Chapter One: The Poet's Words

The picturesque beauty of Shorehaven was displayed again in all of its glory as the sun shone down brightly on the glorious metropolis.

The golden ball soaked the city in its usual bathing light; a warmth just right for being outdoors. The heat of the day was not as oppressive as some of the summer days had been. It seemed perfect for what Claire Nichols had in mind, as she continued to throw various items of clothing from her wardrobe onto her big double bed.

She was searching for what seemed like a needle in a haystack. Well, kind of anyway. She was trying to make a haystack the size of a needle really. In that she was trying to decide what to pack in her bag to take with her. And when you owned a wardrobe full of clothes, that was not an easy task. Especially when you had to fit the other essentials in there too.

Searching through her clothes to find all of the ones she wanted had taken hours. But at least she was almost done. When she could finally find the last thing she was after.

"Yes!" Claire exclaimed triumphantly, as she saw her quarry and reached to pull it from under a pile of clothes that she had forgotten she had had.

"How did you get under there?" she asked the red and black plaid schoolgirl-style skirt she had spent the last hour looking for.

Heading over to her bed, Claire began sorting through the mess. Fawning over clothes she either couldn't fit in her bag or wouldn't be the right kind of thing to wear where she was going.

Halfway through packing her bag, the twenty-year-old heard her phone ringing, playing one of her favourite tunes which she had made her ringtone.

It took a moment for her to find the thing under all of the mess that covered her bed, but when she finally found it she smiled for a moment as she saw her boyfriend's name on the caller ID.

"Hey, Mike," Claire said happily as she answered the phone.

She rested it on her shoulder as she continued sorting her clothes out. Finally picking out those which she wanted and folding them neatly before packing them in her bag.

"Hey, babe. You all ready?" her loving boyfriend of two years asked pleasantly.

"Almost. Just finishing packing. What time will you guys be over?" she asked, trying to hurry. She didn't want to forget anything, but if Michael was calling then they would be on their way over soon.

"Should be on our way in a minute, when Matt gets the van going," Michael answered with what sounded like a jest at their friend. Claire heard Matt in the background saying something in reply. "Should be about ten minutes after that. So Matt says in about fifteen?"

"Sure, I should be ready by then," she replied, before Michael told her he would see her then and they hung up.

It took Claire another five minutes but finally she was all packed. Clearing her clothes onto the floor, she headed over to the mirror to touch up her make-up before checking her clothes.

She had decided to wear something normal to travel in. She would be in the van with the others for a few hours as they drove where they were going, and she didn't really need to dress up until tomorrow.

So she was wearing her black PVC trousers, which showed off her smooth thighs and tight ass well. A tight black band t-shirt with a band on called Chiron, their name written coolly above the picture. Her thin black hoody, which had flames on the back, added to her look. And her black knee-high boots finished her outfit off. Although she had left the heeled ones - it probably wasn't wise to take them to a field.

Well, maybe she wasn't completely dressed down.

Touching up her dark brown lipstick, Claire smiled at herself in the mirror as she zipped the hoody up halfway.

Her long, straight, dark red hair hung perfectly down her back and over her shoulders. Her large bright green eyes seemed to sparkle like gems, while her clothes emphasised both her small, slim waist, her flat stomach, and her large 38D tits that were encased by the tight band t-shirt.

Michael should be most impressed indeed, Claire thought to herself with satisfaction.

Turning back to the bed, she checked her bag once more. She thought about how nice it would be to get away from home for a few days and head to the biggest festival on the west coast.

Valestock was the festival that the City held every summer, and it always drew the biggest bands from across the world. Probably because of the weather and the popularity of the city, but also because of the place in which it was held.

Valestock was always held in the countryside around the city known as The Dales. Vast rolling fields, forest, lakes, hills, and other things besides, that really came to life in the summer and gave the rock festival that added glamour.

Claire had always wanted to go, but something had always come up. However, this year she, Michael, and four of their friends, had saved up. One of them had even bought an old van to drive them there and back again. And this time they had finally made it. If Matt could get the van working that was.

Satisfied she had got everything, Claire took her bag downstairs and left it in the hall as she waited for Michael and the others to show up.

Finally, after another twenty minutes, Claire heard a horn sound outside and looked out the window. Waving at Michael to tell him she was coming, she went to say goodbye to her parents and headed out of the front door.

"HEY!" she heard the guys cheer in the van, as she came out into the sunshine. She put her dark sunglasses on as the light shined brightly.

Claire smiled amusedly at the guys' cheering and even more so at the van. It was an old-looking van that looked like a slightly smaller version of a Ford Transit. However, it had blacked-out windows on the side. And from what she could see, it had makeshift cushion sofa things along the one side.

Matt had also spray-painted some... 'things', Claire couldn't quite make out what, along the sides. But despite its odd appearance it was perfect to be heading to a festival in. Really rock and roll.

As she reached the side of the van, she kissed Michael quickly before she climbed into the back, him following, pulling the door shut behind him.

Sitting down on one of the cushion-sofa...things...along the wall opposite the door, Claire noticed there was another one on the opposite wall by the van's side door.

She was also actually surprised by how much light came in through the dark windows. Not to mention the one Matt had made in the roof.

Wow, he had done a great job on this after all.

Looking at Michael as he sat beside her, she smiled at him. His handsome face smiled back at her warmly. His hair was gelled up and in some stylish fashion, while he wore one of his tight band t-shirts, emphasising his hot body underneath.

Sitting opposite Michael, on the side with the door, was Zach, Michael's younger brother.

He was the same age as Claire's brother, eighteen - two years younger than her and Michael. There was another Archer brother, however Michael didn't really talk about him much, except to say that he was in the prison up in Codleton. So Claire hadn't asked either.

Zach had inherited his brother's good looks, though.

He seemed to be just as toned as Michael was. However, whereas Michael was the artistic guitarist type, Zach was the sporty drummer type.

His hair was still the same dark colour, but it was a little longer than his brother's and he usually wore it under a bandana. A different one every day from what Claire had noticed.

Also, whereas Michael had brown eyes, Zach had a blue so bright that his eyes seemed to glow like sapphires when the sun came out.

Then there was Anthony Kella. Or as everyone she knew called him, Tony.

Tony had been a friend of her and Michael's for as long as all three had known each other separately. The same with Matt too. They had all met each other during the last couple of years at high school.

Matt, Tony, and Michael had wanted to start a band back then, but that hadn't really taken off too well.

Tony was Latino. His skin was golden and his dark eyes piercing, while his dark black hair hung in braids to his shoulders, which occasionally he tied back.

He was the singer in the 'band' that the guys had wanted to create. And from what Claire knew he would have been good at it too. He was attractive, poetic, confident, and had incredible presence, not to mention a great voice.

Looking away from where Tony lay against the luggage at the back, to the cab of the van, she smiled as she noticed the mass of black hair that was tied back at this point. That usually made Matthew Richards look like some kind of bear or lion.

While the others were all toned, Matt was taller and a little more built than they were, in a bigger build and muscular kind of way. Although he wasn't what anyone would call huge, just in comparison to the toned others.

He was also black to their varying shades of white. Matt was the 'bass player' in Michael's make-believe band. And he had kept his thin strip of a beard under his bottom lip ever since he had been able to grow it.

Still, it suited him, and it didn't detract from his looks either. Nor his skill with building things.

In the time it took Claire to glance at everyone and smile, the van had already started moving.

"Don't forget that we need to grab Sam on the way, Matt," Claire called out to her friend, and Matt raised his fist in acknowledgement.

"Already on my way, darling," he called back in reply.

Matt always called everyone by some odd name, whether it was brother, bro, darling, beautiful, honey, or whatever. But there was usually always one or the other at the end of whatever he said.

Claire smiled as she turned back to Michael and began talking with him about how much she was looking forward to the festival. Or about what bands she really wanted to see.

That led to some compromises when Michael named others he wanted to introduce her to. Such as an up-and-coming band on the 'unsigned stage' called Dark Desire, who Michael was adamant he wanted to see.

Ten minutes later, the van pulled up and the front passenger door opened for a moment before in climbed Claire’s younger brother Sam. He pulled the door closed behind him as he shook Matt's hand in greeting.

Sam was a skater. He usually wore those odd shorts that finished just below the knees, with a t-shirt and a cap of some kind. Oh, and he always had his skateboard with him. While he was really good at using it, it did not seem really appropriate for taking to a festival held in a huge field, Claire thought.

Sam was accounted attractive by the ladies that he and Zach hung around with, often down at The Strip. However, where Claire had naturally dark red hair, Sam had a blonde colour that was only lightly touched with her darkened crimson.

"Don't know why you've brought that with you," Claire jibed her brother with a small, amused smirk at Michael.

"Probably the same reason you brought half your wardrobe," Sam replied, and Zach laughed gently.

Michael did too, and Claire couldn't help but smile. She would get him back before long.

The journey to the festival was long and warm. Shorehaven was the biggest city Claire had ever been to, and driving through Gainborough took some time before finally they were out on the open country roads of The Dales.

While the Dale roads were far from being unkept, they were not as clear as the roads in the City. And every now and then the van would bounce up and down as Matt drove over some random rock or pothole or something.

When Michael asked why it bounced so much, Matt cleared his throat and said rather abashedly that he had been working on that. He said that they should watch getting in and out, as any heavy movement would make the van bounce around until he finally fixed the suspension.

That made Claire feel completely safe, of course.

Perhaps Matt wasn't so good at building things as she had first thought.

Despite the length of time it took, and the rather unsteady ride, after some time they finally pulled into the large parking area of the festival grounds. Matt pulled over as close as he could towards the entrance.

Piling out of the van, the six of them headed into the camping grounds to pick a spot. Which after much searching, they finally found one big enough for the tent that Tony had brought with him. The thing slept six people and had a little 'communal' area

After a long time and a lot of confusion, the six of them finally had the tent set up and had dumped their things inside.

After which, Claire, Michael, Tony, and Matt decided to have a wander around and see the huge area that made up the festival's stalls, businesses, and fairground rides.

As they made their way around the mass of people already gathered, and the tents, stalls, portable cabins, fair rides, and other strange objects, Claire stared around in amazement at all of the things there were to see.

She pointed several out to Michael and had other things she had never expected pointed out to her by one of the others.

The whole place was alive and filled with cool or random things. And the beautiful red-headed girlfriend grinned in open excitement, as she thought that the festival she had always longed to go to was not only shaping up to be as good as she had always imagined but in fact better!

Even just the stalls on their own were amazing. Merchandise, make-up rooms, even shower rooms. And that was just the beginning.

During their wanderings, Michael and her stopped off at a stall that sold band-specific belt buckles. Matt and Tony headed to the stall opposite to pick up some signed merchandise of one of the bands they liked.

Another time, they bought ice creams and ate them as they wandered around exclaiming over this, buying that, getting fake tattoos, and so on.

They must have easily spent a good hour or two walking around before Michael and Matt finally said that they felt like heading back, as they handed over the money for two crates of beer from one stall.

Claire told them to go ahead, and she would catch them up soon, as she still wanted to see the clothes stalls. She figured that the guys probably wouldn't want to trudge around after her. She fully intended on making the most out of the innumerable clothing stalls.

Unexpectedly though, Tony decided to stay with Claire. And so, the two headed towards one of the clothes stalls that Claire had had her eye on earlier, laughing as they chatted and walked on eating another ice cream in that baking heat.

"I can't decide between that one and that one," Claire said, as she pointed out two band tops.

One was an ordinary band t-shirt, though of the fitted kinds for women. The other was a long-sleeved top, which was also fitted but left the shoulders bare, as if someone had cut the shoulder pieces out. Though it connected under the arm to the rest.

"I like that one," Tony said, as he pointed out the long sleeve. And Claire laughed at him.

"You only like that one because it's tighter than the other one," she chided playfully, as she elbowed him.

"Well, you're asking a guy for his opinion. I have to be honest," Tony replied with equal amusement, as he started to finish his ice cream.

It had taken him twice as long as everyone else to eat his.

"Besides, you should just pick the one you like. Who cares what anyone else thinks."

For a moment Claire frowned at the two tops, turning them and running her fingers over the material, trying to work out which she actually liked.

"I like the long sleeve too. It's different to the others," she said finally, and Tony laughed as he continued licking his ice cream.

"Then you should get that one," he replied as if it were the simplest decision in the whole world.

Claire thought for a moment before she spoke again.

"You think it'll suit me?" she asked, as she glanced between the two tops.

Tony looked at her a moment before he shook his head slightly.

"Of course it'll suit you. You'd look good in anything you put on," he answered, and Claire smiled at him, grateful for the compliment.

"Aww, thanks. I think I will then," she said, before turning to the stall attendant and buying the long sleeve.

Heading away from the stall Claire had a spring in her step. She felt completely content and more than a little happy for finally getting to the festival. Not to mention at just how amazing it actually was. And being there with some good friends too.

It was a good feeling, and a beautiful day. And all the beautiful red-headed girlfriend could do was smile excitedly at everything around her, as she and Tony headed to a couple more stalls.

One stall for Tony to buy a beautiful-looking notebook and pen, which he wanted so he could write while he was here. And the other so Claire could buy Michael a flame design guitar strap, so that he could be ready for when he actually did get around to buying a guitar.

It didn't take long before they retraced their steps and headed back to the tent, though.

The others were all outside, sitting with a cooler box someone had gotten from somewhere. That held the beer beside them. And there was a campfire in the middle of the group with a pot that Matt was stirring, obviously cooking something to eat.

And so, the daylight passed in warmth and good friendship.

The night just got better from there, as the sun slowly began to sink into the horizon.

Around the fire, the six of them laughed and joked, ate and drank, and a little later on listened as Tony sang various tracks. That attracted the attention of others who were camping nearby, until their circle of six grew to a sprawling thirty.

Two people even brought over a couple of acoustic guitars and began to play as Tony sang.

And so, they played and sang, deep into the night as the light faded to darkness, lit only by the hundreds of fires in the camping field.

That was the first time Claire had heard Tony sing in person, and she sat and listened, her arm linked with Michael's. She was mesmerised by how good he actually was. It seemed to require no effort for him, the music simply flowed melodically from his mouth without ever hitting a wrong note.

And those around listened attentively, caught up in his voice and expressions and applauding as each song came to an end.

And so, the night went on into the small hours. However, finally, Claire decided to go to sleep. She wanted to have energy for the next day, as the shows began tomorrow and there were a couple of bands that she really wanted to see.

So, soon enough, the knockout redhead was curled up next to Michael in the tent, listening to Tony still singing outside. Before finally she drifted off to that harmonic melody.

***

The next day Claire awoke on her own and looked around smiling as her eyes cracked open.

Michael was obviously already out seeing one of the bands he really wanted to see, who just happened to be playing early in the day, while the two bands Claire wanted to see today weren't playing until the afternoon.

Taking her time to clean herself with the wipes she had brought and fix her makeup, Claire had a look through her bag to decide what to wear.

That was when she noticed the top she had bought the day before.

Smiling cheerfully, she quickly rummaged through her bag. She pulled out some gothic-style black material trousers with zips and chains on them, which would go perfectly with the top.

Before long, Claire Nichols had both the top and trousers on, with her red and black lace underwear underneath, and her black knee-high boots to finish the outfit off.

The top did look good from what she could tell. It was tight and outlined her small, slim waist, her flat stomach, and emphasised her large 38D tits. It clung to her, and was cut a little lower than she had originally noticed, although it didn't show any of her impressive cleavage.

Not that she minded that. On the contrary. Still, the top looked good, especially with the trousers, which were snug on her thighs while being loose at her ankles and calves.

She did wish that Michael was there to give her his opinion, though. She didn't have a full-length mirror to look at and it would have been nice to have an opinion from someone who could see all of her.

Shrugging, as there was nothing really to do, Claire headed out of the tent. She smiled as she noticed her brother and Tony sitting around the now extinguished fire, already drinking at this time of the day.

"So, what do you think?" she asked, as she stood up and brushed the top over her flat stomach.

"You look like a weirdo," Sam teased, then fell over as Tony threw a piece of something at him. Something that looked like it had been left over from Matt's cooking last night.

Claire smiled at that.

"Shut up, Samuel," Tony chided good-naturedly, before he looked back to Claire, "You look great. Told you it'd suit you."

Claire gave him a grateful smile, which Tony returned.

"I'm glad someone likes it," she replied, and gave Sam a sideways glance to which he held up his hands.

"I think I'm going to find me a hot chick," he began to protest, however Tony cut him off.

"Before your big sister throttles you, you mean?" Tony said teasingly as Sam got up.

Claire pursed her soft lips amusedly again, and Sam stuck his middle finger up before he ran away as Tony picked up his beer can.

Laughing at the scene, Claire sat down near her and Michael's friend and smiled at him as her brother disappeared into the crowds.

"Thanks for that. It was nice," she said with a soft smile, but Tony made a dismissive gesture.

"No need to thank me, Claire. I said what I thought. You do look hot," he replied, before taking a swig from his beer.

Claire laughed softly at that before smiling at him again.

"You drunk already, Tony?" she teased playfully, and it was Tony's turn to laugh this time.

"Not yet. Not yet," he replied amusedly, and this time they both laughed.

Eyeing him with amusement Claire shook her head, but as she did she noticed the small book resting beside him.

"So, have you written anything in your book yet?" she asked curiously.

Looking from the book to her with a mysterious smile, Tony took another drink before he replied.

"I've started a poem," he answered, chuckling lightly as he pre-empted the second question in her mind, "But I haven't finished it yet, so you can't look at it for now."

"You'll show me when you've finished it though?" she asked, as she placed her arms behind herself and leaned back. Claire enjoyed the slowly growing warmth of the day and the soft feel of the grass beneath her fingers.

"Sure. I'll show you later," he agreed, and Claire leaned forward momentarily to offer him her hand.

"A deal, then?" she asked with a pretty smile.

"A deal," Tony agreed, as he shook her hand.

Leaning back again, the pair continued to talk and laugh about various things as they sat, drank, and watched other people come and go. People were doing various and often odd things.

An hour later Michael came back, grinning from ear to ear as he kissed her softly.

"Woo! That was good!" he exclaimed, as he sat down beside Claire and took a deep draught of the huge water bottle that he had brought with him, "They were even better live than I hoped."

Claire smiled and sat up a little straighter, hoping Michael would comment on her new top. However, he didn't seem to notice as he continued to tell her how good the show that he had been at all morning had been.

Claire felt a little put out by that. She always tried to look nice, and it was always nice to hear a compliment, especially from your boyfriend.

Still, they were at a festival. She supposed when she had seen her two bands today, she would be as excited as Michael was. Still, a 'new top?' or a 'you look beautiful' would have been nice to hear.

Still, Claire let it go and concentrated on having a laugh with the two guys, and the others who randomly showed up at different times.

At least until it was her time to see the band she had wanted to see. And then with a kiss for Michael, she headed off to the concert area.

The show itself was a band called Chiron, and they were amazing. She saw both Zach and Matt in the crowd at different times, both of them getting into the show as much as she was.

Finally, the band finished playing, and Claire began to head back feeling full of energy and practically ecstatically happy.

By the time she got back, the only person by the tent was Zach. He had only stopped off before he ran off to another show.

And so, Claire decided that she would go for a walk and have a look at some more of the stalls and other strange things set up by them.

As she was wandering around randomly, she ended up speaking to various random people. Although halfway through her meandering walk, she did bump into Michael. He quickly pecked her on the cheek before rushing off to one of the unsigned stages to watch a band he had 'heard' were good, but he had never actually heard of himself.

A little while later though she bumped into Tony, who was waiting in line to go on a ride that swung upside down and stayed that way for a minute before swinging all the way around over and over.

"Hey!" Claire exclaimed, as she saw him waiting. She hugged him as she came over.

"Hey. You heading on here too?" he asked curiously as he let her go.

Nodding, Claire looked at the huge ride.

"Thought I'd have some fun while no one is around. It's kind of dead at the tent at the moment," she said, as she watched the huge cage-thing swing upside down a hundred feet or so in the air.

"Well, it's your lucky day, Miss Nichols, because I don't have anything to do until later when Hyperion comes on. So I'll hang out with you," Tony replied, as he too looked at the huge ride as it swung back down quickly.

Claire thought his expression must have been the same as hers as they watched the stomach-turning ride.

"Oh, good, at least someone's got time for me," she half-joked humorously, "I've hardly said two words to Michael today. And he didn't even notice my top."

Tony laughed lightly as he shook his head.

"Mike's just trying to see everything all at once. You'll get to spend time with him when he calms down," he replied soothingly, though trying not to appear so, "Besides, if he didn't notice your new top that's his loss."

Claire laughed amusedly at that and prodded him teasingly.

The ride turned out to be just as scary as it looked. However, at least she hadn't gone on it by herself. But still, she needed to cling to Tony's arm after she got off, albeit while laughing hysterically as her legs wobbled unsteadily and her head continued to spin wildly.

The next ride the two of them found was a mini rollercoaster, which was fun and far less scary than the first.

After that they visited several others, one even scarier than the first, which had Claire holding tightly to Tony's hand as the ride spun around so fast that she stuck to the wall while the floor dropped away beneath them! Nothing held them up but the force of the ride!

After that one, as Claire walked unsteadily away with a huge grin on her face, she decided that she wanted to head back to the tent and have a seat for a while. She didn't think her legs, head, or stomach could handle much more rapid movement at the moment.

Hyperion were on in a couple of hours, and she didn't want to be wobbly kneed for it after all.

Finally, then, they made it back to the tent, just in time to see Zach say a quick hello before he left the tent to just them. He told them as he ran off that the others were dotted around doing their own thing, most seeing some band called Odysseus.

By the time they had gotten back it was one o'clock in the afternoon, and the heat of the day was beating down on the campsite as the sun shone brightly in a perfectly blue sky.

Untying her boots, Claire took them into the 'room' in the tent that she shared with Michael. She sighed as she felt the heat of the day lessen as the shade engulfed her for a moment. Then she once more headed out into the sunshine to sit with Tony.

"It's a beautiful day. But, boy, is it hot," Claire said as she sat down, fanning her face with her hand.

"You are wearing a long sleeve. You should go change," Tony replied amusedly, as he sat writing in his book.

Claire considered peering to see if she could see what he was writing. However, Tony closed the book and put it beside him with the pen, obviously finishing what he wanted to add, before she even had chance to move.

"Yeah. But I only bought this yesterday. I want to wear it," she told him in reply, still waving her hand trying to cool herself down.

Then she remembered that they had a cooler full of beer, and reached in to grab one, offering one to Tony.

Her and Michael's friend took it gratefully and opened it the moment Claire gave him his can, obviously feeling the heat himself.

Opening her own, she pressed it against her cheeks and forehead before taking a deep drink. She enjoyed the chilled liquid as it cooled her down a little, although the sun continued to beat down on them relentlessly, so the coolness was only momentary.

Suddenly she noticed Tony take something from his pocket. A small plastic bag that had something dark inside it.

"What's that?" she asked curiously, as she took another sip of her drink, relishing the moment's coolness again.

"This," Tony answered, as he looked over in the bag and smelled the contents, before nodding to himself, "Is something to enjoy around the fire tonight."

It took Claire a moment before she realised what Tony was talking about. Then her eyes widened in amazement and delight.

"You brought weed?" she asked enthusiastically to which Tony nodded with a pleased smile.

"A guy's got to have something to relax with if he's going to be running around like a madman. Just look at Michael and the others," he answered with an amused grin, and Claire smiled broadly.

"Are you going to roll one up now?" she asked as she took another swig of her beer.

Tony looked around for a moment and shook his head.

"Not out here. If anyone smells it they'll all be coming over trying to have a hit. Then there'll be none left for us," he answered, and Claire nodded. That made sense.

And then a thought struck her.

"How about we smoke it in the tent? It's cooler in there anyway, and we could zip the front up so no one could smell it. If anyone smells it, then we could just say we smoked it all," she said sounding triumphant at the cleverness of her own suggestion. Not to mention that it suddenly seemed more inviting as the day seemed to just be getting hotter rather than cooler.

Tony chuckled to himself at how enthusiastic she sounded, but he still nodded his assent anyway.

He couldn't really disagree, and he did want to smoke himself after all.

And so, the two of them grabbed their cans, and a couple extra so they wouldn't have to come out and let the smell out prematurely, before heading into the tent. They zipped the front flap closed behind them.

Once inside, Tony tossed his book into the 'room' he was sharing with Matt, and he and Claire sat in the 'communal' area.

Swigging their drinks, he rolled up the weed to smoke.

When it was finally ready, he offered it to her first and Claire took it and lit the end, taking a deep drag. After a few each, Tony lay on one elbow as they talked and drank their beer.

The sounds of the people outside, and the bands playing in the distance, filled the background noise as the two of them chatted, smoked, and drank happily away for a while. They began laughing as the weed began to relax them both.

"You guys really should start that band you've been going on about," Claire said, as she took a swig from her can and watched Tony take another drag, "I mean, you sing beautifully. You'd easily make it big. Just think, we could come here to see you guys play!"

They both laughed at that last, though Tony nodded at her words before handing the joint back to her.

"Maybe we will. I'd like to. I mean I know the others don't have any instruments, but I know they can play," he replied dazedly, as he took a deep draught from his can.

"See. And you always write lyrics. You totally should!" she told him, before drawing deeply on the joint for a few drags then handing him the end bit.

Tony finished it off before sitting up and beginning to roll a second.

As she watched him deftly roll the joint, Claire glanced towards where Tony had tossed his book. She thought that now he was more relaxed it might be the perfect opportunity to bring it up.

"Which reminds me," she began teasingly, and poked his arm as she smiled amusedly, "I think you should show me your book. I've never heard you sing before last night, and I want to see what you write. Mike's always telling me you write amazing things."

Tony laughed as she prodded him, probably because she almost fell over forward as she did. However, he didn't reply at first, until she stared at him with her best puppy dog eyes.

"Alright, fine. Just let me finish rolling this first," Tony finally conceded, and Claire threw her arms in the air.

"YAY!" she shouted, almost spilling her drink as she grinned at him broadly.

Tony simply shook his head, an amused smile painting his face, as he concentrated on rolling up the next joint.

To Claire, he seemed to take forever. However, finally he finished and handed her the joint as he leaned towards his 'room'.

Claire, however, smiled mischievously and crawled swiftly over, grabbing the book from his hands as he picked it up, and dived forward to stop him from getting it off her.

"Hey! That wasn't the deal!" her and Michael's friend exclaimed, as he crawled in after her. He almost spilled his beer too as he lunged to try to get the book back.

Claire rolled onto her side and clutched the book to her chest tightly, wrapping her arms around it and refusing to give it back. Even when Tony tried tickling her to make her let it go.

"No, stop! Stop, Tony!" Claire giggled and struggled against him, "Hold on! Hold on! Listen."

Finally, he stopped tickling her, though he did watch her suspiciously for a moment. Then he sat back and took a deep drink from his can as he waited to listen to what she had to say.

"I'll hold the book, but you can tell me what to read. Ok?" she asked, as she turned her head to glance at him.

Eyeing her cautiously for a moment he finally nodded. He once more lay on his side next to her as Claire rolled onto her back.

She left the book on her chest as she placed the joint in her mouth and lit it. She took a deep drag before handing it to Tony so she could hold the book upright.

"Alright, first page?" she asked, as she looked at the cover.

"Well, there's only one thing written in there at the moment. So, yep," he answered calmly, before taking a drag on the joint. He watched as she slowly opened the book to the first page.

Claire's beautiful green eyes fell on the short passage that filled half of the first page. The only half that had any writing on it.

'The music speaks softly to these gentle ears

Writing the words that are felt through soft winds

That drift along with the summer's breeze

Softly the elegant woman treads the supple grass

The blades welcoming her soft skin's caress

The beauty of a summer's day is given ever more

A gift of magnificence it did not possess before

Oh, gentle creature so pure, so sweet

That fills the senses with a splendour that this Poet

Fails to render in the limited words of song

Your softness and beauty are matched by none

Equalled by nothing, admired by all

Watch all she passes stare in desire

At the emerald queen of blazing fire

She who stirs the winds of passion within

She who can belong to none, even when desired by all

To touch me once, oh maiden sweet,

Would render this Poet mute

But a price more worth paying he knows not

And a prize more worthy, cannot be.'

At the end of the writing, Claire smiled faintly, touched deeply inside by the words she had just read.

Reading it over once more, the words seemed somehow to make sense to her. What it was that was really written there. But she couldn't say what, only how it made her feel, especially with the complete relaxation caused by the weed, the drinking, and the warmth of the day.

"It's beautiful," she said, before she looked to Tony.

He smiled gratefully in return as he lay on his side beside her.

"Who is it about?"

For a long moment, he didn't answer, but rather smoked more of the joint and watched her silently with his dark eyes.

Finally, though, in answer, Tony placed the joint in a shallow tin he had and touched her cheek softly before he spoke.

"Oh emerald-eyed queen with flaming hair, there is no beauty as you so fair. For you the gods would bend their knee, to be blessed by the beauty I now see."

Tony's finger gently stroked her soft cheek as he looked into her eyes and spoke his words.

Whether it was his words, the weed, or the alcohol, Claire did not know. However, slowly she reached to gently touch his cheek also. Then she lifted her head slowly, and still looking into Tony's eyes, and lost in the moment, gently pressed her lips to his.

For a moment their lips simply touched. Then with a heart that began to beat faster, Claire softly kissed Tony's lips once more.

His hand continued to gently stroke her cheek as he tenderly kissed her lips in return. Once, twice, and three times softly.

Electricity seemed to fill the air as their lips touched and Claire stared into Tony's eyes.

And then suddenly that electricity exploded.

With a heavy breath, Tony mashed his lips against hers, his tongue darting into her mouth as she opened it welcomingly.

"Mmph," Claire moaned into Tony's mouth, as her tongue began to dance with his passionately.

As their lips smacked and their tongues danced, filling the tent with the soft slurping sounds of their kiss, Claire reached up and wrapped her arms around Tony's neck.

She pulled him closer to her, and Tony responded by climbing on top of her, his lips firmly pressed against hers as their tongues hotly darted and danced eagerly.

"Mmph," Claire moaned again, as she opened her tight-trouser clad legs to wrap them around Tony's waist.

She folded her arms around him and ran her hands through his hair, as he lay heavily on top of her, kissing her forcefully while she returned it just as vigorously.

Suddenly, Claire broke the kiss and breathed out heavily. A breathy moan escaped her lips, as Tony moved his hips and pressed his crotch into hers hard.

He kissed down her neck and onto her shoulders. The beautiful red-haired girlfriend ran her hands through Tony's braided hair, relishing the feel of his hot lips kissing and gently biting her neck and shoulders. Then once more his lips found hers, and they embraced in another hot, passionate kiss.

Tony's hand soon slid up her legs, enjoying the feel of her soft thighs as they held tightly around his waist. Up to her small waist, and then, slowly he moved his hand up to cup one of her large, heaving breasts. He squeezed gently on top of her tight new top as their tongues danced faster.

"Ohmph," Claire groaned into his mouth, as she felt his hand roughly grope her tits before once more returning to her stomach.

Their kiss quickly grew more intense, and soon Claire pushed her hands under Tony's t-shirt, reveling in the feel of his solid back on her hands.

Tony too pushed his hand under Claire's top, running his strong hands along her side before pushing his hand up, under her top and over her bra. He cupped her heavy, round tits and squeezed them roughly. Their lips smashed and their tongues danced in each other's mouths.

The feel of Tony's strong hand on her bra-covered tits, under her tight top, sent a spark to the electricity in the room. Claire felt her body blaze in lust as Tony grabbed and squeezed her breasts, while they kissed passionately.

As Claire's body suddenly set on fire with erotic passion, she roughly grabbed Tony's t-shirt and began yanking it over his head.

Tony let her tits go and broke the kiss long enough to let her pull his shirt over his head. As she did, she stared hungrily with lust-filled eyes at his toned body as it came into view.

Then Tony once again mashed his lips to hers. This time, however, he took a hold of her hands, pressing them down beside her head as they continued to kiss noisily.