He's A Super Freak.

Chapter 12 - Auditions

'Twas the year '86, my fair Iron Maiden.

'86 was a great year. Don't get me wrong, '87 was great too. I'll get to that soon. But I don't know what it was about '86. Maybe it was because Whoopi Goldberg won Best Performance for The Color Purple or maybe it was Michael Jordan setting an incredible NBA record with 63 points in one single playoff. I have no idea. No clue. And it certainly wasn't a boring year either. If you think it might have been quiet because Alex didn't make any movies that year, well you'd be wrong I'm afraid, dude. One word. Auditions. So without further ado, read on!

But before that, Alex and I had decided to take a day off on a Friday. We went out to the Old Bridge Waterfront Park. It was the perfect day. Alex rode us on his motorbike down there. The sun had been shining brightly all morning and still went on with its sweltering heat. I clung onto Alex's torn t-shirt as it whipped in the wind. He smelt of cool rain and cinnamon. I wore as little as I could in the heat of the day; a Mötley Crüe tank top tucked into a short denim skirt and ol' stanky trainers. The air started to change into a salty smell as we neared our destination. You know that feeling when you're by the sea and your hair goes as kinda starchy? Yeah well anyway, like that. Alex patted the handlebars rhythmically at the stop lights, bobbing his knee at a steady pace. I hummed a Van Halen or Alice Cooper tune to make him giggle. And I would always take the opportunity to kiss behind his ear or cheek if stood on my tippy toes. Take my advice, grab an opportunity before the moments gone. You never know, you might regret it one day. Anyway, I gotta say Alex looked so good in his shades. That day, we'd sit and just watch the tide, talking about everything and nothing. When Alex said he was going for a quick dip, I stayed back to read my book, The Body. We had watched the movie Stand By Me earlier in the year, and I loved it so much Alex bought me the book. I was lying on my stomach when I felt a pair of strong arms hauling me back into his arms. I heard Alex's chuckle as I squirmed. "Come on ma lil mushroom!" I didn't stop squirming as I shrieked in protest, trying not to giggle at the same time. "Alex! I'm nearly at the good part!" Alex swung me from side to side, saying, "You'd rather read your book than swim with me?" I stopped struggling and said slowly, "Noooo?" Alex scoffed and said, "Right! That's how it is, huh? Huh?" He cried out, "How dare you?!" He added melodramatically. Alex had already made his way into the water and was threatening to drop me in the waves. "You sorry?" He asked as I pouted and looked at him unremorsefully. In response, he pretended to drop me in, causing me to cling onto him tighter. I laughed as he smirked. "Are you sorry?" He whispered. As I grasped onto his strong arms and glimmering biceps, I looked at him longingly. Before we knew it, we were kissing, my hands making circles in his curly hair. His hands smoothed up and down my sides as he deepened the kiss. And then... He dropped me in the water, cutting the make out sesh short. He smirked at me as I gasped, with the soft waves crashing over me. "You didn't say sorry." He mumbled. I sucked my teeth. Taking Alex's hand in a slow, meaningful way, with a pull from me, he splashed into the water beside me. Alex gave a look that said I totally deserve that. I laughed and smoothed his face gently with the back of my hand. "Oh, I'm sorry." I said in a sweet, but sarcastic way. He only simpered with a smirk. With a simple touch, he'd brushed the wet hair out of my face. "Lila..." He whispered into my ear, his lips brushing past my earlobe. I sighed and blurted out, "Ya know, you could've waited 'til I finished the sentence!" And let down my arms down, making water sprinkle over us. Alex said nothing with a confused look and then looked away, trying not to laugh. His hair gave him away though, the way it jittered. Later on that day, Alex found two empty shells, I found one and we gave each one shell. The last shell, Alex wrote on it Beauty and the Beast, A + L <3 May 2nd '86. We hung that shell on a fence nearby where we hung out. And then we went to go grab dinner before heading home.

It was actually the next day when all the auditions stuff kicked off. We were still in NJ, at his ma's house, I was busy doing some laundry in the utility room. The sun was going down, setting the sky alight with mesmerizing colors. "Lila! 'Shroomy!?" I heard Alex frantically hollering in the house as I hauled as much laundry as I could, some spilling out onto the floor. I groaned in frustration, cursing gravity for being so inconsiderate. "I'm doing laundry, babe!" I called back as I bent down to pick up the clothes that had escaped. I heard his bare footsteps on the floor getting closer as I stood back up with my hands full with dirty laundry. Then I heard a loud THWACK, and a grunt and groan. I tried not to laugh as I called out to Alex, "You good?" Alex appeared at the doorway, with his hands rubbing his knee and face all scrunched up with pain. I immediately dropped the laundry and cooed, "Aw, someone got a booboo?" He laughed, and pouted ridiculously, "Me got booboo." He said in a freakishly childlike way. I chuckled, giving him a little peck on the lips, saying, "Alright, sit down and I'll get some ice for that." I got the ice from the freezer, got down on my knees and gently placed the ice on Alex's throbbing knee. He looked at me in such a caring way and stroked my hair. "What made you so crazy then, huh?" Alex seemed to snap out of his gaze on me and sat up a little, "Oh yeah, Li! I'm goin' to LA..." I sat there, looking up a him in desperate anticipation, "I've gotta go next week for auditions." He said in a smug way, shrugging his shoulder. I jumped up excited without thinking, making him cry out in pain with his swollen knee, "Sorry." I said gently as he shook his head and smirked. I sat across his lap and hugged him tightly. "That's so great, Alex!" I squealed as I kissed his cheek. Alex nestled his face in the crook of my neck, his breaths caressed my skin. "You're sure you're cool with this?" He asked in a concerned way, slightly frowning in a caring way. I thought a minute. And then it hit me. I had no idea how long he'd be away. LA felt like another world away. I felt like I couldn't be apart from Alex again. It was hard enough last time. Alex interrupted my thoughts, saying, "Listen, I promised you that next time I go anywhere, you're coming too. I meant it, Li." He said in all seriousness. It wasn't very often Alex got this serious, but I loved it when he did. Goofball or not, I loved him. I nodded slowly. "I've found it hard working for Rosita anyway. She's so demanding and temperamental, I'm starting to get tired of it," Flailing my arms about, I exclaimed, "I wanna get out and spread ma wings! " Alex smiled; with his hands were clasped around my back, he gently rocked me and said, "But you've just started to work for her though." "Oh I do, I love photography and all that... But..." "Whaaat?" Alex asked slowly, with a coaxing tap on my shoulder. I get the feeling he knew what I was about to say. But I went ahead and said it anyway. "I want change, you know? I want to go out to LA with you... And I just want to be with you." Alex smirked, then it grew into a goofy smile, as he said, "Awww. You're too cute, 'shroomy," He held me tightly and mumbled, "I want to be with you too, Li. To hell with it all!" He exclaimed with a triumphant fist pump. He lowered his tone and looked at me saying, "Seriously though, you need to tell her. But don't tell her where we're goin'. She'll probably send a hitman to waste us." He giggled as I only smiled. "'Kay, I'll see what she says." I rolled my eyes and looked at him in disbelief. "Seriously? We both know what she'd say though, Alex. You, leave me... For a man!?" Alex laughed, "You traitor, how dare you?!" He cried out. Mrs W came in, holding beautiful flowers. "How dare who?" She asked innocently. Alex and I looked at each other and laughed. I held him close to me, his forehead on my cheek, as he rubbed up and down my back delicately. "What?" Mrs W asked again ignorantly, Alex wheezed as I tried not to laugh. "It's alright, we're just talking about Rosita, my boss." Mrs W grabbed a nearby vase and placed the flowers, "Oh, her!" She laughed, "Say no more. She is such a character, that one. Did I tell you what she said when she phoned here that day?" Mrs W asked as Alex mumbled under his breath, "Yeah, about a billion times." I gently squeezed on his swollen knee, making him wince and make a stifled groaning noise. "What'd she say?" I asked, Mrs W filled up the vase with water from the tap as she giggled, "She called up and first thing she said was Who's this? You're not Leelah?" She laughed as Alex bit his lip and I rubbed my nose against his. "I'll call her now. Get it outta he way." Alex smiled happily as he let me go with a quick peck on my cheek. "Good luck, dear." Mrs W hollered after me, I shouted out my thanks. "She's gonna need it." Alex mumbled, he thought I couldn't hear him. *clicks tongue*