Nancy's Narrative
It wasn't that big a deal to begin with. Least, I didn't think it was. A week's vacation was pretty much something we all needed after the stress of our tour in Europe, after all. When Harvey Gabor offered the use of his mountain chalet for Jewel for a week, well, of course we jumped at the chance. We're not idiots. Well, most of us aren't, anyhow.
The problem began, though, when we discovered that Harvey had also extended the invitation to include his grand-daughter Emily. Personally this ain't a big deal either, I mean, Emily, or Sirena as she's usually known, is a friend of mine these days, we've even done a song together. But Syl just wouldn't quit complaining about it. Syl is our keyboardist...her mother is Mary Martescu, formerly Stormer of the Misfits and because Mary's such a hotshot musician Syl thinks she's something special too. She's also stubborn as hell when it comes to shifting her opinion. So what if Em used to cause trouble for us in the past? That was then and this is now, right?
Wrong.
Trust stupid Sylvina to make a scene and embarrass us all completely. In the end, though, it didn't do anything to change matters. The five of us are still up here in the chalet for the week and I'm kinda glad about it, too. Syl needs to learn she can't have her own way all the time.
So basically that's how it's worked out. The chalet isn't huge, nothing on the scale of the Gabor Mansion, but at the end of the day that's not important to me. It's just nice to get a break from work for a while and gather stock. I haven't liked to admit it to the others, but i've had writer's block kinda bad these last couple of weeks and I'm worried as to where Jewel's next song is gonna come from. Perhaps this break is what I need to clear my head.
That is, if Syl would only shut up squawking...
 
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"I still don't see why there has to be five of us." Sylvina Martescu dropped down onto the couch, a grimace on her face. "Some vacation this is gonna be if we're stuck with smug-face Sirena the whole damn time, huh?"
"It's her grandpa's chalet." Aurora Stapleton or 'Topaz', Jewel's bass guitarist and frequent vocalist pointed out sensibly. "And it won't be that bad, Syl. She needs a break too, you know...it's been hard for her since the baby was born, being a single Mom and all...well, this is a chance for her to get away for a while and leave Mike with Harvey. Least we can do is let her have some fun this week."
"Topaz is right." Elizabeth Santiago, or 'Copper', the band's drummer nodded her head. "Peace is the order of the day. Right?"
"Some hope of that with Syl about." Nancy Pelligrini, lead guitarist and songwriter stretched out on the faux fur rug on the floor with a sigh. "Mm, this is comfy. It's so nice just to get away from Misfit Music and work and everything for a week and just relax, you know?"
"Have any of you ski'ed before?" Topaz asked. Sylva nodded.
"Yeah, Anna and I both learnt when we were younger, we went on a lot of holidays in the mountains when I was a teenager." She agreed. Anna was her identical twin sister.
"Nancy? Copper?"
"Not me." Nancy admitted. "Never wanted to learn, to be honest."
"I can't ski either." Copper grinned. "So no doubt you and I will be enchanting novices together, Nance. What about you, Topaz? You ski?"
"Yes, I do." Topaz nodded. "Have family in North USA, remember? And I've been skiing in the Canadian mountains too." She cast Sylva a grin. "At least one of you won't be falling on me, huh?"
"Well, I hope you'll help us out." Copper looked pleading. "I'm terrified I'll break a leg or something."
"We will." Sylva assured her. "By the time you leave here at the end of the week you'll at least know the basics. I promise you that."
Before anyone could respond, the door of the chalet swung open to reveal their final housemate, and Sylva cast Sirena a dark scowl.
"Looks like the company just went downhill." She muttered. Sirena rolled her eyes, but, casting Sylva with a look of contempt, she turned her attention instead on Nancy.
"So, you girls grabbed rooms?" She asked lightly. Nancy nodded.
"Yes." She agreed. "Copper and I are sharing the one at the end of the hall, Syl and Topaz are next door. We thought you'd want your own room."
"And we don't want to share with you." Sylva added.
"Don't worry, Sylva, I can assure you I'd rather sleep with an egyptian mummy in the next bed than share a bedroom with you." Sirena said with a scornful shrug. "I'll go unpack, then."
She headed across the room to the far door, pausing upon reaching it and fixing Sylva with a warning look.
"Don't think you're gonna upset me by making babyish remarks all week, by the way." She said cuttingly. "I've lived with little kids at the Foundation and you're nothing to what they could come up with."
Then she was gone, leaving Sylva visibly seething. Nancy smirked.
"That told you." She observed lightly.
"Who's side are you on?" Sylva demanded. "Turncoat!"
"Emily isn't the enemy any more." Nancy objected. "Just because you don't want to be friends with her doesn't mean we can't be. I like her and you were rude to her...she's right. You were being babyish."
"I think that if we're gonna have a good time here this week there needs to be a time out." Copper said with a frown. "You two, please...we want a vacation, not world war three erupting. We're here on break, Sirena's here on break, let's all try and get along with each other, huh?"
"Copper is right." Topaz agreed.
"You saying I should let that witch Sirena talk to me like that?" Sylva demanded, indignant.
"I'm saying you need to be the better person and not rise." Copper said pointedly. "Okay?"
Sylva sighed.
"Okay, okay, but only for you guys." She said resignedly. "I'll try. All right? But if she mouths me off, I ain't gonna stand for it. So be warned, all right? I've no time for that girl, whatever music company she's signed to or whoever her mother is. She's worthless and talentless and the world would be a happier place without her!"
Unbeknownst to Sylva, the thin wood walls of the chalet had allowed her words to carry into the next room, where Sirena was unpacking her belongings. The singer's eyes narrowed, and she sat down on the end of her chosen bed, contemplating.
"Stupid brat." She muttered. "Jewel mightn't be so bad as a whole but that girl is still insufferable and stuck up and downright obnoxious. Boy would I like to teach her a few home truths this week! Show little miss perfect from her prissy popular kid background how things operate in the real world."
She clenched her fists in her anger, but as she cast her gaze across the room she sighed, taking in the empty bed. The cabin was meant for six, but there were only five of them staying there, and somehow she felt very isolated. Why she should feel that way she wasn't sure, but there was something almost intimidating about staying with Jewel en masse.
"Nancy's cool on her own, but with the pack it might be different." She mused with a frown. "I don't know Copper or Topaz or what the hell they think of me."
In truth, though she wouldn't admit it, Sirena was a little envious of Nancy's other friendships, particularly that with Jewel's drummer. Though the eldest of the party and, in her mind, the most adult, she almost wished she was properly one of the gang.
She got to her feet, moving to the window as her thoughts shifted to her baby son. Her eyes touched with tears as she remembered saying goodbye to him.
"It's just for a week." She reminded herself firmly, forcing them back. "And you know you need the break, he's driving you mad. He's eight months old, he's starting to crawl and he's into everything...that's the last thing you need 24/7. A week's break will do you good and he'll be there with Grandpa when you go home. Get a grip, Em. This is a holiday, not a wake. You're here to have fun...now damn well enjoy yourself!"