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Maeve 1970
"Humpy Bong?" I asked in quite a shrill voice. "Bloody hell, Tim! What's Humpy Bong?" I followed Tim around to the other side of the van, where he was packing up his bass in its case. I couldn't believe what was actually happening. This was ridiculous. Smile was doing so well! Tim carefully slid his bass into the case, clicking it closed. He stood up and held it in his hand, looking at me now. "So you're just gonna leave Brian and Roger for a whole new band?" He placed the case down, putting his hand on my shoulder.
"Maeve, darling. It's not a personal thing. Smile just won't go places. I know. Humpy Bong... they're going places. They're gonna be big." He looked at me with those soft eyes of his. A few loose strands over his hair fell right in front of his eyes. I always loved it that way. Every time I looked at Tim I felt love, but not this time.
"Don't do it, love. Please." I grabbed his hand, holding onto to it while I attempted to talk any sense into him at all. "For me."
"I'm sorry, dear. Smile isn't worth it anymore. College gigs? Pubs?" He sighed, taking his off my shoulder and picking up his case again. "I've got to go for it."
With that, he began to walk away. I was outraged. "What about us, Tim?" I yelled at him, a single hot tear rolling down my cheek. God. This was disastrous.
He walked back towards me and pressed his lips to my forehead, leaving a small kiss there. "I'm sorry, Maeve. You made your choice. You chose the boys over me." The time he walked away and I didn't stop him. I just stood there and watched him. After everything he'd been through with the boys and with me, he just leaves.
The one tear became many. I sniffled as I wiped them quickly from my eyes. I couldn't believe I was crying over such a jerk. Apparently my sniffs were loud, because the silence I was crying in was broken. "Maeve?" I turned to face the blonde drummer boy from Smile. He stood there, looking at me with a look of pity. He tried to smile, but I could tell it was forced. "He told you?" I nodded, causing Roger to step closer to me. "Hell, Maeve. I'm so sorry. I can't believe he did this."
"I hope it bites him in the arse." I said, looking away from the man as I wiped my tears. "How could he leave you guys? You were a band. A good band." I added, looking back at him. Great. He looked like he felt even more bad for me than before.
"You were a couple." He told me. "Not a great one..." he mumbled under his breath. I don't think he meant for me to hear him, but I did. "He was right about one thing. That show was a load of shit." He groaned, sitting down in the back on the van. He kicked the ground with his foot, sighing.
"Well... there was room for improvement." Brian said, coming from the direction Tim had left in. He looked red in the face, which caused me to believe he had a few choice words for Tim before he left for good. He sat beside Roger while I leaned against the door.
Roger dug into his pocket, fishing out a cigarette and a lighter. "I've got better things to do with a Saturday night." He said, looking up at me quickly before looking away. "I could give you their names." He placed the cigarette in between his lips and took a blow. Brian didn't look impressed.
Footsteps came closer and closer to us, until a young man appeared in front of us. He almost walked right by us, but then turned to face us. "Enjoyed the show." He said, nodding his head a bit. He sounded British, but not completely. There was something special there.
"Thanks, man." Brian said , grabbing and open beer from the trunk.
The man put his leg out and his hand on his him, looking upwards and shaking his long brown hair. "I've been following you for a while now, actually. Smile. Makes sense for a dental student." He said, gesturing to Roger. "And your astrophysics, aren't you?" Brian nodded. "Makes you the clever one." He seemed to know a lot about the band. "And you. The frontmans girlfriend."
"Not anymore... not that it even matters." I mumbled. That hurt. "I'm actually studying management, so you know." The man looked impressed. Good.
"I study design here. Also, I... um... write songs." He pulled a pile of papers from his back pocket, holding them out to the boys. "Might be of interest to you." They didn't react. Not in the slightest. "Just a bit of fun really." I was interested in seeing them, but I didn't move from my spot. Not the time.
"You're five minutes too late." Roger said, leaning his head up against the frame of the van. "Our lead singer just quit."
The man in front of us smiled. "Well then you'll need someone new then." He lifted his head, sniffing and smiling again. He looked rather proud.
"Any ideas?" Brian shrugged. I didn't say anything. Both of them had tried to get me to sing with them countless times, but Tim and I always shot it down. Asshole.
The man looked himself up and down, moving his hand up higher on his side and putting his free hand out. "What about me?"
Roger laughed, looking at him then Brian. "Uh... not with those teeth, mate." I swung my hand and hit Roger in the chest. "Oh!" He said, staring over at me.
The man looked sad now, which made me frown. His smile disappeared and he began to walk away. "Jesus, Roger. You're such a dick." I said coldly.
The man turned around and placed his hand on his hip. "I know what I'm doing." Brian and Roger looked up at him now, clearly surprised by his vocal ability. I began smiling hard. He was fantastic. "I gotta feeling, I should be doing all right."
"Doing all right." All the boys sang together now. They sounded wonderful together. Like it was meant to be almost. We all smiled at what they had just done. "I was born with four additional incisors. More space in my mouth means more range."
"Magnificent." I muttered in awe. This could work. This could be good.
"I'll consider your offer." He said walking off. I stood in front of the two remaining boys. They wore the same expression I was wearing too. I motioned my head towards the man walking away.
Brian and Roger looked at each other. "Do you play bass?" Brian yelled.
"Nope." He disappeared, just like that.
The three of us all looked at each other. "He's absolutely amazing." I clapped my hands together. "Boys, this could work. He's just what you need for Smile!" I grinned, happy about our new discovery.
"He doesn't play bass."
"So what? We can find a bass player. We need that voice and you both know it." I folded my arms in front of my chest, waiting for an answer.
"Alright?" Brian asked. He looked over at Roger.
"Why can't you sing?" He asked me, cocking his head and pressing the beer bottle to his soft lips.
"I'm not an option. It's him or nothing." I said flatly.
"Fine." He said after a few moments. "Let's go get him."
