Rum and Coke

“What’s that, Apple Pie?” Ryan asked as he leaned over Ellie.

Ellie showed him the piece of paper. “It’s the address of Mom and Kale’s house in California.”

“Oh, where at?”

“Santa Monica. When is that audition again?”

“The eleventh, so…four days.” Bailey said, her eyes glued to the road as it was her turn to drive.

“We’ll cross into Cali tomorrow night. And we’ll be at my aunt’s in the late afternoon.” Amazingly enough, Bailey’s cool aunt lived in Huntington Park, just south of L.A.

“Good. I’m so sick of this car! No offence, Bails.” Mark said sheepishly before returning to his video game.

“None taken,” she replied with a smile.

“So, what are the matches for? You have a lighter.”

“It’s where my mom used to work…it’s where she first met him.”

“Oh, you realize that’s in the bad part of L.A., right?”

Ellie craned her head to look at him. “When did you become all-knowing about L.A.?”

“I used to spend every summer there, dork,” he said with a smile as he ruffled her hair.

“Ok, so do you guys mind if I disappear for a little while? I want to go do some snooping.” Ellie asked everyone in the SUV.

“I don’t mind.” Bailey said, flashing her teeth in the rearview mirror. “But you know Aunt Suzy won’t let you go out alone.”

“I’m sure Aunt Suzy will realize that I’m a big girl and that I can handle myself. I mean, I practically grew up in the city!”

“Hell yea! We ran that mother fucking town!” Ryan yelled, pumping his fist into the air.

Everyone just laughed at him.

~*~

“I’m sorry, so what!
But you don’t think I’ve said enough
I’m sorry, I don’t care!
You were never there

Just as soon as I you but didn’t I, but didn’t I tell you?
As deep as I need you, you wanna leave it all” Ellie sung just under her breath as she looked at the latest celebrity magazines. They were all a little too far-fetched and in-your-face for Ellie’s liking, but she did enjoy reading them if nothing but for the laughter.

“What are you doing?” Mark asked as he came up behind her and placed his hands on her hips.

“Looking for comic relief,” Ellie said simply as she traded the magazine she was holding for a different, more colorful one.

“Comic relief from what?”

“The monotony that is my life at the mo. I want to know where all these teleportation machines are, goddammit! The cartoons of the past have lied to us!” she said as she flipped through her latest trash mag.

Mark chuckled and kissed the piece of flesh behind her right ear. “You crack me up.”

Ellie’s laugh was cut short when she caught sight of her picture. Furrowing her eyebrows, she bent down and picked up. “Broadway Baby Suffers Tremendous Loss. Psychotic Break Caught on Camera.” Ellie read with a monotone.

“What is this trash?” Mark asked as he looked for the title.

“I didn’t even think that they knew about me way out here,” Ellie said with an amused voice as she tucked the magazine under her arm and walked away.

“Ellie, what are you doing?” Mark asked as he watched her pick up some candy.

“Reading about my mental health. I want to know what they think about it. If anything, it will be extremely entertaining, don’t you think?” she asked as she paid for her items.

Mark shook his head. Like crazy mother, like insane daughter, he thought to himself. “Anyways, what was up with that song?” he asked as they walked out of the gas station.

“What song?” Ellie asked as she started to hum.

“The song that you were singing earlier…the one that you’re singing right now,” Mark replied with a light tone as he nudged the smaller girl.

“Oh, you know what it’s like when a song gets stuck in your head,” she smiled back. “Don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll fly out of my head soon.”

~*~

“AUNT SUZY!!!!!” Bailey yelled as she kicked the door open to the two bedroom Californian home.

“I’m coming child! Lord, kids these days and your damn ass-floss riding up into god knows where!” a woman in her mid-forties exclaimed as she made her way into the foyer from the kitchen. She had a prominent limp in her step that she acquired in her youth from an automobile accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. Along with the physical handicap, Suzy Walters also had brain damage that caused her to say random things that only she knew the meaning behind.

“Hi, Aunt Suzy!” Bailey squealed as her Aunt pulled her into a tight hug.

“Oh, child, I missed you so much! When your mom called and told me that you were coming, I immediately started getting the house ready!” then she moved on to Mark, asked him how he was doing. Next came Ryan; Suzy asked the usual questions and told him that there was enough room for the trailer in the garage. Being super overprotective over his instruments, he jumped up and ran out the door at the mere mention of added security.

And then it was Ellie’s turn. She was highly uncomfortable, not knowing exactly how much Bailey had told her aunt. Ellie didn’t know how Aunt Suzy would react or what she would say.

“Hey, Ellie! I see that Matt decided to stay at home!” She beamed, extremely happy that she remembered something worthwhile.

“No, he died several months ago,” Ellie said in a quiet voice.

Suzy’s smile faltered a little in shock. “Oh, I’m so sorry to hear that. How are you holding up?”

“I’m doing great,” Ellie said with a forced smile as Suzy wrapped her arms around the teenager.

“That’s good. And your family? Are your Uncles still as crazy as can be? How’s your mom? And Adam? I haven’t spoken to her in weeks!”

“My uncles and Adam are fine.” Ellie looked uncomfortably at her friends.

“Well, let’s go ahead and get settled into our rooms, shall we?” Bailey asked, trying to break the tension. “Ellie and I are still staying in the spare room while the guys sleep in the living room?”

“Ellie?” Suzy questioned, ignoring her niece’s outburst.

“My mom died a little over two months ago. If you’ll excuse me, but I’m very tired and would like to go to bed.”