Page 12 of The Story of Us
I looked at Marley. “But you fucked her?”
He shrugs his shoulders at me and wipes his hand across his nose. “I was coked out my head, horny as fuck and she kept begging me for it. I caught fucking crabs off her and had to shave my pubes and avoid sex for a couple of weeks, dirty slut, I haven’t been near her since, I don’t know how she keeps getting a backstage pass, no one likes her.”
I shake my head at Marley’s little revelation, I don’t care about the shagging, it’s the coke that worries me, no wonder he looks so skinny, I’ve heard it makes you lose weight, that’s why Ashley from school likes it. “Is that why you look so rough Marls? You been doing coke?”
“Well thanks for the compliment George don’t mince your words.” I shrug my shoulders.
“You look tired and skinny that’s all, I’m worried, and Mum will flip when she sees ya.”
He looks from me, then across to Sean and shrugs. “This tour has been hard work for all of us, even wonder boy here has had to have a little help to get him through, and I ain’t the only one.”
My gaze swings up to Sean’s, who is looking at Marley like he’s about to kill him. “You’ve been doing coke?” I ask Sean. Now it’s his turn to shrug; he looks around the room before he answers.
“Just the odd line every now and then, it’s hard going out there, we’ve all needed a little buzz to help us along. It’s nothing and everyone does it.”
I’m not surprised; I’m just disappointed that he hasn’t told me. The same as he had never mentioned how many groupies there were following them around. I knock back my drink and say nothing; Lennon appears in the doorway.
“Boys, come on, I need you for some photographs and a quick interview for this Spanish magazine.”
Sean looks at me. “I won’t be long, stay close to Jimmie.” I nod and smile at him but it’s half-hearted, I don’t think I like this fame game, it’s okay when I’m by his side but I hate that he’s seeing, doing and experiencing so many new things without me. We’ve done everything together for so long that I can’t help but get that horrible feeling that I’m losing him again.
“Let’s get another drink,” Jimmie says. “These fuckin’ groupies are really starting to piss me off, they’re our boyfriends but they’re looking at us like we have no right to be here.”
“Ignore them,” I say to her. “Most of them will die of old age by the end of the week, they’re so ancient.” She laughs at that and we make our way over to the bar at the back of the room.
A few minutes later there’s all sorts of talk and chatter as the stars of the tour Kombat Rock, or K R as their fans call them, enter the room. We lean back against the bar as they greet the competition winners, smile, pose for photos with them and sign autographs, the fans and all members of the press are ushered out and I watch as the groupies start to circle the stars. Rocco Taylor is the bands lead singer, he’s okay looking but has nothing on Sean or Marley and he must be around twenty eight. Jimmie and I watch as he works the room, kissing some women, ignoring others, shaking hands with some of the suits and hugging others. The first supporting act are on stage and their set is being played through the speakers in the room, they’re actually not bad for a bunch of local fifteen year olds but not as good as Carnage, by a long shot.
Suddenly Rocco shouts out, “Can someone turn this crap down? It’s making my ears bleed.” Everyone laughs, everyone except Jimmie and I that is, what a dickhead!
I bet his band weren’t that good when they were just fifteen, I take an instant dislike to him and the look on my face must show it as his eyes skim past me and then swing back in my direction. “So people, what have we here, who are these two beautiful young ladies and why has no one thought to introduce them to me?”
“You’re too late Rocco,” Anna the peroxide calls out. “They’re already the property of Carnage, unlucky.”
He looks across as Anna. “Who asked for your opinion cunt?” He looked around at his entourage. “Somebody get that slut out of here.”
There’s a flurry of activity, security appear and ask Anna to leave. The air is blue with the language that she uses as she’s escorted from the room.
Rocco Taylor comes and stands right in front of us. “So, you beautiful ladies are friends with the boys from Carnage. They’re doing well, they’ll go far.”
He strokes his index finger up and down the back of my arm as he speaks, I want to tell him to stop but he’s Rocco Taylor, one of the biggest rock stars in the world. “What’s your name honey?” he asks me in his American drawl. I’m not sure where in America he comes from but he sounds like a cowboy to me.
I swallow hard before answering but my voice still comes out squeaky as I reply, “George, this is my friend Jimmie.”
“Ha ha George and Jimmie. Well lookie here boys, isn’t this just the prettiest George and Jimmie you have ever seen in your lives?”
Another bloke with long jet black hair and covered in tattoos comes and stands next to Rocco and leers at us as he chews hard on some gum, he throws his arms around the lead singers shoulder. “Well ain’t they a pair of pretty young things.”
I am actually shitting myself, I suddenly feel all of my sixteen years and eight months and not a day older, all of my usual bullshit and bravado has left me, these are real live rock stars, who are used to getting whatever they want from women. I feel totally out of my depth and I can’t help but notice that goose bumps are popping up all over my body and the hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end and it’s through fear, not because I feel any kind of desire towards this pair of freaks.
Rocco reaches out and strokes his index finger up and down, over my cheek bone. “Well I hope those boys from Carnage are happy to share their toys, coz I sure would like to have a little play with you.”
I’m suddenly pissed off, I swipe his hand away. “I’m not any body’s toy; I’m Sean McCarthy’s girlfriend.”
The room has fallen almost silent as everyone watches the interaction; who the fuck does he think he is, he’s not even good looking and the other one, Wayne Allen or whatever his name is, I think he’s the drummer, he’s not only as ugly as fuck but he stinks of body odour too. I’m debating whether to tell him this when I hear Lennon call out. “Rocco, Wayne, leave my little sister alone and the other one is my girl so don’t even think about it.”
Before I have a chance to react, he grabs me by the back of my head and kisses me on the mouth, I push him away as hard as I can, and as I do, I hear Sean shout. “G, what the fuck are you doing?”
I look horrified from Rocco to Sean. “You fucking animal, keep your hands off me!”
