Scream Me a Dream

Helsinki, Finland
Tuesday July 13, 2010
8:30pm

“I’m surprised you’re not speaking to Soya.” Jyrki said as he sat next to Ville with his beer, while handing Ville the glass of coke. “From what I’ve heard, you’ve both been missing each other because of the tour.”

Linde snorted. “I’m surprised he’s actually out with us instead of holed up in his tower.”

“Am I really that anti-social?” Ville asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yes,” Mige laughed. “At least when it comes to her. Seriously, it’s getting annoying.”

“More so than usual.” Linde nodded.

Ville rolled his eyes, knowing his friends were exaggerating to get on his nerves. “I’m not that bad.”

Jyrki laughed. “I’m sure Josef is having the same conversation with Soya. She is probably missing you just as much.”

“How do you do it, Jyrki?” Ville asked looking at his friend.

“Do what?” Jyrki asked frowning.

“How do you handle being away from Rosalind for so long?”

Jyrki chuckled and shook his head. “You can’t compare the relationship I have with Rosalind with the relationship you have with Soya. It’s very different.” He nudged his head towards Linde and Mige who were listening to the conversation. “Ask them, they have a better understanding of this type of relationship.”

“But it’s easier for them.” Ville said. “They live with their counterparts. We don’t.”

Jyrki shook his head again. “It’s still not the same Ville. Rosalind and I aren’t together when we’re not in the same country or even on the same tour.”

“You’re not?” Linde asked in surprise. “I thought you were.”

“Rosalind and I aren’t fond of long distance relationships; it works for others but not for us.” Jyrki quickly said, looking at Ville. “It’ll work for you.”

“That doesn’t mean you don’t miss her.” Ville pointed out

“Of course I miss her.” Jyrki nodded slowly. “But we’ve been at it for…God almost ten years now. This works for us. You and Soya, it’s a different situation.”

“Just call her Ville; it’s what…11 in the morning in New York right now?” Mige asked, looking at Linde who nodded slowly.

“She’s not in New York.” Ville said automatically.

“Where is she then?” Linde asked, knowing that while Ville and Soya hadn’t talked in nearly a month, they’d still been able to send each other short texts throughout the day.

“On her way to LA.” Ville answered.

“What is she doing in LA?” Jyrki asked.

Ville laughed. “Disneyland.”

“Seriously, she’s going to Disneyland?” Mige asked with a laugh.

Ville nodded. “She and Josef bet their students they wouldn’t be able to raise the money to go, the students proved them wrong, so Soya and Josef are taking twenty of their students out there for a week. Apparently, they’re also going to California Adventure and Universal Studios; there was also talk about Knott’s Berry Farm.”

“All in a week?” Linde asked, surprised they would take on so many theme parks in a week.

“If you haven’t talked how do you know all this?” Jyrki asked.

“E-mails.” Mige, Linde and Ville answered.

Ville laughed and nodded. “We’ve been e-mailing when we can; long ones too.” Ville shook his head; it was ridiculous how much they put into their e-mails. For the past month and a half, he and Soya had been playing phone tag, regulated to voice-mails and emails to communicate.

He had started doing his line-up of summer festivals while Soya had started planning Regan’s graduation party, as well as the trip to Disneyland she and Josef owed their students. Even when they had the chance to talk, it was a quick ‘hello’ and ‘how are you’ before one of them got pulled away.

The one Skype chat they had attempted nearly a month in a half ago had ended badly when Soya had left her computer on the coffee table to check on dinner. Apparently, Regan and Emmy were holding a study group in Regan’s room and one of the girls from the study group had seen the computer and him waiting for Soya on the screen and stolen the computer, ‘kidnapping’ him. By the time Regan has gotten the computer back, yelled at the girl for taking something that wasn’t hers and giving him back to Soya, he’d had to leave.

He looked down at his cell phone and saw that it was nearing noon in California, she had promised to text him the minute her feet hit Californian soil.

“It sounds like you guys have it figured out.” Jyrki shrugged, only to look down when his phone started vibrating on the wooden table. He looked at the caller ID before rolling his eyes and answering. “You were supposed to meet us here half an hour ago.”

“I thought we were meeting at your apartment!” Jussi said into the phone.

“No.” Jyrki sighed. “I left Impi with the neighbors at my apartment building; you were supposed to come here.”

“Oh. Well I’m here now, I’ll get Impi and you guys can meet me here.”

“But-”

“Too late! Already have her and I’m breaking into your apartment!”

Jyrki stared at his phone as Jussi hung up on him and sighed. “Looks like we’re moving this party back to my place.”

“Why?” Mige asked, though he and Linde were already getting out of the booth.

“Because I’d like my home in one piece, leaving Jussi alone with Impi only calls for disaster.” Jyrki rolled his eyes, looking over at Ville. “Are you coming?”

Ville nodded and got out of the booth, following his friends out of the bar they had been in and towards Jyrki’s apartment a few blocks away.

“Before Jussi called, I was saying that it seems like you and Soya have it figured out.” Jyrki said looking at Ville as they walked. “It’s difficult now sure, it’s your first time away from each other where you’ve been able to actually communicate, but it gets easier.”

“How do you and Rosalind do it?” Ville asked. “I know it’s different, but really, how do you do it?”

Jyrki shrugged. “I don’t know, I guess I got lucky with Rosalind. We both understand that if we don’t talk for a month it’s because we’re busy and not because we’re fucking around and just forgot. It helps that she’s in a band and goes through the same thing I do. I’m sure when Soya starts traveling for her shows again you’ll find that it’s the same for you waiting at home for her as it is for her now.”

Jyrki eyed his friend, taking in the slumped shoulders and his hands stuffed in his pockets, fingering the cell phone that was noticeably quiet. “You’ve never acted this way with a woman before.” Jyrki noted.

“Soya’s different.” Ville shrugged.

“He dreams of her.” Mige cooed behind them.

Jyrki laughed. “Good dreams?”

“If the moaning is an indication, very good dreams.” Linde grumbled as they entered the apartment building and piled into the elevator.

“Does Soya know of these dreams?” Jyrki teased.

“Of course not!” Ville said quickly. “And they’re not that bad, Linde’s making them sound perverted.”

“Having wet dreams is completely normal.” Mige said, patting Ville’s shoulder.

“Shut up.” Ville laughed pushing Mige back into the elevator as they exited on Jyrki’s floor. Before they were even half way down the hall, Jyrki’s door crashed open, Impi flying out and launching herself at Jyrki’s legs.

“Te quiero mucho!!”(I love you so much!) She said, grinning up at him.

“I love you too pikkuinen”(Little One) Jyrki laughed lifting her up, her legs wrapping around his torso and arms circling his neck as he carried her back into the apartment.

“How much?” Impi asked.

“Tons and tons.” Jyrki assured.

“Careful, I think she wants something.” Ville muttered as he passed Jyrki and falling on to the couch next to Jussi.

Jyrki lifted an eyebrow, looking down at Impi. “Is that true, do you want something?”

“A puppy!” she giggled, reaching up and peppering his cheeks with kisses. “Eila has one!” Speaking on the ten year old that lived next door.

“Ah, but you’re not Eila.” Jyrki pointed out as he put her down and closed the door to his apartment as Mige and Linde made themselves comfortable in his living room.

“But I want one!” Impi whined, causing Jyrki to rolls his eyes.

“That might work with your mother, but not with me.” He told her as he walked into the kitchen.

Impi glared at him, stomping her foot, before running into the living room and crawling onto Jussi’s lap.

“You would get me a puppy, oikea?”(right?) Impi asked, widening her blue eyes and pouting her lips, causing the group to laugh at the five year old’s manipulation techniques.

Jussi laughed. “I would get you anything your heart desired, but I have no say in a puppy.”

“I just want a small one.” Impi whispered, her fingers picking at Jussi’s shirt.

“Ah! Kulta, don’t do that, you’re making me feel guilty!” Jussi groaned before lifting her up and passing her to Ville. “Here, ask your uncle Ville.”

“Would you get me a puppy?” Impi asked.

Ville chuckled and kissed the top of her head. “I’m afraid if I get you a puppy, he’d have to stay with me and since you so rarely come to visit me here in little ol’ Finland, you’d never see the puppy!”

“It can come on the bus with me and mami!” Impi said.

“Then you’d have to ask your mami if you can get a puppy now, don’t you?” Ville asked her with a small smile.

Impi sighed. “I guess.” She muttered as Jyrki came back into the living room with four beers and a Red Bull.

“Come on Impi, time for bed.” Jyrki said holding out his hand for her.

“Do I have to?” Impi asked cuddling into Ville’s chest. “I want to stay here.”

“Yes, you have to.” Jyrki chuckled, picking her up off Ville’s lap. “You’ll see your uncles tomorrow, I promise.”

Impi sighed, but let her head fall on Jyrki’s shoulder as he headed down the hall to put her to bed.

“That girl is a piece of work.” Linde said reaching for a beer.

“It’s all Rosalind.” Jussi laughed. “Impi sees Rosalind do that to her brothers or to Jyrki and sees it works, so of course it’ll work with her.”

“For the most part.” Ville laughed reaching for the Red Bull. “Do you think Rosalind will give in to the puppy?”

The heard a snort come from behind them, turning to see Jyrki walk back and grab his own beer before settling on the floor next to the couch. “Please, Rosalind’s barely home as it is and she refuses to have pets on the bus because of her brothers and Impi, I doubt she’ll give in to one, more mess to clean.”

“Bets on who is more likely to give in, anyone?” Jussi smirked. “Jyrki or Rosalind.”

“Or you.” Mige laughed. “The only reason you passed her off to Ville is because you were seconds away from caving!”

“You say ‘yes’ and Rosalind will kill you, Jussi.” Jyrki told him.

“I know.” Jussi grumbled.

“You put Impi down fast.” Ville pointed out.

“The girl likes to put up a fuss, but the second her head hits the pillow she’s out. She’s been next door playing with Eila and her puppy all day too.” Jyrki said, Ville nodded before standing up.

“Going to use your restroom.” He said as he made his way down the hall.

“Have you guys talked to Soya?” Jyrki asked as the door to the restroom clicked shut.

“Barely.” Mige answered. “She’s just as busy as we are, I guess one of her dance teachers quit on her and she’s been taking over those classes lately. I didn’t know she was going to Disneyland though.”

“She’s been rushing everywhere.” Linde added. “Ville was telling me that after he left, she was immediately immersed in planning a graduation party for the boy she took in recently.”

“But somehow they find ways to text each other all throughout the day.” Mige said though just as he finished saying that, Jussi turned towards the couch cushion where he felt something vibrate. Picking up the phone that Ville had apparently dropped, he smirked.

“Speak of the devil.” Jussi laughed as he opened the text and read it aloud. “At the hotel, call me if you’re not busy and then there’s a little smiley face.”

They all stared at the phone for a second before Jussi pressed ‘call’ a mischievous smile forming on his lips.

XxxxxxX

Soya towel dried her hair while glaring at Josef who was leaning on the doorjamb smirking at her.

“I swear it was an accident.” Josef said, putting his hands up in the air.

“I had just finished telling them that I didn’t want them fooling around, that we were in a city that none of us are familiar with and what do you do?”

“I said I was sorry.” Josef started.

“You start a soda war with the guys.” Soya said, ignoring him. “Getting me soaked in the process.”

“You know this mood you’ve been in for the past month?” Josef asked with a smirk “It’s called sexual frustration and there is, in fact, a cure.”

“Oh shut up.” Soya said rolling her eyes, as a knock came at the door. “Go answer the door, it’s probably the kids.”

Josef nodded, going to the door and answering it, letting in the group of teenagers they had brought to LA with them, including Emmy and Regan who were leading the 18 others.

They had touched down a little more than an hour ago and had decided to take twenty minutes to relax at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel and Spa, where they were staying, before meeting in Soya’s hotel room for a brief meeting then head down to the park. The twenty minutes had become an hour due to the soda war that Josef had accidently started and how most of the soda that had been sprayed had ended up on Soya.

“Three showers and my hair still smells like Coca Cola!” Soya yelled from the bathroom, causing the group to start laughing.

“Sorry!” The boys called out, just as a chirping sound came from the bed.

Emmy looked around the comforter, finding Soya’s phone. “Uh…Soya your phone is ringing!” Emmy called out.

“Go ahead and answer!” Soya called back. “I’m almost done.”

“Ok…” Emmy said slowly, noticing the picture that flashed and answered the phone, putting it up to her ear. “Hello?”

“Soya!” A group of men chorused, before they started laughing, causing Emmy to wince as she figured out that the phone was on speaker.

“How do you feel about being Ville Valo’s fantasy girl?” One asked with a laugh.

“Who is it?” Soya asked coming out of the bathroom, dressed, as she ran a brush through her hair.

“What are you bastards doing?!”

“Is that Ville?” Soya asked.

Emmy nodded but couldn’t answer due to the conversation on the other end of the phone.

“Soya texted.” Jussi explained casually

“And you decided to call!?” Ville asked incredulously

“She said to if you weren’t busy.” Jyrki laughed. “We were just following orders.”

“I wasn’t even in the room. Give me the phone.” Ville demanded

“I don’t think so, we have things to discuss with Soya,” Linde said, before a loud clap was heard over the speaker.

“What are they doing?” Josef asked as the entire room focused on the phone in Emmy’s hand.

Soya stifled a laugh. “I think they’re playing keep away with Ville’s phone.” As another loud clap was heard.

“It’s not funny anymore!” Ville said his voice muffled.

“Seriously Soya, how do you stand him?” Mige laughed into the phone, before a grunt was heard and the line went dead.

The room was silent before Jasmine looked over at Soya with a large grin. “Looks like Ville Valo has it bad for Miss. Soya.”

XxxxxxX

Ville struggled as four men lay on top of him, trying to reach the phone that was only a few inches away.

“Get off!” Ville said still reaching for the phone.

“Not until you calm down.” Mige sang, his arm reaching over and knocking the phone away from Ville’s grasp.

“I’ll calm down once you get the fuck off!” Ville growled. He had tackled Mige to the ground when Jyrki had thrown the phone over to him, but Mige had quickly won the upper hand, lying on Ville, then Linde had followed, getting on top of Mige, then Jussi. Jyrki had stayed out of it for all of five seconds before he had calmly walked over and sat on Jussi’s back.

“I don’t think that’s good enough.” Linde said. “And I can stay here all night, this is very comfortable.”

“I swear I’m calm, just let me up.” Ville groaned.

“Stop struggling.” Jussi laughed.

Ville eyed Mige’s arm that was near his face and smirked. “If you don’t let me up Mige I swear I’m going to bite you.”

“Taking a page out of Rosalind’s book?” Jyrki teased.

“It tends to work for her.” Ville said

“You wouldn’t.” Mige laughed, only to yelp when Ville latched on to Mige’s arm Mige tried to jump up, unbalancing the three other men on top of him, causing Ville to get loose and grab his phone triumphantly, laughing at the other four who were sprawled on the floor.

“You know you have an obsession when you fucking bite someone to get to your phone!” Mige said holding his arm and looking down at the teeth marks. “You fucking dug in deep too!”

“Hey! You hung up on her!” Ville said looking down at the ended call.

“What did you expect when you tackled Mige?” Jussi laughed as he righted himself. “Well, now that Ville has his phone, this isn’t much fun anymore.”

Ville rolled his eyes. “I’m going outside to call her back.” Without waiting for a response he went out into the hall and dialed Soya, hoping that she wasn’t busy and they’d get more than five minutes to talk.

XxxxxxX

“Look,” Josef started. “We don’t care what you guys do.”

“Well of course we care.” Soya corrected hitting Josef’s arm. “But Josef and I talked and we figure you are all old enough to go to the parks yourselves and not get in trouble. I doubt you all want a baby-” Soya trailed off as she felt her phone vibrate. Taking it out, she bit her lip when she saw Ville’s name and picture flash.

“Take it.” Josef said bumping her arm with his.

“Are you sure?” Soya asked, unsure.

“Positive, maybe you’ll stop being such a bitch once you talk to him.” Josef teased.

Soya looked at the group, before sighing. “Be nice!” She warned Josef, before grabbing her key card and walking out into the hall.

“Get your phone back?” she answered as she leaned against the wall.

“It was a bit of a fight, but I got it. Apparently we’re still immature enough to dog pile on each other.”

Soya laughed. “Sounds fun.”

“I’m pretty sure the added weight of Linde, Mige, Jussi and Jyrki nearly broke my ribs.” Ville pointed out.

“I’m sure you’re fine.” Soya assured with a teasing tone and roll of her eyes.

“So, you’re in LA?”

“We’re at the hotel now; we were just running over some of the rules when you called.”

“Sorry to pull you away.” Ville muttered.

“No, it’s fine Ville, I wanted to talk to you and really these kids are well behaved, they know what we expect, but if we don’t lay down some sort of ground rules they’ll try to get away with murder, which I’m sure they can. A lot of them watch CSI, you know?”

Ville laughed. “I don’t think they’d be able to pull anything on you.”

Soya nodded. “Very rarely. What are you up to?”

“I’m at home right now; we had a few weeks between festivals. I ran into Jyrki earlier so I’m over at his place with Jussi, Mige and Linde.”

“When’s the next festival?”

“Two days, in Estonia for…”

“Ollesummer.” Soya nodded as she remembered having seen that on their tour schedule.

“Right, do you want anything?”

Soya burst out laughing. “Like what? Merch?”

Ville laughed. “I don’t know, it’s been a while since you’ve been to Estonia, wasn’t the last time when your father had some meeting down here.”

“Ah yes.” Soya sighed wistfully. “The days of playing tag with the deportees in the embassy.”

“What every little girl dreams of.” Ville laughed. “So, do you?”

“I don’t know.” Soya laughed. “Do you think you could score a 69 Eyes shirt?”

“They’re not at Ollesummer Soya.” Ville chuckled. “And is mine not good enough?”

“I know they’re not at Ollesummer, but you’re with Jyrki aren’t you? And yours is too big, I sleep with it, but I can’t go out with it.”

“I’ll see what I can do, I’m sure Jyrki has some here in his apartment.”

“If not I’ll pick one up when…” Soya trailed off, as she realized what she had started to say.

“Pick one up when?”

“When I get to Finland.” Soya said quickly. “You know eventually, when I get down there.”

“Still no date?” Ville sighed.

“No, Josef is still holding off on calling his mother, but we’re working it out.”

“So, screaming and yelling until you both turn blue?” Ville laughed.

“You do know us well.” Soya laughed, just as the door opened and her students marched out. “Ah it looks like we’re heading out Ville.”

“Oh, all right.” Ville hesitated.

“What time are you guys going to be in Estonia?”

“I don’t know, early. We don’t go on until late but the guys want to check out some of the bands, and then there’s rehearsal.”

“So early?” Soya teased.

“Yes, I’m sure we’ll be there all day, it’s a beer festival, and it’ll be hard to keep the guys away.” Ville chuckled

“All right, that’s all I needed to know.” She looked at the hallway and saw it was filled up with her twenty students and Josef, all of which were watching her amused. “And they’re waiting on me, I’ll text you later?”

“Deal.” Ville agreed, and then finished with their usual ending. “Missing you like crazy kulta.”

Soya blushed but couldn’t help but smile. “Tell Linde and Mige I miss them too.”

“You’re horrible to me!” Ville laughed.

“I miss you too.” Soya laughed, before saying goodbye and hanging up, only for her students to all ‘Oooooooooooo’ at the end of her phone call.

“Oh quiet, all of you.” Soya laughed. “Or I’ll send you all to your rooms. I’m older and I have the authority to do it.”

There were skitters of laughter before they walked down the hall piling into the elevators in two groups.

“So what did we decide on?” Soya asked.

“Today we’re just going to walk around and relax, get a feel for it and if they want to wait in line they can.” Josef said. “But for the most part everyone agreed to wake up early tomorrow and spend all day at the park.”

Soya nodded. “That sounds perfect.”

“So did you tell him you’d be there for Sonisphere?” Josef smirked. He and Soya had finally sat down a week after Ville had left and started talking about going to visit his family and then Soya going home for the first time in nearly eight years.

They had finally come to an agreement to leave at the end of July, have her spend two weeks with his family in the Czech Republic to appease the Kolars, before she left for Pori, just in time to see and spend time with Ville before he hit the stage for the Sonisphere Festival.

Soya laughed as they got onto the elevator with their chattering students. “Almost slipped.” She admitted.

“Why haven’t you said anything to him yet?” Emmy asked, having been covertly listening into the conversation.

“I want to surprise him.” Soya laughed. “Is that such a crime?”

“It is, when the man is disappointed every time you tell him you haven’t set a date, when the date has been set and the tickets purchased nearly two months ago.” Josef laughed.

Soya shrugged. “I think surprising him is worth it. Now, let’s go to Disneyland, I think I want to get Ville some Mickey Mouse ears.”