Chapter Text
I laid back on my lumpy mattress of a bed. My bedroom, although the size was more than comfortable, the eye watering price felt like it wasn’t worth it. The grotty, half bubbled, half peeled off wallpaper, with evidence of at least 3 decades worth of trends underneath. The sun bleached swirly 70s carpet that was stained with I don't want to know what in places. The broken furniture like the wardrobe with only one door, a chair that the seat had completely fallen in and lets not forget the desk that if you so much as looked at, it would fall over. I’d attempted to cover the walls from ceiling to floor in band posters, protest rally flyers, memories from home to make my room a safe space in the cesspit of a student house. I sighed as I carefully placed the needle on one of my favourite Nazareth records on the portable record player that was gifted to me by my parents for getting into university. Only to drown out the sound of yelling and things smashing if anything.
What was I doing in this place, with these four other idiots. The jumped up anarchist, the depressed hippie, the not so ladies man and the squawky, spikey, studded punk. Although loud and goes through doors feet first, Vyvyan always seemed cool. I’d been living with these guys for three months now and with it coming up to Christmas, a few friends living in (better) other accommodation in my university were beginning to peel off to go back to their families for the holidays. Rick had already announced his royal departure and set off the moment his last exam was done. He was a Mummy’s boy if ever I saw one anyway. I think he even managed to sneak his well packed suitcase with all his washing from the entire term out the house, just before Vyvyan could bully him about his Mum doing his washing. Neil was off back to his parents in a day or two and Mike went wherever the wind took him. The only person I didn’t know the whereabouts of, was Vyvyan.
As I Don't Want To Go On Without You began to play, I flopped onto my creaky bed and stared at my paint peeled ceiling. Suddenly and rather loudly, I heard someone hammering at the door. Still day dreaming, I ignored it and couldn't be bothered to acknowledge it. The hammering became louder and louder and wouldn’t stop. So much so, it was beginning to turn into a bailiff knock. Whoever it was, was going to go through the door.
“Oh for fuck's sake, COME IN!” I yelled, wiping my eyes from the small tears that had been rolling down the side of my cheeks. The door bust open without the handle being touched, bouncing off the wall it just hit into with full force. There stood Vyvyan holding a rope.
“HELLO!” He snorted loudly with a grin.
“Oh hi, Vyvyan.” I said quietly, sniffing. I propped myself up on my side with my elbow. He stomped in the room looking around in stiff jolty motions, his lips playing with his nose ring.
“I thought we could tie up all of Rick’s things and suspend it from the rafters of the attic over a pool of battery acid.” He explained in a hoarse, loud voice. He squinted at the rope as he began to tie it in a loop. “He would watch it all drop as he opens the hatc-” He continued but was stopped in his tracks. His face dropped into that of confusion.
“Why is your face wet?” He screeched, dropping the rope and pointing at me. I didn’t realise it looked as bad as it did. He shuffled a bit whilst being on the same spot. I wiped my eyes with the sleeves of my jumper.
“No reason.” I said quietly, sitting up, crossing my legs and leaning back on the wall that my bed was shoved up against.
“Yes there is. Don’t lie.” He screeched again, squinting.
“I’m just feeling... sad. I get that sometimes.” I sighed, once again looking up at the ceiling. I couldn't bare to look him in the eyes, I was almost embarrassed to let him see me like this.
“Oh god you're soppy, what are you listening to this for? I much prefer Hair of the Dog. This one is so dreaaaary.” He grimaced, gone from point at me, to the record player but still looking at me. I didn’t respond.
“Did you want me to go punch Neil for not bringing you tea because you’re SAD?” He leaned forward towards the bed and tried not to yell but unsuccessfully did.
“NO! Certainly not! I’ve not seen Neil all day, i’ve not seen anyone. I can’t get out of bed.” I blubbered.
“What do you mean can’t get out of bed? Are you some kind of thicko?” He said still leaning over the bed, rolling his eyes.
“No. I just feel like I can’t get out of bed, Vyv.” I laid back down on my side facing out into the room. My chest became heavy as I stared into space. In my peripheral, I could see Vyvyan stood still, pausing for a few seconds before clambering over my legs, sitting down leaned against the wall with his legs over mine. He looked at me.
“Okay then. I guess I’ll stay with you, mopey bum.” He patted me. I looked back up at him and rolled over on my back, his legs still over mine. “What’s the matter with you?” He asked, with a puzzled look on his face. “Do you want to talk about it?” He grabbed my wrist with two fingers, looking up at the ceiling like he was trying to work something out. It appeared as if he was taking my pulse. He nodded to himself, pleased with the outcome.
“Not particularly...” I sighed again.
Suddenly I felt a pinch.
“OW!” I gasped. He pinched me again, with a menacing look on his face.
“I’ll keep doing that till you smile.” He screeched as he kept doing it till he began tickling me, being mindful not to touch too inappropriately. I started to playfully slap him away until he was leaning right over me. A small smile escaped the corner of my mouth.
“HA HA HA HA HA! I WIN!” He yelled, his face inches from mine. He sat back up.
“Okay, you got me.” I laughed.
“Wanna know what puts me in a good mood?” He asked. I shook my head. “Insulting Rick, punching Rick, pinning Rick to the wall and throwing darts at him, chasing Rick with an axe, setting fire to Rick...” he explained whilst he counted them on his fingers.
“What is it about Rick that makes you want to do things to him?” I asked with a small laugh.
“He’s a complete and utter BASTARD.” He yelled. “Wanna talk about what puts you in a good mood?” he asked, raising his eyebrows and cocking his head to the side.
We sat there and talked and talked about music, about how shit Cliff Richard was, our home towns, our favourite films etc and in the time we sat and chatted, the time on my alarm clock said 2am. The 8th record i’d put on already clicked off and stopped. We had laughed, I cried, he showed some emotions but snapped out of it and called Neil a bastard when he came to give me tea. Neil attempted to sing me a cover of Quite Rightly So by Procol Harem on his acoustic guitar. It was rather sweet of him to do so. Vyvyan on the other hand, sat there with his fingers in his ears, grimacing, and pretending to vomit the whole way through. I did lightly kick him in the shin which only made him laugh.
After a while, Vyvyan had decided to make himself more at home by lying down next to me, one arm behind his head, with his elbow leaning on the wall beside him. It took him five minutes of being sat like that before, without breaking conversation, he clambered over me to stand up, shrugged out of his denim vest that he threw on the floor, yank his boots off, leaving them wherever they thudded to the ground and then clambered back over me again.
"That's better, hope you don't mind the grit." He said as he dusted himself down.
"No, not at all." I laughed. As he got himself comfy again, I noticed for the first time that the smell was like someone had opened a week old bin all over the floor, that was then kind of masked by being absolutely doused in Old Spice but it had an underlying hint of petrol. His home dyed orange spiked head, that was on one of my pillows, was so covered in gel, that the natural grease didn’t get a look in. Weirdly I thought I would need to wash the bedsheets after this but in this moment I didn’t care. He was laid over the top of my duvet, whilst I was under it, by this point. With Vyvyan next to me, I felt so comfortable, so at ease. I could feel my eyes getting heavier and heavier and our conversation was getting quieter and beginning to slow down. Vyvyan could see I was too tired to stay awake so he put his free arm under my head and round my shoulder and I snuggled in.
“Remember, my girl. You are loved.” he whispered in a raspy tone. I had never heard Vyvyan so quiet. That was the last thing I heard before falling into a peaceful slumber.