Death Is Closing In and Catching Up
One Last Week
Billie pulled the rental car into the drive way of Harley's home. He pulled the keys out of the ignition and opened the driver's side door before stepping out of the rental car. He walked to the other side of the car and opened the right rear door to help Tre out. On the ride home, Harley had fallen asleep and was now sleeping on the drummer's lap. Billie grabbed the sleeping girl and pulled her out of the car to him so he could hold her for Tre. Harley sensed that she was being moved and opened her eyes.
"You can put me down if you want," Harley said, her voice muffled by a yawn. Billie nodded and set the young girl down as Tre stepped out of the car. Harley yawned again as she stretched and rubbed her eyes. She slowly walked up the front walkway to her house and waited patiently at the door for Billie or Mike to unlock the door. She stood there staring at the Cherry Red painted door through half lidded eyes, trying desperately not to fall asleep where she was standing. She turned her head to watch as Mike pulled out the house key and unlocked the front door, pushing it open to reveal the darkened foyer.
Harley stepped into her house and turned for the stairs before slowly making the upward climb to the second landing. Upon reaching the the landing she turned to the left and walked to the end of the hallway to her bedroom. Harley slowly opened the door and blindly walked over to her bed in the darkness. She collapsed on her bed, curling up with her favorite stuffed animal, Cainine. She opened an eye and groaned when Tre turned on the bedroom light.
"Turn it off," Harley said, trying to cover her face with her pillow. Tre chuckled and walked over to her day bed before drawing back the red curtains and sitting down on the edge of the bed. He pulled the pillow off of his daughter's face.
"I need to talk to you," the drummer said, his smile fading.
"I'm listening," Harley whispered as she opened her eyes to gaze at her father.
"I have to go back to California in a week. I've been away from Claudia for so long. And we're expecting. I can't leave her alone for a long peroid of time."
"What about Billie and Mike? They can stay, right?" Harley asked as she sat up.
"Sweetie, they have to go too," Tre whispered.
"Why?"
"They've been away from their families, too."
"Oh," Harley said as she looked down at her bandaged hands, her auburn hair falling over her slumped shoulders. She felt betrayed and alone. She looked up at the drummer with pleading eyes. She didn't want him to leave, she didn't want to loose him again. Tre frowned and brushed a tendrill of his daughter's hair behind her ear.
"You want me to tuck you in?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"No, I can do it myself," Harley said as she pulled back her blankets and crawled under the covers. She stared at the entwining white bars of her bed, not paying any attention to Tre as he stood up, closed the red curtains to her bed, and walked out of the room. She reached out for Cainine and cradled the stuffed dog in her arms before letting a tear leak from her eye. She burried her face in the crook of the stuffed animal's neck and cried.
Tre slowly walked down the stairs and into the front hall foyer before turning into the living room. He slumped down on the couch and reached for the remote. He flipped on the TV and flipped through the channels and settled on a local channel. He sighed as he set the remote down next to him, running his free hand over his face. He didn't want to leave her but he had no choice. He couldn't abandon his pregnant wife, but he was abandoning his oldest daughter.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to do," he whispered, sitting back against the couch staring at the dancing pictures on the screen. He ran his fingers through his dishevled colored hair and sighed. He turned his attention away from the TV when his band mates walked into the room and sat down on the couch next to him.
"What's up with you?" Billie asked, looking over the drummers profile.
"She hates me," the drummer whispered.
"Huh?"
"Harley hates me," Tre said a little louder, turning to fix his gaze on his best friends.
"What makes you think that?" Mike asked.
"I told her we're leaving."
"Oh," Mike said quietly, "Did you tell her why?"
"Yeah. She just doesn't understand. We've been away from our families and we have to go back into studio," Tre said rubbing his eyes. His band mates nodded their heads and settled back against the couch. The drummer glanced back at the TV before getting up and tossing the remote to Billie, catching the guitarist off gaurd.
"Where are you going?" Billie asked as he watched his friend walk into the kitchen that was connected to the living room.
"Bed," Tre replied as he disappeared into the foyer.
"You can put me down if you want," Harley said, her voice muffled by a yawn. Billie nodded and set the young girl down as Tre stepped out of the car. Harley yawned again as she stretched and rubbed her eyes. She slowly walked up the front walkway to her house and waited patiently at the door for Billie or Mike to unlock the door. She stood there staring at the Cherry Red painted door through half lidded eyes, trying desperately not to fall asleep where she was standing. She turned her head to watch as Mike pulled out the house key and unlocked the front door, pushing it open to reveal the darkened foyer.
Harley stepped into her house and turned for the stairs before slowly making the upward climb to the second landing. Upon reaching the the landing she turned to the left and walked to the end of the hallway to her bedroom. Harley slowly opened the door and blindly walked over to her bed in the darkness. She collapsed on her bed, curling up with her favorite stuffed animal, Cainine. She opened an eye and groaned when Tre turned on the bedroom light.
"Turn it off," Harley said, trying to cover her face with her pillow. Tre chuckled and walked over to her day bed before drawing back the red curtains and sitting down on the edge of the bed. He pulled the pillow off of his daughter's face.
"I need to talk to you," the drummer said, his smile fading.
"I'm listening," Harley whispered as she opened her eyes to gaze at her father.
"I have to go back to California in a week. I've been away from Claudia for so long. And we're expecting. I can't leave her alone for a long peroid of time."
"What about Billie and Mike? They can stay, right?" Harley asked as she sat up.
"Sweetie, they have to go too," Tre whispered.
"Why?"
"They've been away from their families, too."
"Oh," Harley said as she looked down at her bandaged hands, her auburn hair falling over her slumped shoulders. She felt betrayed and alone. She looked up at the drummer with pleading eyes. She didn't want him to leave, she didn't want to loose him again. Tre frowned and brushed a tendrill of his daughter's hair behind her ear.
"You want me to tuck you in?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"No, I can do it myself," Harley said as she pulled back her blankets and crawled under the covers. She stared at the entwining white bars of her bed, not paying any attention to Tre as he stood up, closed the red curtains to her bed, and walked out of the room. She reached out for Cainine and cradled the stuffed dog in her arms before letting a tear leak from her eye. She burried her face in the crook of the stuffed animal's neck and cried.
Tre slowly walked down the stairs and into the front hall foyer before turning into the living room. He slumped down on the couch and reached for the remote. He flipped on the TV and flipped through the channels and settled on a local channel. He sighed as he set the remote down next to him, running his free hand over his face. He didn't want to leave her but he had no choice. He couldn't abandon his pregnant wife, but he was abandoning his oldest daughter.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to do," he whispered, sitting back against the couch staring at the dancing pictures on the screen. He ran his fingers through his dishevled colored hair and sighed. He turned his attention away from the TV when his band mates walked into the room and sat down on the couch next to him.
"What's up with you?" Billie asked, looking over the drummers profile.
"She hates me," the drummer whispered.
"Huh?"
"Harley hates me," Tre said a little louder, turning to fix his gaze on his best friends.
"What makes you think that?" Mike asked.
"I told her we're leaving."
"Oh," Mike said quietly, "Did you tell her why?"
"Yeah. She just doesn't understand. We've been away from our families and we have to go back into studio," Tre said rubbing his eyes. His band mates nodded their heads and settled back against the couch. The drummer glanced back at the TV before getting up and tossing the remote to Billie, catching the guitarist off gaurd.
"Where are you going?" Billie asked as he watched his friend walk into the kitchen that was connected to the living room.
"Bed," Tre replied as he disappeared into the foyer.