Amnesia and Star Child
He's Tired
Leila nibbled her lip and sat down at the counter table.
“What do you want dear?” Nona Alda asked in her pretty old granny voice.
“Just some new tops Nona.” Leila replied.
Nona Alda nodded knowingly and went back into the depths of her mobile clothes market/home and came back with several pretty blue tops and a purple one.
“These one’s I thought would match your eyes, pretty eyes of a sweet girl yes?” Nona Alda smiled and swept wisps of Leila’s black hair off her face in a motherly fashion.
“Yeah, I guess so.” Leila said, standing up and holding the shirts up to her front and looking at herself in the mirror.
“I like this one.” Leila said at last.
It was a blue top, the same shade as Mike’s hair that night.
“Yes, dear, it is a pretty top isn’t it? It’s real fabric from Persia...” Nona Alda began to explain everything about the material.
Leila listened happily, not really fascinated, but enjoying the story nonetheless.
“So where are you heading now? Did you enjoy Linkin Park’s concert?” Nona Alda asked when she finished the tale.
“I’m going to Paris to go to their show. Again. But there’ll be a meet and greet this time and it’ll make it worth the money I spent to join LPU.” Leila replied.
Nona Alda smiled wisely.
“Clever child, learn to stretch your money to it’s limits, but be careful child. Don’t keep trying to make something worth it when to make it so would be more costly than to not.” She said.
Leila pondered over the thought for a moment.
“Thanks Nona, I’ll see you in Paris then?” Leila asked, putting the correct amount of money on the table top.
“Ah certainly dear, I follow the Star Child. You know that dear.” The aging old woman smiled her ancient smile, long white tresses pinned back in a severely lopsided bun and her gypsy like dress fluttering in the breeze.
“Yeah I know Nona. See you then.” Leila smiled and walked of, waving before turning to another street and getting in her parked car.
Star Child.
Nona Alda believed there was a Star Child out there - whatever the Star Child was, Leila had never had the inclination to ask.
But today she could feel a buzz over it.
That night, last night... Something had changed inside of her.
It had to do with Mike Shinoda, the man who had saved her, the man who had looked so cold and distant, so exhausted... The same man who had only half an hour before that incident had been bouncing around stage, singing his heart out and smiling and joking with the crowd.
Leila shook her head.
“You’re picking at things that mean nothing.” Leila scolded herself.
But still...
The concert was amazing - Chester was practically killing himself on stage, his energy shared with the crowd.
Mike, Brad, Phoenix, Joe and Rob were all the same, all of them putting on another enormous effort, despite their work on the last show the night before.
Leila was amazed at how much energy they had.
But the meet and greet after the show was different.
She showed her ticket to the security man and was walked on to the backstage lounge where the six men were vegged out on couches.
There were already heaps of other fans there, but Leila was one of the lucky ones - there was a limit of twelve fans for this particular meet and greet.
Leila hesitated and then walked over to Mike.
He looked at her - recognition crossed his smiling face - he frowned for a second, then looked to the empty chair next to him.
He muttered something and looked up again with a slightly weaker smile.
“Hi.” Mike said.
“Hey Mike.” Leila smiled, settling down in the seat next to him.
Mike nodded and looked down at his hands in his lap, his fingers wringing themselves out.
He was nervous it seemed.
Don’t ask me about last night. I did what I had to. I deserve nothing. Don’t follow me.
Leila shook her head from the thought.
“I want to thank you for helping me last night.” Leila whispered.
Mike nodded.
“That’s okay. No one should go through that shit.” He replied after a moment.
He was so much quieter than he was on stage - it was like two different personalities existed inside of him.
Leila attempted to get a conversation going, but Mike just didn’t really have that much to say, his face looked weary, his tired eyes showing he’d like nothing better than to just sleep.
In the end Leila gave up and spent the rest of the time talking to the others.