"So can I go see Steve today?" asked Jess pleadingly. "I feel more emotionally stable today."
The others gave each other unconvinced looks.
"Honest!"
"When am I going to get to see Silverchair?" asked Hannah impatiently.
"Well you could go today while Jess and I go to see Steve," suggested Patrick, "and the others can distribute themselves between us."
"Fair enough," said Josh, still being ignored due to his lack of money.
"I'd just like to make a general apology for the way I acted yesterday," Hannah started sheepishly, "It wasn't me...it was the hormones, seriously."
Everybody nodded.
"Sorry I was rude to you, Patrick," she added.
"That's OK," he said.
"I guess I just got stressed with you even more because you reminded me of my Mum and Dad."
"I shouldn't really say I feel offended should I?" Patrick whispered to Jess who shook her head.
"Sounds rude," she explained, Patrick nodded.
"OK, so can we go celeb-hunt?" Jess said excitedly, trying to change the subject.
"Sure," said Hannah.
"Let's bring Silverchair and Steve Coogan back here afterwards so we can all meet up together," suggested Josh.
"Hey, guys, I've had an idea," said Hannah suddenly. "Let's bring Silverchair and Steve Coogan back here after we've met them so we can all meet up together."
Josh sighed and turned away.
"Great idea!" Jess grinned.
"OK," said Hannah. "Jimmy, Superturtle and..." She pointed dissmissively at Josh, "you all come with me. Cartman, Patrick and Jess, you go get Steve."
They all bolted out of the shed door.

Jess and Patrick walked down the road with Cartman waddling alongside them.
"Did I walk this yesterday?" Jess asked, surprised at the fact that they'd been walking for an hour and the hotel seemed nowhere close.
"Yeah... turns out that the shed is pretty much on the far west of Newcastle, according to Jimmy."
"How much longer do we have to walk for?"
"About half an hour more," Patrick said dismissively.
They then fell silent with only Cartman's rasping breath and the odd car passing to be heard.

"Four hours?" Hannah repeated, amazed. "Four bloody hours!?"
"Sorry, Hans, that's how far it is to their houses," Jimmy sighed. "I can't do anything about it."
Hannah rolled her eyes and looked up towards the horizon. No sign of the coast yet. She decided to continue working on her proposal speech to take her mind off the walking. She had just got to a good bit when Jimmy said, "Ooh, there it is."
"Wow, I didn't realise my speech was that long..." she exclaimed.

Meanwhile, Jess and Patrick had been sitting in the lounge of the posh hotel for two and a half hours. Jess had begun flicking through a Cosmopolitan magazine that was laying in front of her on a large glass coffee table. She was reading an article on page 117 all about 'Relationships with the famous'. She was just getting to an interesting part interviewing an unknown woman who was dating a comedy actor when Patrick started speaking.
"I should think he'll be here soon... knowing him he's probably having a coffee break."
"Huh," said Jess, keeping her eyes on the article.
"He'll be here soon; he has a good tour bus. I know because I toured with him not so long ago."
"How interesting," said Jess unenthusiastically.
"A while ago now... just for one show."
"Mmm." Jess was still reading the article which was getting interesting, unlike Patrick who was beginning to drone.
"You're not listening to me, are you?"
"Mmm," said Jess, obviously not listening one bit.
"Yeah, right...dragons are flying out of my arse."
"Interesting, I agree."
Suddenly the hotel doors flew open.
"A-ha, told you." Patrick grinned, standing up.
Jess dropped her magazine. "Oh my God..."

Hannah watched as Jimmy knocked on the 15th door.
"There aren't many houses left, one of these has to be The One." Hannah sighed impatiently.
The door opened. An old woman in a bikini toddled out. "Can I help you...?" she croaked.
"Oh, I'm sorry, we're actually looking for our friends... there aren't any young lads around here, are there?" asked Jimmy.
"Oh, you're one of those, are you?" the old lady asked. "Well we don't want your type around here!"
"I think you've misunderstood..." Jimmy began.
"There's a noisy little so-and-so in number 43 with his dog." She began to pull the door shut. "And you're going to hell, you filthy boy." She slammed the door.

Several young men struggling with Steve's equipment waddled across the entrance hall. Patrick ambled forward leaving Jess standing by the coffee table in shock. Steve glided across the marble floor and noticed Patrick.
"My God! I don't believe it!" he cried on recognising Patrick.

Jimmy, Josh (who was now almost comatosed with boredom) and Superturtle (who was rather parched after walking for four hours in the midday summer sun) walked down the road dragging their feet. Hannah was almost bouncing. They were on a street called 'Lookout St.' And it was obvious as to why it was christened this.
"Good view," said Jimmy. From Lookout Street you could see over lots of the houses in Newcastle and down to the beach which was about ten streets away.
"Who cares...who am I seeing first?" Hannah blurted, extremely excited.
"Well, Daniel. Chris doesn't live in Newcastle anymore and Ben lives nearer the coast," Jimmy said.
Josh tripped up on nothing and fell flat on his face. Giving up, he decided to lay in the road because he was too tired to get up.
"Let's try this one," said Hannah, stopping in the middle of the road.
"Why?" Jimmy asked, stunned.
"I have a certain feeling," smirked Hannah, looking at the house which was biggest on the street had the best view and had a really nice car parked on the drive.

After a bout of manly hugs and back slapping Patrick prepared to introduce Jess to Steve. "Oh, this is Jess," he said, nudging her forward. "Jess, as I'm sure you know, this is Steve."
"P...p...pleased to m...meet you..." Jess stammered. "Ecstatic, actually!" She held out a hand.
Steve attempted to shake it but it was trembling so much he couldn't catch hold of it. He grabbed her wrist with his other hand to hold it still while he shook her hand with his other.
"Hello," he said, smiling in amusement. "Shall we all go up? I have ages before the show." He jingled his keys in his pocket.
"Sure," said Patrick, following Steve to the lift, dragging a gibbering Jess behind him.

Hannah, Jimmy and Superturtle were still standing outside the house.
"Do you really reckon it is him?" Jimmy asked.
"Yeah...got this feeling," said Hannah.
"Well if we stand here long enough it'll give him the chance to switch on his security system and lock himself in his cupboard."
Hannah scowled.
Josh was still lying in the middle of the road.
"Right," said Hannah taking command of herself. She began to walk up the drive. One step at a time, she took it slowly, making sure she didn't break into a run and dive through the closest window. She had changed into a dress she had bought in Brisbane earlier that morning so she was now wearing the grey vest style top/one inch above the knee dress with some blue nike trainers on her feet. She stopped walking when she heard a distant screech. Looking down the road she saw a silver 4 x 4 swing around the corner, roar down the street, run over Josh and pull into the drive where she was standing. The 4 x 4 managed to screech to a hault so close to Hannah that if she put out her arm she could touch it.
The window wound down. It was Daniel. Hannah almost hyperventilated but controlled herself.
"Hi," Daniel said, looking Hannah up and down. "Can I help?"
Hannah, lost for words, pointed back into the road where Jimmy and Superturtle were crouched over Josh's motionless body.
"Oh, Jimmy, hi!" Daniel exclaimed, getting out of the car.
Jimmy stood and walked away from Josh's corpse. "Daniel, hi," he said with a smile.
"How you doing, mate?"
Hannah stared in awe as Jimmy chatted to Daniel.
"Oh, and, Daniel? This is Hannah." Daniel turned and looked at her, then held out a hand.
"Alright?"
Hannah shook his hand and smiled like a loon.

<< back to Book 1.3

� Jess and Hannah 2001