Chapter Text
I couldn't exactly say that I had plans for the beginning of 1983, but certainly moving out of my parents' house wasn't among them. Not that I had much of a choice, as I had been practically kicked out after the chaos that was my 18th birthday a few months earlier.
I was lucky to have my cousin Cliff's help. He had joined a new band a few months ago and had moved out of his parents' house to live with the guys in a house in downtown San Francisco. His offer to let me stay with them for a few months came at the right time, and I didn't hesitate to accept.
Maybe that hadn't been the best idea, as everything that could go wrong so far was happening — including me being late, missing the bus that would take me from Long Beach on a six-hour trip to San Francisco, having to buy another ticket for another bus that would leave only two hours later, and realizing only after boarding that I had forgotten my bag with half of my clothes and all — yes, absolutely all — of my underwear at my parents' house. Now, in addition to spending money on buying new clothes, I would have to wait for my parents to send me the bag by mail.
Great, I thought bitterly as I looked out the window of the moving bus.
I tried to distract myself by opening my sketchbook and doodling something, but I was too anxious to do anything. Cliff and I had practically grown up together, but since he moved to San Francisco with his family four years ago, our interactions had considerably decreased. Now, he had several new friends whom I didn't know, a girlfriend I had never even heard of, and he was even playing in a band. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to fit into his new life, and this kinda bothered me.
Despite the anxiety, I was exhausted, and I ended up dozing off for a while. It felt like I had only blinked when I woke up to the passenger next to me letting me know that we had arrived. I thanked the man and grabbed my luggage; when the bus stopped, I was one of the first people to get off.
San Francisco had the smell and sound of the sea; the sun was shining high in the cloudless blue sky. Despite the sun, it was still winter, and a cold wind cut through the platform. I looked around anxiously. Cliff had said he would be there, but I couldn't see him anywhere. That's when I felt someone touch my shoulder. When I turned, there he was, the old crumpled Misfits t-shirt, a cigarette in his hand, his long silky hair, and that beautiful smile on his face that I knew so well.
"Cliff!" I yelled and threw myself into his arms for a hug, laughing like I used to when I was little. He laughed and hugged me back.
"Hey, Nore. How was the trip?"
"It was horrible!" I complained, and he raised an eyebrow, a slight smile on his lips. "I forgot my bag, I was late and missed the bus. It was pure chaos; I didn't even think you would wait for me."
"Yeah, I noticed you were late. I've been waiting here for hours," he said with a tired sigh. I bit my lip, a guilty expression on my face, and he laughed. "It's okay. At least you made it. Let's go?"
He gently took the bag from my hand, and we walked through the terminal to the parking lot, where I saw his car. As I hopped in, he tossed my suitcase in the trunk and took a seat beside me in the driver's seat. I turned on the music, and a Misfits song blasted, extremely loud, just the way I knew Cliff loved it. I frowned and toned it down a bit.
"Oh my God, Cliff," I complained. "Aren't you scared of going deaf?"
"Hey, it's better to enjoy life while we're young," he grinned at me with that laid-back attitude that I knew all too well. I rolled my eyes but couldn't help but smile back. "And our hearing too, y'know."
He turned on the car, and I quickly strapped myself in. I knew Cliff's wild driving style; if seatbelts truly saved lives, I was putting my faith in that little piece of fabric. I gripped on tight as he zoomed through the city, weaving through traffic like a maniac. I lost count, but I swear he blew through at least three red lights on the way.
Fortunately, we safely arrived at the house where he was living. I got out of the car and stretched, feeling sore after hours of bus travel.
"Come on," he said. "I'll introduce you to the guys."
"Wait, what about my luggage?"
"I'll get it later. Is it okay if we share the room? It's the only place you can stay for now."
"No worries,"I said, as he took me by the hand and guided me into the house. He swung open the door, revealing a sparsely furnished living room with only a TV, a couple of couches, and a table surrounded by four chairs. A short guy was sitting on one of the sofas, speaking loudly while two others laughed at whatever he had just said. All three had beers in their hands, and a few empty bottles were scattered on the floor.
"Hey, guys," Cliff said. "This is Nore, my cousin. The one I told you would be staying here for a while."
They looked at us. The short dark-haired guy stood up with a smile.
"Hey," he greeted me. He had a different accent, definitely not American. "How's it going?"
"Nore, this is Lars. He's Danish, so you might find his smell a bit strange," Cliff said in a sarcastic tone, a smirk on his face.
"Shut up, dude." Lars grabbed a beer bottle and pointed at me. "Want one?"
"No, she doesn't," Cliff cut in. I looked at him, raising my eyebrows. "Hey, no more drinking problems for you, okay?"
"Oh, Cliff, shut up. You worry too much," I grumbled, which made the guys laugh.
"Hey, I'm just trying to help you. Remember that your parents told me not to let you drink."
"Well, then you won't smoke your joints in front of me either," I said, reaching out to snatch the cigarette from his hand, but he held it up high. He knew I couldn't reach it, I was way shorter than him. He chuckled.
"These are Dave and James," he said, still holding his hand up. I lightly hit his back, pissed off, but he ignored me.
"Hi," the blond guy spoke in a low voice, seeming annoyed. He didn't even look directly into my eyes, quickly turning his attention back to the beer bottle in his hand. I felt my face heat up, wondering if he already hated me or something.
"Hi," I said softly. "Nice to meet you."
The other guy laughed. He had wavy strawberry blond hair and brown eyes. He was just a little shorter than Cliff – but still much taller than me.
"You upset the lady, James," he got up from the sofa and took my hand in his. "Don't mind him, he's just a bit shy. I'm Dave, you probably figured that out already."
"Hi, Dave," I smiled.
"So your name is Nore? That's kinda different."
"Oh, actually, it's Eleanore. But nobody really calls me that, I prefer Nore."
He grinned, pulling a pack of smokes from his pocket.
"It's a cool name," he lit a cigarette and gave me a wink. "If you feel like grabbing some drinks later..."
"Hey, lay off my cousin," Cliff frowned. "I've already told you she's not gonna drink, dammit."
"Cliff!" I complained. "Come on, you can't stop me from having a drink."
James snorted.
"You worry too much, man," he got up and handed me a beer bottle. "Here. You can have a drink if you want."
I took the bottle from his hand before Cliff could do anything and took a sip. He sighed and shrugged.
“Okay, it's your problem.”
"Hey, no need to be all parental on me," I said in a more understanding tone. "I can handle myself just fine, alright?"
“I won't bother lecturing you,” he grumbled. “But you better let your parents know that if I find you dead in a pool of vomit, it's all your fault, you hear me?”
I rolled my eyes and laughed. He smiled, making me realize that he was just joking.
"Don't worry, I won't tell your parents about this either," I pointed to the cigarette in his hand. He huffed.
"You know they already know about it, right?" I scowled and he laughed. "Come on, I'll show you where you'll be staying."
"She could crash in my room," Dave grinned. "Plenty of room there."
"And you better cut out the flirty business with my cousin." Cliff's voice turned serious as he pulled me closer, gripping my shoulders in a protective way.
Dave laughed and left the room, not without smiling at me. My cheeks flushed, but I smiled back.
"I'll grab my bag," I said to Cliff. Taking another swig from the bottle, I handed it over to James with a grateful smile. "Thanks."
He shrugged, but flashed me a small smile in return.
Cliff walked me to the car and opened the trunk so I could get my luggage. I followed him to his room, which was a cozy little space on the ground floor. It had a bed, a closet, a desk, and his bass guitar hanging on the wall. I dropped my suitcase in a corner by the desk and cracked it open to grab some money. I still had to go to a store, see if I could find some clothes. He pulled out a mattress from behind the wardrobe.
"This is your new bed," He said. "At least until I can bring that bunk bed my parents are lending me."
"You could be a knight in shining armor and let me sleep in yours." I grumbled, looking at the thinness of the mattress.
"No fucking way."
"I could end up with a serious back problem for sleeping on this, you know."
"Don't give me that. You won't convince me."
"I bet Dave would let me sleep in his bed."
"And take the opportunity to sleep with you."
"Oh, come on, Cliff," I laughed, feeling my face turning red. "He was joking."
"Yeah, right," he replied acidly. I shook my head in doubt. I found the money in my suitcase, picked it up, and stood up to leave. "Where are you going?"
"I need to buy some things. I'll be right back."
"I'll take you."
"No need, I saw there are plenty of shops nearby. I'll manage."
He shrugged, lighting a cigarette as he sat on the bed and opened a magazine. I left the house and found James outside, sitting by the porch, finishing his beer.
"Hi." I said.
"Hey. You heading out?" he asked in a low voice. At least now he didn't ignore me, I thought.
"Yeah. I still need to buy some things today."
"You know where to go?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I was thinking of just taking a walk around. Didn't want to bother Cliff any more than I already have," I admitted. He stared at me, seeming to think for a moment, then stood up.
"Hang on. I'll come with you."
"You sure?" I asked, surprised. He nodded.
"Yeah, I need... to stock up on more beer. Just wait here, I'll get my money."
I nodded and waited as he entered the house. He returned soon, wearing a worn leather jacket and holding some crumpled dollars in his hand, which he stuffed into his pocket.
"There's a supermarket down the street. Let's go?"
We walked the whole way in silence. I couldn't help but think about what Dave had said about James being a bit shy. Despite that, he had been nice enough to offer to come along with me. As we walked, I glanced at him. Taking a closer look, I noticed that his eyes were just like mine, blue in color. He had a serious look on his face, lost in his own thoughts. Usually, I would start a conversation in a situation like this, but I was feeling a bit shy myself.
We soon arrived at the supermarket. I was taken aback because the place was bigger than I had expected.
"Hey, do they sell clothes here?" I asked. It would be super convenient if I could find some clothes without having to go elsewhere after buying the beers.
"Yes, they do," he answered, then looked at me. "Are you here to buy clothes?"
"Oh," I blushed. "I... sort of forgot my bag at my parents' house, so..."
He chuckled. "You're just like Cliff. He's an airhead too."
"Hey!" I complained. "I was tired, okay?"
He smiled as we entered the store. I grabbed a shopping basket, and he pointed to an aisle.
"The clothes are over there. Need some company?"
"Nah, I got this. Meet you back here?"
"Sure."
I walked to the clothing section, which was somewhat limited. Most of the stuff looked kinda ugly, but luckily, I managed to find some decent underwear and bras. I snagged a few items in my size and tossed them in the basket.
I was heading back to the entrance to meet James when I spotted him near the beverage shelves, looking frustrated. I walked up to him.
"Hi," he grumbled. "I'm trying to decide which one to take... Our favorite is sold out, and I'm clueless about these cheaper options."
I looked at the shelf, then picked up a bottle from a well-known brand that wasn't too expensive.
"I like this one. We can split the cost if you want."
He smiled a little, grabbing a case of the brand I had suggested.
"I'll roll with your choice," he tossed the case in the basket, and I made a face at the weight. "Oops, my bad," he effortlessly took the basket from my hand as if it weighed almost nothing.
"Thank you," I said, and he smiled.
"Did you get everything you needed?" he asked, and I nodded. "Alright, let's go then."
We went to the cashier and cashed out. James insisted on paying for all the beers. I realized that, beneath the initial shyness, he was actually a pretty cool guy. He stopped by the store entrance to open two bottles of beer and offered me one. We walked back home as the sun was setting, James sipping his beer and humming softly. I recognized the sound — the guitar riff from Paranoid, by Black Sabbath. The day was quickly coming to an end, and I could feel the exhaustion creeping in.
"It's really good," he suddenly said as we waited to cross a street, and I looked at him, puzzled. "The beer," he explained.
"Told you so," I grinned.
"Guess you wouldn't want me to tell Cliff about you drinking."
I rolled my eyes playfully.
"Cliff worries too much. But I think he'll soon give up on nagging me."
"I'm rooting for you," he said in a playful tone. I let out a soft chuckle.
Soon enough, we reached the house. I said goodbye to James and made my way to Cliff's room, which was now also mine, ready to grab my things and take a shower. Packing away my new clothes in my bag, I found myself humming the same tune as James. Despite the fatigue and the overload of new information, my anxiety had melted away. I didn't know what the next few days would bring, but it excited me. The guys seemed cool, and it was good to be closer to Cliff again. I didn't have a clue where this new life would lead me, but I was ready to embrace whatever came, whenever it came.