I Guess I'll Never Get To Call You Mine
ALINE
It is raining outside. I had nothing to do today so it was the perfect time for curling up indoors with the TV on. Randy had gone out to buy takeaway food so I had the hotel room to myself. We were planning to check out soon and move into a rented house as soon as possible though. There’s been a change of plans. Sean called today to say that he and Marc and Jay would be flying over in a few days. We are to continue our songwriting in Montréal instead.
We have not lived here properly ever since our teenage years and to be back again, even for a while, had triggered a bout of homesickness. The old-timey streets of Old Montréal, the sight of the majestic Mont-Royal looming over the city, the sights and sounds of the various colorful festivals and the immersion of being surrounded by Quebecois accents again…I forgot how much I miss these things.
I snapped out of my daydreams to the sound of my phone ringing. I quickly went over to answer it. “Hello?” “Aline? Hey, sorry, but it looks like I can’t get home until after the rain stops. It looks like the majestic rain gods who reigns up above wanted to turn Old Port into their own personal swimming pool. I was soaked the moment I left the hotel.” “Majestic rain gods?” I laughed. “Well, you get the point.” I can picture Randy grinning on the other side of the line. “I think the hotel restaurant still opens. Why don’t you go check out what they have?” “Will do. I’m starved! Later, bro, have fun with the rain gods.” I hung up and started to get ready for going to the lobby. My ankle is much better and I can now more or less walk. Okay then, just a quick dinner then back to watching Grease…
I found the lobby in quite a commotion, and a small crowd had gathered near the reception desk. I wondered if some fans managed to find the location of our hotel. It had happened before and my brothers and I had been entirely swarmed with screaming people demanding our autographs. But I quickly realized that this crowd isn’t for me.
Everyone was staring wide-eyed as a dark-haired young man argued with a bunch of people in suits who seemed like they were the hotel’s managers. It didn’t take long to register the fact that the man is entirely soaked, his clothes sticking to him like glue as water ran down his body and to the carpeted floor. His body shook with violent shivers as he angrily yelled at the manager that he really needed a hotel room so he can clean up. I wasn’t entirely surprised to see, when I edged around the crowd a little to get a better look at the man’s face, that it was David Desrosiers.
A short moment later, I had David shoved in my hotel room’s shower as I called Randy and tonelessly told him to bring over a medical kit. Apparently, Dave had staggered in with a large gash across his forehead, a bleeding nose, a cut on his lip and a black eye. He looked pretty awful and I don’t want to know where the injuries come from. I plopped back down on the couch and closed my eyes, massaging my temples. This is going to take a hell lot of explaining to do.
A few minutes later, David emerged from his shower in a clean shirt and shorts that I grabbed from Randy’s suitcase. He’d stopped bleeding but he still looked pretty awful as he settled down next to me, picking up the TV remote. “Ooh, Grease,” he smiled, pressing the Play button. “That’s my favorite.” I didn’t answer but let the movie kept going. We watched John Travolta waltzing across the screen for a moment before he said, “Thank you.”
“No problem,” I said. “You look terrible, like you lost a fight to Big Foot.” “Well, about that, actually I—” “You don’t owe me an explanation, Dave, it’s none of my business. “ “But I—wait, you don’t?” He looked a little surprised, but continued on anyway, “I want to tell you though.” He clicked the Pause button and sighed. “I was in a fight. I had been drinking and I was obliged to start a make-out session with some girl. Apparently, she had a boyfriend that she didn’t tell me about and he wasn’t happy.” From the tone of his voice, I could tell that he didn’t confide to other people often. I nodded and waited for him to continue.
“I know I sounded like a total slut who couldn’t keep his hands off the opposite sex for one second but…well, you know me. I’m the kind of guy who sees life as excitement and adventure.” He shook his head. “When people discuss me they’d always say I’m nuts. I’m always going to be ‘the crazy one of Simple Plan’, just as much as Seb is known as ‘the sweet one’, although really what’s so sweet about him, and Chuck is ‘the mature one’. I used to think that as a personal title. Who cares about being sweet and mature? Being labeled ‘crazy’ sounded pretty cool at first. I’m the party animal dude, the one who is constantly having fun.” He pointed at his black eye bitterly. “Well, this is the truth. I’m really just a loser.”
I never felt so sorry for someone this much before. David is now looking at me as if waiting to be condemned. I really didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t expected him to pour out his feelings in front of me. He didn’t seem to be type of person who did either. Even though he had always been outgoing and charismatic on stage and in front of the public, I had always sensed a layer of detachment surrounding him that few people could penetrate. Even as he’s telling me this I could feel the wall of reserve he had put up around himself. He’s being careful not to tell me too much.
To my surprise, I realized that I had grabbed hold of his hand. “Well,” I said carefully, “This is something that is within your control. You can make sure that this doesn’t happen again.” He looked up at me, looking a little surprised that I hadn’t given him a lecture. I clicked on the remote to start playing the movie again. “Don’t look so miserable, David. Randy is going to be home soon with the medical kit. Cleaning up your wounds won’t be painless. Better cheer up while you can.” He smiled and settled in a more comfortable position. “I wonder what’s Randy going to say about this.”
We have not lived here properly ever since our teenage years and to be back again, even for a while, had triggered a bout of homesickness. The old-timey streets of Old Montréal, the sight of the majestic Mont-Royal looming over the city, the sights and sounds of the various colorful festivals and the immersion of being surrounded by Quebecois accents again…I forgot how much I miss these things.
I snapped out of my daydreams to the sound of my phone ringing. I quickly went over to answer it. “Hello?” “Aline? Hey, sorry, but it looks like I can’t get home until after the rain stops. It looks like the majestic rain gods who reigns up above wanted to turn Old Port into their own personal swimming pool. I was soaked the moment I left the hotel.” “Majestic rain gods?” I laughed. “Well, you get the point.” I can picture Randy grinning on the other side of the line. “I think the hotel restaurant still opens. Why don’t you go check out what they have?” “Will do. I’m starved! Later, bro, have fun with the rain gods.” I hung up and started to get ready for going to the lobby. My ankle is much better and I can now more or less walk. Okay then, just a quick dinner then back to watching Grease…
I found the lobby in quite a commotion, and a small crowd had gathered near the reception desk. I wondered if some fans managed to find the location of our hotel. It had happened before and my brothers and I had been entirely swarmed with screaming people demanding our autographs. But I quickly realized that this crowd isn’t for me.
Everyone was staring wide-eyed as a dark-haired young man argued with a bunch of people in suits who seemed like they were the hotel’s managers. It didn’t take long to register the fact that the man is entirely soaked, his clothes sticking to him like glue as water ran down his body and to the carpeted floor. His body shook with violent shivers as he angrily yelled at the manager that he really needed a hotel room so he can clean up. I wasn’t entirely surprised to see, when I edged around the crowd a little to get a better look at the man’s face, that it was David Desrosiers.
A short moment later, I had David shoved in my hotel room’s shower as I called Randy and tonelessly told him to bring over a medical kit. Apparently, Dave had staggered in with a large gash across his forehead, a bleeding nose, a cut on his lip and a black eye. He looked pretty awful and I don’t want to know where the injuries come from. I plopped back down on the couch and closed my eyes, massaging my temples. This is going to take a hell lot of explaining to do.
A few minutes later, David emerged from his shower in a clean shirt and shorts that I grabbed from Randy’s suitcase. He’d stopped bleeding but he still looked pretty awful as he settled down next to me, picking up the TV remote. “Ooh, Grease,” he smiled, pressing the Play button. “That’s my favorite.” I didn’t answer but let the movie kept going. We watched John Travolta waltzing across the screen for a moment before he said, “Thank you.”
“No problem,” I said. “You look terrible, like you lost a fight to Big Foot.” “Well, about that, actually I—” “You don’t owe me an explanation, Dave, it’s none of my business. “ “But I—wait, you don’t?” He looked a little surprised, but continued on anyway, “I want to tell you though.” He clicked the Pause button and sighed. “I was in a fight. I had been drinking and I was obliged to start a make-out session with some girl. Apparently, she had a boyfriend that she didn’t tell me about and he wasn’t happy.” From the tone of his voice, I could tell that he didn’t confide to other people often. I nodded and waited for him to continue.
“I know I sounded like a total slut who couldn’t keep his hands off the opposite sex for one second but…well, you know me. I’m the kind of guy who sees life as excitement and adventure.” He shook his head. “When people discuss me they’d always say I’m nuts. I’m always going to be ‘the crazy one of Simple Plan’, just as much as Seb is known as ‘the sweet one’, although really what’s so sweet about him, and Chuck is ‘the mature one’. I used to think that as a personal title. Who cares about being sweet and mature? Being labeled ‘crazy’ sounded pretty cool at first. I’m the party animal dude, the one who is constantly having fun.” He pointed at his black eye bitterly. “Well, this is the truth. I’m really just a loser.”
I never felt so sorry for someone this much before. David is now looking at me as if waiting to be condemned. I really didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t expected him to pour out his feelings in front of me. He didn’t seem to be type of person who did either. Even though he had always been outgoing and charismatic on stage and in front of the public, I had always sensed a layer of detachment surrounding him that few people could penetrate. Even as he’s telling me this I could feel the wall of reserve he had put up around himself. He’s being careful not to tell me too much.
To my surprise, I realized that I had grabbed hold of his hand. “Well,” I said carefully, “This is something that is within your control. You can make sure that this doesn’t happen again.” He looked up at me, looking a little surprised that I hadn’t given him a lecture. I clicked on the remote to start playing the movie again. “Don’t look so miserable, David. Randy is going to be home soon with the medical kit. Cleaning up your wounds won’t be painless. Better cheer up while you can.” He smiled and settled in a more comfortable position. “I wonder what’s Randy going to say about this.”