Bad Obsession (Guns N' Roses: Izzy Stradlin)

Chapter 3: Ripley

Izzy's P.O.V.

I was speeding along the concrete streets, the shops, and people on the sidewalk a complete blur. Ripley, my dog, was jumping around in the back seat of my sports car and she kept licking my ear.

"Ripley! Get down! Sit!" I yelled. She immediately sat back down and looked guiltily up at me, and I kind of melted right there. "Oh Ripley, I'm sorry, bub." Straight away she wagged and jumped back up again. I could feel a smile creep onto my face and when I looked back at the road I was nearly off it completely.

"FUCK!"

I swerved quickly completely cutting off the person behind me and I could hear him beep his horn and yell out his window, cursing or some shit.

I was feeling a little too jumpy because I think I might have taken a little too much crack before we would start to film. I hate being in front of cameras, I don't like touring that much and most of all; I hate interviews. Some sad-sack in front of me, nervous that he's talking to a "rock star", flitting about trying to keep me interested and involved in his pathetic questions he has to ask for some shitting magazine that he worked for.

I tried to clear my head and began to think where the fuck we would be filming this clip. Some room somewhere right next to the ocean or something. I eventually took a random turn and slowed down; looking at each place I passed looking for some sign of life (people with cameras and the guys' cars and shit). The paranoia started to kick in again and subconsciously I pressed my foot on the pedal going heaps faster again. Suddenly, in a blur, I could work out Slash's black Porsche parked at the side of some fancy building. Obviously, that has to be the place. Without slowing down, I took a dramatic turn and swerved into the car park making Ripley in the back tumble around.

"Sorry!" I said while laughing like a maniac as I thought about what my dog had just experienced.

I pulled to a stop and brought Ripley onto my lap with a thud.

"Now, I know how much you hate leads, but you'll have to put up with one for a second," I said struggling to attach the lead to her collar. 

She squirmed a little but eventually put up with it. I opened the door with her jumping out immediately with so much force she pulled me out of the car. I could just manage to grab my sunglasses and close the door without dying as Ripley pulled me to Slash's car. She sniffed it recognising the smell of it (because dogs are bloody smart like that) and she pulled me inside.

I saw cameramen scattered around the place and our playing area had been set up with our band's logo strung up as a massive backdrop. Ripley was still jumping around until something caught her eye and changed her goal to find Slash and she bolted in the opposite direction. I honestly couldn't give more of a shit and I was way too tired to keep her next to me, so I idiotically let go of the lead and she bounded towards something. I slid on my sunglasses and looked over in the direction she sprinted in and I saw her suddenly jump on someone, completely knocking them to the ground. Shit! I immediately ran over as fast as I could, trying to dodge things (which is a lot harder than you think when you're high, plus it's dark since I had my sunglasses on) and I saw Ripley licking some chick's face that she had just knocked down to the ground. I bend down pushing Ripley off, grabbing her to my side trying to settle her down, and I slid off my sunglasses randomly chucking them aside and I studied this girl's face, hoping she hadn't split her head open or anything.

She didn't look like anyone you'd find in Vogue magazine. She had a bit of a plain face, but she had the most interesting shade of golden blonde hair that was flung onto one side of her face. I gently pushed some strands to the side showing her other side of her face. She had her eyes closed until she jolted them open and she sat up, but as she sat up, and she nearly mashed her face into mine, but I dodged out of the way in time. She blinked a few times and began to blush when she saw me seriously looking at her.