Chapter 4-End of an Era
Starlight Mansion was a flurry of activity the day after school let out for winter break. Everyone one in the house was going-Jem, the Holograms, the remaining Starlight Girls, Sean Harrison, and Mrs. Bailey. Deirdre, Ashley, and Terri had since found permanent homes, and Ba Nee had found her long-lost father a little while back, so instead of twelve girls they were down to eight, and these were Krissie, Lela, Marianne, Nancy, Becky, Deralee, Anne, and Joellen.
Jem was a bit disappointed that Riot couldn't go, but the Stingers had a schedule to keep. Lately they'd been spending more and more time together; Riot and his parents, Robert and Mildred, had even come to the mansion for Thanksgiving dinner, along with Minx and Rapture.
"Hurry up you guys, our flight leaves at five and it's three already!" Kimber called. "Then we have traffic to deal with! The airport buses will be here any minute!"
Sure enough, a few minutes later, the buses taking them to LAX arrived. Everyone piled in and Jem and Aja did a quick but thorough head count. "Eight girls, seven adults, that's everyone," said Aja. "I hope you guys remember it's cold in New York, we have that layover, then from there we go to Heathrow Airport."
"We have our coats with us," said Becky.
Everyone buckled up, and soon the two vans were on their way.
Riot was settling down on the couch in the living room of his condominium that evening. Starting on Monday he, Minx, and Rapture had to start on their latest album. He rested his feet on a nearby ottoman and used the remote to turn on the television.
He sat up straight when he realized that the station had gone into breaking news. There had been a plane crash near Death Valley. He recalled that Jem and her friends were supposed to be headed for New York City, then to London tonight.
"The flight was supposedly carrying members of the rock band Jem and the Holograms," the news anchor said as images of a fiery, smoking wreck filled the screen.
Riot felt the blood drain from his face and tears come to his eyes. "No…," he whispered. He angrily kicked at the ottoman with both feet, sending it across the floor. His chest was heaving and he tried to calm himself down. Surely it was possible that she was all right? But another glimpse at the screen told him that it wasn't likely. The images seemed to mock him.
The phone rang, making him jump. He picked up the receiver with a shaky hand. "Hello?" he said.
"Riot-we just got the news!" Rapture's voice said from the other end of the line. "About the plane crash. Do you want us to take you to the airport?"
"Yes-yes, take me to the airport," he stammered, unable to think of anything else to say. He needed to know what was going on.
Turning the television set off, he got up and started pacing wildly around his condo. Jem meant more to him than he'd realized. She was someone he could talk to and really open up with. She'd helped him and his father on the road to reconciliation. She was everything he'd ever wanted in a woman-in a future wife, in fact. After all he'd gone through in his life, the conflict with his father, all the hardships…that hard road had actually led him to Jem, and now it seemed like Fate was mocking him by taking her away from him.
He pounded his fists on a kitchen counter and let out a curse. Usually he was calm, cool, and collected, even in a crisis, but this was pushing him beyond his boundaries. He just wanted to scream and yank everything from the cupboards and hurl them…and after that just start smashing up everything….
He was yanking open a cupboard door when the doorbell rang, stopping his rampage before it could even get started. He slammed it shut and went to answer the door.
Minx and Rapture came in. "Let's get you to the airport," said Minx.
"You look terrible," Rapture noted.
"Thanks for noticing," Riot snapped sarcastically. His world could be falling apart and Rapture had to make that comment. "That's to be expected in a situation like this."
Minx led him to the yellow convertible Rapture was driving, and they sat together in the back seat while Rapture took the wheel. Riot was trying his best to control his emotions. He could feel Minx rubbing his back, trying to calm him down. "Maybe Jem survived," she suggested. "There's always that possibility, no matter how slim."
"I hope so. I truly hope so," Riot said, his voice breaking. At the same time, he didn't want to get his hopes up.
"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst," Rapture said, as if she'd read his mind.
Los Angeles International Airport was filled with families, friends, and onlookers wanting to know more about the crash, what had caused it-and more importantly, if there were any survivors. Naturally the media was all over it, especially since Jem and the Holograms had been on board the ill-fated flight.
Riot tried his best to keep a low profile as he and the other Stingers made their way to the terminal. Reporters had other ideas, however, and he had to deal with one microphone after another being shoved into his face. Minx and Rapture did their best to keep the journalists and photographers at bay.
"Bunch of vultures," Minx hissed, her voice seemingly heavier than usual with her German accent.
The Stingers went into a waiting room-and waited. The airport was still bustling with activity. Riot watched for a while. Here and there people were getting on with their lives, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
"Do you want anything to eat?" Minx asked Riot.
He shook his head. He couldn't eat anything; he knew he wouldn't be able to keep anything down, he was so worried and worked up. His stomach felt like it was twisted in knots and he was tense. He felt like he was about ready to explode from all the worry and tension.
After what seemed to be an eternity, one of the airport staff approached him. "You're Riot, aren't you?" he asked.
"Yes," he replied, wondering if this man was bringing any news-and if so, what kind.
"We have news on Jem and the Holograms. Come with me. Your friends can come too."
Riot took deep breaths as he stood up, and his heart started pounding even more as he wondered what he was about to be told. Minx and Rapture followed him, each of them holding one of his hands to show their support. He wondered if prisoners on death row felt like this as they were being led into the execution chamber.
They went into what looked like an office. "First the good news," the man said as they sat down. "Jem is alive. She's on her way to a hospital in the area."
"What's the bad news?" Rapture asked quickly.
The man took a breath. "The rest of her group did not survive. Jem was not the only survivor-there were a handful-but she was the only one out of her group to survive."
"How is she? Do you know anything about her condition?" Riot asked, about ready to cry in relief that Jem had survived the crash.
"She was conscious when they got to her," the man replied, "but in emotional shock. She had managed to get out of the plane. She had been in the rear, which is a major reason why she survived. As far as they know she has a broken ankle; we don't know about any other injuries as of yet. She's on her way to Memorial Hospital."
"That's where we're going next," Riot declared to his friends.
By the time the trio got to the hospital, Jem was already in a room. "Normally I would say family only, but since she no longer has any family, and I know who you are, I'll permit you to visit with her," the doctor told the Stingers. "We're going to keep her here for a couple of days for observation."
"Is she all right?" Riot asked.
"She has an ankle fracture, but it's actually pretty minor. It should heal just fine, in no more than eight weeks," he replied. "She's also sustained some first- and second-degree burns, which, I'm sure you know, are minor, as well as a bit of smoke inhalation. She's just very lucky that that's all the injuries she sustained. As soon as the swelling goes down in her ankle we're going to put a cast on it, that'll be in a couple of days."
"Has she been told about her sister and the rest?" Riot asked.
"We're under the impression that she doesn't really know," the doctor replied with a sigh. "There's so much confusion right after something like this."
"We were told that she was the only one out of her group to survive," Minx put in.
"Is that something you're wanting to tell her, or do you want one of us?" the doctor asked.
Riot took a breath. "I'll tell her," he said.
The doctor led the trio down the corridors and into a private room, where he let them in, then left to do his rounds. Jem was lying in bed, her left ankle splinted and bandaged. A thin plastic tube was looped over her ears and below her nose, supplying her with oxygen. An intravenous tube was taped to the back of her left hand. She turned her head as they came in. "Riot," she said, her voice trembling.
"My precious Jem," Riot said as he went over to her, took her right hand, and gave her a kiss on her lips. "You had me so worried."
"I don't know what happened to Kimber, the girls, or anyone else," she said.
The Stingers looked at each other. Jem was about to receive what could possibly be the most devastating news of her life.
Riot sat down and looked into her blue eyes and held her hand. "Jem…out of your whole group…you're the only one who survived," he said as gently as he could. He didn't bother to brush away the tears that came to his own eyes.
The tears instantly sprang to Jem's eyes and flowed down her cheeks. "The Holograms…the girls…everyone…?" she wept.
Riot nodded, his own tears starting to fall just as freely. Since the head of the bed was propped up, he was able to hold her to him and hug her and let her cry on his shoulder; he was careful not to disturb the oxygen tube.
"Riot…we're going to be in the cafeteria," said Rapture; she and Minx looked rather uncomfortable. He barely noticed as they left the room.
"I'm the only one that's left…," Jem sobbed. "Out of my whole family…everyone's gone…."
"I'm here for you," Riot assured her. "I'll always be here for you, my love."
"I'm glad you weren't going with us," Jem wept, her voice shaky, as she held him more tightly. "I-I don't remember the crash…I just remember crawling out…my ankle was hurting badly…." She laid her head against his chest and continued to cry.
Riot gently stroked her pink hair, the tears still streaming down his cheeks as he realized that Jem was going to have it rough in the days, weeks, and likely months ahead. There would be funerals to plan and of course the media would be buzzing around this like bees around a beehive.
The worst part of it was, she was all alone, with no family left. Both of her parents had been only children, so she didn't have aunts, uncles, or close cousins.
She didn't have to be alone, not when Riot was around.
Jem continued to cry and he continued to hold her. Finally she lay back, her shoulders still shaking with her sobs. "What's going to happen to me?" she asked.
"You won't go through this alone," he said in a reassuring tone. "I promise."
He held her hand until she had cried herself to sleep. Then he kissed her forehead, wiped his eyes, and went to find his cohorts.
Two days later Jem was released from the hospital. She had just had a cast put on her lower leg, which would keep her ankle stable until it could heal. Once the cast was off, she would have to undergo physical therapy.
"Jem…do you want to go home to Starlight Mansion, or do you want to stay with me?" Riot asked as he helped her out of the wheelchair the nurse was steering and into his yellow sports car. He put her crutches into the back.
"Starlight Mansion…it's no longer home," she said dully as he closed the door and got in on the driver's side. How could it be? Her family was all gone. "I think I should stay with you for a while. But I want to go to the mansion for some clothes first."
"I have the guest room with the two twin beds," Riot reminded her as he started the engine.
"I want to sell the company and the mansion," Jem informed him. "What has it brought me, Riot? Look what it's taken away. My parents, my sister, most of my friends-it's like there's a curse on it. I'll sell the mansion and maybe get an apartment of my own."
"You're selling Starlight Music?" he asked, sounding a bit surprised.
"What am I going to do with it? I have no real reason to keep it going. Perhaps someone else will take it and make something out of it. I no longer have a band. I don't have any foster girls to support anymore. To be honest, what I was really wanting to do was get married and have a family."
"I see," said Riot, his tone neutral. He looked over at her. "You should stay with me at least until your ankle heals. I don't want you staying anywhere alone right now." He looked back at the road. "We need to go to the funeral home…this is the part you're not going to like."
Jem closed her eyes and tears came out from beneath her eyelids. She had to help plan twelve funerals. Sean's family wanted him buried in England, so his body had already been shipped there, and Mrs. Bailey's family was going to bury her alongside her late husband.
She felt Riot's hand squeeze hers. She couldn't help but think that she hadn't even heard from Rio during all of this. Rumor had it that he'd moved to Mexico. It was just as well; what he'd done was almost unforgivable. She couldn't trust someone who would do something like that. Over the past few months she'd had a lot to think about, and as much as it pained her, she'd seen Rio's true colors coming out more and more over the past few years-and she felt grateful that she had not wound up married to him.
At the funeral home, Riot helped her out of the car and gave her the crutches. As they went inside, they saw Raya's parents and brothers sitting there. Mrs. Alonso was crying softly; her father and brothers looked pained. Mrs. Alonso looked up and saw Jem.
"You gave my daughter the best time of her life, Jem," the woman said as she stood up. "She so enjoyed being part of your group."
"Carmen was a sweet girl and she was one of my best friends," Jem said.
Mrs. Alonso hugged her carefully, then Riot and Jem went into the office to go over the plans.
A few hours later, the details for the funerals had been hammered out. Riot drove Jem to Starlight Mansion and helped her get some clothing and personal effects, then drove her back to his condo.
"I have to go through all those things," Jem wept as she sat down on the couch and laid the crutches down on the floor, underneath the coffee table.
"We'll help you," said Riot.
"Two days of funerals, starting tomorrow," Jem said. The eight girls would be buried tomorrow, December 22, in two ceremonies, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The Holograms were scheduled to be buried December 23, in the morning. Jem didn't want to have any funerals for Christmas Eve or Christmas. Jem's friends had already set the plans in motion; Jem had more or less finalized them. "I can't believe it, Riot. My sister…the girls…the Holograms…gone…."
Riot sat next to her and cuddled her in his arms. What he didn't want to tell her was that Eric Raymond had been in a pretty festive mood the past few days, since he'd heard about the crash. It had been disturbing, to say the least. There were already rumors that the plane had been sabotaged. While Riot disliked Eric, he wasn't sure if Eric might have been somehow behind it-could he be that evil?-or if maybe Eric had simply found a reason to celebrate.
"There's plenty of time to go through the mansion," Riot said in a soft voice.
"The girls…they were so young…they were all excited about going…," Jem sobbed. "They were like my own daughters, Riot. How could I let this happen to them? Did I even try to go back and save any of them?"
"Jem, you said so yourself you don't remember, and from what I've seen of that crash, any efforts to rescue them would likely have been futile," Riot explained. "Don't beat yourself up over it."
"I feel like I don't deserve to live," Jem whispered.