In Another Life (1993-1996)

Tell Me How High

Though it was half seven, the sun was still shining and the crisp July air blew my hair across my face. Ben tucked it back behind my ear for me, took my hand and led me to the car. Its black windows were rolled down slightly so it wouldnt be too stuffy. Insuring that I didnt catch my dress in the door, I slid onto the leather seats, Ben getting in using the other door. The school was half an hour drive away and Ben and I chatted the whole way. He held my hand subconsciously as we spoke, only letting go to scratch his nose or point something out through the window. It was so sweet. The sky outside was on the brink of twilight. It must've been at least 22°c. The whole thing was going perfectly.

"So, tell me, where do you go at the weekends? You just take off with your guitar." Ben smiled. So Wanda hadnt told him that I go to the studios. Strange.

"Oh, I go to Camden. I got offered a recording contract. Didnt you know?" Ben nodded.

"Oh, I thought you might be off seeing that boy who sent you that letter? No? Good. So you're a musician? Like, professionally. Erm.. Yeah." He pulled a nervous face that I just had to laugh at.

"Yeah Im a musician. What do you want to be? A doctor? Or a detective? Or an actor?" This time Ben laughed.

"The first to maybe. But no, not an actor. Mum and dad wouldn't want that. They want me to get a proper job like a barrister or something. It would be cool to be a detective I guess. I could be a modern Sherlock Holmes." I bit my lip to stop myself from saying something I would regret, but the irony was so great it was impossible not to smile a little bit.

"Your parents are both actors, aren't they?"

"Yeah. But they say it isnt as good as loads of people make out. Your out of work for long periods of time and need to budget a lot as you dont know when you will have a set job. My acting will stop at school plays. What about your parents? I dont even know what they were called." My parents. My mother was a average height woman with big kind eyes and long brown hair which I inherited along with her habit of tying it casually over my shoulder. My father had green eyes that sparkled. My eyes looked like neither, more like a mix between. A light hazel flicked with green and brown. My parents had the same job.

"They were both scientist. My mum, Alice, was from Mansfield, where im from. My dad, Isaac, was from Nottingham. I'm an only child so I moved down here to be closer to my mums brother incase of emergency, but otherwise, well you know." Ben was going to question me about my uncle next, I just knew it. He was such a curious person. And the better I got to know him, the more I noticed that he wasnt the shy dork I had originally pinned him down as. But luckily, the car was slowing to a stop. We had arrived.

From the outside, Harrow looked intimidating yet impressive. The front entrance was not used normally at school times, but tonight students waited for their dates around the tall illuminated tower gate. Ben took my arm like an ancient prince and escorted me inside. As we walked past the notice board pinned up especially for tonight, I spotted a poster. Set on a blue background was a photo of 5 men walking down a street, 3 of which wearing glasses similar to John Lennon. Ben also saw the poster and pointed to the bloke at the back.

"I recognise him. He was that guy you were talking to when you first came to our house. Remember? When I was looking through the, erm I mean, when I saw you that time?" Noel was the only one not facing the camera which was anyway, mainly focused on Liam. Beneath the photo was a date and location of Oasis' nearest gig. Which just happened to be this weekend.

"That arsehole. He told someone to put this here on purpose. Just to rub in that he isnt coming tonight. Mr Gallagher, you are lucky your not here tonight. Because if you were, you would not be performing a gig again." I ran my fingers through my hair, stressing out.