Why’d you only call me when you’re high?
It had been two months, one week, and three days since Lily Evans kissed James Potter.
One night (really it was morning at that point) long after Mary, Marlene, and the boys left Benjy’s Tavern, Lily leaned over to James, grabbed his hair like she needed him to breathe, and full on snogged him.
It was the best moment of his life (and at this point his band had a number one single and signed a record deal).
The moment continued as he pressed her against the bar, then against the brick wall outside the tavern, then in the back of a cab, and finally, in his flat.
And they kept going.
And going.
And going.
And going.
Until James and Lily broke the seal and finally slept together.
And after it was all said and done James decided that April 21st was his new favorite day.
James woke up the next morning with a grin plastered on his face. Rolling over to say hello, James was surprised to find empty sheets next to him.
“Lily? Hello?” James cried out. But there was no reply.
Slowly pulling on some shorts, James ventured out into the apartment.
“Lily?” He asked again, but nothing. He walked around, peering into the empty bathroom and kitchen, until he noticed a note on the fridge.
Had to run. I’ll see you around. – Lily
Alright. Sure. She was busy today. He had only been head over heels in love with the girl for a year. He can wait til later to talk about what happened. Sure. No problem. Not one little bit of a problem there.
James could wait.
James could not wait.
He immediately called Remus (Sirius hadn’t been with a woman longer than one night and Peter was super stuck in the friendzone with his longtime crush Mary) and asked for advice.
“I mean, yeah. So, yeah. That’s what happened. And, I mean, yeah. So, do I call her?” James stuttered.
“James. Calm down. If you go crazy Lily is going to freak out and think you’re still in love with her,” Remus replied.
“Ummmmmm,” James groaned.
“Oh Christ,” James could practically hear Remus rolling his eyes as he spoke. “Your top priority is to not come on too strong. Let her breathe. If the sex really was as good as you say she’ll come to her senses and finally see how good you are together, but you can’t freak her out.”
Okay. Fine. If playing it cool was how James would get Lily to come to her senses and date him, it was worth it. He could do it.
And it worked.
Three nights later when the crew was at Benjy’s, he played it cool.
Didn’t try to sit next to her, no outrageous flirting, no confessions of undying love, and what would you know, James and Lily were the last two in the tavern when she jumped him.
Again.
They kissed against the bar, against the brick wall outside, in the back of the cab, in his apartment.
And it was perfect.
Again.
But Lily pulled the same morning sneak out routine.
The cycle continued for about a month. Just hooking up. They still hadn’t talked about it. Not that James was complaining, he’d take what he could get, but he believed that slowly but surely he was creeping into Lily’s heart.
He thought her feelings were confirmed on a random Monday night at 1 AM when she finally reached out.
“Come over?” She texted.
“On my way.” He immediately replied.
He rushed around the apartment. Finding the shirt that made his eyes look hazel (his eyes were plain brown no matter how many times he called them hazel), putting on his lucky boxers, even wearing matching socks. With a quick tooth brushing and swipe of deodorant, he was off.
He had barely knocked on Lily’s apartment door when she latched onto him. She pulled him in by his tee shirt, kissing him like she was thirsty, and he was the last sip of water on earth.
But it wasn’t right.
“Lily?” James pulled away between kisses. “Are you drunk?” He asked.
“Mhm,” Lily mumbled, pulling him back in.
James stepped back. “Lily. Hey. I don’t want to take advantage. If you’re drunk we should just go to bed.”
She stepped back towards him, pressing her body against his, “No James. You’re not taking advantage. I want this.” Her eyes glimmered as she spoke. “I want you.”
At that, James scooped her up and ran into the bedroom, Lily laughing as he stumbled to get them into her bed. And James went to bed that night satisfied it had become something more.
The next morning, James woke up to the sound of the shower running.
He knocked on the bathroom door.
“Lily, good morning. Do you want to grab some breakfast? There’s a new spot a couple blocks down that I wanted to try out?” He asked earnestly.
“Um no, I’m sorry. I just have a lot to do today. I’ve got to get moving.” She said, stumbling through her words.
“Oh. Um, well, I could pick something up and bring it back, if that would help?” He replied.
“No, no.” She said awkwardly. “Really, I just need to get my day started.”
James knew a rejection when he heard it.
“Alright. I’ll see myself out. I’ll see you around.” James replied coldly. Without waiting for a response, he walked out of the apartment.
James couldn’t stop thinking about her.
What had he done wrong? Was it the sex? Did he have bad morning breathe? Did she really hate him that much even though their chemistry was undeniable?
He thought about her while he drove home.
He thought about her during rehearsal.
He thought about her buying groceries.
He thought about her when Remus came to the band with a new love song he wrote (James was so distracted he didn’t notice Sirius glaring every time Remus mentioned his new boyfriend Gideon).
James didn’t stop thinking about her until two days later when again, at 1 AM, Lily texted.
“Just got home from the pub with the girls. Come over?”
And like a moth drawn to a flame, James couldn’t say no.
And he didn’t say no.
And he didn’t say no.
And he didn’t say no.
And he didn’t say no. Until it had been over two months of consistent drunk hookups and absolutely zero time spent together sober. Or hanging out. Or even talking.
James was fed up.
He was so fed up that he showed up rehearsal one Friday and announced to the boys, “Hey. I uh, know this isn’t usually how this works, and Remus and Sirius usually write and sing, but uh, well, I’ve been working on this song, and I’d really like to try it out.”
Peter, Remus, and Sirius glanced around at each other.
“Oh. No. It’s okay. Never mind. Let’s just work on whatever.” James blushed and walked towards his guitar stand.
“NO! Come on Prongs! You gotta play it for us!” Peter exclaimed.
“Yeah, I’m dying to hear what you came up with,” Sirius said with a crooked grin.
“James, come on! We were just surprised, that’s all,” Remus replied.
“Oh yeah. Okay.” James cleared his voice, turned to face them, and began.
The mirror's image, it tells me it's home time
But I'm not finished, cause you're not by my side
And as I arrived I thought I saw you leavin, carryin your shoes
Decided that once again I was just dreamin of bumpin into you
Now it's three in the mornin and I'm tryin to change your mind
Left you multiple missed calls and to my message, you reply
"Why'd you only call me when you're high?"
"Hi, why'd you only call me when you're high?"
“I have more, but, I mean, I feel like that’s enough to show you guys where I was going with it.” James said, out of breath from singing.
For a moment, no one spoke.
“Jesus Christ James. Why on God’s green earth have you not been writing more music!” Remus said, looking baffled.
Peter had an excited twinkle in his eye as he spoke, “You’ve got to sing it tonight, James! That’ll be the perfect place to play around with it!”
“Wow. Okay. Yeah, I will. Thanks guys.” James replied with a small smile.
So that was how, 10 hours later, James was about to piss himself as Sirius leaned into the mic, “Alright guys. Is everyone having a good time tonight?”
The crowd erupted.
“Well, I’m glad to hear it, but now, the night is going to get even better. For the first time, his marauders singing debut, the one, the only, JAMES POTTER” Sirius yelled into the mic.
James walked forward, his legs shaking beneath him.
“Hey everyone. This is something new we’re trying out. This is, Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High”
He took a deep breath, and closed his eyes, and began to sing.
Slowly but surely, he got more comfortable. He opened his eyes and starting walking around the stage. Something about the cheering crowd, the blinding stage lights, the sweaty venue, and all of his pent-up frustration from the last two months pushed him further into his performance than he ever imagined.
And so he sang.
Somewhere darker, talkin the same shite
I need a partner, well, are you out tonight?
It's harder and harder to get you to listen
More I get through the gears
Incapable of makin alright decisions, and havin bad ideas
Now it's three in the mornin' and I'm tryin' to change your mind
Left you multiple missed calls and to my message you reply
"Why'd you only call me when you're high?"
"Hi, why'd you only call me when you're high?"
He felt every last word he was singing. It was as if Lily was standing right in front of him, and he was screaming the words at her. He began the bridge when out of the corner of his eye he saw a flash of bright red hair moving through the crowd. He began to follow it as he continued,
And I can't see you here, wonderin where am I
It sort of feels like I'm runnin out of time
I haven't found all I was hopin to find
You said you gotta be up in the mornin
Gonna have an early night
And you're startin to bore me, baby
Why'd you only call me when you're high?
As he finished the bridge, he noticed a redhead pushing through the crowd. Green eyes met brown, and James practically growled,
"Why'd you only ever phone me when you're high?"
"Why'd you only ever phone me when you're high?"
"Why'd you only ever phone me when you're high?"
"Why'd you only ever phone me when you're high?"
He stopped. Out of breath, he began panting as the crowd erupted, but he didn’t move a muscle. It was as though he and Lily were frozen in time, locked in on each other. Sirius grabbed the mic from James, “Alright guys! Wasn’t that something! We gotta get James up here on the mic more often, right?”
James couldn’t hear the crowd scream, he couldn’t think, he couldn’t anything.
He dropped his guitar on the stage and ran.