After touring for a whole year in 1999, it is now the year 2000.
"No way, John. No. We're not going to do a collaboration with any fucking pop group, especially the fucking Backstreet Boys, I don't care how unique it will sound. Sorry, bro," Ben said to his oblivious manager.
The days were becoming crazier in Chairland and for some odd reason, Chris wanted nothing to do with it. He was in Victoria with Renee and hadn't even called for a couple of weeks.
Ben put his hand over his eyes and squeezed at his temples. "John, I'm gonna let you go. I have to talk to Daniel. I'll call you back tomorrow or the day after."
"Okay Ben. Consider the idea, okay?"
"No, John! No. Sorry, no. Good-bye." Ben slammed the phone down and wondered why nobody could just let him take a break. They'd been touring for a whole fucking year and all they wanted to do was be left alone. Ben picked up the cordless phone and stood up in his chair. While he paced around his kitchen he dialed Daniel's number. "I'm fucking hungry."
Ring, ring. Ring, ring. "This is Daniel, and I'm here, I'm just not picking up the phone today. Please don't feel obligated to leave any messages." Beep.
"Daniel son, this is Ben. Of course I would leave you a message. And I know you are listening, so if you choose to not pick up the phone in the following five seconds I will venture over there and make you talk to me in person. Five, four, three, two," Ben threatened over the phone.
"What the hell do you want, Ben?"
Ben smiled. "Daniel, want to go to lunch?"
"Not today, okay? I'm going to lunch with Judy."
"Judy can join us."
"No! I have plans to eat with Judy. I'll swing by afterwards, how's that?"
Ben sighed. "Fine, mate. No later than 4:30, okay? I have to leave around 5 to meet Kathy and I have things to talk about with you."
"Okay, buddy. Talk to you then."
"Bye." Click.
It was getting dark out, and Ben tied his tie. Daniel never did come over, and he had to leave in the next 2 minutes or else he'd be late to meet Kathy for dinner.
"Fucking ties," he swore as he untied what he had tried tying of the damned thing around his neck and began to do it again. He finally got it, and grabbed his keys from the kitchen counter. He checked himself in the mirror on the hall tree and opened up the door. There stood Daniel, pale and dirty, looking like he hadn't slept in five days.
Dan smiled. "I haven't slept in five days."
Ben shook his head. "Daniel, I don't know what the fuck is wrong with you, but I have to leave. Thanks for coming before 4:30 like I asked."
"Ben you can't leave me now," said Daniel, "I'm too screwed up. Stay, please?"
Ben just shook his brown, spiky-haired head. "Daniel, no, I have to meet Kathy. I'm not going to miss dates because my messed up friend can't keep himself together."
Daniel pushed himself past Ben and into the house, only to walk over to the charger and pick up the cordless phone. He dialed a number and put the receiver to his ear. "Kathy? Hey, Ben asked me to call you because the poor thing is throwing up his hot dogs and can't go out with you tonight. Oh, I know, he's such a jerk. I'm sorry. I'll relay your message. Have a nice night, deary."
Ben's eyes widened as his mouth flew open and words started spewing out of his mouth. "Daniel, what the fuck is your problem? I don't know why you have to be such a fucking asshole just because I have plans and you don't. You don't get to come over here and fuck with my life and mess me up just so that you can have your ten fucking minutes to talk with me before you fall asleep on my couch. What the hell are you on, anyway?"
"Crystal meth," stated Daniel. He shuffled over to the counter and pushed himself atop of it, and layed down on the tiled thing using his folded hands as a pillow under his heavy head.
Ben opened the cabinet under his bathroom sink and looked around. He spotted a bottle of Advil from the back and shook out three, and, handing them to Daniel said, "I fucking hate you." He gave him a tall glass of ice water and turned to leave.
"I love you too, man," replied Daniel as the door slammed behind Ben. Daniel could hear Ben's car revving up and he simply turned over and flicked the light switch, and slowly drifted off into a slumber he hadn't felt in over a week.
Judy slammed down the phone. For three hours she'd been trying to call Daniel and nobody had picked up. She'd left five freaking messages and there was no return call, no nothing. The last thing he told her was that he was going over to Ben's. When she tried there, she got the machine too. She looked at the clock on her microwave. 9:30. She yelled up the stairs to her mom that she'd be home later.
"Judy, you be careful, I don't want you getting lost or hurt!" Her mom was being very overprotective.
"Mother, please. I lived here once, and I live here again. It's Merewether, I'm not going to get lost. I'll be home later." She grabbed the keys off the key hooks and walked outside where she could feel the breezy, cold air playing catch with things.
Branches were flying everywhere and Bruiser's chain was flopping around all over the place. She lifted her eyebrows at the stinging coolness and closed her sweater. Walking to the car, she squinted at a moving figure in the trees across the driveway. "Bruiser?" Judy looked around and, not wanting to investigate in such breezy weather, ignored the weird thing moving in the bushes and hopped into her car, which was equally as cold. When she shut the door and turned the key in the ignition the radio blared into her ears. She jumped and, turning it down, noticed that the shadow that had been swaying before wasn't anymore. Must have been a branch.
Judy drove down Daniel's street and saw no lights on in his house. She pulled into the driveway and, getting out of the car, realized the wind had died down. She knocked fiercly on the door and swore when nobody came. "Fuck," she yelled.
Getting back into the car she decided to try Ben's house. She cruised a few blocks down and looked for his street sign which was always hidden by the trees at the end of the street. Finding it, she made a right turn and headed down the dark avenue. When she approached Ben's house there were no lights on. She thought about turning around and going home, but decided it would be good to knock anyway just in case Daniel had decided to stay the night.
She banged on the door and finally heard a tired voice yell, "Hang on!" She figured it was Ben and had her apology for waking him up all set when she saw her blonde rail of a boyfriend open the large wooden door.
"Hey Judy. Come on in," Daniel invited.
Judy looked around inside. "Isn't Ben home?"
"No, he went out with Kathy."
"Ah," said Judy, smiling. "Why are you here?"
"Ben asked me to come over, but I was a bit late and I fell asleep when he left. Want to watch TV?"
The two sat on Ben's small couch and flipped the channels, laughing at corny talk shows and cringing at twisted movies on the Independent Film Channel.
When they found a decent stay Daniel gave the clicker to Judy. "I'll be right back." She smiled at him and looked back at the TV.
Daniel walked towards the bathroom and combed at his hair with his long, skinny fingers. After relieving himself he looked into the mirror and wondered why Judy liked him. Maybe for the same reasons he liked her.
Walking back towards the couch, he saw that Judy wasn't there anymore. He started towards the kitchen, and said, "Judy? Where'd you go?"
"I'm on the couch, silly, right where you left me!"
Daniel laughed and walked back towards the couch and saw Judy laying down, facing the TV with her left arm extended while flipping the channels again. He grinned. Dan walked over near her feet and lowered himself on top of her. "Well, this is comfortable," he said while turning his head like he was watching the television.
Judy laughed. "It's not comfortable yet," she said slyly. She set the remote on the floor and took her ponytail out of her hair.
Daniel bent down and kissed her lips, then moved to her neck and he could smell her hair. Flowers. Judy reached up and removed Daniel's t-shirt and he sat up for a moment while she struggled with it, asking her if she wanted any help. "No, actually, I'd rather sit here and try for an hour to get your shirt off than do what I planned on doing once I finally removed it," she replied.
Daniel raised his eyebrows and smiled. He took off his own shirt and then hers, just to be nice. He laid back down on top of her and kissed her lips again, then her chin, then down her chest, onto her flat somach, and right down to her-
"Aw, guys! Why the hell are you doing this on my couch?! Fuck," Ben said as he stood over them, putting his hand over his eyes and telling them to put their clothes back on. "I don't necessarily like catching you two in this position."
"Oh yeah," said Daniel, "we plan it. We need an audience in order to perform to our best ability."
Judy punched him in his scrawny left arm and told Ben they were decent. "I'm sorry Ben," she said as she started to gather her things.
Ben just shook his head. He took off his coat and slung it over a chair. "Anyways, how are you guys?"
"We were just leaving," insisted Judy as she dragged Daniel towards the front door. "Honest."
Ben laughed. "Right, I could tell. Daniel had his mouth nowhere near your love entrance," he said, trying to embarrass them into leaving. He was a clever boy.
Daniel winced. "Time to go, Judy. Talk to you later Ben."
"Don't have too much fun, kiddies," Ben shouted after his exhibitionist friends. Once he heard Judy's car pull out of the driveway he snuck outside and grabbed Kathy from the passenger seat of his car. "They're gone, babe," he said as he smiled from ear to ear and led her into the house.
They kissed in the kitchen while Ben reached into a drawer and pulled out the tool for their lovin'. "What are you doing?" asked Kathy.
"Securing my 25 cent insurance policy," said Ben.
She grinned. "Fuck that," Kathy stated. "I don't care."
Ben smiled again. "Good. Me neither," he said. He took her hand and brought her into the living room. He gently laid her down on the couch, and quickly changed his mind. "Let's use the bedroom."
"But the couch is so nice, Ben!"
"No, please, can we use the bedroom tonight?" Ben was feeling traumatized from his latest pornographic encounters.
Kathy felt daring. She dramatically kicked off her shoe and swiped the table with her leg, knocking everything that was on top of it right off. "Or we could just stay here," she implied. Ben was fine with that.
Ben propped Kathy up on the table and kissed her. He pulled away and looked at her face, realizing right now that he didn't care what happened. It was always going to be Kathy. Kathy in the morning, when he woke up beside her. Kathy in the afternoon when they took a lunch break from their jobs and met on the corner for coffee. Kathy when he came home at night and cooked dinner for her, surprising her when she walked in the door expecting to make dinner for him. He always wanted it to be Kathy.
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