The Road to L.A.

by Buchanan, Gina

  “Yeah, that was crazy,” Jake concurred. He was in awe over what he had just witnessed.

  “It’s a miracle!” Aaron shouted ecstatically as he ran to Jake. “I’ve never hit the ball like that before!” He felt absolutely buoyant and all doubts about his athletic prowess subsided for the moment. He couldn't ever remember feeling this great. Maybe it's the field, he wondered, maybe it's magical. He wanted to laugh at himself for thinking that, yet he also wanted to laugh at how great the day was turning out to be. Little did he know that his day was about to get even better. A group of Jake's friends walked by just then and Jake motioned for them to approach. Chad, being one of them, asked, "What are you guys doing?”

  “Just practicing. You guys wanna play a real game? We need more people," Jake responded.

  Chad nodded in reply. He suddenly took note of Aaron and denoted his disapproval of the twin's presence with a wrinkle of his nose. Jake took notice of this and cut in defensively.

  “He's cool. Aaron can probably bat better than all of you.”

  Chad chuckled disbelievingly and replied, “We’ll see about that. Let’s play.”

  “Why did you tell him that?” Aaron asked in a worried tone when Chad was out of earshot. “Now it’s like I have to prove I’m good, which I’m not.”

  Jake simply grinned and replied, “You worry too much.”

  Aaron usually appreciated Jake's easygoing nature, but not right now. So much for this just being practice he grumbled to himself. The male twin's annoyance continued to fester deep inside him for the first few minutes of the game. Now the pressure to perform nagged at him and spurred his heart to pump at an unbelievably high rate, especially as the time neared for him to go up to bat. Little did Aaron know that it was all for nothing. In fact, to Aaron's immense relief and delight, Jake had been right. The twin's good performance continued, which convinced him more and more that perhaps the field was magical after all. The afternoon passed quickly as one game turned into three. After the sun began its inevitable retreat to allow evening to creep in, Chad and the other boys left. The remaining foursome sprawled out on the grass in the outfield and stared up at the darkening sky.

  “Today was the best day," Aaron said happily. He was still soaring on cloud nine.

  “Yeah," Carly answered, too tired to expound. Although, she wholeheartedly agreed with Aaron. It had been one of those days that she could only describe as magical. She wasn't too tired to break off a piece of Jake's chocolate bar after he handed it to her.

  “Guys, let’s be friends forever. No matter what happens,” Jake said earnestly.

  They all looked at each other and smiled as a silent vow of eternal friendship passed between them.

  “Friends forever,” the foursome affirmed in a monotone.

  Just then, Lydia’s voice disturbed the magical calm of that August evening. Carly groaned aloud and said, “I gotta go, guys. I’m probably in big trouble. I was supposed to be home for dinner.” She stood up and added, “I’ll probably be grounded for a week. But that’s okay because I had so much fun today.”

  “Hey, if you’re grounded we’ll come see you,” Amanda offered.

  “Yeah,” Jake agreed, grinning, “we’ll come rescue you.”

  She could still remember how Jake's vow had made her feel so uplifted, and she had raced home in a giddy mood - even though she knew she was destined for punishment. Seated in Chad's truck now, she smiled broadly at the memories and wished she could relive them. She spoke up and asked Chad to drop her off at the Corner of Preston and Lemmonwood. After saying her goodbyes to the teenage boys and watching them drive off, she stood alone at the familiar intersection. The baseball field was not far from here. She glanced at the sky and noted it had darkened dramatically since leaving the high school stadium. Deciding she needed to hurry and get to the field before the rain started, she broke out into a light sprint, then a brisk walk. She thought back to Jake’s angry countenance and resumed her sprint, desperate to get there. She could already feel the light sprinkle of rain dotting her face, arms, and bare legs. Finally arriving at the field, she scanned the area and was disappointed when she saw no one. She reminded herself, though, that Jake could be in the dugout. It was impossible to see inside it from here, and she would need to get closer. Sprinting across the infield, she stopped just short of the dugout. She smiled with relief, yet her heart also quickened its pace. Jake was alone inside, sitting on the bench and leaning his head against the concrete wall. Spurred on by a deep sense of concern, she started forward and entered. She tried to remain silent so as not to startle him, but he immediately felt her presence. Turning his head, he looked at her. She immediately saw the hurt in his eyes. It was unmistakable, and it stung her heart.

  “What do you want, Carly?” Jake asked. His voice was filled with apathy and it startled her because it simply didn't fit his usual nature.

  “I just wanted to see if you’re okay.”

  “Do I look okay?” he snapped.

  Carly felt her cheeks flush, and she turned to look away. His mean attitude was extremely hurtful. He noticed the wounded expression on her face and said softly, “I’m sorry.”

  He motioned for her to sit next to him.

  “Come here,” he demanded.

  She did as she was told and walked over to him. But before she could sit down next to him, he reached out with both hands and grabbed hold of her waist, forcing her to stand before him. Without so much as a single word being uttered between the both of them, Jake rested his forehead on her taut stomach. She placed her hands on the back of his head and began stroking her fingers through his long hair.

  “Why does my dad have to be like that?” he asked. He paused briefly before resuming. “I don't even know if he really loves me.” His voice faltered and he tightened his grip on her waist as if fearing she would back away from him. He suddenly realized that he needed her...badly. She was a shoulder to cry on, his only shoulder.

  Jake took a deep breath and continued. “No matter what I do, it’ll never be good enough for him. Every time I look at him I know exactly what he's thinking."

  He looked up at her then, and she looked back at him, waiting patiently for him to continue.

  “He thinks I’m a failure. That I'm a bad son and not at all what he envisioned. That I'm going to fall short of all his expectations and hopes and dreams. I'm pretty much useless to him, Carly."

  “Jake,” she responded in a soothing voice, “you have no idea how talented you are. Do you know how many people in this town would kill to be in your shoes? They look at you and see this golden boy who can do anything. You are not a failure, by any means.”

  Jake replied, “That’s what everyone sees, Carly. They don’t know how I really feel. How I can’t even do father-son things with my own dad because our relationship is so fucked up. I just wish…”

  Jake hesitated, contemplating whether to reveal any more to her. He proceeded cautiously, guarding himself.

  “He just always looks at me with these critical eyes. I already know what he wants from me. He expects me to play football in college and eventually get drafted in the NFL. He wants me to work to become even better than he was.”

  With that, Jake released her and leaned his head against the wall behind the dugout bench.

  “I don’t wanna play football, Carly. I wanna play music. And that is going to be one of the hardest things I’ll ever have to tell him.”

  “But you have to tell him,” Carly said. “And no matter what, he’ll support you. Even if he doesn’t show it.”

  Jake vehemently shook his head to dispute her contention. Then he looked at her with an earnest expression on his face and confided, “You know, you’re the one person I can honestly say cares about me. I really can't say that about anybody else. I never know if they like me for who I am or whether they like the imposter who is playing this...role.”

  She instinctively stepped closer to offer him comfort and immediately took notice of his deeply bru
ised knuckles. She cradled his injured hand in hers and examined the coloration and lacerations.

  “Jake!” she exclaimed, running her finger across his knuckles. “Your whole hand is swollen! You need to go get this taken care of!”

  Jake simply grinned and then laughed when he saw the displeased look on her face.

  “It’s not funny,” she snapped at him disapprovingly. “Your hand looks really bad. You need to see a doctor. Even if I have to drive you there myself.”

  “With what car?” Jake mocked.

  Carly didn’t appreciate the levity with which he approached the subject of his injury. She glared at him, shaking her head.

  “Fine,” he finally said to appease her.

  He stood up and reached into his pocket to pull out his keys.

  “By the way, you shouldn’t have been driving with your injured hand, Jake,” Carly chided, shaking her head in utter disbelief at his brazenness. She then softened her tone, recalling his fragile emotional state just moments before. She wanted to approach this subject with him again later, but right now she wanted him to get his injury taken care of. She said, “I’ll take you to the urgent care right now. And I promise I'll drive carefully.”

  “That’s reassuring,” he said mischievously.

  To that she simply winked and replied teasingly, "I'll make sure to hit every curb on our way there."

  He chuckled in response. He was suddenly struck by the realization that even in his darkest moments, Carly could lift his spirits. It was becoming clearer to him that he needed her friendship, her presence in his life. He dare not even think about his life without her in it. That thought both elevated him and scared him all at the same time because he didn't know what that meant - to be so attached to someone on such a deep level.

  The rain’s intensity increased, and Carly's cheerleading uniform was beginning to get soaked by the heavy drops. She could feel several wet tendrils of her hair clinging to her face. She looked back once to make sure Jake was following her and noticed he stood in the middle of the field, casting a glance upward.

  “What are you doing?” Carly yelled over the sound of the rain. She walked over to him.

  “The rain feels good,” he replied, allowing the heavy drops to saturate his face.

  She stopped right in front of him and said, “No, you just don’t want to see the doctor. You’re stalling.”

  Jake looked down at her then. He peered deep into her eyes, and she began to experience those strange, titillating sensations she had felt when he had held her so close that night in the woods. He perused her face, noting how the raindrops fell against her face and then ran down her cheeks in long streams until they reached the tip of her little chin. He especially enjoyed the drops that lingered on her full lips, moistening them. He suddenly felt the urge to sample their wetness with his tongue. He placed his hand on the back of her head, gently clenching her wet hair. His eyes worshipped her pretty face, and she could see the undiluted desire in his large blue eyes. She wondered if he could see the desire in her eyes as well. He trailed his finger down the side of her face, moving several wet tendrils of hair away from her cheeks along the way. She let out a small gasp, exhaling, as he lowered his face and their rain-drenched lips locked. As they stood in the center of the baseball field, Jake’s tongue hungrily explored her sweet mouth. Both of his hands came up and possessively cupped her face while his lips and tongue laid full claim to her mouth. She held onto his shoulders and brought herself closer to him as the kiss became more and more passionate, heating both of them to the core despite the cool rain. Reluctantly, they separated. Jake stroked her face with his uninjured hand and said warmly, “You’re so beautiful.”

  Even though it was cool outside and raining, Carly could feel her cheeks warming. She didn’t know what to say. Thankfully, Jake immediately changed the subject.

  “Now let’s go to the urgent care,” he said, smiling at her.

  Carly nodded her head. “Uh, yeah.”

  She couldn’t believe what had just happened. Had he really just kissed her, she mused. And why was he playing it so cool, she wondered. She watched as her friend sprinted ahead of her to open the driver's side door for her. With all the warm, stimulating feelings this unexpected intimacy had produced, she definitely longed to find out the meaning behind it.

  Chapter Eight

  A week later, Jake’s hand was still a bit bruised, but he swore to everyone that he’d be able to play the Gypsy Lounge gig. Carly didn’t quite believe him, but she knew his stubbornness wouldn’t allow him to miss out on his musical debut with the Flaming Dogs. She was also a bit distracted ever since that kiss at the baseball field. She was even more perplexed that Jake hadn't said a word about it and was playing it cool - as if nothing of significance had occurred between them. She did catch him a few times glancing her way while they were hanging out with friends. And she noticed that several times after finishing a conversation with him, his eyes would linger on her face for just a split second longer, as though he were admiring an intriguing piece of artwork that had found a place in his heart. After a few days of nothing else strange occurring and Jake failing to bring it up, she decided to let it go.

  The night of the performance came more quickly than they had all anticipated. They all - save Roy - arrived early to help Jake and the rest of the band set up for the concert, although Aaron was much more helpful lifting the heavy equipment. Carly grabbed a microphone from the front seat of Garrett’s van and walked through the back door of the club. She followed several employees with black staff shirts down the long corridor and into the backstage area, where several men were busy plugging things into outlets, running test checks on equipment, and running wires and cables throughout the area. She felt as if she was in the way, so she set the microphone down on a speaker and walked back down the hallway to find the twins. While she searched for her friends, she ran into Jake, who was lugging his guitar case. He seemed heavily preoccupied, yet he still noticed her and smiled.

  “Where’s Roy?” he asked, looking past her at the cluttered backstage area.

  “He couldn’t make it. He’s got a dinner meeting with a recruiter from some college.”

  Jake barely heard Carly’s reply, for Garrett shouted down the hallway just then instructing the band to meet onstage. Jake rushed off, leaving her to stand amidst the swelling chaos. A club employee carrying a heavy speaker almost ran into her. He looked at her with an annoyed expression on his face.

  “Can I please get by you? This stuff isn’t exactly light,” he huffed. “Are you lost?”

  “I’m with the band,” Carly replied timidly.

  The employee rolled his eyes. “Aren't they all.”

  With that, he moved past her, mumbling a string of indiscernible words under his breath. She suddenly felt even more insignificant than she had before and was anxious to escape and get out of everyone's way. While scanning the corridor for a place to hide out, she heard a friendly and familiar voice emanating from behind her. She was grabbed by the arm and pulled into a small, closet-sized room flanking the corridor. She turned to face her “assailant” and smiled.

  “Thanks for rescuing me,” Carly said to Aaron. He could see the distress in her eyes. “I just feel like such an imposter back here.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Aaron reassured her, watching a procession of drums parading by. “I’m sure it gets pretty hectic before a show.”

  She was thankful to be out of the storm for now, particularly since the chaos only seemed to worsen as it neared show time. She observed all the activity, noting how all the men in staff shirts hurrying by resembled little worker bees, their shouts and curt instructions eventually fusing into one monotonous buzz. It appeared somewhat comical to her.

  Out of nowhere, Jake and Amanda appeared. Jake’s eyes were lit with unbridled enthusiasm as he instructed his trio of friends to follow him down the long stretch of hallway. All of the equipment had been set up, and Garrett was testing two of the
microphones. He briefly looked up and took note of their presence. Carly could have sworn Garrett's eyes had lingered on her before returning to the microphone. Or perhaps she'd just imagined it. Maybe she'd even imagined the kiss with Jake. She scoffed aloud, drawing Aaron's attention. He looked at her with curiosity and she shrugged sheepishly, to which he simply grinned. Thankfully he didn't probe. Carly looked at Garrett again and shuddered. There was just something creepy about him, something that didn't sit well with her. There was no doubt that Garrett made her feel uncomfortable. It wasn't that he had done something to her. It was just a feeling, and a strong one at that. She definitely never wanted to be caught in a room alone with the guy. Jake stood on the stage and looked all around him, his blue eyes glinting like Carly had never seen them before. John handed Jake his guitar and instructed him to start warming up. Jake’s hand hit the strings with such pristine precision, and he played a short tune to warm up. His guitar emitted the most riveting sound. The club’s owner suddenly arrived, and he clapped his chubby hands together while Jake finished.

  “Sounds good. Probably the best I’ve heard in a long time,” he praised, all the while nodding his head.

  “What can I say…I know how to spot raw talent,” Garrett piped in, sounding unmistakably pretentious.

  “I have a feeling this is gonna be a good show tonight. I anticipate a full house. Good luck, boys.”

  "Oh, it'll be a great show," Garrett reassured the owner. He flashed a cocky grin and Carly felt another shudder.

  Hours later, the Gypsy Lounge’s parking lot filled with myriad cars. The size of the crowd inside the club seemed to swell by the minute. Carly stood backstage wringing her hands. It seemed she was more nervous than Jake.

  “Carly!”

  Alarmed, she turned immediately and came face to face with Susan. Beside Carly, Amanda let out a long drawn-out groan.