And with out the black hair, scary make up and leather pants.
"Umm, no it's okay. We know each other." He says to Jenny as he stands up.
"Well then, I'll just leave you two to yourselves." And she walks off.
I begin to stand up too. Confused and embarrassed, I look down at the floor as I mumble, "Heard them calling you at the airport before."
He makes a face. "Late. Still."
I look up at him and meet his eyes. I can't help but smile. "As usual." Then there's a pause. Both of us unsure about what to do next. I begin to sit but than Freddy says, "Ah fuck this. Come here." He pulls me into a hug and gives me a kiss on the cheek. Automatically, I wrap my arms around him and begin relax. He still smells the same. "Come sit with me." And he pulls me into the seat next to his.
I being to tell him the story of the video tape fallen on my head and why I came up to first class. When I finish, he pokes at the bump. "Ow!"
"Sorry, but it's really big. Are you okay?"
" Yea, I'm fine now." I look at his shoulder and find bits of hair.
He notices too. "Yea got it cut this morning. Didn't like my old do. That's why I was late." I begin to brush the hair off and realize what I'm doing.
"Sorry. Couldn't help it." He just stares at me and begins to laugh.
"You haven't changed a bit, Jules. You're still fussing over me."
"What's that suppose to mean?"
"Nothing, it's just funny seeing you."
"Funny? It's been pretty funny seeing you in that Marilyn Manson get up."
Freddy groans, "Oh, I just knew that was coming. Why do you always have to bust on my balls?"
"Well, how can I not? You've been running around as a devil worshiper, eating live animals, and seducing young boys."
"I need a hobby, you know."
" What crotchet isn't exciting enough for you? But seriously, tell me everything." So he does. It's like I imagined it went.
He went to LA and took an audition. The record label was going for a maximum shock impact band that would freak out people. They liked him and a contract, a publicist, and a stylist later; He was Zander the lead singer of Spawn.
"I tried out for drummer but they didn't like me. I'm still mad, the guy they chose really sucks."
"But it's what you've always wanted, right?"
"No, I wanted to play my own stuff, make my own music. You know that."
"Uh yeah. So, are you visiting your boyfriend?" I mumble that last part.
"Boyfriend? What are you talking about? " He asked puzzled by what I just said.
"You know..."
He still looks clueless so, I say the actor's name and he laughs.
"Jules you're kidding right? You believed all that crap. You out of all people..."
"Well..."
"Did you think I worship the devil and eat live rats?"
"I didn't say I believed everything!"
"You really think I'd go out with that guy? I do have some taste, Jules. I'd never go out with him in a million years."
"He stuck his tongue down your throat. What was I suppose to think?"
"That was all him. Funny what you can make something look totally different when you cut footage down to ten seconds."
"What do you mean...?"
"I was walking out of a club and he grabbed me and like you said, he stuck his tongue down my throat. I had no clue it was coming. Very disgusting. I used a whole bottle of mouthwash."
"So...why are you going to London?"
"Oh, just a little vacation, a tiny break to relax and stuff. You? "
"Same. It's actually a gift from Katie and Zack."
"That's good. So how is everyone? "
I told him that Summer was finishing up at Harvard and would get her law degree before most of her class. Lawrence was playing with the New York philharmonic. Tomika was performing on Broadway. Alicia was studying at Juliard and Marta was doing modeling. Ned finally got married and Dewey was expecting his first child. I also mentioned how Zack proposed to Katie and would be getting married in a year.
"Zack and Katie. Getting married? To each other? Wow!"
" Yeah, I know!" I laughed.
" So what about you? What have you been up to? By the way, how's your mom? Doing better?"
" Umm, she's dead Freddy."
There was silence between the two of us."Oh man, Jules I'm sorry. I thought she was just sick."
" Yea, me too. She died about five months after we moved out."
" I called you around that time. Called you many times. How come you didn't call back?"
" I'm sorry about that, I was busy with mom and-"
" It doesn't matter now, don't worry." Yes it did. It mattered and I did worry.
"Well, did you get around to opening a gallery like you wanted?"
" Umm, no. I didn't even finish school...cause of mom..."
"Oh yeah of course. It must've been hard enough. I'm sorry, I must sound like a real dick bringing all this up."
" No it fine, it's not your fault, you didn't know." I just smiled and tried to lighten up the mood.
So through the whole trip we talked and even through the hour wait in Boston. We finally landed in London about two hours later and headed for baggage claim. Freddy finds his stuff before me. Suprisingly, he picks up a beat up, old duffel bag.
"You know, I was half expecting you to be carrying Louis Vuitton luggage or is that still coming out? "
He drops his bag infront of me and gives me a weird look. "You seriously have some unusual thoughts on how my life is."
"I'm sorry, I can't help it. You run around in a leather suit with matching four-inch boots and make up all over your face."
"Make up? Well that's another story. Louis Vuitton beauty case should be coming out soon."
"You're just so funny. " and he just smiles back at me."So which one's your bag?"I point to a blue case with wheels, "That one." I begin to walk over and retreat it but Freddy stops me."No, I got it."
"My hero."
He grabs the handle and says, "Christ, what the hell did you pack?"
"Clothes."
"What? Did you bring Macy's along with you?" I roll my eyes."No, Victoria Secrets."
"Ooh! Can I come along with you and Vicki? " I just glare and playfully punch him in the arm as he laughs. So we've come to the end of the road and the two of us don't want to say good-bye.
"I guess..."
"Well..."
Freddy reaches over and gives me a hug. "Have fun with your sausage and beer."
"Oh that's a definite 'no' for me. Get some rest. You look like you need a vacation more than I do."
"Yea," He grabs my shoulders and kisses me on the cheek. "It was good seeing you Jules. Call this time, okay?" I swallow hard. "Yea, bye." And I make my way to the pay phones to call Katie. I dial the number and Katie picks up.
"Juli?! "
"Yeah Kate, it's me. I'm in one piece." She worries too much. I begin to tell her the whole story about my head and how I was moved up to first class.
"And Katie, Freddy was there!"
"Really? Freddy Jones err-I mean Zander?"
"Yeah, he was in his whole get up and he ate a rat that was especially for him. They had 'em in a cage and he could take them out whenever he wanted to." Katie didn't say anything, it was just silence.
"Kate I'm joking!"
"Oh of course. So same old Freddy? No big, rockstar ego or anything?"
"Nah, he's pretty much the same." I said my goodbye and began to go pick up a taxi. That's when I saw him.
Freddy.Sitting on his bag in the same spot that I left him at. He doesn't notice me, so I walked up to him and kicked his shoe. He looks up at me. "Oh hey."
"Why are you still here? "
He freezes and looks embarrassed. "I'm...still deciding on where I should go. Actually, I don't really have anything to do."
"Well...what were you planning on doing when you decided to go on vacation?"
"Heh...I didn't really think about that."
"So you're just gonna sit here?"
"No...I was planning to go to a hotel and do stuff."
"Like what?"
"Umm, call room service, watch a movie, maybe eats some expensive peanuts."
"You're in London, a city with a whole bunch of stuff to do and you want to eat peanuts?"
He just shrugged and wasn't impressed with his surroundings. He just sat there on the duffel bag, with stray hairs on his shoulders and puppy dog eyes. The guy was clearly miserable. This was just like when Katie brought him home. And here I was. Taking him in again.
"Come with me."
