She Wouldn't Say Goodbye. (Guns N' Roses)

Fourteen

It was around nine that night before Izzy and I got back from our adventure. After riding around on the Starline tour bus for two and a half hours, we went  out to Canter's Deli for 'dinner'. He unlocked the apartment door with his key, and held it open for the two of us. "I see you two are finally home?" We turned around looking for the fucking intruder in the pitch dark apartment, to see Bill standing by the kitchen. "What the hell, Bill?" Izzy questioned, walking behind the couch. "Where have you guys been?" I searched around for the light switch to the living room and flicked it on. "We spent the day hanging out, what's wrong with you?" He closed his eyes dramatically, Izzy just walked out of the living room and into the bedroom. "Bill?" He opened them and stared at me. "I was just worried." He responded before, retreating back into the kitchen. I stood there confused as to what just happened, so I followed him in there. "Did your recording go good?" He was opening a bottle of Night train. "Yeah, here." He put the bottle down and walked into the living room, he came back a few seconds later with a cassette tape in hand. He handed it to me. "That's the master tape." I nodded. "Can I hear it?"  "Yeah, It's done." Bill grabbed another cup from the counter and poured two glasses of the bum Wine. I walked into the living room, he trailed behind me with the drinks. I put the cassette in the player and clicked play, it was half way through the first song, so I re-winded it back. Once it was re-winded, I clicked play and turned it up a little. "Here I got you a drink." Bill offered. I stood up and sat beside him. "Thanks." He nodded at me, for a silent 'you're welcome'. We listened to the tape through the first two songs, before Izzy came and joined us. "Hey, that the record?"  "Yes, it's good- right? Bill questioned somewhat self consciously.  Iz nodded. "Yeah, it's great." He said in passing, he walked into the kitchen and came out with the bottle of Night train. He sat down on the couch next to Bill. "So, what have you and Steve been doing?" I had forgot they had been hanging out. "Well, we were talking about the band." Bill answered. "Really?" Izzy questioned taking a long sip of flavored alcohol. Bill sat his empty glass down on the table, he had already downed it minutes ago, but had lingered on the glass. "Were you talking about Rapidfire or A.X.L?" Izzy asked, pouring some more in Bill's glass for good measure. "Both."  "Well, glad you brought that up. I got us a gig yesterday at the Orphanage on Lankershirm." Bill grabbed his glass and took a sip. He licked a drip of wine off the corner of his mouth, before replying. "Wow, Iz. That's rad."  "So, this will be your guys 3rd show?" They nodded. "Yeah."  "When is it?"  "Next week, on a Tuesday."  "I guess, we'll have to practice a bunch then. I'm going to get more booze, anyone want to come with?" Bill said, standing up and grabbing his cowboy boots and money. "I'll go with." I stood up and followed him out the front door. "Get some Jim Beam!" Izzy called. "Anymore requests other than Beam?" He nodded 'no'. "That's all, unless you want to pick up some women?" He questioned, jokingly. I laughed at his humor and walked out the apartment door. Bill and I walked down the stairs in silence, until we got out to the street were the usual noises made it quite loud. There was a corner store about a block away and I guessed that's were we were headed. "Hey, I'm sorry about earlier." Bill said out of the blue, slowing down to walk next to me, instead of a few steps ahead. "It's alright, what are you sorry for?" He swallowed hard and looked me over. "You and Izzy hanging out. I didn't know you guys were that close." "Well he's my friend, he's your friend. I didn't know it wasn't alright." He shook his head. "It's fine, I just miss you- I guess." I wasn't sure what to respond with, he was the one that had been doing his own thing for the past few days. Does he blame me for the distance? "Well, sorry. You've just been at the studio. Not really sure what we were supposed to do." He shrugged his shoulders. "It's cool." 

We got to the store and walked straight to the beer and alcohol. The clerk was talking to a blonde woman, obviously going to work at the strip club down the street. I browsed around for a bit, like I wasn't in here almost everyday. I glanced over and Bill was done looking at the booze, he came over to me. "Hey, you ready to go?"  He had a six pack of beer and a medium sized bottle of Jim Beam. "Yeah." "Do you want anything other than this?" I shook me head 'no', and followed him to check out. "Hi, there. Find everything alright?" Bill nodded, as the clerk rang up the alcohol. "That'll be thirteen-fifty seven." I watched my friend open his wallet and hand over the dollars and a palm full of spare change. The clerk counted it out and handed him back the difference. "Thank you, come again." Bill mummered a thanks. And we walked out of the store and back onto the street together. We started towards the apartment. "Thanks for buying."  "Anytime."

We walked back home, just like we left- in silence. Once we got there we climbed the familiar stairs and to our place. I unlocked the apartment letting Bill and myself inside. Izzy wasn't in the living room anymore. I assumed he went to go shoot up, or something while we were gone and he could have a little bit of peace and quite back. Bill and I went into the kitchen, he sat the Six pack down and reached into his coat, where he had two small bottles of cheap wine, tucked away. Bill had over the past few months started using the five finger discount most places we went. "Bill you gotta stop stealin'." He turned around and looked at me. He didn't look proud at what he did, but he didn't look regretful either. The Strawberry blond twisted the cap off the new bottle of Night train and took a sip straight from it. "Sorry, Kitten." He passed by me and into the living room, I followed.  Izzy now sat on the couch, like he was asleep but for the time he'd been sitting in there, I knew he was actually nodding. Bill went and sat down next to him. Izzy momentarily opened his large eyes. "You guys are back." Bill nodded and started downing the Night train. "You got anymore smack, Iz?" Izzy looked at the strawberry blond and stumbled to his feet, bopping to the bedroom for his stash of smack at Bill's request. "Come sit." Bill patted the spot next to him, for me to sit it wasn't a offer, more of a command. He held the bottle of Night train up to me- I took it and drank quite a bit. "I'm back." Izzy plopped down on the couch next to Bill, he had all the necessary ingredients to cook some heroin up. Bill grabbed a spoon, grabbed a chunk of tar and started the ritual. He sat between Izzy and I, we were all transfixed on the Heroin Bill was getting ready to shoot up. I went and grabbed another spoon from the kitchen drawer, going to join the festivities. When I got back in there, Bill had his arm tied off already. I grabbed a bit of Heroin and started making my own shot. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Bill, lean back feeling the euphoria of the smack. I hurried to cook up and join him and Izzy in their pleasured state of being. I tied my arm off with a long strand of rubber. And eased the needle into my vein, I shot it in and untied my arm. Feeling warm and comforted instantly. I leaned back and looked at my friends. Izzy was pretty much asleep, Bill had his eyes open, staring at me, there looked to be tears in his crystal eyes. "Come 'ere, Kitty." He threw his pale arm around me. I leaned into him. He placed a few soft kisses across my forehead and in my hair. We dozed off to sleep, holding each other close. In our fucked up world, everything was alright.