Lovers Live A Little Longer

*Chapter 1*

Frida sat on the bed in her room. The casette she had in her hand played Elvis through the headphones . She looked around the room. It was small and really boring. She lived in an small apartment outside Stockholm with two rooms, a living room and kitchen. And bathroom of course. But all the rooms were size mini, mini... She lived with her grandmother Arntine. Sometimes she missed her parents. Their names were Synni and Alfred. Alfred died even before he knew Frida was born, and Synni died because of kidney failure two years later. Frida shook away her thoughts. She always thought too much...

Soon Frida heard how Arntine came through the door. She put away her casette and headphones, and then went out to the little hall to help her grandmother. She had been shopping some stuff and Frida took the two bags. "Thank you dear" Arntine said and stroked her granddaughter's cheek. Frida smiled and carried the bags out to the kitchen and began to fill the little fridge. "Do you want some coffee?" Arntine asked. "Yes please" Frida answered.

They sat down opposite each other arond the table. "How are you?" Arntine asked. Frida laughed. "What do you mean?"
"You seem to not feel so well honey... Is it something?"
"When is it nothing?!" Frida said and laughed. But it was a bitter and almost sad laugh. "I can see that it is something... You can talk to me."
"I just... Feel alone. I want somebody to like... Well..."
"Somebody to love?" Arntine asked. "Yeah... Or, at least a close friend. Since Inger leaved Sweden I have felt so alone, and it feels like no one care about me."
"I care about you honey." Frida sighed and laughed. "But that's obvius! You take care of me like a mother!"
They smiled against each other.
"Well, have you tried to find someone? If I know you right, you can be so quiet and reserved."
"But people have even said that I'm a worthless nerd..." Frida's eyes got filled with tears. "Honey... I promise, there are someone out there for you too... And which idiot say such things about the most talented, beatiful and wise girl in the world?!"
Frida smiled behind the tears.
"Thank you..."
"Was it today that festival would be?"
"Yeah... It starts 4 o'clock."
"It will be empty to have dinner without you dear."
Frida laughed.

***

"But mom!!!!"
"No Agnetha! You're not allowed to go to that festival! There will be bad people, alcohol and such!"
"How do you know that...?"
"It use to be at that kind of events."
"Seriously?! It starts 4 o'clock! Why does it start so early you think? It's because people of all ages would be able to go there!"
"Enough now!" Ingrid screamed. Agnetha started to cry. "I hate you!"
"Well, you've said that before..."
"Aarggh!" Agnetha rushed into the living room. There weren't many other places to go. The family had one living room, a kitchen and a extra room.

Agnetha sat down in the sofa. Mona was sitting on the floor playing. But Agnetha wanted to be alone, so she went out and sat down on the steps in front of the house. She sat there for a long while, and soon she saw Ingvar, her father came walking. "Hi, honey. What are you doing out here?"
"Hating mom..."
"Well, that didn't sound very nice..." Ingvar sat down next to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "What have happened?"
"I want to go to that music festival in the city 4 o'clock. But mom said no..."
"Why did she?"
"She said that it will be 'bad people' and such. But I promise, the reason why it starts to early is that so many kids as possible would be able to go there... I really want to... Hep Stars will be there..."
Ingvar sighed. "I understand you. I'll talk to her."
"She thinks that I'm too little to do anything!"
"You're not. Fourteen is pretty much."
"Yeah!"
"You maybe can take some friends with you? It isn't maybe so nice to go there all alone?"
"I don't want to."
"Why? You have a lot of friends!"
"Yeah, and everybody wants to be with me all the time... It's tough. It feels like they just want to be with me because I'm like 'popular.' I don't wanna be that! It feels like I don't have a real friend. You know, someone to share every single little thought with... And who understands in every situation..."
"It sounds like you have been thinking of this a lot."
"I have..."

***

"Hi Mrs. Andersson. I'm Svenne, Benny's friend." Laila gave him a smile. "Can I talk to Benny?"
"Of course... Benny!"
"What? Oh, hi Svenne."
"Hi! Do you have any plans for today?"
"Eh, no... What then?"
"Hans quit! Like right now."
"What?!"
"Yeah, and we need an organist for a show at a festival. And you're the only one knowing our songs, and the best organist we know. Can you please jump in? Just for today."
"Of course. But I would like to play through the songs first."
"Alright, the festival starts already four, so then we have to go now." Benny took his thin summer jacket and put on his shoes. "Bye mom! I'll go and play at a festival!"
"Okay, bye love!"
Benny and Svenne laughed when they walked towards Svenne's car. "Wow, she seemed so cool with it... If that was my mom some years ago she would die of an heartattak!"
"Oh, she's quite used to it now... It actually happens quite often that I'm working as jump-in."
"I understand that. You're the best, man. You, would you maybe like to take Hanses place...?"
"Like to be the new organist?"
"Yeah."
"Sure. That would be nice." They smiled against each other.

***

Björn ate his way too late lunch fast. He would go to the festival in the city. Before he leaved, he wrote his parents who worked a letter:

Hello! I went to that festival in central Stockholm. And yes, I ate before I leaved... The festival will end 9 o'clock, but I will probably come home later. But I promise to be home before 12! Love you! / Björn

He knew that they would be mad at him. He never asked them... But the letter will probably ease their anger. At least a little...

Björn took his bike, and went away to the music festival. It started to rain, of course. It had been great weather all day, and just when it would be some fun the rain came...

Soon Björn was there. And like everytime he was at a festival, he got some kind of happiness that couldn't be explained in his heart. He locked his bike next to the others. But then he lost his balance, and gave his bike a little nudge. Which made all the bikes fall like a domino. "Fuck..." he said to himself, and felt how the face heated when everyone looked at him. Most of the others didn't laugh, except from a few who were smiling. But no one helped poor Björn...

"Do you want me to help you?" he heard someone say, and he turned around. In front of him there was a girl. She had beautiful blonde hair, and wore a nice blue summer dress and a jean jacket over. She was very cute. "Yes please. How kind of you" Björn said and both began to lift up the fallen bikes. "I'm Agnetha by the way. What's your name?"
"Björn, nice to meet you" They took each others hands.

Soon they were done. "Thank you so much again" Björn said with a smile. "It was nothing" Agnetha said and smiled back. "I would like to buy you a coke, as thanks."
"Oh, it's okay..."
"No, but I want." Agnetha smiled again and they walked away together to the kiosk. "Thank you" she said when Björn gave her the cola and felt how her cheeks blushed. "It's my pleasure" Björn said with a faked joking voice and bowed. Both laughed hard, and they had a really great time.