Rum and Coke

“So, I’ve decided something,” Ryan stated boldly.

Ellie looked up from her book.

“What have you decided, baby?” Kay asked from the other side of the bed.

“I’m not going to let my condition get to me.”

“You might never walk again,” Larry said from his seat in the back corner.

“How do you plan on drumming without the use of your legs?” Zacky asked from beside Larry.

Ryan waved his hand in the air. “Details, details.”

“Zacky, he won’t need them,” Ellie spoke up. “Because we’re going to hook the pedals into a computer and the computer can operate the kickdrums. That way, I can still rock out with my Terror Twin.”

“Heck yea! We can be like…Wheelchair Rockers.”

“Wheelchair buddies!” Ellie shouted as she and Ryan pounded fists.

“You two are some of the strangest-” Matt said.

“You know who they remind us all of, right?” Val asked, glancing to the other corner, where Jimmy sat innocently reading the newspaper.

“Who, me?” He asked child-like.

“Yes, you,” Val insisted. “Think about it: they’re both crazy until it’s time to perform and then it’s like bam! Focus.” Smiling, Val turned back to the two invalid teenagers. “see what I mean?”

Sure enough, they were already locked into a massive thumb war.

“Ha! Victorious!” Ellie sung before sticking out her tongue.

“Oh, c’mon! Best two out of three!”

“You’re such a sore loser. Like you were last night. Oh, ellie, that’s not fair, you’re not supposed to have stronger arms than me,” Ellie whined, mimicking the boy.

“That was not how it went and you know it.”

“Oh you know it was, don’t even play that ca-”

“Children! Stop,” Brian said, finally breaking the two up.

Ellie and Ryan both turned their heads to Brian.

Brian shuddered. “Oh, that was creepy. Don’t do that again.”

“Ryan say what.” Ellie commanded.

“What?” Ryan asked.

“Good boy.”

“Dam you.”

“Children. Man, you two bicker like an old married couple,” Johnny said, leaning back in his chair. “No offense, Kay.”

“None taken. I’m used to them by now.”

Ren checked his watch. “Hey, Ellie, you have an appointment right now.”

“Oh, phooey, and here I was about to run a marathon.”

“That would be highly entertaining to see,” Jimmy smiled.

Ellie shook her head at him and laugh. “Ok, father-dearest, mind un-padlocking me now?” she shot at Brian.

“Whoa, padlock?” Matt questioned. “Syn, what the fuck?”

“It was the only damn way I had to make sure that she was going to stay in that chair,” Brian said while getting up and undoing the lock on the back of Ellie’s chair.

“I can’t believe I didn’t see the chain before. Damn, Syn, you didn’t have to chain her in like some sort of sex slave.”

“Like you would know all about those,” Brian shot back.

“Hey, you two, we don’t need another lover’s spat going on in this room,” Zacky interjected.

Ellie looked around at everyone in the room. “And I’m going to take that as my cue to leave the psycho ward. Ryan, I will rescue you eventually.”

“Better do it quick before they eat my brains.”

Ellie shuddered. “On second thought, I won’t save you. I can’t deal with zombies, you know that. Peace, my homie. May you die with honor,” she said before wheeling quickly out of the room.

“Damn, that girl is fast.” Brian commented.

The other four band members exchanged glances.

“Yea, just like her mother,” Jimmy stated boldly.

“Just like her mother,” Brian repeated under his breath.

“Are you going to let her disappear from your life, too?” Jimmy prompted, causing Brian to turn back and look at him.

“No, I intend on getting the other one back when we get to New York.”

Brian didn’t see Val bite her bottom lip and look away nor did he see Ryan roll his eyes.

“How the hell are you going to manage that? She left you, ya know?”

“I know that, Jimmy, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to get her back. I’m not going to lose her again. I’m not going to lose either of them.”

“Whatever you say, man. If I were you, I would have a plan.”

“Jimmy, for once in your life, you’re a fucking genius. I’m going to go and do that right now,” Brian said before running out of the room and disappearing down the hall.

“So, I assume that he doesn’t know yet, does he?” Ryan asked.

“He doesn’t know whatexactly?” Zacky asked, leaning forward.

“Ho, obviously you don’t know, either. Damn, I can’t go anywhere. Fuck. Pretend I never said anything!” Ryan tried to recover. He gave a few fleeting looks around the room. When Val wouldn’t make eye contact, he gasped. “You know?! Thank something she told someone else!”

All eyes turned to Val.

“You know what, Sweetie?” Matt asked.

“Um.”

“Someone close the door, at least,” Ryan quipped, suddenly feeling guilty for putting her in the spotlight.

Jerry quickly stood up and closed the door. “Now that that’s out of the way, what the hell is going on?”

“Danni um…” Val began

“Of course it’s about Danni,” Matt mumbled.

“Danni uh-” she stuttered again.

“Danni died a little over three months ago. She had a panic attack and her heart stopped.”

“What?” Jimmy asked, standing up. “No. No, it can’t be true. I refuse to believe that it’s true,” he said while walking to the door.

“But it is true.”

“No! I refuse to be lied to!” he said before slamming the door shut.

“But, I wasn’t lying,” Ryan said in a small voice.

Zacky wiped his eyes. “That was her best friend. E-excuse me, too.”

Johnny sighed and leaned back again. He rested his head on the wall behind him.

“When was Ellie planning on telling us?” Larry asked.

Ryan shrugged. “New York, obviously. She hasn’t really come to grips with it either, come to think of it.”

“Damn, baby, she’s younger than us,” Matt said. “Fuck, I remember the first time Rev and Z brought her-”

“I know, hon.” Val said.

“And you’ve been keeping this from me? How long?”

“A few weeks now. Don’t get mad, I promised Ellie that I wouldn’t tell anyone.”

“But you couldn’t tell me? I’m the one who thought you two should be friends!”

“Matthew,” Val hissed as she stood up. “I fucking promised that girl and I wasn’t about to break it because of some pillow talk!” she growled before following in Jimmy and Zack’s footsteps.

“So, tell me about more about Danni, Johnny,” Larry said. “Since she always seems to tear this band apart.”

“I don’t know much about her. I mean, she practically made my life hell in highschool, the few weeks that she was there…and I didn’t see her again until we shot the “Brompton Cocktail” video.”

Larry nodded. “I’m going to go call some venues.” He said before getting up and walking out of the door.

“Fucking Danni,” Johnny muttered before he, too, stood up and walked out the door.

“So, something tells me that we shouldn’t have heard any of that,” Kay said while still staring out the door.

“Yea, I think we just opened a can of worms- a very large can of worms.”

“Yea. You think they’ll tell Brian?”

“I hope not, for everyone’s sake.”