⭐Winner - Punk Rock Awards Grand Prize 2023 ⭐It's the 1990s and love-phobic Aussie rock chick Ellie Devine must resist the charms of sexy pop star Daniel Armstrong to save her band's songs from their vengeful ex-lead singer.
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~ELLIE'S BEDROOM, PORT LAGAN~
Ellie ran her hand across the top of her feathery doona and peered at Daniel Armstrong in the warm light of her bedside lamp as he surveyed her room with curious eyes.
"I can't believe I get to be in Ellie from Slider's little girl room." He turned and grinned shyly at her, then brushed his hand over his head, mussing his hair. "It feels oddly stalkerish. Even if we did once snog, practically naked in our swimmers."
Ellie smiled. While she was filled to the brim with red wine, cheese, warmth from the open fire and laughter, she felt a little bashful now Daniel stood in front of her in her childhood room. "Tell me about it."
Daniel, James and Gav had rocked up just before midnight, banging loudly on the front door and ringing the bell five times, all smarmy and buffoonish as Ellie opened the door to greet them.
"We thought we weren't going to make it," Daniel had said as he'd pulled Ellie into a soft hug, making her insides twinge before looking at her with affectionate eyes, all the pain from yesterday's discussion rolling away with his ease.
"Dan made us late, it's all his fault," James had huffed his broad shoulders past them into the dimly lit, homely hallway, staring around with his wide eyes; the rich smell of red wine and cigarettes permeating the house. "I wanted to come here and lie about smoking your dad's weed and nosy about your village and experience the local club scene. But, no, Dan wanted to practice, practice, practice—"
"We basically all had a great big shout," Gav had said as he'd pulled Ellie in for a kiss on the cheek, handing her an opened bottle of wine before bending down to pat Jupiter, who sniffed eagerly at the strangers. "James and I won. And now we're here."
"Not sure there's a club around here like Meg promised," James had drawled, poking his nose into each room as he passed down the hallway.
Ellie had glanced at Daniel as she squeezed Gav's arm,. "You never know, Port Lagan might just be the underground clubbing capital of Western Victoria," she said.
"Could it?" James had turned to her with excitement on his face.
"No."
"Okay."
"We've got a surf lifesaving club though," Ellie had offered.
They'd spent the next two hours wishing Ellie happy birthday, eating a fancy cheese James had produced from the pocket of his tweed suit jacket, drinking, smoking weed and joking in the warm glow of the fire in the lounge room with Ellie's parents.
When bed time came around, to Ellie's surprise Daniel offered to sleep on the couch in the lounge.
And now he stood in her bedroom, waiting for James to finish in the bathroom, dressed only in grey sweat pants and a crisp white t-shirt, as he picked through her books and peered at her teenage things.
