A.N. Hey have you guys realised that at this point Brian has round about a year left. It's kind of sad to think about isn't it? Sometimes I cry when I think about Brian so I won't blabber on too much about him.
Needless to say the next day pretty much passed with us all fast asleep as we dreamt our hangovers away. Of course mine wasn’t anywhere near as bad as Jack’s or Angie’s they seemed to have taken full advantage of the free bar, nearly destroying their organs in the process.
I ran my fingers listlessly through Jack’s mane as I stood beside him as he hugged the toilet miserably. I tried to offer him comforting words but the truth of the matter was that I was really trying not to gag myself. When he was finished being sick for the time being he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and he glanced up at me with his piercing blue eyes surrounded by dark circles and waxy, clammy skin. He looked awful. All glamour and show apparently puked down into the toilet for there wasn’t a trace of it about him then.
“It’s alright,” I frowned in concern although my voice was clipped. “Uh, I’ll go get you some water sweetheart, it’ll do you good. Here,” I gestured uselessly to the sink as I took a step back. I didn’t mean to but I must have looked like I couldn’t have gotten out of there any quicker. “Rinse your mouth out.”
Turning on my heel I sharply hurried down the stairs and skidded into the kitchen. Brian was at the sink and spun, holding out a fresh glass of water with a tiny smirk on his mouth.
My eyebrows pulled down inquisitively but he spoke before I could ask, “I heard you. Jack seems to always forget the morning after drinking so much. You should see him on tour!” Taking the glass he could tell that I was clearly unimpressed so tried to backtrack as quickly as possible. “Well, you know what I mean. It’s only alcohol it’s not like it’s anything else. Well…It used to be before he met you but he’s all holy and pure when away from home and-”
“Brian,” I stopped him, “It’s fine.”
He smiled sheepishly but I walked away rather than engaging in any more peculiar conversations with him. I couldn’t help but be mildly curious that he was up and awake at all and given that he was awake that Angie hadn’t coaxed him into sharing her bed.
I handed the glass to Jack who looked a wreck slumped against the sink with his hair splattered all over his face, his skin shimmering unpleasantly. “Do you need-”
“Ha, it’s just a hangover babe,” Jack attempted at laughing before shakily snatching up the water and gulping it down before I could advise him to sip.
I went and sat on the edge of the bath with my ankles crossed as I stared down at the white and orange stripes lined vertically down my skirt. I’d never really appreciated just how much I loved that skirt before.
We didn’t leave my mother’s house until late evening the next day when I was sure that Jack would be safe to drive without falling asleep or throwing up. Crystal was staying with the neighbours while mum and Charlie were gallivanting on their honeymoon so we had no further obligations to stay. There wasn’t much room in the back of Jack’s car but Angie squished in beside me in the front passenger seat while Brian sat with his knees practically by his ears in the back.
I still found it curious as to why the Glimmer Twins hadn’t performed at my mum’s wedding, why it had been Brian but I never thought much to raise the question. It felt ungrateful given that they had done it for free.
During the journey from Kent to London I fretted silently about Angie and how much longer she would stay real and in front of my eyes before she would fade into mist in my hands and disappear on her magical adventure. As selfish as it was I was terrified of the idea of living without her. I’d relied on her my entire life, it just didn’t feel real for us to be living separately. If she had any kind of similar feelings she never let on as she jabbered ceaselessly the whole way back. For a lot of the time she boasted about her modelling job while other parts she sneered at Derek.
“Well,” I smiled warmly at her as I patted her knee, “You know that you’re always welcome to stay with us.”
“Is she now?” Jack mumbled ever so quietly, it was quiet enough for me to wonder if he had meant for our ears to pick up on it. When I glowered at the side of his face and his cheeks blushed I got my answer.
Angie laughed, her mouth parting into a vibrant smile as the noise bubbled out but her eyes wouldn’t meet mine, “I dunno about that but I do know I’ll be seeing a hell of a lot more of you, Rubes. You know, at functions and parties and things like that where we mingle and chat sophisticatedly to other famous people.”
Brain chuckled causing both Angie and me to turn in our seats so we could look at him. Despite looking strange all squashed as he was he continued to chuckle in amusement. “Who told you anything about it being sophisticated? When’s music ever been sophisticated?”
“In the eighteenth century with people like Bach and Mozart,” Angie pulled a face at him which wiped the smirk clean of his.
“Well this isn’t,” he mumbled, “This is pure rock ‘n’ roll and there isn’t anything sophisticated about it. Nothing raw or real ever came from sophistication. Pompousness and propriety perhaps but not with the people at the parties you’re on about. We’re all about things that come from the soul and heart, who gives a damn about the rules and regulations?”
“Clearly you have no idea who I am,” Angie snapped with red cheeks before turning abruptly in her seat, ending all conversation with Brian. I had to bite my bottom lip to stop myself from giggling. It all felt slightly ludicrous. Brian Jones was being scolded for preaching to Angie about rock and roll! He caught my eye and held it for two beats too long so I hurriedly turned back around in my seat too.
Angie insisted being dropped off somewhere near the centre of London telling us repeatedly that she knew precisely where she was going and “yes I’ll be alright so stop giving me that look Ruby!” And then she was pulling a bag over her shoulder as she waltzed down the pavement in her violet flares and jingling bangles.
“That friend of yours,” Brian exhaled loudly, “She’s-she’s something else.”
“She’s amazing,” I breathed as we watched after her before Jack pulled the car away. When we got back to our humble flat we politely invited Brian inside where he stayed for a cigarette and a drink before deciding to head home also.
Jack stood up to walk him to the door and I gave a polite smile at him, “Thank you ever so much for singing at my mum’s wedding, I know she’ll never forget it and neither will I. It was really a very nice thing for you to do.”
“Ah,” he dismissed with a flick of his wrist, “It was nothing. I like playing instruments, it’s kinda my thing.” We laughed as he left the room then and I turned to start unpacking all of our things.
I was flicking through a magazine aimlessly when I came across a picture of Angie striking a pose. I gasped my eyes going wide before I squealed. Jumping to my feet I rushed over to Jack who was sat in the corner by the window as he tried to come up with a chorus to one of Keith’s songs. He flinched at my noise and he scowled up at me disapprovingly.
“Look,” I pointed enthusiastically at Angie, “Look Jack! It’s her! It’s Angie; she’s actually a model in an actual magazine!” Any doubts I had began to be thinking about her modelling career had been pushed away at the sight of her staring right out of the paper.
“Yeah great,” he answered through gritted teeth before huffing returned to his song writing.
“What?” My face fell, “You should be happy. It’s a great thing that she’s doing and-”
“Yeah I know it is and I’m over the bloody moon for her,” his words were marred with sarcasm. “But I’m busy trying to write a chorus and it’s difficult if I have you squealing in my ear.” My eyes narrowed into slits and I turned dramatically on my heel ready to flounce away when he grabbed my wrist and I felt his lips brush across the back of my hand before he let me go, “I love you,” he sang as I tried to moodily stomp away. He knew how to work around me I’d give him that.
I got some scissors and cut out Angie, deciding to start a scrap book for her because I knew she wouldn’t be thinking about memories or sentimental value any time soon. She was far too concerned with barrelling forward into the future to spare a second for the present or her past.
For my eighteenth Birthday Jack took me out to a bar and we drank loads and danced even more. I loved those snake hips of his but I adored his dancing even more when he was pushed up against me and breathing, laughing into my ear.
It had been the craziest summer and although it was September by then the weather was still hot and bright, just how we liked it. Jack had taken me to Rome for a long weekend for my Birthday and I couldn’t get over how delicious the food was! For once it was me telling Angie through a postcard about my tantalising travels and new experiences. Rome was by far the prettiest and most spectacular place that I had ever been and it was just so romantic!
Jack took me to an amphitheatre and he explained how wonderful it would be to perform in one as the vocals inside it were phenomenal, apparently. Taking my hand in his he dared me to say something fairly loudly so I did and the people on the opposing side of the amphitheatre all started jumping up and down in response.
But as soon as we hit English soil Jack’s hands had slipped from around my waist and he was off on tour in France while I heard rumours of an American one coming up.
When Jack came back from tour it was nearly Christmas and I’d decorated our flat without him. We had a real tree with a scary looking angel perched precariously on top, it was as if the slightest bit of breeze would make her tumble from her top spot.
It was just after returning from tour that Jack decided that it was high time I met his parents. I tried not to roll my eyes or say something sarcastic like “it’s about time” but he was on edge when we got up on the Saturday morning.
“I think we should probably not smoke around them,” he said as I put a bowl of cereal down in front of him, my own cigarette protruding out of the corner of my mouth.
“Ok,” I smiled as I sat down with my own cereal.
“We need to make a good impression on them,” he was nodding away to himself as if internally reciting something soothing.
“You mean I need to, I’m pretty sure they’ve already got a fair idea of what you’re like,” I attempted at humour but it fell short. For one of the first times I was witnessing a nervous Jack Flash. He’d been less anxious about performing to twenty thousand people!
I dressed smart in pale brown trousers and a pretty white blouse so that there was no chance of Jack saying that I looked inappropriate. We drove to Kent in silence beside from the sound of Jack’s fingers drumming nervously on the steering wheel…The entire way.
His parents lived in a large house surrounded by beautiful farmland, sheep dotted about all over the place in the distance while trees swayed lazily in the autumn breeze. Their leaves were turning a delicious orange and chestnut colour, they looked practically golden!
Jack’s mum opened the front door and stood smiling away as we walked up to her. She was very elegant looking with a charming smile and she pulled Jack down so he was on her level and gave him a massive hug before pulling back Jack introduced me to her.
“Mum this is Ruby, Ruby this is mum.” Stifling a laugh I greeted his mother who was extraordinarily friendly and we shook hands briefly before she beckoned us inside.
I supposed that meeting his parents and being allowed inside his family home was quite a symbolic move by Jack. He trusted me enough and trusted our relationship enough to allow it to enter every aspect of his personal life. We weren’t just for show but the real deal. I sincerely hoped that things would stay as they were. Everything felt as though it was perfect, my life felt fulfilled.
Jack apparently thought that the day had gone by relatively successful as he had a massive grin on his face on the drive home, resting one hand comfortably on my thigh.
“You know,” I said as I thought aloud, “We should have Christmas day with the whole band. Wouldn’t that be great?”
Jack grunted, “It might be a bit difficult.”
“Why?”
“Things are a little tense at the moment.” And that was all he said on the matter.