SOAKED IN BLEACH - K.C.

01

Aberdeen, WA - May 18th, 1985

Avenelle lugged her bookbag into the passenger seat of her '87 Cadillac for the last time. Today was her last day of senior year, and she couldn't be happier about it. She relished in the fact that she wouldn't have to deal with any of these people or classes or schedules anymore.

She would no longer be tied down here. She had no school to attend and she was now a legal adult. Well, almost a legal adult. She still had a month or two until then, but she would use that time wisely and plan for her big escape from Aberdeen.

She wanted to go to college, that she knew. She was good at photography, or at least she thought so. She dreamed of attending the University of Washington and then heading into the world to travel with bands while they were on tour. She would jet-set with the bands she loved while taking photos of anything mildly interesting that happened, which she also loved.

She imagined everyone who she could work with while she drove home, dreaming of standing under Sonic Youth or Mötley Crüe with a high-tech lens, getting all of the action shots that thousands of fans would admire.

Pulling into the driveway of her house, Avenelle parked in the open garage and lugged herself and her backpack inside. Summer break had started, and so had the rest of her life. There was no set plan anymore. She was always able to rely on school to keep her somewhat regulated. No matter what was going on, she could always count on school in the morning.

Now she couldn't count on much. She could want, she could plan, but Avenelle Williams had next to nothing tied to her name as of this moment.

This worried her. Organization and knowing what is happening next comforted her. She decided she would make short term plans. She would scout for a something to go to tonight, a movie or a show or a concert or something.

There were no friends for her to ask, no cool parents who were veterans to the scene, nothing. She would have to physically go out and look for a rouge poster or drummer promoting their band on a street corner.

Avenelle had never really done the whole 'underground' thing before. She didn't know where to start. She had only ever listened to records and cassettes, no live stuff, and they were mostly classics or somewhat well-known bands.

She was most certainly not well versed in the punk rock scene, nor was she well versed in any scene.

Slipping on her cross-bodied bag with her camera and a pack of cigarettes in it, Avenelle slid back downstairs.

Her car, an eye catching throwback that the other people in Aberdeen didn't quite understand, didn't take to kindly to being driven far distances, so Avenelle knew she was going to have to drive in a cut throat path and keep her eyes peeled the whole time.

She had almost given up hope and called it quits on her spontaneous, childish plan when she saw a black and white sign of hope. Loud, printed designs faded by the constant rainy weather caught her eye, stapled to a cork board under the eave of a small music shop in the center of what could only be called busyness when in Aberdeen.

She quickly found a spot to park, seeing as this was one of the most deserted stores in a mile radius. Avenelle impatiently jogged over to the paper, squinting to read the now light grey and in some parts completely muddled together words.