Dusk & Summer

tom.
dec 7, 2004.
london, england.
I love this town.

I stepped out of the tube station and into the dull, grey air. Despite the bland english weather, I smiled to myself and set off down the somewhat familiar street. My eyes flickered towards the neon sign reading 'Electric Ballroom' to my right, and I grinned at past memories of performing there.

Camden was my favourite part of London. The atmosphere here was always amazing; the people were always interesting and buzzing. I blended in; I didn't get noticed so much.
Pulling my newly bought jacket around me tightly, I made my way towards the Camden Lock as I felt the sky starting to spit rain down onto the little town. I slipped between two people and made my way into the collection of sheltered stalls, all totally different from each other.

My eyes flicked around me happily as I soaked in the atmosphere; the busy chatter, the people milling about buying the most interesting things off stalls. I smiled as I heard the typical cockney accent all around me; I loved that accent, I found it so funny to listen to.
I stopped by a stall with a large array of different belt buckes spread across the table, and looked down at them interestedly. After a couple of minutes I wandered off again before spotting the Famous Stars & Straps shop in front of me. I quickly hurried in, and stepped into the tiny, cramped room. There was no one else in there except the young guy behind the counter, who looked up at me and stared for a few moments. I smiled nervously and quickly lowered my head as I began looking through all the racks. After a few minutes of looking I came across an old FSAS tee that isn't available in many places. I quickly grabbed it and smiled, before taking it up to the counter.

"Hey, um..how much is this?" I asked the guy, who quickly looked up from his magazine.

"£10." He said in a shy voice, and my eyebrows raised.

"Is that all?" I asked, and he nodded. I pulled out my wallet and set the t shirt down on the counter. "I'll take it, thanks."

"Okay." The guy quickly grabbed a white FSAS bag from under the counter and rung it up on the till. I handed him and ten pound note, and in exchange he gave me the bag. I gave him a small smile before turning to leave.

"Hey, um..." I turned around. "Could...could I...just get your autograph?" The boy asked, a nervous smile on his lips. I smiled back and stepped towards the counter.

"Sure."

"Cool, um..if you could just...sign my magazine..."

He handed me a pen, and I quickly grabbed the magazine and pulled it towards me before scrawling my messy signature on the cover. I put the pen down and looked up to smile at the boy.

"Thanks alot, man." He said happily, and I held out my hand.

"No problem." I said, as he shook my hand over the counter. "Later, dude."

"Bye." The boy called as I exited the shop. I looked around me before setting off again slowly, taking my time to look at all the stalls.

"Hey big spender." I heard a typical London accent to my right as I wandered between the stalls. I quickly turned my head to see who it belonged to, and my eyes rested on a girl, seated on an old wooden chair at the back of one of the tiny alcoves that some of the stalls were in. She had long, dirty blonde hair pulled up into a scruffy ponytail; strands falling loose and framing her face. I noticed the sparkle of her big hoop earrings in her smiling eyes as she grinned up at me.

I could feel a crooked grin gracing my lips as I took a few steps closer to her.

"What makes you think I'm a big spender." I replied, biting on my lip ring as she laughed a little.

"Look at you. New everything. Well groomed. American. Clearly a big spender."

I grinned shyly and looked down at my shoes as my cheeks blushed a delicate shade of pink.

"I might just have decided to..treat myself for the day. Ever thought of that?" I said playfully when I looked back up. Her inticing grin widened as she shook her head. She picked up the piece of clothing in her lap and set it on the table in front of her, before brushing down her lap and standing up.

"I'm not as big of an idiot as I look, sir. I do know who you are." She told me, grinning cheekily up at me. My cheeks flamed for a split-second and I glanced around me warily. I didn't exactly feel like being ambushed by a mob of girls.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to start screaming like a little girl and ask for your autograph." She brushed my anxiety off with a little wave of her hand, which I noticed was covered in rings.

"Good. Thanks." I said gratefully, looking down at her as she stood a good few inches beneath me, even with the heels that I noticed she was wearing. My eyes swept over her with interest; she was wearing a dark blue, strapless dress that wrinkled together at her sides and made her waist look tiny. The skirt flowed out and ended at her knees, and her shoes were heeled with a buckle at the side. Her wrists jangled with dozens of bangles, and her throat was laden with necklaces of different lengths.

"Like the dress?" She asked me with a mischievous smirk, running her slender fingers along the skirt. I grinned and said politely, "It's very nice."

Her grin widened and she nodded with approval of my answer, making her earrings tinkle as they bobbed with her head.

"I made it."

My expression changed to a somewhat surprised one.

"You did?"

She nodded again happily, then turned to sit back down on the chair. I watched as she crossed one leg over the other and picked up whatever she was holding earlier. I realised it was a girl's tank, and she was sewing different scraps of material all down one side.

"Hey, that's really good." I said, taking a step closer to peer at it interestedly. "Did you make all of this?"

I gestured towards the stall laden with different items of clothing, all unique and colourful.

"Not all of it, I run this stall with my friend and we make them together." She replied, not looking up as she began swiftly sewing an electric blue, cloth heart onto the shoulder of the tank. I watched with fascination for a few moments; I wasn't entirely sure why I hadn't already left. This girl was just...interesting.

She looked up, and grinned at me.

"So, how come you're in Camden?" She asked, and I stuffed my hands into my pockets.

"We're touring Europe right now. We don't have a show today so I thought I'd come here."

She nodded, then smiled as I finished talking. "Good choice, this is the best part of London by far." She said, and I could hear that she was joking.

"Hey, I think it is!" I said, a smile appearing on my lips. "I love Camden."

"So do I!" She said, feigning shock. "I was being serious!"

"No you weren't." I laughed, and she pulled a face while flicking her wrist carelessly.

"Well sir, are you going to stand wasting a poor Camden girl's time any longer, or are you going to be a gentleman and buy her entire stall?" She asked with a mock serious face, folding her arms over her chest as she looked up at me from her seat. I could see the twinkle in her eye, and a grin slowly smeared across my face.

"I don't think I'll be buying the entire stall...but sure, I'll buy something."

I looked at all the clothes interestedly, before glancing back at her.

"Do you uh...do you make any guy's clothes?"

She pursed her red lips and looked at me with wide eyes, before shaking her head. I laughed and looked back down at the display in front of me.

"But surely someone as handsome as you has a girlfriend or two?" She asked with a mischeivous twinkle in her eye. I smiled; I knew she was just buttering me up so I bought something off her.

"Well, my wife would like this." I said, picking up a gorgeous silver necklace with turquoise stones dangling from the chain.

"Lovely choice, sir. And how about something for your girlfriend?" She asked, standing up to take the necklace from me. I laughed, extracting my wallet from my pocket.

"No girlfriend, just the wife."

"Well that's wonderful! Not a cheating man? Good, I like you." She said, glancing up at me with a smile on her face as she delicately wrapped the necklace in tissue paper. "Is your wife back in America?"

I nodded as she slipped the little package into a clear, plastic bag.

"Well, that'll be a lovely present to give her when you get back." She said, smiling up at me as she handed me the bag. I couldn't help but smile back; this girl's smile was infectious.

"Actually, I think I'll buy the earrings to match." I said, peering down at the pair of turquoise stones. I knew I was being suckered into buying more stuff, but what did it matter?

She swiftly wrapped the earrings in tissue paper as well, before slipping them into the bag clasped in my left hand.

"That'll be £28 then please sir. £17.50 for the necklace, £10.50 for the earrings." She told me, and I tutted with mock disapproval as I got the english notes out of my wallet and handed them to her.

"You're robbing me, here." I said jokingly, and she laughed.

"Bloody hell, I don't know how a famous rock star's going to survive spending 30 quid on jewellery for his wife."

I laughed as she handed me back two pound coins, which I quickly put in my wallet before slipping it back into my pocket.

"Well sir, it was a pleasure meeting you." She then said, holding out her hand. I grasped it firmly and grinned at her.

"Pleasure meeting you too, miss..." I trailed off awkwardly, and she laughed.

"Miss Annabelle Therese Cooper, sir. Or Anna."

I laughed. "Tom DeLonge." I said, shaking her hand again.

"It's been a pleasure, Mr. DeLonge." She told me, and I couldn't help but smile again.

"Likewise. Thank you." I said, before letting go of her hand and walking away, clutching my bag with me. I turned my head and waved over my shoulder, and Anna waved back cheerfully before taking her seat and picking up the top.

I carried on walking til I was out of the Lock and back on the street of Camden town. The smell of rain was in the air and the ground beneath me was wet as I made my way back to the tube station, an elated smile on my face the whole time - although I wasn't entirely sure why.