Chapter Six - Lost Souls

The new friends head out to Frank’s yellow car, a Fiat something or other.

Lorrie catches sight of the copy of Crime and Punishment there on a makeshift shelf by the back seats.

Frank unlocks the car and moves a pile of CDs from the passenger seat and gestures for Lorrie to sit down, she does, and returns the pile of CDs to her lap as she sifts through records by Doves, New Order, The Radio Dept, Bjork and PIL, telling Frank she likes all of them.

It makes Frank feel good that Lorrie likes them, because validation of what we like by people we like makes us feel good inside.

‘This record came out when I was in high school’ Lorrie tells Frank as she singles out the album Lost Souls by Doves.

She takes the CD out of its case and looks for the okay from Frank to put it on. He gives it.

And in a stationery car at the seafront, they listen to Lost Souls.

‘I love this album’

‘I remember my brother coming home with it from a visit to HMV in Manchester. I remember the way we bought CDs then, it was so exciting, there was a ritual to it – buy CD, listen to CD as soon as you get home, lie on your bed while you listen to CD and look at every single picture on the album sleeve intently and with admiration, and always think - I'm so thankful that this record was made’

‘I can honestly say that in my teenage years I felt more anticipation for the first listen of an album I was so looking forward to than the kiss of a boy I liked. I never fell in love with a boy as a teenager, but I fell for a chorus, a riff, a dreamy tone, over and over again’

‘I was in high school too when this record came out’ Frank told Lorrie.

‘I was in my final year and I’d never loved the repeat button on my stereo so much. After a while the actual button came off, the function still worked, but the button just hung around my room until one day it became lost’

Lorrie pulled the visor ahead of the passenger seat down, where she checked her face in its small mirror. Her sunglasses were still kept on, her pale eyes remaining evident through their ombre lenses.

In profile Frank watched her as he turned the key in the ignition to drive. There was no traffic, but Lorrie’s eyes were busy.

The music played on. The tone was sad.

They drove in no obvious direction, on a wide open road, like two thoughts caught on the cloak of day, they were drifting.