Chapter 9- Whenever you Call
Mercer House-
"Hello?" Bobby asked groggily answering the phone.
"Bobby? Can I talk to Jack?" Krystal asked.
"Oh hey Red, don't even brother to say hi to me," Bobby sighed sarcastically.
"Hi Bobby, how are you? Can I please talk to Jack?"
"He's sleepin, you know he doesn't get up before noon."
"Bobby it's two thirty," Krystal said irritably.
"Oh, well he ain't up," Bobby scoffed taking a look at the clock on the stove.
"Did you tell him I called?"
"Yeah."
"Can you give him my number? I don't have my cell with me."
"Yeah."
"It's 327-555-8798."
"Yeah."
"Bobby!" Krystal begged.
"Ok I'll give it to him, but," Bobby stopped.
"But what?"
"Look, I didn't want to tell you this but, he doesn't want to talk to you," Bobby lied.
"Oh, um," Krystal stammered.
"It's ok. Listen, forget bout him, you deserve better," Bobby said quietly as he heard someone walk down the stairs.
She took a second to comprehend what Bobby just told her, "Ok, thanks," and then she hung up.
"Were you on the phone?" Jack asked Bobby who was standing in the kitchen with his hand on the phone on the wall.
"Yeah, it was a bill collector, looking for Angel," Bobby chuckled.
"He needs to learn how to pay his bills on time," Jack laughed along with him.
A light bulb hit Jack and he ran out of the kitchen.
"Where you goin?" Bobby called after him.
"I forgot to check the mail!" Jack yelled from the porch.
Bobby rolled his eyes, "You don't have any mail from her."
Jack walked back inside disappointed for the eight day in a row.
"She hasn't called or anything?" Jack asked Bobby.
Bobby shifted his eyes around the kitchen, "No, she hasn't called. Forget about her Jackie, she's not worth it."
"I can't," Jack mumbled heading upstairs.
"Come on you can't stay in your room all day," Bobby yelled after him.
"I have to go to the studio soon, can I borrow your car please?" Jack yelled back.
"What ever," Bobby yelled.
After Jack slipped on one of his favorite band t-shirts and a pair of paint stained looking jeans, he grabbed his guitar and left the house.
Bobby was still in the kitchen waiting for Jack to leave. He was going to go out but when he went upstairs to change his shirt he noticed Jack's full garbage can.
"Rocker stars, slobs" he muttered picking up the can.
The trash fell over and his attention was brought to the bunched up pieces of paper that hit the floor. He un-crumbled one of the papers and it read:
Red as roses, model posses, your lips
Sweet as honey, making money, your hips,
Curvy wavy, Call you baby, your mine
Love you longer, heart got stronger, your shine…
The song or poem was dated last week so he crumbled it back up and read another one. This one was dated a couple days ago:
Woke up one morning
Heart in mourning
You left...
No words of goodbye
Instead you fly
Solo...
My body aches
I can't fake
This pain...
It's like a wonderland
But I stand
Alone...
Bobby suddenly grew angry as he searched through all the papers. He knew they were all about Krystal. He figured that Jack was doing this everyday because he spent so many hours in his room with the door closed.
"What are you doin?" Angel asked Bobby who was on the floor reading.
"Nothin," Bobby said concentrating on the paper.
"Why are you goin through Jack's trash?"
"Look," Bobby said handing him the last song he had read.
"But I stand, alone? What the hell is this?" Angel asked concerned.
"Jack's been up here writin love songs bout Red," Bobby laughed.
"Well ain't that sweet?" Angel said making his way over to Jack's desk.
Angel picked up a piece of paper off the desk and read it carefully.
"What is it?" Bobby asked as he placed all the papers back inside the trash so he could stand up and see what Angel was looking at.
"It's a letter to Red," he searched through the other papers, "They're all letters to her."
Bobby picked them up and skimmed through a couple finding that all of them were address to Krystal.
"I wonder why he didn't send any of them," Angel asked.
"He probably just wants to hear from her first," Bobby said and then Angel left the room.
He wanted to take the trash out and tell Jack he thought it was all garbage because he knew Jack would get upset and ask what happened it them, but he thought that was a bit cruel. All he had to do was keep Krystal from talking to Jack and then he could be with her. Bobby was always a jealous guy but now it had turned into something more than jealously.
Bam Bam Record Studios-
"Hey Jack, how's it going man?" Domer asked him.
"Good," Jack nodded.
"Ok guys, like I said great work yesterday. I love the lyrics, Jack, excellent job," Ted said.
"Thanks," Jack nodded again.
"Hit it," Ted told the sound guys.
They all listened to the track again but this time Jack's voice was more distinctive and the tempo picked up nicely with the words. All the band members swayed to mimicking the cords on their guitars and basses but not Jack. He imagined what it would be like when Krystal came back. Would she want to be with him, or would she choose Bobby. Since they were little, Jack was always jealous of her crush on Angel but now she showed an interest in Bobby which he reciprocated her feelings.
"Jack," Chris said tapping him on the back.
"You're really out of it today," Ted laughed.
"Casanova's just reveling in the song," Domer joked.
"So when do we get to me the woman who's making this record platinum?" Ted asked.
Jack looked up trying to remember the conversation, he had been spacing out since the song was over, "There is no one."
"Right," on of the sound guys laughed and everyone else joined in.
"Ok, ok let's leave Casanova alone, he'll tell us when he's ready," Domer yelled while everyone was still laughing.
Jack didn't mind the laughter or the fact that they were calling him Casanova, but he didn't feel like joining in.
"Well then, maybe we should go over 'The world is going to end' song and then you guys can pack up and go home. I promise, it'll only take ten minutes," Ted announced.
Mercer House-
It was almost six o'clock when Jack called Angel and told him he was going to be late for dinner, he had been held up at the studio for almost three hours. After dinner, Sofi went into the kitchen to wrap up a plate of food so Jack could eat later. She was about to pick up the ringing phone but Bobby darted in front of her."Hello?" Bobby answered out of breath.
"Are you the only one who picks up the phone?" Krystal asked.
"Yeah," Bobby chuckled.
"Anyway, you doin anythin tomorrow?" she asked.
"No why?"
"Well it's gettin kinda lonely ova here and I was wonderin if you'd be able to come ova?" she asked shyly.
"Come over? Like to Brooklyn?" Bobby asked confused.
"Yeah, trust me you'll feel right at home," she giggled.
"Sure, why not? Anytime good with you?"
"Any time is good."
"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow," she repeated.
"Take care sweetheart," Bobby said lovingly.
"Bobby? Can you not tell Jack? I know he doesn't wanna talk to me and he probably doesn't care but just don't tell him ok?"
"It'll be like I never told him," Bobby smirked.
"Thanks," she whispered and then she hung up.
Sofi had heard Bobby's conversation while she was in the dining room cleaning off the table. She didn't think anything of it though until Angel asked her later on.
Jack came home ten minutes after Bobby had talked to Krystal. Bobby was on the phone again but this time it was with Jerry. He got Jerry to get him a plane ticket to JFK for tomorrow afternoon. Even thought it was a long shot to try and get a ticket that early, Jerry knew someone that could hook him up.
"You only need one?" Jerry asked Bobby.
"Yeah."
"Why you goin to New York City?" Jerry asked.
"Cause I got some business to take care of."
"Ok, I'll see what I can do," Jerry said.
When Jerry and Bobby were off the phone, Jack strolled into the kitchen, "Who was that?"
"Jerry," Bobby answered.
"Oh," Jack sighed as he sat down at the kitchen table.
The next day, Bobby packed for Brooklyn. His flight left at three but it was only ten so he had plenty of time to pack. Jerry went over at eleven to drop off the ticket.
"I still wanna know why you're goin," Jerry asked holding tightly onto the ticket as Bobby pulled at it.
"I told you Jerry, business," Bobby groaned as he forced the ticket out of Jerry's hand.
"Fine, I'll come back later to pick you up, two right?" Jerry asked.
"Yeah, two is good. Thanks Jerry," Bobby said.
"What are brothers for?" Jerry laughed and then he left.
Bobby finished packing around one and waited for Jerry to pick him up later. He waited on the sofa watching a re-run of last nights hockey game. Sofi was in the kitchen making a quick late breakfast when she saw Bobby's luggage by the back door. He didn't tell anyone that he was leaving because he was going to wait until Jerry picked him up. Angel kissed Sofi gently on the cheek and he also noticed the luggage by the door.
"You leaving?" Angel asked Sofi angrily.
"It's not mine, it's Bobby's," she shot back.
"Oh," he walked over and saw the plane ticket dangling from one of the tags.
"New York?" Angel asked Sofi.
"Yeah, I think he's going to visit that girl, Diamond or something," she said sarcastically.
"Very funny, her name's Krystal," Angel mimicked.
Angel held onto the ticket for a second before going to see Bobby in the living room.
"What's up?" Bobby asked Angel who was blocking the television.
"You're gunna visit Red?" Angel asked.
"Keep your voice down," Bobby whispered.
"Jack's in the shower."
"Oh, well then yeah, I am. Why?"
"When did you speak to her?"
"Yesterday and a few days ago?" Bobby smiled.
"So you two are sneaking around behind Jack's back? Why don't you just tell him?"
"I'll tell him when I get back," Bobby said motioning for Angel to stop blocking the TV.
"That's bullshit Bobby, you know that. Tell him," Angel warned.
"Or what?"
"I will," Angel said as he walked back into the kitchen.
Bobby was a little bit worried about what Angel said. He couldn't tell Jack he had talked to Krystal because he might try to call her and he'll find out that he conspired them against each other.
Jack was in the shower singing his latest song while washing his hair. Bobby decided to call Jerry and have him come earlier, hopefully before Jack got out of the shower. As soon as Jack toweled dried himself and slipped some new clothes on, Jerry was at the door waiting for Bobby.
"Jack I'm leaving," Bobby shouted.
"What?" Jack asked as he patted his wet hair with a towel.
Angel and Sofi met up with Jack at the bottom of the stairs and they all jogged into the kitchen.
"I'm going away for a couple of days, see you soon," Bobby said as he turned around and headed out the backdoor.
"So your not gunna tell him?" Angel yelled after him.
Jerry stopped which made Bobby stop because he was following close behind him.
"Tell me what?" Jack asked.
Angel folded his arms and said, "Ask where our big brother is goin."
Jack looked at Angel confused, "Where's he going?"
Bobby didn't say anything he just passed Jerry and put his bags in the car.
"Fine, like I said if you don't tell him, I will," Angel shouted and then he looked at Jack, "He's goin to visit Krystal."
Jack faced turned from confusion to furious.
"What?" Jack asked angrily.
"He's gunna be on the plane in an hour."
Jack felt like he lost all of his sanity at that moment. He swung the backdoor open and then he tackled Bobby to the ground.