Localizing

Chapter Five

Liam left that morning, before she had rehearsals, with a big grin slapped across his face as he waved from the window of the train. Rory had the same one glued to hers as she strutted to the studio. The band was already warming up and their producer was talking to El very animatedly, tapping her drumsticks against her thigh. Josie and Eben were sat on the floor playing a card game while Frenchie stood next to them tuning her bass. It was good to see nothing had changed.

El turned to her at the sound of the door shutting, cheering for her arrival and throwing a can her way that she barely caught in time. The sound made everyone else turn to her and she wanted to collapse because she was going to have to leave them, even if it was for only a week.

She swallows her worry and announces, "Let's get t'work!"

They scramble to their respective spots and do some final tuning, deciding to start practice with 'Caught in the Act'. It was a blaring tune meant to be an almost sonic representation of how it feels to be called out on behavior you didn't know you exhibited. The sudden realisation that you did that, then the constant awareness and paranoia of doing it again. Just as it was described, Rory didn't even know she had felt that before, until she heard the track. Things that couldn't even be considered bad, but if someone was conscious of your doing it, then it shouldn't be continued.

It can be rough to keep them on the right path. With the drinks (and drugs snuck in by two certain members and taken during breaks, but everyone else didn't know that), they couldn't be contained enough for this. That's why they performed so well in front of audiences, their energy was matched and they weren't told off for jumping around like maniacs.

The hours dwindled with many 'Put that down!'s or 'No, you can't drink that.'s. You'd have thought they'd all lost their minds, and maybe they had. By the end Rory was nearly bouncing out her seat to leave, Eben and El huddled in a corner whispering some weird shit, and Josie and Frenchie laid on the floor doing fuck all. Their producer was focused on the recording he had taken from another song for an 'experiment' he'd said. Whatever that meant. It was the only real reason he was there today, they had everything else pretty much figured out for a run of the mill rehearsal.

Rory claps her hands together to gather their attention while also stating, "Listen up children!" She receives some groans from the adults who opposed being called a child, but if they didn't like it, they shouldn't act like one. "I have some news..."

El's eyes widen, "Oh no... you're not... carrying, r'you?"

"What? No!" She shakes her head in shock at the assumption, "I've got some family trouble back home, so I'll be on my way for a bit."

She gauges their reactions before continuing, "Alix here will be watching over you lot for the week." She gestures to their producer, "He's a good lad, you all know that, so let us treat him as such. No fucking around, get the work done. You can act like wild animals once your out or you're in for it when I'm back. Are we understood?"

A unanimous but dragged yes is given and Rory nods contently, entirely fine with that response. "Next Wednesday until Monday, you know me mum. She hasn't got the best line, so I won't be getting many calls. Try to make it only emergencies, alright?" The band look so tired from playing she feels the need to free them, "You're done, scatter."

They all grab their belongings from around the studio and spill out of the exit. Eben and Josie walk off side by side, his guitar case hanging loosely on his back. Frenchie is scrambling behind them to catch up with her bass that keeps falling off her shoulder. They turn and wait as she makes it to them before continuing on. El is standing idly at the side while Rory gathers her own stuff, smoking with close-eyed drags.

Once leaving the door, she starts by Rory's side, going the opposite way as everyone else. It's silent with no need for one of them to voice any words. It had always been that way for her and El, they were quiet people and kept to themselves for the most part. She supposed it helped create some mysterious look to everyone else when in reality she just couldn't stand the sound of her own voice. It was an unfortunate way to live, disgusted by every sound you make even if you have so much you want to say.

The night passed in a flash once she made it back home. She thought it best to pack a bag ahead of time so she wouldn't be running around her place to try and find everything she would need right before it was time to leave. Since all her stuff was gone for a bit she still pushed it off and would likely end up scampering around like a headless chicken Tuesday night.

What she didn't expect would be a call from Liam at eleven at night, safely assuming any sane person would be trying to sleep at this time. Then again, with all the time she has spent with him, his sanity was questionable. Her ringtone blasted through the rooms like a fire alarm being set off, in fact she thought that might've been what it was in her tired stare until she recognised the sound. Stumbling over nothing, she made it to the corridor where the landline hung on the wall and she groans out a greeting as she picks up.

"Rory?" The voice is a simple whisper that she almost misses at the lack of volume.

"Liam, it's nearly midnight, why're you callin'?"

"No reason. Just... checking up," he lies. It was far easier to say than admitting that he just missed her voice. "How were rehearsals?"

Rory sighs in exhaustion, "Alright. You didn't want to wait 'til morning? You sound tired, Li."

"Were you sleepin'? Didn't mean to wake ye."

She hums at the sincerity in his voice, "I don't mind. Was there summat you wanted to talk about?" She slides down the wall, pulling the cord with her, as she sits herself onto the bare floor in just her thin shorts to block the coldness.

It's silent on his end for a moment as he gathers his thoughts. There had been one flying around throughout the day that had him planning while Noel would shout complaints at him. "When could I take you on that date?"

She grins stupidly at the question and he can picture it thorough the phone. "Soon. Before Wednesday. Why, are taking me somewhere expensive? I ain't got much fancy dress, so the staff'd be disappointed."

"You can wear whatever you like. Don't matter what they think, you're too beautiful for 'em anyways."

He pauses and she can hear his breaths shallowly down the speaker. "As nice as I can afford. I'll save some up and really sweep you off your feet."

"You're too kind to me."

"Nah. Everyone else just isn't kind enough to ye." He glances up through his dark lashes at the woman tip-toeing around the room. "I really wanna convince you that I can be good. I know I might not seem it and sometimes I'm not, but I'm trying and I want to be better. I really like you, Rory."

"I believe you." She hears shuffling on his end, assuming he was moving to a more comfortable position. She sighs contently then continues.

"Give me a time and place and I'll be there."

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