Give back his wings so he can fly

Chapter 2 – June 19th

Lying in his bunk on the tour bus, Lauri tried to write something decent. Tried, and failed miserably. He hadn’t been able to write in weeks, no, make that a few months. He’d write down a line or a whole verse, but it just didn’t flow together the way it used to. So it would get scratched out to start over. Nothing sounded good anymore. So he stared out the window at the passing cars, watching, listening, and waiting for the inspiration to come back. He was startled out of his watching by a light tapping on his shoulder.

“Hey, everything ok?” Aki asked. Please tell me what’s wrong, he silently pleaded. You’ve been distant lately. Different. You don’t write anymore, and swear at the paper a lot more than you used to…

“Everything’s fine, Aki. Just watching the cars go by, trying to work this damn song out.” He sat up and realized something was wrong. He’d lost his touch. “I just can’t do it anymore, mate. I’m done. I can’t write anything but shit.” He said, putting his head in his hands. Aki sat next to him and put his hand on Lauri’s back.

“It’s ok, we all have dry spells. It’ll come back. Just wait. It’s happened before. We have a long time to tour before we have to get back to the studio so don’t worry. No pressure, mate!” Aki said and left Lauri alone to think about it. He’s right. I’m just off. I’ll give it a break for a bit and see; Lauri thought to himself and laid back down, this time to sleep.



* * * * *



Hours later, Lauri woke up to find the bus parked outside of a hotel, somewhere in London. It was six days until the gig; a nice break for them all to have a few days to just be lazy. This was going to be good. Grabbing his backpack and guitar, he stepped off the bus and into the hotel. Pauli and Aki were standing in the lounge, talking. They waved him over and handed him his key.

“We’re alreadyckedcked in. Separate rooms this time. None of us have to deal with Aki and his girls this week!” Pauli said, getting a punch on the arm from Aki for the last bit. “Ow. You’re in room 816 and I think you wound up with a balcony. How do you always get the good rooms? I’m two floors down, Aki’s a few rooms over, and I think Eero’s on the 5th floor, another balcony room. So what are you gonna do?” he asked.

“Me? I’m going to go finish that nap I started on the bus. Catch you guys later. Dinner?” Lauri asked over his shoulder on his way to the elevators. Getting only a ‘yep’ for a reply, he punched the up button and climbed in the first one to arrive. As the doors were closing he heard a shout.

“Wait! Hold the doors please!” a girl yelled. Just as he stuck his hand out to stop the doors from closing, she ducked in. “Thanks!” she gasped and leaned against the wall, tossing her long brown hair over her shoulder. “Oh, almost forgot…” reaching forward, she went to push the level 8 button, but it was already lit. “You’re on 8? Cool.” It was then he noticed the camera in her hand. Lauri shied away a little as she lifted it and started pressing buttons. “I’m not gonna take your picture, even though I know who you are. I’m just looking at the shots I got outside.”

“You know who I am?” he asked. He should really stop being so surprised at being recognized. It had, after all, been happening for ten years. Lauri was just used to the girls screaming and asking for a picture; an autograph; a shagat hat he didn’t know how to handle a girl who just didn’t care.

“Yeah, you’re easy to recognize, even with that hat. Lauri Ylönen, from The Rasmus. So?” she said without even looking up.

“But you’re not screaming and going ‘oh my god, it’s him’ like all the others…” he was a little confused, but it was nice to be recognized and not have her care.

“NO! Why would I do that? You are just a guy who sings for a living, although you do write the strongest ls I’s I’ve ever heard. I bet you get screaming fans all the time. That must really suck.” She looked up at him and he saw she was sincere about not pouncing all over him, so he relaxed a little. The elevator doors opened up just as he was about to ask her name. She stepped out and skipped up to her room, which he noticed, was only across the hall and down one from his. “Nice talking to you. See ya around, then?” she tossed his way as he unlocked his door.

“Um, yeah. Probably.” He answered as she went into her room. Lauri never realized he was smiling like a fool when he stepped into his room. “Now for that nap…”



* * * * *



“Are you stalking me?” the girl asked as she held the doors open for him. She giggled at his cute little grin. His eyes lit up when he did that.

“I was just going to ask you the same thing. Going somewhere?” Lauri asked, gesturing to her silk pajamas and kimono robe. At that, she giggled again.

“Nope, just a chocolate run. Unfortunately the vending machines are all on the second floor! Where are you headed? Out to tear up the town?”

“Naturally.” He said, as she stepped out on the second floor. “Hey, I never got your name.”