Strictly Stories

The Meeting

Just a quick note: this chapter is based on the meeting of the band that was mentioned in the recent chapter of 'The History of Steps' just to let you know. Hopefully you enjoy :)

_

Faye:

Today I'm invited to an event in London, a premiere of a new stage production. There were plenty of articles about it, praising the play and its performers and probably that's why they also invited some really important celebrities. Though I wouldn't consider myself being an important celebrity but oh well, it's still an honor to be invited. 

I step into the building while glancing at myself in the mirror I walk past. I decided on a relatively simple dress, not wanting too much attention by my looks - after all I received enough attention after Dylan cheated on me not long ago. Now he and his new girl are performing together at several theatres around London. I decide not to bother about him anymore and instead I walk past a few other celebrities, such as film stars or singers or even tv hosts.

"Oh hello, Miss!" one of them says, all polite. "Do you enjoy it here too?" 

"Actually I just arrived so- yes." I interrupt myself. "It's lovely here. And very stylish."

That's no lie although it's not something I intend to talk about with these people, given the fact that I don't even know them and additionally, I'm actually not bothering about this event at all and only attend it to be polite. 

"Well, I'm going to look around a bit. See you." I tell them, faking a smile, before continuing to walk around in the building. I stop when seeing someone standing together, talking. For a moment I must look totally confused and before even knowing it, this person is standing next to me. Lisa. Accompanied by Johnny. 

"Hello." she says quietly.

"Hello." I reply in an equal manner. That's so odd. Why do we meet at this stupid event? I mean, I like Lisa. I really do and after all it wasn't her who decided to resign. But it's still weird and we both don't seem like we actually know what so say. Normally and back then when we were still in the band, we were those members who were probably getting along the most. We were going to bars together, talking and laughing and just shared a great friendship. But this conversation here is simply odd.

"Lee is here too." Lisa says after a while. 

"Oh, lovely." I reply. Really? "Did you- did you talked to him?"

"A bit."

"Girls, I'm over there if you need me. Enjoy your talk." Johnny announces, quickly joining someone else for a conversation. I assume he doesn't know what to say too.

"So, you and him are still getting along?" I ask. What a stupid question, of course they do. 

"Yeah. You- I mean, do you watch our show?" 

"Sometimes." I lie. I do watch it whenever it's shown on tv. "Nice show."

"Thanks. Hopefully my songs will work." 

"They'll do. You're talented after all." I tell her, for a moment almost being like back then. Lisa, who's not all too confident about her talent and me assuring her that she's talented although we both were pushed behind for singing sometimes.

"Thanks. And you? How was that play you appeared in? I heard it was quite nice."

"Yes, guess so." I say, looking down at my shoes.

"I also heard that Dylan cheated on you."

I frown at Lisa, wondering what she wants to imply with that. 

"He did. But whatever." I say sharply. "See you." 

I'm about to walk somewhere else, when I feel Lisa grabbing me by the hands in an attempt to stop me from walking away. "Please, wait." she says. "I didn't want to-"

"What?" I snap. 'I'm so sorry.'

"Nothing. Sorry." Lisa says quietly. A while of silence occurs between us, in which we just stare at each other. This behaviour is interrupted when Johnny takes a place next to us again, greeting and being in company of a guy we definitely know too.

"Hello." Lee greets, putting on a blank expression. "Nice to see you."

Lisa greets him back, I mumble something in agreement before the silence between us appears again. 

"Your other bandmates are here too." Johnny suddenly says, make us all listen. "They're over there with some journalists, talking about their music and all."

"Great for them." Lisa snaps. "And now?"

"Nothing, I just thought to let you know." Johnny replies back. "Why don't you walk over to them and talk?"

"No." Lisa replies him sharply. "Come on, we go over there. It was lovely to see you."

I try a small smile at her which looks more like pulling a face, watching her and Johnny taking their seats somewhere else. Now only Lee and me are standing next to each other, equally weird. I decide that the best would be to go to my place now too, this apparent band conversation is stupid anyways. 

"See you." I tell Lee. "And nice movie you recently were in."

Not knowing why I even said that I shake my head and walk over to my seat, taking my place politely. During the event I sometimes glance at the others, with them looking back at me. Even H and Claire seem to know that the rest of the band is here too although they look rather shy, sitting together like back then when we were still a band.

To be honest, I don't bother much about that event. The movie that they're showing is nice but as soon as the credits are shown, I walk out of the theatre and order myself a taxi. While waiting, I find myself thinking about that odd conversation between Lisa and me and that talk we shared with Lee.

And although it puts a small smile to my face, I'm glad when the taxi stops, sitting down on the backseat while exhaling.

During the drive I keep quiet, only listening to the music that is playing from the radio. Upon arriving back at my house I pay the driver before I enter the house. At least no journalists asked anything about the band, they were gladly far too busy with questioning the respective celebrities about the movie premiere. But it's saddening to see how the band are behaving towards each other, I mean it wasn't like Lisa and me were arguing but it kinda was like back then at the audition where we were too shy to start a conversation.

I exhale before deciding to put on a random movie after being not bothered at all by the music I previously putted on.

While watching, I angrily brush away the slight tears on my cheeks. 'You're so pathetic.' I tell myself. Watching the movie credits being shown on tv, it makes me realise how lost in my thoughts I actually was. Thinking about the band, about that conversation. I look at the album on the table, the album I was listening to before deciding on watching the movie. Humming to the melody of the song - a song by Steps to be exact - the smile appears on my face again, while I start to sing along.