She's With The Band
Chapter 20;
Jack stared at his Sidekick,begging for it to ring. Imelda hadn’t called him. When Jack had walked out of the bar, a slight buzz caused by three beers clouding his brain, he expected a voicemail to present itself on his phone. He squinted in confusion at the clock, which read 1:14 AM. Jack frowned and glared at his phone. He was sure it was a malfunction- Imelda would be asleep by now for sure and she NEVER forgot to call him.
Jack tried to reason with himself.Maybe her phone died and she didn’t feel like going all the way back to the van to get her charger. Maybe she was still awake and hyped up on sugar and soda and watching chick flicks with Hayley and Cassadee. Or maybe… she forgot to call.
Imelda had been the most perfect girl in the history of perfect girls the last couple of weeks. She would encourage him to go out with his friends and have fun, even though Matt wouldn’t let her. When Jack insisted on staying in the van and spending what little alone time they had together, Imelda would gladly oblige and spend“quality time” with him or occasionally venture out to meet other bands,immediately enchanting them with her wit and charm. When Jack was hungover or tired from an energetic set, Imelda would hold his sweaty head in her lap,running her long, spindly fingers through his streaky hair and sing any song he asked for. She was like his own personal jukebox, but a million times more beautiful. In addition to all this, when Jack walked off a set, she was there waiting for him with a tight hug, a tender kiss and a Monster. When she was stuck at the merch booth, she called him just to talk or to remind him that she was thinking of him and she missed him.
Never once did Imelda miss a call.Was she really that upset after the PMS jokes yesterday? Jack felt terrible. Whenever had to worry about what he said in front of Imelda because she would play right along or laugh or listen when necessary. When that first mine had appeared in the field that Rian had mentioned every girl was in possession of, Jack felt… disappointed. When someone as perfect as Imelda revealed one of her faults, Jack felt almost betrayed, like she had lied. And maybe she had.
((((((((((((((((((((
Imelda lay numb on the couch Ianthe back lounge of the Paramore bus. Cassadee’s soft, tan palm was pressed against her dewy forehead. Her heart felt like she had just finished the Ironman and her limbs felt lifeless. Hayley also stood next to Cassadee, ready to help. Imelda sat up uneasily, her stomach immediately heaving. She lurched forward and Hayley tossed her a trash basket that was sitting on the coffee table. After being violently sick, Hayley brought her a water bottle And Cassadee wiped her face down with a cold cloth. When Imelda had calmed down,they sat with her and waited patiently for an explanation.
Imelda took a deep breath. “I probably just overstuffed myself last night. I ate like, a million of those Milanos,” she chuckled, rubbing her flat abs softly.
Cassadee narrowed her eyes. “Then why did we both wake up to your screaming?”
“We deserve more than just a bad lie, Mel. What did you dream about?” Hayley asked gently.
“It’s just… this thing… I dunno.It’s stupid, really. I mean, I shouldn’t even have to worry about it right now.But it was inadvertently brought up today and I guess my subconscious freaked out on me…”
“You can tell us, Mel,” Cassadee reassured her.
“I’m sick. Not terminally, at least, my doctor doesn’t think so. I have this disease that shuts down my reproductive system. Children are a medical impossibility for me,” Imelda explained without getting upset. She showed complete indifference, causing Hayley’s eyebrows to pull together as Cassadee threw herself into Imelda for a hug.
Hayley had grown up in a broken home with her parents divorced since she was five. She was a strict Christian and believed that her calling would be to be a mother some day. If that dream were ripped out from under her because of a medical problem, Hayley knew she’d be shattered. She’d find no point in living anymore. Imelda’s reaction to her disease was startling. She would expect someone with that big a burden that they obviously didn’t uncover often would lose it when they started to talk.Imelda didn’t even flinch.
“Imelda… I’m speechless,” Hayley breathed, placing her teeny white hand on Imelda’s shoulder. Imelda grinned and squeezed her palm against Hayley’s.
“This is a rare moment in history.”
Hayley frowned while Cassadee rolled her eyes. “What brought all this on?” Cassadee wondered.
“Me and the guys were just joking around in the van this morning and someone made a period joke. I never talk about it because everyone who knows me knows that I’m sick, so it never gets brought up. But obviously, I didn’t tell them,” Imelda explained.
“Look, maybe this isn’t my business and especially since you’ve only been going out for a couple weeks…but shouldn’t Jack know about this?” Hayley whispered. Imelda’s head snapped up from where she was fiddling with James’ mesh shorts.
“No. Why should he? We’re not having kids! We’re not getting fucking married!” she spat defensively.
“OK, OK. Alright. I’m sorry. We won’t say anything to anyone,” Cassadee promised.
“He doesn’t need to know. He doesn’t need to know…” Imelda mumbled while hugging herself around the waist and rocking back and forth like a child in timeout.
“You don’t need to tell him. It’s fine. So… what exactly did you dream about? Would it help to talk?” Hayley pressed, feeling the need to help and to suck out as much information as Imelda could provide her with.
“It’s kind of… gruesome,” Imelda warned, but Cassadee and Hayley didn’t move, “I keep playing the scene over and over again in my head. I got my… period-kind of- when I was eight. I knew what a period was, so I told my mom and she was weirded out but gave me a pad and sent me on my way.
I guess a few hours later, she found me on the bathroom floor, I was bleeding from everywhere, my eyes, ears,everything. She thought I was dead and called an ambulance. Somehow, my heart was still going and they did emergency surgery. There was all this medical shit there in the middle, explaining exactly why I am the way I am. I pulled through on the table, but my mom said my heart quit on me a couple of times. Then, the doctor told me my uterus was shit. Nothing. No eggs. I broke. They think it’s the cause of being born when my mom was only fifteen.
The doctors are saying that whatever this is isn’t fatal… but I know it is. I can see it. The way the nurses look at me when I check in at the hospital every week… it’s there. I’m dying. So that’s why I’m living the way I am. Getting everything in before I can't’t anymore. I’m giving myself shots and taking tons of pills everyday just to be here!” Imelda shrieked the last part.
As sympathetic and horrified at the situation as Hayley was, she was somewhat relieved to see that Imelda did care. That she was showing emotion. But as soon as it came, it went again. She returned to a state of composure and relaxation immediately. Cassadee shot Hayley a concerned look and suggested that they go back to sleep. They were leaving in just a few hours for Connecticut and had a long day of merch-bitching and crowd-rocking ahead of them.
Jack tried to reason with himself.Maybe her phone died and she didn’t feel like going all the way back to the van to get her charger. Maybe she was still awake and hyped up on sugar and soda and watching chick flicks with Hayley and Cassadee. Or maybe… she forgot to call.
Imelda had been the most perfect girl in the history of perfect girls the last couple of weeks. She would encourage him to go out with his friends and have fun, even though Matt wouldn’t let her. When Jack insisted on staying in the van and spending what little alone time they had together, Imelda would gladly oblige and spend“quality time” with him or occasionally venture out to meet other bands,immediately enchanting them with her wit and charm. When Jack was hungover or tired from an energetic set, Imelda would hold his sweaty head in her lap,running her long, spindly fingers through his streaky hair and sing any song he asked for. She was like his own personal jukebox, but a million times more beautiful. In addition to all this, when Jack walked off a set, she was there waiting for him with a tight hug, a tender kiss and a Monster. When she was stuck at the merch booth, she called him just to talk or to remind him that she was thinking of him and she missed him.
Never once did Imelda miss a call.Was she really that upset after the PMS jokes yesterday? Jack felt terrible. Whenever had to worry about what he said in front of Imelda because she would play right along or laugh or listen when necessary. When that first mine had appeared in the field that Rian had mentioned every girl was in possession of, Jack felt… disappointed. When someone as perfect as Imelda revealed one of her faults, Jack felt almost betrayed, like she had lied. And maybe she had.
((((((((((((((((((((
Imelda lay numb on the couch Ianthe back lounge of the Paramore bus. Cassadee’s soft, tan palm was pressed against her dewy forehead. Her heart felt like she had just finished the Ironman and her limbs felt lifeless. Hayley also stood next to Cassadee, ready to help. Imelda sat up uneasily, her stomach immediately heaving. She lurched forward and Hayley tossed her a trash basket that was sitting on the coffee table. After being violently sick, Hayley brought her a water bottle And Cassadee wiped her face down with a cold cloth. When Imelda had calmed down,they sat with her and waited patiently for an explanation.
Imelda took a deep breath. “I probably just overstuffed myself last night. I ate like, a million of those Milanos,” she chuckled, rubbing her flat abs softly.
Cassadee narrowed her eyes. “Then why did we both wake up to your screaming?”
“We deserve more than just a bad lie, Mel. What did you dream about?” Hayley asked gently.
“It’s just… this thing… I dunno.It’s stupid, really. I mean, I shouldn’t even have to worry about it right now.But it was inadvertently brought up today and I guess my subconscious freaked out on me…”
“You can tell us, Mel,” Cassadee reassured her.
“I’m sick. Not terminally, at least, my doctor doesn’t think so. I have this disease that shuts down my reproductive system. Children are a medical impossibility for me,” Imelda explained without getting upset. She showed complete indifference, causing Hayley’s eyebrows to pull together as Cassadee threw herself into Imelda for a hug.
Hayley had grown up in a broken home with her parents divorced since she was five. She was a strict Christian and believed that her calling would be to be a mother some day. If that dream were ripped out from under her because of a medical problem, Hayley knew she’d be shattered. She’d find no point in living anymore. Imelda’s reaction to her disease was startling. She would expect someone with that big a burden that they obviously didn’t uncover often would lose it when they started to talk.Imelda didn’t even flinch.
“Imelda… I’m speechless,” Hayley breathed, placing her teeny white hand on Imelda’s shoulder. Imelda grinned and squeezed her palm against Hayley’s.
“This is a rare moment in history.”
Hayley frowned while Cassadee rolled her eyes. “What brought all this on?” Cassadee wondered.
“Me and the guys were just joking around in the van this morning and someone made a period joke. I never talk about it because everyone who knows me knows that I’m sick, so it never gets brought up. But obviously, I didn’t tell them,” Imelda explained.
“Look, maybe this isn’t my business and especially since you’ve only been going out for a couple weeks…but shouldn’t Jack know about this?” Hayley whispered. Imelda’s head snapped up from where she was fiddling with James’ mesh shorts.
“No. Why should he? We’re not having kids! We’re not getting fucking married!” she spat defensively.
“OK, OK. Alright. I’m sorry. We won’t say anything to anyone,” Cassadee promised.
“He doesn’t need to know. He doesn’t need to know…” Imelda mumbled while hugging herself around the waist and rocking back and forth like a child in timeout.
“You don’t need to tell him. It’s fine. So… what exactly did you dream about? Would it help to talk?” Hayley pressed, feeling the need to help and to suck out as much information as Imelda could provide her with.
“It’s kind of… gruesome,” Imelda warned, but Cassadee and Hayley didn’t move, “I keep playing the scene over and over again in my head. I got my… period-kind of- when I was eight. I knew what a period was, so I told my mom and she was weirded out but gave me a pad and sent me on my way.
I guess a few hours later, she found me on the bathroom floor, I was bleeding from everywhere, my eyes, ears,everything. She thought I was dead and called an ambulance. Somehow, my heart was still going and they did emergency surgery. There was all this medical shit there in the middle, explaining exactly why I am the way I am. I pulled through on the table, but my mom said my heart quit on me a couple of times. Then, the doctor told me my uterus was shit. Nothing. No eggs. I broke. They think it’s the cause of being born when my mom was only fifteen.
The doctors are saying that whatever this is isn’t fatal… but I know it is. I can see it. The way the nurses look at me when I check in at the hospital every week… it’s there. I’m dying. So that’s why I’m living the way I am. Getting everything in before I can't’t anymore. I’m giving myself shots and taking tons of pills everyday just to be here!” Imelda shrieked the last part.
As sympathetic and horrified at the situation as Hayley was, she was somewhat relieved to see that Imelda did care. That she was showing emotion. But as soon as it came, it went again. She returned to a state of composure and relaxation immediately. Cassadee shot Hayley a concerned look and suggested that they go back to sleep. They were leaving in just a few hours for Connecticut and had a long day of merch-bitching and crowd-rocking ahead of them.