Scream Me a Dream

Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Helsinki, Finland
2:30 am

“Seriously, we need to start turning off your fucking phone.” Ville groaned, tightening his arms around Soya’s waist as he buried his face further into the couch cushion he was laying on.

“Who calls at two in the morning?” Soya asked with a groan as she slid off the couch, once Ville reluctantly loosened his grip and grabbed her phone off the coffee table. “Hello?”

“Soya! Hey!”

Soya ran a hand over her face as she placed the voice. “Regan?”

“Hey! Oh, shit! Sorry, did I wake you? God, Soya I’m sorry.”

“No, sweetheart, it’s fine, I haven’t talked to you in a while, just give me a minute to wake up.” She turned to Ville, and shook his shoulder lightly, causing his eyes to pop open and look at her. “Let’s get you to bed; your neck is going to kill you if you keep sleeping here.”

“I’m fine.” Ville groaned, turning his head away from her. “I’ve slept on worse.”

Soya rolled her eyes “Yes, and why sleep here when I have better? Come on.” She said tugging on his arm, causing him to groan again as he sat up and followed her slowly into the bedroom. “How are you Regan?”

“I’m fine.” Regan hedged. “Is Ville with you?”

“Yes, he’s staying the night here at my flat; we just got back from Pori earlier.” She said as she turned down the bed and watched as Ville walked past the bathroom. “Ville, the bedroom’s in here.”

“Piss.” Ville muttered, closing the door to the bathroom.

Soya laughed as she went over and closed the door leading to the bathroom from her room. “So you’re doing well, last time we talked you were still searching for a job.”

“Oh, got one at a clothing store, I work in the men’s department; it’s part time, so I’m looking for a second job.”

Soya sighed. “You know you don’t have to kill yourself for a job Regan, I don’t mind helping you and Emmy out.”

“I know, but we’re doing fine, Emmy’s also got part time job at the diner down the street.”

“Brooke told me that Emmy decided to take the summer programs that the academy offered, how does she like them?”

“Um…yeah, no, she likes them.”

Soya rolled her eyes as she sat on the bed, as Ville came back into the room yawning. “Oh Ville, while you’re up…”

Ville paused in his movement to get into the bed, before raising an eyebrow. “What do you need?”

“Water, please.” Soya said with a small smile.

“I’ll be right back.” Ville said with another yawn, padding out of the bedroom.

Soya turned back to her conversation with Regan as she slipped off her slippers. “Well, you have me convinced.” Soya said dryly. “Emmy loves her dances classes?”

“I never said, ‘love’ just that she likes them.” Regan said slowly.

“Regan, what’s going on?” Soya asked, having a feeling there was much more than what Regan was telling her.

Regan groaned, “We hate it here Soya, I mean seriously hate it here.”

“Well sweetheart, Texas isn’t New York; you’re both city kids and ended up moving to a much smaller town, it’s an adjustment.”

“Well yeah, but we’ve been here-”

“Nearly a month.” Soya laughed cutting him off, smiling as Ville walked back into the room, handing her the bottle of water before crawling under the covers and throwing his arm around Soya’s hips, closing his eyes. “It’s going to take time to adjust to living in a new place, it’s not like you moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn Regan, you moved states away, you can’t expect the change to be overnight. It took me years to get used to New York after moving there.”

“I don’t mind the town we moved to Soya, I just…” Regan trailed off with a sigh. “Emmy really isn’t happy here.”

Soya blinked. “Why not?”

“She feels like she’s being pushed a lot harder by the teachers than some of the other students, like she’s being held to a different standard.”

“Why would she be held to a different standard if all the students are ultimately starting in the same place?”

Regan sighed. “Because you sent in the letter of recommendation.”

“As I did with all my students that asked.” Soya pointed out.

“Soya, it’s because you sent it.”

Soya frowned. “You think Emmy’s being pushed harder because I signed a letter backing her.”

“And because you were her teacher.”

Soya shook her head. “I barely taught you though; I was on tour most of the time, if anything Anya was her main instructor.”

“But Anya didn’t send that letter backing Emmy, you did, and because she’s the only student here who had a letter of recommendation and training from a professional dancer they’re pushing her a bit harder. She gets home wiped, she’s been stressed in the month we’ve been here and this is just the summer program Soya, what’s going to happen when the semester actually starts?”

Soya bit her lip. “I’ll call the school, and talk to them.”

“I think that’s just going to make it worse to be honest.” Regan hesitated. “Maybe I can talk her out of just stopping the program all together.”

“Regan, her parents already paid for her schooling, skipping out on her semester should be a conversation between Emmy and her parents. I know you’re worried about her, but it’ll get better. Emmy has the talent to do amazing at that school.”

“But I mean, what about the school you’re doing in Finland?”

Soya frowned. “What about it?”

“I mean, can’t you just teach Emmy there?”

“Oh! Regan, honey, God I wish I could, but I don’t even know what I’m doing with the building yet. I was planning on just keeping it as it is now and just adding a bit more studios to it, I still have to talk to the owner first and see what I’m allowed to do with it. I don’t know if I’ll be here to see it finished, let alone to see it evolve into an academy. I don’t even own the thing yet Regan.”

“But I mean…”

Soya quickly cut Regan off. “Again, I know you’re worried about her Regan, but I only have the authority to make decisions on your behalf and even then, you’re eighteen and living on your own, my word is kind of worthless now.”

“Not true.”

“It is in Emmy’s case, I’m your guardian, not hers. If Emmy’s having problems in her school, she can call me to talk about it any time Regan, but I don’t have the authority to pull her out of the school. It’s something Emmy needs to talk to her parents about.”

“I know.” he sighed.

“Regan, sweetie, it’s normal to be this stressed in this type of environment. Julliard was hard for me to adjust to. It was a much stricter structure than I was used to and Emmy is used to going to dance practice after school and practicing twice a week. It’s hard on the body to go from that to all of a sudden practicing every day for twelve hours. It hurts, it’s painful and you’re going to be shedding some tears. It has a very large adjustment period. Just, if you and Emmy need to talk to me, you know I’m here.”

“We know.” Regan sighed. “I just don’t like seeing her like this.”

“I don’t like hearing that she’s like that either. When she gets a chance, tell her to give me a call, all right?”

“I will.”

“So other than Emmy having some issues at school, everything is okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, everything’s fine.”

“All right, and you got the box I sent you? I hope it made it in time for your birthday! Happy eighteenth by the way! I haven’t forgotten!”

Regan laughed. “Thank you and yes, it did we got the care package, thank you again.”

“All right, good. Oh! I’m going to go to the post office tomorrow…well.” Soya rolled her eyes as she caught sight of the clock that sat on the nightstand on her side of the bed. “Later today, I’m going to send you the shirts I got you and Emmy at Sonisphere.”

“Thanks Soya.” Regan chuckled. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“You’re sure everything’s okay?”

“Everything’s perfect.” Regan assured.“I’ll talk to you later, and before I call I’ll calculate the time difference.”

“Much appreciated, I don’t think Ville likes my ring tone much anymore.”

“I hate it.” Ville muttered against the pillow.

“I’ll let you go.”

“Regan, I love you kid.”

“Love you too.” Regan muttered, before he hung up the phone.

“Everything okay?” Ville asked, as Soya put her phone on the nightstand and unscrewed the top of the water Ville had gotten her. She took a sip as she nodded and placed the capped bottle back on her nightstand before sliding further into the covers, arranging herself as they usually did when they slept: Soya facing his chest and his leg thrown over her hips, pulling her closer to him.

“Everything’s fine,” Soya said with a yawn. “Emmys having a bit of trouble with the school’s expectations but I’m sure she’ll adjust.”

“I’m sure she will too.” Ville said. “Now sleep.”

“Sleep sounds good.” Soya agreed, leaning up and brushing her lips against his “Night.”

“Night.” He chuckled, tucking her underneath his chin as he kissed the top of her head.

XxxxxxX

Ville tried hard not to laugh as he watched Soya throwing clothes out of her suitcase and onto the bed as she searched for a pair of flats she swore she’d packed.

“This wouldn’t have happened if you’d just let me unpack like I wanted to last night!” Soya said glaring at him when a giggle escaped his lips.

“I didn’t physically keep you chained to that couch!” Ville defended.

Soya looked up at him in disbelief. “You were the one that talked me into the Knight Rider marathon!”

“Not my fault Linde didn’t think to put a TV in your room, and you wanted to watch it just as much as I did. I always knew you had a thing for The Hoff.”

Soya rolled her eyes. “It’s the car Ville, Kit gets me all hot and bothered.” Soya blinked as she realized what had escaped her lips causing a light blush to cover her cheeks, only to glare up at him again when he laughed.

“God, I think the Helsinki air makes you much more forward.”

“Where the hell are my flats?!” Soya groaned in frustration as she pushed the now empty suitcase away and looked at the unmade bed and the clothing that covered it.

“I still don’t understand why you can’t wear other shoes.” Ville said in confusion. “Or your Converse, just wear your Converse. Those go with everything.”

Soya looked at him in disbelief. “You have never sounded more like a man than right now.”

“Sorry?” Ville asked, not quite sure what the right response was.

“You should be.” Soya said with wide eyes, before looking down at her outfit. Black skinny jeans and a grey knit cowl neck long sleeved top. Biting her lip she looked at the shoes she had scattered on the floor before grabbing her grey Converse. “I guess I could wear my converse, those go with everything right?”

“Did I not just say that?” Ville muttered.

Soya rolled her eyes as she pulled on her socks, before sliding on her Converse. “As a man, whatever you say is wrong.” She teased.

“You have never acted more like a woman than right now.” Ville repeated before starting out the door. “Take an umbrella, it might rain.”

“I can’t wait until it snows.” Soya said, her voice filled with excitement as she picked her birdcage umbrella, which Josef had made sure she’d packed, off the floor before going to her nightstand and picking through her rings. She found a simple silver banded ring with a little silver bow as the décor, slipped it on her finger and grabbed her grey pea coat off the bed before following Ville. He had already gathered his things as he planned on heading home while she headed to run her errands.

“Once it starts you’ll be sick of it.” Ville said, watching as she made sure she had everything in her black purse, her wallet, her keys which only consisted of the keys to her flat and mailbox down in the lobby and her cell phone.

“All right, Elli’s on her way, is the taxi downstairs?” Soya asked as they left the flat, locking the door behind her as they made their way downstairs.

“We will see.” Ville said as he found her hand, interlocking her fingers as they walked down the stairs. “Excited or nervous?” He asked, knowing that ever since she’d woken up that morning she’d been filled with anxiety over seeing her friends again.

“Both, but it’s a different kind of nervous.” Soya admitted, adjusting her sky blue cable knit beanie on her head. “I knew I’d eventually see you guys again, it was just a matter of when. With Elli and Inka… those girls have been my friends since birth practically. I feel horrible about leaving them.”

“Worse than leaving us?” Ville asked with a smirk.

Soya pulled on his hand in warning as she laughed. “Hey, at least you got a goodbye.”

Ville gave a wistful sigh as he remembered their goodbye. “And what a goodbye it was.”

Soya shook her head in amusement as they made it down to the lobby and out the doors, Soya handing Ville her purse as she pulled on her pea coat, just as a taxi and a blue minivan slid to a stop in front of them.

Soya looked at the driver of the minivan not being able to help the excited squeal that left her lips as she saw Elli get out of the car with her own grin.

“Look at you, tyttövuva!” Elli squealed running around the van to attack Soya in a hug. “You’re all grown up! Oh your hair! It’s so long! And you’re so much taller!”

“I would hope so!” Soya laughed, hugging the blonde again. “God, you and Inka are exactly the same! Oh! You have baby hips! You swore you would never get them!” Soya laughed looking at Elli’s rounded out hips.

“It’s what I get for letting my husband get me pregnant.” Elli slid her blue gaze away from Soya, and over to a very amused Ville. “Sex shop boy.”

“I go by ‘rock star’ now, or you know, Ville.” Ville teased throwing his bag into the back seat as he grinned at Elli. “It’s good to see you again Elli.”

“Good to see you too. Now, say your goodbyes, as I’m stealing her away and I’m late to pick up Inka.”

Ville shook his head, before turning to his grinning girlfriend. “I’ll see you later?” He asked wrapping his arms around her waist.

“I’ll drive over to your tower after I’m done with all my errands.”

“And you know how to get there?” Ville asked.

Soya blinked. “I’m sure I know how to get there, but if I don’t, can’t I just put ‘Ville Valo’s House’ into my GPS and have a burgundy ‘666’ guide me there?”

“You think you’re so funny.” Ville muttered, leaning down to kiss her. “And no, it doesn’t work that way, call me if you get lost.”

“I did live here for sixteen years before I moved away, I’m sure I remember my way around.”

“Call me.” Ville laughed. “And when you go get your rental car, get a good one.”

Soya laughed. “A good one? What constitutes as a good car?”

“One with a lot of leg room, I can’t spend the next five months being chauffeured in a mini cooper, Soya. I don’t think my legs will survive.” Ville groaned.

“Chauffeured!” Soya laughed, pulling away from him. “Just for that I’m going to get the smallest car there, maybe that’ll teach you to learn how to drive.”

“Soya!” Elli moaned. “You know how Inka hates waiting.”

“I should go, Inka gets abusive when we’re late. I’ll call you when I’m on my way.”

“Perfect.” Ville nodded, giving her one last kiss, watching her laugh at something Elli muttered before sliding into the blue minivan. Ville shook his head as he watched her laugh, clapping her hands in amusement as Elli pulled away from the curb. Even with Soya dressed in grey and black and her face void of any makeup, Ville would still be able to pick her out from a crowd; she would always stand out to him.

XxxxxxX

“So how long have you been dating Ville? See I know his name.” Inka laughed as she sipped on her water.

Soya blushed. “Officially?” Soya counted. “Three days?”

“Soya!” Elli laughed.

“We reconnected back in May when I saw their show in New York; we’ve been talking ever since.”

“And yet here we sit waiting by the phone for your call.” Inka sighed, wiping a fake tear away from her eye.

“Oh!” Soya blushed, covering her face with her hands. “Everyone has been so good at making me feel guilty about it, I didn’t mean to leave without saying goodbye; everything was just so sudden.”

Elli nodded as she took a drink of her coffee. “I, for one, was shocked when you didn’t come to class that Saturday after the recital.” She grinned. “I thought maybe you’d come down with something. Inka though, swore that you’d finally rebelled and skipped class to spend the day with Ville and his friends.”

“No,” Inka said, pointing a finger at Elli, “Tell it right,” she turned to Soya. “I said you’d finally rebelled a skipped class to fuck Ville.”

Soya laughed, thoroughly amused by her friends, though she felt her cheeks heat up. “Well I wasn’t doing either; I was on a plane to New York.”

“We know,” Elli nodded. “It was a shock to the entire class when Mr. Jolien told us you’d been accepted into Julliard in New York, you never told us you’d applied.”

“Because I didn’t.” Soya muttered with a sigh, playing with her straw before she leaned back in her chair. “My parents sent me there; apparently I needed rigidity and discipline in my life.”

Inka rolled her eyes. “Your parents are fucking cracked.”

“My mother is.” Soya agreed with a nod. “My father’s been better lately. We have had some pleasant conversations recently. My mother on the other hand, I think she gets worse with age.”

Elli snorted. “I didn’t believe your mother could get worse from when we were teens.”

“Trust me, she has.” Soya said with a sigh, before shaking off the somber mood. “Enough talk about my parents, it’s such a depressing subject. You know what I’ve been up to, what have you two been up to!”

“Elli works at the building you put an offer on.” Inka said with a grin.

“You work with Mr. Jolien?” Soya said in surprise.

Elli nodded. “Not all of us were good enough to become professional dancers.” Elli teased, “But I love it so much, and Mr. Jolien is starting to age and can’t quite teach like he used to, you know? So I’m a teacher at the school, I do the advanced classes. Inka married Aapo.”

“You did not!” Soya laughed, staring at Inka in surprise. Aapo had been Inka’s boyfriend in high school, and the last in the string of boyfriends Inka had when Soya had been fifteen. He was also the reason Inka had been so eager to go into the sex shop in the first place, as he’d been the one to send Inka in for the movie he’d apparently wanted to watch with her.

“Yes and I own my own hair salon thank you very much.” The red head teased, flipping her hair over her shoulder. “By the way you definitely owe my husband a ‘thank you’ for sending me to that shop. Had it not been for him, you would have never met Ville.”

Soya laughed. “I probably wouldn’t have met Ville at the shop, no, but I probably would have met him later on in life.”

“How so?” Elli asked.

“We both have friends in common.” Soya shrugged. “We probably would have met through them.”

“Like who?” Inka smirked. “I want to unravel all of this.”

Soy laughed. “Let’s see… we have Rosalind in common, Rosalind dates the lead singer of ‘The 69 Eyes’, who is friends with Ville. We would have met through Rosalind.”

“But Rosalind is a new friend right?” Elli asked.

“Not new.” Soya said. “But I met her in New York, if that’s what you mean by new.”

“But without having met Ville, you probably wouldn’t have been sent to New York, therefore never having met Rosalind. So there would have never been a friend in common.” Inka said with a smirk. “Who else?”

“Well…” Soya frowned. “Well Hannu.” She said slowly.

“HP!” Elli laughed. “Do you still talk to that idiot?”

“Yes, I do.” Soya laughed. “And please refrain from calling him an idiot. I try not to clump the poor man in with his other friends.”

“Soya, HP is a walking, talking, health hazard; last I heard he couldn’t even get health insurance here.” Inka laughed.

“He’s still a very dear friend.” Soya grinned. “And he and his friends are good friends with Bam Margera, who happens to be friends with Ville.”

“It doesn’t insure you would have met Ville.” Elli said.

“I’m sure it would have.” Soya shrugged.

“You are adamant that you and Ville would have found a way to each other, aren’t you?” Inka laughed.

Soya bit her lip and gave another shrug. “I don’t want to think that had we not met at his father’s shop that I would have had to live my life without his presence in it. It seems like quite a sad life.” Soya turned and grinned at Inka, “But if it makes you feel better, you can send my thanks along to Aapo for sending us into the shop.”

“It does, and I will.” Inka laughed.

The rest of lunch consisted of them catching up; Soya finding out that Elli had a two year old son while Inka had twin girls that were a year old. After lunch, Elli had claimed she needed to get back to work, leaving Soya at Inka’s house where not only had she blushed when she met Aapo but had cooed over the twin girls that were playing on the ground.

“Are you sure you have to leave?” Inka asked, bouncing one of her girls on her hip.

“I still have to pick up my rental car and pick up the rest of my things at the post office before they close.”

“How many boxes do you have?” Aapo asked, looking up from his spot on the ground with his daughter.

Soya shrugged, “I don’t know, about eight I think, if not more.”

“Well, why don’t I drive you to the post office in the van, we’ll load it up with your things and take it back to your flat, then I’ll take you to get your rental car.”

“Oh, I don’t want you having to drive all over Helsinki for me, Inka. It’s fine.”

“Soya I used to do it all the time when we were younger, I certainly do not mind now, and it’ll give us more time to talk. I’ve missed you tyttövuva.”

“I really do hate that nickname.” Soya sighed.

“And I love that it still applies, come on now Soya.” Inka said with a grin. “You know you want to spend more time with my marvelous self.”

“Run.” Aapo teased. “Run as far as you can, Soya.”

“You shush.” Inka said, glaring at her husband.

Soya rolled her eyes. “Fine.”

Inka gave an excited squeal, handing her daughter off to her husband before grabbing the keys to the van. “Let’s go!”

Soya laughed as she said goodbye to Aapo, following Inka to her garage, ready to get into the van, when she caught sight of the black smart car parked next to it. “Your baby?”

Inka laughed. “Very much my baby,”

Soya bit her lip, before grinning at Inka. “How much to let me borrow your baby for the rest of the day?”