Hello all, thanks for your continued patience! Please R&R =)
"Oh, hey, Danny," Jamal said shakily. "Um, sorry, no, Raven's not here. She's spending some time with Lucy."
"Oh...okay. It's just she's been acting kind of odd lately, and I haven't seen much of her. I just wanted to make sure she's okay. I guess I'll try her at Lucy's-" "No!!" Jamal interrupted. "Uh, I mean, they aren't there. Lucy was taking her to New York City for the weekend."
"All right, then. Thanks, Jamal. Bye," Danny said, sounding ultimately confused. Jamal hung up and turned to Alison. "How exactly to we explain this to lover boy?" he asked. Alison sighed and set her head in her hands.
"Don't worry, Ali. Everything will be all right," he said, trying to cheer her up. Suddenly, Alison's head shot up. "I just remember something I have to do before we go see Raven," she said, and dashed up the stairs. *
"Fine. I'll ring the damn bell," Chris said. He cleared his throat and reached out with a shaking finger. He pressed the button, and they heard the bells toll inside, followed by footsteps. The three of them held their breaths as the door swung open.
A stout, balding man with glasses stood there, looking from face to face, confused. Oh, please, don't let this be Julie's new man! Chris thought, anguished. "Can I help you?" the man asked in a thick, fleshy voice. Frank and Chris were speechless, so Christina stepped forward. "Yes, is this Julie Devlin's residence?" she asked timidly.
The fat man stuck out his lower lip and shook his head. "No, no, I just bought this place from her. Sorry 'bout the mailbox, I haven't gotten the chance to replace her yet," he said, and chuckled. "Do you know where we could find Ms. Devlin?" Frank asked. The man rubbed his balding head, thinking. "You know, I think she said something about moving into that assisted living place down on Twelfth," he said.
Chris' heart sank. Julie was alive, but in an assisted living center? That meant that she had really been sick. Was still sick. Oh God. What now? "Okay, thank you," Christina said. The man nodded and closed the door. Christina folded her arms across her stomach, feeling sick again. "Are you okay, hon?" Frank asked.
Christina nodded meekly. "This is just, strange, you know?" she said. Her face was pale. "Yeah," Chris echoed. He and Frank exchanged concerned glances. Christina noticed, and tried to cover her illness. "So, anyone remember seeing Twelfth Street?"
* Danny Thornhart sat on his porch, absent mindedly strumming his bass. His eyes were fixated, staring off into space. His mother Eve approached, her arms full of groceries. "Hey, Danny, you wanna give your poor old mother a hand?" she asked, pausing in front of him. Danny sat there, unaffected.
"Yo, Earth to Daniel!" she called, louder. Finally, she took an apple out of her sack and tossed it at him. It conked him on the head. "Hey! What was that for?!" he asked, irritated. "To bring you back to this planet, Space Boy! Now help me with this stuff," Eve said, handing him some bags.
They got inside and set the groceries on the counter, and began putting them away. "Something on your mind, sweetie?" Eve asked, concerned. Danny turned to look at her.
"No, why?" Eve couldn't help but laugh. "Because you just put the bread in the freezer." Danny looked, and realized that she was right. He replaced the loaf in the breadbox. "Yeah, I guess I am a little distracted lately," he admitted.
"So I noticed,' Eve said. "You want to talk about it?" Danny shrugged as he put the milk in the pantry. Eve calmly walked over and put it in the fridge. "Okay," he surrendered. The two went into the living room and sat down in matching leather recliners.
"So," Eve began, "what's on your mind?" Danny frowned, and scratched his neck. "It's Raven," he said. "She's been acting so, not like herself lately." "How do you mean?" Eve asked, listening intently.
"Well, the other day, she was late meeting me, which she never is. Then when she showed up, she said that she wasn't feeling well all of a sudden. So I go to take her that soup you made for her, and she just acted like something was going on. So I call her later, and she completely blows me off, says something about not being 'fine' or something, and I go to call her today just to find out that she's skipped town with Lucy! I just don't understand what is going on with her lately," Danny said sadly.
"You're right, that is strange of her. Well, I guess as hard as it is, you'll just have to wait until she comes back and try to talk to her again then. In the meantime, I know your Dad is dying to take you to the GH Basketball benefit tournament tonight and show you off. Maybe it would help to try to take your mind off Raven for awhile," Eve said.
Danny managed a smile. "Yeah, you're right. I'm going to go practice," he said, and headed out to the garage. Eve watched him from the window, and wasn't surprised to see him miss every shot he took.
*
"Oh, hey, Danny," Jamal said shakily. "Um, sorry, no, Raven's not here. She's spending some time with Lucy."
"Oh...okay. It's just she's been acting kind of odd lately, and I haven't seen much of her. I just wanted to make sure she's okay. I guess I'll try her at Lucy's-" "No!!" Jamal interrupted. "Uh, I mean, they aren't there. Lucy was taking her to New York City for the weekend."
"All right, then. Thanks, Jamal. Bye," Danny said, sounding ultimately confused. Jamal hung up and turned to Alison. "How exactly to we explain this to lover boy?" he asked. Alison sighed and set her head in her hands.
"Don't worry, Ali. Everything will be all right," he said, trying to cheer her up. Suddenly, Alison's head shot up. "I just remember something I have to do before we go see Raven," she said, and dashed up the stairs. *
"Fine. I'll ring the damn bell," Chris said. He cleared his throat and reached out with a shaking finger. He pressed the button, and they heard the bells toll inside, followed by footsteps. The three of them held their breaths as the door swung open.
A stout, balding man with glasses stood there, looking from face to face, confused. Oh, please, don't let this be Julie's new man! Chris thought, anguished. "Can I help you?" the man asked in a thick, fleshy voice. Frank and Chris were speechless, so Christina stepped forward. "Yes, is this Julie Devlin's residence?" she asked timidly.
The fat man stuck out his lower lip and shook his head. "No, no, I just bought this place from her. Sorry 'bout the mailbox, I haven't gotten the chance to replace her yet," he said, and chuckled. "Do you know where we could find Ms. Devlin?" Frank asked. The man rubbed his balding head, thinking. "You know, I think she said something about moving into that assisted living place down on Twelfth," he said.
Chris' heart sank. Julie was alive, but in an assisted living center? That meant that she had really been sick. Was still sick. Oh God. What now? "Okay, thank you," Christina said. The man nodded and closed the door. Christina folded her arms across her stomach, feeling sick again. "Are you okay, hon?" Frank asked.
Christina nodded meekly. "This is just, strange, you know?" she said. Her face was pale. "Yeah," Chris echoed. He and Frank exchanged concerned glances. Christina noticed, and tried to cover her illness. "So, anyone remember seeing Twelfth Street?"
* Danny Thornhart sat on his porch, absent mindedly strumming his bass. His eyes were fixated, staring off into space. His mother Eve approached, her arms full of groceries. "Hey, Danny, you wanna give your poor old mother a hand?" she asked, pausing in front of him. Danny sat there, unaffected.
"Yo, Earth to Daniel!" she called, louder. Finally, she took an apple out of her sack and tossed it at him. It conked him on the head. "Hey! What was that for?!" he asked, irritated. "To bring you back to this planet, Space Boy! Now help me with this stuff," Eve said, handing him some bags.
They got inside and set the groceries on the counter, and began putting them away. "Something on your mind, sweetie?" Eve asked, concerned. Danny turned to look at her.
"No, why?" Eve couldn't help but laugh. "Because you just put the bread in the freezer." Danny looked, and realized that she was right. He replaced the loaf in the breadbox. "Yeah, I guess I am a little distracted lately," he admitted.
"So I noticed,' Eve said. "You want to talk about it?" Danny shrugged as he put the milk in the pantry. Eve calmly walked over and put it in the fridge. "Okay," he surrendered. The two went into the living room and sat down in matching leather recliners.
"So," Eve began, "what's on your mind?" Danny frowned, and scratched his neck. "It's Raven," he said. "She's been acting so, not like herself lately." "How do you mean?" Eve asked, listening intently.
"Well, the other day, she was late meeting me, which she never is. Then when she showed up, she said that she wasn't feeling well all of a sudden. So I go to take her that soup you made for her, and she just acted like something was going on. So I call her later, and she completely blows me off, says something about not being 'fine' or something, and I go to call her today just to find out that she's skipped town with Lucy! I just don't understand what is going on with her lately," Danny said sadly.
"You're right, that is strange of her. Well, I guess as hard as it is, you'll just have to wait until she comes back and try to talk to her again then. In the meantime, I know your Dad is dying to take you to the GH Basketball benefit tournament tonight and show you off. Maybe it would help to try to take your mind off Raven for awhile," Eve said.
Danny managed a smile. "Yeah, you're right. I'm going to go practice," he said, and headed out to the garage. Eve watched him from the window, and wasn't surprised to see him miss every shot he took.
*