Abandoned and Confused

Joe’s POV

I woke up to find that I was in someone’s living room. This confused me. I was sure after Kevin’s beating last night that I wouldn’t survive it, but somehow I am lying on a couch, with my scrapes covered and my ribs wrapped.

Then I noticed a girl. She was getting onto the Internet and onto Google. She must have saved me last night; I owed the girl a lot.

I wondered if she was a fan, or just a generally nice person. Did she clean me up like this?

My thoughts were interrupted by a voice. Not a voice I would have expected, it came from the computer speakers. I would know that voice anywhere, because it came from my older brother.

“Hi everyone. This is a sad morning for us. We know that many of you have noticed Joe’s depression over the last few months. Well he has decided that the music industry is not for him anymore and is now out of the band. He is still our brother and we will still love him and we ask you to do the same.” He spoke. Correction, he LIED.

My older brother, the person I should trust most in the world, lied to millions of people and by the tone of his voice, he has no remorse.

He still loves me? BULLSHIT! If that was true than why am I stranded in some girl’s home after he attempted to beat me to death.

Then Nick spoke.

“I agree. The band will not suffer though and we will continue with our work. I will sing lead now and Kevin will sing occasional solos. Frankie will have more involvement on stage as well. Thank you all for understanding this confusing situation.” Nick stated in the most scripted voice I have ever heard him use.

I was confused. Did this mean that he regrets last night? Or that he had no guilt at all? Nick was always the most difficult to read out of all of us, and even I couldn’t unmask his charade at the moment.

The girl sighed and I remembered she was there. I wasn’t sure how I was going to act around her. Did I tell her I was okay? Would she make me leave and force me to go back to my family? Would she even believe me?

I started shifting my weight and the bruises on my ribs made me groan in pain.

The girl looked at me. She looked apprehensive.

“Hi…are you okay?” She asked.

How do I play this? I can’t go back to my family. “Uh, I guess so. What’s going on? Who are you?” Half-honest questions.

“Um, I’m Sage, Sage Mason. I found you at the end of my driveway last night, your tour bus was pulling away.”

Sage Mason, beautiful name. But wait, tour bus? She knew who I was…but what if I didn’t?

“Tour bus?” I asked, pretending I was confused.

“Yeah…don’t you know who you are?”

I felt my face go pale; I was so scared she’d know I was lying. “No,” I whispered because that’s all I could get out.

“Uh…well your name is Joe and your family is away for a while. They are touring the country. You can stay with me for a while if you’d like.”

Is she really going to pretend I’m not famous? This could work out better than I thought. I could start a whole new life.

“Um sure, I guess, since you’re the only person I know. Do you know my family? Who are they?” Maybe faking amnesia wouldn’t be that hard.

“Well they are really musical, but I don’t know them personally, and they are really religious. I’m not sure what your last name is.” Why is she lying? Not that I’m complaining.

“Oh okay. Do you know anything about me?”

“Uh…sort of. I know you like to sing and have fun, and you’re a really goofy person.” Yeah right.

“Okay… What happened to me?”

“I’m not to sure. I heard yelling and then I rushed to the end of my driveway where you were lying, all bloodied and bruised. By the way you probably have a broken rib or two and maybe a concussion.”

Oh no. What did she know? Did she put two and two together? How could she, my brothers were great actors.
“Wait, you said the bus was pulling away. Do you think my family did this to me?”

“I honestly don’t know. I don’t know why they would or even if they are that type of people.” She seemed as if she knew more than she was letting on. This wasn’t good.

“Okay, I hope they aren’t the type of people that would do that to someone.” It was true. Did wish that my family were the kind of people not to do this, but they weren’t. They were monsters, or at least my brothers are.

“So…” she paused. “I don’t know you and you are obviously confused and probably have amnesia so…do you want to stay here until you remember or are feeling okay enough?”

She’d let me stay? Who was this girl? She knew enough not to let me know that my family was evil and she’d let me stay? What other choice did I have though? She knew that. She knew I couldn’t go back to them.

“I guess I don’t really have another option.”