Ah, the sweet comforting feeling of being back in a familiar place. I'd spent long years withering away down in the glowing basement that was the Lonely Hearts Club- from the ripe age of seventeen to present day. January to December, inevitably interrupted by interval periods; some longer than others but my membership was constant, I knew that I would always return.
I sat in the familiar booth, a plump cushion placed uncomfortably on one side of my back and my name flashing on the screen above.
'E L E C T R A H EA RT' it read, in Cooper Black italic, a font which I had grown to love over my time as a member. Admittedly, the 'C' would flicker and someone seemed to have missed out the space between 'E' and 'A' but they still always had it prepared for me, for my return.
"Electra Heart, you're back." The familiar drawl brought my eyes from the flickering 'C' to the edge of my table where a tall figure loomed over me, her powdered hair held up by rollers. "Primadonna." I greeted the woman with as little expression as possible. I didn't like her that much, but I couldn't have helped the spark of curiosity that I felt in that moment. I had been gone for a reasonably long time, at least ten months- what I believed to be the second longest time I had strayed from the Lonely Hearts. What had Primadonna been up to in that time ?How many men had she gone through so far? These questions were pressing, but perhaps not as much as the question of 'why on earth is she in the booths?' The booths were what the regulars referred to as 'I'm after a brand new start'. The relationships forged here were meant to be final, it was only myself and one or two others that periodically spent time here. Prima's dream was to make it big and her time at the Club was usually spent at the bar (or 'i'm after a short term fling' in Hearts Club terms) in hopes of finding some producer or stage manager to further her... career.
The silence was awkward and had I not been ultimately saved by Heartbreaker, it seems that I would have had to actually make conversation with the diva now sat across from me. But yes, the familiarly mysterious voice above, only know to members as 'Heartbreaker' (hence why we all must nickname ourselves, rather than using real names) had begun her daily reminder that doubled as a sign that midnight had struck. "Every boyfriend is the one. Until otherwise proven. The good are never easy. The easy never good. And love it never happens like you think it really should. Deception and perfection are wonderful traits. One will breed love, the other hate. You'll find them in the lonely hearts, under 'i'm after a brand new start'. "
Everybody waited a few seconds until the speakers and turned off before going back to their discussions. Primadonna, however, had different plans. "It was lovely seeing you after all this time, Electra-but as it's twelve now, I really must go. Farewell," Her drone was incredibly boring but I was glad for her to leave. I signalled my goodbye with a polite nod and finally went back to staring at the flickering 'C'.
i'll see you soon, marina
