Chapter 47: Clock Tower Apartment
(Song lyrics are in italics)
He took a seat at his desk and looked around the open concept of the Clock Tower Apartment. All-day he had been avoiding doing what he needed to do, and that was writing a proposal for a music video, for Chris Keller's new single. Shaking his head, he wasn't sure he wanted his name on this when it hit the net and was streaming. Again, it was Chris Keller, so it might not get a lot of views, but also, he didn't want to get mixed up with the latest movement out there. Somehow Chris Keller still had a career.
Tucker Baker booted up his laptop. He fiddled with the flash drive in his hands. Kayla promised him a lot of money and to fly him to California and back if he could pull this off. Yet he had all day and he didn't listen to the song. What was he waiting for? Really, that was what was keeping Tucker from working on this, it was himself.
After a heavy sigh, he leaned back and looked up at the ceiling. There was a buzzing that broke both his concentration, and the silence. It startled Tucker to the point where he almost fell out of his chair. After recovering he noticed it was his phone, and it was a facetime call.
Tucker smiled, leaned forward, and quickly pushed his hair back with his hands. He took one last deep breath. Finally, when he was ready to answer the phone, he did with a smile. A blonde woman in her late twenties appeared on the other end. Her eyes were a brilliant blue, her hair was worn straight and down, she and a black Joy Division Unknown Pleasure T-shirt and a red and white checked flannel shirt worn unbuttoned and the sleeves were worn loose at her elbows. He could see her collection of leather and hemp bracelets on both her wrists. A leather necklace was worn around her neck which had a pewter Welsh Dragon Totem hanging from it. Her right nostril was also pierced with a hoop.
"Hey Babe, I was waiting for your call," Tucker said, trying to keep his voice from cracking.
"Did I make you almost fall out of the chair again?" Alix Hartmann, his girlfriend, asked with a laugh.
"Umm, I plead the fifth," Tucker said.
Alix laughed, "This isn't a court of law, this is the court of me, so no pleading the fifth," Alix said.
Tucker sighed, "Fine, yes you startled me," he said.
"Awe, I didn't know I still have that affected on you," Alix said.
Tucker nodded, "You do," he said.
"Tuck, you don't have to act tough or cool, for me," Alix said.
"I just want to measure up, well look at the rest of the guys in my family," Tucker said.
"Tuck, I'm with you because who you are, not because you're like anyone else. Anyways, I see you made it home safe," she said.
"Yeah, I pulled in just before the New Year," Tucker replied.
"Is Katyusha being good?" Alix asked, "Is she treating you well? I don't have to set her straight?"
Tucker laughed, "Your sister is treating me well," he said.
Alix smiled, "Good, so where are you meeting us out here?" she asked.
Tucker shook his head, "I don't know, yet," he said.
"What? Tuck, we planned this since before you left. What is keeping you in Tree Hill?" Alix asked.
Tucker sighed, "Kayla had an emergency," he said.
Alix shook her head, "Always seems that way. When Keith left, and she's covering his duties it seems chaotic, at least from what I see," she said.
Tucker nodded, "I can't argue that," he said.
"So, what does a filmmaker like yourself, have to do with Kayla's Emergency?" Alix asked, making air quotes when she said emergency.
Tucker yawned, "Sorry, I'm still tired," he said.
"Tuck, you're deflecting. What do you have to do?" Alix asked.
"Shoot Chris Keller's next video," Tucker mumbled.
"You mumbled, tell me, Tuck," Alix said.
"Are you breaking up?" Tucker asked.
"Tuck, don't be a shithead," Alix said.
Tucker sighed, "I have to film Chris Keller's next video," he said.
"What? He's still releasing stuff?" Alix asked.
"Apparently so," Tucker said.
Alix sighed, "How long will it delay you?" she asked.
"I'm hoping to be leaving on the Seventh," Tucker said.
Alix shook her head, "That cuts our time together in half," she said, "I hope it's damn worth it."
Tucker smiled, "If I can deliver by the Sixth, I get double my normal rate, and Kayla will fly me to you and back to finish the next leg of my assignment. That means our time together would be all on RBR," he said.
Alix laughed, "Well you better," she said.
"I want to," Tucker said.
"What's the issue?" Alix asked.
"I can't get myself to listen to the music," Tucker said.
"Tuck, I get it, Keller is a walking sexual harassment complaint, but look at it this way, you get it done, you'll be one step closer to me," Alix said.
"Are you sexually harassing me?" Tucker asked.
"Not yet," Alix said.
"Leave your shirt on!" A Male Voice said behind Alix. The owner of the voice came into the view of Alix's phone camera. Tucker could see, Holden, one of the people Alix was working and traveling with. He stared the camera, "Hey Tuck, keep it clean until it's in the privacy of the hotel room," he said and laughing.
"Funny Holden," Alix said.
"Hey, she misses you, get your ass out here soon, but it's time for us to steal her," Holden said.
"Go, break a leg," Tucker said.
"Thanks, see you soon, Tuck," Holden said and was gone.
"Thanks, and be good, Tuck," Alix said.
"What do you mean?" Tucker asked.
"Just be careful and see you ASAP!" Alix said.
"See you ASAP!" Tucker replied, and the connection was broken, "I miss you and love you," he murmured after the connection broke.
Tucker sighed and looked at his hibernating laptop. He had a great payday waiting, but only if he could get off his ass and listen to the damn song. That would start the chain to create a video concept. Damn what a predicament he was in.
There was a knock on the door. Tucker turned to look at the door. "Who's there?" Tucker asked.
"Sawyer!" A young female voice replied.
Tucker sighed, thinking oh great Sawyer, "What do you want, Sassy?" he yelled back.
"Don't call me Sassy!" Sawyer yelled back.
"Sorry, what do you want, Sawyer?" Tucker replied.
"I don't want to yell through a door," Sawyer said.
"Come in then," Tucker said.
The door opened, and Sawyer entered the door. Tucker noted she was wearing a tight shirt and lounge shorts; her curly blonde hair was clasped back with a hair clip. He shook his head and turned to look at the computer.
"What do you want, Sawyer?" Tucker asked.
"Can't you look at me?" Sawyer asked.
"I'm working, what do you want?" Tucker asked.
Sawyer sighed, "Your Mom wants to make sure you ate," she said.
Tucker pointed towards the empty dirty plates on the breakfast bar. "I ate, I do have a kitchenette in here," he said.
Sawyer nodded and walked over to the desk. She studied his desk.
"Your computer is hibernating, you're not working on anything," Sawyer said.
Tucker shook his head, "I just finished facetiming with Alix," he said.
Sawyer nodded, "So, what are you working on? Any Nordwind concert footage? I heard Kayla asked you in for a meeting," Sawyer said.
Tucker nodded, "Yeah, some emergency involving Chris Keller," he said.
Sawyer nodded and then shook her head, "Chris Keller, great, you're not a lawyer how can you help? I can't believe he's still on the label," she said.
Tucker shrugged, "Well he is, and I have to do a video for him, and be done with it by Friday," he said.
Sawyer nodded, "You can do it, Tuck," she said, "I know you can."
Tucker shrugged, "I don't know, I can't even get myself to listen to the song," he said.
Sawyer cocked her head to one side, "That's not like you, Tuck," she said.
"Yeah, well I really don't want to work with Keller," Tucker said.
"C'mon play the song, I'll help. I'm creative," Sawyer said.
"Sassy, this isn't making a costume for a Ren-fair," Tucker said.
"Don't call me Sassy," Sawyer said.
"That's how you were introduced to me," Tucker said.
"I was four then, I'm grown up now," Sawyer said, "Or haven't you noticed."
"Okay," Tucker said and shook his head.
"Well play it, maybe I can motivate you, or give you that spark," Sawyer said.
"Of insanity?" Tucker asked underneath his breath.
"What?" Sawyer asked.
"Good idea," Tucker said and brought his laptop to life. He put the flash drive in and once the file folder opened, he clicked on the audio file. The song started to play, and they sat there and listened to it.
You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler,
The gambler,
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Well my goodness gracious let me tell you the news
My head's been wet with the midnight dew
I've been down on bended knee talkin' to the man from Galilee
He spoke to me in the voice so sweet
I thought I heard the shuffle of the angel's feet
He called my name and my heart stood still
When he said, "John go do My will!"
Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler,
The gambler,
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Well you may throw your rock and hide your hand
Workin' in the dark against your fellow man
But as sure as God made black and white
What's down in the dark will be brought to the light
You can run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Sooner or later God'll cut you down
Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler,
The gambler,
The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut you down
Once the song was over, Tucker looked at Sawyer. She shrugged and signaled him to play it again. Tucker hit the replay button and it started to play again. Tucker stared at the laptop with a pen and pad handy. Nothing was coming, finally, he turned to look at Sawyer. She cupped her chin and she was tapping on her cheekbone with her pointer finger. She nodded slightly when the song ended.
"Well?" Tucker asked.
"I wish Keith was here, he's better at music then I am," Sawyer said.
"You're not being helpful," Tucker said.
"Hey, I could get Keni up here to help you," Sawyer said.
"No Thanks, I love my sister, but I don't want to hear about Anunnaki, if I did, I'd watch the History Channel," Tucker said.
"Well, let me think. I don't want to steer you wrong," Sawyer said.
"Right now, I just want to see the road," Tucker said.
"It sounds like the song Run On, an old folk song," Sawyer said.
Tucker nodded, and looked at the computer, "The track name is God's Gonne Cut You Down," he read off the screen, "Maybe Keni and the Anunnaki would fit?"
"Okay, the lyrics sound the same to me," Sawyer said.
"Still not helpful, Sassy," Tucker said.
"Don't call me that," Sawyer said.
"Well, be helpful," Tucker replied.
"I don't know what to say, Tuck," Sawyer said with a shrug.
Tucker sighed, "I don't know," he said and threw his pen up in the air.
"It sounded like going to a service at Reverend Howard's Church," Sawyer said.
Tucker took his eyes off the pen and looked at Sawyer, "What did you say?" he asked, as the pen crashed on the desk.
"It reminded me of the time Fallon took Keni and me to a service at Reverend Howard's Church," Sawyer said.
"No fucking shit!" Tucker said.
"Excuse me?" Sawyer asked.
"Thank You, Sawyer, you were a tremendous help," Tucker said, "I can't believe it was staring me right in the face."
"Okay? You're welcome," Sawyer said.
Tucker grabbed the pen and he started writing down furiously. Sawyer just standing there looking at him. After a minute he stopped and looked up at her.
"You're still here? Sorry, I've been bitten by my muse," Tucker said.
"So, you're ignoring me?" Sawyer asked.
"Sorry, I'm working, and don't you have school tomorrow?" Tucker asked.
Sawyer nodded, "No but I do Tuesday and a game to cheer at," she said.
"You should get some sleep, I'm going to be busy all night," he said.
"You're no fun anymore, Tuck, you're always busy," Sawyer said.
"Sorry, it's called being an adult," Tucker said.
Sawyer pouted at him. Tucker shook his head, "Hey, listen if I have time, we'll watch a movie this week," he said.
"Do I get to choose?" Sawyer asked.
Tucker shrugged, "If I can, then sure why not?" he said.
Sawyer smiled and bounced, "Ah, thank you Tucker!" she said.
"Now let me work," Tucker said.
"Okay, Tuck," Sawyer said rather cheerfully and left the apartment. When the door closed, he rolled his eyes, "Why do I think I'm in trouble?" he asked the air, then shrugged. When no answer came from the air he returned to working on his proposal.