All The Young Punks Pt. 48

Joe heard the other voice, but not what he said.

"Go ahead, call security you bloody twat!" Simon yelled, "But remember, I know what room you're in. And I'll come back." He banged on the door again. "Joe, let me in before I get arrested."

Joe sat up in bed. He walked over and opened the door. Simon slipped past him. "Lock the door. I think security is coming up."

Joe locked it and walked back to the bed. When Simon turned, he saw two empty bottles of Jim Beam and one-half empty.

"How many days have you been here?"

"A few."

"Did you have a party?"

"Yeah, me and my drinking buddies, Jim, Jim, and his brother, Jim."

"You look like shit."

"Perfect. I feel like shit too." He reached for the bottle and took a drink.

"That's not helping."

"It's not hurting either." Joe looked up. "What do you want?"

Simon sat on the other bed. "Tina needs you to come back. She told me what she said, and how bloody awful she's been all summer. How many nights have you stayed here during our break? She says you practically live here. Marty said you're a mess. Why didn't you tell me this when we had lunch?"

"You were in such a happy place I didn't want to drag you down into my shithole life."

"I wish you had. You've been there for me, brother, whenever I needed you... and sometimes when I didn't. I owe you. I'd like to help."

"How? She's an unstable, unreasonable, illogical, cruel, vicious bitch. Are you a psychiatrist? That chick needs medication."

Simon was stunned. He stared at Joe not believing those words came out of his mouth. He then told an unsympathetic Joe what Tina had told him and how devastated she was. He went on too long, Joe cut him off.

"I know, Si. I was in the room taking the abuse. Four times this summer I've walked out or been thrown out, and I have no intention of sacrificing my dignity at the altar of Tina Fucking Costello."

"I don't want to be an arse," Simon looked around the room. "But this scene isn't dignified."

"You know where the door is."

There was a knock on the door. "This is security. Open up."

"Shhhh," Simon ducked as if they could see through the door.

"What the fuck do you want?" Joe shouted.

"There was a disturbance out here. We're looking for..."

"I told him to fuck off. He left. Now you can fuck off!"

"We'd like to check the room."

"I just said he's not here. The disturbance is over. Now fuck off!"

They heard murmurs behind the door. Then nothing.

After a silent minute, Simon tried to convince him to go home. When that failed, he suggested Joe call 3C. Joe was unmoved. Simon asked him to tell his side of the story.

"She already told you. My version is no different."

"Let's get a bite to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

It took an hour for Simon to give up. Some of that was spent in silence, between Simon's attempts at persuasion, Joe lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, taking a drink every so often. As he left, Simon looked back.

"Don't do anything stupid."

"It's too late. I fell in love with her."

"That's not what I mean. A lot of people have died in this hotel."

"Don't worry, Tina's not worth it."

--- ULTIMATUM --

Janie twirled like a ballerina in the street. Her shoulder-length blonde hair flew outwards. She smiled, showing a gap where a tooth once was, a new tooth poking through. Her arms extended like the wings of a delicate bird. Her eyes met Joe's. Her voice whispered.

"You must go, Joe. Your life is not here."

Joe sat up in bed. "Holy fuck!" His pillow was drenched. He closed his eyes and thought back, trying to remember his dream. It was more than his recurring Janie dream. He swung his legs around and sat on the edge of the mattress.

He decided at that moment that he would attend Tina's gala on the 31st, fly the next day, and whatever happens... happens. He could only control fifty percent of his relationship with Tina. If she wants to talk when he gets back from Europe, fine. If not, it's over.

When he walked into 3C that evening, she did not have regretful eyes. Tina stared at him blankly, then turned her back. She was making herself something to eat.

"Oh, now you want to talk?" She said, not looking at him. "I've been waiting for days, Joe. I called your Mom. She said you left days ago. She told you to call me, but you didn't. Then Simon found you and you told him you had nothing to say to me."

She turned and looked at him. "Now you want to talk?"

"Not for long, T. I just wanted to say I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry my tour is ruining your opening. I'm sorry I couldn't fix it. I'm sorry how I've handled this."

Her eyes told Joe she was not receiving this well. Then she used his line. "If you have to keep saying you're sorry... it doesn't mean anything."

"I want to come to your gala. I'd like to be there for you. And when I get back from Europe. I hope we can talk."

Tina was calm, "So I'm supposed to wait nine weeks for you to come back?"

"That's entirely up to you, T. I can't change what happened. It's not entirely my fault. I hope we can get past this."

"Not your fault." She shook her head and sat at the table with her peanut butter on toast for dinner. "Nothing ever is." She was still calm but her tone was not nice. "It's Johnny's fault, or it's Sal's fault, and then it was Sheila... and now it's my fault."

"I didn't say that. It just happened, my tour, your delays, and us... unable to deal with it like sane people."

"Oh, that's right. I'm losing my fucking mind. That's what you're telling everyone. Ya know... that's something coming from you."

"What does that mean?"

"You're a fucking headcase, Joe. You say it's not your fault. I've had all summer to think about this. Had you just started the goddamn tours last year instead of fighting against this Benjamin guy it would've been long over by now. None of this would have happened."

She took a bite of toast, staring coldly at him as she chewed, then a sip of milk. She remained calm.

"Had you not taken this summer off, the European tour would be done. You let your stubborn pride fuck it all up. You defiantly wanted to screw this Benjamin guy. You fought and delayed and the only people you fucked were us."

What she said was technically correct. Joe didn't argue.

"You put your band before me. I get it, that's your baby and your future. I'm just a road girl you banged for a few years."

Joe realized her calm, cold tone was more cutting than her emotional yelling. When she yelled, at least he could say that she was stressed out and not thinking clearly. This was clear-headed with no emotion. Tina had thought this through, and she knew precisely what she wanted to say.

"Okay, T. I said what I had to say, and I guess you have to." He stood and walked toward the door.

"You can stay here, Joe. I'm not throwing you out."

"No, I'm leaving. I can't see you like this."

"I'm not yelling."

"This is actually worse because I know you mean it. I'll call you before the gala."

"Ya know, Joe. If you're getting on that flight, don't bother coming. I don't need you crashing my party, reminding me that your band is more important than me and you're flying off for nine fucking weeks."

"You don't want me at your opening..."

"No. I don't... unless you decide you want to stay."

"You know I can't. I'll get sued, they'll destroy my company. I can't do that to my partners. It's definitely not their fault."

"Well, I guess I'm way down the list, behind Stan and Marty too."

"I'll call you anyway. Maybe you'll feel different when that day arrives. Goodbye, T."

---- There are fresh author notes in my profile. ----