Seasons- Chris Cornell

Seattle...

Seattle, WA
Late December 1985
Top of the Court

It was a cold December night, as it usually is in Seattle. I've been in Seattle since May and haven't had much time to go out. Honestly, I was afraid to. I moved to Seattle alone, considering back home I didn't have many friends. I have always been anti-social and shy. The only time I ever really left my home was to go to school, work, and grocery shopping. And after graduating, I became more secluded. The other day as I was walking around the grocery store, I saw a poster advertising a band to perform at a venue called Top of the Court. The band read "Soundgarden". I remember thinking that they sounded interesting. I took one of the posters off the bulletin board and put it in my bag. And from then, I mustered up enough strength to actually leave my house and go out to see this band.

I decided to dress in my black Motorhead tee, black leather jacket that I had plastered band patches on, denim ripped jeans, and my Doc Martens. Being 5'10, I loved wearing my Docs because they made me even taller. I did my usual makeup look, which consisted of dark brown eyeshadow, black in my waterline, mascara, and a dark reddish-brown lip. I left my long, straight, black hair down, per usual.

I locked up my house and grabbed my keys. I then entered my 1978 Chevy Blazer truck that my dad had passed down to me. As I sat in the car and warmed up before driving off, I gave myself a pep talk.

"I am going to be alright. Tonight, will be fun. Hell, maybe I will actually meet some new friends. Even if I don't, I can still have fun alone and listen to some good music." I say to myself. As I was talking to myself, the nice older lady who lived next to me was taking out the trash and gave me a strange look.

I embarrassingly gave her a smile and waved.

I then take a deep breath, play my Venom cassette tape, and drive off to the venue.

I arrived at the venue early in order to get a good parking spot and a good spot close to the stage. I park my truck and get out. I stand by my truck for a couple of minutes and lit up a cigarette to calm my nerves. When I finished, I headed into the venue. I approached the door man, getting my ID ready.

"No need for that girly. Head on inside." He says to me.

I wasn't surprised. I have always looked older than I really am. I shyly smile at him and head inside.

When I got inside, I was met with large clouds of smoke and the smell of beer. I headed over to the bar to get something to drink.

"Hello. Can I have a glass of water?" I ask the bartender.

"Sure thing hon." she replies and hands me a glass of water.

I've never wanted to be a drinker, as alcoholism was something that ran in my family. It's also a reason I never made many friends back home. Everyone just wanted to party and didn't respect my boundaries.

I finish my water and head over to the stage, landing a spot right in front. Soon after, people started packing in as the band was about to start. A staff member then approached the mic and introduced the band.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Soundgarden!"

The crowd all claps and whistles as the band members take their place.

Throughout the entire show, I was mostly focused on their singer. I couldn't see him well with the dark lighting of the venue. But from what I did see, he had the most adorable dark curls. I was amazed at his ability to sing so well. He sounded like a modern Robert Plant, maybe even better. I didn't even realize how fast the time went by because before I knew it, the show was over. The band members all lined up at the front and thanked everyone for coming out. For a brief moment, the boy I was most paying attention to made eye contact with me and smiled. I was taken back and didn't know what to do. I simply gave him a smile back. They then walked off the stage.

I didn't plan to stay long after the show, considering I had to go to work the next morning. I wasted no time leaving. I headed back to my truck and drove back home.

Entering the door, I quickly unlaced my Docs and kicked them off. I locked up the door and headed to my room. I then took off all my makeup and changed into my comfortable sleeping clothes, which consisted of just sweats and an oversized men's tee. Per usual, I had trouble sleeping. I decided to grab my black acoustic guitar and mess around for a while. As I was playing, I found myself thinking back to the guy from before. I have never been one to think about guys. Hell, I never even had a boyfriend. But something about the guy I simply made eye contact with made me feel different. I found myself smiling with the thought of the guy.

I then shake it off and put my guitar away. I head over to the counter where I had placed the poster I took from the store and hung it up in my room. I smile at the poster, and I then collapse on my bed and quickly fall asleep.