I Just Wanted to be Edgy Too

Chapter Thirteen

Van

Bondy and I stayed up until three working on the song I wrote. We spent our two days off trading beers for fags and coming up with melodies and chord changes. Bob and Blakes were present for some of it, but disappeared early last night to go get food and never came back. That was normal though, this was typical in the early stages of creating an album. Bondy was the creative one who I could lean my back to when I needed it, on stage or otherwise. He stayed with me through all of it last night, until he crashed on the floor next to his acoustic guitar.

I dozed in and out of sleep for an hour or two before hunger woke me. 

I tapped Bondy's side with the toe of my boot.

"Hungry, mate?"

Bondy growled and rolled on his side. "Just bring me a tea and some eggs or summit. I'm not going anywhere with yous this early."

I smiled. The major difference in Johnny Bond and myself, was that he actually needed loads of sleep, and he was in no way, shape, or form a morning person. I loved him either way, even if he was angry ninety percent of the time he woke up. 

I didn't bother saying anything else to him, snatched my key and disappeared from the room. The hotel was quiet this morning, and it could have has a lot to do with the earliness of the hour. The elevator ride was slow as I took it to the lobby level, my foot tapped to the tune Bondy and I created as I mumbled the lines below my breath. I'm an outsider, looking for another "pick me up.

The song had turned out edgier than I originally planned. That was Bondy's idea. He said we should make it harsher, give it more of a spine to stand up with. So we increased the tempo and traded the slower chorus for a faster one, speeding it up and giving it a punch. The outcome had been pure satisfaction. The song went from sounding wounded, to sounding angry, and I could sympathize with that.

The elevator doors opened and I stepped around the check in area and walked to the buffet in the small dining area. I usually didn't eat breakfast, but we skipped dinner last night and I knew we'd be on the bus a majority of the day. I needed to eat something now before hunger took over me later. That was one thing that led me to be absolutely non productive. Hunger. 

I filled a plate with eggs, bacon, potatoes, sausage, basically anything that would fit. I shoved two pieces of bread in the toaster and sat my plate down at a table by the window. The only people eating at this hour were a few older gentlemen who seemed interested in their newspapers and not in my presence.

I filled a glass of orange juice and tossed a tea bag in a cup of hot water, retrieved my toast and sat down to eat. I never cared about eating alone the way some people did. I never needed an audience to watch me chew my food. There was nothing about eating with someone that made me feel any different than eating alone. 

Someone cleared their throat next to me and I turned my head toward the sound. I stopped chewing as I took in Ellie's appearance. I hadn't seen her since the day in the hospital, and I knew she was released a couple of days ago. If I was being honest, she didn't look much different than when I saw her. Her lip was puffier, less bloody and red, but puffier nonetheless. Her eyes were void of life and color still, and outlined by dull purple bags. I could feel the frown on my face. Her hair was pulled back into a long pony tail, and she was draped in a sweatshirt the covered her arms. I knew why. I turned back to my plate and took another bite of bacon.