Status: NEW
So Fragile Yet So Devious
But...You'll Forget Me.
“Does she HAVE to come with me?” Mick pleaded with his parents. “She’s just gonna be in the way.”
“No I won’t!” His younger sister protested passionately.
“Either you stay here and babysit or you take her with you.” His father announced his ultimatum sternly. “You’re the one that promised you’d watch her tonight.”
He snarled his nose up and groaned. “Come on.”
“Yes!” The 10- year-old girl squealed and ran to her room to grab her bag. She loved it when her parents made him to her to band practice which usually was a weekly occurrence since her brother always forgot when he was supposed to be babysitting her. He wouldn’t say a word to her the whole way to Shawn’s house despite her many attempts to start a conversation. When he pulled into the driveway, he brought the car to a stop and turned off the key.
“Look, stay out of the way-“
“Stay out of your way, keep my mouth shut, and don’t embarrass you. I got it.” She said unsnapping her seat belt and hopping out of the car.
“Jesus fucking Christ.” He mumbled before getting out to follow her.
She flung the door open and immediately ran down the basement stairs.
“Hey kiddo.” Shawn said throwing up a hand to say hello. She waved back and took her place at a small coffee table in front of them.
Mick came down the steps lugging his guitar case while Corey sauntered in after him with a goofy grin his face. She’d always liked Corey. He didn’t make her feel like some pain in the ass little kid like the other guys usually did. He actually included her and talked to her like she was his age. Of course, she also thought he had the most gorgeous smile and his eyes……God, those eyes could light up the darkest room in the blackest corner of the earth. He was just a couple of years younger than Mick but still quite a few years older than herself. She was sure he was the most attractive thing to ever grace the planet.
“Hey Dolly.” He said behind those magnificent blue eyes of his. Her name was Alex but he’d took up calling her Dolly for some reason. “Whatcha up to?”
“Hey Corey.” She said almost melting. She hoped it wasn’t obvious to the guys that she was crushing on their singer. She was so glad she got to come with her brother to practice that particular day because it just so happened the 25th birthday of the object of her affection. “I got you something for your birthday.”
“Aww. Really? You didn’t have to.” He winked.
She reached into backpack and pulled out a bracelet she’d fashioned out of some stretchy string and some beads that spelled his name and handed it to him.
“I love it.” He said giving her a quick hug. “Thanks.”
She listened with satisfaction as the guys practiced. Corey’s voice weaved its way out of the speakers and filtered through the room. They had stopped playing and their conversation turned serious: They were all leaving. Alex couldn’t believe it. Her brother hadn’t said a word before now and she wondered if he realized she was listening to what they said. The more she heard the sadder she got. They were leaving in a week to go to California, of all places, to record their very first album.
“What about me?” She said lowly thinking that none of them would hear her but she was wrong. Corey had heard her and gave Mick a nudge.
“Ummm. You’ve got to stay here….You’ve got school.” She frowned at his answer. He knew it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. He opened his mouth to say more but she crammed her notebook into her back and stomped up the steps and out to his car. “Fucking great.”
“I’ll go talk to her.” Corey assured him. “I can handle it.”
He walked outside and saw her leaning against the little car with her arms crossed and head down. That fucking car. Mick was the size of a tank and he drove the smallest compact car known to mankind. He never could figure that out. Nonetheless, he approached her.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing.” Her one-word response came without so much as a glance upward.
“You upset cause we’re leaving?” He asked but she didn’t answer him. He looked at the small, dark haired girl and smiled. “We’ll be back. It’s not like we’re leaving forever.”
“No, you won’t. You’ll leave. Make your cd. Get famous. You’ll forget all about Iowa. You’ll forget all about Des Moines. You’ll forget all about me.” She started to cry and he put a friendly arm around her.
“Dolly, I promise. We WILL be back.” He picked her chin up so she would look at him. “Okay?” All she did was nod.
“No I won’t!” His younger sister protested passionately.
“Either you stay here and babysit or you take her with you.” His father announced his ultimatum sternly. “You’re the one that promised you’d watch her tonight.”
He snarled his nose up and groaned. “Come on.”
“Yes!” The 10- year-old girl squealed and ran to her room to grab her bag. She loved it when her parents made him to her to band practice which usually was a weekly occurrence since her brother always forgot when he was supposed to be babysitting her. He wouldn’t say a word to her the whole way to Shawn’s house despite her many attempts to start a conversation. When he pulled into the driveway, he brought the car to a stop and turned off the key.
“Look, stay out of the way-“
“Stay out of your way, keep my mouth shut, and don’t embarrass you. I got it.” She said unsnapping her seat belt and hopping out of the car.
“Jesus fucking Christ.” He mumbled before getting out to follow her.
She flung the door open and immediately ran down the basement stairs.
“Hey kiddo.” Shawn said throwing up a hand to say hello. She waved back and took her place at a small coffee table in front of them.
Mick came down the steps lugging his guitar case while Corey sauntered in after him with a goofy grin his face. She’d always liked Corey. He didn’t make her feel like some pain in the ass little kid like the other guys usually did. He actually included her and talked to her like she was his age. Of course, she also thought he had the most gorgeous smile and his eyes……God, those eyes could light up the darkest room in the blackest corner of the earth. He was just a couple of years younger than Mick but still quite a few years older than herself. She was sure he was the most attractive thing to ever grace the planet.
“Hey Dolly.” He said behind those magnificent blue eyes of his. Her name was Alex but he’d took up calling her Dolly for some reason. “Whatcha up to?”
“Hey Corey.” She said almost melting. She hoped it wasn’t obvious to the guys that she was crushing on their singer. She was so glad she got to come with her brother to practice that particular day because it just so happened the 25th birthday of the object of her affection. “I got you something for your birthday.”
“Aww. Really? You didn’t have to.” He winked.
She reached into backpack and pulled out a bracelet she’d fashioned out of some stretchy string and some beads that spelled his name and handed it to him.
“I love it.” He said giving her a quick hug. “Thanks.”
She listened with satisfaction as the guys practiced. Corey’s voice weaved its way out of the speakers and filtered through the room. They had stopped playing and their conversation turned serious: They were all leaving. Alex couldn’t believe it. Her brother hadn’t said a word before now and she wondered if he realized she was listening to what they said. The more she heard the sadder she got. They were leaving in a week to go to California, of all places, to record their very first album.
“What about me?” She said lowly thinking that none of them would hear her but she was wrong. Corey had heard her and gave Mick a nudge.
“Ummm. You’ve got to stay here….You’ve got school.” She frowned at his answer. He knew it wasn’t what she wanted to hear. He opened his mouth to say more but she crammed her notebook into her back and stomped up the steps and out to his car. “Fucking great.”
“I’ll go talk to her.” Corey assured him. “I can handle it.”
He walked outside and saw her leaning against the little car with her arms crossed and head down. That fucking car. Mick was the size of a tank and he drove the smallest compact car known to mankind. He never could figure that out. Nonetheless, he approached her.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing.” Her one-word response came without so much as a glance upward.
“You upset cause we’re leaving?” He asked but she didn’t answer him. He looked at the small, dark haired girl and smiled. “We’ll be back. It’s not like we’re leaving forever.”
“No, you won’t. You’ll leave. Make your cd. Get famous. You’ll forget all about Iowa. You’ll forget all about Des Moines. You’ll forget all about me.” She started to cry and he put a friendly arm around her.
“Dolly, I promise. We WILL be back.” He picked her chin up so she would look at him. “Okay?” All she did was nod.