The One You Know

Chapter 10 - Who?

Point of View: Chris Cornell

It was some fucking random guy at the party who said it. Who said I cheated on Eddie.

We all went back to Sean and Jerry's house to hear who'd be in their band.

Stone came up to me and said some guy asked him if I was in the bathroom with his girlfriend the other night. Saying the guy his girlfriend described sounded a lot like how I look. Stone led me to him.

"You're the guy telling everyone I fucked around with your girl?" I asked him.

The guy threw his hands up defensively. "She just said it was some curly haired guy from the party the other night."

"Theres a few curly haired guys here." I told him.

I pointed to Mike Starr and Eddie. "It wasnt him and it especially wasnt him. Now you've got my friends thinking I cheated on the person I'm with."

"Look tell her I'm sorry. I was just trying to figure it out." The guy said.

I wrapped my arm around Eddie. He looked embarrassed. "He already knows you supposedly are." I told him.

The guy chuckled. "You're with a man? Good. So that checks you two off the list of people who would try to make out with my girlfriend."

Jerry came up to us. Layne was hid behind him like a kid. "Look. We don't  want no trouble alright pal? But I gotta ask you to leave. No one here fucked your girl or whatever."

The guy silently walked over to the front door.

"By the way, they both like girls and boys so it wasnt very bright of you to say what you said." And with that, Jerry shut the door. The guy on the other side.

Everyone looked straight at me and Eddie.

"That douche was trying to say i shoved my tongue down his girls throat. He obviously has his shit messed up."

Jerry smiled at me. Like a "you're welcome" or "I got you buddy" type of smile.

Jerry sat up on the counter again.

"Alright. Mike Starr, get your ass up here." He said.

Mike came up towards Jerry. "You're our new bassist man."

Mike turned around, and flipped off the crowd. "You guys hear that? I'm the best bassist here suckers!"

Jerry laughed. "Dont get too cocky Starr. And Laynes gonna be our lead singer."

Sean came up to the front of the crowd, holding Laynes hand up in the air, as everyone cheered for them both.

"I thought Layne had his own band?" Eddie asked.

"His band broke up. So now Laynes selling his soul to a new band. Our band." Sean joked.

"What's it gonna be called? Your band?" I asked.

"Alice In Chains." Layne quietly said.

"I thought your old band was called that?" Eddie asked.

Jerry chimmed in. "His old band was just the letter 'n' instead of 'in' for in chains. Ours is 'in'. "

"Its a cool band name." Sean shrugged.

"So yall can go home now or something. Go to the bar. Whatever." Jerry said.

As people left, it was just Layne, Jerry, Mike, Sean, and Eddie and I.

"Congrats on the new band." Eddie said, before we left.

"Thanks." They all said.

***

"You think Layne and Jerry are together?" Eddie asked.

I shook my head 'no'. "Jerry doesnt date. Remember?"

Eddie laughed. "Well...do you think they're messing around? Like Jerry and Stone do?"

"Maybe. Well know if Stone starts getting jealous."

It got silent for a while.

"Thanks Chris." Eddie said.

"For what?"

"Sticking up for me back there. Well.. mainly yourself. But yeah."

I gave him a small kiss. "Of course. I wasnt just going to let that guy run his mouth anyway."