I was sitting at my desk at school, the building I loved and hated in equal measure. I was doing my final bit of research before going off in search of the Bohemians; I was excited but very nervous. If I couldn't find them I would be very disappointed, but if I did find them and they wouldn't let me join them that would be worse. I was looking at some of the more recent encrypted notes from the Secret Police in the reports that they had sent to my aunt.
Every once in a while I'd look up from the laptop to make it look like I was paying attention to what the teacher was telling us. I knew what she was talking about anyway, tomorrow was the last day of school, and she was informing everyone about the party. A party that I wouldn't be attending, even if I didn't find the Bohemians I wouldn't be going. Mindless music for mindless idiots, not really a way that I wanted to be spending my evening.
As the day continued I found what I was looking for, the last suspected place the Bohemians were living. An abandoned underground rail station called Tottenham Court Road. That wasn't that far out of town, it would probably take me a few hours to find it though. I saved the map to my hard-drive, knowing I would have to take off my wrist device because unlike most of the mindless drones on Planet Mall I knew it contained a tracking device, a way for the Secret Police and Killer Queen to keep an eye on the population. I created the device when I was 10 years old. Now 8 years later I was looking to escape her control, it probably wouldn't surprise my father, he had always called me a free spirit, even had a nickname for me, Phoenix. From what I had learnt, a phoenix was a lone flying bird that in Greek mythology always rose from the flames to continue. I would miss my father; he had always allowed me to do whatever I chose to do, even if his crazy sister said otherwise.
I had been walking for hours, beginning to give up hope, when I heard voices. I quietly walked over in the direction of the voices and I saw a girl I recognised, she had been in the year above me at school, as had the boy she was with. I couldn't remember either of their names. They were with two people I really didn't recognise. A big guy, no other way to describe him, he was massive. And a girl. About my height, long blonde hair with ribbons and feathers in it, her outfit would catch anyone's attention. Short tartan shorts, ripped fishnets and big black combat boots.
It took me a while to realise they had seen me, and were all looking at me in utter amusement, I myself was fascinated, more by the blonde girl than the others, but pretty things did tend to catch my eye.
The girl I vaguely remembered from school was the first to talk.
"You lost Gaga girl?" she asked, not in a necessarily unfriendly manner, she was still very amused.
"Yes and no…" I said.
"Well which is it?" the blonde asked, "yes or no?"
She had a beautiful smile, her eyes sparkled in a way I had never seen before, her accent was something I'd never heard before, and I believe the term was Scottish.
"Well I'm not a Gaga girl and… actually I was looking for you guys…" I said, "Well not you guys specifically… you are Bohemians right?"
The guy I kind of recognised looked at the others.
"The end of the current school year?" he asked.
The all laughed.
"That's actually tomorrow…" I said.
"You're early then." The big guy said, "What do you know about us?"
"Music…" I said, "the real kind… with instruments, and lyrics that don't really make sense, but still make the whole world make sense at the same time… music that makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time…"
"What's your name?" the Scottish girl asked.
"Phoenix…" I said, deciding to go with what my dad always called me.
She nodded.
"That'll do…" she said with a smile.
The girl I remembered from school walked over to me, looking me up and down she walked around me looking at what I was wearing.
"This just won't do," she said, "don't you agree Meat?"
The blonde girl just smiled and walked over to me as well.
"There could be a few…" she started to say, "changes…"
The others laughed. I had no idea what I was in for. But they hadn't tied me up or told me to go home, so it was a start.
Later that night I was sitting in the place the Bohemians called home, Tottenham Court Road station, or the Heartbreak as they called it. I had found out most of their names, odd names like Scaramouch and Galileo, Macca and Madonna. The big guy I had met earlier was called Brit, and the blonde girl was called Meat, short for Meat Loaf apparently. So many names, so many sights and sounds, it was amazing to see how they lived.
Next to me was my bag, it had my laptop in it, the one thing I knew I wouldn't be able to live without. No one knew where I was, I knew it must have been getting late, my parents had probably sent out a search party by now. But there was no way I could go back, not now.
A few hours passed and I was starting to get tired, I had no idea what time it was, and being underground meant that there were no windows so no light. I yawned, and then noticed Meat looking at me with a smile on her face. I laughed to myself and looked away; chances are I blushed as well.
"You tired?" she asked.
Everyone looked at me, almost like they had forgotten I was there.
"A little…" I said.
She nodded, stood up, and walked over to me.
"Come with me." She said.
I stood up, grabbed my bag, and followed her. The others started to whisper and laugh amongst themselves. Meat looked at them.
"Shut up." She said.
There were a few more laughs, but the majority of them were quiet.
We walked out of the main door and towards the back of the station.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"Well you're tired," she said, "so you need somewhere to sleep…"
We passed a few rooms with the doors open. On the doors that were closed there were posters and notes saying whose room it was.
"This place is a lot bigger than it looks." I said.
"We get visitors," she said, "other Bohemians…"
"So you guys aren't the whole group?" I asked.
"No," she said with a laugh, "there are groups all over the world, all in search of the same thing…"
"And what's that?" I asked.
She stopped and looked at me.
"The truth…" she replied.
I nodded a little, before looking around me again.
"The doors which are closed are people's rooms," she said, "Most people have their own rooms, or share with boyfriends or girlfriends, or both…"
I laughed.
"The open doors are the empty rooms," she said, "spare rooms if you like, for when people come and visit."
I could listen to Meat talking all day and not get bored, her accent was mesmerising.
"Are you keeping up?" she asked with a smile on her face.
"Yeah," I replied, "yep… where am I going to sleep?"
"Well we weren't expecting visitors," she said, "so no one set up a room for you… and everyone seemed to forget you were even here… you're very quiet."
"I'm just taking it all in…" I said.
She nodded.
"So, err," she said, "I was thinking, maybe, if you wanted to, you could stay in my room… just for tonight, you know till we can sort a room out for you."
"Okay…" I said.
"Obviously there's only one bed…" she said, "it's a double though so there's plenty room, cause let's be honest here you won't take up that much space…"
I laughed and Meat smiled and continued walking, we took a left at the end of the corridor and headed down to the end of hallway. Meat stopped in front of the door at the end of the hallway.
"This is my room…" she said, motioning to the door, "that room there to the left is Brits room, and the one to the right is Galileo and Scaramouche's room…"
"Okay." I said.
"Don't worry," she said with a cheeky smile, "the walls are thick you won't be able to hear them…"
"Is there only Brit in that room?" I asked, motioning to Brits door.
"Depends on his mood," she said, "why, do you want to share with him instead?"
"Hell no…" I said, "He's not really my type…"
She smiled.
"What is your type?" she asked.
"That is something you'll have to figure out for yourself." I replied.
She laughed and opened the door to her room.