Brütal • Mötley Crüe •

Twenty-One • ...Play On

Warnings: Language, Heavy Drug & Alcohol Use, Traumatic Experience

April 3rd, 1983
Los Angeles

8:12PM

"Are you ready?" Jenny smirked as she bent over the small tape deck, the candy apple tip of her pointer finger taunting the play button.

"Please, no." Halston answered with an agonized groan.

The soft piano blared through the circular speakers against Halston's wishes and Jenny grabbed her hairbrush with giddy enthusiasm.

"Do we have to do this every day?" Halston begrudgingly asked, more of a reprimand than a question.

"Turn around." Jenny started to sing, grabbing Halston's wrist to force her into a spin.

"Please, stop." Halston begged.

"Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never comin' round." Jenny continued, giving no consideration as she over-dramatically gripped the faux microphone and bellowed into it.

"Jesus Christ."

"Turn around." Jenny ignored her sullen roommate, swinging her in a circle. "Every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears."

"Is this really necessary?"

"Turn around!"

"Okay, I'm done with you." Halston admitted defeat, throwing her toothbrush onto the counter.

She'd take decaying teeth over listening to that goddamn song any day. Hell, she'd pull the nuggets of bone straight from her gums herself if it guaranteed she'd never have to hear it again.

Jenny continued to perform for her reflection in the wall-sized mirror as Halston turned toward her bedroom, hot tears stinging the backs of her already tear-sore eyes.

Jenny had been obsessed with the Bonnie Tyler track ever since a customer traveling from the U.K. was selling sample tapes at the Whisky in an effort to drum up enough desire for the song to be played on American radio.

It'd become a tradition over the last month for Jenny to dance around and sing along at least once a day, and Halston didn't have the heart- or the absence of ego- to share the full extent of anguish it caused.

It wasn't that she minded Jenny living out her dream of becoming a rock goddess while they lounged in their pajamas or got ready to go to bed. Truth be told, she could cover it pretty well, and Halston didn't mind the sound of her voice attempting to conquer the notes.

And it wasn't even the song, really.

Between the husky vocals, catchy piano and crescendoing guitar, it had everything it needed to be a hit all over the world.

It was the lyrics that hit her like a goddamn freight train, torturing her to the point that she couldn't hear a single verse without feeling like tearing her skin clean off her bones.

And I need you now tonight,
And I need you more than ever

Every lick of every syllable struck her eardrums like the tip of an ice pick, too painful and too damn real.

Even when Jenny wasn't blasting it through her stereo, it played through Halston's mind on a loop; broadcasting from the inside of her skull like some sort of soundtrack from hell that she couldn't escape.