Chapter 6

"Roger, you have to come get me," Stephanie cried into the phone, a few weeks later.

Roger, who was at a rehearsal, clutched the phone nervously. "Steph, Baby, what's wrong?" he asked. "Tell me, Baby."

"Just come get me, OK? We need to go somewhere to talk," Stephanie sobbed. "Please, Roger, just come, OK? I need you."

"OK, Baby, I'll come," Roger said, as he gave Charlie, DJ, and Tommy a worried look. "You're at home, right? OK, stay there. I'll be over in ten minutes." Roger sucked in a breath. "Stephanie, I love you."

"I love you, too, Roger," Stephanie said, and Roger heard her break down just before she hung up.

"Guys, I have to go," Roger said to the guys. "Stephanie's in trouble."

"What? Uh oh… is she OK?" Charlie asked.

"No," Roger said, shaking his head. "I have to go to her. She's a mess. I'm sorry, guys; I know this rehearsal was important…"

"Your girl is more important, Rog," DJ said. "Go to her. We'll just be done for the day. We almost were, anyway."

"Thanks, DJ," Roger said, and he left quickly.

"Stephanie, I'm here," Roger said, as he walked through the door. "Baby, where are you?"

"In the bathroom, Roger," Stephanie said, and Roger went in to her. He kneeled beside her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Baby, what is it?" Roger asked, as she leaned heavily onto him for support. "Are you pregnant or something, and you don't wanna be?"

Stephanie looked up at him through red, swollen eyes. The blue had lost its flare in her blind panic. "No," she said, "it's worse."

Roger felt his gut tighten with panic. "It's that bad?" he asked.

"Yes," Stephanie said, and she handed him a piece of paper, her hands shaking badly. Roger read it and looked at her, horrified.

"Oh God…" he said. "You— you're…?"

The paper read:

Bradford, Stephanie

Age: 19

Results: HIV Positive

"Yes, Roger," she sobbed into his chest, "I'm positive."

Roger was stunned. "Baby, I'm so sorry. You don't deserve this. What can I do to help?"

"Just hold me, Roger," Stephanie said. "When you do, I feel invincible, like nothing is wrong."

"Nothing should be wrong, Baby," Roger said. "But we'll get through this. They have good medication for it now. We'll get it for you tomorrow, OK?"

"OK," Stephanie said, snuggling her head close to his chest. "Roger, am I gonna die from this?"

Roger pulled away slightly from her and looked down at her, alarmed. "No, Baby," he said, "you're not gonna die from this." He pulled her close to him again. "I promise you that."

A little while later, Roger left Stephanie's house and stormed into the loft, startling Mark, who was fiddling with his camera. He set it down on the coffee table and looked up at Roger. "Roger," he said, standing up and going, over to him, "what's wrong?"

"Stephanie's positive, Mark," Roger said, as he started to sob. "She's positive. How could this happen to her? Why her?"

Mark pulled Roger over to the couch. Roger sank down onto it and put his head in his hands. "I'm so sorry, Roger," Mark said, hugging him. "She doesn't deserve this; neither did you."

"But it happened, Mark," Roger said. "I tried to protect her from it and I failed. What's Jen gonna say when she finds out? She's gonna hate me; or worse, she's gonna hate Stephanie."

"She's not gonna hate you or Stephanie," Mark said firmly. "Sure, she'll be upset, but she won't hate either of you. She can't; she helped you help Stephanie get clean in the first place. At least you saved Stephanie from that." Mark rocked Roger back and forth. "Your biggest fan owes her life to you." Mark looked up at Roger. "It'll be OK, Roger, you'll see."

Roger nodded, his body shaking, as Mark fought back his own tears.

A few hours later, Stephanie had calmed down and regained her composure enough to call Jennifer. She knew she had to talk to Jen; Jen was her best friend, who had helped her through so much— her parents leaving her so long ago to travel; Jen's parents had basically raised Stephanie as their second daughter; the pain of her parents leaving her, the drinking, the smack, her withdrawal…

Stephanie picked up the phone and dialed Jennifer's house. "Jen, you need to come over… I need to talk to you… Yes, something's wrong… It's bad… Just please come, OK?"

Jennifer showed up not ten minutes later. "Steph?" she asked nervously, slowly walking up to Stephanie.

"Jen," Stephanie said tearfully, pulling her legs up to her chest, "I'm positive."

Jennifer's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my God, Stephie," she said, beginning to cry. "I'm so sorry. You don't deserve this, after what you've gone through."

"I wouldn't have gone through it, if it hadn't been for you and Roger," Stephanie said. "You and Roger saved my life. If it weren't for you, I'd still be out there, wasting my fortune on something that was killing me. Now this is killing me."

Jennifer wrapped her arms around Stephanie; Stephanie did the same. They cried together for several long minutes. When they had both calmed down, Jennifer looked at Stephanie.

"I remember… when you were… going through withdrawal, Steph… When I first found out you were a junkie… I said to you… that maybe you should…" Her voice choked up as she started to cry again. "That you should OD and kill yourself and get it over with." Jennifer looked down, not able to meet Stephanie's gaze, she was so ashamed. "I totally regret that now."

"Jen," Stephanie sad, lifting Jennifer's chin with her thumb, "it's OK. I understand where you were coming from. Forget regret, or life is yours to miss, remember? So don't worry about it. I wasn't taking care of myself back then, being on the smack. But I'm off the smack now, and positive because of it. You and Roger helped me change so much. But you can't take care of me forever. I'm 20 years old; I should be living on my own, thinking about going to college and getting married and all that stuff."

Jennifer saw Stephanie glance at Roger when he wasn't looking, and she grinned.

"And I know you are probably thinking that, if I move out again, or live by myself, I'll get addicted again. But Roger will take care of me, so you don't have to worry, Jen." Stephanie smiled at Jennifer.

Jennifer smiled back and nodded. "I know," she said. "I'm just used to having you all to myself, ever since first grade, I guess."

"And you'll still have me," Stephanie said, hugging Jennifer close, "even if I'm not always there. I won't stop needing our friendship, just because I'm with Roger."

Jennifer nodded. "I know," she said, wiping the tears off her face. "I'll miss you, though; it won't be like old times."

"No, it won't be," Stephanie said. "Everything's going to change now."

She smiled at Jennifer and the two best friends cried together, with their idol's arms wrapped around them.

Don't forget to review!

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07