Paula didn't leave on her own. This was something I was counting on seeing as I had yet to come up with a plan to get her to leave my life and 2D's life completely without getting arrested for murder. Of course I figured that if I really couldn't think of something and ended up killing her anyways I could probably ask Murdoc how to cover up a murder and make it look like an accident. He looked like the kind of guy that would know.
Anyways, the movie deal fell through. Apparently whoever the guy was that Murdoc had hired was a complete nut job. The guy wanted it to be just like a regular day for the band, which would have been great but that involved improvising. And when you put 2D in front of a camera without any script he clams up and it's just not very good. I could look past that though, I figured he'd pull some kind of movie magic and BAM the movie would be a best seller, more or less. As filming went on, however, we realized that the cameras he was using didn't have any film in them. After he realized that we had figured out his ploy he packed up and got the hell out of Dodge. We haven't seen him since.
After that disaster Murdoc had the brilliant (not) idea to lock us all up in a hotel room and write our own movie. It seemed like a good idea at the time, at least to them. They were international superstars that wrote great song lyrics. How is writing a script any different? You just don't rhyme the lines or put them to a beat. I was the only one thinking "Wait a minute, this won't work." But no one would listen to me; I didn't 'bring enough to the table.'
The one thing about this that gave me satisfaction was the fact that I was invited into the hotel room of crazies and Paula was left in the dirt, pouting. I didn't think it affected her all that much. She probably went off and slept with a few hundred other men that 2D would never find out about.
As I assumed it would the scripts started falling apart a couple hundred pages in. Plot lines unraveled, characters unexpectedly changed their outlook on things. It just wasn't good. Finally everyone was scrambling for ideas.
"I have one!" 2D said excitedly, "Ok, it takes place at a beach, right? And there's a shark that's terrorizing all of the little boys and girls."
"You idiot, that's Jaws." Murdoc groaned. "The last five ideas you've given have been movies that have already been made."
I opened my mouth to say something but Murdoc pointed a grubby finger at me. "No. You've had your chance and once again you didn't bring anything to the table."
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest like a teenager. He turned back to 2D.
"Now Face-ache, if you have any more 'ideas' that turn out to already be movies then I will throttle the living daylights out of you." Murdoc said, calmly. It was almost too calm like he had snapped earlier and this was just the eye of the storm.
2D scrunched up his face, thinking. Murdoc rolled his eyes and looked around the room at everyone. Noodle had a pen and pad in her hand. She was currently scratching the top of her nose with the pen cap. Russ was dozing at the window; he had stepped out of the discussion as soon as Murdoc had suggested killing his character off. 2D's face lit up.
"I got one!" he said, "It's really good, are you guys ready for it?"
Murdoc rolled his eyes "Just get on with it, idiot."
"Ok, so it's this group of kids, and they've all gotten detention for different things and they all hate each other but in the end they all become friends. Isn't it great?"
Murdoc let out a howl of rage. "You idiot, that's Breakfast Club!"
He launched himself out of his chair and wrapped his hands around 2D's neck. Frightened, 'D's eyes widened to the point that they almost looked like dinner plates. Murdoc let loose a string of curse words that I had never even heard. I even thought I heard some Russian or something in it. I ran over to the two men and tried to pry Murdoc's hands off of 2D's neck.
"Murdoc, let go of him! You're killing him!" I screamed, I turned back to Russel frantically, "Russ, RUSS. You've got to help me! Murdoc, he's gone crazy. He's going to kill 2D!"
Russel looked blearily around taking in his surroundings. He looked at Murdoc and the now blue 2D and sprang into action. He thundered over to the two men and dropped a meaty fist onto Murdoc's head. Like a puppet whose strings had just been cut, Murdoc fell to the ground. 2D followed him, his tiny chest heaving as he tried to regain his breath.
I rushed over to him. Despite the fact that we hadn't talked since the day I dumped that soda all over Paula I couldn't bear to see him hurt.
"Are you ok?" I asked.
He nodded, clutching at his throat which I realized was growing purple with bruises. I brushed one and he flinched away from me. I heard Murdoc cough and watched as he stood back up, glaring at everyone.
"So that's how it is then? You guys are going to turn on me?" He snarled at each of us. "Well, this is the end. I'm leaving the band. Gorillaz is no more."
He turned on his heel, pushed past me, and went out the door. Russ watched him, wide eyed. I don't think he realized that he was free from Murdoc's clutches. Noodle had grabbed her stuff and sprinted off as soon as Murdoc had declared the band over with. She had been acting strangely lately. Since 2D and I weren't talking anymore and he was bunking with Paula I had started sleeping in Noodle's room. It worked out for her because she would have terrible nightmares involving training camps and guitars which confused and frightened her. Ever since her first nightmare she wondered where she came from. All she could remember was the FedEx box she arrived in. 2D sat, still gasping on the floor.
"We can go?" He asked me, a strange look on his face.
"I guess so." I murmured, watching Russel turn the corner, a giant grin on his face.
He took a deep breath and then shakily stood up. He bent over to grab his jacket and then looked down at me. We shared a look for a moment and everything that had happened in the course of a few years passed between us without a word being said. He looked like he wanted to hug me, kiss me, or at least touch me. I stared up at him, expecting something to happen but for the second or third time since this whole thing started he pulled away and left me staring after him.
Since Gorillaz had disbanded I had also lost a place to stay. I assumed Murdoc was going to take Kong, since he had been in love with it when we bought it oh so long ago. Honestly, I didn't want to sleep in the same building as Murdoc without Russ or 2D with me. Murdoc had shown that he did have a good side but it was greatly overpowered by his bad side.
I hitched a ride out of town just wanting to get away from everything. I ended up back at my parent's house in Denver, Colorado. They fussed over me saying how much weight I had lost and asking me how Stuart was. They had heard about the Gorillaz and had watched it faithfully, hoping to catch a glimpse of me and sympathized with me when I told them how it had ended.
"Oh, honey, you and Stuart will be best friends again, don't worry." My mom said patting my hand during breakfast one morning. "All you have to do is call him."
I sighed and poked my eggs around my plate. "Mom, I can't do that. Things between us are just weird, I can't tell if he hates me or not. We're in an in-between phase."
My dad, currently hidden behind his paper, peeked over the top of it. "What do you mean in-between phase?" He asked, his eyes narrowing suspiciously, "Did you sleep with him?"
"Dad, no." I said, sighing.
"Did he rape you?" He asked.
"Dad there was no sex involved." I said, I pushed away my plate. "I'm not hungry."
"Ok, honey. Well, I still think you should call him." She called as I walked out the front door and towards the park across the street.
It had been a few months. Maybe a year, I had lost track. I had started working at the diner down the street to pay the rent my dad was forcing me to pay. He said that if I was going to be over 20 and live in his house I'd have to pay for it. My mom tried to talk him out of it but I could understand why he was doing it. To him I looked like the deadbeat daughter that didn't go to college and whose future plans had fallen through.
I sat on the swings and pulled my arms close around me. I pulled out my phone and scrolled through the names until I got to Stewart. All I had to do was push a button and then I could hear his voice again. It didn't have to be awkward, all I'd have to do is say hi and from there I'd take things one step at a time.
As I got up the courage to press the button my phone vibrated. Someone was calling me. That was surprising. I checked the caller id. There wasn't a name. I answered it anyways, not many people called me. This must be important. And if it wasn't then I'd have someone to talk to other than my parents.
"Hello?"
"Elle?" I heard a familiar voice answer.
"Noodle? Where are you calling from?" I asked.
"Kong Studios. Where are you?"
"The United States. What's going on?"
"I need your help." She said.
I furrowed my brow even though I knew she couldn't see me.
"What's wrong? Is everything ok?" I asked, assuming the worst.
"Yes, yes, you just need to come back. I'm getting the band back together."
I laughed, "You're kidding aren't you? Gorillaz is done. I haven't heard from 2D, Russel, or Murdoc since the hotel room."
She sighed. "Just come back here ok?"
I paused. I thought about the past and, though we weren't a completely functional family, we were a family and I really missed that.
"Ok."I whispered. I heard her sigh in relief.
"Good, I'll see you soon." She said and then I heard the dial tone of her phone.
I leaned back in my seat and pushed myself forward. Getting the band back together. I'd get to see 2D again. It had been way too long. I slowly convinced myself that it was a good idea. Coming back to Kong was going to be a good idea. It was going to be awesome.
After telling my parents about my new plans (to which my dad was excited about, he thought I didn't have a life) I packed my stuff up and flew back to Kong Studios. I walked in right as Murdoc pulled in, a band of Mexican thugs surrounding him. I stared at him, surprised.
"Where were you?" I asked.
"Mexican prison, you?" He called back.
"America. With my parents."
He scoffed. "Looks like I got the better end of the deal." He said pushing past me and, with his band of thugs, walked into his old residence.
I followed him in, not knowing what to expect. Kong had seen some hard times before but this was just crazy. It seemed like Kong was one brick away from turning into a ruin. Something had happened here and now Kong was barely holding on. It pulled on my heartstrings a little, which confused me. I hated this place but I really didn't want to see it die.
I followed Murdoc around a familiar corner into the recording studio. It was just the same as it always was. A little run down but not nearly as bad as the rest of the Studios. Noodle was sitting in one of the chairs grinning up at us.
She had changed a lot. She had shot up a couple inches and had ditched the helmet thing she arrived in. Her hair had grown out and had turned a purplish color. It covered her eyes but every now and then I would catch a glimpse of her stunning green eyes.
"Welcome back to Kong Studios." She said happily throwing her arms up in the air.
"Whoa, Noodle, what happened to you?" Murdoc said, stunned.
"I went to Japan." She said simply before turning back to fiddle with a button on the control panel.
"Elle!" I heard someone yell before being tackled by a tall, gangly, blue-haired man.
"Stuart!" I shouted back, wrapping my arms around 2D, taking advantage of our proximity to take in his smell. He still smelled like he used to and it made me think of the old times.
He pulled away from me and tucked a stray piece of my hair behind my ear. We shared another moment and I thought about blurting it out right there. I wanted to tell him how I felt.
"Elle-." He started as I said "Stu-."
"You first." We both said at the same time.
He laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck and shifting to his other foot.
I heard Murdoc chuckle and murmur to Noodle "This is kind of entertaining."
2D cleared his throat and looked down at the floor.
"I really missed you." He whispered. "I missed talking to you."
I smiled at him. "Yeah, me too."
"Babe, do you have any soda?" I heard a voice call that sent my skin crawling.
"Is-is that Paula?" I whispered.
2D nodded sheepishly. Paula passed by me, a smug look on her face and wrapped her arms around him. She pecked his cheek and glared at me. My heart broke. How could I ever think this was going to be awesome? This is terrible. I was relatively happy at my parents. I had a sustainable job and I had a place to stay without having to hear Paula's annoyingly shrill voice. Instead, I decided to inject myself back into this disgusting place with the man I would never have a chance with because he was too dim to realize how much I loved him.
"Why are you still with her?" I hissed at him. "She is just a walking disease."
"Hey, I'm right here, you know?" she said, not really caring what I said about her.
2D's forehead crumpled in question, "I don't get it, why do you hate Paula?" He asked.
I threw my arms up in the air. "Isn't it obvious, 'D?" I yelled.
("Oh man, here we go," I heard Murdoc say, "You got any popcorn, Noods?")
"Obvious? What's obvious?" 2D said still looking completely confused.
I heard Russel call out as soon as the words blurted out of my mouth "I'm in love with you!"
The whole room froze. Murdoc burst out laughing, Noodle clapped, Russel stopped mid-sentence and stared at me, Paula snickered, and 2D's jaw dropped. I felt all the blood in my body rush to my face. I turned away.
"Excuse me." I murmured before escaping into the hallway and then away into the nearest room I could find.
Well, this would be an exciting experience.
I figured it was about time for Elle to get fed up with Paula. I mean she got fed up with her last chapter but, she's kind of getting desperate. And hey she might have found out some way to get rid of Paula but who knows, 2D might be a douche and turn her down.
Man, I'd be a total bitch if I did that.
So did you guys see the video? Man, oh man. It pissed me off. Because, seriously the youtube account was all "Find out who the girl in the kitty mask is on June 8th" (which it was obvious it was Noodle but I really want to see her lovely face) then I logged on this morning and it was all "Find out who the girl in the kitty mask is tonight." So I waited (somewhat) patiently until 5ish and then I got the TEASER. And now I have to wait until the 15th? What the heck? Bah. I just want to see Noodle's lovely face without having to look at that stupid android's face.
Anyways, June 15th here I come.
Stay classy you guys. I love the love you're sending me. I love you all too. :)