Glasses and bottles clanked around in the rowdy bar. The boys had all decided to make a quick stop here before they went off to bed. All of course, except Angus who went to change out of his uniform. And who knew if he would even show up to this place.

I had no clue I'd be coming to this place. 

Cliff said he'd have one or two drinks but he mostly came for the food. It was a little around seven and neither of us had really eaten much lately. So I agreed on having the interview here. 

I stepped over a man who was-I hope-sleeping on the floor. There was beer all over the wall where a bottle had been smashed, glass shards everywhere. I didn't see the others in the sea of people until I saw Malcolm and Phil playing darts and Bon starting up a game of pool with some people he just met. Even they looked out of place on this pirate ship.

There were some women there too but they didn't look like the kind of people you'd mess around with. Painted nails, leather jackets, several tattoos, cigarettes, and huge bottles of whiskey. Those motorcycles I saw parked outside must have been theirs. 

Cliff led me to a quieter part of the bar. He ordered a water and a whiskey, apparently hearing from Bon that I didn't drink. I thanked him and took a long drink. 

"Ya' like chips, right?"

I remembered the Aussie word for fries was chips and nodded. He ordered a couple trays of that and asked if I wanted anything else. I mean...I had been trying to eat healthier recently but I wasn't about to complain about people buying me food. I'd eat chips for days if I had to. Deciding these would be enough, he got some other kind of food I didn't quite catch and we got situated at our table. 

"So," he said, his voice clear over the din. "What's your first order of business?"

I slapped my notebook on the table and flipped to a fresh page. During the photo shoot I had come up with some questions I could ask instead of coming up blank on the spot. I was improving! I took out my pen. "What about AC/DC do you like best?" I asked. "Of all the bands you could have joined, why this one?"

Cliff folded his hands together on the table and stared at the salt shaker. I held my pen at the ready. "The guys are great, first off." I nodded, agreeing completely. "Ya' don't wanna be in a band where everyone's drivin' a flagpole up your arse, ya' know?" 

"Yeah."

"An' I enjoy the music we play," he said sipping his drink. "The old bands I was in...played a bit of rock an' roll...played the Kinks. When we were gettin' started, anyway. This band...when I first heard of 'em, they played...probably the loudest rock an' roll I've ever heard. In my life, ya' know? An' some friends of mine were suggestin' I try out for 'em an' I gave it shot."

There was some cheering on the other side of the bar. Someone must have been celebrating a birthday with friends. It was difficult to see what I was writing in the light but I managed. Someone came by carrying a tray with our food and we accepted it, hungry and happy. I grabbed a napkin before picking my pen up again. "You're from England, right?" I asked, pretending I didn't know. He nodded. "You live in Australia now?"

"Yeah, for the time being. Took a damn long time to actually move here...so I'm not lookin' to pack up an' leave anytime soon." I spilled crumbs all over my notebook and wiped them off. Little dark spots covered the pages. "But I imagine we'll end up movin' someday. Sometimes ya' don't get the studio ya' wanted or...if ya' have a family an' ya' wanna give them a steady home somewhere."

"Where would you live?" I asked. He wiped his hands. 

"Someplace warm," he said immediately. "I love England but it's cold up there. Snow is great. But it gets way more rain. So I'd live someplace like Sydney here, where it's warmer. Maybe tropical. What about you?"

"Me?" I asked.

"Yeah, if you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?" This was the kind of question you asked people who didn't like where they lived. They always pick somewhere else. But I liked where I lived. It wasn't perfect but I had lived there my whole life. I didn't adjust very well to moving or changes. It was like I had grown roots and refused to be taken away. But I was fascinated by Australia and New Zealand for that matter. It was like they lived in their own world down here. So far away from American drama. Now that sounded nice.

Then again. Australia was known for having B-movie spiders crawling around soooo....

I shrugged. "I like it here," I said. "I'd like to have a winter birthday."

"Will ya' move here after you're done journalin'? Or is that a dream for another day?"

I fiddled with the pen in my hands. Moving was such a big jump, especially moving to another country so far away... "I don't know, I don't like sitting on a plane that long." Cliff nodded.

"Yeah, that's rough," he said. "Tourin' around Australia you have to use a plane, jus' 'cause the damn thing is so big." More cheering forced us to wait until they finished. "But right now when you're playin' in clubs in adjacent cities ya' get a bus. An' buses aren't great either," he laughed. "The loo is smaller than a doghouse an' the beds are like coffins on some of 'em...but you're on the ground." He shrugged. "There's good an' bad to lots of things, an' ya' gotta take 'em both."

I squinted to see what I was writing. Some words were falling through the lines and sentences were sloping downwards. I'd fix it later. Right now someone came up to us and sat next to me, wrapping their arm around my neck. 

"Fancy seein' you two here," Bon said. My eyes widened at his tight hold on me. "Sorry 'bout that." He let me go and drank the glass of whiskey he brought over from the pool table. "Here's a lesson for ya', write this down." He pointed at my notebook. "Don't play pool for money."

"How much, Bon?" Cliff asked.

"Twenty," he said. "I was good for it but I gotta quit now or I'll be borrowin' from Angus again." He sniffed. "Think I still owe him something...." He nudged me. "You play?"

I closed my notebook, thinking the interview was done for now. "I'm not falling for that," I said with a smile. Bon frowned. "I'm not playing with sharks, I don't even have any money."

Some coins jangled in my pants pocket. I was a filthy little liar. 

"Not for money, I'm done with that for now," Bon said. "Jus'...in general, do ya' play?" I shrugged.

"I've played a few times," I admitted. "I'm not good but it's fun." Bon's grin widened.

The Grinch got a wonderful, awful idea....

"How's this then," he said sitting up straight. "You an' I play...if you win, I'll do whatever you want, but if I win...I find ya' some proper music in this place an' you start dancin'."

What was this man's fascination? I wasn't even good!

"That's not fair, you'll still win!" I said. "And I'm not dancing on the bar."

"Oh, like it a bit more private, eh?" Bon asked taking a long drink. He was surely tipsy by now. "I won't argue with that." My face burned red. 

More cheers erupted from the same table across the bar. It got our attention, except Bon who was still drinking. "Some party over there," Cliff said when the noise died down. Bon slammed his empty glass down on the table. 

"Oh, them," he said. "Some contest they're holdin', or somethin'." The ice clinked around in his glass. "Maybe I should join 'em."

"Now that's not fair," Cliff said smiling. "You'd be walkin' out with the shirts on their backs." Bon laughed. "If you're not stayin' long I can get us a cab back to the hotel." 

"Is four in the mornin' long?" Bon asked. Cliff sighed. "Come on, this place is fun! Hannah here's already tryin' to sober up, she's had so much fun." He poked my glass of water. He started to take a drink from his own glass when he realized it was empty. He stood up. "I need another one."

As Bon walked away Cliff and I finished our meal. I opened my notebook back up and wrote about the atmosphere of the bar. Truly something to behold. A great place to hang out with friends. Even a cheerful place to get drunk. Bon stumbled back to the pool table with his new drink and started playing a round by himself. Malcolm and Phil weren't by the darts anymore and I couldn't find them anywhere. 

"Are we done for the day?" Cliff asked. I looked through my notes. I still had some more questions to ask but it wouldn't hurt to call it quits for the night. After all, I still had two others of the band to interview. 

"Yeah, I think we're done."

"Need a lift anywhere?" he asked. "I wanna stay here to take Bon back but I can call someone for ya'."

Whatever money I had in my pockets wasn't enough for a cab. I had to conserve every cent. Staying here all night didn't sound like a lick of fun but perhaps all three of us could hitch a ride back. It wasn't every day you got to party with your favorite band, right? "I'm okay for now," I said trying to hold back a yawn. 

"If you're sure," Cliff said. 

**********

The night started to drag after that. A few people came up to Cliff recognizing him and wanting to talk over a drink or ask for an autograph. A few of them introduced themselves to me while others just spoke to Cliff. I didn't care either way. The only thing I cared about was getting to the bathroom. I had three glasses of water now and I was struggling.

I weaved my way through the crowds of people clutching my notebook to my chest. I had a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach that the bathrooms here weren't the safest place to be this time of night. But I had to brave it out. 

No wonder women always went in packs. The only way to keep yourself safe. 

I made it there okay, finding the cleanest stall to use. There was no obscene writing on the door this time and for that I was a little disappointed. Nobody having sex either, thank fuck. After washing my hands and grabbing my things I got out of there quickly, back to the large groups of people. Strength in numbers.

All the tables looked the same. All the people started to look the same. Cliff blended right in. Bon wasn't by the pool tables anymore and I still caught no sight of Malcolm or Phil. I took deep, calming breaths as I made my way through the crowd. 

They couldn't have left without me...they most certainly could have.

I finally found our table but Cliff was gone. His glass was still there along with our garbage and I knew he wouldn't have just left it all there. What if he didn't notice me leaving and got up to look for me? Oh man, this was a cartoon!

I collected our trash and put it all in the center of the table. Being alone in a bar, especially if you're me, is entirely nerve wracking. The people here seemed decent, like they'd never in a million years try to ensnare a young woman in their malicious intent. But you can never be too careful. 

A very heavy and very full glass of amber liquid was placed in front of me. Another one was placed next to me. Ice was swimming in both. Bon took his place next to me and nodded at the glass. 

"Some guy at the bar was askin' about ya'," he said. "I was talkin' to him about our band an' he's got a band over in Perth..." He hiccuped. "I said you were with us an' he bought you a drink." He flicked the glass with his finger and the ice floated around while the alcohol rippled. "Whiskey on the rocks, jus' how you like 'em." Bon smiled, his eyes a little glassy. But only just a little. "That's what I told him, anyway." 

"And you delivered it?" I asked. 

"Yep. Told him I'd hand it to you personally." I was flattered but I refused to even take a sip. I had to stand my ground no matter what. Alcohol made me sick and I wasn't interested, plain and simple. Bon kept staring at it despite having one of his own. I pushed the glass in his direction. 

"You can have it," I said. Bon's glassy eyes lit up and he reached a hand to snatch it, but stopped short. 

"Ya' sure ya' don't want any?" he asked. "It's pretty tasty once ya' get used to it." He hiccuped again.

"No thanks," I said. There was no way I could hold up half as well as Bon with even one sip. Bon must have had at least a hundred of those glasses and he wasn't even slurring his words. He took my glass and set it down right next to his own, clinking them together. 

"Cheers," he giggled. "Ah, there he is!" Bon raised his hand as Cliff came back to the table with a small glass of wine. "Our man of the hour!"

"An' there you are," Cliff said looking at me. "Thought you might have left."

"Nah, Cliff, the night's still young!" Bon said slapping me on the back. "She ain't leavin' an' neither are we!"

"Where're the others?" Cliff said. Bon pouted and gave Cliff a thumbs down.

"They left," he said. "Didn't wanna stick around. But we're still here." He smiled, slowly turning his thumb upwards. Cliff couldn't help but laughing and I joined in. Bon pouted again. "What?"

"What time is it?" Cliff asked, not bothering to answer. Bon looked at his watch. 

"It's...." He narrowed his eyes and turned his wrist around. "Eight fifteen?"

"What?" Cliff reached across the table and pulled Bon's wrist over to look at his watch. Bon didn't seem bothered and just drank his glass down. "This says three forty, Bon," he said. Bon looked at his watch again, sipping. 

"Oh!" he said. "Right, my mistake." He shook his wrist and grabbed the drink I let him have. 3:40??? How in fuck's name could it be that late already?? I wasn't as sleepy as I expected to be but maybe the bar scene was getting to me. 

"Lucky we don't work tomorrow," Cliff said. "I'd have turned in hours ago."

"You're no fun," Bon said. "You're boring."

"An' you're nuts."

He watched the ice get smaller and smaller in his glass. "'m not that nuts...." he mumbled. "Jus' pissed...."

"After this we ought to get back," Cliff said polishing off his wine. "Get ya' both home."

"Ya' think I can't walk?" Bon said pretending to be offended. "Psh, I could ski to the hotel if I wanted." He finished his first glass and grabbed the second. I wondered if the man who bought it for me was watching us. Watched me give it away. "Could turn cartwheels..."

"We'd all like to see that," Cliff said. "Right, Hannah?" I didn't know how to answer. As funny as Bon could be when he was drunk, it hurt me to know this is partly what killed him. Maybe we'll never know the full story of that night but my heart couldn't help but ache as I watched him down more whiskey. 

I didn't want Bon breaking his teeth on cement if his cartwheel wasn't on form either. 

"Boring!" Bon yelled, insisting. Then he started laughing at a joke no one told. Cliff and I exchanged one look and started laughing as well. 

Okay, I admit. Bon was fucking funny.

Maybe it was an hour where everything was ten times funnier than it normally would be and maybe we were all sleep deprived. But something about Bon laughing at nothing and giggling over his drink tickled us to watch. And drunk or not, he was still such a sweetheart. 

Slamming his glass down after chugging it he wiped his mouth on a napkin and left it crumpled on the pile of growing trash. Cliff grabbed it all and went to throw it away. Bon hiccuped and closed his eyes, folding his hands over his chest. Cliff came back and slapped him on the shoulder. "Bon, wake up," he said as Bon snored. "Wake up, we're goin' back."

"Snrk," he said. He snored a little louder before finally opening his eyes. "Hmmmmm....what?" he asked seeing Cliff standing over him. I stood up too knowing good and well this was my chance to get back. I remembered all my things were back in Stelle's room and the boys were staying at a different hotel. And I didn't have a key to either one!

"You gonna walk or do Hannah an' I have to carry ya'?" Cliff asked. Bon wiped his nose with the back of his hand and stood up. His eyes were barely open and he still managed to walk steadily out the doors. It was chilly outside and I shivered in my tiny, lacy tank top. Cliff found a payphone and pulled out a couple of coins. "You stay here," he told us, mostly Bon. "I'll get us a cab."

Cliff, despite having had a couple drinks himself, was very alert and aware. I wouldn't let him drive us anywhere but he wasn't falling asleep standing up like Bon was. I caught him and he woke up again. "Hm?" he said looking around. "Hi, Hannah, you goin' in?" Bon pointed at the bar we just left. "I would if I weren't so fuckin' tired."

He closed his eyes but didn't fall asleep. The cab company took their sweet time answering Cliff's request and he finally hung up a few minutes later. "They'll get here in a bit," he said, throwing one of Bon's arms around his shoulders. 

"Hey, Cliff," Bon said. "Why don't ya' carry Hannah?" he asked. "Help the lady out."

"Whatever Hannah drank tonight is nothin' compared to you, Bon," Cliff said. He looked to me for confirmation. 

"Just water," I said. 

"Water," Bon said like it disgusted him. "There's water in whiskey, uisge....uisge....somethin' or other..." he muttered following Cliff down the street. 

By the time we got to the intersection a cab had pulled up at the street sign. "Alright, that's ours," Cliff said leading Bon toward it. Bon didn't stumble once as he climbed in the backseat. I got in next to him and reached for the seatbelt only to grab at nothing. 

I felt around. Nothing. I looked over Bon and saw nothing on the other side either. Cliff got in on the other side of Bon and gave directions to the driver who pulled away from the street. 

I hung on the handle of the door.

The seventies were wild times.

On the way back to the hotel Bon had fallen asleep and slept on Cliff's shoulder. Cliff didn't seem too bothered. "We're all used to it, ya' know?" he said. "There isn't one of us Bon hasn't taken a nap on."

Bon snored the whole time. The cab went over a curb and while I gripped the door handle for dear life, Bon bounced off Cliff and fell forward, his head hitting the back of the front seat. "All right back there?" the driver called.

"Yeah, it's fine," Cliff said as he and I pulled Bon back up to a sitting position. Bon was still asleep. "How're ya' doin', Hannah?" Cliff asked. "The night what you expected?"

"Well..." I said as the cab bumbled down the street. My notebook and pen bounced around on my lap. "I certainly got more than I bargained for..."

Finally the cab pulled up to a curb and stopped and I almost fell out of the vehicle. Cliff dragged Bon out with him and sat him down on a bus stop bench while he paid the driver. Bon had woken up by now, his eyes much clearer and even sobered up a little. He could probably have another couple of drinks! The day was just beginning!

I helped Cliff escort Bon through the hotel and into the elevator. Bon slipped out of our hold and stood just fine on his own. "I'm thirsty," Bon said. 

"You can have a drink in my room," Cliff said. "Got some things in the fridge if you want."

Bon nodded and stared down at his Nike shoes. I collapsed against the wall and hung on to the bar. I didn't like elevator rides at the best of times and no sleep only made them worse. "Ya' think the laundry's open tomorrow?" Bon asked. "Today, I mean."

"Eh, probably," Cliff said. "I'd love to have a set in the rooms. Hassle to take 'em all in."

"Fuckin' expensive too," Bon yawned. "Nearly fifteen a bag."

The elevator finally let us off and we walked down the hall to Cliff's room. Cliff took out his key and Bon walked right in. "Ya' comin' in, Hannah?" Cliff asked. "Or do ya' have somewhere to go?"

No, I didn't have somewhere to go. Stelle was long gone with all my things in the room and I once again couldn't brush my teeth. I smacked myself for being so irresponsible. Just because I was a groupie didn't mean I could just do whatever I wanted and everything would just work out! This wasn't a Wattpad fanfiction!

At least...not yet...

"I should probably stay here," I said feeling guilty for intruding. "My stuff is at the other hotel. Stelle's hotel." Cliff nodded.

"Ah, I see. Well, make yourself at home then." He closed the door after me and I heard some clinking around in the kitchen. Bon came out with a bottle of beer and a newspaper. "You're a day behind, Bon," Cliff said heading down the hall.

"Jus' wanted somethin' to read," he said. "Always helps me fall asleep after a long night."

"You takin' the couch?" Cliff asked. 

"Mmm....sure," Bon mumbled, his eyes scanning the articles. He flipped the page taking a drink.

"Then Hannah gets the bed," Cliff said. "I'll grab a chair."

I was about to protest when Cliff went to use the restroom. Bon's eyes were glued to the paper and his lips glued to the bottle. I made my way to the bed and collapsed on it. Now that it was so early I wasn't sure I could fall asleep. But I managed to around five in the morning.

**********

When I woke up I saw a mass of black hair on the pillow next to me. 

I was once again sharing a bed with a drunken Bon. Well, I had done it once, I could do it again. Someone was talking in the living room and I debated whether to get up or fall back asleep. Bon snored rather loudly and I knew I couldn't fall asleep to that. So I forced myself to get up.

After using the bathroom and pining after my toothbrush I came out to see Cliff on the phone. He looked at me. "She's up," Cliff said. "Alright, see you in a bit." He hung up and went back to eating his breakfast. "Mornin'," he said.

"Morning," I said. He made himself an egg and some bacon. 

"There's more on the stove if ya' want," he said. "I'll have to make more for Bon anyway. After his beer he passed out on the bed. He still asleep?"

I nodded and Cliff drank what I thought was either coffee or tea. It was another bright sunny day, about eleven in the morning. I was still tired and my whole body ached from our night out. Cliff looked okay, he was probably used to this kind of thing. Bon would be fully charged after a long rest too. 

"That was Stelle callin'," Cliff explained over his egg. "Ya' didn't come back last night so she called thinkin' ya' might have wound up here. Sleep alright?"

"I guess so," I said. Truth was I could have used a few more nights. "You?"

He smiled. "Eh, not the best. But not the worst. We'll live." He was writing something down on hotel stationary. "Stelle's comin' over, by the way," he added. "Your stuff is still there, you said?"

"Yeah, my other clothes and things." My stomach rumbled but I didn't feel too hungry. The eggs smelled good though so I helped myself to a few bites from the pan on the stove. I wasn't sure how long I could last on late night bar hops and irregular bites of food. The Universe or whatever should have picked someone more adventurous, someone with a stronger immune system. What if this was too much for me and I just...died?

Could I die while I was here?

Would I just cease to exist if I did? Would I be sent back in time to 2024? I shook my head. It was too early to be dwelling on the morbid. 

There was a knock at the door and Cliff stood up to answer it. Stelle was waiting on the other side all dressed up and ready for the day wearing a pair of heart shaped sunglasses. "Mornin', Stelle," Cliff said letting her in. 

"Good morning, Cliff," she said heading straight for me. "There you are, you little night owl. Ready for a new day?"

"Yeah, sure," I said wanting so badly to climb into my own bed and sleep the day away. 

"You off work today?" she asked looking around for my notebook. "I've got a few phone calls to make and need to get back to the hotel but other than that I'm free."

If the band was having a day off today I didn't want to spoil that by holding interviews. I had the day off too. Maybe Stelle and I could laze the day away. "I'm on break," I said. 

Perfect," Stelle said grabbing my hand. I grabbed my notebook and pens as Stelle dragged me out of the hotel waving to Cliff as she left. Cliff wished us well and closed the door after us. "You get some good notes on Cliff?" she asked.

"I think so," I said unable to double check. I still had to fix all the mistakes I made from the low lighting of the bar. 

"Good. This is fun, isn't it?" she said with a big smile. "I just love musicians!"

I had to agree. I liked musicians too.