All the Faint Lights

Chapter Seventeen
"G, what the hell man?! Why wouldn't you let me talk to her?!" James pestered as he came over to my locker, "I screwed up again, I wanted to apologize!"

"For what?" I growled, "You to screw up again!" I said as I stood up straight and looked down at him, "You and Gronk need back off, she no happy right now! Not happy with me for bringing her home before practice, not happy with you for hurting her feelings, and not happy with Gronk for being Gronk!"

"Geno, I-"

"No! End of discussion," I barked and James sighed and then turned around and walked away, most of the team was looking at us, but I didn't care.

"So what, mon ami? Have you joined the Linny fan club too?" Max asked as he appeared next to me.

"She needs to be treated right, they no treat her right," I said and Max sighed and patted my shoulder and then walked away.

This morning, I made Caroline breakfast and shared some of Jeffrey's dog food with Roxy, Caroline was quiet this morning. She wasn't happy with me when I said that I was going to be driving her home, she practically broke her bedroom door down when she slammed it closed, charging past Sidney and Trisha.

I drove Caroline home in her jeep, so Sidney offered to give me a ride to practice. When I got there, I was attacked by James and Jordan, wanting to know if she was all right, I ignored them. Sidney had asked me questions during the whole drive to the Consol and I was tired of talking.

-Caroline-
"Are you going to talk to me?" Trisha asked outside my locked door, "Linny, please."

"Go away," I muttered against my pillow, knowing that she didn't hear me, but I didn't feel like talking, I didn't even want to be in this room because it just reminded me of the fight that James and I had.

I felt Roxy jump onto my bed and lay down next to me, I wrapped my arm around her back and she nuzzled her muzzle into my neck. I turned on my side and pulled Roxy into my chest and started to pet her back.

"Caroline, please talk to me!"

"Go away," I muttered and Roxy looked up at me and whined a little.

"Caroline."

"Please just- just go away," I said louder, hoping that this time she heard me.

"I'm not leaving until you talk to me!"

"I did talk to you, now go away!" I yelled back and then sighed and laid me head back down on the pillow, "You wanna go for a walk, Roxy?"

Roxy picked her head up and I smirked, knowing that that was a yes. I sat up and she jumped out of her bed and ran over towards the door. I sighed as I pushed myself out of bed and threw some sneakers on, '...I guess I shoulder head down to the shop, I need to check my hours, and I guess I should go to the studio too...'

"All right girl, we need to make a few stops first," I smiled as I threw my sneakers on and grabbed her leash from the desk.

I didn't hear Trisha's voice anymore, so I figured that she gave up. I opened my door and grabbed Roxy's collar and heard my sister's voice in her bedroom at the end of the hall. I silently closed my door and walked towards the living room, grabbed my phone and jeep keys and then walked out of the door, making sure not to make any noise as I left.

I drove to the music shop, my job first, I don't work there a lot, only two days a week, most of my time spent in the studio. I parked the jeep outside the shop and cracked the window so that Roxy could have some air. I wasn't going to be in there long, just long enough to show my boss that I was alive and to get my hours.

"Caroline! You're not dead!" my boss, Andy said and I laughed, he said that to me every time he hadn't seen me in a while.

"Nope, I'm alive, and I'm here for my hours," I said and Andy nodded his head and grabbed the schedule from under the register and handed it to me. I looked at it confused, I usually only worked two days, I was working four days next week, "What-"

"You remember Alana?" Andy asked and I nodded my head, "Well she took some singing gig and quit, so I need someone to cover her shifts," he said and I sighed, nodding my head because I was the one who told my dad to give Alana a shot, Andy must have found out, "It's just until I get someone to replace her."

"All right," I said and then grabbed some paper and wrote down my schedule, '...Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, eight to six! Holy shit!...' I looked up at Andy and he sighed.

"You're the best I got, I need you around at least until I get someone new," he said and I sighed and nodded my head.

"Guess I'll see you tomorrow," I said as I grabbed the paper and shoved it into my back pocket.

"What's the chance that you'll actually wear the uniform?"

"Slim to none," I smiled as I waved and walked towards the door.

"Really? Linny!" he called and I laughed as the door closed and I walked over towards my jeep.

"All right, next stop, the studio," I said and then started the jeep.

I drove to the studio and then pulled into the parking spot and hopped out of the car and hooked Roxy's leash to her collar. I gave a little tug and she hopped out of the car and then walked with me to the studio.

"Hey, haven't seen you in a few days!" RJ smiled as he saw me, "Roxy! My girl, what up?!"

I let Roxy's leash drop and she trotted over towards RJ and placed her front paws on his lap. I looked to see that there was a girl singing in the studio and I was confused, I've never seen her before, "Who's that?"

"That's Sam, your brother recommended her," RJ said and I leaned against the wall and looked at the girl.

"Which brother?"

"Gordon," RJ said and I snorted, "She actually pretty good, not like the last one."

"So she's only here to sleep with my brother, or does she actually give a shit?"

"She gives a shit," RJ said and I nodded my head, "So what are you doing here?"

"Came to stop by, haven't been here in a while," I said and he nodded his head.

"I know, I was getting worried," he said and I sighed when the girl finished her song.

"She country?"

"Hip hop," he answered and I sighed.

"Eh, we'll see how she is," I said and he nodded his head, "Well, see ya!"

"Where you off to now?"

"The park, I promised Roxy a walk," I laughed and RJ smiled and nodded his head.

-Geno-
I was changing into my clothes, finished showering after practice. I listened to the guys talk about different things, no one mentioned about the fact that Caroline had gone missing the night before, no one until Jordan picked a fight with James again, and then turned the fight towards me. I ignored them as they yelled at me for not letting them see her, I didn't want to apart of this, even though I already knew that I was.

I heard a phone go off and looked to see Sidney grabbing his phone, "Ugh, you've got to be kidding me!"

"What?" I asked confused and he handed the phone over towards me, [She's gone!] I started that the words and then looked to see that they were from Trisha, "Caroline?"

"Yeah," he said and I sighed.

"What about Caroline?" James asked.

"Leave this to me, I know where she go," I said and Sidney nodded his head, "You take me home?"

"Yeah," he said and then grabbed his keys and all of his stuff, "You need help?" Sidney asked as he pulled in front of my home and got out.

"No."

"You can't do it alone," Sidney said as he followed me up the stairs of my home.

"I no do it alone, Jeffrey come," I said as I opened the door and patted my dog on the head.

"Where is she?" Sidney asked as he watched as I grabbed Jeffrey's leash and hooked it to his collar.

"No tell guys," I said and Sidney nodded his head, "She like to go to park, I find her there, she with her dog, Roxy."

"Can I at least tell Trish?"

"No, not yet, I not know if Lin what her to know," I said and Sidney sighed, "Just tell her I handle it, she be fine."

"All right," Sidney said and then started to type on his phone, "I'm waiting her for her!"

I nodded my head and walked over towards the door, "I text you if something changes."