Lennon's Jinx (29 page)

Once
Yeager stabilizes Currie, he asks, “Can I proceed with the other antiviral?”

“Go
ahead,” I say.

“What’s
he doing?” Jonathan asks, rising from the chair.

I
shove him back down. “Don’t act like you care.” A bodyguard grabs my shoulder.

“I
don’t want her to die,” Jonathan says.

For
the first time since I’ve known him, tears well in Jonathan’s eyes. He stands
abruptly and leaves the room. Denage goes with him then the bodyguards.

As
the nurse applies the new antiviral to Currie’s drip, Mom rushes to her side
and holds her hand. “Stay with us baby. I’m sorry. I promise to do better. Just
don’t leave me.”

I
nuzzle Currie’s other limp hand. The shampoo smell has left her hair. An oily
sheen has replaced it. She smells of Currie, a child wasting away.

Mom
and I spend the rest of the afternoon with Currie. Jonathan has left for the
day. When Mrs. Nowak calls, I answer. I haven’t returned any of my messages
from the guys or Jinx, though I probably should have. I’d like to hear Jinx’s
voice right now.

They’ve
sent flowers and stuffed animals to Currie’s room. There isn’t much else they
can do, and I have no news to give them.

“How’s
Currie doing?” Mrs. Nowak asks.

“We
don’t know. They’re trying a new drug. How’s Zoe?”

“She’s
coming home. We’ll bring in a tutor and let her finish the school year at home,
but the doctors believe she’s out of the woods.”

“Good,”
I say, and I mean it.

“I’m
sorry, but we won’t be able to get up to Milwaukee. I’m round the clock with
Zoe right now to ensure she doesn’t get sick while her immune system is down.”

“I
understand.” I thank her and hang up. There’s nothing I can do to save Currie,
and the helplessness overwhelms me.

When
Mom leaves the room to get something for us to eat, I slam my fist into the
wall. It leaves a gaping hole that I know I’ll have to pay for. Betsy hears
this and runs into the room.

Betsy
doesn’t say anything but bandages my cut knuckles. I want to go home and have
everything back to the way it was, just Currie and me, but that’s not going to
happen. I can feel it.

After the mechanic replaces my
alternator with a refurbished one, I meet the boys and Susan at the warehouse.
Danny insisted we should practice even if we’re not going to play this weekend.
It may be several weeks before we will all be together again. I’ll need a job
in the interim to pay for my expenses.

Mom
hasn’t called me. My life is flushing away. I lost Dad and now Mom. I don’t
want to be alone. This brings me back to Lennon. Right now while Currie sleeps,
he’s by himself in a room full of people he can’t stand.

“Lennon
won’t call us back,” Clive says. “We should go to him. It’ll give Danny Boy the
unfortunate opportunity to meet Jonathan Tyler, so you can see what an arse he
is for yourself.”

“He
can’t be that bad,” Danny says. “The guy’s a musical genius.”

“My
dad worked with Tyler several times. He never called him genius. I think tosser
is what me Dad referred to Jonathan as.”

Susan
rests her head on Danny’s shoulder while he sits by his drums. “Poor little Currie.”

“How
long do you think it’ll be before we can play again?” Danny asks. “I can’t go
too long. I’ve got bills to pay.”

Clive
gives me a nudge. “Let our little bird play the guitar. All of us can sing.
Lennon is just better than us.”

My
hands go numb with fear. “I can’t play lead.”

“You
don’t have to,” Clive says. “Just strum the chords and shake that little arse
of yours.”

“That’s
a good idea.” Danny flicks his eyes at me. “We’ll give you several lead songs.
What about weddings?”

“We
can do them, but we’ll have to let them know Lennon isn’t available,” Clive
says. “At least for the next month.”

“That’ll
cut into our business,” Danny says with a sigh.

“Why?”
I ask.

Danny
slumps on his stool. “Because he sings classical and musicals, which the old
people love, and since they pay for the wedding…”

“When
can we see Currie?” I ask. And Lennon.

“Tomorrow’s
good. Susan and I have a class in the morning then we’re free all afternoon.”

“I’ll
cut classes after eleven,” Clive says. “What about you, bird?”

I
hate doing this. I never miss school, but I can’t abandon Lennon. “I’ll pick up
Lennon’s schoolwork and see you guys here at eleven-thirty.”

Danny
plays a drum riff. “Sounds like a plan.”

I throw two duffle bags into the
trunk of Clive’s BMW sedan.

“Are
you packing for a week?” Clive asks as he slams it shut.

You
never know. I’m not sure I’ll be able to abandon Lennon after what he has done for
me. I’m not ready to have sex with any guy, so it scares me to stay up there
with his reputation. Where will I sleep? I don’t have much money.

“Or
are you giving into Lennon’s charm?” Susan asks, giving me a nudge.

“Not
going to happen in this lifetime,” I say, though I’m not as sure as I was at my
party. Everything’s different now.

The
supple leather in Clive’s Beamer smells luxurious. I sink into the front seat.

My
cell phone honks. Mom has left a message, checking to see if I’m okay. There
was no offer for me to come home, so I don’t call her back. I can’t believe Mom
would believe Step-monster over me. I’m her daughter. It’s not like I can stay
at Rena’s forever.

“We
have two hours to kill if we’re lucky,” Susan says as Clive drives away from
the warehouse. “Let’s play a game.”

“Name
that tune,” Danny says. “Change it to the seventies station.”

“That’s
another era,” I say. “I know nothing about that music, other than what my dad
loved.”

“You
should learn because we play several songs from that period,” Clive says.
“We’ll make it easier, name that band.”

I
hate losing. This isn’t fair. I squish up my nose like a pig.

Clive
grabs my nose. “You look like an elf when you do that.”

Danny
and Susan laugh. I join them. I like being a part of their gang.

As
the songs roll by, they call out Led Zeppelin, Boston, Journey, Styx. I only
know of Led Zeppelin because of my dad. “Stevie Nicks,” I finally yell out.

“Fleetwood
Mac,” Clive says.

“No,
Jinx is right,” Danny says. “Nicks has an album out with this song.”

I
only recognized
Landslide
because it was one of my dad’s faves, and the
Dixie Chicks redid it. I’m surprised when I get several others because of my
dad. They make me sad in one way, but happy that I actually know something
about him, and that music gave him so much joy in his life.

The
two hours go by fast, and we’re soon in front of the Children’s Hospital. I’m nervous
about seeing Lennon. I don’t know why. Maybe because Zach dumped Kelly. He came
by my locker the last two days to have lunch with me. Why do I feel guilty?
Zach and I aren’t dating…yet.

Before
we head up in the elevator, I grab my backpack full of books and clothes, and the
other is filled with Lennon’s books. My nerves jitter. Why am I so jumpy? I
know I’m looking forward to seeing him. I’m not so sure about his family.
Maybe, they’re not here. Maybe, he doesn’t want to see me. He hasn’t returned
any of my calls.

“Lennon
doesn’t have that many classes,” Clive says as he grabs a bag. “Planning on
staying little bird? Going to get lucky? You’re like the mouse going into the
python’s den.”

Danny
gives me a wry smile. Susan looks at me as if I’ve lost my mind. I feel my
cheeks heat up to fire-engine red.

“You’re
not. Are you?” she asks.

“I’m
not sure,” I say. “It seems like someone should stay and fight off the wicked
mother and evil dad.”

Susan
snickers at that.

We
pile out of the elevator. Susan trips, but luckily, Danny catches her. We all
laugh as we stumble out. I try not to make too much noise, but we’re clomping
down the hall like drunks, still high off each other’s company and the road trip.

Jonathan
speaks in a low voice to Heather just outside Currie’s room. I don’t mean to
eavesdrop, but I do.

His
hands tremble like the crack-head the tabloids described, and he studies the
floor instead of meeting her cool gaze. When he does look at her, he holds back
powerful emotion. From his body leaning toward hers, it’s hard for him to
restrain himself from touching her.

He’s
not just addicted to drugs but Heather. He can’t face her. The pain stretched
across his face tells me his words don’t come easy. “Look, Heather. I’m not
coming back. I’ve made a new life in LA with Denage. We want custody of Currie,
and she wants to come live with us.”

Lennon
won’t let that happen. He’ll never give up Currie to Jonathan.

“It
won’t last,” she says. “You always come back.”

Heather
steps closer to Jonathan so that her breasts brush against his chest. Wow. He
takes a step back. She is totally focused on Jonathan. What about Currie?

Jonathan
doesn’t look at her. “We’re done, Heather. I’ll always love you, but we’re not
good for each other. Our relationship is destructive. This is what’s best for
both of us and for our children.”

“What
am I supposed to do?” Heather says with both hands on her hips.

“If
you need money, I’ll give you some. You can always go back to acting.”

“I
hate you.” Heather slaps him then stomps off.

Jonathan
deflates, his shoulders sag and his chin sinks to his chest.

I
feel a pang of sadness for her. She built her whole life around this man, gave
up her career. What will she do? It’s hard for a woman to get a job in
Hollywood once she’s old.

Jonathan
enters the room just before we do. He’s still studying the tiles when he takes
a seat next to his girlfriend.

Lennon
glances up from his guitar. He gives us a weak grin. Lennon looks like he just
lost his best friend. Dark half-moons shadow his eyes, he’s too skinny, his
beard is scruffy, and he’s wearing the same clothes I last saw him in. He looks
like shit. The smell hits me when I go over to give him a hug. It’s not good.
But that’s not the freaky part, it’s the fact I felt like I needed to hold him.

Susan
does, too. The guys slap him on the back.

“You
need a bath,” Danny says. “No joke.”

“Thanks.
I’ll put it on my To-Do list,” Lennon says.

Currie
lies on the bed, not moving, with all kinds of monitors and tubes connected to
her. She doesn’t seem any better.

Clive
strides past Jonathan. “Got any crack for us, John?”

“It’s
Jonathan,” he says.

Lennon
actually smiles at this. They’re both sick.

I
study Jonathan. It’s obvious where Lennon got his good looks from, his mom.
Jonathan is a very worn-out version of Lennon. The hard lines of partying line
his face. It’s hard to believe he’s in his early forties because he looks
sixty. What does Denage see in him? Dollar signs?

Clive
sits down near the bottom of the bed. He grabs Currie’s toes through the sheet.
“Come back to us, little blossom. We miss you. Zoe really misses you. I saw her
yesterday. I brought over pizza, and we watched a movie. Wasn’t the same
without you.”

Susan
sits in Danny’s lap because there aren’t enough chairs while I stand.

Lennon
gets up. “Do you want to sit?” he asks me.

“Not
really.” It’s hard to see Currie in that hospital bed. “How’s she doing?”

“Currie’s
not getting any worse, but they’re not seeing the decline in the virus like
they should.” Lennon smoothes back her hair. “Your mom called me.”

Lennon
answers her calls but not mine.

“Why
did she?” I ask with hesitation.

Lennon
nods to the door. He walks hunched over, his normal energy drained from his step.

I
ease out of the room with him. He’s wasting away like Currie. “What did my mom
want with you?”

“To
know what happened. I told her everything. I figured that was okay because
she’ll hear it at the trial if it gets that far.”

“She
hasn’t asked me to come home.”

“She
will. She’s still in shock after finding out her husband is a child molester.
Apparently, he has a record.”

“Great,
so she should’ve called me to apologize.” Mom doesn’t want me back. We share
too much pain with Dad’s death.

Lennon
touches my shoulder. “She will. I told her that you were chillin’ at Rena’s.”

“Oh?”
I say, staring at my sneakers instead of his handsome face. “I brought your
homework.”

“Those
are all mine? You didn’t throw out my Playboys or condoms in my locker, did
you?” He gives me a wicked grin, which for once, I don’t mind.

“No.
I didn’t see any. If I had, I would have.”

Lennon
bumps my shoulder. “But you were going through my things.”

I
want him to touch me again. It warms me when we connect. “Yeah, with the
counselor looking over my shoulder.”

“You
know, I can’t possibly do homework. I can barely think right now.”

“Currie
would want you to. We’re going to graduate in another few months. You don’t
want to make it up during the summer.”

“I’ll
try to get some done.” Lennon stands up straight. “It’ll keep my mind
occupied.”

His
hand glides down my back. “Thanks for coming. It’s good to see you and the
guys.”

Sparks
burrow into me from his hand pressed against my spine. It makes me feel alive.
I wasn’t expecting that.

We
go back in and sit in silence for a few hours until Clive offers to buy us
dinner from the hospital. I refuse. I’ve eaten enough hospital food to last me
a lifetime, though when Lennon took me, it was somehow different.