Night Songs

Excruciating pain convulsed inside of me. This pain seemed like I was experiencing 12 ulcers at once. I was tearing up; I wringed the sheets with my hands. From what I collected, this was probably worse than giving birth. My moaning just made Jen turn up the volume in the next room, I was utterly helpless and alone. Why didn’t I say that it was going terribly to Tom? I guess my selfless acts turned on me. I was motionless for my own good. When I moved, it just hurt even worse, like that was even possible.

I laid there waiting for Eric to return with my medicine. I was pathetically screaming for Jen to come and help me, but what could she do? She was in bad shape too, plus she couldn’t hear me from the wailing lyrics of “Welcome to the Jungle.”

I took a pillow and bit down into it, while violently moaning. Then I hear some magical footsteps that stopped at my bed.

“Jesus, Faye! Are you okay?!” The pillow pulled away from my head.

Eric tore open a little brown bag and tapped out a thick, long pill. “Take this.” He lifted my head and popped the pill right into my mouth. “Let me get you some water.” He quickly got up, and rushed in the direction of my kitchen, and came back holding a glass filled with water. “Here, I’ll help you sit up.” I sat up, and I sipped some water. I let out a satisfied moan.

“Human contact is all I ever wanted…” I smiled as I passed out.

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I woke up to the sound of my blaring alarm. It was 10:00pm. I’m supposed to get ready for my night shift. I swung the blankets off of me and sat up on the bed. My feet flinched from the cold wooden floors that covered my room. I’m sure I’m better since I started taking those pills. I stood up from the bed and walked towards my closet and pulled on an old YMCA sweat shirt and some jeans. I combed my hair and applied cover up over my dark circles under my eyes. I looked somewhat decent for a person who just had a stomach ulcer.
I pulled on some socks from my drawer and tip toed out of my room, expecting for my little niece to be asleep. Just from opening my door, I heard laughter from more than one person. I walked into the living room to find Eric and my niece laughing at a Richard Pryor’s live at the Sunset Strip. Why is he still here?

“Eric?” I pronounced.

Jen jumped as Eric got up from the couch.

“Oh, hey, Faye, you’re awake!” He tried to hold in his laughter.

“Yeah…what are you still doing here?”

He looked to the ground and back at me. “I worried about you...” He rubbed the back of his neck while Jen stared, blushing at his presence.

“Thanks, Eric…” Now I was feeling uncomfortable. “Shouldn’t you be leaving to work on your album?”

Jen bounced on the couch. “Oooo, can I come with you?!” She screeched.

Eric stared at me for a few seconds until he turned towards Jen. “Uh, not tonight, maybe some other time.” He flashed a smile to Jen, making her forget to pout out of her usual disappointment. I’m surprised it wasn’t with me this time. “Alright, I guess I should go…” He slips his hands into his pockets and walks toward the door. I follow and grab my coat and purse. He goes out the door without noticing I’m behind him.

“Lights out at 11:00…” I tell Jen from the hallway, as I’m shutting the door until—

“Faye, you’re such a prune!” She shouts.

I lock the door shut, and turn around to see that Eric didn’t go anywhere.

“And where do you think you’re going?” He crosses his arms and playfully bats his eyelashes.

“I’m going to work.” I sternly look into his face.

“Work?!” He scoffs. “Where were we just a couple hours ago?!” He takes his arms out of his cross and lays them on his hips.

“But, I have to go to work. I need to make money so my niece and I can live in this apartment.” Now I’m the one crossing my arms.

“Yes, whatever, Faye, but you had a stomach ulcer. Those pills aren’t supposed to kick in yet!” He never took his gaze off of me.

Who was he to be angry? Why the hell is he caring about me? I just sighed. I wasn’t going to have this conversation. I continued on my way to the stairs until he grabs my arm.

“What are you doing?!” I yell.

He didn’t say a word and pulled me back to my door and knocked.

“Eric, I need to go now, this isn’t funny!” I tried to pull away but he wouldn’t budge.

Jen answered the door with her wheelchair. “So, changed your mind?” She flirted.

What was that girl thinking? That she could get a grown man with her charming prepubescent squeaks at the end of her every other sentence?

Eric pushed the door wider while Jen backed up. He dragged me to my room, threw me onto my bed, and ripped my coat, shoes, and purse from my grasp. He tucked me in my blankets to the point that I felt like I was tied in.

I nervously laughed. “This ridiculous, Eric.”

He smiled with me. “If you’re still thinking of going to work, then forget about it.” He pronounced the last words in a fake Brooklyn accent.

I tried to move out of the blankets hold, but he pulled them even tighter.

“If you keep this up, I might have to sleep next to ya …” He winks down at me.

Now I really didn’t want to be here. I struggled even more hoping for release. I looked like a maniac.

“Alright, you asked for it…” He reached over, turned off the lights, got under the blankets, and spooned me.

“Oh, my god, Eric, I’m going to beat the shit out of you—“

“Shhhhhhhhhh…..goodnight…”he whispered in my ear.

“I hate you so much…”

“I know…” He whispered to me again.

I just gave in. What else could I do? But I swear to god he was going to get a black eye sooner or later for this.

I fidgeted. I kept tossing and turning, trying to move away from my ass being in his crotch.
We were clothed, but this was so many kinds of wrong.

I turned right into his face while he was “supposively” sleeping.

“You know Tom is my boyfriend, right?”

No response.

“Eric, wake up, I’m not comfortable sleeping next to you. For god sakes, you’re spooning me, man!”

Again, no response.

“Eric, I’m so pis—“He kisses me, Right Square on the lips…for a long while. I was trying to turn my head into the pillow for him to stop. He grabs my waist and brings me closer while stroking my back. I tried kicking but he wouldn’t stop. Then I resorted to crying. “Please, stop…please.”

I glanced at his eyes that were lit from the moon. They were wide as he pulled away. “….I’m sorry.” He still lied in bed with me, with his arms still around my waist. He then hugged me, pulling my head into his chest. I continued to cry. Not because of what he did, but of what I missed the most. Tom. It’s been a while since I haven’t heard another heart beat to fall asleep to.

I closed my eyes, just thinking that Eric was Tom, holding me while stroking my hair. I felt safe. Slowly my eyes begin to fall shut. Then it was total darkness.

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The next morning I woke up to no one, but a note.

“I’m sorry about last night. I’m going up to play with Tom and the guys. If you need anything, my number is (153) 555-8936
-Eric”

I shuddered at the fact that I spooned with him last night. But, he did help me, right? Didn’t he deserve something out of it? Yeah, but not sex!

I shake myself out of my thoughts and got up to take a shower. I was in no mood for my boss to be calling me asking where the hell I was last night. But, it’s got to happen sooner or later.

I sighed while washing my hair. Was I going to tell Tom what had happen with me and Eric? Should I? He’ll probably get infuriated with him. Maybe I shouldn’t…

I got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around myself. I had to check on Jen.

I walked out of my room, dressed back into the same clothes I had on last night. I saw Jen sleeping like a baby on the couch. She was cute when she was asleep, not so much when she’s awake… I grabbed a bag of pretzels that was buried underneath her arm.

“Jen, wake up sweetie…” I cooed.

She lightly opened her eyes. “Faye?” Her arms pushed her halfway up on the couch. “What time is it?” She grunted.

“It’s time to get up.” I smiled. “You need a bath. You stink, Jen.”

“No I don’t!” She lifted up into my face.

“Yes, you do. Here I’ll help you wash up.” I reached my arms out for her to grab.

She backed away, but then lifted her arm and smelt her own musky odor. She sighed, I was right again. She grabbed my arms, and I helped her into her wheelchair, and pushed her into my bedroom’s bathroom.

“Alright, you promise not to look?” She blushed as she turned away ready to lift her shirt up.

“Jen, I have to help you bathe.”

She didn’t argue as she looked at her legs and healing arm. “Fine…”

I helped her lift up her shirt. I spotted a little heart tattoo on her stomach.

“WHERE THE HELL DID YOU GET THAT?!” I screamed.

She flinched and covered her newly discovered heart shaped secret. “I got it…” Her guilty eyes wondered off.

“You got it?! Did your mother let you get that?!”

“She was never there to say anything!” She glared at me.

I stared at her back. Maybe I was over doing it a little. I know her mother wasn’t there, but…I just didn’t like to see her little pale innocent body defiled by mere ink. Anyways, it looked stupid.

I went to the sink and filled a large bucket with warm water. I got a sponge and soaked her arm, shoulders, thighs, and back. I applied shampoo into her hair and rinsed it out. She got the rest as she insisted.

I went to her duffle bag as she was finishing up. As I un-zipped her bag, I spotted a picture of her father crammed underneath a makeup case. I remembered him. His name was Vince Thompson. My sister was 22 when she was pregnant with Jenifer. I was 5 years old, big age difference with me and my sister.

I laid the picture to the side while searching for some of her clothes. I found a black t-shirt, a torn up pair of jeans, a bra, and underwear. I went over to Jen and dressed her in the clothes that I found.

“We really need to go clothes shopping for you…” I said as I struggled with putting the shirt over her cast.

I got some scissors and cut her some shorts out of the torn up pants I found.

“Ah, my favorite pants!”

“Not anymore…” I held them up to her.

“Maaaan…” She frowned as she looked at her newly cut shorts.

I carefully slipped them on over her casts and buttoned them on.

“All set!” I cheered.

I wheeled her into the living room, as she demanded, so she can watch her precious MTV. I really need to get her enrolled back in school.

I went into the kitchen and made some eggs and toast for her. I handed it over, and in response she was delighted to see a home cooked meal.

“God, these are so good!” She shouted from the livingroom, as I was cleaning my mess in the kitchen.

I smiled. I’m glad she liked them.

The phone rang in the other room. I set the pans in the sink to soak, and sprinted to my bedroom. I answered the phone while panting.

“Hah...hah...hello?” I collapsed onto the bed.

“Faye?! Are you okay?!”

“Tom?” I sat up.

“Yeah, it’s me…I’m going to be over there in a few minutes. I got on the train two hours ago from Pennsylvania. Eric told me you were having stomach ulcers, why didn’t you tell me Faye?!”

I sat on my bed trying to figure out how to respond.

“I…I didn’t want you to be worried about me, and I wanted you…to have fun with your friends, and work on your album together…” I lowered my head.

“Faye, of course I would worry about you! I love you! Having fun with my friends? Faye, you mean much more to me. They were almost finished with the tracks when I got there anyway. I’m going to see you right now.” He hangs up.

I hung up too. I lied back down on the bed. But, suddenly the door knocks. I darted up and continued to the door. Tom stood there, panting as I was. His hand rested on the door frame while he was hunched over. He looked up and moved himself right into me, while holding my head in his hands. He shoved his lips on mine. I accepted his passion and immediately jumped on him. We went a little overboard when I noticed my niece was still on the couch.

“Geez, go in your room and do that stuff. Ewww…” She shivered, and she glued her eyes back onto the T.V.

Tom and I laughed, as I got climb off of him.

“Nice to see you’re doing better Jen.” He waves.

She grunts to him, and continues watching T.V.

He looks at me and shrugs with a smile.

“She’s been like that since we got back.” I reached out my hand to take his, and we both walked to the kitchen and sat at my small 50’s vintage black and white checkered table, that resided in the kitchen.

“Would you like some coffee?” I motion to get up, but then he raises his hand.

“No, no, that’s fine, thank you. Faye, are you doing better? What happened?” His eyes seemed saddened by what had happened.

I positioned myself back into the chair, and put my hand over his. “I’m fine, Tom. I just was sick, that’s all…” I took my hand off his. He then reached back for it and squeezes it.

“No, Faye, I really need to know what happen!” He was seriously intent on getting something out of me.

“I...uh, well, in the morning I vomited, which that led me to think I was possibly pregnant,” I glanced at him when I had said that, no change from his grasp or his eyes. “I went to the drug store to find a pregnancy test, but then I found Eric. He was possibly worried that I was pregnant with your baby, so he asked me out for something to eat. Later on, I wasn’t feeling very well, and fainted and ended up in the hospital. That’s when I learned about my ulcers.” I looked up at him signaling that I was done. “I’m taking these pills so that’d I’d get better, I wouldn’t even be here if it wasn’t for Eric.” I lifted a small smile.

He stops, and looks down while his hand went limp.

“What’s wrong?” I was worried. It could be anything.

“I just…I wish I was there when you needed me to. I wish Eric didn’t have to do that, I wish I was the one…” He looks back up to me. “Faye, I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be, I’m really almost all better, Tom, really!” I didn’t want him to worry anymore.

He smiled. “Good, that’s really good, Faye.” He was back to squeezing my hand again. “I just don’t want anything like this to happen again, especially when I’m not around.”

“Yeah…” Then a little part of me suddenly dropped. He was a musician, who had fame. There would be rare for moments like these to happen with us. “Tom, I…”

“Yes?” He lifted his brow.

“Nothing, I’m just glad you’re here.” I smiled.

“I’m glad too.” He leaned over the table and kissed my forehead. “I love you, Faye.” He went back into his seat and shined a wide smile.

“I love you too.” I did the same.