motorcycle, a worn green jeep, and a new looking black mustang. This single building had been carved into the hill and it's modern appearance only meant that a lot of money lived in there.

Just to the left of the building was a line of people. Thirty at least. They came down from the steps on the left and continued on down the street. I suppose I was to wait with them too. I made my way to the very end thinking of what Ira wanted from me.

He wanted me to sing with him with his band at some battle of the bands type of thing. Their lead had dropped out on them and they needed a quick replacement. Ira had heard me sing at the club with Terra, Lisa, Kat, and Cristy. He was out scouting karaoke bars for potential singers and decided he like my voice the best.

When he told me this, I for some reason expected to be the only one they had asked but I wasn't. This was proved evident by the line I was now at the back of. I was promised to be paid in cash. A lot of cash, so I would have to bear with this line.

As I waited I couldn't help but bitterly think of how fate just seemed to hate me. Was it coincidence that this was the very same neighborhood where he and I grew up? I suppose not. This was one of the richest neighborhoods in town. It seemed like only the rich had the luxury to recklessly pursue their nearly impossible to achieve dreams as it proved so true by my showing up at this place again.

I thought about going to his house, since it was only a few miles away, but I knew better. He wouldn't be there. He always hated his parents and he hardly needed them anymore. Isn't that what he was best at? Using people? As soon as he was legally able to become his own legal guardian he left his parents taking me with him. I thought I held a special place in his heart only to discover he didn't have one.

"Alice, come on!" Some guy said as took my hand in his and pulled me out of line. "You don't have to wait o-." he started but I didn't hear the rest as I savagely ripped my hand away from him and readied a fist to strike whoever this person was. It took me a moment to recognize this guy not as some untrustworthy jerk but the very same who was offering me a job. "Okay? Just follow me." Ira said when I made no move.

Ira walked forward and I was glad to follow. This place, even though it wasn't the same location he used to live, it still had signs that lingered throughout the whole neighborhood. The perfectly trimmed trees, the clean streets and sidewalks, the red trashcans accompanied by the green recycling bin, the way the street signs looked shiny and new as if recently replaced. All these things were all present when I lived with him in a different house blocks away but they were all here now too. I had to get inside. At least I knew, just by looking at the outside that this house wasn't like the rest in this damned neighborhood.

"You can wait in this room." he said as opened the door on the second floor to an empty white room. Well, not completely empty. A white sofa sat off to the left. "Alice if you need anything we'll be four doors down." he said.

I could have used this moment to correct him and tell him my name was really Kara, but for some reason I liked the fact that to him I was Alice Knight. Like using that name gave me some kind of defense against him. So when he asked me if I needed anything I just shook my head.

At least waiting here was better than waiting outside. I sat on the couch and did they thing I could do when I had no from of entertainment; examined. Not that there was much to examine anyway. Everything was painted white and someone obviously labored countless hours too keep the carpet looking like snow.

I waited for hours in that room. Two other people were brought into this room. Both of them guys. One of them actually had the gall to come up to me and try some friendly conversation. He said his name was Mike, but I ignored everything else he had to say. He just kept talking and talking. The only reason I didn't send him away was that his ramblings were entertaining and I didn't want to be in a bad mood whenever it was that Ira came for me for the audition. Seemed like Mike was bored out of his mind too. At least he didn't have someone yapping in his ear.

The only thing that I picked from his incessant talking was that they were holding some type of contest, the people in this band, to find a suitable replacement. We were their favorites. Theo ones they thought had the best chance. If that's so, then why would they choose me? Obviously this audition was for a guy.

Then I realized. Maybe this was some elaborate joke? Some kind of game to mess with my head. No. Ira never meant for me to win. He just wanted to get me here. Why? I didn't have the patience to find out. I decided to leave.

I suddenly got up from my seat annoyed at myself. Both guys in the room stared. Just as I reached the door it opened. A stranger stood on the other side. Unlike Ira, this man had very blond hair and bright blue eyes. He looked very happy, and for some reason that irritated me.

"Hi, I'm Seth. I'm sure you're Alice right?" he said. It took me a moment to register in my brain that I was lying to these people. My name wasn't Kara here. It was Alice. "Right then. You're up first. Come on." he said with a wave indicating for me to follow.

I could've left, but I figured: the joke's already on me either way. Might as well and see if the punch line is any good. So I followed him. Silently and swiftly I went. Down from the second floor, into the first. There was one thing I noticed right away about this house. The topmost floor, the one which I was on was the best taken care of. Or the least visited because the rest of the house was filthy.

Guess I was just used to having things clean having grown up cleaning. But this was something else. The room with the huge flatscreen television, it looked like a hurricane had just passed by. Empty boxes of fast food were littered everywhere. They completely covered the surface of the coffee table, they were everywhere. I even spotted a few under the couch. Fresh stains coated the area between the coffee table and the couch. That was just that room.

Maybe I was over exaggerating but I felt like it wouldn't be long before I puked. Finally, as I held in the bile we came to a red door where another guy had just come out of. He saw us coming up to the door and came right up to us.

"Hey you're Seth right?" the guy asked without wasting anytime before continuing. "But seriously, I could re-write the song so it's about personal hygiene! Listen. Wake up, I want to..." he paused searching for the right words in his mind. "Wash myself! Clean my wrists, scrub my brains out. See! Now it's not about killing myself."

"I'm sorry but you're just not what we're looking for." Seth said politely with a small smile. "Maybe you could find someone else. I think TSO is auditioning today too." But this guy just couldn't take a hint. He kept on rambling like doing so would get him what he wanted.

"That's cool. But I really think think you could use me for something. I have a career in this business I just need someone to put me out there you know? It's hard so hard but you can't give up, you know? It's like you should really want it. But I guess I just wasn't good enough but I know I'm good enough, you know?"

"Yeah. Well we're actually very busy right now. Maybe you should head somewhere else? You remember where the exit was right?" Seth persisted without necessarily booting the guy out.

"Yeah, yeah, I understand. I get it. You're too good for someone like me. Like I said it's cool. I'm used to rejection, you know?" he finished as if we were supposed to know what he did. Or care for that matter. But just as we began to walk away he stopped and turned to me. "So," he started getting closer to me. "How you doin'?" he finished randomly giving me a smirk. I scowled at his brashness and Seth answered for me.

"Get out."