Chapter Text
He was sitting in a swivel chair, staring at himself in the mirror. He was not happy, his eyes barely moved but she could tell that he was studying himself intently. He wore no shirt, a pair of black slacks and no shoes or socks. Julie was hiding in his room, she had not meant to linger for so long but he had returned and she'd had to hide herself quickly. The door was locked now, she was in his little closet and peeking through the gap of the half closed closet door. Julie sighed softly, admiring him and feeling very much like she wanted to just come out and give him a hug.
He looked so beaten down, so unimpressed and those eyes... They were so sad and yet, she could think of no reason why. She knew it was wrong to adore him to the point of envisioning him as some sort of perfect being, but she couldn't help it. She saw no flaws when she looked at him, she knew he did have them but she chose to never notice them. What did he see looking back at him that depressed him so? Why did this talented man think so low of himself that he had to gaze so disappointely at his own reflection? His brow furrowed and he leaned closer, catching her attention once more.
Sitting back with an audible sigh, he ran his long fingers through his hair and closed those beautiful, mismatched eyes. His body language said it all, he was depressed. But why? He had it all: Fame, Fortune, Fans, Friends.... It was a mystery to her, Julie wished she could do something for him but she wasn't even supposed to be here. Her only ambition in life was to meet David Bowie, it sounded shallow but she really wanted to meet him no matter what. Getting this job was a step in the right direction, he had been known to stay there a few times and so it seemed only logical that he would return someday. Now she was right there in his hotel room, watching him for so long that it would be too weird to come out and show herself now. Many times she meant to come out and pretend she was cleaning, or something similar...
But the longer she stayed silent and hidden, the harder it was to come up with a reason for being in there. Julie watched him still, he spun around in his chair and stood up. Her heart started to race as he walked towards the closet with a curious frown on his handsome features, she wished he would smile more. He had such a genuine smile, it captured her heart everytime she saw it. Just as his hand reached out for the little door knob of the closet, a knock at his hotel room door stopped him abruptly. He turned and hesitated in front of the door, but he did not open it.
"Who is it?" he asked, he sounded tired and a little hint of anger was in his tone at being interupted.
"Sorry to bother you!" a woman's voice came through the closed door, followed by hurried footsteps.
Julie recognised her best friend's voice, she must be worried by now because it was past time to call it a day and go home. His body turned back towards the closet door, had he left it open or had Julie herself forgotten to close it when she'd snooped in there earlier? He turned again and walked over to a small cooling unit, taking out a beverage that soon filled her nostrils and made her lick her lips. She hadn't noticed how dry they were until now, but how could she get out of there without causing a scene?
He put down the bottle and walked back over to the mirror, Julie silently pleaded with him but to no avail. He sat down and looked at the man in the mirror, the one who made him frown and sigh so defeatedly. Mere hours ago he had been in his kingdom, high up on stage with thousands of adoring and screaming fans reaching out their hands towards him like a sea of fingers. He had been smiling then, she recalled, eyes lit up and teeth showing. He had such an infectious smile, no matter how low she felt; all she had to do was look at his smile and she would feel it lift her spirits instantly. Julie wished she could tell him this, all of it. His eyes were still studying himself, did he see what everyone else saw? If he could only see what she could see, he wouldn't look so downhearted. Sadness and despression were such easy emotions to mask, hidden with a simple smile or a quick "I'm just tired... "
It was a silent and lonely emotion, it had no substance but people who suffered from it just couldn't help how they felt. She knew this because from time to time, her brother suffered from it and he almost took his life before finally getting help. Julie easily could have predicted what he did next, as his hand reached down and picked up the hotel room phone. Under her breath, she begged him not to do it.
"Hey, it's me... Yeah I know... Same place? See you in ten... "
He placed the phone down and looked at his reflection once more, he seemed ashamed of himself but he slowly got up and glanced around. Grabbing his shirt that he'd thrown onto his bed earlier, he grabbed his key and headed towards the door. Slipping on his socks and shoes quickly, he exited the room and Julie let out a long breath of relief. But it was short lived as she quickly moved to follow him, he could get into trouble if he was talking to someone shady on the phone and she felt that she should keep an eye on him at least. It was very quiet as they left the hotel, she hadn't realised it was so late.