Friends & Family

Part 2

Family Secrets

By Nick Maro

Running away from what he felt was one the most embarrassing mistakes of his life. David Ikari felt he had blown his chances at his new job and with new possible friends. He broke a man's nose in front of people who might have liked him. But most of all, it was in front of a woman who he liked while doing it in her name. "David!" A cry came from behind him. "Look out for the car!" David turned and looked behind himself. There was a car less than seventeen feet away from hitting him. There was no time to move out of the way for either of them.

With his reflexes kicking in, David jumped and placed his foot on the front bumper. Using his momentum to catapult himself onto the hood. He then ran in place as the car sped under him. Hanging within his reach was a rope. He grabbed it, not worrying about rope burn and swung off the car's roof. Surveying the area quickly, he found a soft place to land. About eight feet away was a box filled with stuffed animals. Hope none of them have plastic parts. He thought as he changed his direction by shifting his weight, and landed safely in the box. The box exploded sending the plush toys everywhere.

Kimber Benton came running up to where he had just landed. "David, are you alright?" Concern was beginning to spread across her face. But more so than the others gathering around him.

"I'm okay," he said trying to catch his breath. "Just knocked the wind out of myself. I guess we're even now. I saved you from a foot to the face and you saved me from going home with a grill in mine." He joked as he held his hand out.

Kimber giggled softly. "I guess so." She helped him out of the box as people arrived around him.

"Jeff was right! You are amazing, David! That was some quick thinking there. I'm glad Jeff saw your resume. Welcome aboard, David!" Howard Sands exclaimed as he finished his jog from the set.

"You mean I'm not fired for doing what I did?" David asked concerned.

"Heavens no! The big jerk had it coming. And don't worry about a lawsuit, the studio will protect you." Howard reassured David. He then turned to the crowd. "Okay people, the excitement is over. And let's call it a day for Starbright Two. Let's move it people!"

"Well, looks like its home for me bruised pride and all." David tried to joke while holding his side where he was slightly numb.

"I'll be right back, okay?" Kimber ran up to Jem and the other Holograms.

"Alright, I'll be here among the escaped stuffed animals." David smiled as he watched her. There was something special about this woman he thought to himself.

Kimber returned after a brief discussion with the pink haired singer. "You, my hero, are having a night on the town. My treat. What do ya say?"

"My hero?" he asked with an arched eyebrow. "I thought we were even."

"You saved me from marriage to Riot," she laughed. "Let's go." She took his hand and led him to her car. David got in and smiled at Kimber. She smiled back as she started up the engine and drove off.

"Kimber, I just want to thank you for dinner. It's been a long time since I had this much fun." David grinned while watching her drive. This was the first time he'd been able to actually be on his own in the States with someone other than his sister or the other Misfits. He realized that he really didn't have any other friends here than them. "But I need to get home so I can pack."

"You're leaving already?!" Kimber cried out. "But you just got here and your job at New Wor—"

"No, I'm moving in with another friend is all," David said cutting her off. "Where I'm at now, I don't feel too comfortable. I just want to put some distance between them and myself. Ease my way back so to speak."

"Oh," Kimber said quietly. "Sorry I overreacted. Boy, do I feel dumb now." She felt her face start to heat up from embarrassment.

"Nah, it's okay. Honest mistake. Say, do you want to help me move? It's not much, but I could use the help." David tried to ease her embarrassment a bit. He also wanted to see her again outside of the studio.

There was a long moment of silence. Kimber sat there thinking while chewing on her lower lip. David played with the bottom of his shirt. "Ummm, where are you staying any way. You never told me," Kimber asked breaking the uncomfortable silence. She left his question unanswered hanging in the air.

"Do you know where the Gabor Estate is? That's where I'm living for now."

"Gabor?! As in Harvey Gabor? Father of Phyllis Gabor? Phyllis Gabor who is Pizzazz?!" Kimber yelled surprised. "No wonder why you want out that madhouse," she mumbled under her breath.

"It's not as bad as you might think. The Gabors are old friends of my family. They offered to let me stay there until I could find a place to live. Now that I have I'm moving in with her." He explained calmly not taking any offense to Kimber's comments.

"Her who?" Kimber asked suspiciously while her voice had a hint of jealousy behind it. Knock it off, Kim. You just met this guy. As far as you know, he could be engaged or in a long term relationship. She shook herself out of her own thoughts then smiled sweetly. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pry." Kimber glanced down to make sure she was going the speed limit.

"It's no big secret. I'm moving in with my friend Mary Phillips. You know her as Stormer. She offered to let me stay at her place for free. Can't beat free." David laughed softly at his own comment just a bit self-consciously. "And before you ask, I think of Stormer as a good friend nothing else." He added quickly. He turned and saw her smiling at him. "What's with the grin?"

"Nothing. Just like watching you," she said sweetly. She put her hand on his knee as a friendly gesture. "We've just met but I already trust you. Plus, Stormer and I get along just fine. Ask her about the time we made an album together."

David felt himself blush at her touch and words. He then felt the car shift to the side. "Better watch the road and not me." He gave her a wink. She went back to focus on the road. "Ah damn! I forgot to get the papers that Howard wanted me to sign."

"Don't worry about them. I'll pick them up for you and drop them off at Stormer's place. I'll help you unpack if you really want me there." She finally answered his question from before. "I really don't want to be too close to Pizzazz. I don't like her."

"Unpacking is fine as long as you let me cook you dinner. I'm an uncertified Japanese chef, you know." David gave her a half-smile to let her know he was serious. "My adoptive mother in Japan taught me."

"That'd be great. I don't think tomorrow's shoot is going to run long. So I'll try to be over around six or seven," Kimber said as she pulled in front of the gates of the Gabor Estate. "And David, I had a wonderful time tonight. Thanks for being there." She squeezed his hand and smiled.

"You're quite welcome. Thanks for everything." David got out of the car. "See you tomorrow."

"You bet!" Kimber sped off and honked her horn after she turned around. David waved then went through the gates and walked up the driveway to the mansion. He smiled to himself and looked back to see Kimber's taillights vanishing into the night.

Jetta moved a box and a paper clipping fell to the floor. Wot's this. She thought to herself. She picked it up and read the headline:

Man Kills Wife, Then Kills Self

Eight Year Old Daughter Witnesses All

"Hey guys! Getta load of this!" Jetta shouted, waving the clipping in the air. Everyone turned to see what the commotion was about. "Some bloke went crackers, blew off his old lady's head with a twelve gauge. Then turned turn gun on himself and repainted the walls with his brains. And to top it all off, their eight year old daughter sees this all. I'll bet she's a basket case by now."

Roxy walked up to Jetta, snatched the clipping from her hand. "I always knew you were an insensitive, uncaring no good bitch!" Roxy said between sobs with tears in her eyes. She punched Jetta as hard as she could and went into Stormer's bedroom slamming the door behind her.

Stormer, Pizzazz and David were all stunned at the spectacle they had just witnessed. "What was that all about?" a very puzzled Pizzazz asked.

"I don't know, but I'll go check on her," David said quietly. On the way to the room he walked past a dazed Jetta on the floor. He stopped and turned toward her. "baka." Was the only thing he could say to the woman, he then turned and looked at his sister. "Just who planted that clipping in my box, Pizzazz?" She just shrugged in clear confusion. "Maybe you two should go. I've had enough of your help today." David turned on his heel and walked to Stormer's bedroom door.

"David, hang on a second," Stormer called after him. "I'll join you."

He stopped before opening the door, "Mary," he said quietly, "just wait here for a minute. She might not want you to see her like this."

Stormer thought for a moment then nodded, "Okay."

David slowly opened the door and looked inside. Roxy was on the bed hiding her face in the pillows. "Roxy," he said gently as he poked his head in through the door, "may I come in?"

"don' care," was all he heard from the pillow. David put his hand up to signal Stormer to stay where she was. She nodded and did as he asked. He closed the door so it was open enough for Stormer to see in and hear what was going on.

David sat on the edge of bed and turned so he faced her back. "Roxy," he said compassionately, "what was that all about? You scared the hell out of Stormer, Pizzazz and me."

Roxy turned over; her face was wet and puffy from crying. Tears streamed down her face streaking her make up. She was still choking back the sobs when she spoke. "That little girl was me," she told David quietly. Stormer gave a silent gasp from where she was standing. "How dare that bitch say those things and make fun of what happened."

David edged closer to her. "Yeah, I kinda figured it was you from your reaction. Would you mind telling me what happened?" He kept his voice steady and gentle.

"Why do you care? You only just met me a month ago. So why the hell should you give a damn?" Roxy said feeling herself getting angry.

"So I can understand you better. Maybe help you. I help those whom I consider friends, Roxy."

Roxy closed her eyes and sighed. "Fine. If you want to know so badly, I'll tell you." She sat up and moved closer to David, staring at the floor the whole time. She was still sobbing a bit, but was holding it back enough to tell her tale. Roxy hooked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "The apartment my family lived in wasn't much. It was more of a hole in the wall than an apartment. We were a very poor family living in one of the worst parts of Philadelphia. My father had gotten laid off from the steel plant a few years earlier. Finding work was tough. He took his aggressions out on my mother and hid in the bottle. It wasn't uncommon to find him on the doorstep in the morning passed out and hung-over, smelling like a brewery and cheap perfume. My mother was a saint." David could see the corners of her mouth go into a smile at the memory of her mother. Roxy sniffed back some more tears.

"My mother put up with my bastard of a father and that made her a saint in my book. She always made him dinner and looked past his drinking and whoring around. Hell, even when he beat her she'd say 'Oh that's just your father's way. It's nothing to worry about.' Bullshit. Even when I was that young I hated him for what he did to her."

David put his arm around Roxy's shoulders as she continued, "I was in what we considered the family room watching television. I heard my dad yelling at my mom about some shit. I don't know why but I got up and went into the kitchen where they were. I walked in right when my father pulled the trigger. My beautiful mother's body slumped to the floor. My father then put the rifle in his mouth and killed himself. To this day I have no idea what happened after that. It's a complete blank. What I do remember is that the cops had shown up and were asking if I was okay. That's a laugh. I'd just witnessed my father killing my mother and then himself.

"I was brought down to the police station. I was going to be put into foster care but my aunt and uncle came down to take care of me. They were named my guardians in my father's will. Life with them was worse than seeing what my father did. My uncle abused me every chance he got. My aunt was an alcoholic. But when it came for social services to come by we were the perfect family. I wore long sleeve shirts to hide the bruises on my arms, pants or a long dress for the ones on my legs. He never hit me in the face, nor did he ever break any bones. I didn't know how to tell someone. I wasn't in school because they said they wanted me to be home tutored. My aunt was a teacher. The bitch," Roxy said through the tears of pain and anger at the memories.

David cleared his throat, "Why did they keep you if they hated you so much?"

"Because they were getting money from the state to care for me. Some clause in the will that said they got so much a month out of my father's social security. I never saw a dime," she spat out through clenched teeth.

"So what happened next?" David asked not knowing truly what to say. He looked up and saw Stormer still by the door looking in. Roxy was too wrapped in telling her story that he motioned her in. Stormer came in and stood by her dresser that was opposite from where they were sitting. Stormer looked like she was crying a bit as well.

"The abuse and everything continued until I was fourteen. I couldn't leave the house so I had no friends at all. But one night my uncle came home drunk. He stumbled into my room waking me up. He was pulling his pants down. I told him to get out of my room. He called me a little tease and he intended to do something about it. He fell on top of me and fumbled to get my nightshirt up. I fought against him. He was too big and too strong. I looked to my night stand and grabbed my lamp. I hit him as hard as I could on the head with it. I saw blood and he slumped on top of me; out cold. I wiggled out from under him. I knew that was my chance to run away. I put my clothes on and quickly packed a bag full of clothing. I was heading to the back door when I thought about money. I went back to my room and peeked in. He was still unconscious. I took his wallet and whatever money was in there. I checked my aunt's purse and took the cash in there. I knew about their secret hiding place for their valuables and grabbed all of the money. All together I got around seven hundred dollars. Before I slipped out the back door I put all of the eggs in the fridge, into the microwave. I set it for over an hour but I knew I wouldn't need more than ten to fifteen minutes before they all blew up. I ran in no particular direction. The best I could call it is away.

"I survived on the streets using what little streetwise sense I had at the time. I used the knowledge of what I had seen on TV. Cop shows and crap like that. It helped for a few days. Then I made a friend. He called himself Link and was the leader of a gang of sorts called the Red Aces. He brought me back to where they lived together. All of them were runaways. I fit in perfectly with them. There was one rule: No one stole from another member. We all had fake IDs and fake social security numbers. That was so we could get jobs. Since I couldn't read, I had one of the other Red Aces fill out the applications for me. I went through my string of shitty fast food jobs until I couldn't take it anymore. Link had taught me how to play the guitar and I was damn good when I finally left Philadelphia for California. I took the five thousand dollars I had saved up, packed my stuff, and came to the City of Lost Angels. It was also the home of more crappy jobs and even worse bands." By now, Roxy had stopped crying and was smiling a bit. She also sounded a bit relieved to get her story out.

"I was in some loser band playing in a loser club. When I went up to the bar to get a glass of water Pizzazz approached me. Stormer was with her. Pizzazz said that I had what it took to be in her band. I summed her up and offered her to prove it. The three of us got on stage. I didn't know what to expect. What did happen blew me away, the crowd who was booing us before were now cheering. That's when I knew the Misfits were born." Roxy had a huge smile on her face. She looked up at David and gave him a hug which he knew wasn't like her. "Thanks, David. Thanks for listening."

Stormer walked over to Roxy and David, she put her arms around the both of them. "Roxy, I never knew," she said quietly. "But now I understand where you come from."

"Stormer?! How much did you hear?" Roxy asked surprised. It looked as if she was about to become angry. Then her face softened and she said quietly, "c'mere." She gave Stormer a hug. "Okay, enough of this sentimental shit. We still have moving in to do! So let's get this shit done!" Roxy was back to her old self.

David and Stormer followed Roxy into the living room to find that Jetta and Pizzazz were gone. He was relieved that his sister had listened to him. Stormer found a note saying that they were tired of waiting and went back to the Gabor Estate. It also said to meet them there when everyone was done moving his stuff in.

"You two go ahead. I'm going to finish up here by myself. There isn't much left to do," David smiled. "I'm also having a dinner date of sorts coming by." He tried to not to look too suspicious.

"Oh, okay, see you later tonight then," Stormer picked up her car keys and gave him a smirk.

Roxy gave David another quick hug. "See ya tomorrow. You did help, too." She smiled a bit and left with Stormer out the door. She looked as if some of her anger at the world had left her.

"I hope you enjoyed the dinner, Kimber," David asked. "I tried the best I could to make chicken yakitori without the liver. Personally, I didn't mind."

"It was great! Just for the record, I hate liver, so no big loss." Kimber smiled at him as he sat down across from her at small dinner table "I'm just sorry that I couldn't help you move in. The shoot ran longer than it should have. I'm starting to think this movie is doomed."

"Don't think like that. Otherwise I won't have a job." David joked. He picked up the cups and bottle of sake he had placed on the table. He put a cup in front of Kimber and one in front of himself. He poured some sake for each of them and then raised his glass. Kimber followed, "Kampai!" he said clinking her glass.

"Kampai!" Kimber mimed. They both took a sip and relaxed.

"Kimber, I do have something I want to say," he said slowly. "I just hope you don't hold it against me."

"First tell me what the devil kampai means."

"Oh that, it's something you say for a toast. That's all. Japanese tradition."

Kimber thought about it. "Makes sense, now, what did you want to tell me?"

David leaned forward and lowered his voice a bit. "Kimber, as you know I'm friends with The Misfits. But I have a closer relation with one of them." He paused and looked at Kimber. He stood and continued. "My true name is David Gabor. Phyllis Gabor is my sister, my twin sister."

TO BE CONTINUED IN "GHOSTS OF THE PAST"

PART 3 OF FAMILY & FRIENDS