Room69, Alyssa and Amy
Noah grinned as he and AJ walked into P3. There were decorations, streamers and balloons, with a huge banner congratulating Room69 on finally finishing their first EP, and the launch of the new single.
"Ace, man!" Pete bounced through the door, Alex on his arm. They were followed by Chris, Alyssa, Amy and Adam.
"Rockin," Alyssa put in.
"Surreal," Noah agreed. He wrapped an arm around AJ's waist and kissed his cheek.
"And it's Christmas in five days!" Chris said. "And that means, our album can be given to people for Christmas."
"Yeah, because everyone's gonna want one," Noah replied dryly, smiling slightly as their single, 'Falling Apart', started to play.
AJ
"Hmm... they don't have a choice," AJ insisted, looking around.
"Were you playing live tonight at all?"
Noah
"Little later," Noah informed her.
"Wanna get some food and drinks?"
AJ
"Sweet," AJ crooned.
"Hmm... yeah, better. Gettin' hungry anyway."
Noah
"Cool."
Noah led her over to the food.
"We should catch some concerts while you're out here."
AJ
"Even better," AJ grinned, beginning to grab some food from the buffet.
"Too bad there won't be any Hanson, Bee Gees or John Farnham though."
Noah
"Have a cry," Noah suggested, grinning cheekily.
He grabbed a plate and started to pile it with food.
"But we can check out Reel Big Fish and such."
AJ
AJ whacked him in the shoulder.
"Yeah, guess we can. It'll have to do," she sighed dramatically.
Then she went for more food.
Noah
Noah whacked her on the butt and darted away to make an escape before she attacked him back.
AJ
"Ooooh," AJ squinted at him, then drew her finger across her neck as a threat.
She pushed someone aside a little that was trying to get the last bit of chicken before her, then grabbed a drink and went to one of the tables.
She mouthed 'you're in for it' at Noah, then nodded.
Noah
Noah went over to join AJ with his food and drink.
"Hey, come here often?"
He grinned cheekily.
AJ
AJ hesitated, waiting for her chance. Then she hit him.
"Don't be a smartass," she mock glared.
Then she put some of his food on her plate and began to eat it.
Noah and Pete
"My ass is very smart." Noah nodded.
"And so damn fine!" Pete joked, sitting down with them.
"Yeah, my ass is like whoa!"
AJ
"Hello Pete," AJ said blandly, pretending to be distracted by her food.
Then she put some potato on her fork, and launched it in his direction.
Room69
Pete swiftly ducked and grinned.
"Right, let's move."
"Good plan."
Pete and Noah got up to go talk to Chris and Adam, who were studying the CD single photos.
AJ
AJ chuckled, then sat back into the chair and began to eat her food - and part of Noah's - in peace.
She could almost say she was used to coming to this place now.
Room69 and Phoebe
"Ladies and Gentlemen... Room69!" Phoebe announced on the micrphone, then hopped off the stage as the band members filed on.
"Yo yo ma," Pete said into his microphone. "We're Room69, and this is our first single, Falling Apart."
Noah grinned and stepped up to the mike.
"I don't know how we got like this
It used to be good, but now
It's all turned to shit
We used to be best friends
And now it's all falling apart
It's like so many things you read about
Best friends till the end they say
Then the money comes
And before you know it
It's all falling apart
But when you get down to the point
No matter how hard we try
We can't deny who we were
And who we are now
Even though it's falling apart
Coz we're all dressed up
But with no place to pretend
We've come so far
And it feels like the end
But I'll stick around
If you do too
Because best friends means
You'll get what you deserve
People trying to talk to us
Convince us to see the light
But we don't care
Coz we're not wrong
And it's all falling apart
No point in even trying
To work this problem out
They're not the friends
I thought they were before
It's all falling apart
But when you get down to the point
No matter how hard we try
We can't deny who we were
And who we are now
Even though it's falling apart
Coz we're all dressed up
But with no place to pretend
We've come so far
And it feels like the end
But I'll stick around
If you do too
Because best friends means
You'll get what you deserve
Sometimes it gets so hard to breathe
And I remember that things were so much better
Before we got this far
Can't we go back to before this started
Just be friends again?
Coz we're all dressed up
But with no place to pretend
We've come so far
And it feels like the end
But I'll stick around
If you do too
Because best friends means
You'll get what you deserve
And we're all dressed up (All dressed up)
With no place to pretend (No place to pretend)
But I'll stick around (And I will too)
Because best friends means
Best friends means
You'll get what you deserve..."
Chris chuckled slightly.
"This is a song we wrote yesterday after some woman commented on our 'image'. It's called 'Just Another Cliched Punk Song By Another Cliched Punk Band'."
Noah cleared his throat and started the opening chords on his guitar, then Pete and Adam joined in, and finally Chris on the drums.
"Spike your hair and dye it green
Pierce your nose to be so scene
Tattoo on your arms and chest
To be this punk you try your best
When did punk become so trendy?
Why are we so fucking cliched?
Punk has nothing to do with image
It's all about the fucking music!
We get judged coz we look "normal"
But what the hell is normal anyway?
We're doing this coz we love the music
Not because we wanna be "cool"
Next month the fad will change
Pop will come back into fashion
We can breathe a sigh of relief
Get off our turf, you bloody posers
People judge coz we're a punk band
Where are all our tats and piercings
How can we be punk without them?
How can you live without a brain?
Do you want us to be cliched?
Coz we'll try if it makes you happy
So we dedicated this song to you
Here we go!
So we'll spike our hair and dye it green
Pierce our noses to be so scene
Tattoo on our arms and chest
To be this punk we try our best
We'll look the way the punks are meant to
We'll act the way that "true punks" do
We'll rip it up and fucking swear a lot
We'll hardcore dance and all that rot
We're not sorry that we look so "normal"
Not sorry that you judged and cared
We're doing this coz we really do love it
Don't label us as just another sell out..."
AJ
AJ chuckled at the song as she finished off her dinner, and looked around for Alyssa.
Not spotting her, she just settled back to listen. Probably went to the bathroom or something.
Room69 and Alyssa
"Look at the world in disbelief
You used to follow, now you lead
College has enlightened you
And you were proud to be different and like
Different bands, different types
You ain't nobody's fool
It's like certain remind you of someone you hated
Coz they didn't wear the right clothing
And there's only one true fashion
And a lot of the bands on the college charts
Are great bands, till they get signed
And you hate them, it's such bullshit
You used to love them you hypocrite
Know it all, know it all
Did you really listen to that song
Could you ever write what you call wrong?
I remember you and I, listening to bands that we liked
Only the songs mattered to you
Now you're a DJ and preaching that hype
Corporate rock sucks, you know
College radio enlightens you
It's supposed to serve as a means
To expose new bands without prejudice
But it makes no sense
Safe harbour for the underground
Till the alternative beat becomes the popular sound
The bands are good till they make enough cash
To eat food, and get a pad
Then they're sold out and their music's cliche
Coz talent's exclusive to bands without pay
Know it all, know it all
Did you really listen to that song
Could you ever write what you call wrong?
Know it all..."
Noah wiped the sweat off his forehead before launching into the next song.
"Morning has broken
Mr Coffee has spoken
The familiar wake up call
Sings to my ears
I wake with a shrug
I roll with a thud
Where in this hell hole
Is my coffee mug?
I can now face the day
On legal speed the American way
The American way
I'm sketching
I'm skeezing
I'm spazzing
I'm shaking
I cannot stop spilling on my brand new shirt
I, I, I'm wired
I'm so inspired
I drank the entire pot
So off to work
Here I come to save the day
On legal speed, the American way
The American way..."
Alyssa grinned as she headed over to AJ.
"HEY!"
OOC:
AJ
"Heya Lys," AJ reached up to give her a five.
"Where ya been? I've been all on my lonesome since the guys got
onstage."
Alyssa
"Been harrassing the bar staff... nah, been hanging out, running
around helping them organise the singles and stuff."
Alyssa tucked some hair behind her ear.
"And I'm taking photos tonight too," she said, indicating the
digital camera.
AJ
"Oooooh..."
AJ grabbed the camera off her, and began looking through the photos.
"Not bad. I was going to be getting into a photography course when I
left school. Of course, I never actually finished school this year,"
she pulled a face.
Room69 and Alyssa
"Spose you can always go home," Alyssa replied absently, taking the
camera back and snapping a photo. "Or you could enrol in a school
here."
Room69 finished and hopped off stage, where they were swamped with
the press. Chris escaped and came over to them to eat some of
Alyssa's food.
"Hey AJ," he greeted, sliding into a seat.
AJ
"Hey Chris," AJ grinned, "first day at work huh?"
Then she chuckled.
"And as long as I can stay out of school without cops on my case, I'm
happy."
Chris, Noah and Alyssa
Chris wiped his forehead again.
"Was pretty fun..."
Noah came bounding over and kissed AJ's head.
"It's hot!"
"Whingey whingey," Alyssa commented.
AJ
"Hey babe," AJ grinned, kissing him back.
"Do the press even know you have a girlfriend yet, or are they just
gonna look over and... yeah?"
Noah
"They know, it was like the first question they asked me."
Noah rolled his eyes slightly and slid into a chair.
"Hungry again."
AJ
"Typical," AJ rolled her eyes.
She looked around for a moment, then leant over to the next table
where someone had left a bowl of peanuts for a moment, grabbe dthe
bowl, and brought it back.
"Here," she chuckled.
Noah
Noah kissed AJ's cheek.
"Thank you, daaaaarling."
"Idiot," Alyssa said, shaking her head.
AJ
"Oh you're welcome," AJ replied in a ditzy voice.
Then she hit him.
"You know there is still food on the buffet..."
Noah and Chris
"Mmmmm, what a good point."
Noah lightly punched her arm back and jumped up, heading over to the
buffet and getting more food, then came back.
"We playing again?" Chris asked.
"Nah, just some phoooootos, and some signing of the singles, and
some... home time."
AJ
"Yay," AJ said nonchalantly.
"The signing and that's gonna take forever. You should practice
signing your name so you can do it at lightening speed."
She chuckled.
Noah and Alyssa
"I was thinking about just signing it with 'N'. Or maybe just Noah,"
Noah mused.
"Because you prefer to remain an enigma?" Alyssa asked sarcastically.
"Shoosh."
AJ
"Most artists only sign their first name anyway," AJ shrugged, "I
know Hanson do... oh God damn."
She put a hand over her mouth and cracked up laughing.
"It just kinda hit me that you guys are... yeah, almost famous."
Noah and Alyssa
"Yeah, but that's because everyone knows Hanson's last name," Noah
pointed out, then grinned. "We're not famous yet though."
"That's a scary thought," Alyssa said. "Can't you just picture it?
Thousands of girls wanting you bad? And guys!"
"That's so disturbing, Lys."
AJ
AJ grinned, almost evilly.
"But true, oh so true. Next thing you know you'll have drag queens
assaulting you onstage."
She chuckled, then leant over and kissed him.
"As long as no one else gets in your mouth, I can handle it."
Noah, Chris and Alyssa
"Or in his pants," Chris added.
"Or in his - mmmmph!" Alyssa said.
"Let's not talk about that," Noah replied.
"But you're the lead singer, and lead guitar, and like, so hot!"
Chris joked.
"I won't ask you why you've thought about that," Noah replied.
AJ
AJ stared at Chris with a weird look on her face.
"Now that's just disturbing," she said finally.
"Chris, keep your eyes off my man."
Room69
Chris grinned.
"Will do."
"Hey!" Pete bounced over. "Adam's over there, and they say we're
doing signings."
"Mmmkay."
Chris got up and trotted over to the table.
"Catch ya after?" Noah said to AJ, before kissing her briefly and
jogging after Pete.
AJ
"Yep, sure thing," AJ said to herself, smiling slightly as they
disappeared.
She tapped her fingers on the table for a moment, then sighed.
"I'm feeling inspired... I wonder if they'd let me on the drum set
for a bit..."
Alyssa
"Probably not right now, they're getting interviewed and stuff."
Alyssa pulled a face.
"I can't believe my brother is gonna be famous. So unfair."
AJ
"I bet Noah becomes a huge flirt and I get jealous," AJ chuckled.
"Ooooooh, you know what? I bet Bella's gonna be jealous as hell of me
now."
ALyssa
"He probably will," Alyssa commented. "And Chris will the the pretty
boy drummer... Adam the bad boy bass, and Pete the funny guitarist."
She paused.
"Yeah, Bella will probably get a stick up her ass. Even more..."
AJ
"I like that idea... the Bella thing that is," AJ chuckled.
"She's just someone I love to piss off. For the sake of it."
Alyssa and Room69
"She's like that," Alyssa nodded.
Room69 were up to their 50th signings and were looking pretty bored.
AJ
AJ chuckled when she saw the look on Noah's face.
"You know, I'd go over there to remedy their boredom... but I don't
wanna risk getting stuck in the media," she nodded to herself.
She glanced at Lys then chuckled.
"Poor guys. What you have to go through to become famous."
Alyssa and Room69
"Yeah, I feel for them, I really do," Alyssa said, giggling.
Noah signed the CD case with a simple 'Noah', then decided to be
more interesting. The next one read 'Noah loves you baby', to which
Pete signed with a 'Wassup, Pete Dawg is in da house!', after Adam
wrote 'Adz, Adz, rhymes with nadz', and Chris finally ended it with
a 'Chris likes to eat chicken'.
AJ
"It's hard not to, isn't it?" AJ rolled her eyes.
She leant her head back on the seat and took a deep breath before
looking at her watch.
Noah
In an hour, all the singles were signed, and Room69 were ready to
leave. Noah came over to AJ.
"Sorry, you were bored, weren't ya?"
AJ
"I'm not easily bored," AJ replied, standing up to give him a peck on
the cheek.
She grabbed her jacket from a nearby chair.
"Someone go and get the car ready, because I am gonna bolt. It's too
freaking cold."
Noah
Noah pointed.
"It's just over there, come on."
He started walking over to the car.
AJ
"Frick, frick, frick, frick..." AJ chanted, hugging herself.
"You know... I always wanted to see snow... but now I have I don't
want it."
Noah
Noah smiled and unlocked the car and hopped in, starting it up and
switching the heater on.
AJ
"Up! Up! UP!" AJ demanded, leaning over to flick the heater switch,
then collapsed back into her seat shivering.
"Frick, frick, frick, frick..."
Noah
"Oh it's not that cold, you pansy," Noah replied, reversing out of
the parking spot and then driving in the direction of his house.
"Dad's away again, wanna stay at mine or go to Chris's?"
AJ
"Depends on how long you're Dad's away for, and that he doesn't come
home early again," AJ shrugged.
"And I have a freaking excuse. Here I am, used to 40 degree celcius
heats and beyond, and it's like..."
She looked out the window.
"I don't even know how anything works below zero."
Noah
"He's gone over Christmas."
Noah rolled his eyes and looked slightly wistful.
"I'm meant to be having Christmas with Adam's family."
AJ
"Isn't Adam's dad the one who ratted on me? Almost?" AJ frowned
slightly.
"But... I don't really care. As long as I get to see you sometime."
Noah
"Yeah, he is," Noah replied.
"It's alright, all of our parents are pretty good friends, so we'll
be all having a Christmas dinner together later."
AJ
"This is nothing like home," AJ chuckled.
"We'd invite a couple of relatives over for lunch, go out to
another's place for dinner, and that's it. Or on Boxing Day the whole
family gets together, practically. Most don't get on, but yeah...
Never get to see friends, that's for sure."
Noah
"We all do the family thing during the day."
Noah paused.
"Except for me... depending on whether or not Dad's actually home.
So I mostly hang out at Adam's on Christmas anyway."
He pulled up at his house.
AJ
"A point. My dad's normally home for Christmas."
She undid her seatbelt, then delayed getting out of the car.
"You're gonna have the heaters going full blast, right?"
Noah
"Yes, and the kero will warm us up."
Noah grinned.
"Alyssa and Chris are staying over too."
He tossed AJ the car keys.
"Lock the car when you finally make the dash."
He went up the stairs to his house and unlocked the door, reaching
for the heater switch.
AJ
AJ waited a while until she was sure the house would have warmed up a
bit, then quickly opened the door. She locked the car, then ran for
the house, almost slamming the door once she was inside.
"I feel like my body is covered in frostbite."
Noah, Chris and Alyssa
"Awwww," Noah said sympathetically.
He created up some cups, kero and food before the doorbell rang.
"It's open!" he called.
Chris and Alyssa appeared moments later.
AJ
"Hey guys," AJ waved, taking one jacket off.
The other two could stay on for now.
She grabbed a cup of kero and began to drink.
Alyssa, Chris and Noah
"Hey," Alyssa greeted.
Chris collapsed into the beanbag and stretched out, yawning.
"Buggered, but it was fun though."
"Yeah," Noah agreed.
AJ
"Meh. Boring while you're there, but you'd rather be there than here."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Typical."
Noah and Chris
Noah grinned and put his arms around AJ.
"Some people are gonna be surprised when they get a single."
"Yeah!" Chris agreed.
AJ
"Mhmmm..."
AJ leant back into him and closed her eyes with a sigh.
"They're gonna love it. Don't worry."
Noah and Alyssa
"Yeah, I just meant coz of the messages we wrote," Noah said,
grinning cheekily.
"Oh dear," Alyssa replied.
"Pete wrote the worst ones, I think... then we got bored of it and
started to just sign our names again."
AJ
"I saw a couple," AJ admitted.
"Weirdos."
Noah, Chris and Alyssa
"It's too boring to be just our names," Noah said.
"Yeah, plus the song sucks, so we need something cool about the
single," Chris replied.
Alyssa sighed and shook her head.
AJ
"If Hanson can get off with something like 'Mmmbop', then you cen get
off with this," AJ insisted, opening her eyes again.
"Not that I have much against that song..."
Noah
"Maybe..."
Noah kissed her head.
"Anyways, I'm pretty tired... what about you guys?"
AJ
"Yep," AJ agreed, shifting slightly so she could kiss him back.
Then she fell back into him and closed her eyes again.
Noah and Chris
Noah leaned against her then got up.
"Ok, I'm gonna go to bed..."
Chris nodded.
"Spare for Lys and I'll be here."
"Mmmkay," Noah replied absently.
Know It All - Lagwagon
Mr Coffee - Lagwagon