Lots of Love, Mike

Dear Stella

I am so glad you have written to me as I thought that was it with our letter writing. I am sorry also for your loss and feel sad for you and your mom. Billie said to send you and your mom his thoughts. He is such a good guy and probably knows what you are going through. It must have been awful for you.

He has been telling nearly everyone he meets that he knows someone who has seen the Clash. I don't think anyone believes him.

He's going to ask this girl out called Steph. Apparently she likes him, so Julie says but I'm not so sure. No disrespect to Billie but she's very rich and is real good looking but knows it. She's not my type as she swans about all day checking herself in the mirror and flirting with all the older guys. I think Billie is going to get knocked back. I'll let you know how it goes for him. I don't know why he bothers with girls because he seems more interested in music and not much else. To be truthful I think he really likes your friend Jessie. He often asks how she is when your letters come and he thinks she's so pretty when the photographs arrive. I caught him the other day having a look at my pinboard when he didn't think I was looking. He said if Jessie lived round here he would ask her out! Poor Jessie!

Did I tell you we broke in to the Gilman? It was so awesome we can't wait to get back there but the guy on the door threw us out. Billie thinks we're going to play there one day but whose going to want to listen to us when there are so many more awesome bands out there.

We've got our first gig next week. It's only for a friend's birthday party but they said we could have free drink and food and they'll pay us a little bit of money each. I can't wait. Loads of people at school keep asking us when we're going to play again.

I wish John would be more enthusiastic though as Billie gets pissed off with him. I sometimes think Billie wishes we didn't have John playing for us as he's unreliable but we don't know any other drummers so we have to make do with him.

Its late here Stella but I really wanted to write back to you as soon as possible. I'm so glad you wrote back.

Love from

Mike xxx

p.s. Stella - here is my phone number. I wonder if you'll ever get to call me up. When I hear an English accent on the TV I always think of you.

"Oh my god" said Jessie. "I don't believe that you let me read that letter. I'm a little embarrassed now. Billie Joe quite likes me." Jessie actually blushed. She never blushes.

"Why are you embarrassed?" Stella said to her.

"Don't know" she shrugged. "He seems so cool. Cool boys don't usually like me, they think I'm stuck up," she said. "Anyway they are so kind and thoughtful aren't they asking after you and your mum like that. Why can't they live around here? I'm sure we'd have loads of fun with them. Not like the boys round here, they are just so dull. Why can't we have boyfriends that are in a band and play instruments? All the boys we know are only interested in football. I hate football and I hate standing around on muddy sidelines watching them kick some ball about into a net. Mind you, footballers do have nice legs don't they?" said Jessie dreamily.

"Oh Jessie shut up about guys legs. Anyway, what shall we do during the Christmas holidays?"

"Not sure. Any ideas?"

"Well I want to go to the hairdressers in the school holidays and have my hair cut off.

"WHAT. Not your beautiful long hair" said Jessie

"Yeah. It's a bit girly isn't it? I want to have it done in this style" Stella said and grabbed a magazine out from under the bed. "What do you think?"

She pointed to a page of a punk girl. The style was really short, spiky and black.

"It looks ok," said Jessie "but how can you go from having long glossy brown hair to that?"

"Quite easily." said Stella

"Yeah but its different if you've got black hair. That sort of style suits hair that's either black, bleach blonde or may be even red." Said Jessie.

"I know. I'm going to dye it black."

"WHAT? You're kidding?"

"No. Will says it will suit me."

"Oh him". Said Jessie. Jessie wasn't keen on Will. He was quite a nice guy but she thought he was a bad influence on Stella.

"Please don't start on about that again" said Stella. "I like Will. We have such fun together. Those guys are great, they've become good friends," she said.

"I'm not so sure," said Jessie. "I heard that Stu had got in trouble with the police for paint spraying graffiti on someone's car."

Stella didn't answer.

"So its true?" Jessie asked her friend.

"Yeah but don't tell anyone. It was ages ago and he regrets it."

"How can Will want you to get your gorgeous hair cut off?" said Jessie looking at the photograph again. "It's so gorgeous and thick Stella; I wish mine hair was like yours. Please don't get it done. If you hate it then you're just stuck with it."

"Too late, I'm getting it done. I've booked an appointment for Christmas eve."

"Oh Stella. What about your mum, what's she going to say?"

"I just told her I wanted a tidier, shorter style. Once it's done she can't do anything about it."

Jessie was shocked at her friend. She was sure it had something to do with Will's influence. Stella was trying to hard to please him. Just because he was cool and older Stella tried to act like it too but it all fell flat and it just made her look stupid.

"Hey her nose ring looks cool too. What do you think?" Said Stella once again pointing to the girl in the picture.

"Oh Stella no. You're too young," said Jess.

"Only kidding," she said, but Stella wasn't. She thought the nose ring looked so good she was going to get one done as soon as she could. She might even ask Jade to do it, as she knew she had done it to a few other girls and Stella thought they looked so cool. She was sure other people would like it, Will would and Mike, well she was sure Mike would like it too.

"I've not seen you playing your keyboard for ages" said Jess.

"Yeah I can't be bothered really" said Stella. "Can't be bothered to do much at all and school is bollocks."

"Stella. Don't swear." said Jess "it doesn't suit you."

"Oh sorry" said Stella. "It just slipped out."

Christmas Eve...

Stella nervously opened the front door with her key. She could hear her mother singing along to a Christmassy song that was playing on the radio.

"I'm home," said Stella. Shit. Here goes

"Oh hi darling" said Stella's mother coming out through the door.

"Oh my god. Stella. What have you done to your beautiful hair?" said her mum.

"I had it cut neater and shorter," said Stella. "Like we agreed, remember"

"Oh Stella" said her mother almost crying "your beautiful hair" she said.

"Oh it was too long mum. I needed a change. Long hair gets in the way of everything. It was too girly anyway," she said.

"We didn't agree that you'd dye it though did we?" said her mother getting angry.

"No but it looks better died black with this sort of style don't you think" said Stella admiring herself in the hall mirror.

"Stella you look awful," said her mother. "I'm disappointed in you. Very disappointed. I didn't think you'd do something like this," said her mother. "Get to your room" she snapped. "We'll talk about this later" she said.

"Suit yourself," said Stella running upstairs and slamming shut her bedroom door.

Stella's mother went back to preparing dinner in the kitchen and sighed. Stella had changed slightly lately. She didn't know why though. Was it to do with Geoff dying? Had it affected her? She didn't think Stella liked Geoff that much. Had she got in with some new friends she didn't know about. Her mum felt sad. She needs a man's influence around the house. Oh Geoff. You were so good with Stella and knew how to handle her. You would know how to handle this. My god she is only 13 and she's started to do things like this. Mrs Smith next door said she thought she saw Stella at the park the other day when she should have been at school.

Stella's mum carried on peeling the vegetables for dinner when she heard the music blasting from Stella's bedroom. Too loud thought her mother but I haven't the energy to go up and tell her.

Christmas Day...

"Its beautiful" said Stella's mum. "Mike never ceases to impress me," she said. "What a lovely gift to add to your bracelet."

Stella took off the bracelet and clipped on the small silver guitar that mike had sent her. It was gorgeous but Stella wasn't sure if she was going to wear the bracelet for much longer. Will saw it the other day and he told her it was too girly. May be she would just put it in her jewellery box and wear it on special occasions...

One week later... New year...

Stella and Jess were once again in Stella's bedroom chatting as usual.

"Oh guess what?" said Jess. "You know my Uncle Phil, the one who lives in America?"

"Yeah." Said Stella

"Well he's getting married next year in August and we're going over there to spend the holidays and to see him get married. I didn't realise he lived in San Francisco. Is that anywhere near Mike?"

"Not sure" said Stella. "The next time I write I shall ask him.

"Yeah. If it is, may be I could meet up with Mike and Billie Joe too" said Jess.

"May be" said Stella. "But I doubt it, don't you."

"Why?"

"Well. I may not be writing to Mike then. Who knows, August is a long way off. We'll have to see."

"Oh please ask him next time you write. Ask him how far away it is. I'll give you my uncle's address and you can see if it's near him. That would be so cool."

"Yeah. Whatever "said Stella just flicking through the magazine but once again ending up at the picture of the punk girl.

Stella felt the jealousy rise up in her like she'd never experienced before. She couldn't believe that Jessie may get the opportunity to meet Mike and Billie Joe. If anyone should be going to visit them it should be me she thought...