Gorillaz In High School: Chapter 7

HI! How are you guys! I took a while for that last chapter, and looking back on it, it was actual shit. I AM SO SORRY THAT THIS CHAPTER TOOK FOREVER! I've had a lot going on, and haven't had enough time set for writing. But anyway, moving on! So basically I got bored of this story, and the direction I planned to take it was exhausting and too challenging to write. So, I came up with a new idea! I hope that you guys like it! Alright, Let's go!

The following days were generally good. Aside from Murdoc getting in trouble with the cops for vandalism (again), everything went the four band member's way. They got their first paycheck, which they used to buy a small house down by the school. They all moved in within a week, after numerous goodbyes from Stu's parents. It took them around 2 hours to exit the house, as Rachel was so torn up about her son moving out of the house. But nevertheless, they still did it.

The house was modest, but comfortable. It had 3 bedrooms, so 2D and Noodle shared a room, and Murdoc and Russel each got their own (Even though they usually slept together). However, they still practiced every day at the haunted house in the park. As the days were getting colder, it was time to go clothes shopping. Snow began to blanket the ground, and the friends decided that it was mall time.

There was a large mall a small walk away from their school, so after the bell rang, the four of them drove down to the mall. The whole thing was shaped like a large glass dome, and featured stores stacked one on top of the other. The escalators wove around them like bridges over a river. It was packed, as there were many teens who came here after school. All of them scoffed and stared at the band, as their appearance was still very strange.

They started moving down clothing stores, buying scarves and coats and hats for each other. Noodle took especially long, as she wanted to make sure that they were all fashionable. She tried on all of them, even tried to make outfits. After 30 minutes trying stuff on, she decided on one outfit. Exiting the dressing room, she struck a pose in front of Stu to show of her new clothing. "How do I look?" She asked with humor, striking more poses like a model on vogue.

2D gave his signature spacey, wide grin and giggled. "You look lovely," he said. She squealed, and ran back into the dressing room to change back into her regular outfit.

He pulled out his phone to call the guys. 'I wonder where they ran off to.' Turning it on, he saw several recent messages from both Murdoc and Russel telling him to come to the Chick-fil-a. He looked at them, confused, but complied. Noodle reappeared, clothing in arms, and saw 2D's worried face.

"What happened, Toochee?" She asked, giving him a peck on the cheek. He gestured towards the messages. She grabbed his hand and started pulling him in the direction of the Chick-fil-a. "I wonder what those idiots want," she said. "Russel probably forgot his money and needs to buy a sandwich."

But when they arrived, they were greeted with a different sight. Murdoc and Russel appeared to be yelling angrily at a girl, who had a guitar clutched in her hands. That girl was, you guessed it, Paula Cracker. She had a smug look plastered on her face, while both Murdoc and Russel's faces were red in frustration. What could she possibly be doing this time?

"Eh, wot the hell is she doing 'ere?" 2D asked, slowly getting angrier. Paula only innocently chuckled.

"I'm not doing anything here, just making a proposal," she said confidently, flashing them her pearly whites.

"What kind of proposal?" Noodle asked suspiciously. Russel took a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"Oh, just a business proposal," Paula said, sly smile never wavering. "I hear you lot are a band." The four of them nodded, trying to guess what she was playing at. "Well, I play guitar. I could help you guys out. Just as a backup, nothing special, but I would receive a portion of the profits."

That was all the four needed. Murdoc struck her across the face, flipped her off, and they all walked away. They did not even consider Paula's offer. But Paula was cunning. 'They want to play it like that, well, they've got another thing coming,' she thought.

Days passed, and nobody thought anything of their encounter with Paula. Oddly enough, she stayed under the radar to them. She didn't walk up to them to make rude comments, she didn't even say anything to 2D. The band's suspicions grew, as it was very out of her character. They did notice her glancing at them, a frosty and evil look flashing in her eyes. As soon as they noticed this, she sharply turned her head away. Sometimes they would even catch a menacing smile on her face.

One day, after school, the four decided to take a break from the music. There was a small cafe down the road from the park, and usually it wasn't that busy. When the band wanted to just hang out, they would go to that shop. As they opened the door, warm air pushed against their faces. The cafe was nearly empty, just the way that they liked it. But as they walked up to the counter, they were greeted with an unpleasant sight.

Paula stood behind the counter, obviously trying to hide her smugness to the band members. Everybody rolled their eyes. "Ugh," Noodle said. "We just can't seem to get away from her." She strode up to the counter to talk to Paula. "What the flying fuck are you doing here?" She asked sarcastically.

"Don't you know? This is my job. I have just enough right to be here as you do." Paula had joined the team just that week, knowing that the four came their often. The gears in her cynical mind were turning, formulating a plan. She tried to hide her clever smile. Noodle didn't see it.

"Ok," she said, pointing to her friends. "Russ will have a bacon and egg sandwich, Murdocs gonna have a black coffee, nothing added, I'll have a passion fruit tea, and 2Ds gonna have a cappuccino, extra cream." She slapped a 20 on the table, and Paula took it. Taking the change, everyone followed Noodle to a table. They began to discuss the album, and what songs and tracks they should put on it. They were so deep in their argument, that they didn't notice Paula.

Paula had insisted on making Noodle's drink herself. "Leave it to me," she told the other workers. She prepared the drink as usual, but she added something special at the end. She pulled a bottle labeled "Ipecac" out of her pocket. Opening it up, she poured a bit into the drink. She then quickly put it back in her pocket and closed the lid on the tea. She called their order, and the four picked up their food and drinks. As they headed back to the table, Paula watched them intently. Noodle took a sip of her drink. Paula smiled creepily and walked back to the register.

The plan was working.

It was about 40 minutes later that the plan began to take action. They were discussing the song "Re-Hash" as Noodle looked a bit more pale. Small beads of sweat made their presence all over her face. She brought her hands to her head, as she had a terrible headache. It felt like 10 million knives were stabbing into her brain. 2D began to sport a worried expression. "You okay, luv?" He felt her forehead. She had a burning fever.

She waved him off. "Yeah, I'm fine." But they weren't buying it.

Russel and Murdoc got up from the seat and helped Noodle get up. They began walking to the exit, wanting to take Noodle home. However, Noodle felt acid rising in her throat. Sprinting to the bathroom, she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. After emerging, Russel carried the tiny girl into the car. As they took one last look at the cafe, 2D noticed a flash of Paula's suspicious smile. Raising an eyebrow, it disappeared as soon as he saw it.

The problem arose when they got a call. They were performing at a theater that very next week! Noodle was bedridden, weak and hurting. Her days consisted of practicing guitar in bed, playing video games with 2D, and vomiting. A whole lot of vomiting. According to the doctor, she would start to recover in about 2 weeks. They could not postpone the performance, although they tried their very best.

"What do you mean: 'we just can't'? YOU WANNA TEST ME MOTHERFUCKERS?!" Murdoc slammed the phone down back onto the counter, throwing his head in his hands. "What the hell are we gonna do?" He sighed, genuinely worried. This was a rhetorical question. Or at least nobody had the strength to answer it. Murdoc threw open the fridge and grabbed a bottle of beer that he had stolen from the local liquor store. Popping it open with his teeth, he chugged it down in one gulp. He then threw the bottle backwards, as it landed with a 'CLANG' in the trash can.

2D, however, was not paying attention to this. He was deep in thought. Thinking logically for once, he climbed up the stairs to Noodle and his bedroom. He opened the door to see the girl sleeping. Walking over, he smiled at how beautiful she was. She looked like a sleeping angel, peaceful, as her limbs tangled in the sheets. He put a hand on her shoulder, and shook her lightly. As she awakened, she looked around groggily. She buried her face back into the pillow and groaned. 2D chuckled.

"Ey, Noods, I wanna ask you something." She looked up at him, eyes half open, and nodded. "Are you allergic to any food?" She shook her head no. "What did you eat on that day we went to the cafe?" She opened her mouth to speak, and her voice came out brittle and rough.

"Not much, just some toast for breakfast and the sandwich Russ packed me at lunch. Said that the cafeteria food was gross, and I wholeheartedly agree. I don't know why I got sick, maybe it was just a bug going around." She shrugged, as 2D played with her hair.

He left her to sleep, quietly shutting the door as she pulled the covers back over herself. However, his mind was at work. Something didn't feel right here, like there was something sinister going on that they weren't noticing. What were the odds that Noodle got sick a few days before their debut performance? He stared at the ceiling in the hallway, lost in his own mind. What were the odds… he kept repeating this in his brain, the words echoing around the deepest corners of his thoughts. He jumped as he realized that Russel was calling him for dinner.

Making his way to the kitchen, the rich smell of chicken soup aerated around the room. Russel held out two bowls on a tray: one for Noodle, and another for 2D. Since Noodle had gotten sick, she couldn't leave the room. So instead, 2D would spend meals with her, and they would talk for most of the day. He thanked Russ, and carried the tray up the stairs. When he opened the door with his elbow, he was greeted with the sight of Noodle playing Mario Kart in her bed. Her tongue was pressed up against her lip in concentration. He carried the steaming soup over to her bed, and set it down. She scratchily growled in frustration as her car got stuck in the course. She paused the game, and placed the controller on the bedside table.

"Thanks," she told 2D as she grabbed a bowl of soup. She noticed 2D's distant look, and questioned it. "Whatcha thinking about?" He shook himself out of his trance.

"Dunno, just finkin about the day at the cafe."

"What do you mean?"

"It's just weird to me," he said. "What are the odds that you get sick right before the performance, when there isn't a bug going around, and that you didn't eat anything bad?" He looked at her with confusion. She shrugged.

"I don't know," she said, her expression darkening. "I have the feeling that something fishy is going on around here. Something twisted, but I can't quite think of what." She unpaused the game, handed 2D a controller, and started a new race. He was okay with this, as he very much wanted to take his mind off of what had happened to Noodle.

They played for a few hours, until a nervous thought popped into 2D's nearly empty brain. "What are we gonna do now?" Noodle looked back at him in confusion. "How are we gonna perform? I don't 'fink that you can do it. How are we gonna get a guitarist… oh god." They both knew exactly what was going to happen.

After another hour of Mario Kart, Noodle fell asleep sitting up, controller still in hand. 2D looked over at the clock. 12:34 am. 2D picked her up, and set her down on their bed, pulling the covers over. He planted one lonely kiss on her forehead, and started down the stairs. Murdoc was up, and still drinking. Russel was smoking his cigar, the ash falling on the marble kitchen island. Both of them looked exhausted, with dark rings around their eyes. Murdoc was slowly falling asleep, until the door to the kitchen sprang open. In walked 2D, looking defeated. He threw his head in his arms, and then slammed his elbows on the table.

"FUCK!" He screamed. "We just got our career started, and now one of our members can't even perform!" He looked up at the other two with desperation in his eyes. "Guys, I think we're going to have to do it." The other two nodded reluctantly. They all groaned in unison. This was going to be a long week.

"I still don't understand why you guys have to do this," Noodle said to 2D, as he paced around their bedroom the next morning. He put all of his papers in his backpack, and glanced at Noodle. That look said it all. They were desperate! They needed a guitarist. This was the only way. "Toochee," Noodle suddenly said. "Do you promise that you won't forget me when I can play again? Do you promise to not replace me?"

"I promise," 2D said as he kissed her lightly. Then, giving a soft wave goodbye, he exited the room. Walking down the stairs had never felt so lonely before. Shaking himself out of it, he joined the guys downstairs and piled into the van. He didn't feel like eating anything. Murdoc and Russel could tell something was wrong, as 2D always ate a ridiculous amount in the morning. However, they didn't say anything.

The drive to the school was quiet. Nobody felt like saying anything. How could they let his happen? They were supposed to be different! Instead, they were replacing their guitarist with a slut who wouldn't know her head from her tail. But it had to be done. As they approached the school, they already saw Paula standing in front, looking at the van. Why did it look like she was waiting there?

She gave an innocent grin as the guys approached. "Where's your pasta girl?" The guys just stared at her coldly.

"She's ill," Russel said, his deep voice making Paula flinch. "We were wondering if that offer was still up for grabs." Paula (fake) gasped in surprise, and a twisted smile made its way onto her face. It was definitely suspicious, but the guys could barely see it through their hate-filled eyes.

"Of course! I would love to play with your guys' band!" Her voice was sickly sweet, as it rang through the air, dripping like honey. The guys rolled their eyes.

"Your in." Murdoc said darkly. She squealed. "But only for this week!" He added, as she ran away to tell her friends. She nodded in return, a scowl making its presence on her previously smiling face. The smile took over again, but this time there was something in it. Something cruel and heartless. Murdoc raised an eyebrow. "That was weird." The others nodded in agreement. "Something weird is going on with her. But I just can't figure out what the hell it is. Sweet Satan, this is giving me a headache." 2D held out his bottle of painkillers, and Murdoc swallowed two of them dry.

2D still couldn't take his mind off of her for the whole day. Something twisted was going on. Something dark. But what? He felt as though… someone was pulling the strings behind the scenes. Everything felt so planned. What were the odds? The day went on in a blur. Soon enough, it was time to leave. The all groaned in thinking that they would have to deal with Paula in the recording studio. But she had to learn the songs, didn't she? She joined them in the hallway when class ended. Her chatter never stopped, but the guys didn't reply. She didn't seem too bothered by this. Maybe she was just excited about being in the band.

The walk was silent, everybody sensing the awkwardness mingling in the air. It was so different. They missed Noodle's laugh and her musically genius ideas flowing from her head. Instead, they had a whorish prat who wouldn't shut up. Noodle's absence was taking its toll on them already. As they approached the steps of the house, Murdoc hesitated. 'This isn't right,' he thought. He sighed, and pushed the door open. Paula squealed in delight for the 49th time (2D was counting) as she saw all of the instruments inside. They all groaned, and split off to select their instruments. This took longer than expected, due to a lot of Paula's 'ooh's and 'ah's.

It was already pretty unbearable, being around the girl, but what really set it off was when she was picking up a guitar to play. She picked up a cherry red guitar, Noodle's guitar (the one she played at home was an acoustic). "What about this one?" She asked.

"That's Noodle's," 2D replied. "Please don't use that, she loves that guitar." This sparked something in Paula's eyes. Something about it being Noodle's favorite. She started to put it away, but suddenly her hands twitched. The guitar slipped from her hands, and a loud CRACK was heard. It hit the hard floor, and in almost slow motion, it broke into two pieces. 2D rushed over and cradled the parts in his arms, as Paula made a scene. 2D had angry tears forming in his eyes, as Russel and Murdoc approached, looking about ready to kill a bitch.

Paula backed away innocently, putting her hands up. "I-i-i didn't do it on purpose! It was an accident!"

Murdoc growled. "One more strike, and you're out. Bitch." He stomped away, Cuban heels hitting the floor loudly. After one more glare from Russel, they resumed their searching for instruments to use. However, 2D was still crying in the sound booth. Only Paula noticed this, and she walked up to him.

"Oh, Stu, it's gonna be alright," she said sweetly. 2D just glared at her, hellish fire burning in his eyes. She, however, didn't get the memo that he wanted to be alone. She sat down next to him, and gave him a hug. He didn't move. Not even to push her off of him. Suddenly, the door to the booth was thrown open. Murdoc rushed in, grabbed Paula by the arm, and threw her out of the booth. He shut the door fast enough that they couldn't even hear her complaining.

"Sweet Satan, I hate her." He sat down where Paula previously was, and wrapped an arm around 2D. "I can't wait for Noodle to get better. I literally cannot stand Paula for one more second." He side-hugged 2D, and got up. "Gonna have to teach her somethin'." He left the recording studio to teach Paula one of the songs. 2D just hid there, crying until it was time to leave.

Paula left around 2 hours after school, leaving the boys free to go home. As soon as she stepped out the door, they all sighed in relief and collapsed in exhaustion. She was a nightmare to be around. She just would not… shut… up. They exited the house, all looking like they hadn't slept in years. They walked through the mostly empty park, and got into the van. Murdoc drove home, nearly falling asleep multiple times.

The house looked so inviting, as they all got out of the van. The warmth hit them in the face as they opened the front door. Slinging their backpacks onto the ground and kicking off their shoes, they all retreated to their bedrooms. 2D walked to his bedroom, thoughts taken over by black clouds. However, these clouds cleared to reveal the sunlight when he saw Noodle. She was playing her acoustic guitar, to the tune of El Manana. She was singing the lyrics, clearly not aware that they were home.

Her voice was smooth, but not too sweet. It had a bitter solemness that tore at 2Ds heart. She sang softly, acknowledging 2D's presence. They began to harmonize, singing the song together. Smiles made their ways onto their face as they sang. As the last few notes trailed off, the song came to a close. Noodle's face became worried as she noticed 2D's exhausted expression.

"How was it?" She said, a tone of hurt in her voice.

"Awful," 2D said, to her relief. "Just awful."

"Glad to hear it," she said, kissing him on the cheek.

"Uh.. Noods… she…" His face was struck with disappointment when he remembered the bag that was slung over his shoulder. Inside contained the two pieces of Noodle's favorite guitar. He placed the bag on the bed and unzipped it. Tears immediately formed in Noodle's eyes as she saw her guitar in pieces. Her guitar. The one she had had since she was little. It was the only gift she had ever received from her mother before she died. She wailed out, and 2D wrapped his arms around her. Her shaking hands picked up the remains of the guitar, as she stared at them through watery eyes. 2D clutched her to his chest, drying her tears on her shirt. "You know," he said, "You're so pretty when you cry." She smiled a watery smile, but she couldn't hide her broken heart.

THAT WAS IT! I'm so sorry that took forever. It was a lot of fun to write though! Make sure to check me out on the Gorillaz Amino, my username is GorillazLover. Alright, Stay tuned, and plz review!