Worry Rock
Reunion
---Charlie's POV---
I'm talking to Chris on instant messenger now. I just updated him on the things that have happened lately. Yeah, we've been keeping in touch. He says his sister freaked out when she found out, and a lot of people don't believe him, but it's fine with me. It's not like I want everyone to have my phone number and email address. That would be horrible.
Mr.Whirly: so you 2 r going out now then?
6Smart6Ass6: That's what I said.
Mr.Whirly: well congrats
6Smart6Ass6: Um, thanks.
Mr.Whirly: o no wats wrong?
6Smart6Ass6: Huh?
Mr.Whirly: u said um
6Smart6Ass6: Nothing's wrong.
Mr.Whirly: r u sure?
6Smart6Ass6: Yeah, god-dammit, I'm sure.
Mr.Whirly: u don't sound like it
6Smart6Ass6: I swear I'll leave.
Mr.Whirly: ugh, fine... you moody ass rock stars and your fucking mood swings...
6Smart6Ass6: Ha ha, very funny.
Mr.Whirly: :)
6Smart6Ass6: I gotta go... Jake's coming.
Mr.Whirly: ok then. ttyl if u dont 4get about us little ppl
6Smart6Ass6: Who are you again?
Mr.Whirly: hardy har.
6Smart6Ass6: Just kidding... I'll talk to you later.
Mr.Whirly: Bye.
Chris is always joking like that. You know, poking fun at me because I'm in a band. I guess it just makes it more fun that I'm in a successful band - well, for the moment, anyways.
Anyways, I wasn't lying. Jake is coming. I close my laptop, and he says, "You ready?"
"As I'll ever be," I reply. I push the computer from my lap to the couch and stand, following him out the door.
"So you were talking to that Chris dude again, huh?"
"Yup."
"Did you tell him about what's been going on?"
"Some of it. I told him Joey and I are going out, but nothing specific. I don't need people outside of our little cult knowing the details of my personal life. The media does enough with that."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Feels like their eyes have been on me pretty much my whole life. But then it was because of Dad. Now it's me. So at least I have that."
"Yeah. Now you're the rock star!"
"Yup." We get into his car and he starts to drive. "I missed my car," he says patting the steering wheel.
"I miss mine too, but you wouldn't let me drive."
"Because mine is better."
"No, it's not."
"Mine has fire on it! Flame is awesome."
"You're such a pyro," I laugh.
"So why do you talk to that guy anyways?" he asks, changing the subject.
"Hey, he's a pretty cool guy. It's not like he's anything more than a friend, and he gives me somebody to talk to who doesn't know every detail of my personal life."
"Are you saying you get tired of me?"
"No, I'm saying it's somebody different, and it's nice to talk to somebody every once in a while who doesn't have any dirt on me and who I can avoid if ever I want to."
"Oh."
We're here now. Where, you ask? Home. Well, the place that used to be my home. Yeah. Dad's home. All the drama with Joey happened just yesterday, but we decided we'd like to get this over with as soon as possible. I feel like I'm moving at the speed of light, even though I'm taking my time, as I open the door and swing my legs out. I swear, if my eyes were closed, I could still remember this place which I haven't been to in over a year. It's the feel of the air, the smells, the way the pebbles on the ground feel beneath my feet, the sounds of the neighborhood dog barking and the old screen door hanging off of the house next door. I remember it all, and it brings back so many memories, good and bad alike. I close the door and lean against it with my eyes closed, taking it all in.
"I can't do this Jakob," I say after a few moments, opening my eyes to see that he's standing right there by me. He sighs, running his hand through his messy brown hair.
"Charlie, you know I'd love if we could turn around right now, go back home, and just forget you ever even had a real dad. But I know that's not gonna happen, because you would never forgive yourself. So I hate to tell you, really, but you're going to have to get your ass up off of my car and walk into that house."
I sigh; he's right. I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't give my dad another chance. I push myself up and say, "Let's go."
"That's my girl," he says with a grin and puts a friendly arm around my shoulder. I feel a lot more secure while he's there. I'm so glad I'm not alone.
---Jakob's POV---
I remove my arm from her shoulders and take her hand, both for her comfort and mine. I don't know how I want this to go. If it goes badly, she'll be upset, but if it goes well, I still won't trust that fucker, which will eventually annoy the hell out of her. And the hell has been annoyed out of her a lot lately anyways, what with the big revealing of Joey's feelings and all. So to say the least, she's on edge. So am I, but let's not go into that right now.
Charlie knocks on the door, and after a moment, it opens, and look who we see: clean cut, not smelling of alcohol or cigarette smoke (yes, he smoked, even though Charlie has asthma), fully clothed and wide awake Peter Spencer. Well, at least he tried to clean up a bit for our little visit. He smiles warmly, as if he's a perfect loving father happy to see his daughter come home. Yeah, right.
"Carlie!" he says, pulling her into a hug.
"Hey, Dad," she says, hugging back a little, but still gripping onto my hand.
"Jakob! Did you get taller?" he says in an attempt to be friendly.
"Yes," I answer shortly.
He looks a little confused that I wasn't quite so cooperative as my friend. "Well, um, come in." We walk in, and Charlie throws me an appreciative smile while her dad's back is turned. I squeeze her hand in response.
"So I see the smell of alcohol is gone," I say nonchalantly as Charlie and I sit on the couch and her dad sits on the recliner next to it. "Or at least covered up."
"No, it's gone for good," replies Peter, who is obviously already getting annoyed with me. "After Carlie left, I gave up drinking permanently. I left Fran too," he mentions referring to his whore ex girlfriend.
"I didn't expect you to stay together for long. She cheated on you, you know."
"How did you know that?"
"It was obvious," I reply with a shrug.
"Oh. Well how have you two been?" he asks, trying to change the subject. "I hear your band is doing well."
"For now," Charlie says, finally speaking up with a smile. "We're touring and everything."
"Just like you thought we wouldn't be," I add.
"Well I'm happy for you," says the mechanical man. "How's it been going?"
"Amazing! I love being in the band! And Gerard and Mikey and Frank and Ray and Bob are all awesome. Touring is the best thing that's ever happened to me."
"I'm so happy that you're doing well," he repeats and then looks to me as if he knows I have something spiteful to say to him.
"Oh, no smartass comments from me this time," I tell him. "I agree with her.
We're all the happiest we've been in our lives since you've been out of them." Oh, did I say no smartass comments? Well, I lied. I don't have a problem with being an asshole to this man. He deserves it.
"Um, I'll be right back," he says, getting up and walking into the kitchen. And round one goes to Jakob!
"Ow!" I say quietly when I feel Charlie pinching my arm.
"Jakob, come on, please. Do you have to be that much of a dick?"
"Yes."
"But he's my dad."
"Exactly. And he treated you horribly, and I can't forgive him for shit like that. Do you forget what he did to you? Or worse, what he made you do to yourself?"
"I remember that, Jake, yeah, but maybe he really did change. It looks like he tried to clean up, I mean look around."
"He knew we were coming this week."
"Please give him a second chance."
"People don't change, Charlie," I state simply.
"Can you please tone it down just a little bit? I'm hanging on to this little piece of hope right now that I might be able to reconnect with my fucking family, and you're ruining it." By the end, she sounds really upset. Damn it, I hate when she's upset. I pull her into a hug.
"I'm sorry," I say sincerely to her. "I just really don't like your dad."
"I know," she says, "But can you at least try?"
I sigh. "I'll try, Char."
She smiles. "Promise?"
"I promise. I'll try."
"Thanks, Jake." I nod.
"Just be careful, okay?" I say to her in a concerned voice.
"I will."
"No, really, Charlie. I'll try to like him if you promise that you won't just jump in. You want to trust him so badly, just don't be irrational about it."
"I promise, Jake." She squeezes me tighter and then pulls away and starts walking around the room looking at how the previously messy stacks of movies are now neatly placed on the freshly dusted entertainment center. There's also a picture on there of Peter and Charlie from our tenth birthday. He's hugging her tightly around her waist, smiling into the camera, and she's laughing and trying to squirm out of his arms. At the side of the picture, my hands are visible holding hers and pulling.
*Flashback*
"Come on, Carlie! Picture time!" said her dad, whom I had called FiFi at the time, for some unknown reason. I guess it was something very amusing to my ten-year-old mind. He grabbed Charlie around the waist, pulling her close to him as she struggled.
"No! Daddy, no! Jakob, save me!" she yelled.
"Come on, Carlie, Joey wants to take a picture of us," said 'FiFi' in amusement. This was about the time period where Joey had discovered his love of photography.
"No!" she squealed, and I ran over, grabbing her hands.
"Come on, FiFi, let her go!" I yelled as I pulled her."
"Jakob, stop, I wanna take the picture!" whined Joey. He had started to become very annoyed with Charlie and me that year, but he was thirteen. It's expected.
"No! Run, Charlie!"
Her dad pulls her closer, and Joey snaps the shot. When her dad lets go, we skate off on the new roller skates we had been wearing, cheering that my friend had gotten free but laughing the whole time.
*End Flashback*
We were so innocent then. Peter was so innocent then. As of that time, he had never hit her once. Ever. It all changed when she got a little older, old enough to know what she wanted to do and had enough rational thought to really understand it all. Old enough to where he realized her hanging out with mostly guys wasn't just a phase. Old enough to where he could tell she would never be the proper young lady or the first woman president he always wanted her to be. She wasn't his little girl anymore.
"Jake?" I hear, and suddenly see snapping fingers in front of my face. I snap out of my daze to see Charlie standing there with a little smile on her face. "Welcome back to Earth."
"Take me to your leader!"
"Why?"
"So I can take over the world. Duh."
"Oh. Well I can't do that, you see, because I'm going to take over the world."
"Partners?" I say, holding my hand out as if to make a business deal. She shakes it in the same way.
"It's a plan."
"What's a plan?" asks Peter, walking into the room with a grocery bag in his hand.
"We're taking over the world," Charlie answers him and turns back to me. "Think we should include the guys?" she asks, meaning Boom, Warren, and Mick.
"Sure, why not?" I say shrugging.
"I have presents!" says Peter, and we both look over at him. He grins and takes out of the bag two boxes, tossing one to me and one to Charlie. I guess he figured if he didn't give me stuff too, he'd look stupid. I mean, really, our birthdays are together, and it's only right that we get presents together.
"Dad, shouldn't you wait to give us these? I mean, our birthday's in a couple of days."
"To tell you the truth, Carlie, I'm afraid to go to your birthday party. Billie Joe kicked my ass once, I'm not that stupid to go back there while he has backup."
We both burst out laughing. It's so true. My dad + extreme anger + extra angry people = death or serious injury to whomever made them angry. In this case, Peter.
"Yeah, you've got a point," says Charlie, and we both start opening our early birthday presents.
I finish first, of course. I always do. When I open the box, I see in it a few fast food toys and a band shirt. The Breakdowns, to be exact. Cool.
Looking up, I see that Charlie also got a shirt, but hers is white. I lean over and look at the words only to see in big black letters, "MY DAD'S A RETARD." I burst out laughing. Okay, I hate to say it, but Pete scored some points with this.
"Yeah, that's about right," I say through my laughter.
*Later That Day*
That went pretty well. Actually, it went too well. I mean, he's practically a saint now. No drugs, no alcohol, stable job, being nice to his daughter, hasn't had sex in a year, and he now owns a parrot named Paco, whose cage he often moves from room to room constantly (so he says). I like Paco. He's cool. And I taught him to say "Fuck you" too. Ha ha, I wish I could see Peter's face when he hears that.
Anyways, the parrot isn't the point. I don't believe that this man actually has changed. I mean, who could change quite that much in a year? He was such an asshole, there's no way in hell he's Mr. Nice Guy now.
Charlie's ecstatic. She fell for it 100%. I nearly did too, but reminding myself of his asshole-y ways helps me come to my senses. Charlie will understand how I feel about it, but she may be upset with me. I hope not. I really care about Charlie and I can't stand to see her in pain again. If Peter hurts her one more time, in any way at all, he's going to have me to deal with. I'm just so sick of seeing her hurt.
I'm talking to Chris on instant messenger now. I just updated him on the things that have happened lately. Yeah, we've been keeping in touch. He says his sister freaked out when she found out, and a lot of people don't believe him, but it's fine with me. It's not like I want everyone to have my phone number and email address. That would be horrible.
Mr.Whirly: so you 2 r going out now then?
6Smart6Ass6: That's what I said.
Mr.Whirly: well congrats
6Smart6Ass6: Um, thanks.
Mr.Whirly: o no wats wrong?
6Smart6Ass6: Huh?
Mr.Whirly: u said um
6Smart6Ass6: Nothing's wrong.
Mr.Whirly: r u sure?
6Smart6Ass6: Yeah, god-dammit, I'm sure.
Mr.Whirly: u don't sound like it
6Smart6Ass6: I swear I'll leave.
Mr.Whirly: ugh, fine... you moody ass rock stars and your fucking mood swings...
6Smart6Ass6: Ha ha, very funny.
Mr.Whirly: :)
6Smart6Ass6: I gotta go... Jake's coming.
Mr.Whirly: ok then. ttyl if u dont 4get about us little ppl
6Smart6Ass6: Who are you again?
Mr.Whirly: hardy har.
6Smart6Ass6: Just kidding... I'll talk to you later.
Mr.Whirly: Bye.
Chris is always joking like that. You know, poking fun at me because I'm in a band. I guess it just makes it more fun that I'm in a successful band - well, for the moment, anyways.
Anyways, I wasn't lying. Jake is coming. I close my laptop, and he says, "You ready?"
"As I'll ever be," I reply. I push the computer from my lap to the couch and stand, following him out the door.
"So you were talking to that Chris dude again, huh?"
"Yup."
"Did you tell him about what's been going on?"
"Some of it. I told him Joey and I are going out, but nothing specific. I don't need people outside of our little cult knowing the details of my personal life. The media does enough with that."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Feels like their eyes have been on me pretty much my whole life. But then it was because of Dad. Now it's me. So at least I have that."
"Yeah. Now you're the rock star!"
"Yup." We get into his car and he starts to drive. "I missed my car," he says patting the steering wheel.
"I miss mine too, but you wouldn't let me drive."
"Because mine is better."
"No, it's not."
"Mine has fire on it! Flame is awesome."
"You're such a pyro," I laugh.
"So why do you talk to that guy anyways?" he asks, changing the subject.
"Hey, he's a pretty cool guy. It's not like he's anything more than a friend, and he gives me somebody to talk to who doesn't know every detail of my personal life."
"Are you saying you get tired of me?"
"No, I'm saying it's somebody different, and it's nice to talk to somebody every once in a while who doesn't have any dirt on me and who I can avoid if ever I want to."
"Oh."
We're here now. Where, you ask? Home. Well, the place that used to be my home. Yeah. Dad's home. All the drama with Joey happened just yesterday, but we decided we'd like to get this over with as soon as possible. I feel like I'm moving at the speed of light, even though I'm taking my time, as I open the door and swing my legs out. I swear, if my eyes were closed, I could still remember this place which I haven't been to in over a year. It's the feel of the air, the smells, the way the pebbles on the ground feel beneath my feet, the sounds of the neighborhood dog barking and the old screen door hanging off of the house next door. I remember it all, and it brings back so many memories, good and bad alike. I close the door and lean against it with my eyes closed, taking it all in.
"I can't do this Jakob," I say after a few moments, opening my eyes to see that he's standing right there by me. He sighs, running his hand through his messy brown hair.
"Charlie, you know I'd love if we could turn around right now, go back home, and just forget you ever even had a real dad. But I know that's not gonna happen, because you would never forgive yourself. So I hate to tell you, really, but you're going to have to get your ass up off of my car and walk into that house."
I sigh; he's right. I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't give my dad another chance. I push myself up and say, "Let's go."
"That's my girl," he says with a grin and puts a friendly arm around my shoulder. I feel a lot more secure while he's there. I'm so glad I'm not alone.
---Jakob's POV---
I remove my arm from her shoulders and take her hand, both for her comfort and mine. I don't know how I want this to go. If it goes badly, she'll be upset, but if it goes well, I still won't trust that fucker, which will eventually annoy the hell out of her. And the hell has been annoyed out of her a lot lately anyways, what with the big revealing of Joey's feelings and all. So to say the least, she's on edge. So am I, but let's not go into that right now.
Charlie knocks on the door, and after a moment, it opens, and look who we see: clean cut, not smelling of alcohol or cigarette smoke (yes, he smoked, even though Charlie has asthma), fully clothed and wide awake Peter Spencer. Well, at least he tried to clean up a bit for our little visit. He smiles warmly, as if he's a perfect loving father happy to see his daughter come home. Yeah, right.
"Carlie!" he says, pulling her into a hug.
"Hey, Dad," she says, hugging back a little, but still gripping onto my hand.
"Jakob! Did you get taller?" he says in an attempt to be friendly.
"Yes," I answer shortly.
He looks a little confused that I wasn't quite so cooperative as my friend. "Well, um, come in." We walk in, and Charlie throws me an appreciative smile while her dad's back is turned. I squeeze her hand in response.
"So I see the smell of alcohol is gone," I say nonchalantly as Charlie and I sit on the couch and her dad sits on the recliner next to it. "Or at least covered up."
"No, it's gone for good," replies Peter, who is obviously already getting annoyed with me. "After Carlie left, I gave up drinking permanently. I left Fran too," he mentions referring to his whore ex girlfriend.
"I didn't expect you to stay together for long. She cheated on you, you know."
"How did you know that?"
"It was obvious," I reply with a shrug.
"Oh. Well how have you two been?" he asks, trying to change the subject. "I hear your band is doing well."
"For now," Charlie says, finally speaking up with a smile. "We're touring and everything."
"Just like you thought we wouldn't be," I add.
"Well I'm happy for you," says the mechanical man. "How's it been going?"
"Amazing! I love being in the band! And Gerard and Mikey and Frank and Ray and Bob are all awesome. Touring is the best thing that's ever happened to me."
"I'm so happy that you're doing well," he repeats and then looks to me as if he knows I have something spiteful to say to him.
"Oh, no smartass comments from me this time," I tell him. "I agree with her.
We're all the happiest we've been in our lives since you've been out of them." Oh, did I say no smartass comments? Well, I lied. I don't have a problem with being an asshole to this man. He deserves it.
"Um, I'll be right back," he says, getting up and walking into the kitchen. And round one goes to Jakob!
"Ow!" I say quietly when I feel Charlie pinching my arm.
"Jakob, come on, please. Do you have to be that much of a dick?"
"Yes."
"But he's my dad."
"Exactly. And he treated you horribly, and I can't forgive him for shit like that. Do you forget what he did to you? Or worse, what he made you do to yourself?"
"I remember that, Jake, yeah, but maybe he really did change. It looks like he tried to clean up, I mean look around."
"He knew we were coming this week."
"Please give him a second chance."
"People don't change, Charlie," I state simply.
"Can you please tone it down just a little bit? I'm hanging on to this little piece of hope right now that I might be able to reconnect with my fucking family, and you're ruining it." By the end, she sounds really upset. Damn it, I hate when she's upset. I pull her into a hug.
"I'm sorry," I say sincerely to her. "I just really don't like your dad."
"I know," she says, "But can you at least try?"
I sigh. "I'll try, Char."
She smiles. "Promise?"
"I promise. I'll try."
"Thanks, Jake." I nod.
"Just be careful, okay?" I say to her in a concerned voice.
"I will."
"No, really, Charlie. I'll try to like him if you promise that you won't just jump in. You want to trust him so badly, just don't be irrational about it."
"I promise, Jake." She squeezes me tighter and then pulls away and starts walking around the room looking at how the previously messy stacks of movies are now neatly placed on the freshly dusted entertainment center. There's also a picture on there of Peter and Charlie from our tenth birthday. He's hugging her tightly around her waist, smiling into the camera, and she's laughing and trying to squirm out of his arms. At the side of the picture, my hands are visible holding hers and pulling.
*Flashback*
"Come on, Carlie! Picture time!" said her dad, whom I had called FiFi at the time, for some unknown reason. I guess it was something very amusing to my ten-year-old mind. He grabbed Charlie around the waist, pulling her close to him as she struggled.
"No! Daddy, no! Jakob, save me!" she yelled.
"Come on, Carlie, Joey wants to take a picture of us," said 'FiFi' in amusement. This was about the time period where Joey had discovered his love of photography.
"No!" she squealed, and I ran over, grabbing her hands.
"Come on, FiFi, let her go!" I yelled as I pulled her."
"Jakob, stop, I wanna take the picture!" whined Joey. He had started to become very annoyed with Charlie and me that year, but he was thirteen. It's expected.
"No! Run, Charlie!"
Her dad pulls her closer, and Joey snaps the shot. When her dad lets go, we skate off on the new roller skates we had been wearing, cheering that my friend had gotten free but laughing the whole time.
*End Flashback*
We were so innocent then. Peter was so innocent then. As of that time, he had never hit her once. Ever. It all changed when she got a little older, old enough to know what she wanted to do and had enough rational thought to really understand it all. Old enough to where he realized her hanging out with mostly guys wasn't just a phase. Old enough to where he could tell she would never be the proper young lady or the first woman president he always wanted her to be. She wasn't his little girl anymore.
"Jake?" I hear, and suddenly see snapping fingers in front of my face. I snap out of my daze to see Charlie standing there with a little smile on her face. "Welcome back to Earth."
"Take me to your leader!"
"Why?"
"So I can take over the world. Duh."
"Oh. Well I can't do that, you see, because I'm going to take over the world."
"Partners?" I say, holding my hand out as if to make a business deal. She shakes it in the same way.
"It's a plan."
"What's a plan?" asks Peter, walking into the room with a grocery bag in his hand.
"We're taking over the world," Charlie answers him and turns back to me. "Think we should include the guys?" she asks, meaning Boom, Warren, and Mick.
"Sure, why not?" I say shrugging.
"I have presents!" says Peter, and we both look over at him. He grins and takes out of the bag two boxes, tossing one to me and one to Charlie. I guess he figured if he didn't give me stuff too, he'd look stupid. I mean, really, our birthdays are together, and it's only right that we get presents together.
"Dad, shouldn't you wait to give us these? I mean, our birthday's in a couple of days."
"To tell you the truth, Carlie, I'm afraid to go to your birthday party. Billie Joe kicked my ass once, I'm not that stupid to go back there while he has backup."
We both burst out laughing. It's so true. My dad + extreme anger + extra angry people = death or serious injury to whomever made them angry. In this case, Peter.
"Yeah, you've got a point," says Charlie, and we both start opening our early birthday presents.
I finish first, of course. I always do. When I open the box, I see in it a few fast food toys and a band shirt. The Breakdowns, to be exact. Cool.
Looking up, I see that Charlie also got a shirt, but hers is white. I lean over and look at the words only to see in big black letters, "MY DAD'S A RETARD." I burst out laughing. Okay, I hate to say it, but Pete scored some points with this.
"Yeah, that's about right," I say through my laughter.
*Later That Day*
That went pretty well. Actually, it went too well. I mean, he's practically a saint now. No drugs, no alcohol, stable job, being nice to his daughter, hasn't had sex in a year, and he now owns a parrot named Paco, whose cage he often moves from room to room constantly (so he says). I like Paco. He's cool. And I taught him to say "Fuck you" too. Ha ha, I wish I could see Peter's face when he hears that.
Anyways, the parrot isn't the point. I don't believe that this man actually has changed. I mean, who could change quite that much in a year? He was such an asshole, there's no way in hell he's Mr. Nice Guy now.
Charlie's ecstatic. She fell for it 100%. I nearly did too, but reminding myself of his asshole-y ways helps me come to my senses. Charlie will understand how I feel about it, but she may be upset with me. I hope not. I really care about Charlie and I can't stand to see her in pain again. If Peter hurts her one more time, in any way at all, he's going to have me to deal with. I'm just so sick of seeing her hurt.