DOWN THE PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

The Story of Charlie Pace

Charlie Pace was quite a religious kid. He enjoyed going to church every Sunday, enjoyed Sunday school, and even enjoyed the services. His parents were very proud of him and knew that God would bless him with a great future.

Charlie's older brother, Liam on the other hand, wasn't so religious. Liam was obsessed with music and would sing at the top of his lungs to every song he knew. Charlie was also very involved with music but it still came second to church.

While Charlie was little, he and his brother were very close and always played together. Charlie could remember when he had fantasized with Liam about being in a band together when they were older.

"You know Charlie, when we grow up we'll be able to make a band and sing music of our own in concerts."

"Boy that would be fun," Charlie replied in awe.

During their teenage years Charlie learnt how to play the guitar and started writing his own songs. The plan was still to form a band, but by the time Charlie had finished school, he realised that a band was not his ultimate idea of a future.

"So Charlie," Liam said while they were on vacation in Scotland. "Now that you're out of school we'll finally be able to form that band we've been dreaming about for years." Liam winked and popped a grape into his mouth. Charlie struggled with his reply.

"You know Liam I was thinking, maybe the band isn't the best thing for us to do."

Liam started at Charlie with absolute disbelief.

"What do you mean not the best thing?" Liam exclaimed. While Charlie shifted uncomfortably. "Driveshaft is the best thing we've ever come up with! I mean come on! I can sing and you can play guitar. I've got two mates ready and excited about joining up and everything so you can't bail out on me now!" Liam walked over to Charlie and grabbed his shoulders. "You know that Driveshaft is nothing without you. You're the key to our success baby brother. I've told you many times and I'm sure I'll say it again."

"Well," Charlie forced a reply. "I'll have to think about it."

"That's what I wanted to hear," said Liam, a smiles spreading across his face. "You have a think."

Sure enough he did say it again. The next time he brought it up was after Charlie's next confession.

"You're the Rock God baby brother," Liam had said in the exact same position he was in last time, gripping Charlie's shoulders. After agreeing, the band got together and they set off soon after on tour. Charlie noticed that there wasn't the same feeling after the first few months of being in the band. Even Liam had changed. He was always with girls and seemed to be constantly sniffily with droopy eyes like he never got enough sleep. Not long after was Charlie to discover that this was all due to Heroin. After confronting Liam about wanting to leave the band, there was big argument that Liam stormed out of.

Slightly shaken by the argument, Charlie realised that since Liam had started to change, which was of course when he started taking the drug, he had never had any off days. So Charlie tried some, thinking that maybe it could help with the foul mood he was in at the present time. As always happens with Heroin, Charlie was hooked, and from that point on the band was on a constant slide downhill, until Liam had his first child and the group temporarily disbanded.

Over the next year, Charlie spent most of his time with Driveshaft member Tommy, and together they tried to find the best deals for obtaining Heroin. After a while, the realisation that a little extra money was needed arose so the duo decided that they would try and con a beautiful young woman and steal something of value. Of course being the better looking of the two, Charlie was to be the one who would get involved with the lady, but their plan backfired when Charlie began to fall for Lucy Heatherton, the girl they were supposed to be conning. After a disastrous sale interview, Lucy picked up on the scheme and dumped Charlie who she didn't realize, really did like her and left the relationship with a broken heart.

During the next year Charlie tried to stop taking the drug because they were what got him in this mess to start with. He found it too hard to resist and stayed right away from girls, afraid of what he would do to them and how they would make him feel. He rarely went outside unless it was to get some food so his skin went paler than that of an average Englishman.

Charlie decided it was time to pick up the shreds of his life and get back on the road. He contacted Tommy and Luke from Driveshaft and got their okays to go and enlist them to go on tour. He didn't want to call his brother because he wasn't sure he would come back now that he had a family. But the meeting to enlist didn't go very smoothly.

"So Mr. Pace, what can I do for you?"

"Well I would like to enlist my band, Driveshaft, for a tour."

"Ah yes, Driveshaft! I recall you did quite well on your last tour. Especially with your lead singer. Now what was his name…"

"Liam-"

"Yes that's right! Brilliant voice he had!"

"Well unfortunately Liam won't be joining us on tour this time. Charlie frowned.

"What? No Liam? I think not. No Liam, No Driveshaft I'm afraid. All the publicity was either about the group as a whole or Liam. I'm afraid you can't go on tour unless you get this Liam fellow to come back and join up with you."

There was nothing for it. He would have to go see Liam.

He tracked his brother to Sydney, Australia where he lived with his wife and daughter. Charlie had to go, he had to. There was nothing else he could do with is life if the band didn't work out.

Australia really wasn't half bad in Charlie's eyes. Of course the reunion with his brother didn't go too well. Liam not only declined the offer of going back on tour, but had a go at Charlie for missing his daughter's birth. This, Charlie thought, was the last straw.

A day before his flight to LAX (it was a stop on the way to London) was leaving; Charlie gave himself a tour of Sydney. He had taken a liking to the Fish 'n' Chips shops in the area. There was one he hadn't been to yet, Fish 'n' Fry. Charlie entered to the sound of the sensor and walked up to the counter. There was a pretty, young woman behind the counter with blonde hair and bright blue eyes ready to take his order.

"Hi there! What can I get you?" She asked with a bright smile Charlie noticed she was pregnant.

"Hi," he looked at her name tag, "Claire. I'll have $3 worth of chips thanks." He gave her an equally happy smile in return, which was obviously not in accord with his mood. Charlie noticed Claire wasn't looking all too happy herself when she turned to start frying the chips, aside from the smile she had given him when he walked in. He decided he would talk to her.

"So do you know what it's gonna be?" Claire turned.

"Excuse me?" she replied.

"The baby," he motioned towards her stomach." Do you know what it is?"

"No," she looked at him with a slight smile. "I'm giving it up for adoption." She looked down.

"How come?"

"My boyfriend left me."

"The old git." Claire giggled. The chips made an extra loud sizzling noise and Claire turned around so she could wrap them up.

"There you are," she said handing the chips to Charlie. "Hope you enjoy your chips." She smiled again.

"Thanks. And you enjoy your day." He smiled back and left the store.

That, Charlie thought, was someone he would like to see again…