Chapter 3: Believe

Johnny's P.O.V.

It's funny how things come into your life when you really need them. The first time, I was going down a too dark path. If I hadn't seen the gold flyer fly into the garage, I might be in prison with my dad right now.

And now, I have a chance to go to Higher Up and change my life. Oddly, it's happened right as I've lost something important and loved.

My home.

After Mr. Moon's announcement, I ran upstairs and played my keys until my fingers were numb. Mr. Moon asked me that question because he wanted to know if I could come. And I said if I'm not in a run. And I am.

I hated being in that rut at that time. I could get to Higher Up! But I have so much to do here!

I had slammed the keys, my hands shaking. I can't go to Higher Up! I have to stay here! But…what I could do if we won! What we could do! But my dad…the garage!

I remember running out of the room, nearly running over Ms. Crawley who screamed. I hope I didn't give her a heart attack.

After squeezing my face so I don't shed a tear, I think about what I need to do when I get home. For the past few weeks, I've been trying to fix the garage heater. With winter hitting harder than usual this year, the garage has been extra cold. So I work through the nights when I can. Usually I fall asleep late and wake up even later. I don't have time to clean up in the morning so I get to my job and the Theatre late. I've nearly been fired three times by my mechanic boss. And Mr. Moon asks when I'm late why I see so stressed. And I only tell him I'm fine, it's just the concerts.

But when I get home today, I know keeping things from Mr. Moon is no longer an option. Not unless I want to live on the streets.

With my skateboard beneath my arm, I tug the yellow sheet of paper off the door and sigh, defeated. The big bold words seem to laugh at my failure. Oh, on my mom's name, what am I going to tell my dad?

EVICTION NOTICE

Persons: All Occupants

Location: 106 Reflect St., San Howel

Date: 10/19/-

If you do not vacate the premises by 24 Oct. Noon…

…They'll take my past away. If I didn't have the Theatre, they'd be taking away my life.

My knees slam into the cold concrete, then my shoulder into the white door. I have 'til Monday to get rid of my stuff and my dad's.

I thought I'd have time to pay everything off. I thought I had all the money settled and most of it was covered. I didn't even consider getting evicted.

I've told no one of my dad. I've told no one of my past, or how I'm doing now. They see me as a good kid that could do no wrong because I'm so considerate. If they knew about all those heists…Moon might reconsider me a second time.

But I have nowhere to go. My money has gone into the garage and a lawyer that will not work to save his life. I have none to spare. What am I supposed to do? I could hold my own heist but with my luck, I'd get caught. And my father said he'd never forgive me if he caught me in prison with him.

Maybe I could stay with Rosita. But she has twenty-five kids. Adding a homeless, twice-her-size Gorilla to her already crowded home is not wise. I don't want to be a bother to her and her husband.

Second choice, I could live with Mr. Moon. But I would have to explain everything to him. But, if I didn't have to, I'd sleep in the piano room, out of Mr. Moon's way. He wouldn't even know I was there.

Go See Dad.

That doesn't feel like my own thought but I agree with it. I'd rather have Dad yell at me about losing the garage rather than sit here and pout about it.

So, I slowly drag myself off the ground, shoving the notice in my pocket. I should have taken the truck but I know I'll lose that, too, soon. It'll just depress me more. So I just take my skateboard.

I fly though the city, enjoying the wind blowing past me. I look up into the sky, watching a plane fly past.

Johnny, if you had the chance to go somewhere where you could better you career, where you could change where you are in life, and make it better, would you take it? Take the chance?

I would love to, Mr. Moon. That's what I should have said. But I didn't and I can't. It makes me want to pick up my skateboard and throw it so far I could never find it. Fate seems to be against me.

It takes longer than it should to get to the prison. It's already getting dark. I'm pulling a close one.

As I step toward the door, I feel my pocket vibrate. It continues to vibrate 'til I pull my attention away from the three cops in front of me. It's…my boss! Not Mr. Moon but my second boss. I answer immediately. "Hello, sir."

He skips the pleasantries," Johnny, you skipped work today."

Oh, crap! A big bubble of panic rises in my chest. "I'm sorry, sir! I got so busy at the Theatre! I swear, it will never happen again!"

"You bet it won't happen again, Mr. Masters. And you know why? Because you're fired!"

The bubble bursts," Wait, sir! It won't happen again! I prom-"

He hangs up.

Everything burns as my hand shakily lowers. My eyes, my ears, my face and my chest. I don't have a job. I don't have money. I don't have a home.

How did everything turn so bad so fast?!

With an explosion of anger, I raise my hand to throw my phone on the concrete floor. That's when I see the cops and freeze up.

When I was young, Dad taught me that cops equal bad. If you see one, hide, run or fight. But I can't do any of those, and I'm in a very violent position so I stick, it in my pocket and move to the desk, keeping my emotions stuffed in a vault deep in my heart.

"Johnny to see Joshua Masters." I say almost robotically.

The rhino nods and waves me in. There are very few people at the booths. One or two. I sit at the second to last and wait for the guard to bring my dad.

I've been putting off thinking about how to tell my dad I lost the garage and my job. I could just tell him about Higher Up. He doesn't need to know the bad stuff. Not now.

But then I see my dad and his confused face and the vault I've been building explodes.

He sits and handles the phone with care. I pick up mine and put on a fake smile," Hi, Dad. What's-"

"What's wrong?"

I pause," Huh?"

"What's wrong?"

I shake my head," Nothing's wrong, Dad. I just wanted to come talk to you."

My father's mouth twitches but his face doesn't change. "You said you had work today."

"I got a day off."

"You were fired."

I fake a laugh that's a little too animated." No. It's just been a long day."

Dad sits back, using his own weight to keep him up." Really? Tell me about it."

I hate it when Dad can see though me. I hate seeing him eyeing me like he already knows what I'm keeping from him. But I fear his anger even more.

So, we sit there for a long time, waiting for revelation to pop in my head. Every emotion that exists is swirling through me except happiness. Finally, I get my game together and decide to face Dad head on. I've had to before. So I can do it again.

I breathe in and say," I…I did lose my job. I was so…I forgot I worked today. So I don't have a job and…" I slap my hand over my face so I don't have to watch Dad freak out," I lost the garage."

I wait for Dad to start yellin' that I'm irresponsible and he shouldn't have trust me with keeping our garage safe. Instead, he asks," How?"

"I didn't have the money to keep up with the payments." I say," I'm being evicted Monday."

Dad doesn't say anything for a long moment. Then he says," You haven't stole anything?"

I shake my head," No. I'm keeping my promise. I swear."

He grunts," Good. And you know what to do with everything?"

When he says everything, he's referring to our stolen objects. And since they're stolen, I have to take it all to the docks and dump it there. Then everything is returned. The rest of our stuff I'm going to have to shove in the truck and keep over at Moon's or Rosita's. Rosita's would be the safer so most likely her place.

I nod," Yes, sir."

"Johnny," Dad's dark voice says, "Look at me."

I shakily drop my hand. I didn't notice my eyes were teared up so I wipe them away as fast as I can. Dad doesn't' move. We look at each other 'til he sits towards me, close to the glass.

"You've told me the bad. So tell me the good."

I blink, "The good?"

Dad nods. He's never asked me this before and when he does, I have nothing to say. I guess I could tell him about Higher Up, even though I can't go.

"Well," I start," Moon called us in for a meeting today. He said the gang has been invited to be part of a rivalry between two bands. We're supposed to do an interview and videos and concerts like real singers. We'd be getting a lot of money if we go and even more if we win. It's the chance of a lifetime."

I look up again, and to my surprise, Dad is smiling," Well, isn't that a good thing?"

"Well, yes-"

"Then why aren't you smiling? This is your dream, isn't it? Your hopes? What's the problem?"

I look at Dad like he's insane," I can't go! I have to take care of you and try to find a new job and-and-and-"

"Johnny," Dad stops me," breathe. In and out."

I do as he says. Dad nods," Good. Now listen to me. You are eighteen years old. You are barley an adult. Don't worry about pay rolls and the money for anything right now. Get yourself situated. This is your chance to do better than I did. Go. Do it. Make your singing a career worthwhile."

"But you-"

"Where would I go? If I escape again I'm done with the hope of seeing you grow older. Go. Go make something of yourself."

I stare at Dad for a moment. He's serious. I nod even though I'm in shock." Okay."

Dad smiles," Okay. So where is this rivalry taking place?"

I start to smile, too," Higher Up. The best place you could go for business. And we'll get to be there for six weeks. It's perfect."

I expect him to agree with me, but instead, I watch his demeanor crumble into a scowl. "Higher Up is full of frauds. Be careful with who you meet there, Johnny. Their tyrants. Even the nicest ones make me seem harmless in comparison."

I blink," You've done business with Higher Up?"

"Unfortunately. And I regret it."

After that, the guard says time's up. Dad wishes me luck and I say I'll call when I can and that I'll see him in six weeks.

When I come out, it's dark with a bit of pink on the horizon. I feel a lot better than I did when I went in which is a good thing, I guess.

I don't want to go home immediately. I don't want to think about what I want to keep and what I don't. I can't bring everything to Higher Up.

Higher Up. New Animal City.

This can't be real. Being able to go there…it's not possible. But here I am, two days from leaving here behind and going there. I wonder if the others have made their decisions…

After skateboarding five blocks and dodging plenty of animals, I stop in front of a closed department store and look up. There's a star looking down on me. It's so bright, I don't know how anyone could miss it.

I've never wished on a star before. Dad called it a foolish practice. How could stars grant wishes? If they did half the world would be rich and the other half would be gone from animals wishing one another away. I always believed him. Why wouldn't I? He's my dad. When you're young, you expect them to never lie to you. So I never wished on a star.

I never wished on anything actually. Not candles or stars or on a penny. Wishes were to be kept in me and away from my over realistic dad. That's why he never knew I loved to sing. That's why he never knew I hated being part of the gang. That's why I did everything to make him proud.

But he's not here now. And if I didn't wish on something now…it wouldn't be complete. I won't wish for the garage. I could never pay for it. I won't wish for a job. I've already got a big one. And I won't ask for my dad's freedom. After a while, I finally realized he needs to be where he is. If he wasn't, I may not have the path I'm on now.

So, I wish for luck in Higher Up. I wish for the best for our team no matter what happens. And I wish that my Dad is wrong about tyrants worse than him and all the frauds in Higher Up.

I wish all of this while staring at that star and whispering under my breath," Please. Please. Please."

I stand there for another moment just staring. The star winks back at me. That seems to give me comfort. Everything is going to turn out fine.

I still don't want to go home. I flip my skate board into my hand and start walking. It's the perfect night. The right temperature and no storms in sight. I could walk these streets forever. And I almost do.


Believe by Trans-Siberian Orchestra