Back in California
Tommy slammed the phone down. He couldn’t believe his sister, how could she do that, to the club, the group, to him?! He stormed out of his bedroom, grabbed a beer and went out on his balcony to sulk. Kitty followed him out and shut the door behind her.
“Tommy what’s wrong? Who was on the phone?” She said as she sat down next to him and let her legs dangle off the side.
“Emma.” He said shortly.
“Did you guys have a fight?” She asked as she watched him play with the label of his beer.
“Not really, she just pissed me off incredibly. She was being a complete bitch.”
“Really? That doesn’t sound like Emma.”
“I think I know my sister better than you.” Tommy shot back and Kitty raised an eyebrow at him,
“Now who’s being the bitch?” She shot back at him and he rolled his eyes at her as he looked out at the street below,
“You don’t have to listen, I was quite content by myself.” He muttered and Kitty smiled,
“I’m sure you were, but then again, if Emma made you this pissy it has to be good, so spill.” She said and Tommy actually smiled at Kitty’s determinance.
“Oh nothing she just wanted to run off with some rock star again.” He sighed unhappily,
“You mean JC?” She asked and Tommy looked at her in surprise,
“Oh, so you know about it? How come you’re not as pissed about it?”
“Because for the first time, in a long time, she’s happy, but apparently that doesn’t matter to you.” She said and Tommy narrowed his eyes at her,
“What are you talking about? She’s was happy here.” He said and Kitty shook her head,
“Maybe on the outside but on the inside she was completely miserable. Maybe I do know your sister better than you do.” Kitty said tossing her hair over her shoulder and looking out at the street,
“What? You’re crazy. She just wants to dump us for that rock star and when that falls apart she’ll come back expecting us to pick up the pieces. She’s not taking us into consideration here at all. She’s being completely selfish. Emma should be here in Lyre Cove where she belongs.” Tommy stated and Kitty smacked him upside the head,
“Ow, hey!” He protested rubbing the back of his head.
“Are you listening to yourself, Tommy? Where she belongs? Who are you, her keeper? I think you're the one being selfish here, because she does take us into consideration. She’s only going away for like two weeks, that’s all, and she making it so that I can go along with her, because she knew I was such a huge fan. Then she calls you and asks for permission to go, and she isn’t going now probably because you didn’t want her to. God it’s like you’re her father and not her brother! Why can’t you give in a little for her, she’s been there for you ever since she met you and the one time she needs something from you, you let her down. All you care about is your own happiness.”
“That’s not true.” Tommy said still rubbing the back of his head afraid that Kitty might hit him again.
“It’s not? Tommy, when you got hurt she came home immediately, dropping her whole life to come here and be with you. She stayed by your side until you woke up and then put everything aside, her whole life on hold, to take care of you. God, she even became friends with Jason again, the man who broke her heart in two, for you. All she wants is to spend two weeks with a guy she really, really likes, a guy who makes her happy. It’s not the end of the world you know.”
“But what if she goes away afterward and it’s just not for two weeks?” Tommy asked quietly,
“So what Tommy? She’ll always come back. Do you actually expect her to live in Lyre Cove for the rest of her life? Hell, I don’t expect to live in Lyre Cove for the rest of my life, let alone Emma. But I know that where ever I move, Emma will still be my best friend even is she doesn’t live down the street.” Tommy was silent for a few minutes, he knew Kitty was right.
“She’s really only friends with Jason because of me?” He asked and Kitty nodded her head,
“She thought it would make it easier on you, while you recovered.” She explained and Tommy looked down in his hands,
“I don’t know why, but every time she leaves I’m so scared that she won’t be back.” He confessed quietly,
“But forcing her to stay in Lyre Cove won’t make her stay either. It’ll make her want to leave.”
“I’ve really been a jerk to her lately. Man,” Tommy banged his head against the rail of the balcony, “I even called her a whore. I wouldn’t be surprised if she never talked to me again.”
“I’d be pretty pissed at you to, but if you apologize to her and tell her to stay with JC, it’d be a step in the right direction.” Kitty suggested.
“Probably." He sighed and looked to Kitty, "Thanks Kitty. Emma’s really lucky to have you as a friend.” Kitty smiled,
“Well, she’s returned the favor more than once.” She stood up, “Are you gonna come back inside?”
“Nah, I’m gonna sit out here for a few more minutes.” Kitty nodded and went inside as Tommy just stared out into the city. Then he pulled out his cell phone to call Emma.
“Emma? What’s wrong honey?” He came over to the bed and rubbed her back. Emma just lay there sobbing. “What happened? Why are you so upset?”
“Because, I am the biggest screw-up that ever lived. I can’t do anything right. I mess up every thing that I touch.”
“No, you don’t, I’m proof of that. You’re the one that keeps me straight, you’re the one who fixes everything when I screw up, so you can’t be that big of a screw up if you’re the one who fixes me.” Emma smiled at Stuart; he always knew the right thing to say. He pushed a stray hair out of her face,
“What made you think that you were the biggest screw up?” Emma took a deep breath,
“Well, JC wanted to spend more time with me, so he asked me to come on tour with him.”
“And?”
“Well, I agreed to two weeks, and when I told Tommy about it he completely blew up at me saying all these horrible things, like I was selfish and irresponsible. He made me choose between him and Josh." She explained taking a deep breath, "So, of course I chose Tommy and I blew up at Josh, yelling at him saying that I didn’t want to see him anymore.” Emma began sobbing again.
“Oh, honey. That was a real shitty thing for Tommy to do. I’ve never seen him act like that.”
“I know he was so serious that it scared me, he really meant what he said.”
“I bet he did, but it doesn’t give him any right to treat you like that. Let me talk to him.” Stuart said getting up to get the phone, but Emma stopped him.
“No, I don’t want to make anything worse than it already is. I’ll deal with it in the morning, I just want to go to sleep right now.” Stuart sat back down on the bed, rubbing her back.
“Okay sweetie, if you’re sure.”
Emma forced a smile, “I’m sure, Stuey.”
“Okay, good night.” He said kissing her on the forehead and standing up.
“Good night.” Stuart left the room and Emma looked for her phone deciding to call Kitty but she couldn’t find her phone. That's when she remembered that she had left it at JC’s hotel room.
“Great.” She muttered to herself. How was she ever going to get it back without seeing him again?