New Years night

Mark actually left early today, around four in the morning, he had an early flight and woke me up around three to take him. Apparently, the band had a promotional New Year's thing they had to do tonight, that explains Mark leaving.

It was currently Eleven forty-two at night. I was watching some countdown of the best music video's on the t.v. All in all I was pretty bored and about ready to go to sleep but I wanted to stay up long enough for the end of 1984 and beginning of 1985. It's hard to believe that this decade was a couple minute's away from being halfway over.

The time went by quickly and before I knew it, the t.v was playing the last video and fireworks were going on outside. My feet were folded up under me as I sat on the couch.

The phone soon started to ring, I quickly answered it. "Hello." I answered. "Hey." A voice said through the phone, I heard music and voices in the back ground, making it hard to identify. "Who's this?" I asked.

"Oh, it's no one important, just the blond boy you live." The voice laughed. "Oh, hey Mark. Didn't realize you were going to call." I laughed, it's true, I didn't expect him to call.

"Yeah, I didn't realize I was gonna call either. But King Kobra just finished performing. Now another band is up performing to welcome the new year, so I rushed all around the place to find a phone to talk with you for the last couple minute's of this year and the beginning of next year." Mark explained.

I nodded even though I knew he obviously couldn't see me. "Well, at least I don't feel as lonely." I joked. I heard Mark laughing in the background. "Your not that lonely, trust me, Johnny's girlfriend just found out that he was with other girls, and she left him. He is now trying to make up to her and she's packing her bag. So, you don't have it that bad in the lonely compartment."

There was a long silence before something else was said. "How are you holding up?" He asked, I assumed he was talking about what happened yesterday.

"I'm fine, but my throat kind of hurt's." I answered. It was true, my throat has hurt ever sense he tried to choke me. "Oh, sh*t Lissa. I forgot about that. If I knew he was gonna try to kill you, I wouldn't have answered the phone." Mark lowered his voice.

"Kill me, I think that's a little bit of an exaggeration." I hummed. "Not really. I don't know why he wanted to try that but he did. It hurt's to realize that I might of not even noticed my own friend being choked to death in my house." He had a down-full tone to his voice.

"Mark, it's not your fault." I muttered, annoyed that he keeps acting like he could of stopped that. "But Lissa, it wouldn't of happen if I didn't leave, he wouldn't of touched you or if he had, he wouldn't of for as long as he did." Mark always said that, he take's the blame. 

"It's still not your fault. I knew my brother had anger issues and I kept my mouth open until he was over the edge. My fault, not your's, not his, mine." I tried to get my point across. "Don't blame yourself." He wont let this drop will he.

"What is going on now, there?" I asked, changing the subject. "I can't really see anything because I'm in a back room with the phone so I'm assuming everyone is starting to gather together." He stopped talking, the noise in the background was quieter than it was when he first called.

"What are people doing around you?" Mark questioned. "Well the people next door are having a party and the music is way to loud and other than that, everyone seems to be setting off fireworks, it's annoying. I can't get no sleep." I complained, it took less then a second to say that.

"If you had a choice you would sleep twenty-four seven." He laughed from over the phone. "True." I replied. Sleep is my favorite way to spend time.

In the midst of a short pause between us, people started counting down in the background over the phone. I quickly glanced at the clock. "Oh my god it's already 11:59!" I gasped, amazed at the quickness of the time.

"Yeah." He laughed. The people in the background started to countdown from ten. "8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2..." "1!" Both me and Mark chuckled at the same time. 

I had to pull the phone away from my ear because of all the noise I hear in the background. "Happy new year's, Mark!" I yelled into the phone with a cheeky grin. "Happy new year's, baby girl." Mark responded. A blush started to creep onto my face at the name he gave me.

January 8th, 1985

New Years was fun, not really. Me and Mark talked for accouple more minute's after 85' began but Johnny came and found him then pulled him away for a drink. That left me to actually sleep.

Currently it was twelve in the afternoon and I was taking down all the decoration's and putting them into boxes. I was kind of down because Mark hasn't called sense he did on New Years. Actually no one has called or come over, I haven't even left the house sense then.

Maybe I'm becoming a recluse? Ironically, right as I was thinking that, there was a knock at the door. With a laugh, I put down the mantel light's and went to go get it.

I opened the door to reveal Bruce. He was dressed in black, ripped jeans, a white tank top with a black jacket, he had a blue bandanna around his head too. Also, he was basically bouncing around on the spot. A wide grin spread across his face.

"Hey." I waved. His eye's shot over to me. "Lissa, Lissa, Lis, Lis, Lis!" Bruce yelled, he took his sunglasses off to show his blue eye's were lit with excitement. "Calm down, I know my name." I put my hand on his shoulder to stop him from moving so much.

Bruce stilled for a second, his smile falling off his face. A minute later, he suddenly picked me up. Spinning me around in circle's. I flailed my leg's out behind me. Any neighbor watching this probably think's any person that has ever been in this house is crazy.

Once he was done spinning me he hugged me, tight. "Bruce... Air." I gasped. "Sorry." He dropped me, still smiling.

"I'm so f*cking excited, I could kiss you." Bruce leaned into me sarcastically. "No and why?"I finally questioned his elation.

"Sh*t, I come here and make a racket and not even tell you why." He face palmed, causing me to laugh. "Remember how I was in that band, Stone Fury, and we released an album with demo's last year?" Bruce looked as if he couldn't contain what he was about to tell.

"Yes." I nodded. "Well, I was just called and told that we are going on north american tour, that we are heading." He again picked me up. I hugged him back, well there goes another friend from here.

"When are leaving?" I raised my eyebrow. "In three day's. It's f*cking awesome." Bruce shouted, turning in a circle.

Though I was kind of down at the fact he was leaving, I didn't want to ruin his jovial behavior by saying anything.

After he told me that, we went out to eat. He left soon after so he could pack. The last thing he said was to tell Mark next time he calls, that only opened another emptiness in me.

January 15, 1985 

More day's went by. I dropped Bruce off at the airport last Saturday. I was hoping to tell Mark when he left but Mark never called.

He hasn't called and that kind of worried me. Mark has never went more than a week without calling, but you know there's a first time for everything. It just surprises me with him because he constantly worries about me.

I was now sitting on the back deck, resting in the chair under the cool winter night. My eye's closed, my mind slowly drifted into a slow rest. 

The only thing I could comprehend right now was how chilly it was, if it wasn't for my tiredness, I would of gotten up by now to go inside for heat.

Currently the only thing keeping me warm was one of Mark's sweat-shirt's. 

"Ring-Ring." A sound was heard. I went to get up but the second I stood up the ground gave out on me. I started falling, falling and falling. It went on and on until I finally hit something, but the force that stopped me wasn't something. It was fire, so much fire. I watched as my clothes turned to ash.

"Ahh." I silently screamed as my eyes jolted open. glancing around, I realized I was still resting on the outside chair. Thank god, that was a strange dream.

But I still heard ringing. It soon hit me that the phone was actually ringing. Jumping up off the chair, my feet naturally took me to the sound.

I picked it up. "Hello?" A voice asked. "Hello?" I answered back. "Is this Lissa?" The voice I recognized as male said. "Maybe, who's this?" I tried to sound casual.

"It's David, well, Dave to you." The man told me. "Wait, Dave. Why are you calling, how didn't I recognize your voice?" Wow, okay. Out of everyone to cal why him.

"I called because well, I didn't. Mark was calling you but Carmine had to come get him so he could talk to somebody, so when he left he gave me the phone and I'm like 'what' then he yell's 'It's Lissa' and here we are now. And the other question, I have no idea how you didn't recognize my voice." Dave explained then laughed at the last part.

"Okay... Nice, I guess?" I somewhat, awkwardly mumbled. "Hope I didn't interrupt anything." He stated. "Nope, you just woke me up from a strange dream." I said with a yawn.

There was a silence. "Umm... I don't know. What do you and Mark usually talk about when he calls?" Dave eventually spoke. I thought for a second, I don't really know what me and Mark talk about, I just know we talk forever when he does call.

"I honestly don't know." I answered. "You two talk for hours when he calls you and you don't even know what you  two talk about. Mark never talks for hours straight with any of us so he must talk about something interesting with you." Dave practically yelled through the phone.

I just started laughing, he was also chuckling through the phone. I heard a door open and shut through the phone and a faint voice over the phone. 

"Mark's back Lissa, now you and him can sit there in silence and listen to each other's breathing." Dave said, I heard someone laughing and I assumed that was Mark. There was alot of moving, a silence, followed by a hello.

"Lissa." Mark seemed out of breath. "Mark, is that you?" I questioned. Duh, of course that's him. "Yeah, it's me." He chuckled.

"What was that with Dave?" He asked. I'm taking a wild guess and saying he was talking about why Dave was laughing. "Oh, he said that we were strange because of what we talked about, which to him is random boring things." I explained. 

"Why do you seem out of breath?" I asked. "Oh... Carmine dragged me out of the hotel room that me and Dave are sharing, to talk to our manager outside. So once that was done I ran up the stairs because the elevator is out, and oh my god, six flight of stair is not fun and easy to run up." Mark panted. I just laughed.

"Sorry I haven't called, recording is so much work. They have been stretching my vocal's alot so I can hit more note's, mostly higher one's. It's kind of hard but worth it." He said. Now that I listen to him, his voice does kind of sound rough at the moment.

"That's okay, nothing has really opened. Well, yeah something has. Bruce is on tour right now with the band he released that demo album with." I spoke, remembering that he told me to tell Mark. 

"Really?" He inquired. "Yeah." Was my response.

Whatever time in late January you want it to be

I almost forgot all about the fact I had a job and when they called me to tell me if I didn't show up in the next day I would be fired, I was shocked. Who knew such little time off can make you forget so much.

And working was exactly what I was doing right now. There's not many places that I can find a job that somewhat interests me because I'm technically not an adult. So the best place I could find work at was a store that sold records and cassettes. It was a fun job but my boss beyond annoying and some of the customer's were too.

I guess really the best thing I've done here so far is the band signings. But that doesn't happen much.

"Umm... excuse me ma'am." A male's voice said from behind me. I turned around to see a man with long black hair and a nose piercing, he had accouple of visible tattoos on his neck and down his arm.

"Yes, can I help you, sir." I asked with a smile. "Yeah, do you have any Scorpions?" He questioned, politely. I raised my eyebrows, kind of shocked at the band he asked about.

"We do, just got accouple new one's by them in. Follow me." I motioned for him to come, he did. I started going through different albums and pulled one out. "Love at First Sting." He said behind me.

I smiled and turned around, then gave it to him. "Thank's." He took the album and walk off, well that good.

"Lissa, your off." My boss suddenly yelled from behind me.

February 14, 1985   

I had Rainbow's, Straight Between the Eye's, playing fairly loud as I cooked myself lunch, which was fried vegetables.

Mark called accouple night's ago saying they had to re-record some song's, that didn't really surprise me. He said he might come back soon but only for a day or so because he would have to leave soon after.

A smile spread across my face as my favorite Rainbow song started playing. 

Every night I have the same old dream
'Bout you and me and what's in between
So many changes, so many lies 

I started to sing along, dancing slightly.

Try to run, try to hide
From everything that I feel inside
But I can't escape you or your frozen eyes

I went a little deeper into dancing. A spoon caught my eyes, I put it up to my mouth as a microphone. God, I'm crazy.

Searching in the darkness
Fading out of sight
Love was here and gone like a thief in the night

My voice was pretty loud. It was then it occurred to me that I couldn't sing, not with a single bone in my body.

Stone cold
And I thought I knew you so well
Stone cold
Can't break away from your spell 

I sung along to the course, doing a dramatic spin. Interrupting, Ritchie Blackmore's guitar playing was a knock at the door.

"Uhh." I grumbled, turning the stove off, proceeding that by turning down the song, Stone Cold. 

My feet took me to the door, I was about to open it then a thought came to me. Okay, so Bruce is gone, so it's not him, Mark is in L.A so the possibility's of it being him isn't likely. So that leave's, no one. Well, it's obviously someone. My brother again? No, Mark threatened him and by the look on my brother's face when he left said he wasn't coming back. Maybe my mother? Nah, she don't care enough about me. Than who is it.

I blindly opened the door to see Mark. Okay, well, apparently L.A  and work didn't stop him from coming.

He had on jean's and a leather jacket on that was unzipped a little, it showed part of his chest, he also had on regular white shoes on. In his hand was a bouquet of dark red roses in his hands. 

I smiled up at him. Mark reached down and hugged me, I hugged him back. Once we broke apart he handed me the flower's.

"What are these for?" I asked. He watched me with a cute grin. "Do you not know what today is."

"February 14?" I questioned. "Valentines day." He responded. My brain clicked, he's here because of Valentine's day, that make's so much more sense.

"I'm an idiot." I face palmed. He just laughed at my stupidity. "Yeah, I was told that I could get two day's off and I was gonna come last weekend but then I realized today was holiday, one that we've been with each other on sense we met so I was like, 'Okay yeah, I'll go now and get back by Monday morning." Mark explained why he was here.

I reached up and hugged him again. In return he picked me up by my feet, making me scream as my head went bellow my feet. 

Mark got inside and dropped me on the couch. I was laughing a lot. But my face covered in a blush when I realized that my shirt came up when he picked me up, exposing my bra. I quickly fixed my shirt, it was a grey Led Zeppelin shirt that was originally tucked into the acid wash jeans I wore.

Mark sat down next to me, instantly pulling me into him. "It's been so long sense I've seen you. More than a month-" He mumbled into my hair, "-What all have you been doing?" 

"Work." I answered, fiddling with my finger's. "Your hair is curly." He randomly spoke, running his finger's though a piece of my somewhat dark hair. "I braided it. It's wavy not curly." I joked. He laughed.

So for the rest of that day we basically talked and ate, nothing much but Mark was a little more helpful, again probably because today was Valentines day. But I'm not complaining, he helped me clean dishes, he's never done that before.

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A/N

Wow, this is the longest chapter I've wrote, probably a little to long. Sorry, but I had to cram this all in one chapter because the next one I'm writing is a birthday one for Mark, (April 12). His birthday is this Friday (April 12, 2019), he's turning 65. In reality, in this story he would be turning like thirty, but I'm making him twenty-three or twenty-four because it fit's better with story. The next chapter might be long like this one (Apologizes now) There are accouple true things in this chapter, first one being that Mark Free complained about him having to stretch his vocals to a wider range than what he was use to for this album, but then he used that to his benefit in alot of other album's released after this by him, second and third true thing's I don't remember.

All in all, Vote, Comment, Follow and I hope you are liking it so far. So many more chapter's to go!!!