Madferit: The Novel

Chapter 2

                  

Life returned to normal after the concert, not that I really expected any different. I went to work – same old, same old – and tried to forget about my little rendezvous with some guy who thought he was John Lennon.

            It was somewhat easy. I never heard Oasis on the radio even though I knew they had at least two singles out. Maybe they weren't going to take over the world as they imagined. The Grog Shop was by no means a stadium. Perhaps they were too arrogant for their own good.

            Halloween was only days away. A friend of ours invited us to a party a couple months prior and Kelly and I wouldn't dare miss it. I still had to figure out what to go as. A hippie? I just fucked a wannabe Beatle after all. Oh shit! I was trying so hard to forget about that.

            I was at work (it was a freaking Sunday) when Kelly called the office saying I needed to come home as soon as I could.

            "There's a surprise here for you." She said.

            I could hear the smile in her voice.

            A surprise? What kind of surprise?

            When the hour struck time to go home, I bolted out the door to find out.

            "Oh my God!" I exclaimed as I opened the front door to the apartment and saw what I assumed was my surprise.

            "Alright." He said quietly as he sat there on the couch. His crystal blue eyes looked about half scared. He scratched his head like he was thinking of what to say next.

            But I beat him to it.

            "What are you? How did you? How did you figure out where I lived?"

            "Called the venue, right? Where we done the gig." He explained. "Asked 'em to look ya up and they give me your address. Didn't know you were right here in Cleveland."

            "We're in a suburb really." I informed him.

            He shrugged in acknowledgement.

            "Where's Kelly?" I asked.

            "Ya mean the bird that let me in?"

            I nodded.

            "Oh right. Well she went out, said she'd be back later. Rung ya first to let ya know I was here. I told her to say it was a surprise though." He winked.

            I couldn't keep the small smile from spreading across my face. "Aren't you still on tour?" I asked. I couldn't remember all the dates but I knew they were pretty well back to back.

            "Just finished up the American leg yesterday." He replied. "The rest of the lads went back home but I had to come find you first. We've got a break 'til the fourth November when we go to Paris and I was wonderin'..."

            "What?" I asked when I noticed him trailing off.

            "Well, I know this is gonna sound really forward but fuck it! We've already shagged and ever since we left that night, I can't stop thinkin' about you. I want you to come back to Manchester with me. I'm scared to go home. Everything's gonna go tits up now that we've made it. Our Noel already called and said how he was nearly mobbed in the street when he got back to Burnage 'cuz people were goin' fuckin' nuts when they saw him."

            I just stared at him. He really did look petrified at the thought of it all. Perhaps the cockiness was just a façade?

            "I'm alone here now the others have gone." He continued. "I'd ask to lie up here but I know that'd be too forward."

            'Eh, I don't know about that.' I thought. But I couldn't tell him that so I said something else. "Don't you have like an agent or something?" I asked. "Y'know, someone to keep you safe and all that?" I didn't know how it all worked but I couldn't imagine he really was alone in a foreign country.

            He shook his head. "No. They all left with the others. I told 'em I weren't scared. Nobody knows me here so I can blend in a lot easier. Well nobody besides you. And your flatmate I s'pose."

            I began to feel really comfortable with him when he said that. It's like we became best friends or something in those few minutes of talking.

            "Can I stay here for a couple days?" He asked rather politely. "Marcus said he'd arrange my flight outta the airport here. He said he'd get me a hotel room as well but I don't want that. I'm used to sharin' with others. I've done it me whole life with our Noel and then on the tour I was always put up with either Guigs, Tony, or Bonehead. Noel was the only one who got his own fuckin' room, the fuckin'-"

            "Alright!" I interrupted him when I saw he was getting upset. "You can stay here. There's plenty of room on the couch-"

            "For the two of us?" He grinned.

            I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Don't start." I warned. "I'm sure Kelly won't mind. It's not like we've never had people stay over before. I'll get you some pillows and blankets later."

            "Ta!" He said.

            I smiled at that. I was pretty sure that was another form of British slang for "thank you".

            I tried not to feel down about the fact that November fourth was only a few days away. I knew in my heart I'd probably never see Liam again after that.

            So I had no choice but to enjoy him while I could.

Author's Note:

            Here it is: the full story! I hope you like what I've written so far. There's definitely more to come. I feel recharged with this one as compared to Paint Me A Wish On A Velvet Sky. I'll probably keep going with short stories just to keep myself motivated. Oh and happy birthday Carl Barat! Thanks again for reading!