In Another Life (1993-1996)

And were all entertainers

Ever since I was 12 years old my main dreams in my life had been simple. Number 1: Meet someone who looks like Johnny Depp or Benedict Cumeberbatch. Number 2: See Nirvana, Oasis or Green Day live. Number 3: Do something that I would be remembered for. None became true in my life at Nottingham. But as I was looking at the boy across the hall, there was a chance that the first one might be a reality.

It was weird feeling a stranger in your own home, but I guessed that all people felt this way when they first move in. I stood in the hallway watching Ben pack his bag for school. He looked at me confused, and then looked behind him.

"Is there something wrong?" I snapped out of my trance where I had been checking out his nicely toned back

"Hmm... What? Sorry, just thinking." Ben made a sound that made me suspect he knew that I had been paying very close attention to his body. He tilted his head to the side and pulled down his shirt that had been riding up little as he leaned over.

"Why aren't you getting ready for school, sorry, what was your name again?"

"Er, Evelyn, and the summer term is almost finished in year 11, so my uncle couldn't get me into the local state schools and didn't see the point of paying £1000 for a term that's almost finished in some snobby local boarding school. Where do you go?" He looked at me straight in the face as I spoke, which made me talk faster and harsher than normal, and didn't move his eyes and he replied.

"Harrow, one of those local snobby private schools." Oh great. I managed to insult him. I didn't mean it.

"I don't mean you're snobby, it's just some of the people there are. They have loads of money. I don't even know how much I've got; I might not even have enough for food, let alone a private school. It's okay anyway. I've already took my GCSEs. I've just got to wait for my bank statement to arrive. Sorry I snapped." Ben sighed and carried on sorting out his bag, not insulted just not interested with me anymore. I picked up my coat and headed for the door.

*

I had been to London before, enough to know my way from tourist sights to the hotels and stuff, but the area I was in was big and posh. There was no way I had been here before. The street was picture perfect. Even the people who walked the streets looked perfect. Intimidated by the high standard of living where I was, I went towards the city centre. I found my self near Camden Lock, a place I visited before. It was the first place in London I had recognised so far, and I felt more safe and comfortable here.

Walking around the pretty stalls and displays, I wished I had some money, at least to buy a little something to make Ben like me. To busy looking at a little stall selling CDs, walked straight into someone who was getting their stuff together after getting off a bus.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" I said as I not only knocked his sandwich on the floor, but his guitar case also began falling. I quickly caught it and handed it back.

"Its okay love, but you'll have to buy me a new sandwich. Or a drink. Your choice." I was about to explain that I didn't have any money, so I couldn't pay him or buy him anything, when I realise who I was talking to.

"Oh my God. You're, you're, you're-"

"Hungry." Noel Gallagher interrupted me. I felt my self go red as one of my lifelong heroes stared down at me, sizing me up. I was beginning to feel confused.

"Where's your body guards?" I asked.

"Is this some sort of joke to put the blame on me? I'm supposed to have body guards to stop loonies like you colliding into me? I'm just a normal bloke. "I began to feel very dizzy now. Here was an apparently younger Noel Gallagher who didn't appear to be famous. What was going on? I clutched the table next to me, looking for support as I suddenly felt very sick.

"You alright, love?" He grabbed my arm, helping me into a chair he pulled from a near-by stall. "Okay look at me." He knelt down, looking me straight in the eyes. He held up his fingers.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" I focused on them, blinking as they swam in front of me.

"Urm, hold still. Is there 3?" Noel sighed.

"Nope, there were 2. Thumbs don't count. Okay what's the date today? Day, Month, Year." I thought back to the last time I had seen a calendar.

"21st May 2012" At this, he looked very confused and began to look at the back of my head.

"Has someone gone and hit you over the head when I weren't looking?"

"Why, what is the date? I couldn't have been that far off." He handed me a glass of water that a woman standing near by had been drinking. Inspecting my eyes again, he answered.

"I think you've gone mad, love. Its 21st of May alright, but it aint 2012 yet. Its only 1993."

"1993! What!? No. It's 2012. Is this so sort of joke? I reckon you're the mad one here, Mr Gallagher." He ignored me. Lifting me under my arms, he got me to stand up.

"I would give you a lift, but I've only just got here from Manchester, so how about we walk you home and forget the sandwich? I reckon that's a fair deal." It was a good thing I had remembered to pick up the house keys as Wanda would be out. I had only been gone 4 hours, and she had said she would be gone until 4:30, leaving a good couple of hours till she would be back.

"God, your a right little prissy knickers, aren't ya?" Noel said as we turned into my new street. I had my arm around his neck, so it was easy to slap him around the top of the head. It messed up his hair and he turned to look at me.

"Right that's it." I screamed playfully as he swept me off my feet and ran with me towards the nearest outdoor bin. Tipping me slightly towards the open plastic tub, he grinned naughtily.

"Say you're sorry." All I did was stick my tongue out at him. He shook me just enough for me to have to grab onto his shirt to not fall in.

"This is really mean! I'm not very well, remember?" He laughed as he tipped me in a little bit more. It smelt really bad.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I was screaming for mercy so loud that the next-door-neighbour looked through her net curtains.

"Good." He said as he took me out of the bin and placed me back on the pavement. Well that was the first time I had ever been threatened to be chucked into a dumpster by an almost stranger. Noel was cool though and we got along really well. It was like we knew each other before. I reckon he felt that way too. As we walked up my drive, with a new car sitting in it, he handed me a business card.

"This is the number of the studio I'm going to be working in for the next couple of weeks, call me if you want. I might need a tour guide around old London town." He winked at me and started walking away from me, standing in the door way. I looked down at the card. And then back at him.

"You're working in the studio? Why?" He turned, walking backwards.

"Me, a couple of my mates and my brother are starting a band. An agent picked us up not long ago; we went up to Glasgow and performed a few gigs. I give you a demo tape if you want?" I smiled. He was far enough away for me to have to shout.

"Yeah, I'd like that. What are you called? I mean, your band, what's the name?" I just heard him reply.

"Oasis." Looking down again at the little card for Creation Records, I smiled. Noel Gallagher had just walked me home. This helped me believe a little that I was indeed in 1993. The question was; How did I get here?