Smile

Chapter 2: Part 1

The atmosphere inside the van had changed.

'Well how about that.' Brian exclaimed.

We were all processing what had happened. He hadn't even told us his name. The tipsy part of my spontaneity burst forth and I leapt athletically out of the van, past the boys and ran after the singer. He'd only gotten into the alleyway that ran from the street down the pub and into the car park. The noise of the Saturday night street was my back-up as I called out to him.

He turned around, recognizing me.

'Hey, sorry – you didn't tell us your name?' I said, my breathing steady just about.

The rush of energy didn't ordinarily couple well with my state of mind after a few drinks in me.

'Freddie.' He introduced.

'Freddie.' I repeated.

My brain was whirring to catch up and make a coherent sentence to get what I needed from him. A car horn tooted.

'Do you have a number or address or something so we can contact you? The boys, mainly Roger, can be useless sometimes.' I gushed with a widening smile.

His uncertainty was shrugged off and he smiled with my lips pressed together, eyes gloriously enthused.

I re-entered the car park waving Freddie's lyric sheet as a fan to my face.

'You two didn't even think to get any contact information from him. I just saved your band.' I announced in front of Brian and Roger. 'And I'm drunk.' I pointed out.

Brian smiled at me and I handed him the paper. Roger was smiling coyly, shaking his head and drinking from his bottle in silence. I think this meant that I had won the next level of respect from him which felt nice but fruitless. Roger didn't deal in respect but co-operation, fixed intentions.

'Well done Lia, I'm actually off for tonight – got a cousin's birthday or something at home. Have one on me, yeah?' Brian responded to me, getting up and pulling down the sleeves of his jacket.

The night was still young; it felt a shame to break up this early. The emptiness of my uni room did not beckon. I folded my arms.

'Will one of you drive my car to mine? I shouldn't be driving tonight.' I asked, feeling a bit needy and afraid of my tipsiness fading into sobriety.

'You staying at your folks' tonight Bri?' Roger commented, standing up too and taking his final drink of beer before passing the bottle to me.

I took it, thankful of at least some engagement.

'Yeah, I'll be back around late morning.'

'Cool.'

The boys shut the van door and Brian got in the driver's seat. Roger walked over to me, eyes trailing from my upper body to my face.

'I'll drive you.'

I nodded, maintaining the cool exchanges. I slid into the passenger seat which felt weird in my own car. The seat was reclined further back then how the driver's was so I curled up my legs and shut the door. A quick two chugs of beer and my stomach became warm again. This was pleasing. Roger got in and adjusted the seat back. He was only about 4 inches taller than I was but he was particular about cars so I didn't pass comment.

There was something seductive about watching a guy drive. Roger was no exception, one hand on the wheel and the other resting beside the gear stick. He looked down at me as he pulled out of the car parking space, making sure to notice my shirt pulled tight in my position.