Louder Than Love || Chris Cornell

The Gorilla Room

Seattle, Washington
November 2, 1988

"Hey Hon, what can I get ya?"

"Jack and Coke please," I say sweetly to the bartender.

I was standing at the bar waiting for my drink to be poured while I waited for my best friend to meet me here.

I'm Andi, Andrea Marie O'Riden if we're being formal here and I just moved to Seattle a few months prior to study business. My best friend, Selena, moved out here just after I did cause she couldn't stand to be without me. We had been best friends since the fourth grade, and we were almost inseparable.

I had decided to drop out a month ago, and I didn't want to have to move back home to Ontario so I took on a full time position at a local clothing thrift store.

Selena had heard about a local band that was playing here tonight and asked me to come and check them out with her. She said they had just got signed to an indie record label and had seen them play a few nights before. She liked them so much, she thought that I would too. Selena always has amazing taste in music so I'm pretty sure I'll like them.

The bartender sets the drink down in front of me and I take a sip and just as I turn from the bar I see a tall figure walking towards me. He had long dark curly hair that flowed just passed his shoulders, he wore ripped jean shorts and a blue patterned button up short sleeve shirt that he left un buttoned and the most incredible blue eyes I've ever seen on anyone. He stopped at the bar beside me and ordered a beer. He glanced at me and flashed me a sweet smile and I immediately glanced down and sipped my drink feeling my face flush.

Normally I don't feel this way around anyone but there was something about him that made my heart flutter. I had no idea why I felt that way at all. I shoved the feeling away as I sipped my drink and waited for Selena to show up. He grabs his beer and takes a sip and flashes me another glance as I quickly glance back at him flashing him the shyest smile I could muster. I could feel his gaze as he walked passed me towards the stage. I gave him another quick glance and then turned back to the bar and sipped my drink nervously while waiting for Selena.

"Hey lovie!" Selena says as she walks up to greet me.

"Hey" I smile excitedly.

"Wow you look so good," She says as she looks at me. I was just wearing a pair of ripped skinny jeans, my silver studded belt, my silver studded wrist cuff and a Black Sabbath- Master Of Reality band T-shirt that I had found at the store that I had cut into a muscle tank top that you could see my black lacy bra through the sides and stretched it to style loosely but really cool, and I just had my dark curly hair down in ringlets just passed my shoulders.

"Thanks" I smile as we give each other a quick hug.

"I swear, you're so good at making shirts like that," Selena says as she orders a drink.

"Meh it's nothing really... just kinda do whatever," I say and take a sip of my drink.

"I need to get you to make me a shirt like that," She smiles at me. The bartender then hands her a beer and she takes a sip.

"So I guess we're still a bit early, they haven't started yet have they?" She asks.

"Uh... no I don't think so... what band is playing?" I ask.

"Soundgarden... but I think The Melvins are supposed to play first but it's Soundgarden that I told you about," Selena takes a sip.

"Cool," I say excitedly. I'm always down for discovering new bands.

"Hi... , uh The Melvins were supposed to play first but Buzz is being a dick... so we're gonna play first... we're uh... Soundgarden..."

I turn and see that it was the guy who was giving me those glances at the bar from before, up on stage. Suddenly the band begins to play and I am definitely intrigued.