Aerial Love

New York

- A few days earlier -

It's Thursday night, he's sitting in a small Japanese restaurant with three of his friends. "Dude, what the hell are you doing here? Just go back to Newcastle c'mon."

"Actually, I have no idea. But, I think I just want to be somewhere busy and loud, but hidden!", he answers with his soft voice. "Well, New York is indeed busy and loud. But how is it hidden for you, mate? You're still the papz favorite's 90's rock star who's not making any more rock songs!", his friend, Dale, stated the obvious. Dan laughs, "Well, yeah. But it's not Sydney or Melbourne at least. They probably more interested in the Kardashians or Leonardo Di Caprio than just some 90s rock star who's not making any more rock songs and whose band has been in a hiatus for more than a decade. " he explains. His friends burst out laughing.

They are chatting and having a great time, until the foods come to their table. All of them eat that sushi like they never seen foods before. That space of empty chats during their feast were filled with the voice of women chattering on the next seats. Their seats are not that closed, but since they are the only two groups of people in that small restaurant, they can listen to their conversation quite clear.

"Oh my God I really miss those days when I had no dark circle under my eyes!", one woman said in her thick British accent making her other 3 friends laugh. "I was so obsessed with Damon Albarn back then!", she continued. "Ooh yeah, young Damon was definitely cute. But I was all over Kurt Cobain here in the US. ", another woman replied.

"Yeah, too bad he's gone too soon.." the British woman replied sympathetically. "Have you ever came to one of Blur's show during that era, though?" the third woman seems chiller than the other two. "Absolutely, I watched like four of their shows, I guess. And I managed to take a picture with him too." the British woman giggled excitedly. "It was in 1997, I think. I still have that photograph hanging at my old bedroom in my parents' house. He grabbed my shoulder and I never washed that shirt ever since." All of them laugh hysterically.

Dan and his friends look at each other's, feeling silly to what they just heard. "Fangirls!" he thought. Definitely not a new thing for him, it was actually the kind of experience he already had since he was 15. From those who just want to take pictures together until those who pretend having his babies. And the list goes on and on which will sound odd and insane to normal people. His life has been a rollercoaster ride since he was a teenager, and he never had a chance to have a normal life ever since. The constant spotlight from the media, beaten up by jealous bullies, paparazzi, all of those had given him one of the worst times of his life. But he knew, despite that, he was one of a few who can actually made it in the industry, although the price to pay was not cheap.

"I know why she's more interested in talking about Damon instead of Kurt!", the fourth woman who was busy with her sashimi suddenly joining their conversation. "And why is that, Kate?" the British woman, Claire, curious. "Because if you talk about Kurt, there will be another conversation leads to Kurt's long lost brother from another mother, who lives in a faraway continent across the globe.", Kate replied with a playful look. "Oh shut up!" the third woman who asked about Damon interrupts and laughs.

"Kurt's long-lost brother?", Claire said. "Daniel Johns?" suddenly the second woman who was in love with Kurt during her teenage years replied doubtfully. Kate laughs hysterically and gives her friend, Amy, an applause. "Yeah, that's him! She was obsessed with him. Do you know how far she was obsessed?", Kate continued her story. "How was it?", Claire cannot hide her curiosity. "Well, she didn't go out of her room for two weeks, when Daniel was married to that Australia's sweetheart Natalie Imbruglia", Kate spilled the embarrassing obsessive story about her best friend since Highschool. "Oh, come on, it's not that bad and it's certainly not two weeks, you exaggerated it!" the woman protested. "Yeah, I'm sure it's not two weeks, 11 days to be exact.", Kate didn't push herself back at all. "Oh poor you sweety, I was mourning for three days when Kurt died." Amy gives the woman a quick hug. "I swear it wasn't that bad! But I do have my own reasons. He was too young to get married, come on..", the woman finally admits it. Kate & Claire are laughing to finally hear that confession. "The funny thing was, she had a boyfriend too back then. And he was nowhere near understand what happened to her!" Kate continued her story about her dearest friend. "Oh my God, come here you little pumpkin, I'll give you another hug!" Claire was teasing her. "Oh My God, come on, stop it!", she giggles while gets up from her seat and walk towards the cashier to pay. On the other side of the table, the guys were trying so hard to not laughing at what they vaguely heard. They look at Daniel and he's not interested. "Wow mate! How does it feel to make girls completely lose their mind like that?" Jack makes fun of him. "Shut up, I'll pay the bill! But if you still won't shut up you'll pay my flight back to Australia!", he replied. Dale and his friends can't help but to laugh.

When he almost at the cashier, the woman in front of him suddenly turns her back very quick and they accidentally crashed each other's shoulders, causing him drops his wallet. She takes it immediately, "Sorry" she says in a hurry and smiles. She gives the wallet back to him, then walk away very quickly. "No problem!" he smiles back at her then turns freeze for a while. She looks very familiar to him. But if she is who he thinks she is, how come she doesn't recognize him at all, he thought. And importantly, she and her friends were literally just talked about him a few minutes ago. As soon as he gets back to the table after paying the dinner, those four women already outside the café and are waiting for their car.

"Do you get that often Johnsy?", Jack asked him while chuckling. "Get what?" Daniel was still confused and keeps staring towards outside the restaurant. "They just mentioned that you were one of that woman's first boyfriend!", Jack replied. His other friends are laughing, thinking that it was one of silly fangirl made-up stories. "I think..." he paused for a few seconds. "I think she was indeed, my first girlfriend, I guess..." Daniel suddenly answers, slowly, it was almost sounds like he was unsure too. He started to step outside and run towards the woman, but it was too late, the car was already leaving.

Inside the car, the woman looks out through the window, she feels familiar to the man he just encountered with, a few minutes before. She's staring at him from her seat while the car was getting away quickly.

"1,2,3,4" a deep voice suddenly emerges from the car's speaker followed by notes on piano and the sound of strings. And in a few seconds, suddenly heavy rain is covering New York City.

Monsters waltz on fragile shelves
Only the shallow truly know themselves
Do you really need all these faces?
When we can have fun in dangerous places
You see me, but you don't know me

Drive steel pins through my heart
How will this one end and will it ever start?
Youth is so divine and such a waste
It goes on and on when all we need's a taste

New York, New York
Don't call me your lover
New York, New York
We are under cover

....

I'm comin' my lover
I got this feelin' inside of me
I got this feelin' inside of me
I'm comin' my lover