Chapter 1
"Danny! Hurry up we're going to be late!"
"Hold on mum! I'm coming!" I shouted back. We were going to my aunt's wedding and my mum was going insane trying to get everybody ready. We had to be there early to help set up and everything. It was going to be massive considering I have a lot of family in Bolton not to mention all the friends that were coming. I stepped out of my bathroom, shook my wet hair that I didn't bother to dry very well, and I looked at the clothes that had been laid out on my bed. Suit jacket, a tie, dress pants and dress shoes. "Yeah right," I mumbled to myself. I was never much of a dressy guy so instead I took out a white The Who t-shirt and pulled that on over my head, then put the suit jacket over it, put on a pair of dark jeans and some Etnies, then looked in the mirror. "Danny!"
"Coming!" I shouted heading down the stairs. My entire family looked at me as I stepped down into the living room.
"Danny!" my mum shouted at me. "What?" I asked.
"What are you wearing?" she asked me, beginning to panic, "You were supposed to put on what I laid out on your bed. Go change, we'll be late but-"
"Honey…" my dad stopped her, "He'll be fine. Besides if you make him change now not only are we going to be late, but he'll be even grumpier at the wedding than he already is. I smiled and my dad winked at me. My mum sighed, "Fine, everyone just get in the car."
My dad was awesome, and ever since I can remember he's been my inspiration. He played a lot of shows at pubs and stuff and I've always wanted to get into music like him. He bought me my first guitar and taught me how to play. He introduced me to my idols, Springsteen and The Who and he's one of the only people in the house who puts up with the music that's blasting from my room. I remember the day I got my first guitar. I must have been around five or six years old.
"Open this one next, Danny," My dad said smiling. I stared at the massive box under the Christmas tree and wondered what it was. My older sister stopped and watched me as I tore into the wrapping paper. When I saw what was in that box I couldn't breathe. My eyes lit up and jumped up and hugged my dad, "A guitar! No way! Thank you so much Daddy," My dad laughed and said, "I promise, starting tomorrow morning I'm going to teach you how to play that, okay?"
I put my iPod headphones in my ears and stared out the window as we drove to the church. I wasn't exactly looking forward to sitting through my aunt's wedding and I really wasn't in the mood to go to the reception afterwards either. I was looking forward to a night by myself at home until I was told I had to come.
We stepped out of the van and walked into the church. My whole family gave me looks on what I was wearing but I could care less. They didn't like a lot of things about me, my hair, my clothes, the music I listened to, and the people I hung around. That was their problem though. I had no intention of changing for them.
Finally after what seemed like hours, the wedding was over and I jumped up and headed to the car. Of course it wasn't going to be that easy. We had to go congratulate my Aunt Karen and her new husband Mike. "Dad," I said. He looked back at me, "Can we go?" I asked desperately, "Please"
"Yeah, alright. We'll go." Everyone headed to the car and my mother reminded us that we had to go to the reception. My sister Vicky and I groaned, "Mum, can we please go home," Vicky asked. My mother shook her head, "No. You have to come." We both sat back and sighed. It was going to be a long night. We got to the huge hall where the reception was being held and I hopped out of the car. I stood by the food table and drank my soda while I watched everyone else dancing and talking. I figured another hour or so into the party everyone would be wasted and I could at least get some amusement out of it.
"'Scuse me," A kid said to me and I turned my attention away from my crazy family, "Oh sorry," I said moving away from the cooler so he could get a drink. I sighed, "Having fun?" I asked. I'd never seen him before; he couldn't possibly be a part of my family.
"Not really," He laughed opening his can of soda and standing next to me, "You?"
"Hardly," I said, "I barely wanted to come at all. It's not that I don't like my Aunt Karen, because I do. I'm just not a big fan of weddings. Or anything to do with huge family gatherings to be honest."
"Tell me about it," the kid agreed. "I'm Dougie," he told me. "Danny," I replied. "How old are you?"
"Fifteen," he told me, "You?"
"Sixteen. I'll be seventeen in March." I said, "So is Mike your uncle or..?"
"Well, he's my dad's cousin so I guess. I had to drive all the way from Essex to be here," he told me, "You like The Who?" he asked changing the subject and pointing to my shirt.
"Yeah, they're wicked." I said, "Do you like 'em?"
"Yeah I like some," he told me, "I'm mostly into Blink 182 and The Used though."
I nodded, "Play any instruments?"
"Yeah, I've been playing bass since I was like twelve and I play a little guitar as well, but I'm not too good. I'm in a band but we haven't really gotten anywhere yet." He told me, "What about you?"
"Yeah, I've been playing guitar ever since I can remember. I play a little harmonica too. I've been writing with my good friend Tom for a while but we haven't really gotten anywhere yet. You're in a band?" I asked.
He nodded, "It's called Ataiz. Me and a few of my friends started it. We haven't gotten real far yet but we're close. We played a show just a few nights ago at a real small place down in Essex."
"Really?" I asked him, "That's so awesome. How was it?"
"It was wicked!" he told me, "It was so funny though, we opened up for another band and the one kid in my band was good friends with the lead singer of the people we were opening up for and he said the only way we could open for them was if we played our last song in nothing but our boxers."
"And you did it?" I laughed. He nodded, "Yeah. Then some girl followed me to our car trying to get my number. It was slightly creepy."
"Was she good looking?" I asked him. He smiled and nodded, "But she was like 18."
"Dude! That's wicked." I laughed. "Yeah, it's cool. We all promised each other that if we make it big then we're going to make it big together."
"Well, who knows? You could be the next Busted or something," I told him. He laughed.
"Give me a break! For starters they're huge and thousands of girls worship the ground they walk on. I'm not so good looking" he laughed, "Secondly I don't wanna sound like them. They're just like every other boyband. I wanna be different."
"Yeah. I wouldn't want to end up like all those boybands out there, no matter how big they are." I agreed.
"Do you sing too, or just play guitar?" he asked me. "I sing a little bit." I told him, "I'm alright I guess,"
"So how long do you reckon we'll be here?" I asked him. He shrugged, "Knowing my dad, I'll be here all night. What about you?"
"Pretty much the same," I sighed, "Well you and I ought to make the best of our time here. How long before everyone is drunk and making complete morons of themselves?"
Dougie looked at his watch, "Not long," he laughed.
"So, is your real name Dougie, or is it Douglas and that's kind of a nickname?" I asked.
"Nope, it's just Dougie. Dougie Lee Poynter. It pisses me off when teachers call me Douglas." He laughed.
"I know what you mean. Anyone who calls me Daniel tends to get on my nerves. I mean that is my full name, but for God's sake just leave it at Danny." I agreed.
A few hours later Dougie and I were sitting back watching everyone and my sister came and got me, "Danny," she said. I looked up, "We're leaving."
"Oh, alright." I said getting up. "Who's this?" she asked.
"This is Dougie," I said, "His dad and Mike are cousins. They live in Essex."
"Hi Dougie," my sister waved. He smiled, "Hi," he said quietly.
"Well, I guess I'll see you around then," I said to Dougie. He shrugged, "Doubt it. Mate, do you realize how far Essex is? But yeah, hopefully we'll see each other again."
"I hope you and your band make it big. Promise me when you do I get front row seats and backstage passes." I laughed. He smiled and gave me a thumbs-up, "Deal."