Let Me Break This Awkward Silence

Chapter 15

We all spent the next couple hours getting to know each other, well that is after the rest of the band and I took a shower and changed. God, I swear this is the third outfit change today. I feel like a freaking model, only I eat more…

Anyway! We’re now sitting at the table eating the vegetarian casserole that Susan and Kaysi brought. See usually it’s packed with meat, but since Frank is a vegetarian, they made it meat-free! And Frank liked it, ‘cause he was on his thirds by the time everyone else got done with there seconds.

“Hey Bob?” I asked while grabbing more soda.

“Yeah?” He said with a mouth full of food.

“How come you’re not home? I mean you live in Chicago don’t you?”

“I leave tomorrow, and I’m home till around the fifteenth I think?”

“Hey! He’ll be here for your birthday Alyssa!” Kaysi said smiling.

I watched as I saw everyone’s head jerk up on the word of “birthday”, and the realization flood Gerard’s eyes when he realized that he didn’t know his daughter’s birthday.

That stung a little. But I really should have expected it.

“We are so throwing you a party!!” Frank said smiling evilly.

“No. Your not.” I said.

“She’s right, your not.” Kaysi said smiling.

“How come?”

“’Cause it’s my job! And beside her party was planned already, it was actually in a little more than a week, but I guess since you’re hear, we got to move the date to the correct date…”
Kaysi rambled on, before I cut her off.

“Kaysi!” I said cutting her off.

“Were you coming to here soon?” Gerard delicately asked, as if I would blow up on him, but it sounded more like he would break down.

I thought I would be nice, and not be a smart ass, so I told him the truth. Not that I had a choice really, just thinking of Mom made my eyes well up, I think Susan saw that, ‘cause she put a comforting arm around me.

“Yeah, I and Mom were going to come up here after my finals, and stay till New Years, to visit Kaysi and Susan. We didn’t know that they lived right next to you Gerard. And I probably wouldn’t have mattered, we still would have come.” I said swallowing back tears.

“Oh” was echoed through the now silent house.

Its funny how that one word can do so much, it expresses happiness, gratitude, sympathy, and pity.

The chorus of “Dear God” played through the silent house. We all turned to Susan who was trying to get her phone out of her purse.

“Hello? Oh Hi Jack! Why are you – Oh, OH! OH MY GOD! I’M SOO FUCKING-“

“Susan!” Kaysi and I yelled.

“I’m so sorry Jack!...Where are you?...Oh really?...Well I’m across the street I made dinner for Alyssa and her dad…Yeah, Kaysi’s over here too, okay, well here I’ll walk over, and we can still catch the movie….Okay, love you too. Bye.” Susan finished smiling.

“So, Sally, who’s Jack?” I said grinning like a mad-man. “Which band? Wait no, you don’t date musicians or artists, so who?”

“She did not meet Jack through work Lis. He is far from the musician type. Or roadie for that matter, he’s a business dude. Though he has a pretty good taste in music…” Kaysi said while Susan was getting her shoes on.

“Kaysi, do you have any brown eyeliner?” Susan said rummaging through her purse.

“No, but I have black.” She said throwing a stick of eyeliner from her pocket.

“You carry around eyeliner?” Ray asked amused.

“Yeah, doesn’t everyone?” Kaysi replied nonchauntly, getting up yelling, “You’re your Jacket!” throwing Susan her jacket from her chair.

“Kaysi, keys?” Susan said from the door.
“Yes, don’t leave without them.” Kaysi said showing her keychain.

“Okay, bye!” Susan said going out the door, only to come back in less than a minute giving Kaysi and me a hug, “Take care of Alyssa, Gerard. And thanks for letting us stay for Dinner!” She said walking out the door the second and final time.

“Well! That was uh, interesting…” Frank said grabbing yet another piece of casserole.

“To say the least…” I said sitting back down.