Wonderland // McFly

Houston We've got a Problem

QOTC: What's your favorite album cover?

AOTC: Motion in The Ocean

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December 30, 2004

"Hey guys." I greet Tom, Dougie and Harry in the rehearsal room. "Where's Danny?" I ask.

"He said he'd be here." Tom says aggressively.

"Okay...Harry, can you call him?" I ask.

"Why don't you do it." Harry scoffs, disregarding the fact that I have no phone. Did I do something? I look at Dougie, who rolls his eyes. He puts his bass down, and walks over to me, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and handing it to me.

"What's wrong with them?" I ask.

"I don't know. They've been fighting since the day after you left." He whispers.

I dial Danny's number.

"Hello?" I hear.

"Dan? I told you not to be late." I say.

"I know...but I don't want to." He says.

"Well that's too bad, Danny. Everyone else is here." I say.

"Please don't make me go." He says.

"Danny, what's wrong?" I ask. He's probably got a monster hangover.

"I don't want to be around Tom and Harry." He says. I look up at the boys and walk into the hall.

"I heard they've been fighting." I say, walking into the hall.

"You're not kidding." He says. "I just wanted some peace."

"Danny, you have to come to reversal, but I promise, I won't let them fight."

"Really?" He asks, doubtfully.

"Yeah." I say.

"Okay. I'll be there in five." He says.

Low and behold, five minutes later, Danny walks in with his guitars in his pajamas.

"You could've changed, Danny." I smile.

"Sorry." He says, unpacking his stuff.

"Classic Danny." Harry mocks him. Danny looks up at me and his face turns reddish.

"Hey, Judd." I say. Harry looks up at me. "Watch it." When Danny finishes unpacking they begin playing all their songs. They get through Five Colours and Obviously, but it's Room on the Third Floor that proves to be the trouble.

"The drum part before the 'na nas' doesn't sound right." Tom complains turning to Harry.

"It sounds fine." Harry grumbles.

"No, it doesn't." Tom contradicts. I see the worry starting to build in Danny's eyes and I know I have to do something.

"Tom, mate, you haven't played in a while. Try it again, and I'm sure it'll sound right." I say. Tom huffs, and they begin the song again. But, halfway through, just before the 'na nas' Tom stops playing, and the others follow his lead.

"You're doing it wrong!" Tom yells at Harry. And what happens next, I couldn't believe.

Tom puts his guitar on the stand behind him, walks to Harry's drum kit and nudges him off, beginning to drum how he wants it done.

"It's like that!" Tom shouts. I've never seen Tom angry. "Practice it!" He commands. I see that Harry is about to explode.

"Harry!" I say quickly, and he looks at me. I try to tell him with my eyes that he needs to calm down.

"Mate." Harry breathes slowly. "I will practice it later. For now, I will play it like I have been."

"No, play it right now Harry!" Tom yells.

"Tom!" I say. "Calm down."

"No! This is important! And I-"

"Why don't we take a break." I say. "Thirty minutes."

"Whatever." Tom huffs, walking out of the room, but I'm not concerned. I know he'll be back.

"Dougie, want to see a new drum roll I've been working on?" Harry asks.

"Yeah." Dougie smiles, and follows Harry to his drum kit. Harry begins to play his new roll.

"That's it!" Tom yells, walking over to Harry's drum kit. "Maybe if you actually practiced our music rather than this shit, you'd be a good drummer!"

Harry replied in a typical Harry way. He flipped Tom off, threw his drum sticks across the room and stormed out.

I look at Tom.

"He-"

"Out." I interrupt him.

"What?"

"Get out!" I yell.

"You can't run rehearsals without me." Tom says.

"We can and we will. Now get out!" I yell. Tom looks at me, huffs, packs his stuff quickly and leaves. When he's gone, I turn to Danny and Dougie.

"You guys can go." I say, looking at the floor.

"But what about practicing for the Palladium?" Dougie asks.

"You'll be fine. It's not like you haven't rehearsed enough." I say. the boys quickly leave, and after they do, I pack my bag.

When I leave out the front door to walk home, I find Danny sitting on the stairs outside of the studio.

"Danny?" I ask, and I sit next to him on the stairs. "What are you still doing here?" I ask

"Is this it?" He asks me.

"What?" I ask.

"Is McFly over?"

"What? Danny no-"

"They say boy bands only have a shelf life of two years. I should have expected-"

"Danny stop. Listen to yourself! People don't always get along, and it's hard to take, I know that, but trust me, trust me...you guys...you're different. You're so much more than a band."

"Yeah...I guess I'm just so afraid you know...everything is so great, and someday, we won't be able to just be a band."

"Trust me Danny, that day is far from now."

"Really far?"

"Really far. And look how well you're all doing now! You're on top of the world! It's going to take a little more than an argument for you guys to break up. I mean, you know how you and Vicky fought as kids?"

"Yeah." Danny says.

"Tom and Harry, they're like that." I say. He nods.

"Lilly, do you think we'll last five years?"

"Oh, definitely." I say.

"Seven?" He asks.

"Yeah." I smile.

"Ten?" He asks, hopeful. I pause, put then, I nod.

"Danny, McFly's gonna last ten years, and then you can have a huge celebration." I say.

"Like a massive concert!" He laughs. I nod.

"And I'll book it anywhere you want." I say.

"Like Wembley! Or Hyde Park...No! No! The Royal Albert Hall!" He yells. I laugh.

"Sure Danny, The Royal Albert Hall."

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