Chapter 3

Sam followed the young girl who had introduced herself as Noodle, the guitarist of the band, down a long dim hallway. Different paintings and pictures hung on the walls, all dreary and gothic in nature. In all, Kong Studios gave Sam the heebie-jeebies. But Sam thought of herself as a very adaptable person. Give her a roof over her head, food, and income, and she was set.

"Here is your room," the young Japanese girl said in a heavy accent. "I hope you like it."

Sam turned the knob and stepped in. For such a large and foreboding presence Kong had, the room Sam was given was very plain and ordinary. A large enough queen size bed neatly made up, a nightstand next to it with a lamp on top, a dresser with four drawers on the opposite wall, a large walk-in closet, and a small, prison-like window on the far opposite wall. The light from the lamp spilled a warm light into the room and cancelled out the gray darkness coming from the window.

"It…should be perfect once I get my stuff in," Sam said, trying to not sound ungrateful. "Should take about a week or so."

"2D put your luggage in here. Should be in your closet," said Noodle. "You can look around more if you want until dinner. This place is huge."

Sam pulled her suitcase out of the large closet. "I may later. Right now I might just put some clothes away and call a few people to have them send my things." Once she lugged out the heavy suitcase, she gave Noodle a friendly smile. "We should hang out sometime, though. You know, when we're not busy working. We are the only two girls in this place, after all."

"I'm sure Murdoc brings more girls in here," Noodle said with a giggle. "But yes, I would like that."

Sam raised an eyebrow and folded her arms in front of her chest. "Who is that?" she asked.

"Oh, Murdoc? He plays bass. He formed the band and was running it until we hired you," she said, lacking interest.

"So he was in charge before? Shouldn't I meet him?"

"I wouldn't be too eager to meet him, if I were you," Noodle said, walking towards the door. "I'm going to go now, leave you alone. I must practice."

"Oh, of course, thank you for showing me to my room," Sam said. As soon as Noodle left the room, Sam whipped out her cell phone and started dialing.

"Hello?" the female voice rang out on the other line of the phone.

"LAURA!" Sam exclaimed, almost deafening the girl she was talking to. "Hold on, let me get Colin on three-way!" Sam put Laura on hold as she dialed the number to the bar Colin worked for.

"Hello, this is McGregor's Pub. What's up?"

"COLIN!" Sam exclaimed at the same shrill volume as before. "I have Laura on the other line, hold on!" She pushed a button and suddenly all three of them could hear each other. "Guys, you would never believe what happened to me today," she said, sitting on her new bed.

"Sam, what did I tell you about calling here for personal reasons?" Colin said, ducking behind the bar so that none of the patrons saw him talking. All three of the patrons.

"Oh my god, Colin, it's not like you're busy anyway. Spill the beans, Sam! What's up?" Laura said, very interested about what her best friend had to say.

"I got a job!" Sam exclaimed again, giddily falling back onto the flat pillows.

"That's great!" Laura said in an encouraging voice. "Where did you get hired?"

"That's the thing…" Sam said, hesitating a little and biting her bottom lip.

"You didn't get involved in the cartel, did you?" Colin said, peeking around to make sure the customers hadn't noticed his absence. They hadn't.

"That's a little racist, Colin," Laura chastised him.

Sam rolled her eyes at their comments. "No, guys. I got a job as a…band manager."

"What?" The other two said in unison.

"I know it's very random, but—"

"How the hell did you manage to do that?" Laura asked doubtfully, twirling a lock of golden blonde hair around her finger.

"You never told us you wanted to work in the music industry," Colin said, feeling a little offended that his best friend wouldn't tell him something like that.

"Look guys, this job came out of left field. It just kind of happened," Sam said with a shrug.

"What band is it? Are they just some nobodies?" Laura asked.

"Their name sounds very familiar, but honestly I don't have a clue."

"Are they Austin based? I might know them," Colin said.

"That's another thing…" Sam paused, hesitant about how her friends would react to her move abroad. "The job is in England."

"What?!" they both said again together.

Before the two could go off on a tangent about how she couldn't leave them and that they would miss her too much, Sam interjected. "Look, I've lived in Texas all my life. I have no ties there, really, other than you guys. I'm not married, I have no kids, and now I have a job here. It's like…I don't know, like fate or something? Before you guys tell me that I shouldn't do it, I've already made up my mind that I'm staying." Sam paused, waiting for her friends to respond.

After a few seconds of silence, Colin spoke up. "I'm proud of you, Sam," he said in a sad voice. "I can't say I'm not gonna miss the hell out of you, but I'm so proud of you."

"Yeah, Sammy," Laura joined in. "You just graduated grad school and you already have a professional job in your field and you got out of Texas. Do you know how long I've been trying to get out of this place? Since the day I was born. I just want to let you know I'm going to live vicariously through you."

Sam chuckled light-heartedly at her friends' encouraging words. "Thanks, you guys. I'm going to miss ya'll, but I promise to call all the time and text every day. I'll come visit and you guys can come visit me. This place is huge, we have plenty of room!"

"Are there any hot guys in the band?" Laura asked.

"Um, the singer is kind of cute. There's one guy I haven't met yet, so I can't be certain."

"That's good enough for me. I can't wait to visit you now!" Laura exclaimed excitedly.

"Well, guys, I gotta go. I'm going to unpack my clothes and try to make myself at home," Sam said, feeling a longing to want to talk to her friends more. She still wanted to wander around the building and get herself familiar with her surroundings. The place was huge and it was going to take some time to get used to.

"Good luck, Sammy! We miss you already!" Laura said in a sing-song voice.

"Don't forget about us," Colin said with a tinge of sadness.

"I could never forget my best friends. Love you guys, bye!"

"Love you, bye!" Colin and Laura said together before all three of them hung up.

Sam sat up, staring at her phone, longing to be back in Texas, in her own apartment and ordering pizza with Laura on her couch as they watched trashy reality television shows. A new chapter of her life was beginning, and as much as she wanted to cling on to the familiarity of the life she had in college, the safety and warmth of a familiar city in a familiar state of a familiar country, she had to move on. She had moved on when her parents died, and she had to move on now.

After calling the moving company and asking her apartment to lend an extra pair of keys to Colin so he could let them in, Sam decided that she should venture out of her new room and get to know her new home. She stripped her stuffy professional clothing and traded it for a pair of distressed jeans, a red crop top, and black sneakers. She let her hair down from the tight bun on top of her head, her sleek black hair falling down her back.

Slipping out into the corridor, she quietly shut her door and padded lightly down the hall. She examined the walls and floor beneath her as she crept down the path. The walls were a dreary dark gray and the many photos and paintings were so drab and melancholy. I wonder if they'd mind me brightening this place up a bit, she thought as she stepped lightly. This place needs a serious makeover.

Sam stopped in her tracks when she heard the opening of a door to the left just up ahead. The only black door she had seen down this hallway opened up and an olive-tinted man with a black mop-top haircut stepped out. He wore a faded black long-sleeve shirt, and brown leather boots. When he turned towards her to leave, he was surprised to see an unfamiliar face.

He took a step back, hand on his door knob, ready to escape this stranger quickly. "Who the bloody hell are you?" he demanded. He hoped to Satan that this chick wasn't a crazed stalker fan. He's had a few of those, but most never get this close. They usually make it as far as the cemetery then get too creeped out and leave.

Sam pushed her hair behind her ear, trying to remember the name Russell and Noodle gave her that belonged to the bassist she had yet to meet. "You must be…Melvin?" she said, unsure if the name she gave was correct.

Murdoc's anger rose. "The name's Murdoc, chicky, and who the bloody hell are you?!" he asked again, his voice rising in annoyance.

Sam's cheeks flared up from her mistake. "I'm very sorry, Murdoc," she corrected herself. "I'm the new manager you hired." She held out her hand for him to shake with a pearly white smile.

Murdoc just glared at her tanned hand, then back at her, his stare intense. "I didn't hire a bloody manager," he growled.

Sam reeled her hand in, putting it in her pocket. "Russell interviewed me," she explained. It suddenly came to her that Murdoc had no clue. "Did you not know your band members were looking for a manager?" she asked.

"I'll kill those bloody morons! I'll kill 'em for going behind my back!" He exclaimed, starting to march down the hall to find his bandmates.

Sam, fearing for the job she hadn't even started, lunged for the bassist, grabbing his arm. "I'm just here to be of help! I'm sure it must be tiresome to do everything yourself as well as work on music. I'm here to take some of the workload off of ya'll."

Murdoc raised an eyebrow. "Where the hell are you from, Yankee?" He inquired in a calmer tone.

Sam was taken back by the nickname he had given her. "Texas," she replied.

Murdoc scoffed, stepping closer to her. "You don't look like a hick," he said, examining her up close. She was a nice little specimen, he thought, his eyes glazing over her figure. Her bronzed skin, a curvaceous silhouette, long shiny hair, and, what were those, double D's? Not a bad deal, Murdoc thought, trying not to drool over the thought of a late night visit from his new employee. Yes, he could give her a chance.

"Gee, thanks," Sam said sarcastically. She gave the man a look over. He was skinny, no muscles, not that tall, that sickly green skin made her skin crawl, and that hair was so outdated. And yet she was oddly attracted to him. He was nothing like the guys she dated back at home. She was used to long haired hipsters with facial hair, tattoos, and washboard abs. Guys like Colin. But Murdoc, he was different—foreign. And it intrigued Sam.

Suddenly she could feel his eyes on her. Reeling her gaze from his body to his eyes, she noticed his line of sight was straight at her chest. She furrowed her brows. It wasn't uncommon for this kind of thing to happen. She was a busty girl; most people's gaze fell onto her assets at first encounter. She always had to direct their attention back to her face, first politely and then with a swift kick to the shin. She reached out and waved a hand in front of Murdoc's eyes. "Eyes up here."

He chuckled slyly. "Ah, sorry 'bout that, pet. Sometimes my eyes…wander, heh-heh" he said.

Sam stifled a forced laugh. "Yeah, I know how you feel. Sometimes my foot wanders into creepy old guys' assholes," she said with a smirk.

Murdoc grinned a sharp toothed grin. "Heh-heh, aren't you a spicy senorita?"

Sam curled a lip up in disgust. "Well, it was nice meeting you but I have to go…do something," she lied, turning to walk away.

"Aye," Murdoc called out to her.

She turned around, her hair whipping around with her.

"If you ever need anything, I mean anything, don't hesitate to come knock on ol' Muds' door," he said with a cheeky grin.

She walked up to him again, smiling politely, and said, "And if you need anything, I mean anything, don't ever knock on my door. Ever." Smile dropping, she rolled her eyes in disgust, walking away and turning a corner, out of Murdoc's sight.

He scratched his chin with a sharp toothed grin. "I do like a challenge," he said to himself, letting out a dark chuckle.

Sam continued down the hall until she found an elevator. As she pressed the button and waited for the doors to open, she thought to herself, putting her hands in her tight pockets. Disgusting old man, she thought. I mean, he's gotta be, like, a decade older than me. I would never do anything with someone that old, I mean c'mon. And that hair! Who does he think he is? Ringo Starr? Ugh, and his skin. He practically looks green. He can't be well. Sam let herself onto the elevator as soon as the doors opened. She glanced at the directory inside and pressed the button that led to the top floor. The only way I'd ever do anything with him is if he were the last person on this planet.

Sam looked down and furrowed her brow. Wait, what the hell am I thinking? I'm not sleeping with someone I work for! What is wrong with me? She shook her head, trying to get the thought out of her mind.

The elevator doors opened to the dark and dank hallway of the very top floor of Kong Studio. Sam stepped out, looking around at what seemed like a totally different place. She would've thought she were in a totally different building if she were led there blindfolded. The hallway looked like one of a deserted office building—water stains on the ceiling and carpet, wallpaper peeling back and revealing the cement behind it, loose papers scattered here and there on the floor, and the sound of water dripping somewhere on that floor echoed throughout. It was cold and dark, save for the one lightbulb hanging by a wire in the middle of the hallway that buzzed and flickered every few seconds.

Sam hugged herself and shivered, starting to feel a wave of uneasiness. Maybe this was a bad idea. This place looks like the scene of a horror movie! Sam started to shuffle down the hallway, looking for an escape. A few doors down and she found what she was looking for. A dark stairwell led upwards and above it in bright red lettering was a sign that read "ROOF ACCESS". "Bingo," Sam said aloud, entering the pitch blackness of the stairwell. With each step the stairs creaked beneath her and she prayed that they wouldn't give out under her. She held her arms out, reaching for a door that she couldn't see. Finally, when her palms met cool steel, she searched for the bar on the door, and when she did she pushed on it and a ray of gray light shone through.

Letting the door swing behind her, Sam looked around at her surroundings. The roof was nothing special, but it did have a view. She walked over to the railing and looked out at the vast landfill just below. Sam curled her lip up in disgust. "How can somebody live here?" she asked herself aloud.

"'S really not that bad."

Sam spun around to see the blue haired driver from earlier that day. "Oh, it's you," she said in surprise. "You're, uh, the singer for the band, right?"

"Yeah," he said. He put his hand in his pants' pocket and pulled out a crumbled piece of paper. When he held it out to her, Sam recognized it as English money. "Here, this is yours."

Sam's cheeks were aflame. She quickly reached out and took the five pounds and shoved it into her jeans' pocket. "I am so sorry about that. I had no idea."

2D just shrugged it off. "'S awright. You didn't know." He joined her at the railing and looked out. "'Ave you settled in yet?" he asked.

Sam turned around and leaned on the rail. "I don't think I'll be quite settled in yet until I have my belongings. I hope they get here fast."

2D nodded and looked at her. He had never really seen anyone like her. Her tan skin, thick dark hair, and tattoos—tattoos everywhere. "How many you got?" he said, pointing at her arm that was covered.

"Huh?" Sam questioned, looking down at her arm. "Oh! My tattoos…" she said after she realized what he was referring to. "I'm not sure. I stopped counting after twenty," she said with a smile, looking down at her arm and grazing over a colorful sugar skull on her forearm. She looked up at him and smiled. "Do you have any?"

2D shook his head. "No, I don' really like pain," he said.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I guess it's not for everyone."

Sam furrowed her brows and looked out at the trash filled landscape, watching as the setting sun tried to escape from behind the never-ending clouds. She imagined how the sunset looked back in Texas. Clear skies turned orange and pink as the sun set just over Lady Bird Lake. The view from her apartment gave her a clear view of that perfect sunset, and the thought that she wouldn't be able to see that picturesque scene everyday gave her a wistful feeling in her heart.

She looked over at the man next to her. He was also looking out at the view, biting his lower lip. Those two holes on his face where eyes should be, gazing out at the gray sky. Sam wondered how someone could have holes for eyes. She figured it rude to ask. After all, they are practically strangers. So, she decided to ask something neutral. "So, your name is 2D, right? What does that stand for?"

2D perked up, turning his attention to her. "Well, issa funny story, really," he began.

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