A Modern Jack and Jill

A few days after, the guys went back on tour going to the mid west and east coast, since having done so much local things they went abut there. Matt called Sandrine everyday, making sure everything was ok.

One call none too special or particular, Sandrine asked, “Matty, when’s the wedding?”

“When do you want to have it?”

“I don’t know, don’t care when, I just wanted to know when I should send out invitations.”

“Don’t you want a small discreet wedding?” it was evident he was choosing words.

“Well, yes I just wanted to invite my best friend and family.”

He was silent, for a moment, “Where do you wanna get hitched?”

“Um… the beach… I don’t know, where ever. You have any idea?”

“I may, I’m not sure yet.”

“I also want to do something before we get married.”

“What?”

“I promised someone I’d go visit before I get married.”

“No. I don’t want you off galavanting around.” He almost scolded her.

“Why? I’d be gone for a week at most, driving more than half the time.”

“Sandrine, I’m just worried about you. I don’t want anyone taking off with my girl.”

“No one has yet to sweep me off my feet and take me away from you. You have nothing to worry about.”

“I still do. Please don’t go. You can’t do it after, can’t you?”

Sandrine sighed, “I suppose I could, but it’s still a promise.”

“OK I gotta go though. Show time.”

“Have fun.” Sandrine sarcastically said and hung up.

She sat there thinking, ‘I told Scott I’d go visit before marriage. I remember I made that pact back in eighth or ninth grade. I can’t back out of that! Even if he is a dead man, I have to fulfill my promise. Tomorrow I’m going, and I don’t care if Matt doesn’t want me to.’ With that she went to sleep.

Next morning at 8am, she packed up some clothes, dog food, and water and waited for Antoinette to come. She told Antoinette that she was going to go to MA for a while but would be back soon. Antoinette didn’t like the idea, but Sandrine had a cell phone just in case of an emergency or if Matt wanted to get a hold of her. It was the week of Halloween that Sandrine left the state of California to drive across the country to visit two graves of two very influential and important men that left their prints in her mind.
It was Halloween morning, 6am, driving under the jackal moon, when Sandrine crossed the boarder into Massachusetts. She peeked into the back seat where Rhett lay sleeping.
She mumbled, “It’s days like these where you could swear vampires live and evil will rise.”

As 7am rolled around a red sun rose up over the mountains and trees reflecting a pink glow to the clouds. This trick of the light further proved the statement Sandrine had muttered before. She went to Springfield and drove into this high security and high maintenance cemetery. Where out on the west side was where her grandparents, in particular her Papa lay at peace. She had gone to a flower shop and bought a small pot of impatients, the red kind. They were his favorite flowers. She stayed there for the better part of the day only leaving at 2pm because the undertaker/ caretaker said that visiting hours were over.

She grabbed Rhett, just as he was about to pee on the undertaker, got in the car and left. She stopped at a McDonalds to buy food for herself and Rhett then headed off to Belchertown cemetery on Mill Valley RD. It was about 4:30 and it was kind of dark. She put Rhett on a leash, grabbed the flowers she had picked up and put them on Scott’s grave. Sandrine laid down, closed her eyes and was in her world. On accident, Sandrine had fallen asleep. She had shut her eyes to pray and think. Each person treats the dead differently, Sandrine pretended she supposed, to talk to them, like they could hear her. She thought these conversations.

“Hey Scott, I told you I would come back before I marry. Look, here I am, on the way to being wed to a rock star. Can you imagine? Little Sandi all grown up. I’m scared though. I guess everyone is huh. You’ve been gone for so long; I miss you even though my memories of you are few. I hope you are well wherever you are. I’ll miss you still.” she felt a warm breeze blow across her skin lulling her to sleep and despite the irony, gave off a homey sensation.

Rhett, too, had curled up against Sandrine and fell asleep. But around midnight, Sandrine still dead asleep, the pup woke up. He had heard a car coming. He growled at first but that turned into a boisterous bark. His little ears had perked up, it wasn’t a car, it was a bike, motorcycle type bike. It was a Harley anyone with ears would recognize that magnificent broom of the engine.

As the Harley got close to the cemetery, Sandrine woke to it’s zinging noise. The bike pulled right up side to her rental car. The man, Sandrine had opened her eyes to slits and recognized the boots as male, dismounted and walked over to her.

The guy looked down at her, growling, “Don’t good girls follow the rules laid out for them?”

Sleepily, “That all depends on who you’re asking.”

The guy kicked Sandrine in the guy, “Get up.”

Sandrine getting the gut feeling, ‘get up unless you want to be kicked again’, stood up. Rhett was sniffing the Harley; apparently there was someone else with him.

“So why did you come here and sleep on a” the bully guy looked at the tomb stone, “Scott Brougham’s grave? I thought you had to visit.”

“Yeah, that’s what I was doing.”

“Who is he? Ex boyfriend?”

“No, old friend. Read the date! It says September 8th, 1997. I was7 years old. He was a friend of the family.”

“What did I tell you over the phone?”

“Mathew, I made a promise to him, if I had the guts it would have been a blood promise, but despite that. I told him I would come back, so I did.”

Matt reached out and grabbed her hair, yanking her towards the bike.

“What the fuck? Let me go!” Sandrine yelled “Stop! Rhett!”

The other man was Zacky; he picked up Rhett and stepped away from the bike. Matt got on, dragging Sandrine with him. He used the same fuzzy handcuffs that she had been in before.

“Take Rhett in her car and go back to the bus. We’ll follow.”

Zacky nodded somberly, and then went to the car to follow his orders.
Sandrine’s arms were cuffed about his waist, Matt started the engine and waited till Zack and Rhett left. He sped off after Zacky, Sandrine was scared out of her skin. As much as she loved bikes and always wanted one, Matt was pissed and he was reckless in this state of mind. Lucky enough, she only had to endure this torture for a half hour, for they had played at the Mullin Center at UMASS Amherst.

When matt had maneuvered himself and Sandrine into the bus, he led her to the back of the bus and cuffed her to his bunk. He told her to stay put and left. She was freaked out, yet was a little calmer than she had been on the bike. She crawled as far from the aisle as possible, curling up into a ball. The last thought that ran through her head was, ‘what have I done?’.

Matt returned moments later, after Sandrine fell asleep, he sighed looking at her sleeping form.

“I thought I’d lost you. Why do you make me hurt you? All I want is for you to stay home and be mine.” He whispered.

Brian leaned out of his bunk, “She is yours, remember? That ring you gave her and the whole ‘will you marry me’’ she’s all yours, just give her room to breathe.”

“And this is coming from her whore? Unbelievable.” Matt rolled his eyes and walked away.