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WATCH OUT GENERATION X, HERE COMES LONDON Part 2 - Lock up Your Daughters written by Little Horn and Flonnua7a
*** Disclaimer. Stan -0s nice belongs to Kerrang. Gloria and Eve Kelley belong to ME and ME only. If you try to use them I will kill you. Slowly. And painfully. ‘Nuff said. READ.***
Eve Kelley smiled happily and leaned over Jonothon Starsmore to peer out the window of their extra large people carrier at the sunny streets of London.
"Kewl. Everyone’s driving on the other side of the road."
Jonothon moved out of her way as she gawked at the people walking past on the footpaths.
{Duh. You’re very easily impressed.}
This was so kewl, Gloria thought inwardly. She had never really been out of the north-eastern area of the U.S before, London was a big leap from that. It was a lovely day, sunny and warm. She tried to hide her very non-Goth like excitement with a facade of nonchalance and settled in next to Jubilee.
"Is that Tower-bridge?" Eve was still leaning heavily on Jonothon.
{No, the one we’re going over now is Tower bridge.}
"Are those the houses of Parliament?"
Jonothon tried to push Eve back into her seat beside Everett.
{Yes. And you can get a tour if you want one.}
Eve cringed and settled back into the middle again. Walking around some stuffy building with a bunch of politicians was not a way she wanted to spend her first day in England. She peered over Everett to look into the river Theme’s below them. Eww. It was pretty murky. Emma stopped the car as soon as they got to the other end of the bridge. She got out and opened the passenger door.
"Right. Children, from here we can split into groups. One group can go with Jonothon as none of you know the area and the other group can go with Adrienne and I."
She paused for a moment and sighed. Looking round them with some chagrin.
"I’m assuming you’re all going with Jonothon?"
They all nodded furiously in unison.
"Good, then met us here at four o’clock, okay?"
"Okay!" they all chimed at once.
Ms. Frost sighed and let them out, before driving off with her sister.
"Emma, do you really think it’s appropriate to let them all out on their own? They’re only teenagers." Adrienne asked, annoyed at her sister’s apparent lack of control.
"They’ll be fine. As long as they stick together."
"Kay. Me an’ Ev wanna go and look round the shops."
Jubilee nodded towards the large shopping district near them. She grabbed Everett’s hand and made off in that direction.
"Well, I see that the museum of the moving image is only down that way, and it’s apparently a lot of fun. I’ll go there."
Monet looked towards a large sign for the museum, and strolled off. Leaving Jono, Gloria, Skin, Paige and Eve.
"I want to go see the Parliament. So.."
Paige didn’t bother finishing her sentence but darted out onto the bridge, grabbed skin by the arm and dragged him with her, to her destination, glad to get away from staying with Jono. They watched her leave until she was out of sight. He looked at Gloria.
{So what d’you wanna do gel?}
Gloria shrugged her shoulders and took in the view around her. They were standing by the edge of the Themes river with the houses of Parliament opposite them.
‘absorb the culture. Someone might ask you about it one day.’
{Gel?}
"Umm….. how about we go round some of the record shops you’re always saying are better than the American ones?"
Eve let out a loud cough. She was nervously playing with the end of her pink top. She had her best ‘pity me’ expression painted on her face.
"What about me?"
They looked at each other. Bring Eve along? Really? She had a really pathetic expression on her face, she was like a little lost dog or something.
Gloria sighed and motioned for her to join them.
"Don’t think I enjoy this any more than you do." She whispered harshly under her breath to Gloria as she passed.
"… A-hole."
"How the hell do they mark the streets round here?!"
Jubilee threw down a pocket sized shopping map in disgust. No street names. Nothing!
Everett smiled at her. She was kind of funny when she got worked up like this.
"They’re on the side of the buildings Jubilee." He said casually.
She spun around and glared at him.
"I knew that. And stop grinning."
Everett hid the wide smile that spread itself across his face. She was cute like this too.
"Where do you want to go first?" he questioned, trying to hide his amusement with interest as he peered at the map.
"Hmm…" she looked up to the street in front of her. It was busy with shoppers, mostly tourists, swarming all over it and pouring out of it. Compared to the empty, mainly business street that they were standing in, it seemed like heaven.
"Notting Hill isn’t far from here. We could go round the markets.." Jubilee’s eyes set on a shop in the street ahead.
"Or.. oh! Clare’s accessories!" Jubilee grabbed his arm and dragged him after her.
‘Ahh!’
"Tell me country mouse. Did you really feel like spending your day with me, or did you just want to get away from Jono?" Skin smiled coyly at Paige as they reached the front entrance of the houses of Parliament. Any expression was immediately wiped off her face. She pretended she didn’t hear the question and looked up at the paintings on the ceiling.
"Look at those paintings Angelo, aren’t they amazing?"
Skin smiled spread wider across his face. She gave him an annoyed look out of the corner of her light blue eye.
"Sure. Riight. You didn’t avoid the question there whatsoever."
Paige moved into line for the tour and pulled Angelo with her.
"I don’t think that’s any of your business City-mouse."
"Yea. Right. Uh-huh." He said, still with the grin. Paige felt like punching him.
"Yea well. Maybe I did. But I don’t think Jono would want to spend the day with me either."
Angelo shrugged to himself as the large group (Composed mainly of the typical American tourists.) moved into one of the smaller halls that wound themselves around inside the building. The tour guide was droning on in a posh accent about some man banging on the house of Lords and getting thrown out, etc. nothing really of any relevance.
"Sure. Whatever. But it would be nice if I could spend my time with both my best friends together."
Monet pulled herself through the busy throng of young children and teenagers that infested the main foyer of the museum of the moving image. She dodged to avoid a lady with a pram and a small group of boys, around her age. One of them whistled. She threw her head further up in the air and stomped past them. Simians. Monet paid for her ticket, smiled at the vendor and waltzed inside the main hall. Great. It was a kiddies show. She should have brought Jubilee or someone along with her. She sighed and pushed back that little niggling feeling at the back of her mind. That horrid little emotion that she didn’t need. St Croix’s didn’t need anyone else.
"Hmm. There’s a section on classic cinema. Maybe I could watch the Citizen Kane shorts…. HEY!"
A tall girl pushed in beside her to read the notice on the wall. She smiled at her.
"Sorry."
"Hmmp."
The girl’s eyes scanned down the list then she turned to Monet. She looked about her age. She had short, tied back, dark blonde hair and bright brown eyes, with, as Monet noticed, good fashion sense. Very designer looking.
"So are you here on your own?" She had a slightly upper class accent. Southern England.
"Yes I am." Monet answered curtly.
The girl ignored the sour tone of her voice and continued, happily.
"Cool. So am I."
Monet resisted the urge to snort haughtily.
"Goodie."
Gloria Kelley smiled happily and popped a large, greasy chip into her mouth.
"Aahhhh, the beauty of misplaced trust."
{Haven’t we had this conversation?}
Eve Kelley sighed and sat down on a long bench beside Jonothon Starsmore with her own packet of chips and fish ‘wrapped in newspaper’.
"Will I get to do anything that I like, or will you two make me do your freak stuff?"
She said, more than slightly pissed at her sister for being the only person left to go with and the others for not taking her with them. And anyway, it was cold in London.
"Don’t worry dear, you’ll get to go to Miss. Selfridges in good time, but we’re not about to unleash you on the unsuspecting populous of London. I think we’d have to get police permission ahead or something." Her sister answered with trademark nonchalance. Jonothon’s eyes crinkled up at the sides, even though he had resolved not to get involved, but sometimes it was impossible not to hate her. Jerk.
{We could go see a movie we’d all want to or something?} He added, helpfully.
"Hrmmp." Was the only reply from Eve.
{The Matrix?}
"Sorry, already seen it Jono."
"Has it got Leonardo DiCaprio in it?" Eve inquired.
{I don’t think so.}
"Then no."
{Uuuhhhh…. Austin Powers?}
"Seen it. With you, remember?"
"Eeww gross!"
Jonothon rolled his eyes and racked his brain for movie names.
{Uhhhh… Star Wars?}
"Seen it."
"Mmmmm Ewan Mc. Gregor…."
He sat up, this might be something.
{So you want to see it?}
"Not really, no." Eve replied after a short pause.
{Ahhhh!}
Gloria finished her packet of chips and dumped the wrapper in a convenient bin. She quickly gulped down the last remnants of coke and sat up.
"We could leave you in Virgin or HMV or something, and you could check out whatever you want and we could y’know go somewhere else."
The sudden picture of being shot of Jonothon (Who she was pretty much indifferent to, but he liked her sister so….) and Gloria suddenly popped into Eve’s head. It was a nice picture. What had they said about misplaced trust? Aahhh, the beauty of naiveté. Haha, she laughed evilly to herself. Gloria would die if she knew that she could even spell that word.
"Ok. Sure." She said, and smiled cheerfully. Her older sister gave her a dubious look from her black (and now red, she’d been experimenting.) rimmed eyes, but then left it. She pointed at the HMV across the road.
"Stay there, we’ll be about an hour and a half, if you’re not there when we get back, we’ll tell Frosty. Compredez vous?" she said, in her most authoritative ‘older sister’ voice.
"Ok."
‘Fools’
Eve smiled to herself as her older sister walked away. Gloria turned and whispered something to Jonothon she didn’t pick up. Eh, probably nothing. Idiots. Ha!
"Y’see Jonothon, the beauty of this plan is, if Eve gets herself lost when she, no doubt, goes around London, we can always say we stored her safely in a record shop. So we don’ get the blame. See?"
{You’re a genius.}
"I know, I hate it when it’s just all kids, but here a few kewl exhibits. There’s one where you can record your own news broadcast!"
Monet grunted internally as the tall girl pulled her along through the throngs of people being entertained by a man in a cowboy accent making people get up and dance. She deftly avoided the attentions of the people around her and followed the girl (Now, named Laura) past the little kids. A strong hand grabbed her arm.
"Hey miss. Y’all wanna join us in our l’il demonstration naw?"
"Oh dear."
Before she could respond the man dressed as a cowboy pulled her, and Laura to the middle of the crowd. Monet felt her face going very, very red. Laura was laughing.
"C’mon Monet, lighten up! It’s not as if anyone knows you!"
"That’s not the point.." Monet croaked, as she felt all the tiny eyes of the children burn into her face.
"Naw, you gals can show us all how ta dance." The cowboy said cheerfully and loud, old style music filled the open room.
"Oh god…."
He pulled Laura’s hand and she danced along happily with him a large, rough looking actor in a sheriff’s costume came towards her. She felt her pupils enlarge in fear.
"NOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Nice way to freak out earlier Monet. Are all you Americans so uptight?"
Monet splashed another dose of cold water on her near flawless, but still very red, face. She sighed and wiped her face with a paper towel.
"I mean, when you just screamed ‘Noo!’ I thought that poor sheriff guy was going to die. He probably took it personally. Especially when you ran out the door… you don’t have any sheriff related childhood traumas do you?"
Monet shook her shoulders and repressed the shiver.
"For the record I am not American.. I’m Monican.. Or French at the very least."
Laura smiled, not smirked, smiled. Nicely. It was a change from the usual reaction.
"You know, under all that self-righteousness you probably have a wicked sense of humour."
".. Touché.."
She smiled again, and pushed a strand of dark blond hair behind her ear.
"See? Just get over yourself. You don’t need to be perfect all the time."
Monet smiled wryly to herself. Feh. She must have been very lonely. Any other person would have left her a long time ago. She even raced after her when she fled in humiliation.
" Make your own news you said?"
" …the biggest toystore in the world!!"
Jubilee smiled at Everett. She seemed to have reverted as soon as she spotted the entrance to Hamley’s. Apparently the basement was an arcade. Kewl. He couldn’t imagine Monet or Paige getting so excited about a giant toystore though.
"Kewl! Talking teletubbies! I soo want one!"
"Hey, J. there’s the Forbidden Planet comic store we still haven’t gone to yet." Everett said, while examining a ‘f**k the Gap’ T-shirt. At least it was cool to be with someone who would actually go into a comic or toystore.
"Hey, Ev. I bet I can whip your ass at Street Fighter."
Jubilee and Everett made their way into the darker basement. It was filled with teenagers and young adults trying to beat each other at arcade games. Jubilee grinned. Just like the old days in California.
"Oh! Spider-man vs. Street fighter! I am soo good at that game!"
Jubilee pushed in line beside a tall young man, dressed all in black. He smiled down at Jubilee.
"The young kids are soo cute. Now buggar off kiddo, it’s my go."
The guy gently pushed Jubilee away from the game with a small smile on his face. He obviously thought Jubilee was ‘cute’ in a kiddie way. Jubilee felt her mouth fall open. Everett snickered to himself. The tall man took up a space at the machine and was already halfway through his game before Jubilee found her voice again.
"Hey! Who the hell do you think you are?! I’m not some dumb kid you can push around!!"
The guy smiled again, but stopped when Jubilee yanked him off the game and took it up herself.
"Hey! Geez, you yanks can be so aggressive. Especially you kids." He said, with a larger smile on his face. Everett snickered again.
"Kid?!!"
He patted Jubilee on the head and laughed.
"But too bloody cute as well….. here." He smiled and moved over so that Jubilee could share the game.
"We can do two player."
". I .." Jubilee shoved him over and took the other joy-stick.
"Razzum frazzum….."
Gloria pulled out a large, red feather boa from the clothing ‘racks’ in a back-street record shop. She grinned maniacally and wrapped it around her shoulders.
{Kewl. That colour really of-sets all the black.}
"I wonder if they have one of those jackets Scott Evil wears in the last scene of Austin Powers…"
Chamber flicked through a rack of dirty, worn looking record while the salesman eyed him up dangerously.
"You’re not really going to buy that are you? I mean, that band were just a manufactured solution to the Gap that was left when the Alan Parson’s project split up in the early 80’s." He said sourly. Chamber immediately shoved the record back with the others. He wasn’t used to getting brought down by surly, Gen-X type sales assistants. Hell, he was even one of them once. The sales guy went back to reading his copy of Kerrang and set his dark, black boots on the counter with a loud thud. He brushed his black spikes back and donned dark glasses.
Gloria frowned and made a one fingered gesture to the sale assistant.
"Be patient. I just want to get a taste of the real London, and not just the cheap, tourist traps." She said back, while focusing more on the row of miscellaneous T-shirts and jumpers for sale.
"Ooohh.. Pantera on tour…"
Chamber felt a light tap on his shoulder. Gloria stood behind him with a dubious smile on her face. She had a purple boa swung around her shoulders.
"Hey, Jono. Wear this."
She shoved a white T-shirt with the slogan ‘Satan is nice’ written crudely on the front.
{Uh… I don’t know….}
"Oh, come on, live a little. Anyway, I already paid for it."
She grinned evilly again.
"What like you don’t like courting with controversy? You’d think with all that super heroing you do."
{Sigh. where’s the dressing rooms?}
"Hi, Miss Frost? Miss Frost are you there?"
<Hello, this is the cell-net answer-phone service, the mobile you are calling has not responded. Please leave your message after the beep.>
BEEEEEP
"Miss Frost? Miss Frost, if you’re there, please pick up. Look, we only get one call …and….. Miss Frost are you there? Miss Frost?"
NEXT: Yea, baby yea!!
