A Chance at Something New.
Warning: This has underage drinking.
The Mattress Kingdom was still not finished. However that didn't stop Jimmy from sending Austin to live there. Jimmy couldn't wait and wanted Austin out as soon as possible.
So there Austin sat on the steps leading up to the second floor. They were wide enough for him to lay flat if he chose to. Austin had too much time alone here. He thought too much. And Dez was moving in soon. In two days, Austin thought.
He sighed. He gazed at his rose tattoo. When was this nightmare going to end? He got up and came to the kitchen he sighed. It was on the ground floor, or at least the table was. He reached into the cupboard and pulled out the cereal box. A shine of yellow caught his eye. He saw that it was the Mirror. He groaned. He swore he left it up in his still unfinished room.
He looked into it and made a face. His hideous reflection rippled and on came another face, "Hey Austin."
He nodded begrudgingly, "Trish."
"Oh stop it. This will get better," Trish rolled her eyes.
"Sure," Austin snarled.
"You have a question for me?" Trish asked.
"Yeah, when is this going to go away?"
"It's not going to go away Austin. For the umpteenth time!" Trish got a glint in her eye, "But I can tell you when this state becomes permanent."
"What? When!"
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
Trish counted on her fingers, then nodded, "On your Twenty-fifth birthday. So eight years."
Austin yowled, "EIGHT YEARS!? I HAVE TO BE STUCK LIKE THIS OF EIGHT YEARS?!"
Trish tsked, "Well no. Not if you can break the spell. And if you can't, eight years is nothing compared to the rest of your life."
Austin growled, "Remind me again what the curse was?"
"You had to right the wrongs you've done to your friends," Trish said happily.
"Right," Austin growled.
Trish rolled her eyes again, "Oh please! Eight years should be plenty of time to break the spell. Unless you plan on moping around for those eight years."
Austin growled and put the mirror face down on the counter, "Hey!" came the high pitch protest, "Hey! Oh, not again!"
The Golden mirror glowed and floated back up behind Austin who had turned to leave the kitchen. His appetite all but destroyed. As it drew closer its reflective surface drew back and then, WAP! It backhanded Austin in the back of the head, "Don't put me down like I'm just another mirror! I have feelings too!"
"Oh really? Says the girl who cast this ridiculous spell on me!" Austin yelled.
"It is not ridiculous!" Trish fought back.
Austin swatted at the mirror with his paw and Trish was able to guide it out of harm's way. Well until Austin got a lucky strike. The mirror went tumbling mirror over handle and went flying into the trash can all while Trish screamed, "AA-AA-AAU-UUS-SST-IIII-II-I-I-I-N!"
And so Austin smirked and huffed in satisfaction and headed out to a small porch door that lead outside.
Wednesday was always a good day for Bob. Good things usually happened then. And it seemed it was going to play out that way. He was just finishing up work and was eating his lunch when he heard yelling come from inside. He turned to see what was going on when his Boss's nephew, Adrian, at least that's what Jimmy told him, "oh, hey there kiddo!"
Adrian jumped, "Who…" But then he saw the lead construction worker, "Oh, hi."
Bob noted the sad look in Adrian's eyes. That was the only thing really visible on him, "Somethin' bothering you kid?"
Adrian shrugged.
"Why don't you come and sit down. We'll talk, man to man, ya know?" Bob was always happy to have someone to talk to.
"No," Adrian snapped but then realized maybe it was time to get a few things off his chest, "Well… maybe for a little while," He sat down keeping all strange body parts covered.
Bob smiled, "Atta boy. So what's eating you?"
"Well, I just got into a fight with a fr—" No, he and Trish were no longer friends, "a person of interest… and I'm just miffed about it."
Bob raised a bushy eyebrow, "I see. Well, I hope you two make up. What was the fight about?"
"Um…" Adrian felt his scaled face go pale, "Well… we've been fighting for a while now and I can't seem to win them."
Bob turned a quarter so he was facing Adrian dead on, "Is it so important to win the battle instead of the war? If it all came down to one battle, wars wouldn't be so bloody."
At Adrian's blank expression, Bob decided that was enough of being serious for one day, "What I mean, kid, is, is it so important to win the fight instead of keeping a friend."
"She isn't a friend," Adrian said automatically.
Bob raised an eyebrow, "She? Well no, I suppose it doesn't matter the gender, anyway. My point being you can't even remember why you two are fighting. So why continue to fight?"
Adrian looked at the construction worker, "Oh, we know what we're fighting about. It's just a little complicated."
"It usually is. But it always gets to a point where it no longer matters and you just wasting oxygen. If it's stressing you out so much, just drop it. Apologize and drop it."
"She's the one that needs to apologize!" Adrian yelled to no one and stood up.
"And will that make it better?" Bob asked turning to eye his ham burrito he made from leftovers at his apartment.
"I, um… no," Adrian said. If Trish apologized and if what she said was true, that wouldn't turn him back human.
"So, maybe if you swallow your pride and apologize first, she'll apologize and you two can be fr—I mean whatever you were before this fight."
Adrian scoffed. Then thought, how do you swallow your pride? What pride did he have left? What dignity did he have left? In fact what motivation did he have left? None. Absolutely none.
Bob noted his dinner companion's sudden mood swing downward, "Hey listen buddy, it could be worse."
Adrian scoffed again, "Oh? How could it be worse?"
Bob let out a meaningful laugh that really held no humor. This caught Adrian by surprise as Bob was always the one who lightened everyone's day around the house, "Trust me kid, if a fight with your friend is the worst of it then you are blessed."
Adrian blinked. A fight with… Trish wasn't the worst of his problems, "My dad's in jail, and my mom disappeared after she divorced him. I have no family other than Jimmy and he doesn't even want me."
Bob did a quarter turn again, "Are they dying?" It was blunt and held a challenge to it.
"N-no," Adrian stuttered from the sudden intensity behind Bob's eyes.
"Then you haven't seen the worst of it," Bob muttered, biting into his burrito.
"What do you mean?" Adrian asked.
Bob looked up at him and sighed, "Have you ever watched a family member die?"
Adrian shook his head. He wasn't around when his grandparents died and he didn't know where his mother was alive or dead.
"So you have a dad, he's just made some bad choices right? You still have Jimmy, that blind guy Diz—"
"Dez."
"Dez coming to tutor you, and you got your friend you're fighting with. They may not be with you at the moment but they're still here. Some people can't say that."
Adrian blinked, was he talking about… himself? "Did something happen to you Bob?"
"Hm?" Bob was lost in thought, "What?"
"You're talking about yourself,"
"Oh sorry, didn't mean to."
"Bob, did you lose someone?"
Adrian didn't know why he asked that, a few weeks, no it would be a little under a month now, he wouldn't have given two shits about this guy's problems. Now he was asking for this, this stranger to tell old Adrian what the problem is, like he could fix it.
Bob sighed, it was deep sad sigh that came from the core, "No, not yet."
"I've told you my story, now tell me yours," Where was this coming from!?
Bob sighed again, "Well, recently me and my wife had a falling out. You see, medical bills were just getting too high and with my daughter in the hospital, possibly permanently, my wife had a break down and filed for divorce, she blamed me for not being able to provide for her family and she left me to live with her mother who was gracious enough to continue to pay for the medical bills.
"My wife wants to take full custody and revoke my visiting rites at the hospital. So at the moment I'm struggling to pay for that as well as my apartment I have to live in because I had to sell the house…"
"Why is your daughter in the hospital?" Adrian asked.
"She has Leukemia, I couldn't tell you what class or type. But the doctors keep saying she won't live long and there isn't much to do. Every time I end up in the room with her I break down. I've been trying to visit her every week though. I try to avoid my ex-wife as much as possible to. The last time we got into a fight in front of her I ended up walking out crying. I can't tell you what it does to a little girl to watch her mommy and daddy fight and her daddy leave crying. The physiological affects it must have. And her mother makes it worse by trying to take her away from me."
Adrian sat and listened to the heart breaking story and deep down within his stone heart something began to erode. The ice that had coated his soul, deep down within a drop melted.
"I can't afford much but I can't lose my little girl. You know she's a big Austin Moon fan?" Bob chuckled at the beautiful memory.
Adrian flinched, a heart sting was tugged, "Oh?"
"Yeah, hey!" Bob turned, "Jimmy's Austin's manager, if you ever see the superstar, could you tell him about my little Nina? Aw it would just make her day if… if Austin Moon showed up at her hospital room…"
Adrian felt like his lungs would collapse and he'd choke on the lump formed like frost in his throat, "Yeah," he croaked, "I'll tell him."
Bob gave the young youth a watery smile, "Thanks," Bob patted his shoulder and looked up at the setting sun, "Well, look at that, I'd best be heading home. See ya Adrian," With that the construction worker stood and extended his hand to the monster he didn't know was sitting beside him.
Adrian took it and Bob gave the gloved hand a firm shake. He watched Robert walk off down the drive way and to his banged up rusted pickup truck and head either to the hospital or the shabby apartment he was now forced to live in. Adrian wondered how much Jimmy was really paying that guy.
The once humorous construction worker was now seen in a different light in Adrian's eyes and the little well of emotion that was deep in his subconscious grew a little deeper. Adrian realized Bob laughed to help ease the pain, to help hid the sadness. Adrian had to admit, there were worse ways of dealing with life's trials.
. . .
Austin headed back inside and up to his dark room. A golden glow came from his bed. He didn't hesitate to pick it up.
Trish's face came into view, her face was dark and her cheeks flushed in anger her dark brow's furrowed, "Austin Moon!" She roared, "You have to be the most disrespectful, low, angry, despicable, unworthy maggot I have ever had the pleasure of cursing!" She raged. She spat out a few more insults and something hard began to form in the pit of Austin's stomach.
Again deep in his stone heart there was another small crack. As Trish raged for another few more minutes Austin felt tears leak down his scaly cheeks.
When Trish finally took a breath her eyes were blood shot and sad, "I… I'm sorry I was just mad. I didn't really mean those things, Austin… I promise."
Austin sniffed and wiped his dripping muzzle, "No, Trish," He croaked, "I'm sorry. I was mad. And I shouldn't have been. I deserve every bit of this. If I can't right all my wrongs then… I deserve to be a monster, inside and out. Heck even if I do right the wrongs I still don't deserve a second chance. I can't even count how many lives I've probably ruined…" His tears grew bitter, "I'm sorry Trish. I don't know why you're helping me… but thank you."
Trish bit back a gasp. He was apologizing… and thanking her?! As amazing as this progress report was she didn't fail to notice the tears down his crocodile muzzle, but they were anything but crocodile tears.
"Austin, everyone deserves a second chance. Everyone. Even you," Trish smiled kindly to her friend.
Austin gave a watery smile back, "Yeah, thanks for trying."
"Austin don't give up," Trish wanted to jump out of the mirror but knew that wasn't possible, "You still have eight years, a lot can happen in those eight years."
Austin nodded, "Yeah, I know."
"Dez will be coming soon. You'll have your old best friend back."
"But he won't know that."
"Show him the real you Austin. Not that whiny brat I cursed. You really are kind and considerate. Sometimes you just lose track of your real self, intermixed with the hoopla of fame. That's why I removed you in the first place."
Austin nodded again.
"Don't give up hope," Trish said as she saw Austin's eyes begin to droop, "It'll be your last line of defense."
Austin's head lulled, "Thanks for the inspiration Trish, but I don't want you losing sleep over me. I started this mess. I intend to right those wrongs. There's always someone worse off right?" His head began to nod, "Don't worry anymore. I'll do this on my own. In whichever way I can."
Trish bit back another gasp. Austin's eyes closed and his body went backwards on the bed. He fell into a deep dreamless sleep as the mirror's light went out and Trish's presence vanished from the room.
Neither were able to catch that the room began to glow a soft blue. Austin had righted his first wrong: To take responsibility for his actions. And his tail got shorter because of it.
. . .
Dez paid for his meal and left to finish packing, he had two days to finish packing up his room and moving into the old Mattress kingdom, "See you Mindy."
"Come back any time you Hot Copper Top!" Mindy yelled, flirtatiously, to him as the little bell above the door indicated his departure. Mindy sighed. He was her last customer for the night till the darker side came out.
A back street bar was closing up for the night. Mindy was working the late shift behind the counter. She always had to work odd jobs thanks to that Austin Moon rejecting her one chance to be his background dancer. He had rejected her because he didn't seem to think she fit the part. She saw who he picked those girls couldn't dance for shit. But they were pretty, tan, and thin. She hated that Austin Moon. She knew she wasn't the skinniest person in the world but come on! It didn't matter, she wasn't well off but she could manage, the people that came in to the bar couldn't say the same.
Chuck showed up at eleven o'clock on the dot every day for the past year. He'd order a red hot tamale on the rocks, a special alcoholic drink that Mindy had created just for him. A splash of tequila and watered down vodka with a little chili juice and two hard candied red hot tamales. Yes it was a little disgusting but he always asked for something strong so Mindy provided. That was her job after all.
But even before the depressed Chuck showed up Megan Simms, a lackey journalist for hire, always showed up right as the last customer left, she'd always ask for concentrated lactose on the penuchle. It took at least four times before Mindy could remember that it meant four shots of milk with a playing card as a coaster.
Shortly after her, Nelson would arrive. He'd been coming to the After Hours, ever since the Sonic Boom closed. He'd order water and a raw tomato.
Mindy always felt bad for Ally when that happened. Mindy knew she hadn't always been the nicest person to Ally, in fact she hadn't been the nicest person in general. But Ally was always a sweet girl and though Mindy hated to speak or even think his name, Austin had really hurt Ally…more than she was letting on. He'd also hurt Dez and Trish… Mindy may had always had a rivalry with Trish but it had really cold off once Austin had left. Huh, weird.
Austin had also hurt the three ragged hoodlums that now sat at her counter, "The Usual-s?" She asked.
The three nodded.
She slid the drinks down. Clink clink clink
Megan sighed as she took a swing of her first shot of milk. She'd once been Cheetah Beat's top reporter. She'd been fired when Austin Moon pressed charges against her. Saying she was invading his privacy and abusing her reporter privileges. She was now jobless and miserable. Her guardians were in the middle of a properties dispute and Megan wondered if she'd ever find a real family? Not like she ever had one in the first place. Her Mother and Father neglected her, shipped her out to two stranger she didn't know first chance they got. They didn't love her either, they only kept her for the food coupons and money her parents were sending them. They needed those because they were too lazy to get off their asses and work. Cheetah Beat had been her life, her one escape. Now she had nothing.
Chuck had entered a contest, he remembered as he drank down his Red Hot Tamale. He'd entered a contest where Austin Moon had been the celebrity judge. Something had went horribly wrong with his entry and the accident had cost Chuck everything. Austin was so furious that he had everything taken away from the poor southern accented boy and his family now lived in the shabby side of Miami where Megan lived. His family had been forced into poverty because of that Austin Moon. Chuck's confidence had also withered when the dreaded superstar had taken everything from him. He didn't dare enter another contest, his self-esteem shot. Oh did he hate that Austin Moon.
Nelson had drank his water and was looking through the glass at Megan. She was still pretty as ever with her old ratty outfit. Nelson did not hate Austin Moon. He had no reason to. His family was fine though his parents were often away. He'd been coming to After Hours because the Sonic Boom had closed and Ally couldn't afford to buy instruments, though she was still kind enough to give him lessons when she had the chance, which was almost never. Nelson was nearly incapable of feeling an emotion stronger than frustration. That was usually when he said his famous line: Aw Nards. He was too naïve to really understand the other three's blind rage when it came to Austin Moon. He simply went along with it like a blind follower, often running into walls along the way. He grinned at Megan as he tried to speak to her.
"So Megan," He said, "I spy with my little eye—"
Megan knocked the glass out of his hand and it clanked to the floor. She gave him a glare as she downed another milk.
"Hey!" Mindy said defensively, gesturing to the offending cup she would now have to pick up. She was simply thankful it hadn't shattered.
"But thank you kindly for stopping his game," Chuck grumbled taking another swig of his drink.
Nelson pouted, "I'm only trying to make her smile."
"Ha!" Megan snorted, "I got nothing to smile about."
Nelson shook his head, smiling seductively at her, though his big slightly crooked teeth and eyebrow wiggle did little to woo Simms, "I can be the reason."
A surprisingly endearing thing to say causing Mindy to say, "Awe," Then roll her eyes, "Listen kid, your too happy to be here, why don't you go home and practice your piano skills. I'm sure Ally will be proud to hear you've been practicing."
Nelson suddenly got a sad look on his face, "Ally hasn't been able to teach me in a while."
"I can't blame her, with that dad of hers always endangering his liver," Chuck said moving a seat over, closer to the two youngsters. He took another swig of his drink.
"Ha!" Mindy said rolling her eyes and went back around the counter, "You're one to talk Hot Tamale."
Chuck may have been underage and Mindy might not have had a license to deal alcohol, but what no one knew couldn't hurt them.
Chuck growled as he finished his drink, "I only have one."
"And that's enough," Mindy retorted.
Chuck growled again muttering under his breath.
Megan shook her head and order another round of milk. She drank two in a row. She scrunched her nose, "Did you spike this?"
Mindy held up a box of iced tea, "Yes."
Megan screwed her eyes shut, "Well, that tears it."
Mindy rolled her eyes as the young would-be-reporter got off her stool and handed Mindy the book she'd been sitting on back.
"Hope you have a safe trip home Megan," Mindy said taking the book and putting it under the counter.
Nelson shot up out of his seat like he was electrocuted, "I'll walk you home!" He fell out of his chair as he chased after her.
Megan groaned as the annoying love-struck boy came up behind her and quickly tried to get to the door so he could open it for her.
Mindy chuckled as she watched the two kids struggle for the door. She kind of wished a guy would try so hard to please her. That would be awesome. Manservant!
Finally Megan growled and pushed Nelson away, "I've got it!" She yelled as she flung the door open.
A cold breeze that held some snowflakes blew past the two children sending shivers down their spines. Wait a second… Snowflakes in Miami?! The two kids turned with wide terror filled eyes. The door shut forcefully behind the breeze and the sign that said 'open' suddenly turned over on its own to 'closed'.
Mindy and Chuck from the bar stared at the breeze only visible by the snowflakes that still clung to it. Megan's and Nelson's eyes followed the snow specks as they swirled around a chair parked at a table near the back of the restaurant.
The wind seemed to pull the chair out as the snowflakes begin to form an outline of a figure. The four youths stared at the snowy wind, open mouthed and unmoving.
The figure turned solid and sat down in the chair. The figure gained color as the snow melted in the sudden heat. Trish now sat, her hair sparkled with melted snow drops. She wore the same garb she'd been in when she cursed Austin. Red with zebra print and plush witch's hat. She smirked at the gapping mouths and spoke, "Well it looks like you drop something. And it looks distinctively like a jaw."
Chuck came out of it first, "Trish-ta Bonita?" He said in awe as he stared at her.
She nodded smugly, "The very same," Then she glowered, "Don't ever call me that again, got it?"
Chuck gulped and nodded.
Mindy came to next. She shook her head, "When I heard you went to Salem, I never thought you'd come back as a witch." It was more of a mutter but Nelson caught most of it, always miss interpreting words.
He gasped, "That's not a very nice thing to call her!"
Megan looked at him, "She said witch! Like a supernatural being that flies on a broom stick, not bi… the b-word!"
Nelson blushed in embarrassment, "Oh, well that's still not something you call someone."
Megan rolled her eyes while Trish chuckled, "You're all taking this rather well. I may not have to erase your memories of me later."
Mindy nodded then slumped forward, Chuck fainted backwards his head hitting the counter, and Nelson was out before he hit the ground. Megan however wasn't about to faint.
"So Trish, you went to school to become a witch? That's epic!" Megan suddenly burst into her old self pulling out her note pad (since she couldn't afford an expensive phone) and started asking a million and one questions.
Trish, after a moment, suddenly lunched forward and pinched Megan's lips together, "Wow, you're still the annoying little brat that interviewed Austin. Geez kid, breathe," Trish released her lips and Megan took a giant breath.
"Now," Trish continued, "the reason I'm here is because I have a proposition for the lot of you."
Megan cocked her head, "What's the proposition?"
Trish thought for a moment, "I pulled a little prank on Austin Moon, and I need you to keep it secret," Trish looked at the loud mouth ex-reporter, "I don't think I can trust you though."
"My scooping days are long gone, thanks to Austin Moon," Megan said bitterly.
Trish nodded, "I heard."
Megan turned to the two slumped older youths, "They'd sure be glad to hear about your prank."
"Oh, I'm not going to tell you about the prank. But let's just say I put him in disposal for the time being. I need you four's help with something else."
"Oh?" Megan cocked her head to the other side, "Then why mention the prank."
"To get you on my good side. I'm here to help all of you. When they come around I'm going to start preparing them for their new jobs."
"New jobs?"
"Yeah, you too kido."
Megan realized this Trish was a bit different than the old Trish. She still had the snarky attitude and sarcastic humor however she was much more willing to help, "What kind of new jobs?"
"Well, for starters, you'll have new room and board and be well taken care of. You're going to be the new kid of a good friend of mine who is in need of some company. That will take time as well as everything else I have planned. But don't worry about the details. That's my job."
Mindy and Chuck came around. Nelson had come around a while ago and had simply stayed on the floor.
"Ah!" Chuck held his head, "Too much Tequila."
Mindy sat up and held her head, "What this about your job?"
"Welcome back to the world of the living, sleeping Beauties," Trish said sarcastically, "Now gather 'round so I can explain how your lives are about to change for the better."
The drowsy teens and dazed boy gathered around Trish as she gave them the details of how soon they would have a new boss, house, and possibly… family.
End of chapter