by Sarah Cole
I groan an exaggerated groan. “I knew you were too good to be true. What’s your real name? Please tell me it isn’t John!” I joke as I lightly tickle her sides.
She laughs, and the sound instantly lights me up. “No, but honestly I am named after John Lennon. My parents were huge Beatles fans and a huge advocate for free love. I mean I was from San Francisco.”
“Were?” I ask, just hoping that doesn’t mean what I think it means.
“Yeah.” She says softly. “They both died in a freak accident when I was nine.”
“I’m so sorry, hun.” I say hugging her even tighter. She has been through so much in her life, and here I am stuck on one singular event, while Leni’s world still finds a way to spin every day.
“Can I ask you what happened?”
She doesn’t say anything for a stretch and I immediately regret asking that question. Would I honestly want to tell the story of how Abby died? How I didn’t make it to her side in time, and how I sat with the weight of the world on my shoulders at Charlie’s side, just praying to a God I wasn’t sure I believed in anymore that I wouldn’t lose her too? Hell no I wouldn’t, but just as Leni always does. She surprises me.
“Remember that big earthquake on the west coast in 2001?” she asks.
“Yeah, of course, it was all over the news. I remember watching the news coverage about it in my current events class.”
“How old are you?” she asks, and it’s so random I laugh.
“Twenty-eight, why?”
“Just curious. And I’m twenty-four by the way.”
“I figured that out.” I smile.
“Well, damn that was fast.”
“I’m good with numbers.”
She tilts her head slightly and quirks an eyebrow.
“I was a math major, accounting minor in college. If music didn’t pan out I was going to become an actuary.” I say. I still help with and approve all of the band’s accounting and budgets. Charlie can do it, but she despises math of any kind, and frankly, she needs the extra help to manage everything.
“Well, mister smarty pants, we have an elementary school teacher, an actuary…” she counts off on her fingers, “What else?”
“Chase was a journalism major, and Brenden was a civil engineering major.”
“Damn, that’s really impressive.”
“Not really if you would’ve gone to high school with us. We were the nerd squad. Band geeks galore. Anyways…” I shake her shoulder prompting her to continue with the original story.
“Oh right, sorry. Anyways, I grew up in San Francisco. The epicenter of that quake was only about a half mile from our house. I was at a friend’s birthday slumber party across town, and we were outside in tents having a campout when it happened. Her house was badly damaged, but everyone was fine because we were outside. My house and my parents on the other hand…” she trails off, tears filling her eyes.
“Leni, I’m so sorry. I can’t imagine.” I say, trying to soothe her the best way I know how.
“It took rescue teams three days to find them buried under the debris of our house. Apparently, they had some internal injuries, but ultimately what killed them was a gas leak from a broken pipe. They were asphyxiated.”
“So what happened to you… after?” I ask.
“My uncle in Seattle. He was my mom’s younger, super successful brother.”
“Well at least you had family and didn’t end up in the system like so many kids.” I sigh in relief; truly thankful she wasn’t one of those kids that have the horror stories of foster care to tell.
“Yeah.” She scoffs. “Well, I suppose that is a really long story for another day.”
With that comment, I’m beginning to wonder just how much she’s been through.
Leni:
“So what about you?” I ask him.
“What about me?”
“Family. I know where you grew up, but you haven’t mentioned your family.” I pry. I know it’s nosy, but I feel like I just spilled half of my painful past, save the gory details, so I feel like I deserve a bit more than what I’ve got.
“There honestly isn’t that much to tell.” He mumbles into my hair.
“I’m an only child, my parents divorced right after I was born. My dad, Michael, was in sales, so he travelled a lot. Not that it would matter, because he wasn’t ever really around anyways. On my thirteenth birthday when he was a no show because he conveniently forgot and went on a cruise instead, I told him to shove it. I’ve only seen him three times since. My mom, Tracy, raised me pretty much single-handedly. She’s an ICU nurse. She’s pretty amazing. She won’t let me take care of her, so she still works… a lot. I think they will have to force her to retire before she ever makes that decision on her own.”
“And you have Charlie and her family.” I say.
He smiles a soft smile. “Yeah, and I have Charlie.”
“Did you guys ever…?”
“Eww. Oh, God no!” he looks at me like I’m insane.
“Sorry, I just know how close you two are and I was curious.”
“Charlie is the closest thing I could ever have to a sibling; honestly I think of her as such. She’s my sister for all intents and purposes. She’s the best friend I’ve ever had and I know with everything I am, that I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for her. She’s the kindest, most genuine, tenacious person I know and the guys will agree with me; she’s the reason we made it.”
“I think you guys may be selling yourselves a bit short.” I say.
“There’s so much that you don’t know, babe.”
“Then tell me, Jay. Let me in. I’ve seen and dealt with my fair share of shit. I think I have enough grit in me to at least listen.”
I may have once been fragile and easily broken, but not anymore. Something snapped in me that day I walked in on my husband with another woman in our bed. In that moment, it didn’t faze me like it should have. I wasn’t mad or upset for the typical reasons. Sure, it stung, sure it embarrassed me beyond belief, but what killed me was the dissolution of my dreams. All I wanted was a family; somewhere to fit in and come home to. Somewhere to belong and something to anchor me. I hit rock bottom realizing that perfect life I had painted in my mind wasn’t a reality, but a complete farce.
I lost myself completely. I’m honestly not sure when it happened, but I don’t think it was all at once. Pieces of me were stolen bit by bit here and there over the years until there was nothing left. A little bit buried with my parents in the Golden Gate cemetery, a little bit with every bully that shot an insult my way, a little bit every time I was lost and alone, a little bit with every drop of blood I bled at my own hands, a little bit every time I ignored the obvious facts in front of my face that my husband wasn’t faithful… the list goes on.
But laying on that bathroom floor, bleeding, broken and alone I realized I had a choice. I could end it for good, or I could fight. I stared at the phone on the floor next to me for what seemed like hours. The emergency number was already dialed in and just waiting for me to hit send and save myself. I waited. I waited almost too long, and as the colors of the world started to fade and blur into oblivion I realized something. You have to fall before you can really fly, and I hit send.
Jay startles me out of my thoughts when he says, “She started the band with us, has been by our side the whole way in one form or another. Performing, writing, negotiating… you name it, she’s done it. She’s our backbone, the heartbeat. There wouldn’t be a Fading to Light if it wasn’t for her. Not only because she’s been such a contributor, but because she has saved the band… saved me more than once.”
He sighs heavily, rolling over on his side so we are chest to chest, his arm draped lazily over my hip.
“What do you mean?” I ask, needing for him to elaborate.
“Charlie has saved me more than once in the past couple of years. She has literally saved my life last year when I took a whole bottle of pills with a bottle of whisky. She just kn
ew something was off and she and Andrew came and … well let’s just say I got lucky. But in addition to that, there have been so many more times than I can count just by being there when I need her, which has been a lot. I owe my sobriety to her and Andrew. They took me in, got me clean, and have remained by my side through everything. Never judging, never preaching, just being present.”
“Are you an addict? I mean, do you still struggle with it.” I ask evenly. I really hope he isn’t, but I have to know.
“That depends on who you ask. If you ask a doctor or a shrink they’d probably say yes, but I’d say no. I don’t know if that’s my pride talking, or if I’m trying to justify my actions, but it was never one drug that I craved and needed. I stopped easily and didn’t crave it once after, still don’t. I never craved the high or the euphoria. What I crave is the numbness – the times when I was so blown that I’d forget about the hurt for just that short amount of time. I’d drink until I’d black out just to have a dreamless sleep; one without her face in it.” He said.
“I’m so sorry, Jay. How long have you been sober?”
“A little over a year.” He says.
“We make quite the pair.” I say, ruffling the hair on top of his head.
He scrunches his nose, making him look like a little boy.
“You bet we do. Leni?”
“Yeah?”
“Go on a date with me.” he says.
“A date?”
“Yeah, like a real honest to goodness date. Where I knock on your door, wherever that may be on Thursday night and I take you out to a nice dinner, try to woo you with my charm, then get handsy and push my luck trying to round second base?” he smiles an innocent grin, and I melt.
I start to give him my answer, but his phone begins ringing on the coffee table. Before he can get up and over to it, my phone begins ringing, as well. My gut instinct just tells me something is wrong.
Chapter 9
Jay:
I swipe my cell phone up off the coffee table where I left it. Charlie. I know she wouldn’t be calling me this late if something weren’t wrong, and my heart takes off in a dead sprint.
“Charlie are you ok?” I answer.
“Yeah, Jay. We have a big problem, though.”
“What’s that?” I can feel my brows furrow in concern. I glance over and Leni is talking quietly at rapid speed nodding her head on her cell phone.
“Brenden was arrested tonight.” She sighs heavily.
“What the actual fuck? Why?” I nearly come unglued. Brenden, while he looks unruly with his mowhawk and arms and neck full of tattoos, would be the last one of us to do something stupid.
“Supposedly he sexually assaulted a minor. She went to the police with a report about two and a half hours ago.”
“What the hell? You know he wouldn’t do that, Charlie!”
None of us would ever do that, ever. Also, Brenden is bisexual, not that you’d ever guess it. In fact, most people are completely unaware, but he tends to gravitate more towards men. So, the likelihood of him even approaching a girl is slim to none. This accusation is complete and utter bullshit.
“Jay, of course I know that.”
“When did this so-called assault happen?” I ask aggravated.
“She claims tonight after the concert she was taken back to the tour bus, and plied with liquor and drugs, then he forced himself on her.”
“Bullshit.” I spit.
“Well duh, I know. We were all together and then went to dinner and had already checked in here earlier in the day. The busses are just parked there and the drivers are with them. Just give me a little bit of time to think about how to approach this.” She says.
“We don’t have time for you to play Nancy Drew. He’s in jail. You need to call a lawyer or something.”
“Don’t you talk to me like that. We’re all in the same boat here, asshole. And did you forget that technically I am a lawyer?” she asks, and I feel bad I snapped on her like that.
“I’m sorry Thumper, you’re right… but I mean like a criminal defense lawyer or something. What about Parker?” Parker James is one of Andrew’s best friends, and has one of the best win records in the city of Chicago. He’s also engaged to our close friend, Laney.
“I think he and Laney were going out of town this weekend, but I can try and see if he can fly out here for us. But don’t stress. I will get to the bottom of this one way or the other. We just have to gather all the proof and throw the evidence at them. Luckily the next show isn’t for three more days, so we have some time before we have to cancel anything.”
“Well what do we need to do now?” I ask, looking towards Leni who’s putting her clothes back on with the phone trapped between her ear and shoulder.
“Well, I’m going to get dressed and call Parker or Laney whoever will pick up and see if he can meet us here. While I do that, can you talk to Leni and see what she knows? I’m certain that the tour has probably heard by now and there’s a morality clause in the contract. Meet me in the lobby in twenty minutes and we can go see if we can spring him.”
“Ok, see you in a few.” I say before hanging up.
***
Charlie, Leni and I scale the steps to the local police station where Brenden is being held. Chase and Aaron are waiting for us in the small waiting room just inside the doors.
“Took you guys long enough.” Chase says from his chair, not even bothering to stand. I know he’s probably wiped from his injury and the pain meds Andrew prescribed.
“Sorry, I didn’t get the call until like an hour ago. Then I had to get details and round everyone up.” Charlie says.
“What are we going to do? They want a huge bail for him; something about it being a charge against a minor. I mean we have the money, but I don’t really think we should pay that when we all know he didn’t do anything.” Aaron says.
“Well I’ve gathered enough stuff that we should be able to get him out for the night. They are going to want him to say in town, but Parker is getting on the first flight. He’s just going to make sure we’ve covered all the basis. We have enough evidence to prove this isn’t true, we just need to get a judge to throw it out.” She says, marching towards the window.
She’s dressed in a simple black sheath dress and chic blazer jacket with simple heels. In her office clothes, Charlie looks every bit the part of the serious business woman that she is.
“I’m Charlotte Montgomery, one of Brenden Wilks’s attorneys.” She says through the glass, passing her credentials underneath through the hand sized opening.
“What can I do for you Ms. Montgomery?” the middle-aged woman asks from behind the partition, wearing an extremely bored expression.
“I’d like to post bail for my client. I spoke with a Judge Hollingsworth, and he was to fax over the written statement that my client has a court appearance at eleven A.M. tomorrow. My client has already agreed to these terms and you should only need his signature to file.”
“Very well, ma’am. It is a cash bail set at one hundred thousand dollars. Are you or your client capable of making this payment?” the officer asks, and Charlie raises her eyebrows before she replies. Leni is staring transfixed at the one woman wonder that is Charlie Montgomery. She hasn’t seen anything yet.
“Under penal code 77832, the bail for the charges against my client should only amount to fifty thousand. Please explain.” She says, and maybe I underestimated Charlie. I know she’s damn near genius, and that isn’t even an exaggeration, but she has some fire in her. It’s like watching Law & Order… except not, because it’s real and the situation really kind of sucks.
“The additional was for providing a minor with a controlled substance.” The woman whose nametag reads, Brenda, says after flipping through a plain file folder.
“I reviewed my client’s charges, and nowhere in the paperwork did it charge him with actually providing a controlled substance. It was just noted that the plaintiff was under the influence. There was no mention o
f how said substances were procured. Therefore, bail needs to be amended. Fifty thousand.” She says punctuating each word by drilling her manicured finger into the Formica countertop.
“Listen, it’s not my job to argue the charges. That’s what the courts are for.” Brenda all but rolls her eyes.
“I agree. That definitely isn’t your job, but lucky for you I’m not arguing charges at all. I’m arguing the fact that you are upping the bail due to a crime that you didn’t actually charge my client for. Reduce the bail.”
Brenda huffs out a large breath before replying in an even more clipped fashion, “This will take additional paperwork on our part to make the adjustments. Have a seat, and I’ll let you know when it’s done.”
Charlie turns to go sit in the beat up looking chairs that surround the perimeter of the room.
“Dang girl.” Leni whispers, nudging Charlie with her shoulder.
“I had no idea that’d actually work. I’ve never done this before. It’s kind of a rush, but was I a bit overboard on the bitchy lawyer thing?” she asks, leaning her head back against the wall.
“Nah, that was pretty awesome. It was like watching Law & Order.” Leni says, and I think, “YES! Law & Order – she gets me.”
“God, you sound like Jay. He lives for that show, especially the theme song.” Charlie says and I can’t help but to hum it. She’s totally right, that show is the shit. Aaron and Chase just look at each other with bored expressions. They know my love for it… why does no one understand?
“I love that show too. Seriously, I live for the marathons.” Leni says, and I reach out to give her a high five.
“I was honestly just channeling all these pregnancy hormones. I’m hungry and tired, my goodness, am I grouchy.” Charlie says letting her head thud against the wall again.
After sitting in near silence for just under an hour, Brenda finally calls Charlie up to go over everything and make payment. When they finally walk Brenden out to be released, he looks scared shitless and relieved all at the same time.