That was so awesome last night. Oh my god. The best.
I keep my eyes closed, reliving the awesomeness of it. Jess was right, it was the best night of my life. I could've talked and laughed with The-not-Walrus all night.
Come to think of it, I don't remember even going home or seeing Jess afterwards. Strange.
I don't even remember my mom asking how the show was. Huh.
I peek one eye open, steeling myself to be blinded by the light right outside the window that just so happened to be right next to my bed. But instead, I saw the blurry form of my nightstand. But it wasn't my nightstand. And my walls weren't plastered with posters. And my sheets weren't blue. And my bed wasn't covered with stuffed animals.
What the hell?
The clock on the dark wooden nightstand read just past ten o'clock. The walls were papered in a striped and floral pattern. The sheets were a scratchy white. Someone was snoring on the deep green couch, and directly across from me in the other bed was the bare back of no other than my sister. And next to her was Joe Perry.
Where am I?
I turn over and–shit. Shit shit shit. I'm done for. I'm dead. I'm so going down.
In front of me was the sleeping Walrus. His bare chest rose and fell slowly with his breathing. A little smile traced his lips.
What did I do?! I need to leave. Like, now.
Carefully, so as not to wake any of them up, I slip out of the sheets. I had managed to wrap them all around me throughout the night so it was a bit hard to get up.
Carefully is the wrong word. My foot caught in the sheets and I fell to the floor with a crash. "Shit," I mutter.
Miraculously, I didn't have to search for my clothes–they were still on. My shoes were right next to my face (now that I was on the floor).
I stood up after a brief moment of panic that I had woken someone. I tied my shoes and poked Jess in the back, then crept across the floor of the hotel room, hoping to God that I was still in Bristol, Rhode Island.
I pulled the door open and made my way down the long, carpeted hallway, finally home-free... For the most part.
I don’t remember anything at all from last night. Just telling the Walrus my name was Penny, and then us singing Penny Lane and many other Beatles tunes. I drank some Coke–
Oh, God. I’ve heard about this before: The guy puts a pill in your drink, the pill knocks you out, and then you wake up the next morning to find that he took advantage of you and you don’t remember a thing. Shit.
But, I only had like two Cokes, and I was holding them the whole time! They never left my hands. I just got in the car and everything else didn’t happen–I don't remember it! This is so weird. It’s pissing me off that I can’t remember what was probably the greatest night of my life. I slept with–for the first time ever, by the way–a lead singer who’s name I don’t really know (and that's not a good thing, by the way). My mom didn’t know we were spending the night; we were supposed to come home.
And, I’m not sure about this, but shouldn’t I have had to search for my clothes when I woke up this morning? I mean, I’m not so sure what happens behind those closed doors, but I guess I did something right. Maybe.
I went down to the breakfast area place thing, because Jess won’t be up for a while. I don’t like buffet foods–soggy eggs, crummy bacon, stale biscuits...–, so I snag a muffin from the counter and sit down at a table by myself.
I’m joined shortly by one of the members of Aerosmith. “Hi,” he said cheerily, shaking a mop-top of tight brown curls out of his face. I forget his name.
“Hello,” I say slowly.
He sits down across from me with a plate loaded full of bacon and eggs. I peel back the paper on the muffin. “I’m Joey,” he says around a mouthful of bacon.
I take his hand he had offered me and shook it. “Penny,” I reply, feeling horrible for lying.
Soon, Joey and I are joined by two others: the tall blond one that slept on the couch, and the one that played the rhythm guitar. “Guys,” Joey said when the other two sat down, “this is Penny. Penny, this is Tom–” he gestures to the guy to his right “–and this is Brad.” He gestures to the guy to his left. I give a little nod with a tight smile, picking at a chocolate chip in the muffin.
“Where’s Joe and Steven?” the one named Brad asked.
He and Joey stole a glance at me. Tom answered, though, because I didn’t have an answer. “Asleep, still. I threw pillows at them before I came down here.”
Joey nods like, as usual, and goes back to eating his breakfast. For the most part, we eat in silence.
Jess and the Walrus came down next. “Charlie,” she had hissed, making me jump. She was standing right behind me. “Let’s go.”
But I didn’t want to go. Joey, Tom, and Brad were funny and I liked them. And I had grabbed a second muffin and it wasn’t quite gone yet. “Just a few minutes,” I said, “eat some breakfast.” Wait. Shouldn't I want to leave? I mean, the Walrus is right there.
Jess rolled her eyes and sat down next to me. Her top was a little crooked. I smirked at how disheveled she looked. On my other side, the Walrus sat.
“Where’s Joe?” Tom asked.
“Gone,” the Walrus said with a chuckle. No, he was in the bed with my sister. He didn’t leave.
The Walrus's false statement was met with a few chortles. “When isn’t he?” Tom said.
“He’s right upstairs, actually,” I said kind of quietly.
Jess slammed me in the arm. “Gone, Charlie,” she hissed in my ear. “Wasted. Tripping. Passed out.”
“Oh.” Now it was my turn to be laughed at. The Walrus didn’t laugh, though. He just kind of smiled. I wonder if he remembers anything. We ate in silence for a little bit, until I broke it, hoping to clue someone in that I don’t remember a thing. “Where are we?” I asked.
“Hell,” someone muttered behind me.
“Eh! Joe’s up!” the Walrus said loudly.
Joe cringed, sitting down next to Jess and resting his forehead on the table, muttering, “Fuck you.”
“We’re in a hotel, Penny,” the Walrus said softly.
“Still in Rhode Island?” I don’t look at him. I refuse to. I want to go home and sit on the roof and play my guitar. Forever. I’m going to change my identity and never see the Walrus again. Ever.
Why, I don’t know. He’s talking to me, he’s looking at me, he’s acting like he did in the hallway last night. It’s like everything after the parking lot didn’t even happen. And, as mentioned, it’s pissing me off.
“Yeah,” the Walrus said with a chuckle, “still in Rhode Island.” I nod slowly. Jess looks lost. I think Joe fell back to sleep. A look of horror crosses the Walrus's face then. I think he realized that I don’t know anything. However, he quickly masks it. “Miss Penny Lane,” the Walrus said.
“Yeah, Walrus?” I ask. The Walrus smirks, Tom and Joey are looking at us like we’re crazy. Nervous equals sardonic. I seriously cannot help it.
“Can I have a word?”
“Uh...” I look over a Jess, who’s staring at a spot on the table. The Walrus's bandmates look amused. Other than Joe, of course. Joe is asleep. Or passed out. Or dead. I glance at the Walrus for a split second. He’s staring at me. “Yeah,” I say.
I follow him to the hallway. He leans against the wall, shoving his hands deep in his pockets. He had put the Yardbirds shirt back on. Usually in the movies, the girl ends up wearing the guy’s shirt. Darn. I kind of want a Yardbirds shirt. I like them. It turns out movies are not real life.
I stand in front of him, looking anywhere but at him, rocking back and forth on my heels. “Hi...” he said. I nod a hi back, still not looking at me. “Just so you, uh, know... Last night you fell asleep in the car.” I did fall asleep in the car. I know that! What happened afterwards?! “And, well, the sleeping arrangements are kind of limited because hotels are expensive...” Okay, yes, they are.
So what’s he saying? I fell asleep and someone carried me inside and that’s just the way the ‘sleeping arrangements’ worked out? Did nothing happen? Nothing at all? I merely slept with him but I didn’t sleep with him? Stop being so vague, goddammit! “Alright...?” I say.
“Yeah. So miss Penny Lane, I don’t know what you’re thinking about, but just to make things clear, nothing happened.”
The fiery blush on my face would make the sun jealous. The Walrus looks a little pink too. “Okay,” I say quietly. Man that sounds weird. The Walrus looks a little pink too. Under different circumstances I'd probably be laughing.
“Okay,” he says back. And then he reaches into his pocket. He pulls out a Sharpie and a rolling paper. Is he really gonna make a Sharpie joint? He probably has perfectly good weed in his pocket! However, instead of scribbling on it, he looks at me expectantly. “I’ve decided I like you, miss Penny Lane. I’d like to talk to you more. Is there a phone number I could call you on?”
“Um...” I don’t want to give him my number. I can’t. Well, he is a very attractive person. He’s cute and funny, too. But I don’t want to start anything that I wouldn’t be able to get out of. I don’t want to get involved. But I don’t say any of that out loud. Instead, I deepen the lie. “I don’t think my boyfriend would like that very much.”
His eyes widened, but then he grinned. “All the better.” I blushed. “And there would be no need to get the wrong idea! I mean, we don’t even know each other’s real names!” He laughs, but you could tell he was a little hurt that I was lying about my name.
“Right, of course,” I say, overly casual, “but... You’re a singer in a band, quite attractive––” I freeze, blushing maroon. I didn’t mean to say that out loud.
The Walrus laughs. “Yeah, no big deal. Two attractive people named after Beatles songs talking on the phone. Your boyfriend shouldn’t have a problem with that at all! Unless, of course, he’s mean mister Mustard.”
He thinks I’m attractive? Really? Well, okay then.
--
After the strange talk with the Walrus, we made our way back to the table. From which, after pulling Jess with me, we left quickly. The Walrus gave me a hug before I had time to protest. “I’m serious,” he said in my ear. “I want to see you again.”
“Bye, Walrus,” I said with a wave, heading for the door with my sister. He nods with a tight smile, much like how I greeted Joey this morning.
--
Jess started the car with an audible sigh. I ignored it and put on my sunglasses. She sighed dramatically again as we left the parking lot. I rolled down the window. Jess sighed rather loudly once more and I rolled my eyes. “What’s wrong?” I asked with mock care.
“Oh, nothing,” she sighed. I groaned. She didn’t speak until we were about five minutes down the road. I didn’t really care what was wrong; just another petty little problem. “I don’t remember last night,” she whined.
“Rightfully so,” I muttered under my breath.
“Why? What’d I do?” For once, my sister is latching on to my every word.
I debate on whether I should say, What didn’t you do, or if I should just say, Joe. I opt for the latter and try not to laugh or smirk dryly when I say it. “Joe.” She looks panicked for a moment, so I add, “And some dope.”
“Yeah, that doesn’t make it any better!” she exclaims. I try to turn up the radio, but she smacks my hand. “How bad was it?”
“How bad was what, Jess?” I exclaim. “I have my own problems, here, you know!”
“What’re you so pissy about?” she demands. “Just because you don’t remember anything, or because you didn’t get laid, or you didn’t––”
“I don’t care about that,” I cut her off. “Thank you for giving me the best night of my life. It was a lot of fun.” I end the fight, for once, before it can start.
--
Jess shushes me as she turns the key in the lock to our front door.
It's the middle of the day, dumbass, I thought. The fact that she's hear is unavoidable.
Jess opened the door hesitantly. I tried to peer over her shoulder to see if mom was waiting for us, but I couldn't see.
I shoved Jess through the rest of the doorway, and stepped into our little house for myself. Mom was in the entryway. There she stood, all five foot three of her. Arms crossed and scowling with a tapping foot. I thought that was only the stereotypical movie-mom that did those kind of things.
"Welcome home, finally!" she exclaimed.
Jess smiled. "Sorry, mom," she said sweetly. "We booked a hotel down there. The concert ran late and I didn't feel safe driving home."
Mom sighed. "Well you could've called."
"I was going to, but I didn't want to wake you; it was late."
Jess got all the typical teenage girl genes. The easy lying, the staying out late, the getting all the guys, the look that says 'Womanhood has been good to me.'
All I'm saying is, Yo, Womanhood! What about me?
"Well did you have fun?" my mother asks.
"Loads," Jess said, pulling a Poptart from the pantry closet and taking a seat on a stool.
"Charlie?" mom asks, looking at me.
"Yeah, it was great," I say tightly. I'm gonna snap at any minute. If you can't tell, it's immensely difficult for me to lie.
"The band was good?" she asks.
God, this woman is relentless! "Superb," I reply.
"Alright..." mom says slowly. "Why don't you shower, Shar," she suggests. "You smell like... Concert." Meaning, I smell like Mary Jane and shitty beer. "When you're done, pack a bag, honey. Your dad called––he'd like you to visit."
"Sure thing, momma," I mutter rather sardonically.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love my dad with all my heart, despite what he's done.
You see, when I was eleven, my mom and dad started talking a lot (you're probably thinking, yeah, no shit. Husband and wife talk a lot, dummy––just gimme a minute to explain). It was usually outside on the porch or in their bedroom. It typically ended in yelling and tears. Jess had come up to me and said, "I think mom's pregnant." Psh, no way.
I started seeing less and less of my dad. He went on quite a few business trips. I didn't know furniture salesmen went on business trips.
They weren't business trips. I knew they weren't, mom knew they weren't (mainly because dad told her they weren't), but Jess thought they were because she was a nïeve, innocent (depending on what you're talking about, in this case, she was innocent) teen who didn't really give a shit about family life. And I mean that in the nicest way possible because she of course still loved us.
Anyway, so daddy-dearest came up to us one day and made a speech. My mom was silently trying to hold back tears, while Jess cried in the chair across from me. He said he wasn't happy and that he wasn't really staying at my aunt and uncles house; he was staying with a friend. But this friend wasn't really a friend. This friend was a girlfriend. And this girlfriend had been his girlfriend for the past year and a half.
So my dad gave me a hug and tried to get Jess to come back down the stairs (this was when she went by Jessie and still lived upstairs). After, he assured me that he really did love me, like, "I love you kiddo, okay? I love you."
"I know, dad," I said, "I love you too." He went to the door, looked back at me, and turned the handle. You could tell he was trying not to cry.
I was trying not to cry either. You see, my dad and I are similar in that way (actually in all ways): we don't show emotion.
So after that, my mom went up to her room and cried, and Jessie who would later tell us to never call her that again stayed in her room and cried, and I kept a straight face and made a bowl of Spaghettios. No one else was gonna make me dinner.
Once the papers were signed and the contract was written and all that jazz, my mom still cried a lot, Jess went down the broken-girl-who-lost-her-daddy road (meaning, if she were a few years older, you'd find her on street corners or in some guy's bed instead of with me at concerts), and I became really, really sardonic.
Sarcasm was the only way to hide the pain. My mom hated it; more often than not I'd end up making her cry, but I think that's for different reasons. Like the fact that I am exactly like my father.
So I turned to music. You put on a record and you can't hear your family members sobbing! It just disappears. But then I bought a guitar and the whole disappearing thing got so much better. Not only could I hear the music, but I could escape inside of it too.
That sounds like sounding Nicky would say... (more on him later. He's kind if complicated).
But the blue eyes, the black hair, the whole emotions thing... Yeah I'm exactly like my dad. And it breaks my heart every time my mom looks at me and tears up.
But that's my story, at least.
--
A/N: I'm sorry this whole introductions thing is taking so long. I think I'll post another chapter tonight though and I believe that that chapter is more interesting.