Edie brushed Frida's hair and pulled out a straighter from behind her. A whole week had gone by since Frida's messy break-up with the Stig and Edie thought that a night out on the town would cheer her up. Ever since the Stig incident, Max had become closer to the girls, visiting them as often as he could and he even kicked the Stig out of his apartment. He had also made good friends with various numbers of celebrities, probably because of their similarity in drug choice, the common thread that kept them together. He had been going to glamorous parties in the city where people wore designer dresses and drank martinis. It was all very modern and Max somehow fitted the part perfectly. Max burst through the bedroom door hollering greetings to the room. Edie clamped the straighter down to Frida's ear causing her to cry out in pain and swear loudly.
"Shit Max!" exclaimed Edie patting Frida on the back, "You not supposed to be here to take us till later. Or are we late? Please say no"
"No," he replied, "what's wrong with a certain Max wanting to see his best buddies before he takes them out. To a really good party, might I add."
"Cool..." said Frida wincing in pain.
"Max sweetpea, can you please pick a dress for Frida?" asked Edie straightening the last of Frida's kinks.
Max tilted his head at Edie with a sarcastic expression on his face.
"Do I look gay to you?"
"You're wearing black skinny jeans" sang out Frida from behind a magazine.
"So? The chicks dig it" he replied, pulling out a short, low-cut sequined cocktail dress. "I like this one"
"Uh no" said Frida and went back to reading her magazine.
"C'mon Frida!" pleaded Edie "It's a famous party! We have to dress slutty!"
Frida looked up at Edie and sighed.
Three hours later and the girls and Max were standing on the sidewalk waiting to be let into a club that had been rented out for a party. Frida had been forced into the silver, sequin number and Edie was wearing a short, black lacey dress. They waited in the cold for about 30 minutes. None of them had thought about bringing coats and the idea only occurred to Frida when they were in the car on their way.
"Max, are you actually on this 'list' you speak of?" asked Edie, tired of standing.
"Yes, I am certain" he replied and at that precise moment, the large group of people in front shifted into the club, revealing a large security guard.
"Name?" he grunted, looking down at his clipboard.
"Uh, Max Henderson" he said, trying to get a peek at the list.
"You're not on the list"
"WHAT?!" Max shouted.
"Aha, just kidding, come right through" chuckled the security guard.
Max breathed a sigh of relief and guided the girls into the club.
"They're with me" he said to the security guard.
"I've always wanted to do that" he said, smirking at the girls.
As soon as Edie stepped into the room she was greeted by thick smoke and flashing lights. There were people dancing on tables and running around everywhere, screaming with laughter. They clasped martinis in their hands as they laughed and giggled at jokes, looking glamorous. The music playing was not anything modern, to Edie’s surprise, but actually something that sounded like it was from 60’s.
“I like it here” she mentioned to Frida who was spinning around trying to look at as much as she could. She was soaking up her surroundings, staring up at the ceiling and she tripped, narrowly missing falling into a couple making out. She straightened her dress and continued walking, looking around to see if anyone had saw her. She put her head down and kept on marching forward through the crowds.
It was quite embarrassing, tripping up in front of a club full of people. She has halfway across the Dancefloor before she realized she didn’t know where she was going. She was in the middle of a sea of people, being pushed around with the beat of the music. She squeezed her way through an opening in the crowd to the edge of the Dancefloor. She looked around for Edie and Max but they were nowhere in sight. By this point, she had started to freak out slightly. She spotted a group of people on a lounge that wrapped around a small coffee table. They were huddled over the table so tightly that Frida couldn’t see what was going on. Someone at the table looked up and caught Frida’s eye. It was Paul. Frida’s eyes lit up and a wide grin stretched across her face. It was so good to find someone she knew. She hurried over to the group behind a glass half-wall.
“Paul!” she squealed, jumping into his arms.
“Oh hey Frida, what are you doing here?” he replied, inviting her to take a seat next to him.
“I came with Max. What are you doing here?” she said sitting down at the table. At this viewpoint she could now see what was on the table. A couple of small plastic bags full of a fine white powder were sitting on the table next to a silver blade and a straw-like mechanism.
“Well, I am the one that got Max here. Oh, by the way this is Noel, Kate, Danny and Binki” said Paul, gesturing to the four other people at the table. Noel was pale and had bright blonde hair with a blue fringe. He opened the packet and poured the powder onto a piece of card and starting chopping it up with the blade. He looked up at Frida and nodded. He had light blue eyes, like crystals. Kate patted down her black, 60’s style bob and waved. Danny was very tan and had messy brown hair that was splayed in front of his face. He was leaning far back in his chair staring at the ceiling. He was obviously on something. Frida turned to the last member of the group, Binki. Binki was excitable and loud. She jumped up off the seat, startling Danny and kissed Frida on both her cheeks.
“It’s so nice to meet you! Paul has told us so much about you and Edie!” she gushed, pushing her fairy floss-pink hair behind her ears.
Binki had skin like porcelain and shoulder length pink hair shined even though there was hardly any light. Frida knew who Binki was even though she had never actually met her before. Binki was the front woman of a notorious post-punk band called The Syringes. She was incredibly famous and her band had been on the cover of NME several times and apparently on a mutual break.
“Oh my god!” stammered Frida, overwhelmed by the presence of a superstar, “I can’t believe it’s you! I thought when Max said ‘famous people’ he meant the washed up stars of Home and Away. Eek! Edie and I listen to your music all the time!”
Binki chortled and sat down.
“How do you know Paul?” asked Frida, who had managed to calm down enough so that her words were audible.
“Oh, well, since the ‘break-up’ of my band, the paparazzi have been going mental and Paul here saved me from them once and he’s been helping me ever since.”
Binki bent down and snorted a line of cocaine. She yelped a bit then wiped her nose, sniffling loudly.
“Want some?” she asked Frida, pushing the tiny lines of powder in Frida’s direction.
“Sure, I mean I’ve been having a pretty shitty couple of weeks, what difference is this going to make?” she replied leaning over.
The cocaine was like rocket fuel. Everything slowed down or sped up, Frida couldn’t tell. She was overtaken by energy. She jumped on couch, laughing and squealing with delight. It was like being a little kid. She had nothing to worry about. She ran out to the Dancefloor and started dancing like a maniac. Paul, Binki and Kate laughed at her but then came and joined her. Sweat was dripping down Frida’s face as she swung her hair around and attempted to crump. Usually people would have stopped and stared at her, whispering behind her back but here they danced with her and looked after her. She was appreciated and for once in Frida’s life, she felt like she belonged. This is where she fitted in, in the underground mod party scene.
Meanwhile, Edie and Max were looking for Frida. Edie was panicking. Frida was like her sister and she couldn’t find her anywhere. They had checked the toilets, the bar and the little lounge areas around the Dancefloor. There was only one place left to look and that was the Dancefloor. Edie had originally dismissed that thought as soon as it appeared in her mind. Frida hated dancing more than anything. She would always stay firmly away from the masses of dancing people but with no where else to look, it was the last hope. Edie pushed a drunken girl out of the way and there was Frida, in the middle of the Dancefloor. A circle of people had formed around her, clapping her on as she waved her arms about like a pretzel and danced. Edie chuckled and turned to report her findings back to Max but Max was busy having an intense conversation with a slightly chubby woman with red curly hair.
“I found Frida” said Edie to Max, pointing at the group of people surrounding her.
“Excellent,” he replied, “Edie, this is Meg. She has something for us.”
“Ooh! I simply adore surprises!” she giggled and grabbed Max’s hand.
Max and Edie followed Meg into a room that ran off from the main function room. It had silver cushioned walls with a single couch in the middle of the room. In the corner was a small coffee table with a black handbag sitting on it. On the couch was a guy who looked up impatiently at Meg.
“Yes, I know Tom, I’m coming.” She said to him. She opened up her handbag and pulled out a syringe. She walked over to Tom who turned around. Meg pulled down the back of his jeans and stabbed him with the syringe. He sighed with relief and jumped up. He then ran from the room cheering and disappeared out the door.
“Now you guys want the same, yeah?” she said with a thick London accent.
“Speed, uh, I guess so” murmured Edie.
“Don’t be nervous, it’s great!” said Max skipping forward and voluntarily pulled down the back of his black skinny jeans. Meg pulled out a clean syringe and stabbed into his butt.
A few minutes later, Max and Edie were running around the room with there arms out like aeroplanes. The feeling was great. Warm, happy energy rushed through Edie’s body. She felt like she could do anything. She never wanted this feeling to end. Her and Max broke out of the confinement of the room and joined Frida who was still dancing away like a lunatic. All three of them danced all night until they felt like their legs would fall off and that was the point where Paul dragged them into a cab home.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Chapter Six: A Whiter Shade of Pale
Edie sat on her bed with her quilt wrapped around her shoulders. She glanced down at her floor. It was littered with empty pill containers and records. Her posters of people she admired were falling and her clothes were pushed into a messy pile in the corner of her room. She stared at her reflection in her ornate mirror. Her blonde hair was messy and greasy. Her face was a sickly shade of white and she had black bags underneath her bloodshot eyes. A tear rolled down her cheek as she looked at this broken woman in the mirror. A soft knock came on the door. It slowly opened to reveal Rose, her eyes full of worry and sympathy.
"Are you okay, darling?" she asked.
"I'm fine" sniffled Edie.
She got up out of the room, her quilt trailing along behind her. She went into the kitchen where she found Frida. She had returned, early morning, from her date.
"Good morning" she said, wolfing down a bowl of something.
"Meh", grunted Edie in reply.
Edie leaned over to see what Frida was eating. It was fruit loops with wine instead of milk. Edie sat down beside her and poured herself a bowl of wine loops.
"Look, Edie, I have something I have to tell you. It's pretty important, I think, I don't know" slurred Frida.
"Uhuh, what is it?" replied Edie, slurping her cereal through a straw.
"Well... the thing is... I'm late."
"For what?"
"My period, stupid!"
Edie choked on her wine loops, spitting out rainbow blobs all over the table.
"Oh that is GROSS!" exclaimed Frida, trying to get out of her chair.
"What's going on?" said Rose, storming into the kitchen.
"Frida is late!" chocked Edie.
Rose's hand flew up to her mouth and gasped loudly as if Frida had killed the Queen.
"You could have a baby in you! And you're DRINKING!!!" she screamed.
"I doubt it," said Frida "Max said..."
Frida paused. The whole room was hanging on her words.
"Oh shit..." She fell back onto her chair and her mouth formed a perfect circle.
"Have you told the Stig?" Edie said, her eyes as wide as saucers.
"No... of course not. I'll, um, I'll tell him when we go out next."
"When's that?" asked Rose, wiping up Edie's chewed up pieces of cereal with a cloth.
"Um, today I think. For lunch. At this cafe" replied Frida, fixing up her hair.
"When?"
"In like twenty minutes" she said calmly before she realised what she said.
"TWENTY MINUTES!" She jumped out of her chair and ran out of the room. She rummaged through her piles of clothes scattered around her room until she pulled out a yellow sundress from beneath a sweater. She pulled it on and grabbed the first shoes she could lay her hands on. A pair of red sneakers. She brushed her hair and ran out of her room.
Dean was sitting in the lounge room, still trying to finish his video game. He furrowed his eyebrows in frustration and threw the controller across the couch.
"What do you want?" he sighed.
"Um, darling, could you maybe give me a lift?"
"To where?"
"This cafe, near the city"
"But that's-"
"Please" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes and opening her brown eyes as wide as they would go.
"Oh, alright. But only cause I'm sick of this game."
Dean's rusty ute coughed it's way to the cafe and Frida eventually got there. Thirty minutes late. She rushed into the cafe where the Stig was waiting at a table, looking impatient. She nervously stepped up to the table. The Stig looked her up and down and raised an eyebrow.
"Nice shoes" he said sarcasticly.
"What? I love these shoes!" Frida smiled.
She sat down and looked around the cafe. People were coming in and out the front doors and there were people, mostly couples, huddled around little tables. At the back of the cafe there was a makeshift stage where a guy with black hair was playing guitar.
"I'm so glad we could do this" said Frida, looking up at the Stig, trying to catch his eyes. the Stig was looking behind Frida, as if he was looking for someone. His eyes lit up and Frida turned around. Coming in through the door was a tall, tanned blonde girl wearing a cocktail dress. The Stig got up and and kissed her. He pulled up another chair and she sat down.
"Frida," he said turning to face Frida," This is my girlfriend."
As The Stig said that last sentnce, Frida's world shattered. Every thought in her mind was gone except for one.
He has a girlfriend.
Her scene melted around her and she filled with rage. She got up and threw her glass on the ground where it shattered. The whole cafe turned to stare at her. The guitarist at the back looked up from his chords and coughed. The Stig looked up from his girlfriend and saw Frida staring down at him, her nostrils flaring and her eyebrows furrowed so they pointed directly to the ground.
"Baby, calm down-""
"Don't tell me to calm down! And I'm not your baby!"
"Well, why don't you just sit-"
"No, I'm not going to sit the fuck down, you two-timing bastard! Yeah, well guess what! I'm late and if I am pregnant, you'd be a terrible father!"
The Stig fell silent. Frida paused her yelling. The cafe had since turned into her audience. Her chest was heaving up and down.
"I'm going..." she mumbled, her eyes filling up with tears. She ran out of the resturant and onto the road, dodging the oncoming traffic where she broke down on the sidewalk.
Frida sat on Edie's bed. Edie came and sat down beside her. She wrapped a thick quilt around Frida's shoulders. Edie picked up a pill container and shook it. To her dismay it was empty. She threw it onto the ground where it joined the others. Frida looked up at Edie's wall. Her posters of superstars were falling and the room was dark and stuffy. Edie pushed some clothes into the corner of her room and crawled into her bed. Frida stared at her reflection in Edie's ornate mirror. Her dark red hair was greasy and messy. Her face was no longer a pleasant shade of honey but a sickening shade of white and she had dark circles around her eyes. A tear trickled down her cheek and she closed her eyes.
"Are you okay, darling?" she asked.
"I'm fine" sniffled Edie.
She got up out of the room, her quilt trailing along behind her. She went into the kitchen where she found Frida. She had returned, early morning, from her date.
"Good morning" she said, wolfing down a bowl of something.
"Meh", grunted Edie in reply.
Edie leaned over to see what Frida was eating. It was fruit loops with wine instead of milk. Edie sat down beside her and poured herself a bowl of wine loops.
"Look, Edie, I have something I have to tell you. It's pretty important, I think, I don't know" slurred Frida.
"Uhuh, what is it?" replied Edie, slurping her cereal through a straw.
"Well... the thing is... I'm late."
"For what?"
"My period, stupid!"
Edie choked on her wine loops, spitting out rainbow blobs all over the table.
"Oh that is GROSS!" exclaimed Frida, trying to get out of her chair.
"What's going on?" said Rose, storming into the kitchen.
"Frida is late!" chocked Edie.
Rose's hand flew up to her mouth and gasped loudly as if Frida had killed the Queen.
"You could have a baby in you! And you're DRINKING!!!" she screamed.
"I doubt it," said Frida "Max said..."
Frida paused. The whole room was hanging on her words.
"Oh shit..." She fell back onto her chair and her mouth formed a perfect circle.
"Have you told the Stig?" Edie said, her eyes as wide as saucers.
"No... of course not. I'll, um, I'll tell him when we go out next."
"When's that?" asked Rose, wiping up Edie's chewed up pieces of cereal with a cloth.
"Um, today I think. For lunch. At this cafe" replied Frida, fixing up her hair.
"When?"
"In like twenty minutes" she said calmly before she realised what she said.
"TWENTY MINUTES!" She jumped out of her chair and ran out of the room. She rummaged through her piles of clothes scattered around her room until she pulled out a yellow sundress from beneath a sweater. She pulled it on and grabbed the first shoes she could lay her hands on. A pair of red sneakers. She brushed her hair and ran out of her room.
Dean was sitting in the lounge room, still trying to finish his video game. He furrowed his eyebrows in frustration and threw the controller across the couch.
"What do you want?" he sighed.
"Um, darling, could you maybe give me a lift?"
"To where?"
"This cafe, near the city"
"But that's-"
"Please" she asked, fluttering her eyelashes and opening her brown eyes as wide as they would go.
"Oh, alright. But only cause I'm sick of this game."
Dean's rusty ute coughed it's way to the cafe and Frida eventually got there. Thirty minutes late. She rushed into the cafe where the Stig was waiting at a table, looking impatient. She nervously stepped up to the table. The Stig looked her up and down and raised an eyebrow.
"Nice shoes" he said sarcasticly.
"What? I love these shoes!" Frida smiled.
She sat down and looked around the cafe. People were coming in and out the front doors and there were people, mostly couples, huddled around little tables. At the back of the cafe there was a makeshift stage where a guy with black hair was playing guitar.
"I'm so glad we could do this" said Frida, looking up at the Stig, trying to catch his eyes. the Stig was looking behind Frida, as if he was looking for someone. His eyes lit up and Frida turned around. Coming in through the door was a tall, tanned blonde girl wearing a cocktail dress. The Stig got up and and kissed her. He pulled up another chair and she sat down.
"Frida," he said turning to face Frida," This is my girlfriend."
As The Stig said that last sentnce, Frida's world shattered. Every thought in her mind was gone except for one.
He has a girlfriend.
Her scene melted around her and she filled with rage. She got up and threw her glass on the ground where it shattered. The whole cafe turned to stare at her. The guitarist at the back looked up from his chords and coughed. The Stig looked up from his girlfriend and saw Frida staring down at him, her nostrils flaring and her eyebrows furrowed so they pointed directly to the ground.
"Baby, calm down-""
"Don't tell me to calm down! And I'm not your baby!"
"Well, why don't you just sit-"
"No, I'm not going to sit the fuck down, you two-timing bastard! Yeah, well guess what! I'm late and if I am pregnant, you'd be a terrible father!"
The Stig fell silent. Frida paused her yelling. The cafe had since turned into her audience. Her chest was heaving up and down.
"I'm going..." she mumbled, her eyes filling up with tears. She ran out of the resturant and onto the road, dodging the oncoming traffic where she broke down on the sidewalk.
* * *
Frida sat on Edie's bed. Edie came and sat down beside her. She wrapped a thick quilt around Frida's shoulders. Edie picked up a pill container and shook it. To her dismay it was empty. She threw it onto the ground where it joined the others. Frida looked up at Edie's wall. Her posters of superstars were falling and the room was dark and stuffy. Edie pushed some clothes into the corner of her room and crawled into her bed. Frida stared at her reflection in Edie's ornate mirror. Her dark red hair was greasy and messy. Her face was no longer a pleasant shade of honey but a sickening shade of white and she had dark circles around her eyes. A tear trickled down her cheek and she closed her eyes.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Chapter Five: A Certain Romance
It had been two weeks since the famous apartment party. Frida and the Stig spoke to each other once or twice on the phone. Edie had been giving out their number again. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, Frida would get calls from someone looking for ‘Janice’. But at least this time Edie had given their number to someone they knew.
It was a Thursday afternoon when the phone rang. Frida danced over to the phone to answer it.
”Hello?” she said dreamily, watching the afternoon sun stream through her lace curtains.
“Hi, is that you Frida?” answered a familiar voice.
“Uh, yeah this is Frida” she replied.
“Oh hi, it’s The Stig”
”I figured”, she giggled into the receiver.
They chatted for a while about the weather and other nonchalant conversation, when the Stig asked her out for dinner.
“Uh, yeah, that’d be nice.” She smiled.
“Are you smiling?” he replied.
“Kinda”, she laughed.
“Well then, I’ll pick you up at seven”
“What, you have a car now?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing… I’m just surprised, that’s all.”
“Okay then. I’ll see you at seven”
“Okay, bye.”
Frida put down the receiver on her ancient phone. It was an old yellow one from the 70’s but Frida liked it far more than the modern phones in the other rooms. She sighed and wandered over to her easel and squeezed out paint from a tube. Carefully, she started dabbing flesh-coloured paint onto the raw canvas. Her lines of paint soon became figures then she stopped. She had painted enough today.
Frida tiptoed into the lounge room to find the others. Rose was swallowing a tablet, as usual, painkillers apparently. Dean was immersed in conversation with Edie, Frida didn’t know what about. It would have been rude to interrupt.
Frida came up to Rose to tell her about her date.
“Guess what?” squealed Frida.
“Hold on, honey” said Rose. She placed a small, round tablet on her tongue and took a gulp of water.
“That’s better. Now, what is it?” she replied.
“The Stig is taking me out to dinner"
Frida's last sentence stole Edie's attention away from Dean.
"Seriously? Cool, I wish someone would ask me out to dinner...." she said.
"We'll take you out, won't we Dean?" responded Rose, nudging Dean in the ribs.
"Eh" grunted Dean and he continued playing his videogame.
"Can I help you get ready, Frida?" asked Edie, eagerly.
"Yeah, sure. I'll show you what I'm thinking off wearing" replied Frida as she trotted off to her bedroom with Edie following her.
Frida showed her a black dress with a silver bow around the waist. It was a beautiful dress, one of Frida's favourites, it was like a good luck dress.
"Oh, I have some really nice shoes that would go with that!" exclaimed Edie. "Try that on and I'll be back in a second"
Frida slipped on the dress and look in the mirror. Her long dark, red hair ended just before her belly button.She wondered what she should do with it. It's really long. She should get a haircut. Her skin wasn't tan but it was sunkissed and she had healthy pinkish cheeks. It had been five minutes and Edie still wasn't back with those shoes. Frida was getting suspicious so she crept out fo her room and down to Edie's. She opened the door a crack to find Edie on the floor with a container of tablets.
"Don't worry", she said, noticing Frida's worried expression. "It's just Valium."
"What does it do?" asked Frida taking a seat on Edie's unmade bed. The blinds were closed and the room was stuffy and dark.
"It's a mood stabalizer. Like it makes you feel nothing." she said, smiling up at Frida.
"Where did you get them from?"
"Max. He goes to famous parties now. This is what all the celebs are doing. Do you want one?" she said, shaking the container in Frida's face.
"Uh, no thanks. I don't want to feel nothing."
Frida picked up the shoes and left Edie sitting on the floor, listening to a Velvet Underground record.
Frida watched the seconds tick by on the clock until there was a loud beep outside. She rushed to the window and saw an old 60's style car parked out front. The Stig was leaning on the bonnet, wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Frida yelled goodbye to her housemates and skipped outside. Her black cardigan didn't stop the freezing temperature and she started to shiver.
"Hey baby," said the STig as he bent down to kiss her, "are you cold?"
"I'm freezing," she replied, rubbing her arms.
The Stig chuckled and opened the car door for her. She hopped inside and closed the door.
"So where are we going?" she asked as she fiddled around with the radio controls.
"I don't really know. Probably this nice resturant down near the riverfront."
The Stig turned the key and much to Frida's surprise it started on the first try.
Time passed quickly at the resturant. It was nice, warm and not too fancy. They finished eating and they paid the bill. The Stig took Frida down to the boardwalk on the edge of the river. The lights from the boardwalk and boats were sparkling on the surface of the water. They found a seat underneath a large tree that had been lit up with fairy lights. The moment was perfect so naturally they started makingout. After all, they were only human. After their walk they went back to the Stig's apartment, I think it would be nice that Frida has a little bit of privacy.
It was a Thursday afternoon when the phone rang. Frida danced over to the phone to answer it.
”Hello?” she said dreamily, watching the afternoon sun stream through her lace curtains.
“Hi, is that you Frida?” answered a familiar voice.
“Uh, yeah this is Frida” she replied.
“Oh hi, it’s The Stig”
”I figured”, she giggled into the receiver.
They chatted for a while about the weather and other nonchalant conversation, when the Stig asked her out for dinner.
“Uh, yeah, that’d be nice.” She smiled.
“Are you smiling?” he replied.
“Kinda”, she laughed.
“Well then, I’ll pick you up at seven”
“What, you have a car now?”
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing… I’m just surprised, that’s all.”
“Okay then. I’ll see you at seven”
“Okay, bye.”
Frida put down the receiver on her ancient phone. It was an old yellow one from the 70’s but Frida liked it far more than the modern phones in the other rooms. She sighed and wandered over to her easel and squeezed out paint from a tube. Carefully, she started dabbing flesh-coloured paint onto the raw canvas. Her lines of paint soon became figures then she stopped. She had painted enough today.
Frida tiptoed into the lounge room to find the others. Rose was swallowing a tablet, as usual, painkillers apparently. Dean was immersed in conversation with Edie, Frida didn’t know what about. It would have been rude to interrupt.
Frida came up to Rose to tell her about her date.
“Guess what?” squealed Frida.
“Hold on, honey” said Rose. She placed a small, round tablet on her tongue and took a gulp of water.
“That’s better. Now, what is it?” she replied.
“The Stig is taking me out to dinner"
Frida's last sentence stole Edie's attention away from Dean.
"Seriously? Cool, I wish someone would ask me out to dinner...." she said.
"We'll take you out, won't we Dean?" responded Rose, nudging Dean in the ribs.
"Eh" grunted Dean and he continued playing his videogame.
"Can I help you get ready, Frida?" asked Edie, eagerly.
"Yeah, sure. I'll show you what I'm thinking off wearing" replied Frida as she trotted off to her bedroom with Edie following her.
Frida showed her a black dress with a silver bow around the waist. It was a beautiful dress, one of Frida's favourites, it was like a good luck dress.
"Oh, I have some really nice shoes that would go with that!" exclaimed Edie. "Try that on and I'll be back in a second"
Frida slipped on the dress and look in the mirror. Her long dark, red hair ended just before her belly button.She wondered what she should do with it. It's really long. She should get a haircut. Her skin wasn't tan but it was sunkissed and she had healthy pinkish cheeks. It had been five minutes and Edie still wasn't back with those shoes. Frida was getting suspicious so she crept out fo her room and down to Edie's. She opened the door a crack to find Edie on the floor with a container of tablets.
"Don't worry", she said, noticing Frida's worried expression. "It's just Valium."
"What does it do?" asked Frida taking a seat on Edie's unmade bed. The blinds were closed and the room was stuffy and dark.
"It's a mood stabalizer. Like it makes you feel nothing." she said, smiling up at Frida.
"Where did you get them from?"
"Max. He goes to famous parties now. This is what all the celebs are doing. Do you want one?" she said, shaking the container in Frida's face.
"Uh, no thanks. I don't want to feel nothing."
Frida picked up the shoes and left Edie sitting on the floor, listening to a Velvet Underground record.
Frida watched the seconds tick by on the clock until there was a loud beep outside. She rushed to the window and saw an old 60's style car parked out front. The Stig was leaning on the bonnet, wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Frida yelled goodbye to her housemates and skipped outside. Her black cardigan didn't stop the freezing temperature and she started to shiver.
"Hey baby," said the STig as he bent down to kiss her, "are you cold?"
"I'm freezing," she replied, rubbing her arms.
The Stig chuckled and opened the car door for her. She hopped inside and closed the door.
"So where are we going?" she asked as she fiddled around with the radio controls.
"I don't really know. Probably this nice resturant down near the riverfront."
The Stig turned the key and much to Frida's surprise it started on the first try.
Time passed quickly at the resturant. It was nice, warm and not too fancy. They finished eating and they paid the bill. The Stig took Frida down to the boardwalk on the edge of the river. The lights from the boardwalk and boats were sparkling on the surface of the water. They found a seat underneath a large tree that had been lit up with fairy lights. The moment was perfect so naturally they started makingout. After all, they were only human. After their walk they went back to the Stig's apartment, I think it would be nice that Frida has a little bit of privacy.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Chapter Four: You Talk Way To Much
"Um, I think it's time that we went home," said Edie to Max and The Stig who were at the table rolling joints.
"Why so soon?" Max asked still not wearing his shirt.
"Because it's four in the afternoon. We have to get home. Back to Rose, she's probably worried sick. You know, being all maternal"
Max looked at girls with disappiontment.
"Fine whatever floats your boat" he replied and went back to rolling.
"Perhaps we could walk them to the train station" suggested the Stig.
"... fine" mumbled Max. He only agreed because of the thought of being alone bothered him.
They grabbed their coats and sluggishly pulled them on, except for Frida who hastily put on hers. So much that she had neglected to match up her buttons.
Edie grabbed her packet of smokes patted the sad looking Max on the back. He shuffled out of the door and locked the door behind everyone. They made their way down the outdoor staircase. The weather was overcast and drizzly. Edie and Max marched ahead, leaving Frida and the Stig lagging behind. Frida shyed away from him, feeling awkward and uncertain about last nights events.
"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing her hesitance.
She said nothing, looking down at her feet, walking along the pavement. He stopped her and held onto her shoulders, staring into her eyes.
"Tell me" he persisted.
"I don't want to. It'll be awkward." she said, trying to aviod eye contact. She tried to pull away from him.
"Please baby. You can trust me." he said, pulling her back to him.
"It's nothing... just something Max said".
The Stig's face froze for a second, but he then changed expressions just as Frida looked up at him.
The Stig paused for a moment.
"What did he say?" he sighed.
"He said th-that you a-and I... um.. we.." she stammered.
The Stig looked confused for a second, then worked out what she was trying to say.
"Oh, I dunno... I can't remember anything" he said nonchalantly.
They continued to walk in silence. Edie looked back at them, noticing their awkward expressions.
The train station came into view, becoming closer with each step. The carpark was nearly empty. This was pretty unusual. The train station was 3 stops out from the city centre and usually bustling with people. Every now and then someone would pull up and hurrying onto the platform, holding some kind of reading material over their heads to sheild them from the drizzling rain. Edie hating seeing books in the rain. Such a waste. She could see the ink smudged, leaving large, black stains over the peoples hands.
The train pulled up at the station just as the girls arrived. Edie kissed Max and The Stig on the cheek and said good bye. Frida waved good bye to Max and The Stig but The Stig just kissed her.
Flustered, Frida just waved back and jumped onto the train behind Edie.
The train pulled away from the station and the Stig turned to Max.
"Dude, I told you not to tell her what happened!"
The train ride home was long and boring. Edie felt like she had seen the same tree 3 million times. She watched Frida's puzzled face, staring blankly out the window. People came on and off the train. Some of them (men), would try and sit next to the girls, but the girls would just shake them off and the men would return, humiliated, to their work collegues. Edie would drum her fingers on the armrest, dying for a cigarette. She kept her eyes locked firmly on the top of the packet, poking out of her coat pocket.
Eventually, the train pulled up at the girls' station. They were the last ones on the train. It was dark outside and the carpark was lit by only a single lamp, flickering in the centre of the carpark. It was times like these when Edie wished Paul was with them. They hurried across the carpark, wary of their surroundings. A bus was rumbling up the street and the girls ran to the stop to get there just in time.
Fifteen minutes later, the girls shuffled home, tired and hungry. They hadn't eaten anything the whole time they were at the apartment. Edie searched through the bottom of her handbag and extracted a bunch on keys. She searched through each one of them in the dim porch light of their suburban house. The girls shared the house with their friend Rose and her fiance Dean. Rose was a photographer who worked for a wedding photography company. Edie found the right key finally after some encouragment from Frida, who stood there whinging about being cold.
"Where were you guys?!" hollered Rose, who had a pair of tongs in her hands.
"Uh, we got caught up." replied Edie quietly.
"What happened?" asked Rose.
"Um, I don't think Kyle and I are together anymore."
The tongs fell to the ground and Rose said nothing. Rose was brought up like a traditional 1950's housewife. She says that as long as she has a husband and kids, she'll be happy. If someone died and then someone else broke up, she'd be more upset about the break-up.
"Oh, darling, come here!" said Rose pulling Edie into a hug. "Don't you worry. You'll find someone else."
Rose suddenly pulled apart.
"Have you been smoking something funny?" she interrogated.
"Well, it was a city party" Edie replied.
Rose raised an eyebrow.
"Ok" she said. She picked up her tongs and beetled off down the hallway to finish cooking. The smell of roast potatoes drifted down to the lounge room where the girls were taking a seat on the couch.
Dean was mashing buttons on a game controller and yelling at the TV. From what Edie could gather, it was a sport game. His faced was screwed up in concentration and he was profusely swearing at his opposition. His half-blonde, half-brown hair was sticking to the back of his neck with sweat. Rose had obviously put the heater on. Edie and Frida slid off their jackets and settled down.
A couple of minutes later, Rose called them to dinner. The table was lavishly set with her mothers silverware and Rose was an excellent cook. They seated themselves at the table and started eating.
"Guys, can you tell me now what happened?"
The girls took a big breath and explained everything that had happened. It was going to be a long dinner.
"Why so soon?" Max asked still not wearing his shirt.
"Because it's four in the afternoon. We have to get home. Back to Rose, she's probably worried sick. You know, being all maternal"
Max looked at girls with disappiontment.
"Fine whatever floats your boat" he replied and went back to rolling.
"Perhaps we could walk them to the train station" suggested the Stig.
"... fine" mumbled Max. He only agreed because of the thought of being alone bothered him.
They grabbed their coats and sluggishly pulled them on, except for Frida who hastily put on hers. So much that she had neglected to match up her buttons.
Edie grabbed her packet of smokes patted the sad looking Max on the back. He shuffled out of the door and locked the door behind everyone. They made their way down the outdoor staircase. The weather was overcast and drizzly. Edie and Max marched ahead, leaving Frida and the Stig lagging behind. Frida shyed away from him, feeling awkward and uncertain about last nights events.
"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing her hesitance.
She said nothing, looking down at her feet, walking along the pavement. He stopped her and held onto her shoulders, staring into her eyes.
"Tell me" he persisted.
"I don't want to. It'll be awkward." she said, trying to aviod eye contact. She tried to pull away from him.
"Please baby. You can trust me." he said, pulling her back to him.
"It's nothing... just something Max said".
The Stig's face froze for a second, but he then changed expressions just as Frida looked up at him.
The Stig paused for a moment.
"What did he say?" he sighed.
"He said th-that you a-and I... um.. we.." she stammered.
The Stig looked confused for a second, then worked out what she was trying to say.
"Oh, I dunno... I can't remember anything" he said nonchalantly.
They continued to walk in silence. Edie looked back at them, noticing their awkward expressions.
The train station came into view, becoming closer with each step. The carpark was nearly empty. This was pretty unusual. The train station was 3 stops out from the city centre and usually bustling with people. Every now and then someone would pull up and hurrying onto the platform, holding some kind of reading material over their heads to sheild them from the drizzling rain. Edie hating seeing books in the rain. Such a waste. She could see the ink smudged, leaving large, black stains over the peoples hands.
The train pulled up at the station just as the girls arrived. Edie kissed Max and The Stig on the cheek and said good bye. Frida waved good bye to Max and The Stig but The Stig just kissed her.
Flustered, Frida just waved back and jumped onto the train behind Edie.
The train pulled away from the station and the Stig turned to Max.
"Dude, I told you not to tell her what happened!"
The train ride home was long and boring. Edie felt like she had seen the same tree 3 million times. She watched Frida's puzzled face, staring blankly out the window. People came on and off the train. Some of them (men), would try and sit next to the girls, but the girls would just shake them off and the men would return, humiliated, to their work collegues. Edie would drum her fingers on the armrest, dying for a cigarette. She kept her eyes locked firmly on the top of the packet, poking out of her coat pocket.
Eventually, the train pulled up at the girls' station. They were the last ones on the train. It was dark outside and the carpark was lit by only a single lamp, flickering in the centre of the carpark. It was times like these when Edie wished Paul was with them. They hurried across the carpark, wary of their surroundings. A bus was rumbling up the street and the girls ran to the stop to get there just in time.
Fifteen minutes later, the girls shuffled home, tired and hungry. They hadn't eaten anything the whole time they were at the apartment. Edie searched through the bottom of her handbag and extracted a bunch on keys. She searched through each one of them in the dim porch light of their suburban house. The girls shared the house with their friend Rose and her fiance Dean. Rose was a photographer who worked for a wedding photography company. Edie found the right key finally after some encouragment from Frida, who stood there whinging about being cold.
"Where were you guys?!" hollered Rose, who had a pair of tongs in her hands.
"Uh, we got caught up." replied Edie quietly.
"What happened?" asked Rose.
"Um, I don't think Kyle and I are together anymore."
The tongs fell to the ground and Rose said nothing. Rose was brought up like a traditional 1950's housewife. She says that as long as she has a husband and kids, she'll be happy. If someone died and then someone else broke up, she'd be more upset about the break-up.
"Oh, darling, come here!" said Rose pulling Edie into a hug. "Don't you worry. You'll find someone else."
Rose suddenly pulled apart.
"Have you been smoking something funny?" she interrogated.
"Well, it was a city party" Edie replied.
Rose raised an eyebrow.
"Ok" she said. She picked up her tongs and beetled off down the hallway to finish cooking. The smell of roast potatoes drifted down to the lounge room where the girls were taking a seat on the couch.
Dean was mashing buttons on a game controller and yelling at the TV. From what Edie could gather, it was a sport game. His faced was screwed up in concentration and he was profusely swearing at his opposition. His half-blonde, half-brown hair was sticking to the back of his neck with sweat. Rose had obviously put the heater on. Edie and Frida slid off their jackets and settled down.
A couple of minutes later, Rose called them to dinner. The table was lavishly set with her mothers silverware and Rose was an excellent cook. They seated themselves at the table and started eating.
"Guys, can you tell me now what happened?"
The girls took a big breath and explained everything that had happened. It was going to be a long dinner.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Chapter Three: Hard To Explain
Frida watched the tension between Kyle and Frida escalate. She could have sliced it with a knife and make a tension sandwich. Edie's eyes widened and her hands flew up to cover her mouth. Kyle stood stiffly above her, silently looking down at her.
"Kyle," she whispered, "Kyle, I'm sorry. I-I didn't, I didn't -"
"Shut up." He said, clearly and firmly. It echoed through the room.
Another thing that greatly frightened Frida was conflict. Once in the eighth grade, a girl told everyone Frida was a lesbian but Frida was too scared to confront the girl so the rumor just spread until it got to the point where people would lock her in the toilets. She would be in there all day, just yelling for help and banging on the door. Eventually, the principal found out when she was called in there to see if there was anyone smoking. The girl got pulled out of Frida's classes and an announcement was made on assembly to tell everyone it was just a rumour but people still called her a dyke.
Edie's eyes watered and a single tear ran down her cheek and fell with a splash, leaving a damp mark on the carpet.
"Don't!" yelled Kyle and he stormed out of the room.
Frida crawled out from under the sheet where she had been taking refuge and slid her arm around Edie's cold, wet shoulders.
"Do you think he's gone?" she sobbed.
Frida was silent. She got up and ran out of the room, leaving Edie in Max's care. She ran down the hallway into the living room.
"Kyle?" she yelled out to no one in particular. It was obvious he had gone. She even heard the door slam. She didn't know why she ran, a part of her must of thought he would come back for Edie. She was wrong. She stared at the door handle, waiting for it to move and the door swing open but it didn't.
"It's too late" came a voice from the kitchen.
Frida wandered into the kitchen, her bare feet pressing against the cold tiles. The Stig was on the floor, leaning against the pantry doors.
"It's too late", he repeated, "Kyle left. I don't think he's coming back."
Edie had crept up behind them. She was shaking. Frida didn't know if it was because she was wet and cold or if she was in shock.
"You don't know that!" she shrieked, "He could be on his way up now!"
"Edie!" called out Max. He was now slowly making his way down the hallway.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Come on," said the Stig who had somehow managed to stand up. ."Let's get you a blanket."
He guided Edie down the hallway to another, what Frida assumed, bedroom.
Frida sighed and rubbed her eyes. She took a sip of the Stig's beer which he had left unopened on the kitchen counter.
Max grabbed another beer out of the fridge. Frida caught a glimpse of inside the fridge. It was mainly just beer and leftover pizza.
"So, you and the Stig, ey?" said Max, winking at her.
"What do you mean "me and the Stig"?" replied Frida, puzzled at his statement.
"Well, you two... you know... did the dirty"
"WHAT?!" screamed Frida, choking on her mouthful of beer.
“Hehe, you really were out of it, weren’t you?” he chuckled.
“So, the Stig and I had sex?" said Frida who was shocked and becoming weak at the knees.
"Yep," said Max with a smirk on his face.
Frida stepped backwards and fell onto the couch. Max followed her out of the kitchen and sat down beside her. She now had her face in a pillow, groaning. What was she thinking? Having sex with some random? That was NOT like her at all. Did the Stig remember this?
She threw the pillow across the floor where it collided with a pile of trash.
"So, what happened then?" said Frida, biting her lip.
"Well..." pondered Max, purposely pausing to keep Frida hanging. "If I recall correctly, it was four in the morning and everyone had gone home, except for you girls of course. Anyway, the Stig had been cracking onto you all night and by this point you'd had like eight beers and we'd all been smoking weed."
Max stopped.
"...And then what?" squeaked Frida who had gone pale with regret.
Max continued.
"We were in the kitchen when The Stig and you started making out.It was fine at first but then it got worse and he pulled up your dress. We all knew what was going to happen next. So we sat in the bathtub and sang songs. To block it out."
Frida cringed and stared, horrified, at Max, who was silently giggling under his breath.
"God, you better hope he used protection" Max said. His smirk had since grown into a massive grin that stretched across his face. Frida was now hugging her knees, looking slightly psychotic.
"Well, good luck with that" said Max jumping up. He wandered off to have a shower, whistling with a spring in his step.
Frida was sitting on the couch by herself, staring at her reflection on the blank TV screen in disbelief.
"Edie...?"
"Kyle," she whispered, "Kyle, I'm sorry. I-I didn't, I didn't -"
"Shut up." He said, clearly and firmly. It echoed through the room.
Another thing that greatly frightened Frida was conflict. Once in the eighth grade, a girl told everyone Frida was a lesbian but Frida was too scared to confront the girl so the rumor just spread until it got to the point where people would lock her in the toilets. She would be in there all day, just yelling for help and banging on the door. Eventually, the principal found out when she was called in there to see if there was anyone smoking. The girl got pulled out of Frida's classes and an announcement was made on assembly to tell everyone it was just a rumour but people still called her a dyke.
Edie's eyes watered and a single tear ran down her cheek and fell with a splash, leaving a damp mark on the carpet.
"Don't!" yelled Kyle and he stormed out of the room.
Frida crawled out from under the sheet where she had been taking refuge and slid her arm around Edie's cold, wet shoulders.
"Do you think he's gone?" she sobbed.
Frida was silent. She got up and ran out of the room, leaving Edie in Max's care. She ran down the hallway into the living room.
"Kyle?" she yelled out to no one in particular. It was obvious he had gone. She even heard the door slam. She didn't know why she ran, a part of her must of thought he would come back for Edie. She was wrong. She stared at the door handle, waiting for it to move and the door swing open but it didn't.
"It's too late" came a voice from the kitchen.
Frida wandered into the kitchen, her bare feet pressing against the cold tiles. The Stig was on the floor, leaning against the pantry doors.
"It's too late", he repeated, "Kyle left. I don't think he's coming back."
Edie had crept up behind them. She was shaking. Frida didn't know if it was because she was wet and cold or if she was in shock.
"You don't know that!" she shrieked, "He could be on his way up now!"
"Edie!" called out Max. He was now slowly making his way down the hallway.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"Come on," said the Stig who had somehow managed to stand up. ."Let's get you a blanket."
He guided Edie down the hallway to another, what Frida assumed, bedroom.
Frida sighed and rubbed her eyes. She took a sip of the Stig's beer which he had left unopened on the kitchen counter.
Max grabbed another beer out of the fridge. Frida caught a glimpse of inside the fridge. It was mainly just beer and leftover pizza.
"So, you and the Stig, ey?" said Max, winking at her.
"What do you mean "me and the Stig"?" replied Frida, puzzled at his statement.
"Well, you two... you know... did the dirty"
"WHAT?!" screamed Frida, choking on her mouthful of beer.
“Hehe, you really were out of it, weren’t you?” he chuckled.
“So, the Stig and I had sex?" said Frida who was shocked and becoming weak at the knees.
"Yep," said Max with a smirk on his face.
Frida stepped backwards and fell onto the couch. Max followed her out of the kitchen and sat down beside her. She now had her face in a pillow, groaning. What was she thinking? Having sex with some random? That was NOT like her at all. Did the Stig remember this?
She threw the pillow across the floor where it collided with a pile of trash.
"So, what happened then?" said Frida, biting her lip.
"Well..." pondered Max, purposely pausing to keep Frida hanging. "If I recall correctly, it was four in the morning and everyone had gone home, except for you girls of course. Anyway, the Stig had been cracking onto you all night and by this point you'd had like eight beers and we'd all been smoking weed."
Max stopped.
"...And then what?" squeaked Frida who had gone pale with regret.
Max continued.
"We were in the kitchen when The Stig and you started making out.It was fine at first but then it got worse and he pulled up your dress. We all knew what was going to happen next. So we sat in the bathtub and sang songs. To block it out."
Frida cringed and stared, horrified, at Max, who was silently giggling under his breath.
"God, you better hope he used protection" Max said. His smirk had since grown into a massive grin that stretched across his face. Frida was now hugging her knees, looking slightly psychotic.
"Well, good luck with that" said Max jumping up. He wandered off to have a shower, whistling with a spring in his step.
Frida was sitting on the couch by herself, staring at her reflection on the blank TV screen in disbelief.
"Edie...?"
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Chapter Two: Morning Revival
“Frida wakes up. The Stig is next to her butt naked, wearing only his helmet. “Oh Stig-y, turn me into a woman!” She screeched.
And he did.”
And he did.”
- The Stig
The sunlight streamed through the window into the tiny, stuffy room. Edie sat up. The sun shone directly into her eyes. She flung her hand up to shield her eyes. They stung. She stumbled over to the window and attempted to shut the curtains. The curtain rod was rusty and the curtains themselves were flimsy and falling apart. She tugged on the curtains until they eventually closed. Dim light still shone through the curtains, allowing Edie to see easily.
Frida was still sleeping. Her dark, red hair was splayed across her face. She was leaning on the Stig's stomach. He had fallen asleep grasping a beer bottle in his hand. Blaine and Max (the guy who Frida met last night), were lying sprawled on the mattress. Edie looked down at herself. She had spilled red wine down the front of her new, white dress. She also had misplaced her bra.
She heard a groan coming from beside her. Frida had awoken and was rubbing her eyes. She started to search frantically for her precious jacket. Edie noticed her and passed her the jacket. Edie smiled and Frida thanked her with a nod. It was too early to talk and the girls’ voices sounded like men in the mornings.
Edie silently crept over to Blaine's sleeping figure. Her fingers crept over his chest to his shirt pocket. She pulled out a packet of smokes and flipped open the lid. She carefully drew one out with her lips and snapped shut the lid. She felt around the carpet for a lighter. The lighter was then plucked off the ground and Edie lit her cigarette. She inhaled the smoke and breathed it out slowly and let it linger in the air.
"Eugh, I'm 23 but I feel 53" sighed Edie, letting her shoulder length blonde hair hang in front of her face.
"Ditto" Frida replied.
"When do you think they'll wake up?" asked Edie.
"I don't know, they're probably hung-over as crap"
"Yeah..." mumbled Edie as she tried to remember the night before.
She had distant flashbacks of a girl pushing Blaine, causing Blaine to spill a glass of wine all over her. She wondered who that girl was.
"Hey baby", said Blaine, sitting up. "Sleep well?"
"Excellent for an old mattress and a spring in my back" replied Edie.
She put out the cigarette on the hem of her dress. It was already ruined anyway.
"I need a drink" she said.
"It's 11am" interjected Frida.
"And...?"
Edie was already stumbling out of the door.
"I'll escort you, ma'am". Blaine jumped up, much too fast which caused him to have to lean on the wall.
"Wait!" he grunted. He then skipped off down the hall to where Edie was cracking open a beer.
She took a gulp and swallowed.
"Who was that girl?" she interrogated.
"What girl?" said Blaine, slightly threatened by Edie’s ferocity.
Edie was usually peaceful and eccentric, but never angry. Her perfectly shaped eyebrows pointed downwards, and her tiny lips frowned.
"The girl who pushed you"
Blaine looked puzzled.
"And made you spill wine on me...?" Edie continued.
Blaine twisted his mouth, deep in thought.
"Oh... she was just a girl...” Blaine trailed off.
Edie stared up at him with her big brown eyes, blinked and tightened her lips even more.
“… Who I used to date.” said Blaine, finishing his sentence.
“Okay, then.” Edie turned away from Blaine and took another sip of her beer. Blaine called after Edie, pushing his curly, 80’s style fringe out of his eyes.
“Edie baby, don’t worry, she’s no one.”
Edie seated herself down onto the couch in the living room. She looked down at her feet. Blaine put her hand on her cheek. She could feel his hands warm her cheek. She looked up at him and they looked into each other’s eyes. She tried tearing her eyes away but she couldn’t, like she was in a trance.
“I love you, Edie” he said. His words stood still in the empty room.
Edie kissed him on the cheek and got up. She stepped over the bottles and cans on the floor and went to the bathroom where she stripped down to her underpants and stood in the shower and let the water run over her.
Blaine had said he loved Edie. This was the moment that every little girl dreamed of. Edie was hesitant. Why was he telling her this now? She was slightly suspicious. Maybe something did happen between Blaine and the girl. After all, Edie and Frida had arrived late at the party. Maybe The Stig was right about him chatting up some girl. It did seem likely. She could feel something cold against her palm. She looked down to see she was still clasping her beer. She skulled the last of it in one go. It had been watered down by the shower water and was lukewarm. She shuddered. There was nothing worse than warm, watery beer.
She got out of the shower, dripping wet in her undies and walked out the open bathroom door. She walked down the hall and looking behind her, she saw Blaine sitting in her place on the couch. She entered the room where the others were sleeping. Frida and The Stig were awake and were poking Max whose eyes were closed, trying to sleep, and was swatting their hands away like flies.
“Morning all” said Edie addressing the room.
”Get me a beer, will you, love?” asked The Stig, winding a lock of Frida’s hair around his finger.
”Get it yourself” snorted Edie.
The Stig stood up and wobbled out of the room grumbling.
”Can you get me one too?” yelled out Frida after him.
“Me too!” added Max who had started a search for his t-shirt. It was missing too.
Edie picked up the cigarette packet she had left on the floor from earlier. She lit up another cigarette.
Frida watched the thin, white stick burn, mesmerized by the curling smoke. She could sense Edie’s tension. She always had a funny way of sensing people’s emotions.
”What’s wrong, darling?” she enquired politely.
Edie stared at Frida’s innocent, youthful face through the wall of smoke. She was so lovely, so generous and conscience of other people.
Edie sighed.
”Blaine told me he loved me” she said, tapping the cigarette on an empty can that she had found around the room. It was the closest thing to an ashtray.
“Oh really?!” squealed Frida with excitement. “What did you say?”
”Nothing”
“What?”
“I said nothing. And I kissed him on the cheek and had a shower”
“No!” whispered Frida, “Blaine will be devastated!”
“Well”, said Edie. She paused and took a long draw from her cigarette.
”I don’t think I love him”
There was a loud crash and then a tinkle of glass. The girls turned their heads to see Blaine standing in horror in the doorway.
Chapter One: The Meeting Place
On the evening of the 11th of June 2010, Edie and Frida went to a party in an apartment close to the city. That one party would change their lives forever.
The cold, evening wind whipped their faces as they listened to the dull thump of music coming from the apartment building. The two tall, slim girls waited for someone to answer the door. Edie leaned forward to press the doorbell again. The buzz was barely audible over the noise. Frida was adjusting her dress when the door flew open and revealed a man no older than the girls, standing in the doorway.
"Edie and ...?" he shouted above the noise.
"This is Frida" Edie shouted back. "Is Blaine here yet?"
Frida looked up at the man. He was slightly taller than Frida and was kinda chubby as well. His hair was not short but it wasn’t long either and it curled up at the bottom of his ears. He looked down at the girls with bloodshot blue eyes.
"Yeah" replied the man. “I think I saw him chatting up some girl"
Edie lips tightened and her eyebrows furrowed.
"That'd be right..." she snarled.
"Lighten up, sunshine. I was only kidding" He stepped back to let the girls inside.
"Ahuh" mumbled Edie as she stepped through the door. "Oh, Frida, this is the Stig, Stig, this is Frida!"
"Hello!" said Frida, she waved nervously. New places frightened her, as did alot of other things, like needles, bugs and the smell of hospitals. She stepped into the stuffy, crowded room.
"Hey!" smiled the Stig as her looked her up and down. She was wearing a large, black coat which reminded her of a toy soldiers coat and a pair of ballet flats with tiny flowers glued all over them.
"So, do you live here by yourself?!" Frida asked.
"Nah, I live with a couple of other people!"
"Oh, sounds fun!" She replied, elbowing him in the ribs. He was wearing a shirt that said 'it's only illegal if you get caught'. "Hehe", she chortled, "I like your shirt!"
"Thanks, I picked it myself. Can I get you a drink?!" asked the Stig.
"Uh, yes please!" replied Frida.
The Stig beetled off, leaving Frida by herself amongst the mass of people. She coughed. The air was full of smoke and it was making her kind of dizzy. She made her way through the crowd and bounced onto the couch next to a couple who were making out. She positioned herself away from the couple and took in her surroundings.
The room was dimly lit by a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling and a lamp in the corner which someone had thrown a scarf over, giving the room an orange glow. The paint was a faded yellow colour and was peeling in places. She could just see Edie through a doorway in the kitchen. She had a sponge and was hastily trying to wash what seemed to be red wine of her new flowing, white party dress. Blaine was standing behind her mouthing apologies and holding an empty glass. The room was full of mostly unfamiliar people, but now and then she would see someone she knew, like Paul, who towered above everyone else. Paul was big and strong and Edie and Frida always felt safe in his presence. Frida waved at him across the room but he was far too busy to notice her.
"Sorry" yelled Stig over the noise. "All we have left is beer!"
"That's okay!" Frida yelled back.
She took a sip of the bottle. Frida loved drinking things out of glass bottles. It made her feel like she was out of a movie. She looked over at the kitchen doorway. Edie and Blaine were no longer there. They had probably wondered off somewhere alone together. The Stig sat down beside her.
”You are quite pretty aren’t you?” said The Stig.
Frida choked on a mouthful of beer.
”Yeah, sure,” she coughed.
The Stig and Frida kept shouting out conversation at each other until the loud music became too much.
“Come on,” yelled The Stig, “Let’s go somewhere quieter!”
Frida somewhat agreed with him even though her head told her it wouldn’t be good. She had seen way too many cop shows. The same thing always happens. A young girl meets a guy at a party, he asks her if she wants to get away from all the people and then he rapes her. Usually, Frida would have rejected the offer and just hang out near Paul the whole night. She didn’t know if it was the beer that had clouded her judgment or The Stig’s endless cheap flattery but she found herself agreeing with him.
The Stig grabbed her hand and pulled her through the tight-knit crowd, pushing people out of his way. They passed the kitchen where Edie and Blaine were last seen and went down a hallway. There were cups and cans all over the floor and a wasted man sitting in the doorway of a room sobbing. They passed the bathroom, where a faint stench of vomit wafted out and a trashy looking girl stumbled out of the doorway, wiping her face. They eventually came to the end of the hallway, looking at the last door on the left. Frida sensed that she would have to go behind that door. The Stig opened the door a crack and Frida gulped down the last of her beer and dropped it onto the carpet where it rolled away from her and into the awaiting room. The Stig opened the door wider. The room was exceptionally dim until the light from the hallway spilled in and crept over the room. Edie looked up at Frida who was standing in the doorway. Edie’s pupils were tiny, so tiny Frida could hardly see them. More light filled the room, exposing Blaine, beside her, smoking what seemed to be a joint. He passed it onto a guy next to him who Frida had never met. Frida stared wide-eyed at the scene before her, she couldn’t close her eyes. She stepped into the smoky room. The Stig followed her in and shut the door behind him. Her eyes adjusted to the light and she could make out the four figures in the room.
“Sweetpea?” called out Edie.
Frida could hear the faint thumping of the music in the living room.
“Would you mind turning on the lamp behind you?” asked Edie.
Frida fumbled about in the dark until she came upon a switch. She turned it on and an old, cheap lamp flickered on.
Edie, Blaine and the other guy burst out into laughter.
”What’s so funny?” asked Frida, who was slightly alarmed at their reactions to a light being turned on.
“Your FACE!” squealed Blaine in delight. They were now rolling around on the floor laughing. The room was bare except for a large mattress in the centre of the room and a hefty sized cupboard in the corner. The carpet was stained and the walls were moldy and peeling. There were an array of objects thrown across the room including a lighter and a bra, which Frida assumed was Edie’s.
“My bra is…” Edie trailed off, and then burst into peels of laughter.
“Don’t hog it all!” said The Stig, reaching for the tiny, burning joint.
He grabbed it out of the guy’s hands and sucked in on it. He exhaled deeply and a cloud of smoke tumbled out of his mouth. The Stig sighed and smiled. He passed it to Frida.
She sat there awkwardly, watching it burn. She had never done drugs before. It was always for the adventurous, the cool, both things that Frida was not. Her mother’s faint voice echoed in her mind and suddenly her mind was flooded with memory.
A teenaged Frida is leaning against a wall, waiting for her mother to give her the keys to the family car. This was the party she had been waiting for all week. Her high school crush had finally asked her to one of his famous parties. She had heard so much about them and finally she had become cool enough to be invited. Well, not so cool that he himself would invite her. He got one of his stupider followers to do it. But still, an invite is an invite right? Her mother was rummaging about in the bottom of her handbag. Frida wish she would hurry up, she definitely didn’t want to be late. But maybe she should be late, I mean, it’s always fashionable to be late to cool parties’ right? She looked at herself in the full length mirror Frida’s mother kept in the lounge room. She was wearing the coolest outfit of all time, denim overall dress with sneakers. Frida loved the 90’s. The fashion was so hip.
“Here are the keys” sighed Frida’s mother.
“Finally” said Frida, rolling her eyes.
”Don’t you sass me, girl! Otherwise you won’t be going to this part-ay of ours!”
“Whatever” Frida groaned.
”Now, be home before midnight and don’t drink. Oh, and don’t do drugs!”
Her mother’s last sentence echoed through her mind.
”Oh well”, she said. “There’s a first for everything!”
“Or like 21st!” giggled Edie and the whole room fell over laughing.
“The Stig was just continually cracking onto Frida all that night. Not that there was anything wrong with that – Frida looked stunning- but it was just the way he did it that made me cringe. He was just so sleazy. She went for it though. She must have been really stoned.”
-Max (personal friend)
The cold, evening wind whipped their faces as they listened to the dull thump of music coming from the apartment building. The two tall, slim girls waited for someone to answer the door. Edie leaned forward to press the doorbell again. The buzz was barely audible over the noise. Frida was adjusting her dress when the door flew open and revealed a man no older than the girls, standing in the doorway.
"Edie and ...?" he shouted above the noise.
"This is Frida" Edie shouted back. "Is Blaine here yet?"
Frida looked up at the man. He was slightly taller than Frida and was kinda chubby as well. His hair was not short but it wasn’t long either and it curled up at the bottom of his ears. He looked down at the girls with bloodshot blue eyes.
"Yeah" replied the man. “I think I saw him chatting up some girl"
Edie lips tightened and her eyebrows furrowed.
"That'd be right..." she snarled.
"Lighten up, sunshine. I was only kidding" He stepped back to let the girls inside.
"Ahuh" mumbled Edie as she stepped through the door. "Oh, Frida, this is the Stig, Stig, this is Frida!"
"Hello!" said Frida, she waved nervously. New places frightened her, as did alot of other things, like needles, bugs and the smell of hospitals. She stepped into the stuffy, crowded room.
"Hey!" smiled the Stig as her looked her up and down. She was wearing a large, black coat which reminded her of a toy soldiers coat and a pair of ballet flats with tiny flowers glued all over them.
"So, do you live here by yourself?!" Frida asked.
"Nah, I live with a couple of other people!"
"Oh, sounds fun!" She replied, elbowing him in the ribs. He was wearing a shirt that said 'it's only illegal if you get caught'. "Hehe", she chortled, "I like your shirt!"
"Thanks, I picked it myself. Can I get you a drink?!" asked the Stig.
"Uh, yes please!" replied Frida.
The Stig beetled off, leaving Frida by herself amongst the mass of people. She coughed. The air was full of smoke and it was making her kind of dizzy. She made her way through the crowd and bounced onto the couch next to a couple who were making out. She positioned herself away from the couple and took in her surroundings.
The room was dimly lit by a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling and a lamp in the corner which someone had thrown a scarf over, giving the room an orange glow. The paint was a faded yellow colour and was peeling in places. She could just see Edie through a doorway in the kitchen. She had a sponge and was hastily trying to wash what seemed to be red wine of her new flowing, white party dress. Blaine was standing behind her mouthing apologies and holding an empty glass. The room was full of mostly unfamiliar people, but now and then she would see someone she knew, like Paul, who towered above everyone else. Paul was big and strong and Edie and Frida always felt safe in his presence. Frida waved at him across the room but he was far too busy to notice her.
"Sorry" yelled Stig over the noise. "All we have left is beer!"
"That's okay!" Frida yelled back.
She took a sip of the bottle. Frida loved drinking things out of glass bottles. It made her feel like she was out of a movie. She looked over at the kitchen doorway. Edie and Blaine were no longer there. They had probably wondered off somewhere alone together. The Stig sat down beside her.
”You are quite pretty aren’t you?” said The Stig.
Frida choked on a mouthful of beer.
”Yeah, sure,” she coughed.
The Stig and Frida kept shouting out conversation at each other until the loud music became too much.
“Come on,” yelled The Stig, “Let’s go somewhere quieter!”
Frida somewhat agreed with him even though her head told her it wouldn’t be good. She had seen way too many cop shows. The same thing always happens. A young girl meets a guy at a party, he asks her if she wants to get away from all the people and then he rapes her. Usually, Frida would have rejected the offer and just hang out near Paul the whole night. She didn’t know if it was the beer that had clouded her judgment or The Stig’s endless cheap flattery but she found herself agreeing with him.
The Stig grabbed her hand and pulled her through the tight-knit crowd, pushing people out of his way. They passed the kitchen where Edie and Blaine were last seen and went down a hallway. There were cups and cans all over the floor and a wasted man sitting in the doorway of a room sobbing. They passed the bathroom, where a faint stench of vomit wafted out and a trashy looking girl stumbled out of the doorway, wiping her face. They eventually came to the end of the hallway, looking at the last door on the left. Frida sensed that she would have to go behind that door. The Stig opened the door a crack and Frida gulped down the last of her beer and dropped it onto the carpet where it rolled away from her and into the awaiting room. The Stig opened the door wider. The room was exceptionally dim until the light from the hallway spilled in and crept over the room. Edie looked up at Frida who was standing in the doorway. Edie’s pupils were tiny, so tiny Frida could hardly see them. More light filled the room, exposing Blaine, beside her, smoking what seemed to be a joint. He passed it onto a guy next to him who Frida had never met. Frida stared wide-eyed at the scene before her, she couldn’t close her eyes. She stepped into the smoky room. The Stig followed her in and shut the door behind him. Her eyes adjusted to the light and she could make out the four figures in the room.
“Sweetpea?” called out Edie.
Frida could hear the faint thumping of the music in the living room.
“Would you mind turning on the lamp behind you?” asked Edie.
Frida fumbled about in the dark until she came upon a switch. She turned it on and an old, cheap lamp flickered on.
Edie, Blaine and the other guy burst out into laughter.
”What’s so funny?” asked Frida, who was slightly alarmed at their reactions to a light being turned on.
“Your FACE!” squealed Blaine in delight. They were now rolling around on the floor laughing. The room was bare except for a large mattress in the centre of the room and a hefty sized cupboard in the corner. The carpet was stained and the walls were moldy and peeling. There were an array of objects thrown across the room including a lighter and a bra, which Frida assumed was Edie’s.
“My bra is…” Edie trailed off, and then burst into peels of laughter.
“Don’t hog it all!” said The Stig, reaching for the tiny, burning joint.
He grabbed it out of the guy’s hands and sucked in on it. He exhaled deeply and a cloud of smoke tumbled out of his mouth. The Stig sighed and smiled. He passed it to Frida.
She sat there awkwardly, watching it burn. She had never done drugs before. It was always for the adventurous, the cool, both things that Frida was not. Her mother’s faint voice echoed in her mind and suddenly her mind was flooded with memory.
A teenaged Frida is leaning against a wall, waiting for her mother to give her the keys to the family car. This was the party she had been waiting for all week. Her high school crush had finally asked her to one of his famous parties. She had heard so much about them and finally she had become cool enough to be invited. Well, not so cool that he himself would invite her. He got one of his stupider followers to do it. But still, an invite is an invite right? Her mother was rummaging about in the bottom of her handbag. Frida wish she would hurry up, she definitely didn’t want to be late. But maybe she should be late, I mean, it’s always fashionable to be late to cool parties’ right? She looked at herself in the full length mirror Frida’s mother kept in the lounge room. She was wearing the coolest outfit of all time, denim overall dress with sneakers. Frida loved the 90’s. The fashion was so hip.
“Here are the keys” sighed Frida’s mother.
“Finally” said Frida, rolling her eyes.
”Don’t you sass me, girl! Otherwise you won’t be going to this part-ay of ours!”
“Whatever” Frida groaned.
”Now, be home before midnight and don’t drink. Oh, and don’t do drugs!”
Her mother’s last sentence echoed through her mind.
”Oh well”, she said. “There’s a first for everything!”
“Or like 21st!” giggled Edie and the whole room fell over laughing.
“The Stig was just continually cracking onto Frida all that night. Not that there was anything wrong with that – Frida looked stunning- but it was just the way he did it that made me cringe. He was just so sleazy. She went for it though. She must have been really stoned.”
-Max (personal friend)
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