Disclaimer: I don't own Gorillaz! But I did just want to make a cute story about the reality of what it would be like to be poor young Noodles, living in a run-down zombie-infested home with the Satanist, a dim-wit and a possessed drummer.

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Murdoc, 2D and Russel were all in the recording room, looking over some notes and setting up for their next practise. They were looking forward to getting some new ideas out there and had been spending a lot of time in the studio. However, there had been one little problem lately; Noodle. Mind you, it wasn't necessarily a huge problem, she came and practised and did whatever they had asked of her, as she always has. But lately it just seemed like her heart wasn't it. Her playing, while still quite breath-taking, lacked the heart and soul she usually displayed. And it seemed every day, she was showing up later and later to their practises and talking less and less. She would just push through the songs and robotic-ally strum her guitar until they told her to stop. Then, she would just leave, sometimes without even saying a word.

"A'wright, this is gettn ridiculous. The girl knows we gotta practise today, where the bloody 'ell is she?" Murdoc huffed angrily. He had been impatiently pacing back and forth and plucking the bass for the past hour now, but was unwilling to wait any more.

"I duno, man. Baby-girl's been kind...outta her game lately, yah know?" Russel replied. "Just give her some space, we been pushin' her kinda hard lately."

"Well that's cause we got deadlines n' concerts! We gotta lot work to do n' I'm not gonna be havn' anyone slack off 'ere!" Murdoc scowled at the large drummer, then whipped his head around to face 2D. "Dullard! You're not doin anythn' useful. Go bring tha girl down 'ere so I can give 'er a piece of my mind."

"Awright, I'm goin'." 2D muttered as he slowly turned to leave the room in search for Noodle, before Murdoc decided to take his anger out on him in the form of a knuckle-sandwich. Russel sighed and went back to reading over some of his work.

Stu travelled through Kong and down the dark corridoors until he finally reached Noodle's room. He knocked lightly on the door, only to see that it wasn't even shut completely. The door was open a crack and 2D pushed it open a little more, listening intently to see if her could hear any sign that Noodle was there.

"Noods... lil' love? Yah in 'ere?" He paused and listened again, still no sound.

Meanwhile, Noodle was in her private washroom. She had just taken a shower and the water was now off, but yet for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to leave the hot, steamy comfort of the bathroom. Noodle wiped her hand over the now fogged-up mirror she stood in front of so she could see her reflection. Letting the towel that was covering her wet body fall to the tiled floor, she began to examine herself in the large mirror. Her wet, stick-straight bangs dangled in front of her face, and she let out a sigh as she studied herself. I feel so different, like some sort of...alien. There's a million things going through my mind, it feels like my head might explode! The young girl sadly thought to herself. I wish I could make this strange feeling just go away and be care-free like I used to be. Now I just feel out of control. One minute I'm so happy, the next...I could just scream or cry for hours. And the worst part is... Noodle looked at herself, then hung her head as she felt a single tear trace down her soft, round cheek. ...I have...nobody to turn to. I don't know how to handle this on my own. But I can't talk to any of those guys. They just...wouldn't understand. We're all so different.

2D was now taking a few small, cautious steps into Noodles' room. It was not often that he was able to enter this place, so naturally he was a bit curious. The room was nice and clean, and smelled like flowers. It was probably the neatest room in all of Kong. Stu got a strange shiver down his spine and a funny, tingly feeling in his stomach as he walked further into the room. He knew he shouldn't have been there without her permission, but he didn't want to leave. The room was all lit up, so pretty and neat with everything in it's proper place. He was now walking past her bed and decided to sit on the edge of the unusually small piece of furniture. Wonder where she is? 2D thought to himself. Everything in here is so small and cute...just like Noodle. Makes sense I suppose.

He sighed as he decided she must be some where's else. He sat up, carefully making his way out of the room, all the while he made sure not to leave any sign that he was ever there. As he was just about to leave, he heard a slight click coming from her bathroom. "...'ello? Noods?" he asked through the door.

Noodle froze as she heard the soft, familiar voice of her friend, Stu. What was he doing in her room? Normally she would have gotten so angry...but she didn't really have the energy. She just felt...sad and alone, and she didn't dare want to step out of her bathroom to have 2D find her in nothing but a towel and so obviously looking like she had just been crying.

"2D?" she asked softly, her voice almost a whisper. "W-what are you doin' in here?"

"'m sorry, luv. I...I didn't mean to intrude." 2D uncomfortably explained to her through the bathroom door. "We w-was just wonder'n where yah were. We got practise n' all..."

2D waited patiently to hear what she had to say, but she made no response. Suddenly, all he could hear was the softest, quietest sobs coming from the other side of the door. The sound of the young adolescent crying nearly broke Stu's big heart. While he was a bit confused as to why she was so sad and quiet lately, he walked slowly over to the bathroom door and knocked gingerly. "Ar-Are...you awright hun? I didn't mean ta bother yah...I can leave if yah like..." he asked softly.

As much as poor Noodle didn't want anyone to see her in her sorry state, the last thing she wanted was to be alone. She needed...closeness. A friend. She had been isolating herself so much as of late that she realized she may have only been hurting herself. She slowly opened the door a crack and peaked out to see if 2D was still waiting beside the door. When she saw his tall, lanky frame leaning up against the wall, she took a few steps out of the bathroom and looked up at him. 2D looked down at his small friend, slightly embarrassed to see her soaking wet and only covered by the small towel. She wasn't normally like this, and it caught him off guard to see her in this state. He felt his face get warm, and he tried not to stare at her or make the girl feel uncomfortable. Noodle put her head down and studied the ground, watching her tiny tears plop down beside her bare feet. "I'm sorry, Stu. I...I-I..just don't know what's wrong with me." Noodle tried to explain the situation to her close friend, but instead only began to sob even harder and she collapsed to the ground, her tiny frame leaning up against the wall beside 2D.

"Hey, shhh...it's okay, darln'." 2D kneeled down and put his arm around the broken guitarist. "Wot's gotcha so sad lately...you know I hate to see yah like this, breaks my heart." He found it hard to speak, his voice kept cracking like he was going through puberty all over again.

Noodle looked up at 2D and leaned into his arms, letting him console her. His long, thin limbs wrapped around her entire body, she nuzzled into his chest and listened to his heart beat. This made her feel slightly better, since she had always had a closer connection with 2D compared to anybody else in the house. Her breathing became still and she was able to stop crying. She decided that maybe opening up to somebody would help her. After all, they had been through so much together over the years. She should give them a bit more credit, they had helped her through problems before. "2D-san..." she started.

2D felt his heart jump into his throat. He felt...funny whenever she called him that. Awkwardly clearing his throat, he stuttered out "Yeah, hun?" He was now feeling more uncomfortable by the minute, he was barely letting his arms rest on her body, not wanting to rub or touch anything he shouldn't. He wanted to be clear that he was only trying to comfort her, not grope her.

"Do you think you could come to my room later on tonight, like before you go to bed? I just...I have a lot of stuff on my mind, I think it would really help if I talked to somebody. Would...that be okay with you?" she asked him while she let her head rest softly under his chin. Oddly enough, she could feel his heart beating faster and faster in his chest. "It would...really mean a lot to me."

"Uh...yah, sure luv! I mean...that would be..fine." 2D closed his eyes tight, inwardly cursing himself for stuttering like such a buffoon. He didn't know why he felt so tense, he figured he must just be having an off morning.

"Thank you, 2D-san. I will get ready for practise now, I will meet you back in the studio." she gave him a small smile and sat back up. 2D smiled nervously back at her and pushed himself up as she got up from the floor. For some strange reason, he didn't want to let her go, she seemed so sad and lonely. He just wanted to hold her until she felt happy again.

2D got up and waited outside her bedroom door so she could get dressed and ready in private. He could swear he heard Noodle humming a bit of Feel Good Inc. as she got herself ready for the day.

Inside her room, Noodle felt incredibly lighter. It wasn't like her to just let her emotions out around somebody, she was always so private. But she had to admit, it felt so good to let somebody know how she felt. And for the first time in a few weeks, she felt like being around the guys and talking to them, making some music and laughing. She was surprised at how quickly she began to feel better, and she decided that she had made the right choice in confiding in 2D. Hopefully, she would be able to open up to him again later that night when he comes over. Noodle opened up her large, wooden closet and sifted through some of her clothes. Then, her eyes fell onto a bag full of clothes she had just purchased. Holding the large bag open between her hands, she smiled to herself and decided she wanted to look...new. She felt like she had been stuck in such a rutt lately, she decided to wear a new pair of tight, dark jeans from one of her favorite stores. She wrapped an army-print belt through the denim hoops of her jeans and pulled on some bright some pink socks. Among her bag of new purchases was a padded bra she was a little nervous to wear, but decided she would put it on, along with a plain, white tank-top. Thinking the look might have been a bit too plain, she slipped on an old black necklace she used to wear and a black wrsit-watch 2D had given her one year for her birthday. Noodle turned around and looked at herself in the full-length mirror. And she had to admit, this outfit looked great, partly because of the padded bra adding some new curves to her body. She had never realized how changing up her look a bit could make her feel so...good. She studied her violet locks in the mirror, and decided she would wear her hair up for a change. Quickly pulling all her hair (except her long bangs) into a pony-tail, she smiled at herself as her face was still partially covered. Finally, she was ready to go, so she pushing opened her bedroom door and greeted 2D with a small smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting 2D-san. I am ready to go now."

2D looked a bit..stunned. He stood up straight and couldn't help but notice the girl's...different look. She seemed to be growing up more each day. The two of them walked in a comfortable silence towards the studio, where Russel and a very impatient Murdoc greeted them.

"S'about bloody time! What in Satan's name took yah so long. Didya git lost, face-ache?" Murdoc shouted over to 2D.

"Sorry I am late guys, are you ready to get started?" Noodle looked over at Murdoc and gave a slight bow. Then she glanced over to Russel and smiled sheepishly. He smiled back at her, happy to see she was being a bit more like herself. 2D couldn't help but smile, he was glad he was obviously the one who had made Noodle feel better, and he was secretly looking forward to meeting up with her later that night. He only hoped he wouldn't screw it up by doing or saying anything stupid...

A/N: Yeah, this one is a bit short, but it's only the first chapter! I promise, next chapter will be loads better.