Killing Time [radiohead fanfiction]

Four: Curiosity/ Satisfaction

     Sleepily, I walk up the spiral staircase to my bedroom, flopping down onto my bed immediately. I recounted today's events fondly, thoroughly excited for whatever we'd do together tomorrow. After a few minutes of lying down, I decided it'd be best to take a shower now and spare myself the responsibility of doing it tomorrow morning. Lazily, I step into the bathroom, taking off my makeup first. My skin stings slightly at the remover, but it's something I've grown far used to since my mother insisted I start wearing makeup at age thirteen. As I take my bun out, my hair falls to my back, a painful reminder of how long I'd have to spend cleaning it.

The shower is cold, just as I like it. I find myself enjoying the small bathroom more and more. When I finish, I hastily wrap a towel around my body, stepping back out into my bedroom. It's far colder in here than I expected, so I pull on my favorite sweater to sleep in. It's white and feels ever so comfortable after years of use. However, it's strictly pajamas now as the collar has ripped, causing it to be off-the-shoulder. I also donned a plaid pair of comfortable shorts, finishing the outfit with a pair of socks. Some people may find me insane for sleeping in socks, but I prefer it.

Part of my nighttime routine is to braid my hair, it helps my curls dry properly without looking horribly frizzy. To make this lengthy process somewhat more bearable, I put on a Smiths CD, turning the volume low so as to not disturb anyone in the rooms beneath me. As I finish braiding, I can't help but notice voices nearby. Originally I had ruled this off as being the students below, but I don't hear it from underneath. My finger slides across the CD player, pausing it in the middle of I Don't Owe You Anything. Cautiously, I step around the room, attempting to pinpoint the direction in which the sound is coming from. The muffled voices grow louder as I place my head against the left wall, found it. Whilst I lay my head against the wall, I notice a strange fold in the wallpaper near the bookshelf. Huffing loudly, I push the bookcase out of the way, revealing a large hole into the other parts of the attic. I know I shouldn't explore, but curiosity gets the best of me and I lace up my Converse, crawling through the opening. The voices only grow louder as I walk further, I can now recognize the sounds of a guitar being strummed gently.

I spot an assortment of boxes, propped up to create a makeshift door. A dim light emits from the strange wall, and I find myself inching closer, hands shaking as I move the boxes.
"what the fuck?" I mutter, catching the surprise of everyone in the room.
"MJ?" Ed asks, perched upon what looks like a deteriorating dining room chair.
"How the hell did you find us?" Thom questions, sitting against another strange piece of furniture. The rest of the boys I had met previously sit scattered among the room, all on mismatched chairs and ottomans.
"Why are you up here?" I ask, not bothering to respond to Thom.
"We could ask you the same thing!" Thom cries out, causing him to drop the guitar that rests lazily in his lap. I flinch at the sudden noise, taking a step backward.
"You're the ones playing music outside my room! How was I not supposed to be curious?" I protest, my choice of words causing everyone to look confused once again.
"Outside your room?" Jonny pipes up, moving to get back on his feet.
"Yeah, there was like this weird hole in my wall so I explored it."
"There was a hole inside your room?" Colin questions, saying it in a way that leads me to believe he thinks I'm lying.
"I'm being completely serious!"
"Mhm."
"Ugh, just follow me." I turn around, venturing back from where I came from, the five boys following close behind.

We arrive at the small opening in the wall, and I crawl inside. Quickly, I notice my old clothes lying on the floor and kick them under my bed, not wanting for everyone to see my undergarments. As each one of them crawls through, they begin to assess my dorm, taking notice of everything in the room.
"Now do you believe me?"
"Yeah. This is definite proof." Colin responds, half distracted by my posters.
"You have great taste," Thom hums, already elbow-deep in my CD collection.
"What's with the heart?" Ed asks, pointing at my Beatles poster.
"I used to be head over heels for George," I admit, pretending to swoon and falling back gracefully onto my bed. As I lay back, I spot Jonny and Phil crowded around the various instruments in my room.
"Telecaster?" Jonny questions, catching my eye. I watch as his fingers glide gracefully against the fretboard, enamored by the guitar.
"Yeah, my dad got it for my sixteenth birthday."
"So you only started playing recently?"
"No, I've played acoustic since I was ten. My parents liked to force many instruments on me when I was younger. Cello, guitar, and piano are the only ones that stuck." I answer, getting up and joining them both.

"You seem like quite the prodigy, just like Jon-Jon over here," Phil says, ruffling Jonny's hair heartily.
"You play?" I respond with a smile.
"Yeah, all of us play music. I started on Viola, but I'm learning piano and guitar." Jonny admits while struggling to fix his hair.
"You all play?"
"Yeah, Phil plays drums, both Thom and Ed play guitar, and my brother's on bass."
"Are you in a band together?"
"They are, I'm not allowed 'cause I'm too little." Jonny shrugs, his attention fluttering back to my telecaster. A pang of sympathy hits my chest, it's unfortunate how they only consider his age.
"I can teach you if you'd like." I offer, catching his attention immediately.
"You would?" He asks, grinning wildly.
"Yeah! Teaching yourself is far too tricky." I add, reflecting his smile. Jonny places his hands on my shoulders in pure excitement.
"Oh my god, thank you!" He sputters out, practically bursting at the seams with eagerness. This prompts everyone in the room to look at the two of us curiously.
"What did we miss?" Thom asks, finally taking a break from ransacking my CD collection.
"I'm getting lessons! You guys can finally let me in the band!" Jonny responds, still gripping my shoulders. Thom and Ed look oddly jealous for a moment, but it fades quickly. I wonder if I misinterpreted their excitement.

"Atta boy, Jonny!" Colin says enthusiastically, giving his brother a pat on the back, causing Jonny's hands to slip off my shoulders. Phil joins in on praising Jonny, and soon a spontaneous wrestling match breaks out. All three in hysterics, I can't help but watch. Eventually, Jonny taps out. Breathing heavily, a few laughs still escape his throat.
"Does this happen often?" I question, quite enjoying the show.
"We like to push him around, eh Jonny?" Phil responds, helping a disgruntled Jonny off the floor.
"Yeah, far too often." He responds, fixing his messy hair. I feel two hands grab my shoulders, startling me slightly.
"You better watch out, Miss Mary Jane. You're the youngest now, not Jonny." Ed says, leaning close to my face from behind.
"Oh, I'll keep a lookout," I answer, smugly.
"Oh really?" He questions, raising his eyebrows.
"Mhm." I immediately regret my words as Ed's hands slip off my shoulders without warning. Before I have time to react, he grabs my waist, which unfortunately is where I'm most sensitive. I buckle over, the ticklish sensation taking hold of me.
"Hey!" I cry out, pulling his arms off me in a fit of laughter.
"Next time, don't be so cocky." He warns, putting his hands back into his pockets. The room goes silent for a moment, and Thom clears his throat.
"Didn't you say you were sleepy?" Thom asks, quirking a brow.
"I was, and then I discovered pests in my walls," I respond jokingly. Ed clutches his chest, pretending that my insult caused him immense pain. I roll my eyes, turning my attention back to Thom.
"You really should sleep, you know. We have many things to do tomorrow."
"Oh yeah? Like what?"
"You'll see." He finishes, turning around to crawl back through the attic. Everyone else follows, echoing their goodbyes as they leave. I move the shelf back into place, flopping back onto my bed and falling asleep almost immediately.