LISA | Van McCann - COMPLETED

Studio

We reached the place that they were going to practice their songs? It looked like any ordinary building, nothing special.

"Ben, you get the beers!" Van called.

"No! You get them! Since when do you call the shots?" Benji commented, grabbing his guitar case from the back of the Van.

"Fine." Van grumbled, not really taking Benji's comment to heart.
I kind of just watched from the side of the van as they all took their instruments inside.

"You ready Lisa?" Van chuckled, locking up the van, guiding me into the building and down a set of stairs to a large room.

"I guess so." I didn't really know what I was expecting. I watched as they all unpacked their gear and set it all up. It was pretty amusing. They were all trying to rush because Billy had somewhere to be - his girlfriend's I presume?

I sat next to Larry who was just smoking his cigarette, "is that all you do?" I hinted towards his fag.

"Pretty much, unless Van needs me to restring or clean his guitar. It gets better." He lightly smiled and I found it fascinating by how many cigarettes he had already smoked.

"Larry, you press record in three, two..one.." Van told Larry to press this button that they had resting on the table. It looked compact, but I guess that's what they're going to record their songs on? His band got settled in and Larry flicked off the lights before Van gently strummed his guitar in a soft rhythm.

"Let me get my zipper up and and my boots on, no one will know what's gone on, except the conscious eyes that followed you round the room all night if only she could've bitten her tongue, half the time she's honest with lies because the truths too hard to believe.." Van sung into the microphone.

Fuck. He sung so beautifully. I just listened, my eyes fixated onto his. I watched as his eyes remained closed for some parts of the song where he really felt the music, at other times and points during the song, he looked at me. I felt kind of honoured in a way. A mini concert for me. They continued to sing their other songs, sipping their branded Fosters beers in between.

Larry flicked back on the lights and Billy quickly packed up, looking at his phone.
"Fuck sake. You could've told me we were going to run over Van. Thanks. Thanks a lot." Billy seemed really defensive and I had no idea why. I wouldn't mind running over errands if they played this good.

"Alright Billy, whatever." Van shrugged it off and Billy stormed off with his gear.

"Fuck this." Benji raised his hands, surrendering to play the bass and sat down next to me, grabbing a beer and downing it.

"You too Ben? Great." Van sighed, sounding a pit pissed off. I'm kind of getting a gist of how these guys work. If one falls, they all fall. "Bob, do you wanna join them too?"

I felt a little awkward. This had nothing to with me. I shuffled a little tense in my seat as I felt the atmosphere rise. I checked my phone and saw it was knocking on 4 pm. I was getting peckish, so why not change the mood?

"Um, guys? Do you want to get something to eat or?" I asked, making it an open question.

"Yes! I'm down!" Larry slapped his legs and stood up. I watched as Van looked gobsmacked, his guitar hanging around his shoulder.

"Hm, I'm pretty hungry." Benji nodded, taking a big drink of his can. I saw that Bob was a bit shy to admit it but I could tell that he was hungry. He discreetly nodded behind Van.

"So band practice is done then? Once Billy leaves, we're all done? Nice one." Van defensively commented. He was hurt? I saw as his eyes brushed passed mine.

"Are we getting food or..?" Larry asked, slowly walking backwards towards the door.

"Yes Larry!" Van slammed his guitar down, shitting me up, making Benji splutter his drink on the floor. "We ain't cleaning that yet. Come on."

Van lead the way outside to see that Billy had taken the van.

"I'm gonna kill him! I'm fucking gonna-!" Van started going on a rant, pulling out his phone.

"Why did he take the van?" Benji asked a little confused.

"Fuck knows. He was in a rush?" Larry added, stating the facts.

"No shit, Larry!" Van snapped, then began yelling at Billy down the phone whilst all of use just stood there not knowing what to do with ourselves.
I pulled out my phone, trying to make the best out of the situation and pressing on Google Maps to find the nearest food place or something that will shut up Van's whining.

"What about this kebab shop?" I asked Larry quietly, turning my phone to face him.

"How far is it?" He asked, zipping up his jacket and shoving his hands to his pockets as the weather turned south.

"Just a couple blocks away." I shrugged, not knowing the estimations exactly.

"Ok, let me just tell moody pants over there." Larry smirked, finding Van going off the rails at Billy pretty funny. It was to be honest, watching him wave his hands around, screaming down the phone.

"Oi!" Larry called.

"What?"

"We've found a kebab shop, you coming or you going to stay here an' have a strop?"

"Kebab shop? Wait up!" Van soon changed his tone and came rushing towards us, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets. He approached me and placed his arm around me, making us walking in sync.
I guided them all to the kebab shop. Bob was the angelic one in this situation, he was the sensible one who just does whatever - goes with the flow. And yes, I was still in fact, shoeless.

"Oh, this is so good!" Larry shoved the kebab into his mouth, chomping on it in the dark afternoon. "Want some?" He offered, holding his half eaten kebab towards my face.

"No, I'm good thanks. I'll just eat mine." I let out a little laugh through my nose, taking a bite from my kebab, sitting on the pavement, Larry joining. The others were just taking their orders. "It's busy for a Friday evening?"

"I can see why. It's so fucking good." Larry mumbled through his mouth full of food. Soon after, the boys came out and started scoffing their faces, joining us on the edge of the path.

After we scoffed our kebabs and was full to the brim, we decided to go back to their mini studio set up that they had going on before trying to find a way of getting us back to theirs.

If only Billy hadn't taken the pissing van. Why was he in such a rush anyway?