March 5, 2006

I'm Not Going Anywhere

The three of them, Sonny, Ric, and Lorenzo, all waited patiently in the tight space of the closet; forced to sit in silence and ponder the unforeseeable. They each, in their silence, thought of the woman that always managed to be the glue to hold their broken pieces together.

Sonny looked over at Ric digging his fingernails into his arm. Sonny attempted to hold his tongue, but couldn't resist.

"What are you doing Ric?" He questioned.

"I'm trying to experience physical pain. You got a problem with that?"

"Not at all." Sonny quietly remarked before laying his head back and closing his eyes to continue his thoughts.

Ric stopped his self-mutilation. "Do bullets hurt Sonny? Lo? You've both been shot I know."

Lorenzo ignored Ric's questions while Sonny opened his eyes again not sure if the question was sincere or making fun.

Sonny decided to indulge Ric with a response. "It hurts initially, but you quickly get over the pain. It also depends on where you're shot. You better hope it's in the head and you better hope you die instantly."

Lorenzo offered his advice with a weak laugh. "Yea. You don't want that bullet tumbling around in that empty brain of yours Ric."

"You're both assholes." Ric grumbled before going back to his exercise in pain.

Lorenzo jerked up his body and quickly positioned himself by the door. He signaled Ric to quiet down while pressing his ear to the door. His keen hearing tried to make out the conversations between the gunmen outside the door.

"There's no point in killing her." The gunman said to another.

Lorenzo pressed his ear closer to the door. Sonny followed Lorenzo's lead and rested his ear on the nearby wall. They both held their breath.

"She's gonna die anyway! So there's no point in killing her!" The same voice barked out in argument clear enough to make Ric stand up and find a place on the door.

They all stopped breathing and listened to the sound of feet walking down the corridor and too far away to pick up on anymore chatter. Sonny laid his forehead on the wall wanting to hear more; wanting to understand what the short conversations really meant.

Lorenzo leaned his back on the door and Ric leaned on the bar against the wall. Sonny pulled up from the wall and looked at both of them in wonder of their thoughts.

"Did you hear that?" He said as he pointed towards the door.

"Yea. But what does it mean?" Lorenzo replied.

"Ric, is Alexis sick? You would know." Sonny questioned Ric with a harsh tone in his voice.

Ric stuffed his hands in his pockets and focused his eyes on the floor without response. Lorenzo looked at Ric awaiting an answer.

"Ric, Sonny asked you a question. What do you know about Alexis?"

Ric continued his silence. Sonny and Lorenzo gave up on the nice routine and started to approach Ric to collectively pound him to the ground. Sonny grabbed Ric's collar and slammed him against the wall, but Ric refused to reveal.

Deep in reverie, he tosses the last pile of debris from his front stoop into the trashcan. The robust shadow of Momma Cass lingers on the lawn from her porch. "Don't be throwing any evidence in my trashcan!" She yells at Sonny from across the yard.

He nods to her and smiles while quietly cursing through his teeth. "She didn't notice who did the shooting, but she sees me putting crap in her trashcan. Bitch is senile."

He searches the stoop just thankful to see it finally free of glass. Sonny looks into the front window and notices the person standing behind him, but he refuses to turn around.

"This is a bad time to be showing up." Sonny whispers to Ric under his breath.

Ric walks into the house forcing Sonny to follow. "I said I wouldn't visit you often and I think I did a hell of a job keeping my promise. But there are some things that we need to discuss."

"Like what Ric?" Sonny shrugs his shoulder pretending to be clueless of Ric's need.

"Alexis can't leave until you assure her that it's ok to go. And I don't think you're even close to being where she needs you to be."

"Alexis isn't going anywhere Ric. And she's not going anywhere with you."

Alexis waves madly to Kevin to join her at the table in the corner. He sits down and before he can even remove his coat, she engrosses him in conversation.

"Kevin, have you ever read The Divine Comedy?"

"Unfortunately yes. Never again."

"You didn't like it?"

"Eh." He emphasizes with a comme ci comme ca twist of his hand.

"Well that's exactly how I feel. I feel like Dante traveling from Hell to Paradise."

"Are you sure it's not from Paradise to Hell, because I am certain you are going to hell."

"And I'm certain you'll be my tour guide." She winks at him with a flash of her dimples.

Kevin pulls a paper from his folder. "So I analyzed the photocopy you gave me of Sonny's letter."

"And?"

"I'd like the chance to actually talk to him, but he seems to be avoiding me. I have reason to believe he might have some type of learning disability."

"Really? Like what?"

"He obviously can't write which leads me to believe he can't read either."

Alexis swallows the last of her food. "That's impossible. I've seen him read and write before. I think you're wrong."

"The Divine Comedy." Brooke Lynn recites the title to Sonny engrossed in his final drawing of the tree house plans.

"What about it?"

"Let's read it together."

Sonny takes the book from her hands and scans the cover. He opens it, flips through the pages, and finally hands it back to her. "The words are too small."

"Granted it's not a book about sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll, but it's literature. And I have to read to it to pass my English class."

"Actually it could fall under your modern day Rolling Stone magazine."

"How would you know?"

"Books on audio. What a brilliant idea huh? Last night I listened to Lady in the Tramp. I dug it out of the old collection."

"Knock knock!" Alexis' voice carries through the front of house to the back. Sonny and Brooke Lynn stop their exchange upon Alexis entering the kitchen.

"Did I interrupt?" She asks noticing the two engrossed in books and plans.

"No way. Brooke and I were just discussing Divine Comedy."

"Really? I was having this same conversation with Kevin. Which one of you is reading it?"

Brooke Lynn raises her hand. "Me Alexis. But I'm leaving now."

"You don't have to leave on my account."

"Uh yea I do. Bye." Brooke Lynn races out the backdoor leaving Sonny wanting to scurry out behind her.

"You look like you wanna follow her." Alexis observes with a raised brow.

"Well I just don't want to be lectured."

Alexis throws her hands on her hips. "I don't lecture."

"But you do My Pretty. You do. I like it. Don't get me wrong. But sometimes not."

Sonny stands up and picks up a glass from the counter. He notices Alexis' hand. "What happened to your hand?"

She studies the bandage on her hand having forgotten it was even there. "I broke a glass."

"Broke a glass? Like how?"

"It cracked in my hand."

"Oh. That sounds like that hurts. I've done that before."

"Yea? And did you get those really thin pieces of glass in your hand?"

"Oh those hurt like hell."

They both laugh till an uncomfortable pause.

"I'm sorry I didn't visit you in the hospital Alexis."

"You don't think I did this in the hospital do you? I didn't. I was in and out in like a day. They just wanted to make sure…"

"…You don't have to explain. I've been there before. Trying to protect myself from people thinking I was crazy. Sometimes you just need a rest."

Alexis cringes for a moment. "What do you think? I mean really?"

"About what?"

"About me? Like do you feel comfortable telling me your deepest darkest secrets?"

"I think you know everything there is to know about me."

Sonny sits down and invites her to sit across from him.

"Ok. I'm going to ask you a really sensitive question if I may." She says to him with a nervous shake in her leg.

"Sure Alexis. Ask me anything."

"Are you a child molester?"

Sonny jumps from his chair. "What! Where is that coming from!"

"I just notice you spend a lot of time with Brooke Lynn."

"I'm a cheap babysitter!" He shrieks hoping he got his point across.

Alexis settles him back into his chair. "It's ok. I just didn't realize you enjoyed the company of children."

Sonny takes a deep breathe slightly reeling. "I do. I love children actually. I just never had anyone really allow me around them for long periods of time."

"That's great. I just needed to be sure. I mean it seems you're really special to Brooke Lynn. You're with her all the time. And I would hope you could give that time to Kristina as well."

Sonny furrows his brow. "Have you seen Ric lately?"

"Uh, once or twice."

"I'm shocked you'd admit it."

"I can't exactly hide it anymore. I talk to Lorenzo all the time."

Sonny starts to fidget in his chair. "What do they say to you?"

"Nothing really. Why?"

The pit in Sonny's stomach makes his legs weak and he thanks God he's sitting or otherwise he would faint standing. He hears the pitter patter of Kristina's dress shoes race down the corridor and Lois' voice alerting of their arrival.

"Good Lord Alexis! Did you forget I had your kid!" She exclaims at the sight of Alexis at the table.

Kristina tosses her body onto her Daddy's lap. He quickly gains his composure.

Alexis darts up and tries to steal the baby's attention from Sonny. "I'm sorry Lois. Kristina I need to get home."

"Well don't leave on my account. Kristina was just worried that you weren't coming home."

Alexis gathers Kristina in her arms. "Well we're going to have to teach Kristina that I'm not the only go to girl. That's why I have friends and family to help. Goodbye All."

Alexis and Kristina leave down the hallway. Lois stares at Sonny with a raised eyebrow.

"Corinthos? Did you tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

"That we're not getting married!"

"It doesn't really matter Lois!"

Lois' face fills crimson. "If I didn't just get my nails done Sonny, I'd stab you with one!"

Alexis places Kristina down at the table and starts to gather her mess of artwork strewn about.

"Kristina, do you remember what Mommy told you about heaven?"

Kristina frantically shakes her head. "Yes. Mommy is going to heaven and Daddy is going to hell."

Kristina grins from ear to ear waiting for Alexis' approval.

"Exactly. Well at least then what Mommy said was true, but it wasn't completely true."

"Ok Mommy." Kristina nods her head and starts her drawing.

"I was kind of mad at your Dad when I said he was going to hell. He might be able to talk his way into purgatory."

"How do you spell Mommy?"

Alexis laughs and almost humors the child's question. "You don't need to know how to spell that Sweet Pea."

Kristina continues her coloring while Alexis watches every stroke of her crayon.

"There are a lot of simple things I've never done that I'd like to do. When your life is as complicated as mine was, you miss out on things..." Alexis says quietly.

"What Mommy?"

Alexis breaks her momentary trance. "Just don't stop coloring."