In Another Life (1993-1996)

Virtual World

"So you have done it with Ben yet?"

"Liz."

"Oh come on. He so digs you."

"Liz shut up."

"When he sees you all dolled up like this."

"Liz, I'll shove this make up brush where the sun doesn't shine."

"So scary coming from a living barbie."

"Do you want to end up looking like Boy George, cause Liz, I am two seconds away from using your face as a doodle board."

"Eve, you move that eyeliner away from my nose. Now." I sighed and gave in. She had been completely done up by the makeup artist.

"I guess it would be a shame to make you revert back to your natural state."

"Harsh." Lizzie said. Her black hair was permed and clipped back at the sides, her green eyes were rimmed with matt black eyeliner and glitter flakes. She coloured her pout with deep red. She was wearing a Tartan mini skirt with a black sleeveless crop top and denim waistcoat. Normally, Liz would definitely not be showing that much flesh but the outfit was perfect for the shoot. A new magazine, Outbreak, was doing a feature on the new artist and we were the "bad girls". Liz and I were dressed like what kids of the future would call either Grunge or tragic. Jason and Zack were all dressed up like bad boys too.

The purple patterned dress I was wearing came with two sets of sleeves that were catching on anything I got close to and my awkward 50’s rollered hair felt odd against my shoulders. Normally, my hair would be reaching my shoulder blades as it was getting longer now, so the short curls were taking a little while to get used to. Lizzie had permed her hair not long ago after liking the way Andie MacDowell had it in Four Weddings and A Funeral.

“It’s a scandal isn’t it? I’m still too young for Hugh Grant!” I said to her as I applied a thin layer of dark red lipstick.

“He is quite fit.”

“Indeed. Quite fit.”

“Mm.” She said, pouting in the mirror. The photographer’s assistant walked in.

“Do you mind following me through into the studio?” She said, her voice sounding as if we really didn’t have a choice. We walked into the large studio. We had travelled up to Manchester for the session and were hopefully going to feature in NME.

Ben and Arthur were standing against the far wall, drinking coffee. They hadn’t noticed us yet so Lizzie picked up a hat that was lying next to the camera and threw it, Frisbee style, at Arthur. It hit the back of his head and made him get coffee down his front. As he wiped himself down, Ben caught my eye and grinned stupidly. I shook my hips in a ‘sexy’ way, but really I was making fun of all the people who thought it was a pulling technique. It was working on Ben though. He scanned me up and down and nodded slightly, showing his approval. I remembered a funny thing from the film Legally Blonde and decided to try the ‘Bend & Snap’. I giggled at Ben’s face and sauntered away.

The set for the shoot was set out like the front of a shop; there was a counter, a vintage till, a barber’s red and white pole and a gum ball machine. What this was supposed to say about us, I had no clue. I decided to raid the gumball machine, Lizzie was pretending to steal from the till, Jason was lying on the counter and Zack was reading a magazine under the barber pole. We took several photos like this before the photographer asked to do some individual shots. I had just popped a blue bubble gum in my mouth and stuck my tongue, which was coloured blue, out. They took a photo from a higher angle and I crossed my eyes. They asked for serious one, and I looked at the camera, emotionless. They then asked for me to pose with a guitar. I chose a replica of Kurt Cobain’s. It broke my heart holding the instrument after the events of last month when the legend had been found dead. I had wanted to go and help him, knowing what he would do, but I had no clue why he had killed himself and therefore would’ve had no idea where to start.

For the picture, I pushed my curls over my fair in a typical Kurt way and began playing the introduction to Smells Like Teen Spirit. The photographer said he really liked that photo as my fingers had blurred from the pace I was playing so it was an amazing action shot. I smiled and handed him back the guitar. Next was Lizzie’s shots. She leaned against the counter, looking over her shoulder. She held up a set of vintage barber’s equipment with Sweeny Todd madness. She took a simple one, her green eyes glowing from the camera flash. She was handed a bass and she decided to flick it over her shoulder and lean her arms over it.

Zack was up next, his first photo of him sitting back in a chair with his feet up. Then him using his drumsticks as walrus tusks, an extreme close up, then he found a top hat. Jason jumped in his final photo and stole the hat, which was all caught on film. Jason’s photos were of him with a Les Paul guitar, a photo of Blondie who he had a crush on, and a halo above is head.

It was such a strange thing, I had died. I remembered it, the feeling of letting go and then almost a year later I was having a photo shoot for Outbreak, a magazine I remembered from 2012. A year. WE were in May 1994, or 2013. I wondered what was going on for everyone. Would people at school miss me? Was I just a little story that year sevens would hear about? Maybe people said I haunted the girls bathroom, like a budget version of Moaning Myrtle. I had finally come to terms with the fact that I was gone, and it was easier now. I liked the fact I was trapped in my own head. Why should I be worried what people thought and did now, it couldn’t affect me. All that mattered were the people I was stuck in my head with; Ben, Lizzie, Arthur, Noel, Jason, Zack and Annie. I had even stopped bothering about the ‘uncle’ guy. I hadn’t had a message from him in months, so I came to the conclusion that whatever I was doing, I was doing something right.

I went and stood next to Ben. He didn’t acknowledge my presence apart from a slight lean towards me as he was talking animatedly to Arthur.

“Yes, my parents are looking at universities for me to go to already. They have their eye on Oxbridge obviously. But I was thinking about the drama courses I have been attending recently and all I can say is I am looking too. Eve’s already seen a couple of the places I have been thinking of and we both agreed the University of Manchester sounds good. Of course, parents don’t want me to go into the same profession as them, but it just seems like the right thing for me.” He gushed. Arthur nodded.

“I agree. You should really check out the Open Air Theatre at Regents Park. They are always looking for some good talent.”

“Yeah, Eve’s friend Annie told me about there. She’s also seeing if she can get me some roles. But I think I am going to wait till after university.” Ben said. I waited until I knew he had finished before leaning into his ear and whispering. When the words escaped my mouth, he froze. I leant back to normal; he made eye contact and nodded. Arthur looked between the two of us, obviously curious to what I had said.

“Eve! The interview bit now!” Liz yelled from the other side of the room and I went to join her. The questions were typical of a new band and Lizzie and I messed about through the interview. The woman who was asking had a overbearing nature and obviously wanted to be our age again.

“So, girlies. The big question is; men. Who are you looking at?” She said, her voice simpering. She patted our knees in an overly friendly manner. I answered quickly.

“Johnny Depp.”

“Kurt Cobain, I know.” Lizzie said, I could tell she was feeling uncomfortable.  

“Ooh, good choice.” I said

“You too.” We exchanged a glace and began giggling that didn’t stop for the whole way through.

After we had gotten clean off, we headed off home. Ben kept on sending me nervous glances and his palms were sweaty, but I knew what I wanted to do. We said good bye to Arthur and Lizzie as they got out of the car and droves the rest of the way in silence.

“Ben.”

“Yes, darling?” He said, overly breezy.

“Darling? Anyway, you are okay with this?” I asked. He looked at me. After a long pause he spoke.

“Yes. Of course.” We arrived home to find that Wanda and Tim had gone out. Perfect. When inside, I looked at Ben thorugh my eyelashes.

“Come here.” I said. He walked closer. I couldn’t wait any longer so I pounced on him and began kissing him, not waiting long berfore reaching for his belt and shirt buttons. I had already told him that I thought we should take our relationship to the next level and he agreed. We had been together for nearly a year and were both over the legal age, it seemed stupid not to. So we did. And it was amazing.