It's Not So Dark When We're Together
One
***** Phone Call 1 week ago ********
‘Amy, you there? You with Elena?’
‘Yeah I am what’s up?’
‘Good news you two need to pack immediately this time next week your leaving home, I’ve got a new Job for you and it requires moving to York! Hope you don’t mind?’
‘Keith, you’ve got to be kidding, who with?’
‘I’m telling the complete truth, and that is something you shall find out when you go to live with the band, it’s a permanent job, but going by their manager they can be a handful at times’
‘Oh my God, we love you Keith your amazing.’
‘I shall phone you later in the week to tell you what time you have to be ready for, speak soon and have fun.’
‘Don’t worry we will speak to you soon.’
******* End of call******
I was leaving home today, nervous as i was i was also excited at the same time. Me and my best friend who was also my next-door neighbour were off to live in York on a permanent job with a band. We still hadn’t worked out who they were and were really curious to find out. I was currently running around the house collecting together any belongings that i was required to take with me. All my clothes had been packed apart from the ones I had been wearing today all my main possessions like CD’s, DVD’s, posters, games the lot were all in boxes in the back of the minibus that was currently parked outside my families driveway.
Elena my best friend since we were two years in age was running in and out of her house putting her last minute items into the bus as well. I never realised I owned so much stuff and a week to pack it all up and sort through what wasn’t required definately wasn’t long enough. We had both managed it just about though after we had received that phone call from Keith a week ago to this day now.
Once I was finally sure i had got everything i wished my family all the love and care and said my goodbye’s before running around to Elena’s to inform her it was time to go. She bid goodbye to her family as well as we headed over to the bus in which Keith was driving for us luckily and climbed in settling on radio one for the moment. I slammed the door shut and wound the window down waving to my family and Elena to hers as we finally left the small area in which we had lived in for the past 23 years.
We had left university at 21 and had been working ever since. We mainly worked for our local venue getting photographs in Elena’s case as she was a live photographer and me running the sound for the musicians playing as i was a sound engineer. We were always working together people knowing we made a good team together and 6 months into the job Keith had spotted us. He had hired the two of as a team and would send us on tour’s that lasted a month at a maximum with smaller bands helping them get their feet on the ladder and impressing future fans. It was hard work at times but we enjoyed meeting new people and we had a laugh along the way to.
We really enjoyed the job but we wanted something that was permanent and Keith had managed to get us this job. We had never been so happy to finally be flying the nest as they said and to be really excelling in our career’s. We just hoped that the band were friendly and that we could get on with living with them as well. This was a first time experience for us but we felt ready enough after two years at the job.
As we made slow progress down the motorway, mainly due to the fact that there was so much luggage in the van and also that York was such a distance away from our home in Swanage. Radio one was still playing a mix of music which pleased me and Elena who both enjoyed most types of music. We listened to stuff form the 50’s right through to modern day varying from rock to pop to RnB and some rap as well. As we listened along the start of 'I Believe' started to play by Elliot Minor. Elena instantly turned up the volume, Elliot Minor had been our favourite band since they had started up. We had seen them a few times live and even Keith enjoyed the music and bopped along when he wasn’t concentrating to much on the roads.
The two of us mimed along to the song and as we passed a coach of school children they looked on in horror to see three adults bopping around in the front seats of the mini bus. I laughed as i saw their reactions before continuing to dance a long. The sun was shining as we made due course north across the motorways. As we got closer to the midlands though the heavens opened. The minibus was slowed more as heavy rain fell onto the roads making them look more like a flood plain. Keith saw this as the perfect opportunity to pull into a services to a get a drink and relax a bit. We didn’t have to be in York til 6 pm tonight and it was only 1 pm now. This meant we had time for another couple of stops and plenty of time in the services to. As we pulled in the three of us headed inside out of the downpour and Keith headed for the coffee shop as me and Elena decided to go browse whatever shops were in the services.
Elena spotted some form of clothing shop and we both headed in there. The first thing she spotted was scarves that had stars on them and picked a couple whilst i looked around the rest of the small shop. I spotted a couple of belts i liked and decided on those and after paying we decided to get some food. We settled into the subway that was within the services both enjoying having our brunch. Once completely full the two of us continued to wonder around the shops. There was another clothing shop and i headed into it Elena nearly missing the fact I had turned, after I had spotted a checkered shirt I liked the look of.
One we were both done we headed to the toilets before finding Keith just finishing up his dinner and cup of tea. He noted the bags and smiled at us before we ran back out to the van in the rain that had now eased slightly but that was still pretty heavy. We jumped into the bus and set on our way again. The motorway wasn’t as bad this time and so we gained a little bit more speed thankfully.
We made a few more stops for toilet breaks as the rest of the hours dwindled away listening to the radio and talking between ourselves about past experiences and what our expectations were of the band. Keith was keen on listening to this, him knowing exactly who we were going to work with and us not having a clue at all still. I noticed he had a cheeky grin painted across his face at the moment as he listened to our conversation and wondered what he knew, although soon he would no longer be our manager and we would be left under the same manager as the band, something Keith had been upset about but we promised we would contact him still.
As it reached half past five we spotted the sign on the motorway welcoming us to the town of York. Me and Elena smiled and started to pay attention to our new surroundings as this was now to become home for the next couple of years at least we hoped. It was a picturesque place with plenty of fields and open spaces and the town centre which we drove through seemed lovely. I took notice of the curry house i had spotted and then me and Elena both looked out spotting that there were a good few pubs for us to investigate pleasing both of us who loved to go out to a pub to have a drink and a laugh and a good chat.
Our faces were lit up all the way through but still we didn’t stop, Keith continued to drive. As we drove we again hit more fields and up in the distance we could see a couple of houses dotted between fields. Keith pointed ahead and pointing out the house furthest away from where we were and said ‘there’s your home’. Me and Elena both craned our necks trying to see what was around it but nothing was familiar to us at all. What sort of a band lived out in the middle of nowhere or so it seemed.
Elena looked at me confusion showing on her face but also deep thought as she tried to work out if it was a band we already knew of that lived here. She soon gave up as she couldn’t think of anybody that there was a chance of it been. As the minibus drew closer we saw just how large the house was. There was a barn type building attached to the back but the house itself had no movement around it which we thought pretty strange. Keith meanwhile was now smiling from ear to ear as the gravel of the drive crunched under the weight of the minibus. He pulled out his mobile after stopping the bus telling us to wait in the van a moment as he stepped out to make his call. Little did we know he was informing the band we were here and that they were to come surprise us as we stepped up to the door. Keith called us out the van and we joined him in heading for the large wooden front door that was ahead of us. Elena was looking around the front of the house trying to spot movement with no look whilst i watched Keith smile to himself as he knocked the brass knocker loudly. What was he up to ?
‘Amy, you there? You with Elena?’
‘Yeah I am what’s up?’
‘Good news you two need to pack immediately this time next week your leaving home, I’ve got a new Job for you and it requires moving to York! Hope you don’t mind?’
‘Keith, you’ve got to be kidding, who with?’
‘I’m telling the complete truth, and that is something you shall find out when you go to live with the band, it’s a permanent job, but going by their manager they can be a handful at times’
‘Oh my God, we love you Keith your amazing.’
‘I shall phone you later in the week to tell you what time you have to be ready for, speak soon and have fun.’
‘Don’t worry we will speak to you soon.’
******* End of call******
I was leaving home today, nervous as i was i was also excited at the same time. Me and my best friend who was also my next-door neighbour were off to live in York on a permanent job with a band. We still hadn’t worked out who they were and were really curious to find out. I was currently running around the house collecting together any belongings that i was required to take with me. All my clothes had been packed apart from the ones I had been wearing today all my main possessions like CD’s, DVD’s, posters, games the lot were all in boxes in the back of the minibus that was currently parked outside my families driveway.
Elena my best friend since we were two years in age was running in and out of her house putting her last minute items into the bus as well. I never realised I owned so much stuff and a week to pack it all up and sort through what wasn’t required definately wasn’t long enough. We had both managed it just about though after we had received that phone call from Keith a week ago to this day now.
Once I was finally sure i had got everything i wished my family all the love and care and said my goodbye’s before running around to Elena’s to inform her it was time to go. She bid goodbye to her family as well as we headed over to the bus in which Keith was driving for us luckily and climbed in settling on radio one for the moment. I slammed the door shut and wound the window down waving to my family and Elena to hers as we finally left the small area in which we had lived in for the past 23 years.
We had left university at 21 and had been working ever since. We mainly worked for our local venue getting photographs in Elena’s case as she was a live photographer and me running the sound for the musicians playing as i was a sound engineer. We were always working together people knowing we made a good team together and 6 months into the job Keith had spotted us. He had hired the two of as a team and would send us on tour’s that lasted a month at a maximum with smaller bands helping them get their feet on the ladder and impressing future fans. It was hard work at times but we enjoyed meeting new people and we had a laugh along the way to.
We really enjoyed the job but we wanted something that was permanent and Keith had managed to get us this job. We had never been so happy to finally be flying the nest as they said and to be really excelling in our career’s. We just hoped that the band were friendly and that we could get on with living with them as well. This was a first time experience for us but we felt ready enough after two years at the job.
As we made slow progress down the motorway, mainly due to the fact that there was so much luggage in the van and also that York was such a distance away from our home in Swanage. Radio one was still playing a mix of music which pleased me and Elena who both enjoyed most types of music. We listened to stuff form the 50’s right through to modern day varying from rock to pop to RnB and some rap as well. As we listened along the start of 'I Believe' started to play by Elliot Minor. Elena instantly turned up the volume, Elliot Minor had been our favourite band since they had started up. We had seen them a few times live and even Keith enjoyed the music and bopped along when he wasn’t concentrating to much on the roads.
The two of us mimed along to the song and as we passed a coach of school children they looked on in horror to see three adults bopping around in the front seats of the mini bus. I laughed as i saw their reactions before continuing to dance a long. The sun was shining as we made due course north across the motorways. As we got closer to the midlands though the heavens opened. The minibus was slowed more as heavy rain fell onto the roads making them look more like a flood plain. Keith saw this as the perfect opportunity to pull into a services to a get a drink and relax a bit. We didn’t have to be in York til 6 pm tonight and it was only 1 pm now. This meant we had time for another couple of stops and plenty of time in the services to. As we pulled in the three of us headed inside out of the downpour and Keith headed for the coffee shop as me and Elena decided to go browse whatever shops were in the services.
Elena spotted some form of clothing shop and we both headed in there. The first thing she spotted was scarves that had stars on them and picked a couple whilst i looked around the rest of the small shop. I spotted a couple of belts i liked and decided on those and after paying we decided to get some food. We settled into the subway that was within the services both enjoying having our brunch. Once completely full the two of us continued to wonder around the shops. There was another clothing shop and i headed into it Elena nearly missing the fact I had turned, after I had spotted a checkered shirt I liked the look of.
One we were both done we headed to the toilets before finding Keith just finishing up his dinner and cup of tea. He noted the bags and smiled at us before we ran back out to the van in the rain that had now eased slightly but that was still pretty heavy. We jumped into the bus and set on our way again. The motorway wasn’t as bad this time and so we gained a little bit more speed thankfully.
We made a few more stops for toilet breaks as the rest of the hours dwindled away listening to the radio and talking between ourselves about past experiences and what our expectations were of the band. Keith was keen on listening to this, him knowing exactly who we were going to work with and us not having a clue at all still. I noticed he had a cheeky grin painted across his face at the moment as he listened to our conversation and wondered what he knew, although soon he would no longer be our manager and we would be left under the same manager as the band, something Keith had been upset about but we promised we would contact him still.
As it reached half past five we spotted the sign on the motorway welcoming us to the town of York. Me and Elena smiled and started to pay attention to our new surroundings as this was now to become home for the next couple of years at least we hoped. It was a picturesque place with plenty of fields and open spaces and the town centre which we drove through seemed lovely. I took notice of the curry house i had spotted and then me and Elena both looked out spotting that there were a good few pubs for us to investigate pleasing both of us who loved to go out to a pub to have a drink and a laugh and a good chat.
Our faces were lit up all the way through but still we didn’t stop, Keith continued to drive. As we drove we again hit more fields and up in the distance we could see a couple of houses dotted between fields. Keith pointed ahead and pointing out the house furthest away from where we were and said ‘there’s your home’. Me and Elena both craned our necks trying to see what was around it but nothing was familiar to us at all. What sort of a band lived out in the middle of nowhere or so it seemed.
Elena looked at me confusion showing on her face but also deep thought as she tried to work out if it was a band we already knew of that lived here. She soon gave up as she couldn’t think of anybody that there was a chance of it been. As the minibus drew closer we saw just how large the house was. There was a barn type building attached to the back but the house itself had no movement around it which we thought pretty strange. Keith meanwhile was now smiling from ear to ear as the gravel of the drive crunched under the weight of the minibus. He pulled out his mobile after stopping the bus telling us to wait in the van a moment as he stepped out to make his call. Little did we know he was informing the band we were here and that they were to come surprise us as we stepped up to the door. Keith called us out the van and we joined him in heading for the large wooden front door that was ahead of us. Elena was looking around the front of the house trying to spot movement with no look whilst i watched Keith smile to himself as he knocked the brass knocker loudly. What was he up to ?