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Dan smiled to himself as Matt and Robbie paraded into the room, wearing the latest outfits handpicked from the wardrobe, both swaying their hips like models, pouty looks on their made-up faces.

From where he sat huddled by the window in the corner of the room, Martyn raised an eyebrow and leant his head forwards to rest on his knees.

 

Standing in front of the big mirror, Matt and Robbie inspected each other critically.

 

"You look fine." Martyn assured them wearily.

 

A big smile lit up Matt's face and he put an arm around Robbie's shoulder.

 

"You hear that Robs? He thinks we look 'fiiiine'!" The singer grinned, drawing out the final word in a drawl.

 

The pair burst into laughter, then returned to fixing their hair and clothes. Dan looked over at Martyn curiously, wondering why he was so lacking in spirit.

 

"No, no, this isn't right, " Matt shook his head, steering Robbie back into the other room. The cloud over Martyn's head grew darker.

 

"Are you alright mate?" Dan asked, walking over and sitting on the sofa next to the guitarist. Martyn looked sideways at him and Dan noticed the darkness under his eyes.

 

"I'm ok, just tired, and not really in the mood for those two."

On cue, Matt and Robbie burst back in, this time dressed more plainly in skin-tight girls tops and baggy jeans slung low on their hips.

 

"We're ready." They announced in unison, grabbing Dan and Martyn's hands and pulling them up and towards the door.

 

Dan took one last worried glance at Martyn's down-cast face before they were pulled out of the door and down the corridor towards the bar.

************************

Matt flopped down into his seat with a scowl, as Dan and Robbie tried to stifle their laughter behind their hands.

 

"Strike two." Martyn grinned at his long time friend, and set Robbie off into a fit of giggles.

 

Matt stuck out his tongue, the light flashing for a second off the silver stud before it disappeared back into his mouth.

 

"Obviously the Maxi charm doesn't work round here mate." Dan pointed out, patting a choking Robbie on the back. "What's that, two girls, two slaps already?"

 

Matt picked up his beer off the table. "Yeah, yeah Dabrowski, at least I'm trying!"

 

From underneath the table, Robbie mumbled something that sounded like "Try harder!", then he grabbed hold of Matt's leg, making him shriek and spill half his lager on the floor. Several annoyed drinkers looked their way, identical frowns on their faces.

 

Dan grinned and shushed the hyperactive pair and took Matt's drink off him, placing it safely back on the splintery table. Grudgingly, Robbie slid back up into his seat, avoiding eye contact with everyone incase the giggles resurfaced.

 

"Can't take you two anywhere." Martyn whispered with a smile, poking Matt in the side.

 

"Anyway, back to the matter in hand, " Dan announced.

 

The other three stared at him blankly.

 

"Matt and his Maxi charm?" He prompted.

 

"Oh yeah!" Matt nodded, "Like I said, at least I'm trying!"

 

"What's the use in trying mate, there's nothing in here worth looking at." Robbie told him, glancing around at the few middle aged women that sat, smoking, coughing and sleeping.

 

"Well there were before," Matt said, looking around and shrugging. Then his face lit up evilly and he whispered conspiratorially," anyway, I think those blokes over there are eyein' you up Danny!"

 

The other three's eyes flicked over to a group of three men, all in their late twenties, and all staring at the four with worrying intentness.

 

"S**t!" Dan whispered back." They're not just looking at me Matt!"

 

"Yes they are!" Robbie laughed gleefully, banging his fist on the table and attracting a few more obnoxious stares.

 

"Hey, it's ok, they're going." Martyn told them, watching as the bar door slammed shut behind them in the wind.

 

Dan put a hand over his chest. "Thank God for that! Imagine if they'd come over!"

 

"We'd have got up and left them to succumb to the Dabrowski charm." Matt winked, grabbing Robbie by the arm and standing up, "Come on mate I need to take a piss."

 

Robbie stumbled to his feet with a grumble."Need me to fend off the ladies do you?"

 

All eyes in the room seemed to follow the pair as they walked off to the toilets, then returned to whatever mundane thing they were staring at before.

"Inseperable." Martyn nodded, watching as Dan yawned widely into the back of his hand.

 

"Mmmm, like twins." The drummer agreed drowsily, rubbing at his mascara blackened eyes.

 

They sat in silence for a while, before Martyn stretched his arms and stood up.

 

"I'm going outside for a bit of air, coming?"

 

Dan nodded and got to his feet, following his bandmate towards the door with another yawn.

****************

Matt dodged around the smudges on the mirror, trying to find a spot where he could see himself clearly.

 

"We've gotta get out of 'ere Maxi, " Robbie said, replacing the clip in his hair, "I'm bored."

 

"Yeah, well we've got some gigs next week haven't we?"

 

Robbie nodded resignedly. "I know. But I'm still bored. No-one here likes us anymore, not since the band got bigger."

Matt nodded and fluttered his newly mascara'd eyelashes at his reflection. "We don't need 'em Robs. And you've got me, Dan and Nelster haven't you?"

 

"Yeah, I spose so."

 

"Oh, don't sound too enthusiastic mate." Matt grinned, pulling a lock of Robbie's dyed hair and making the bassist squeal in annoyance. Turning around he batted Matt round the back of the head, before returning his attention to his elfin reflection.

********************

Dan hissed in pain as his arms were wrenched roughly behind his back, leaving him totally vulnerable to attack. In front of him he saw the same happen to Martyn, recognising one of the three who had seen them in the pub. He towered over Martyn, ruthlessly pulling his arms back. The missing of the three walked forwards from the shadows and grinned at Dan, rolling up his sleeves.

 

"What the f**k are you doing?" Martyn growled, sounding more angry than Dan had heard him for a long time.

 

The ringleader turned around and gave him a look of pity.

 

"You're a bit slow aren't ya mate? We're teaching your friend here a lesson."

 

Martyn glared angrily. "What?! Why him?"

 

The three men laughed. "Look at him! He's got f***in' eye shadow on!"

 

Dan couldn't help it. "Um, it's mascara actually."

 

The leader turned around and looked the drummer straight in the eye.

 

"I don't care what it is boy, you ain't sposed to wear it." He sneered threateningly. "Mind you, you're gonna need it after what I do to your face!"

 

Martyn groaned inwardly as the gang laughed again, the noise echoing around the narrow alley.

The first punch caught them by surprise.

Dan's stomach backflipped as he felt and heard one of his ribs snap. Collapsing to the concrete, his mind zoned out.

 

Martyn tasted the blood sliding over his tongue as he bit his lip, watching as Dan's thin body crumpled to the ground. Attempting to wrench his arms away from his captor, all he got was a punch in the stomach for his efforts. Doubling over breathlessly, he wondered where the f**k Matt and Robbie had got to.

 

************

"Hey..." Robbie held up his hand signalling Matt to shutup."D'you hear that?

Taking the top off his lipstick, Matt shook his head. "What?"

Robbie stood absolutely still, hand still wavering in the air, eyes locked nervously on the half-open window.

For a few seconds they stood in silence, then the noise came again. A thump followed by a string of curses. Matt's lipstick fell with a clatter into the sink as he looked open-mouthed at Robbie.

************************

"So, you learnt your lesson yet prettyboy?"

Martyn growled deep in his throat and spat the blood from his mouth out onto the leader's shoe. The two goons picked him up off the floor and held him upright again, the leader putting a finger under his chin and lifting his head up to stare into his bruised eyes.

"I didn't think you were that stupid mate." He whispered, grabbing Martyn's jaw and squeezing it tightly. 

Martyn rolled his eyes and glared back. "I'm full of surprises, 'mate'."

The street went quiet as the two stared it out.

Slowly releasing Martyn's jaw, the leader smiled and jabbed a finger into the guitarist's forehead, making him stumble backwards.

"Fair enough. I'm bored now anyway, "he grinned, "oh, and don't bother running to the police will ya? You'll regret it if you do."

The two goons let go of Martyn, who fell to his knees with a thud.

Flashing them one last smile, the leader sauntered off down the street, quickly followed by his friends.

Martyn tried to focus his eyes on the figure that lay, curled in a ball in the corner of the alleyway. Gathering the last of his energy, he lifted his head and screamed.

"MATT!"

*************************

"Please, we have to go, hurry up!"

Robbie pleaded to the woman behind the bar. She had caught them running for the door and forced them, with the help of a large bouncer, to stop and pay for the drinks they'd had earlier.

She looked at him scathingly over the top of her glasses and handed over his change, looking a little shocked as he ripped it from her hand and followed Matt at a blind run.

**************************

Illuminated by the dim halo of a failing street lamp, Martyn lay, arms protectively wrapped around Dan. Blood covered their clothes and tarnished the concrete, bruises shadowed their pale faces and their eyes were shut against the blackness.

"Christ, we're too late." Robbie breathed.

Matt grimaced and walked under the light, crouching down and laying a hand on Martyn's arm.

"Nelst? You there?"

Robbie followed suit and tried to prise Martyn's arms away from Dan, but to no avail. They heard a groan and jumped as the guitarist's voice grated out quietly.

"Ouch."

Matt let out the breath he'd been holding with a worried smile and gently pulled Martyn away from Dan, holding his head up off the ground. 

"What happened?" He asked, watching as Robbie slapped Dan's face softly.

Martyn scooted back a little so that he was leaning against Matt. "Those guys from the pub. Took against Dan wearing make-up. Took against me standing up for him. They really f***ed him up....maybe you should take him to the hospital."

"No...."

They all looked down and found Dan staring at them, one eye swollen half-shut, split lip dripping onto his t-shirt. He shook his head.

"No hospitals." He pleaded quietly, eyes shining with unshed pain-filled tears.

"Dan...mate...I think you shou.."

"Don't make him go if he doesn't want to." Martyn advised, eyes struggling to stay open. "We can take him tomorrow or something. Let's just go home tonight. Please?"

Matt looked at Robbie. They both looked down at Dan. His skin was paler than usual, which seemed impossible. His oddly black eyes, desperately begged for comfort, not stark, frightening hospital walls.

Robbie nodded. "Let's go home."

Matt slid his hands underneath Dan's back and lifted him up, surprised at how light he felt. The drummer's head rested against his shoulder and his eyes closed, finally feeling secure.

Martyn got to his feet, the pain evident on his face, but not wanting to cause any more trouble than was necessary. Robbie's arm reached around his waist for support, and they slowly made their way down the alley. 

With a final flicker, the orange street lamp cut out, the darkness flooding into the alley corners, hiding the stains and memories.


**The End**

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