A Rock Opera.

“Jesus, don’t look so worried,” Jimmy muttered, opening the door to the warehouse. “There’s no way we’ll get caught. That guy was a prick anyway.”

“You mean the street performer?” Ariel mused, following Jimmy inside. She tenderly shook the violin case. “Jimmy, all he did was scream that we were thieves.”

“Precisely,” Jimmy replied, slumping down on the bed. “How much we got?”

Ariel sifted through the contents of the case. “’Bout 50 bucks.”

Jimmy whooped. “You fuckin’ serious? Alright.”

I couldn’t help but smile at Jimmy’s attitude. “Are you going to go through life without doing an honest day’s work?”

“That’s the aim.” He got up, pacing back and forth across the dusty wooden floor. With each footstep the floorboards creaked slightly, only adding to his mysterious pacing. “Well?”

“What?”

“Who’s buying the shit we need? I’m buggered.” He slumped back down on the bed, stretching his long jean-clad legs and resting his hands behind his head.

“I was the one who distracted the guy. Why don’t you get off your arse and do it?” I threw the violin case at Jimmy, disrupting him from his peaceful rest.

“Fuck off. Ariel? You and lover boy go do it.” Jimmy closed his eyes again. “I need my beauty sleep.”

I rolled my eyes, letting Ariel take me by the hand back outside. I had just shut the warehouse door behind me when I turned around, only to feel Ariel’s lips against mine.

“Huh,” she said, once we had broken apart. She said nothing else; instead, began to head in the direction of the store.

I stood there, completely dumbstruck, before awakening from my daze and catching up with Ariel. “What – what was that for?” I demanded, shaking my head and trying to look composed.

“Dunno,” she replied, a small smile tugging at her lips as she paused at the edge of the road. “What do you think?”

I shrugged my shoulders, following Ariel across the road. “You’re the one who kissed me – “

“Did you like it?” Ariel asked abruptly, keeping her gaze directed up ahead.

“Well, yeah – “

She pushed me against a nearby wall, her lips immediately connecting with mine. My hand instinctively raised to her cheek, her soft skin almost silk like to my fingers. She pulled back, her bright eyes looking deeply into mine, while she still tried to hold back her smile.

“How about that?”

“What the fuck do you think I’m gonna say?” I asked, following her up the street again.

“Jesus, Jimmy’s making you all uptight.” She grinned, crossing the road again. “You’re a good kisser, by the way. How’d you get the practice?”

“Shut the fuck up,” I replied, rolling my eyes. Soon I saw we were outside a tired looking 7-11, bringing back many memories of my old home.

“What do you feel like Jesus?” Ariel asked, pausing outside the station. “Stealing shit, or buying shit?”

“You honestly think I want to pay for the shit sell here? Think again.” We continued our path inside, casually strolling down each aisle while the store owner watched us suspiciously.

“How are we going to get him off our backs?!” Ariel hissed, shooting an angry glance at the store manager. He refused to take his eyes off us.

“Pfft. He’d be too scared to take me on anyway. Just act normal.”

“Normal for me is shop lifting and spraying paint everywhere. I don’t think he’d approve, Jesus.”

“Oh no, really?” I asked, trying to sound worried. She grabbed the nearest chip packet, throwing it at me.

“Ariel, I told you, I don’t want chips,” I said loudly, giving her a tiny wink. “Put them back on the shelf.”

Ariel obeyed, crouching down a little lower so she was hidden by the shelf. She then stuffed the chip packet down the front of her top. I had been expecting her to hide it inside her jacket or something.

“What the fuck?” I stared at her chest, noticing how awkwardly-shaped it looked.

“It’s a girl’s best weapon,” she explained, taking my hand and leading me to the back of the store. “If we leave the store and I see him looking there and he brings it up, I’ll just say: ‘Back away you dirty pervert! My face is up here!’ He can’t do anything about it.” She gave a sly smile. “You stuff it down the front of your pants, I dare you.”

“Pfft. I have a jacket. I can stuff it in there.”

“Yeah, and have man boobs.”

I chucked a packet of nuts at her, which she easily caught and shoved down her top. We continued throwing things at one another, spilling items from the shelves everywhere and leaving the aisles a mess.

The store owner did not say a word until we exited the store without buying a thing. He sensed something was up – and began to shout out after us.

“Quick!” Ariel giggled, grabbing my arm and breaking into a run. We continued to laugh the entire way back to the warehouse, constantly dropping things and picking them up again. Sure, passers-by threw us looks of deepest disgust, but I was having the time of my life.

Jimmy was still in the same state we had left him as we arrived back at the warehouse. He opened one eye, giving a long deep sigh.

“What took you guys so long? What did you do, stop for a quickie along the way?”

“Here, have some nuts,” Ariel said, throwing a packet of nuts at Jimmy. “God knows yours aren’t big enough.”

Jimmy sat up. “Wait – you stuffed these down your…top?”

“No, we innocently bought and paid for them. Jimmy, do you honestly doubt me?”

“The store owner probably thought you’d gotten a transplant that malfunctioned or had dodgy surgeons or something,” Jimmy said, watching Ariel and I pull out a variety of snacks. “Well, I have a gift for you. An old friend stopped by.”

“He brought the weed? God, it took him long enough. Where is it?” Ariel looked around expectantly. I felt like I was missing something.

“Wait…” Jimmy pulled out a small box, placing it gently in front of me. “You got your hands on pot?”

“Hey, don’t make me sound like a cheap arse. I earned it. Did a few favours, mind you.” He handed Ariel a carefully rolled cigarette. “Don’t tell me you’re too much of a wuss to try it.”

I had tried pot before, but only in moderation. But what the hell, anyway. Who was going to boss me around? I took a cigarette, while Jimmy got one for himself. He pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit the roll, inhaling deeply.

“Ahh,” he groaned, closing his eyes. “That feels better.”

Ariel snatched the lighter from Jimmy, lighting her own bong and taking a deep drag. I sat there, almost fascinated by the two of them.

“Jesus Christ. It’s not going to hurt you, you know.” Jimmy snatched the lighter back and threw it back to me.

I wasn’t going to act like some terrified three year old. I hastily lit the roll, mimicking Ariel and Jimmy’s action. Immediately the smoke filled my mouth – just as I had remembered it. I hadn’t done drugs that much in the past…but now every thought easily drifted away.

“Good, huh?” I could hear Jimmy’s voice becoming higher pitched the longer we sat there smoking. Ariel remained silent; instead she lay on the floor, her body shaking with silent giggles as her thoughts drifted far away.

We sat there for a while. I slipped into the state of the daydream. My mind was full of the most useless, but I finally felt at home. With two of the most real friends I’d ever had. They weren’t fakes in this world like everyone else. They knew more about our world than George W. Bush ever would.

Out of body and out of mind
Kiss the demons out of my dreams…
I get the funny feeling that’s alright
Jimmy says it’s better than here…