Headshrinker

Chapter 1

There was nothing I could do, or so I thought. That was until I remembered my brother was in a band with four other lads. That was the answer. I could get familiar with them.

They'd been formed a while as the Rain but they recently got a new member and a new name. They didn't really do gigs anymore so it wasn't like I could meet one of them like a very early groupie. Bonehead said the new guy was relentless in rehearsal. They were surely going to be great when they did get a gig. Other than Bonehead, there was four of them. Four men, one of them would have some fun with me surely. If not, it was back to the drawing board.

I already knew Tony a bit and I was quite close to Guigsy or I had been a while back before university. I just needed to meet the other two, the brothers.

He said they were always in the rehearsal room at the Boardwalk. I decided to pay them a visit. I was sure they wouldn't mind me being there.

I didn't know what to wear, I didn't want to go fancy or anything but I didn't want to look like I didn't care either. I ended up with jeans, a t-shirt and a denim jacket. I plaited my hair thinking about how dad had always insisted bonehead had very short hair where as my hair had been all lengths.

The Boardwalk was busy but someone showed me to the way downstairs to where they were. They were playing something as I got there but as soon as I opened the door the noise stopped dead like it was top secret. I was intrigued.

The room was white but more gone grey and grimy. It was packed with instruments and the five band members. The lack of space and the cigarette smoke in the air made it so stuffy, I immediately decided I shouldn't stay too long.

"Oi no birds allowed." someone sat with a guitar, furrowed his eyebrows at me the moment I walked in. "Who're you?"

I could hardly focus on what he said, I was trying to take in his huge brown eyebrows and the piercing blue eyes they sat above. I liked that he was bossy and direct even if it came off as hostility. I smiled at him, staying quiet. Guigsy sniggered really quietly, trying to be inconspicuous and I gave him an agreeing look but he was looking down. Noel sounded like a little boy keeping me out of his fort. I couldn't wait to get to know him. He seemed like my kind of person.

"This is my sister Kassidy." Bonehead pointed out. He introduced me to the brothers. I'd already guessed the Noel and the Liam from what he'd told me.

Liam was the younger, the taller and the thinner. He had the same blue eyes but his were inviting. His eyebrows were less thick but formed more of a monobrow. They were both surprised he had a sister, Noel reiterated his no girls allowed policy but I stayed.

Tony said hi and Guis' realised who I was and stared at me like he had a million questions. Neither of us said a word to each other. We had a lot of things left unsaid.

I promised they wouldn't know I was there and went and sat near Guigsy. I was surprised Noel didn't insist I left and attempt marching me out the room going by my reception.

Once they'd relaxed and gotten over my arrival they started playing. Noel wasn't hostile at all while he was strumming on his guitar. They definitely accepted me when they realised they could send me to the bar for drinks whenever they wanted.

He and Liam were actually really funny, I couldn't stop giggling at how awkward they were together. Liam glanced in my direction every time he thought he said something funny. I always looked right back, trying to make an impression too.

I wasn't used to this. I didn't know what I was doing. I was going by what I saw in movies, scripted shows. Two lads were quietly flirting along with me while they were playing, without the others noticing.