Sugar Valley (Hollywood's Darkest Secret)

by Stephen Andrew Salamon

  But, he began slowly to realize that by him not telling Damen, his guilt would grow and grow, multiplying its force and pressure into a million guilty nerves, and evolving so greatly, that he wouldn’t be able to take it. Damen was one of his best friends, but he also knew that his life would be shattered if those photos ever reached the outside world. He was caught in between, and he couldn’t decide what to do.

  As he lay on a couch inside Mr. Fryer’s apartment, the guilt was beginning to grow stronger, starting to travel from his mind to his heart. It was like a virus; the only thing that would heal it, was by doing the right thing. Yet, that’s what Darell didn’t know. He didn’t know whether the right thing was telling Damen and getting his own career destroyed, or not telling him, and having a chance of the guilt virus to travel beyond his heart; a chance of having it travel to his soul. He comprehended, understood, that he had to tell someone, he had to go to someone for advice.

  But who could I trust that won’t tell anyone about the lie?

  Thinking those lingering words of strenuous quality, his eyes started to water, feeling exhausted, fatigued from this thinking. As he lay on the couch, Mr. Fryer approached him, seeing that Darell had something on his mind, noticing the water in his eyes, and the silence that Darell gave out. He stared at Darell, and then lit up a cigar, asking, “What’s wrong with you, Darell? You haven’t said a word to me since we’ve gotten back from England.”

  “Nothing’s wrong.”

  Tom saw that depression was in his tone and heartache was in his eyes, so he sat down, in a chair, next to the couch, and just stared at him still. “Just tell me, what’s on your mind?”

  A single tear, or piece of water, floated out from Darell’s left eye, showing Tom itself, crying out to him to help Darell. “I told you, nothing’s wrong, just leave me alone.” Darell answered.

  Tom still faced him, trying to figure out what he was thinking, how his thoughts were lined up. He then saw another tear exiting Darell’s eyes, so he tried to figure out what the bad thought was, that was causing Darell’s depression, his sadness. Tom took a drag of his cigar, and blew it out in the air, away from Darell’s figure. But, a ceiling fan spun the toxic smoke around and forced it back toward Tom’s figure, and then went over to Darell’s mouth. He started coughing, and then stopped. Tom got up, turned off the fan, sat back down, and questioned in sincerity, “Listen, if you’re in any type of trouble, I’ll help you.”

  Darell listened to those last words from Mr. Fryer very carefully. He understood he was his agent, and therefore he should be able to trust him, yet, Darell didn’t know whether to take the chance of telling him, or just keep it inside a little longer. But he couldn’t, he wasn’t that strong, his mental capacity, for problems, was weak, and he needed help in the worst way. So, as he turned his head to face Tom Fryer, it caused his tears to fall from his eyes even more. He looked down before his tears hit the floor, and then tilted his head upward toward Tom. He asked with hesitation, “Before I tell you, Tom, you ... have to promise me ... that you’re not going to tell ... anyone. Do you promise?”

  “I promise you, I won’t tell anyone.”

  Darell sat up on the couch, and lit a cigarette. He paused, not knowing whether to tell him or not. But he decided it was the right thing. What Darell didn’t realize was, yes, it was the right thing to tell someone about this situation, but Tom Fryer wasn’t the right person for this task. Darell then opened his mouth again, took a drag of his cigarette, absorbing a large amount of smoke into his nervous lungs, feeling this stimulant caressing his vocal cords, tickling them in a delightful way, and then exhaled it, blowing it right in Tom’s face. He finally spoke, “While we were in England, me and Becky, um, well we had sex?”

  Tom was confused, disoriented about the problem Darell consumed, speaking with a smile, “So, everyone has sex from time to time.”

  “No, I found out she’s only sixteen years old. You see, Julienne Wells showed me a lot of photos that Jose took of me while having sex with Becky. He also took some of me doing drugs.”

  Darell got up from the couch and began pacing the room, up and down, feeling guilty, betrayed, and deceitful about the problem. Tom just stared and watched him pace, feeling dizzy from his habit, and asking with strain, “Why would Jose do something like that?”

  “Well, you see, Jose told a lie to Dennis Schultz, he said that Damen was doing drugs, and I guess the rumor spread all over the place, where Damen is known as a drug addict. Julienne told me that Jose wouldn’t show these photos to anybody, but only if I kept my mouth shut. Tom, before I found out that Jose was going to blackmail me, I told him what Damen said to me, and how someone lied and said he was a drug addict. Well, Jose knew if I told this to Dennis, Dennis would tell me that Jose said that about Damen. And I guess, that’s how that lie would come out. So, Julienne explained to me, if I just kept my mouth shut, and never breathe a word about this to anyone, then Jose would never hand the photos to the police or media,” Darell explained, noticing Tom looking at him with a nervous glare.

  Tom thought about how Damen caught him raping, assaulting Vivian, and how he was so happy to hear that Damen was doing drugs before. But now he was scared once again. He was petrified of knowing that Damen might still reach fame, and that would give him enough power to confess to the media and police about the crime that Mr. Fryer committed toward Vivian. Yet, Tom also perceived that Jose didn’t want Damen to be famous either. Tom felt, knew that him and Jose have one thing in common, and that was seeing that Damen didn’t reach the power of fame. Tom knew his own reason for not wanting Damen to gain success in film, but he didn’t know Jose’s. He thought that maybe Jose did this because of jealousy, which he was right about. But, little did Tom know that Julienne was behind the lie, Jose just went along with it.

  “So, you didn’t tell anyone yet, right?”

  “No, not yet,” Darell replied in a shaky tone.

  “Well, then keep your mouth shut.”

  Darell looked at him with a vexed, shocked image, giving a short pause and then yelling out, “Listen, I don’t know what to do. Alright? I mean, I have to decide between my honesty and true friendship toward Damen, or my career and jail.”

  “Listen, if everyone thinks that Damen’s on drugs, then let them think it. All I know is you’re my client, and if you want to throw your whole career away because of pure honesty, then you’re crazy,” Tom shouted. He was relieved inside to hear that Darell kept the lie to himself, but his relief went away when Darell said his next words.

  “Listen, right now I realize that Jose is going to do something to Damen. Listen to me, Damen got the star role in a movie, and I feel that Jose wants it. He and Julienne are taking Damen to New York tomorrow, and I think they have something planned.” Darell was frightened, horrified, showing it through his voice, his way of speaking, having his eyes watering more, and building up the pressure once again. He lit another cigarette, with the butt of his last one, and waited for Tom to help him, to say something that could make him do the right thing, act, and also keep his career, his vocation in Hollywood.

  “Wait a second, Damen got a star role in a movie? And now Julienne and Jose are taking him to New York to hurt him?” Tom asked in a nervous voice. He knew if Damen succeeded in beginning and completing this movie, that his fame from it would give him the power to confess Tom’s crime to everyone.

  “Yes, I think. Or maybe they’re going to stop him from having the star role. I mean, I guess they thought I wouldn’t catch on to it, but I did.”

  “Calm down, Darell. Listen, where’s Jose staying at right now?” he anxiously questioned.

  “He’s staying at Julienne’s place.”

  “Alright, do you know the number to Julienne’s home?”

  “Yeah, I think I have it in my phone book. Why?”

  Tom grabbed the phone book from off the coffee table, and stared at Darell with confusion. He didn’t want to tell him the real reason why he had to contact Jul
ienne, so he tried to think up of a lie, prevarication, pausing his words, and analyzing a good fib to tell Darell. “Well, um, um, because I’m going to call Jose and discuss this with him.” He looked up at his red ceiling and discerned the perfect lie, smiling for his own deviant ability, and adding, “I’m going to tell him to leave you alone.”

  “No. Please, I told them I wouldn’t tell anyone,” Darell yelled before he took a sniff of cocaine. He started sniffing hard, pulling oxygen through his nose, attempting to numb his pain and confusion by this fiberglass, this white substance.

  “Listen, Darell, I’m going to be in the next room. Don’t worry, nothing will happen with the photos.” Tom went into his bedroom and closed the door. He picked up his cell phone and began dialing Julienne’s number.

  Ring, Ring, Ring.

  Julienne put on her white night gown, see through, showing her perfectly formed figure, and went over to her cell phone. She grabbed it, pulled up the antenna, pressed the ‘send’ button, and said, “Hello?”

  Tom looked at the bottom of his door, and saw a shadow, knowing that it was Darell, pressing his body against it. So, he whispered, “Hi, I was wondering if Jose Rodrigo’s there?”

  Julienne walked down her hallway and looked out her back window, answering, “May I ask who’s calling?”

  Julienne gazed at Jose, seeing him swimming in her Olympic-size pool, and then hearing this strange, quiet voice replying, “This is Tom Fryer.”

  “Um, Jose isn’t here at the moment, could I take a message?”

  Tom looked at his door again, saw the shadow was still present, and then walked over to the other side of his room, trying to get as far away from the door as possible. “Well, maybe you could help me. You see, Darell O’Conner told me everything about a certain fabrication, misrepresentation that was told concerning Damen Schultz.” Tom replied before Julienne dropped her phone. “Hello, hello, are you still there?”

  Julienne’s eyes widened as she dropped the phone on the ground. Staring at it, watching the phone from a short distance, Julienne was afraid of it. All of her perfect planning, all of her perfect threats to keep her lies undercover, and now a man, Tom Fryer, found out about it. She was shocked, picking up the phone again, and hearing Tom adding, “Hello, hello, are you still there?”

  She started biting her nails, questioning in fright, “Um, what fabrication?”

  “Listen, I know you’re trying to cover your ass, but I know about the distort, the fabrication, the lie, and how it could, inevitably, destroy both yours and Jose’s career in this business. What interests me is why would anyone believe Jose? I mean, I’m not trying to blame it on you, being a celebrity and all, but why would they believe Jose? I mean, after all, when he, supposedly, told it, it had to be before he got his first role.” He was trying to play with her mind, her feelings, wanting to terrorize her into a panic; which was working. “And besides, you’re known, as, pardon me, but a liar to Hollywood, Miss Wells, so why would anyone believe you too? I figure, that you and Jose are in cahoots, and had to of begun this falsehood together, that way, by chance, by luck, they would believe you two. But, that’s just my opinion. You’re, oops, I mean Jose’s very lucky that Damen wasn’t bright enough to get a drug test to prove his honesty. But, Miss Wells, that’s not why I’m calling. I just want you to know if there’s anything I could do, to help you out with this, so-called, ‘Damen problem,’ that I would be open to help.”

  Julienne just stared and gazed out at Jose, seeing him jumping off the diving board, watching the splash that his body created, traveling over the edge of the pool. “Well, Mr. Fryer, first tell me what you know about the, as you put it, ‘Damen problem’?”

  Tom explained the whole situation to her, even explaining on how he didn’t want Damen being successful in this business either. Yet, the thing was, Julienne really didn’t care if Damen was successful or not. The only reason why she did care a bit, is because if he became well-known, and great in this industry, the jealousy that Jose would have, would cause him to approach Damen, tell him about the lie, and beat him up for messing with her, which was another lie that she created. Tom talked, explained, and conversed as Julienne listened for twenty minutes, and then realized she had a major problem on her hands. She discovered that Tom thought Jose took the pictures, when really she took them. But, a smile appeared on her face when Mr. Fryer told her why he didn’t want Damen to gain fame. All he said was he committed a crime that Damen saw, he didn’t say what crime.

  Julienne noticed Jose was exiting the pool, watching him entering into the back door, not wanting him to know about this little discussion with Tom Fryer. As Tom talked, Julienne waited on her second floor, still gazing out of the window’s glass, and then cut him off, questioning, “Well, what crime did you commit? I mean, you know about the lie Jose told.”

  “Listen, that’s not important. All I know is if Damen actually goes through with this movie and has the star role, I’m screwed and you are too. I know that you had to have some part in this groundbreaking, and ingenious lie, and don’t deny it,” Mr. Fryer said. Julienne paused from biting her nails, listening to Tom explain in anger, “As soon as he finishes this movie, I know Darell will tell Damen about who started the distortion, this corruption of a lie, and as you know, Hollywood can’t stand deceitful people. And after that, you, Jose, and even myself could forget about working in this town again.”

  “Okay, okay, listen to me. Let’s just say that I was a little bit, just a little bit involved in this so-called, lie. What do you think I should do to make sure Damen doesn’t follow through with this star role?” Julienne asked in a suspicious manner, trying to find out what exactly Mr. Fryer wanted.

  “Well, I don’t know. But, this movie begins very soon, and we have to figure out something to do about this situation. Miss Wells, to add some clarity in this problem, and to make it simpler, you can’t have anyone find out about this lie that consisted about Damen’s fake addiction and I can’t have him being successful in this business, for my own reasons. The only way to make everyone happy, content, and free of worries, is to make sure no one finds out about the fabrication, and to make sure he never reaches the height of fame and success.”

  “Okay, listen to me, this is beginning to sound like a soap opera. I already know what to do. I’m going to New York tomorrow, and hopefully I’ll stop Damen from going through with this film, I mean, hopefully Jose will stop him. If I need your help, I’ll call you, just give me your number,” Julienne said, hearing noised by her foyer. She walked down the hall, looked down her staircase, and saw that it was Jose, sitting outside of her house, smoking a cigarette. So she walked back down the hallway, and stood by her back window again. “Wait a second, before you give me your number, you have to swear to me that you’re not going to breathe a word of this conversation to anyone. That means, I don’t even want you talking to Jose about this. Just pretend that Jose doesn’t know anything about it. Alright?”

  “Sure,” Tom replied.

  Abruptly, a smile came over her face, thinking about something, showing her sinister glare toward the window. “Wait a second, there is something you could do for me, but it involves breaking and entering,” she stated with a vicious voice. “Would you be up to it, Mr. Fryer?”

  Darell started knocking on the door to Tom’s room. So, he went over to his wall that was beyond the farthest away from the door, knelt down on the floor, and answered, “Sure, just give me the address, and I’ll break in.”

  Julienne grinned and walked down the hallway once again. She entered into her bedroom, closing the door and explaining, “Alright, this is what you have to do.”

  Chapter Sixty-Two

  Jaunting to the New York airport, going on an enigmatic, mysterious excursion, voyage, trip with his thought to be friends, Damen was feeling exhilarated, happy, prosperous, knowing in his astute yet gullible mind that it wouldn’t be long till he would behold Vivian’s aura, catching her beauty again, caressing her face o
nce more, and kissing her lips one more time. To him, everything was coming together: his subconscious that held his ambitions and his loves, was finally meeting with his consciousness that held reality, traveling on one line, corresponding with one another, and not being prejudice to either form of thought. This is very hard for many people, to capture the basement of your mind, bring it forward to the upstairs of your thoughts, and show them both, that this is the reality that you’ve been waiting for, and worked hard to finally see the beginning of. Both thoughts separate visions from dreams, fantasies from realities, long-term memories from short-term thoughts and, literally, black from white. Yet, when seeing the vision of your dreams, the reality of your fantasies, and the short memories of your greatest memories, that doorway, in your mind, opens itself up automatically, without warning, without you being prepared for its birth, and captures that perfect moment, where everything is conjoined, and that’s when you’re prepared for the realism of a thought; the realism of a vision. Damen was almost there with his thoughts, but not yet. Sometimes, it takes more than just hard work, to see a vision, to feel that border, that connection of your two thought spans, and to feel prosperous; when this occurs, it feels as if God’s working against you, when in reality, he’s working for you.

  As Damen held these captivating thoughts of realism, reality of prosperity, ready to grasp onto his hand any day now, Julienne and Jose were picking up their luggage from the pick-up area, trying to seize it while it spun around on the belt, with other luggage surrounding them. The airport was stuffy, overheated because of winter’s frost outside, and crowded, from people trying to get away from this irritating coldness that New York holds. As they picked up their suitcases, Damen had a lingering thought that was lost for a short time, but suddenly showed itself to him at this moment. He turned to Jose and Julienne, feeling this thought hitting his memory like a speedboat hitting a wave, and spoke, “Wait a second, I have to call Chuck before we leave the airport.”