Sad_Girl
Blue Crack Supplier
** This story will be dealing with themes some people might find disturbing and emotionally dark. Please, use discretion when reading.
*Disclaimer: Although obviously inspired in part by people who exist in real life, this story is in no way meant to represent reality, past, present or future. The author has no personal experience or contact with the band or their friends and family. There are facts within this story which may be contrary to real life either because they were changed for artistic purposes or simply because the author had no knowledge of the truth on a particular subject; i.e.: dates and times. No offense is intended to anyone who inspired this work of fiction. It’s just a wandering thought which I found trapped in the maze of my imagination.
Babyface pt 1
He was a regular customer these days. Not to say that he ever bought much, but still, he came into the store nearly every day. This day was certainly no exception. It was a particularly gray, rainy day in early October. Dreary and depressing, really. The store felt even smaller and more closed in than usual, thanks to the fog and rain on the outside.
His hair was plastered to his forehead, his jacket doing a fair job of keeping his shoulders dry, but he never bothered to zip it up and so the plain white T-shirt he wore was splattered with rain as well. He nodded her way, a slight gesture, nothing conspicuous. She smiled in return, standing behind the counter and flipping through the pages of a magazine.
He was a cute kid, but way too young for her. He couldn’t be more than fifteen, by the look of him. She didn’t know much about him, even though she saw him every day. She didn’t even know his name, she had realized the night before, when she caught a glimpse of him out with some friends. She would’ve said hello, if she’d known what to call him. Since then, he’d been on her mind.
He browsed through the rack of 45s for a few moments. He wasn’t looking for anything specific, as far as she could tell. She wondered if Brian was right, when he told her that he suspected the real reason the boy visited the store so often was to see her. It was flattering, really, although she felt a bit uncomfortable about how happy it made her to think of him having a crush on her.
The bell on the door rang as it opened again and a taller boy with wild, curly blonde hair strolled in. He took a drag off his cigarette and eyed her carefully, as if trying to decide whether she would be a friend or an enemy. Janet arched a slender eyebrow at him and he smiled at her. It was a surprising thing to see. The corners of his mouth actually turned down, but it was a smile nonetheless. And it was devastatingly charming.
“H’lo.” He greeted her as he drew once more on his cigarette before tossing it back out the door onto the wet street. Janet made a non-committal noise in reply and cast her eyes downwards onto the magazine again. She could practically smell the potential for trouble radiating off this one. Still younger than she was, most likely, though much closer to her own age of 22 than the other boy.
“You find it?” He asked the first boy, who shook his head in response and continued to flip through the records. “We’re looking for a record by Patti Smith…” the older boy informed her, leaning casually against the counter and showing her a cheeky grin. His eyes were glazed and she caught the scent of cannabis when he drew near. She groaned inwardly, but smiled politely on the outside, leading him over to the rack which contained the album in question. He followed her up to the counter with it, pulling a leather wallet out of his back pocket. The other boy moved to stand nearby, hanging back slightly to look at the magazine rack.
“They’re going to be selling our records here soon, Lar. Just you wait and see. Give it a year. Maybe less even.” The older boy said, glancing back over his shoulder at the boy.
“You’re in a band?” Janet asked, her boredom outweighing her usual aversion to chatting too much with the customers.
“That’s right.” The curly haired boy replied with a smirk. “We’re called U2. Actually, you might’ve heard of us as ‘The Hype’. We’ve played a few gigs near here…” he started, handing her the money for the record.
“U2? Like the spy plane?” she asked, thinking it was a rather odd name for a band, but that in and of itself made it pretty cool.
“Exactly.” He told her, smiling even more. It was obvious he was quite proud of this band of theirs. Janet smiled at him as he went on to tell her all about it. He told her about the type of music they played, and how they were going to be bigger than the Beatles. They’d even been on a television special not too long ago. Janet wasn’t sure she believed everything he said, but rather than arguing, she simply smiled and nodded.
“Well, good luck to you, with that.” She told him, after handing him his change and wrapping the record safely in a paper bag. Suddenly, she realized she had nearly missed her opportunity to learn the boys name. “I’m Janet, by the way.” She told the blonde, offering him a handshake.
“Adam Clayton.” He informed her, shaking her hand politely. He saw her eyes shift back over his shoulder and settle on the younger boy, and he turned and draped an arm around his shoulders. “This is Larry Mullen. He’s the drummer in my band.”
“Piss off! Whose band?” He replied shortly, giving his friend a firm but playful shove. Janet smiled at the pair, who were obviously close friends. As close as boys that age got, anyway.
“I’m the bass player and the former manager.” He told Larry, “That makes it my band.”
“Bollix!” Larry complained, shaking his head. Adam turned back to Janet and informed her they would be playing again the next night, if she were interested. Janet promised to consider it, and the duo left the record shop, disappearing into the foggy night air.
“Larry Mullen.” She said, rolling his name around on her tongue like a sweet to savor. “Larry. Mullen.” She repeated it over and over to herself, liking the feel and sound of it more each time she said it. She scolded herself inwardly, trying to focus on the fact that he was far too young for her.
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“Jesus, Lardence, you don’t even have to try, do you?” Adam said on a slow breath out, smoke drifting out of his mouth and nostrils as he had just started another cigarette. Larry frowned at his friend, baffled by this statement. Adam chuckled and shook his head in disbelief.
“What?” Larry finally demanded, not appreciating being the source of his mate’s amusement.
“With girls, man. You don’t even have to do anything, say anything, and they’re all ready to stand in queue for your attention.” Adam told him, and Larry rolled his eyes. All Adam ever thought about was girls. Sex and drugs. And Fame. Adam was a dreamer.
“You really didn’t notice the way that woman was looking at you?” Adam asked in disbelief.
“Do you ever think about anything other than sex?” Larry asked, the corner of his mouth turning up despite the fact that he wanted to appear hostile enough to get the subject changed.
“Like what?” Adam replied playfully, bringing out Larry’s full smile. He could tell Adam was just trying to get a reaction, now. He wasn’t half as shallow as he acted sometimes.
“Like… fuck, I don’t know! Anything!” Larry replied, throwing his hands in the air for emphasis.
“Guess not.” Adam told him with a shrug and a cheeky grin as he drew the last puff of smoke out of his cigarette before tossing it to the pavement and squashing it underfoot. “Someone’s got to pick up the slack for you.” He added, shoving his friend playfully by the shoulder as he moved past him into the house, where the others were waiting to rehearse.
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Janet looked up at the clock. Five more minutes and it would be time to close up, and no sign of him. She should be relieved. Maybe he would stop coming by, and therefore, she would be able to get him out of her thoughts. She shouldn’t be thinking of him so often. The bell on the door clattered and clanged as the door opened and she turned to see him step inside and hesitate. He nodded at her politely when he saw that she was sweeping the floor in preparation to close.
“Are you closing, then?” He asked, and despite the fact that she’d been living in Dublin for the better part of a year, his accent still tickled her ears and made her want to smile. He had a nice manner of speaking.
“Not for a few minutes.” She told him. “You can come in and look around if you want.” She went back to sweeping, trying not to look at him as the door drifted shut behind him and he moved to the nearest rack to begin searching through the records.
“You’re American, aren’t you?” He asked, his eyes on the records rather than looking at Janet herself as he spoke to her. It took her a moment to convince herself he was speaking to her at all.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m an American.” She told him, carrying the broom with her behind the counter and slipping it back into it’s storage place. She leaned against the counter, palms down, elbows locked, and watched him move about, winding through the racks aimlessly. “Indiana, to be more specific.” She informed him, and he nodded silently. “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious. Noticed your accent, wondered why you would move to Dublin from America.” He told her with a shrug.
“Lots of reasons.” She laughed. “You don’t like Dublin?”
“Oh, yeah. Of course I do. I just wondered what an American would see in it.” He told her, moving up to the counter and leaning his hip against it casually, crossing his arms.
“You mean what brings a girl like me to a place like this?” Janet joked, laughter lacing her words, her green eyes sparkling as she watched his already attractive face transform into something nearly angelic when he smiled. “I’m a writer, actually. Or, I want to be. My favorite writers were all Irish. WB Yeats, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde… I guess I just wanted to live where they had lived. See what they saw.” She told him honestly. He nodded silently and considered her words for a moment before turning those incredibly blue eyes back toward her face.
“You’d get along well with Bono and Edge.” He told her.
“Bono? Edge?” She repeated, completely befuddled by these references. Larry leaned forward as he let out a burst of laughter at her reaction.
“Bono’s the singer in my band. Edge is the guitarist. His name is actually Dave, but Bono started calling him ‘The Edge’ a couple of years ago when we got together as a group. The name kinda stuck.” Larry explained, and Janet nodded to let him know she heard what he was saying, even if she didn’t entirely understand.
“An interesting group you have there.” She said and he chuckled again. The moment grew silent and seemed to stretch on and on as she searched his face for something. Some message he was trying to communicate to her, but she never found one. He was as unreadable as a statue. Finally, the silence became uncomfortable and she glanced at the clock. Eight minutes past closing. He realized it, too.
“So we’re playing this gig tonight…” He started, pulling a folded flyer out of his back pocket and smoothing it out before handing it to her. “I thought you might be interested.” She took the flyer and examined it for a moment.
“Thanks.” She told him, looking back up into those blue eyes which were watching her intently.
“So, you think you’ll be able to make it?” He asked, and she fought the smile which tugged at the corners of her mouth. He was too cute for words. Her heart was beating far more quickly than it ought to be, and she was feeling a little too light on her feet as she walked out from behind the counter and followed him to the door. She shouldn’t be so happy to have a young boy flirting with her. Even if it was adorable because it was so awkward and obvious.
“I’ll try and stop by.” She told him casually, not wanting to get his hopes up. It wasn’t right to lead him on, after all. He stepped out the door backwards, nodding silently and looking down at the ground as if there were answers to his questions written on the floor. “I’ll probably see you tonight.” She added, and he looked up at her, smiling that broad, honest smile.
“See you tonight.” He told her, trying not to seem overly excited about that as he turned on his heel and hurried down the street. If she watched him long enough, Janet suspected she would see him break out into a run. Maybe even jump once or twice, trying to hit the signs which hung out of reach over his head.
Janet closed and locked the door behind him, trying to talk herself out of going to the club that night. She had plenty of reasons why she shouldn’t go. Still, she knew she was going. She couldn’t resist checking out this band, not after meeting Larry and Adam. Besides, she told herself, how often do you get to meet someone named ‘The Edge’?
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She had enough time to hurry home and change her clothes, freshen up her make-up, and dip into the money she had in the rainy day fund. She seemed to be having a lot of rainy days lately, as the jar she kept the fund in was looking depressingly empty. Janet promised herself this would be the only night she went out until she got her next paycheck. That would certainly save her some money.
She glanced at herself in the mirror and decided skipping a few meals would help make her purse get a bit fatter and help her lose a few inches from her waist, as well. Her jeans were so tight they may as well have been painted on, and to complete the outfit she slid on a pair of funky boots which had been one of the things to deplete her rainy day fund, and then her favorite Sex Pistols T-shirt.
She hurried out the door and down the street, walking the eight blocks to the pub where the band was scheduled to play. It wasn’t a great area of town, but at least she was familiar with it. She walked in to the usual sounds of a pub, soft chatter, the cling-clang of glasses both empty and full and everywhere in between being passed around, and the strange, dissonant sound of a band getting ready to play. An accidental strike of the cymbal, someone tuning a guitar, and feedback from a microphone held too close to the speaker.
The walls were covered in dark wood paneling, the booth seats upholstered in dark red vinyl which cracked and curled away from cigarette burns. Lamps with faux stained glass shades hung from the ceiling, keeping the pub only dimly lit. The air was saturated with cigarette smoke, making the atmosphere seem downright foggy. Janet wound through the small tables which crowded the main floor in search of a seat near the stage.
She glanced up on the stage to see four young men setting up. Adam she immediately recognized. He was a particularly unique character, after all. The boy tuning the electric guitar was an attractive young man whom she had seen in the store on occasion. He was always polite but very quiet. The hyper-active young man playing with the microphone and flirting with a dark haired girl who sat on the side of the stage she had never seen, but immediately tagged as the lead singer. Not just because of the microphone, but because there was something about him that reminded her of a kindergartner on a caffeine high.
The drumset practically hid Larry completely from her view, but he must’ve had a better perspective because he spotted her and stood, waving to her and smiling. He jumped up so fast, his stool nearly toppled over, in fact. Adam turned to see what his friend was doing and then glanced out into the audience and saw Janet as well. He smiled and nodded at her politely, then turned back to say something to Larry that made his face flush red.
Janet settled herself into a seat at a table toward the front but slightly off to the side of the stage and looked around for a waitress. She pretended not to notice as Larry excused himself from the stage for a moment and approached her table.
“Hey.” He said, slowing to a stop on the opposite side of the table, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets and scuffing his booted feet on the sticky floor. Janet turned and smiled at him, trying to ignore the flutter in her chest. “You made it.” He said, and she nodded.
“Yeah, well, if we’re going to be selling you’re records soon, I figured I’d get a sneak preview.” She told him, trying not to notice just how tight the jeans he was wearing were, or how nicely they fit him. The waitress approached and Janet ordered a Bailey’s Irish cream on the rocks. Adam hopped off the stage and approached them now, his bass guitar strapped over his shoulder and worn with obvious pride.
“Hey, glad you could make it.” He greeted her with his roguish grin, pausing to light up a cigarette and offering her one as well. She declined with a shake of her head and he slid the pack back into the front pants pocket of his own snugly fitting jeans. He stepped to the side and gestured toward the stage, getting the attention of the others.
“Janet, this is The Edge.” He told her as the gangly youth with the shy smile approached, and she nodded in greeting. “And this is Bono.” Adam continued, pointing at the brown haired youth with all the energy. “And his girlfriend, Ali.”
“You mind if I set here with you?” Ali asked, and Janet shook her head and gestured to the empty chairs.
“Not at all, I could use the company.” She replied, feeling quite old among this horde of teenagers. She may be less than a decade their elder, but there was enough of an age gap to make her uncomfortable. Ali and Edge seemed to be the only ones who felt the same way about her age, however. Bono immediately began riddling her with questions about America, the record store, and anything else which came to his mind. She already knew Adam and Larry didn’t seem to notice that she was significantly older than they were.
After a few moments of listening to Bono ask her one question and then follow it with another before she could answer, a skinny middle aged man, apparently the manager of the pub, reminded them they were supposed to be on stage in five minutes. The girls watched as the boys flocked back onto the stage and made the final adjustments to their instruments.
“So, are you guys still in school?” Janet asked Ali once the waitress had returned with her drink and retreated with too much of Janet’s hard earned cash.
“No. Well, Larry is.” Ali informed her. Janet did her best to keep the disappointment that made her gut twist in knots from showing.
“How old… If you don’t mind my asking, how old are the guys?” Janet asked, taking another drink to hide her inappropriate level of interest.
“You mean how old is Larry, right?” Ali smiled knowingly. “He’s 16. He’ll be 17 at the end of the month. The others are all 18.” Janet tried to act as if she had no idea what Ali was talking about, but it was obviously of no use. She smiled shyly, ducking her head in embarrassment. Was it that obvious? “I’d have to ask, too. If Larry were flirting with me. I’d think he was like… fourteen maybe.” Ali added.
Janet sighed with relief. She thought her interest stemmed solely from the fact that Larry had been the one to invite her to the show that night. Before she could say anything more the room was engulfed in the sudden, loud sound of rock and roll. They weren’t the least bit polished, but they certainly did play with an enthusiasm which was contagious.
Edge was clearly talented but shy. Adam had a cigarette dangling from his lips throughout the entirety of the show and he kept turning his back to the audience. Janet considered this carefully, wondering if the bold young man actually suffered from stage fright or perhaps it was an attempt to seem cool and removed. She decided, in the end, that it was neither of these things. Adam was, when he turned away from the audience, watching Larry for a cue.
Larry was not only carrying the rhythm with his drumming but he was keeping Adam in time as well. Not to mention the fact that he seemed to be taking out all of his aggression on the drums, striking them with far more force and energy than necessary. She had to wonder where all of that pent up aggression would come from, in someone his age.
Bono was all over the stage, definitely entertaining to behold and enthusiastic about the music. One moment he seemed to have nearly classical training, beautifully enunciating every word, every note; then he would seem out of breath and more interested in showing off than singing.
Still, for all their inexperience, they were far better than she had expected. She wasn’t the only one who noticed, either. The audience absolutely fell in love. She had to keep telling herself not to fall in love with any one person more than the others. The band as a whole was something very special and Adam was probably right; they would go a long way. Anything more personal, though, on her part, would be a grave mistake.
Now that their set was finished, the boys in the band were wound up, full of energy and leftover excitement. She’d only seen a smile on Larry’s handsome young face on a few occasions. Tonight she’d seen him smile at least twice as much as all other times before. It was threatening to overcome her willpower.
Janet rose to go as they began breaking down their instruments, telling Ali goodbye politely. She knew it was probably rude to slip out without saying goodbye to Larry, but she wasn’t quite ready to see him, one on one. Especially now that she was facing the realization that she was very disappointed to learn that she was, indeed, too old for him.
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It was early the next afternoon when the bell clanged and Janet turned to see him enter the store. His blue eyes were dark today; like a stormy sky. He frowned and looked away quickly, bowing his head and pulling his shoulders tight as he shoved his hands in his pockets. His attractive face was completely hidden beneath his shaggy dirty blonde hair, but his body language practically screamed at her.
“Hey, Larry.” She greeted him tentatively. He nodded slightly in her direction as he shuffled off to search the magazine rack. Janet suspected he had the contents of the rack memorized by now, and she was certain he knew the new editions were delivered on Mondays.
“The show was good last night. You guys have a great sound.” She said, leaning on her elbows on the counter and watching him closely for some reaction. She certainly didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
“Thanks. I wasn’t sure you saw the whole thing.” He told her sharply and her eyes widened slightly in surprise. She hadn’t expected to hear irritation in his voice. She smiled slightly, realizing she didn’t really know him well enough to predict his reactions to things just yet. This spark of emotion was more encouraging than the sullen, pouting boy she had expected.
“I stayed for the whole show. I was impressed. How long have you been playing together?” She asked, trying to draw him out of his foul mood.
“About two years now.” He replied, glancing up at her and gracing her with a soft smile.
“That’s pretty impressive. I mean, you must’ve been babies when you started playing.” She realized after the words had already started to slip out that he might take offense at her reference to his young age, but it was too late to stop herself. He shrugged casually, though, so if it bothered him, it didn’t show.
“I got my first drum kit when I was ten. My sister bought it for me, actually.” He told her. “The others were just starting to play when we got together.” She smiled at the way he established that although he was the youngest person in the band, he had the most musical experience.
“That’s impressive.” She humored him. He abandoned the pretense of shopping for a magazine and approached the counter, casually run a hand through his shaggy locks.
“So, um… I was hoping you’d stay after the show last night because I uh… wanted to ask you…” He said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down at his feet again. Janet’s body flooded with a jolt of adrenaline and she felt like an animal who had wandered into a trap and realized it too late. She had the absurd image of herself chewing off her own leg to get away in her mind. Before Larry could finish his sentence, however, the office door swung open and Janet’s manager, Brian breezed out into the store.
“I’ve got some new posters to hang up.” He told her, stepping around her behind the counter to collect the folding step-ladder. He paused to cast a curious glance at Larry before turning and moving back into the main part of the store.
“Anyway… I was wondering if you wanted to go to a movie or something.” Larry asked once Brian was busy hanging the posters.
“Oh, uh… I…” Janet stammered, looking at her hands and out the window, everywhere but directly at Larry.
“You think I’m too young. I’m not.” He told her, making it a plain statement of fact. She turned to look at him, his silvery blue eyes catching hers and holding them. “I’m NOT a little boy. At least give me a chance, see for yourself before you just decide I’m some immature kid with a crush.” He told her. Janet realized she was holding her breath, the blood rushing in her ears so loudly she doubted she would hear a herd of wild animals running through the store.
“I…” She started, this time she was the one looking down at her feet awkwardly. “I’m twenty two.” She finally said. “Six years older than you.”
“Five.” He corrected.
“No… you’re 16, right?”
“I’ll be 17 in a few days.” He told her stubbornly. She made the mistake here of looking up into his eyes. If she hadn’t, perhaps she could’ve continued to argue her way out of a situation every lick of common sense she had told her would end very badly. But she looked up, her eyes meeting his, seeing a world of emotion hidden there, just below the surface, and she wanted to know him better. Much better, in fact. She couldn’t resist giving him that chance he was asking her for.
“That’s fair.” She told him, noticing the relief as his face relaxed. “Though I don’t see what you want in an old maid like me.” She joked.
“What?” he asked, taken completely by surprise. “C’mon yer havin’ me on. You’re… you have great taste in music, and you’re always … I don’t know… you just have a way of being to people, friendly but not… annoying.” He said with a slight laugh, running one of his hands through his feathered hair. “And you’re beautiful.” He told her, his voice much softer as he said these words. Janet felt her cheeks flood and turn pink. She wasn’t particularly accustomed to the word beautiful. Not that she didn’t like the sound of it.
“All right, you can stop now. Flattery works best when not spread too thick.” She joked.
“I wasn’t…” Larry started to argue, but Janet interrupted.
“Grease is playing at the cinema.” She told him thoughtfully. “It’s supposed to be good.”
“Is that the one with the guy from Saturday Night Fever in it?” He asked, and she agreed with a smile and a nod. “Sounds good.” He agreed. “When?”
“Well, I get out of work at seven…” Janet said, turning the pages of the local newspaper to the ShowTime schedule. “It looks like there’s a nine-thirty. Is that too late?”
“Um… no, no. That’ll be fine.” Larry agreed, and Brian spoke up from across the store.
“You can go early, if you’d like Janet.” He said playfully. “If you have to be home by curfew.” Janet flashed an angry glance at her manager and friend, but he just smiled broadly at her and continued what he was doing.
“So, where do you live?” Larry asked, trying to ignore the man’s playful jabs.
“Why don’t you meet me here, right at seven?” Janet suggested. “We can get something to eat first.”
“Ok, great. I’ll, uh… I’ll see you then.” Larry told her, backing out the door as if suddenly in a hurry. She smiled and agreed that they would plan to meet at the store at seven, and he smiled once more before turning and disappearing down the street, the door slamming behind him.
*Disclaimer: Although obviously inspired in part by people who exist in real life, this story is in no way meant to represent reality, past, present or future. The author has no personal experience or contact with the band or their friends and family. There are facts within this story which may be contrary to real life either because they were changed for artistic purposes or simply because the author had no knowledge of the truth on a particular subject; i.e.: dates and times. No offense is intended to anyone who inspired this work of fiction. It’s just a wandering thought which I found trapped in the maze of my imagination.
Babyface pt 1
He was a regular customer these days. Not to say that he ever bought much, but still, he came into the store nearly every day. This day was certainly no exception. It was a particularly gray, rainy day in early October. Dreary and depressing, really. The store felt even smaller and more closed in than usual, thanks to the fog and rain on the outside.
His hair was plastered to his forehead, his jacket doing a fair job of keeping his shoulders dry, but he never bothered to zip it up and so the plain white T-shirt he wore was splattered with rain as well. He nodded her way, a slight gesture, nothing conspicuous. She smiled in return, standing behind the counter and flipping through the pages of a magazine.
He was a cute kid, but way too young for her. He couldn’t be more than fifteen, by the look of him. She didn’t know much about him, even though she saw him every day. She didn’t even know his name, she had realized the night before, when she caught a glimpse of him out with some friends. She would’ve said hello, if she’d known what to call him. Since then, he’d been on her mind.
He browsed through the rack of 45s for a few moments. He wasn’t looking for anything specific, as far as she could tell. She wondered if Brian was right, when he told her that he suspected the real reason the boy visited the store so often was to see her. It was flattering, really, although she felt a bit uncomfortable about how happy it made her to think of him having a crush on her.
The bell on the door rang as it opened again and a taller boy with wild, curly blonde hair strolled in. He took a drag off his cigarette and eyed her carefully, as if trying to decide whether she would be a friend or an enemy. Janet arched a slender eyebrow at him and he smiled at her. It was a surprising thing to see. The corners of his mouth actually turned down, but it was a smile nonetheless. And it was devastatingly charming.
“H’lo.” He greeted her as he drew once more on his cigarette before tossing it back out the door onto the wet street. Janet made a non-committal noise in reply and cast her eyes downwards onto the magazine again. She could practically smell the potential for trouble radiating off this one. Still younger than she was, most likely, though much closer to her own age of 22 than the other boy.
“You find it?” He asked the first boy, who shook his head in response and continued to flip through the records. “We’re looking for a record by Patti Smith…” the older boy informed her, leaning casually against the counter and showing her a cheeky grin. His eyes were glazed and she caught the scent of cannabis when he drew near. She groaned inwardly, but smiled politely on the outside, leading him over to the rack which contained the album in question. He followed her up to the counter with it, pulling a leather wallet out of his back pocket. The other boy moved to stand nearby, hanging back slightly to look at the magazine rack.
“They’re going to be selling our records here soon, Lar. Just you wait and see. Give it a year. Maybe less even.” The older boy said, glancing back over his shoulder at the boy.
“You’re in a band?” Janet asked, her boredom outweighing her usual aversion to chatting too much with the customers.
“That’s right.” The curly haired boy replied with a smirk. “We’re called U2. Actually, you might’ve heard of us as ‘The Hype’. We’ve played a few gigs near here…” he started, handing her the money for the record.
“U2? Like the spy plane?” she asked, thinking it was a rather odd name for a band, but that in and of itself made it pretty cool.
“Exactly.” He told her, smiling even more. It was obvious he was quite proud of this band of theirs. Janet smiled at him as he went on to tell her all about it. He told her about the type of music they played, and how they were going to be bigger than the Beatles. They’d even been on a television special not too long ago. Janet wasn’t sure she believed everything he said, but rather than arguing, she simply smiled and nodded.
“Well, good luck to you, with that.” She told him, after handing him his change and wrapping the record safely in a paper bag. Suddenly, she realized she had nearly missed her opportunity to learn the boys name. “I’m Janet, by the way.” She told the blonde, offering him a handshake.
“Adam Clayton.” He informed her, shaking her hand politely. He saw her eyes shift back over his shoulder and settle on the younger boy, and he turned and draped an arm around his shoulders. “This is Larry Mullen. He’s the drummer in my band.”
“Piss off! Whose band?” He replied shortly, giving his friend a firm but playful shove. Janet smiled at the pair, who were obviously close friends. As close as boys that age got, anyway.
“I’m the bass player and the former manager.” He told Larry, “That makes it my band.”
“Bollix!” Larry complained, shaking his head. Adam turned back to Janet and informed her they would be playing again the next night, if she were interested. Janet promised to consider it, and the duo left the record shop, disappearing into the foggy night air.
“Larry Mullen.” She said, rolling his name around on her tongue like a sweet to savor. “Larry. Mullen.” She repeated it over and over to herself, liking the feel and sound of it more each time she said it. She scolded herself inwardly, trying to focus on the fact that he was far too young for her.
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“Jesus, Lardence, you don’t even have to try, do you?” Adam said on a slow breath out, smoke drifting out of his mouth and nostrils as he had just started another cigarette. Larry frowned at his friend, baffled by this statement. Adam chuckled and shook his head in disbelief.
“What?” Larry finally demanded, not appreciating being the source of his mate’s amusement.
“With girls, man. You don’t even have to do anything, say anything, and they’re all ready to stand in queue for your attention.” Adam told him, and Larry rolled his eyes. All Adam ever thought about was girls. Sex and drugs. And Fame. Adam was a dreamer.
“You really didn’t notice the way that woman was looking at you?” Adam asked in disbelief.
“Do you ever think about anything other than sex?” Larry asked, the corner of his mouth turning up despite the fact that he wanted to appear hostile enough to get the subject changed.
“Like what?” Adam replied playfully, bringing out Larry’s full smile. He could tell Adam was just trying to get a reaction, now. He wasn’t half as shallow as he acted sometimes.
“Like… fuck, I don’t know! Anything!” Larry replied, throwing his hands in the air for emphasis.
“Guess not.” Adam told him with a shrug and a cheeky grin as he drew the last puff of smoke out of his cigarette before tossing it to the pavement and squashing it underfoot. “Someone’s got to pick up the slack for you.” He added, shoving his friend playfully by the shoulder as he moved past him into the house, where the others were waiting to rehearse.
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Janet looked up at the clock. Five more minutes and it would be time to close up, and no sign of him. She should be relieved. Maybe he would stop coming by, and therefore, she would be able to get him out of her thoughts. She shouldn’t be thinking of him so often. The bell on the door clattered and clanged as the door opened and she turned to see him step inside and hesitate. He nodded at her politely when he saw that she was sweeping the floor in preparation to close.
“Are you closing, then?” He asked, and despite the fact that she’d been living in Dublin for the better part of a year, his accent still tickled her ears and made her want to smile. He had a nice manner of speaking.
“Not for a few minutes.” She told him. “You can come in and look around if you want.” She went back to sweeping, trying not to look at him as the door drifted shut behind him and he moved to the nearest rack to begin searching through the records.
“You’re American, aren’t you?” He asked, his eyes on the records rather than looking at Janet herself as he spoke to her. It took her a moment to convince herself he was speaking to her at all.
“Huh? Oh, yeah. I’m an American.” She told him, carrying the broom with her behind the counter and slipping it back into it’s storage place. She leaned against the counter, palms down, elbows locked, and watched him move about, winding through the racks aimlessly. “Indiana, to be more specific.” She informed him, and he nodded silently. “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious. Noticed your accent, wondered why you would move to Dublin from America.” He told her with a shrug.
“Lots of reasons.” She laughed. “You don’t like Dublin?”
“Oh, yeah. Of course I do. I just wondered what an American would see in it.” He told her, moving up to the counter and leaning his hip against it casually, crossing his arms.
“You mean what brings a girl like me to a place like this?” Janet joked, laughter lacing her words, her green eyes sparkling as she watched his already attractive face transform into something nearly angelic when he smiled. “I’m a writer, actually. Or, I want to be. My favorite writers were all Irish. WB Yeats, Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde… I guess I just wanted to live where they had lived. See what they saw.” She told him honestly. He nodded silently and considered her words for a moment before turning those incredibly blue eyes back toward her face.
“You’d get along well with Bono and Edge.” He told her.
“Bono? Edge?” She repeated, completely befuddled by these references. Larry leaned forward as he let out a burst of laughter at her reaction.
“Bono’s the singer in my band. Edge is the guitarist. His name is actually Dave, but Bono started calling him ‘The Edge’ a couple of years ago when we got together as a group. The name kinda stuck.” Larry explained, and Janet nodded to let him know she heard what he was saying, even if she didn’t entirely understand.
“An interesting group you have there.” She said and he chuckled again. The moment grew silent and seemed to stretch on and on as she searched his face for something. Some message he was trying to communicate to her, but she never found one. He was as unreadable as a statue. Finally, the silence became uncomfortable and she glanced at the clock. Eight minutes past closing. He realized it, too.
“So we’re playing this gig tonight…” He started, pulling a folded flyer out of his back pocket and smoothing it out before handing it to her. “I thought you might be interested.” She took the flyer and examined it for a moment.
“Thanks.” She told him, looking back up into those blue eyes which were watching her intently.
“So, you think you’ll be able to make it?” He asked, and she fought the smile which tugged at the corners of her mouth. He was too cute for words. Her heart was beating far more quickly than it ought to be, and she was feeling a little too light on her feet as she walked out from behind the counter and followed him to the door. She shouldn’t be so happy to have a young boy flirting with her. Even if it was adorable because it was so awkward and obvious.
“I’ll try and stop by.” She told him casually, not wanting to get his hopes up. It wasn’t right to lead him on, after all. He stepped out the door backwards, nodding silently and looking down at the ground as if there were answers to his questions written on the floor. “I’ll probably see you tonight.” She added, and he looked up at her, smiling that broad, honest smile.
“See you tonight.” He told her, trying not to seem overly excited about that as he turned on his heel and hurried down the street. If she watched him long enough, Janet suspected she would see him break out into a run. Maybe even jump once or twice, trying to hit the signs which hung out of reach over his head.
Janet closed and locked the door behind him, trying to talk herself out of going to the club that night. She had plenty of reasons why she shouldn’t go. Still, she knew she was going. She couldn’t resist checking out this band, not after meeting Larry and Adam. Besides, she told herself, how often do you get to meet someone named ‘The Edge’?
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She had enough time to hurry home and change her clothes, freshen up her make-up, and dip into the money she had in the rainy day fund. She seemed to be having a lot of rainy days lately, as the jar she kept the fund in was looking depressingly empty. Janet promised herself this would be the only night she went out until she got her next paycheck. That would certainly save her some money.
She glanced at herself in the mirror and decided skipping a few meals would help make her purse get a bit fatter and help her lose a few inches from her waist, as well. Her jeans were so tight they may as well have been painted on, and to complete the outfit she slid on a pair of funky boots which had been one of the things to deplete her rainy day fund, and then her favorite Sex Pistols T-shirt.
She hurried out the door and down the street, walking the eight blocks to the pub where the band was scheduled to play. It wasn’t a great area of town, but at least she was familiar with it. She walked in to the usual sounds of a pub, soft chatter, the cling-clang of glasses both empty and full and everywhere in between being passed around, and the strange, dissonant sound of a band getting ready to play. An accidental strike of the cymbal, someone tuning a guitar, and feedback from a microphone held too close to the speaker.
The walls were covered in dark wood paneling, the booth seats upholstered in dark red vinyl which cracked and curled away from cigarette burns. Lamps with faux stained glass shades hung from the ceiling, keeping the pub only dimly lit. The air was saturated with cigarette smoke, making the atmosphere seem downright foggy. Janet wound through the small tables which crowded the main floor in search of a seat near the stage.
She glanced up on the stage to see four young men setting up. Adam she immediately recognized. He was a particularly unique character, after all. The boy tuning the electric guitar was an attractive young man whom she had seen in the store on occasion. He was always polite but very quiet. The hyper-active young man playing with the microphone and flirting with a dark haired girl who sat on the side of the stage she had never seen, but immediately tagged as the lead singer. Not just because of the microphone, but because there was something about him that reminded her of a kindergartner on a caffeine high.
The drumset practically hid Larry completely from her view, but he must’ve had a better perspective because he spotted her and stood, waving to her and smiling. He jumped up so fast, his stool nearly toppled over, in fact. Adam turned to see what his friend was doing and then glanced out into the audience and saw Janet as well. He smiled and nodded at her politely, then turned back to say something to Larry that made his face flush red.
Janet settled herself into a seat at a table toward the front but slightly off to the side of the stage and looked around for a waitress. She pretended not to notice as Larry excused himself from the stage for a moment and approached her table.
“Hey.” He said, slowing to a stop on the opposite side of the table, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets and scuffing his booted feet on the sticky floor. Janet turned and smiled at him, trying to ignore the flutter in her chest. “You made it.” He said, and she nodded.
“Yeah, well, if we’re going to be selling you’re records soon, I figured I’d get a sneak preview.” She told him, trying not to notice just how tight the jeans he was wearing were, or how nicely they fit him. The waitress approached and Janet ordered a Bailey’s Irish cream on the rocks. Adam hopped off the stage and approached them now, his bass guitar strapped over his shoulder and worn with obvious pride.
“Hey, glad you could make it.” He greeted her with his roguish grin, pausing to light up a cigarette and offering her one as well. She declined with a shake of her head and he slid the pack back into the front pants pocket of his own snugly fitting jeans. He stepped to the side and gestured toward the stage, getting the attention of the others.
“Janet, this is The Edge.” He told her as the gangly youth with the shy smile approached, and she nodded in greeting. “And this is Bono.” Adam continued, pointing at the brown haired youth with all the energy. “And his girlfriend, Ali.”
“You mind if I set here with you?” Ali asked, and Janet shook her head and gestured to the empty chairs.
“Not at all, I could use the company.” She replied, feeling quite old among this horde of teenagers. She may be less than a decade their elder, but there was enough of an age gap to make her uncomfortable. Ali and Edge seemed to be the only ones who felt the same way about her age, however. Bono immediately began riddling her with questions about America, the record store, and anything else which came to his mind. She already knew Adam and Larry didn’t seem to notice that she was significantly older than they were.
After a few moments of listening to Bono ask her one question and then follow it with another before she could answer, a skinny middle aged man, apparently the manager of the pub, reminded them they were supposed to be on stage in five minutes. The girls watched as the boys flocked back onto the stage and made the final adjustments to their instruments.
“So, are you guys still in school?” Janet asked Ali once the waitress had returned with her drink and retreated with too much of Janet’s hard earned cash.
“No. Well, Larry is.” Ali informed her. Janet did her best to keep the disappointment that made her gut twist in knots from showing.
“How old… If you don’t mind my asking, how old are the guys?” Janet asked, taking another drink to hide her inappropriate level of interest.
“You mean how old is Larry, right?” Ali smiled knowingly. “He’s 16. He’ll be 17 at the end of the month. The others are all 18.” Janet tried to act as if she had no idea what Ali was talking about, but it was obviously of no use. She smiled shyly, ducking her head in embarrassment. Was it that obvious? “I’d have to ask, too. If Larry were flirting with me. I’d think he was like… fourteen maybe.” Ali added.
Janet sighed with relief. She thought her interest stemmed solely from the fact that Larry had been the one to invite her to the show that night. Before she could say anything more the room was engulfed in the sudden, loud sound of rock and roll. They weren’t the least bit polished, but they certainly did play with an enthusiasm which was contagious.
Edge was clearly talented but shy. Adam had a cigarette dangling from his lips throughout the entirety of the show and he kept turning his back to the audience. Janet considered this carefully, wondering if the bold young man actually suffered from stage fright or perhaps it was an attempt to seem cool and removed. She decided, in the end, that it was neither of these things. Adam was, when he turned away from the audience, watching Larry for a cue.
Larry was not only carrying the rhythm with his drumming but he was keeping Adam in time as well. Not to mention the fact that he seemed to be taking out all of his aggression on the drums, striking them with far more force and energy than necessary. She had to wonder where all of that pent up aggression would come from, in someone his age.
Bono was all over the stage, definitely entertaining to behold and enthusiastic about the music. One moment he seemed to have nearly classical training, beautifully enunciating every word, every note; then he would seem out of breath and more interested in showing off than singing.
Still, for all their inexperience, they were far better than she had expected. She wasn’t the only one who noticed, either. The audience absolutely fell in love. She had to keep telling herself not to fall in love with any one person more than the others. The band as a whole was something very special and Adam was probably right; they would go a long way. Anything more personal, though, on her part, would be a grave mistake.
Now that their set was finished, the boys in the band were wound up, full of energy and leftover excitement. She’d only seen a smile on Larry’s handsome young face on a few occasions. Tonight she’d seen him smile at least twice as much as all other times before. It was threatening to overcome her willpower.
Janet rose to go as they began breaking down their instruments, telling Ali goodbye politely. She knew it was probably rude to slip out without saying goodbye to Larry, but she wasn’t quite ready to see him, one on one. Especially now that she was facing the realization that she was very disappointed to learn that she was, indeed, too old for him.
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It was early the next afternoon when the bell clanged and Janet turned to see him enter the store. His blue eyes were dark today; like a stormy sky. He frowned and looked away quickly, bowing his head and pulling his shoulders tight as he shoved his hands in his pockets. His attractive face was completely hidden beneath his shaggy dirty blonde hair, but his body language practically screamed at her.
“Hey, Larry.” She greeted him tentatively. He nodded slightly in her direction as he shuffled off to search the magazine rack. Janet suspected he had the contents of the rack memorized by now, and she was certain he knew the new editions were delivered on Mondays.
“The show was good last night. You guys have a great sound.” She said, leaning on her elbows on the counter and watching him closely for some reaction. She certainly didn’t want to hurt his feelings.
“Thanks. I wasn’t sure you saw the whole thing.” He told her sharply and her eyes widened slightly in surprise. She hadn’t expected to hear irritation in his voice. She smiled slightly, realizing she didn’t really know him well enough to predict his reactions to things just yet. This spark of emotion was more encouraging than the sullen, pouting boy she had expected.
“I stayed for the whole show. I was impressed. How long have you been playing together?” She asked, trying to draw him out of his foul mood.
“About two years now.” He replied, glancing up at her and gracing her with a soft smile.
“That’s pretty impressive. I mean, you must’ve been babies when you started playing.” She realized after the words had already started to slip out that he might take offense at her reference to his young age, but it was too late to stop herself. He shrugged casually, though, so if it bothered him, it didn’t show.
“I got my first drum kit when I was ten. My sister bought it for me, actually.” He told her. “The others were just starting to play when we got together.” She smiled at the way he established that although he was the youngest person in the band, he had the most musical experience.
“That’s impressive.” She humored him. He abandoned the pretense of shopping for a magazine and approached the counter, casually run a hand through his shaggy locks.
“So, um… I was hoping you’d stay after the show last night because I uh… wanted to ask you…” He said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down at his feet again. Janet’s body flooded with a jolt of adrenaline and she felt like an animal who had wandered into a trap and realized it too late. She had the absurd image of herself chewing off her own leg to get away in her mind. Before Larry could finish his sentence, however, the office door swung open and Janet’s manager, Brian breezed out into the store.
“I’ve got some new posters to hang up.” He told her, stepping around her behind the counter to collect the folding step-ladder. He paused to cast a curious glance at Larry before turning and moving back into the main part of the store.
“Anyway… I was wondering if you wanted to go to a movie or something.” Larry asked once Brian was busy hanging the posters.
“Oh, uh… I…” Janet stammered, looking at her hands and out the window, everywhere but directly at Larry.
“You think I’m too young. I’m not.” He told her, making it a plain statement of fact. She turned to look at him, his silvery blue eyes catching hers and holding them. “I’m NOT a little boy. At least give me a chance, see for yourself before you just decide I’m some immature kid with a crush.” He told her. Janet realized she was holding her breath, the blood rushing in her ears so loudly she doubted she would hear a herd of wild animals running through the store.
“I…” She started, this time she was the one looking down at her feet awkwardly. “I’m twenty two.” She finally said. “Six years older than you.”
“Five.” He corrected.
“No… you’re 16, right?”
“I’ll be 17 in a few days.” He told her stubbornly. She made the mistake here of looking up into his eyes. If she hadn’t, perhaps she could’ve continued to argue her way out of a situation every lick of common sense she had told her would end very badly. But she looked up, her eyes meeting his, seeing a world of emotion hidden there, just below the surface, and she wanted to know him better. Much better, in fact. She couldn’t resist giving him that chance he was asking her for.
“That’s fair.” She told him, noticing the relief as his face relaxed. “Though I don’t see what you want in an old maid like me.” She joked.
“What?” he asked, taken completely by surprise. “C’mon yer havin’ me on. You’re… you have great taste in music, and you’re always … I don’t know… you just have a way of being to people, friendly but not… annoying.” He said with a slight laugh, running one of his hands through his feathered hair. “And you’re beautiful.” He told her, his voice much softer as he said these words. Janet felt her cheeks flood and turn pink. She wasn’t particularly accustomed to the word beautiful. Not that she didn’t like the sound of it.
“All right, you can stop now. Flattery works best when not spread too thick.” She joked.
“I wasn’t…” Larry started to argue, but Janet interrupted.
“Grease is playing at the cinema.” She told him thoughtfully. “It’s supposed to be good.”
“Is that the one with the guy from Saturday Night Fever in it?” He asked, and she agreed with a smile and a nod. “Sounds good.” He agreed. “When?”
“Well, I get out of work at seven…” Janet said, turning the pages of the local newspaper to the ShowTime schedule. “It looks like there’s a nine-thirty. Is that too late?”
“Um… no, no. That’ll be fine.” Larry agreed, and Brian spoke up from across the store.
“You can go early, if you’d like Janet.” He said playfully. “If you have to be home by curfew.” Janet flashed an angry glance at her manager and friend, but he just smiled broadly at her and continued what he was doing.
“So, where do you live?” Larry asked, trying to ignore the man’s playful jabs.
“Why don’t you meet me here, right at seven?” Janet suggested. “We can get something to eat first.”
“Ok, great. I’ll, uh… I’ll see you then.” Larry told her, backing out the door as if suddenly in a hurry. She smiled and agreed that they would plan to meet at the store at seven, and he smiled once more before turning and disappearing down the street, the door slamming behind him.
