Casey Barnes Eponymous (19 page)

“Don’t fall prey to her emotional manipulation.
 
Write and tell her you’ve been taken in
by a church-going family that does not persecute based on trumped-up charges.
 
But before you do that get the yearbook.”

Leigh put the phone down.
 
Casey winked at Ben and Sukh.
 
“The little idea I have might just be our ticket to talent show stardom,
rockers.”

“What are you up to?” Ben asked.

“Just wait.”

Leigh picked the phone back up.
 
“Got it.”

“Flip to the random pictures in back.
 
There should be a shot of Maxine French
from the side.”
 

Ben and Sukh exchanged a look.
 
A moment went by.

“Found it,” Leigh said, “Now what?”
 

“There’s a scanner on the desk next to my mom’s computer.
 
Scan the picture and send it to my
phone.”

“Your mom’s scanner?”

“Relax.
 
She only
dusts it for fingerprints once a month.”

“What?”

“I’m kidding.”

A moment passed.
 
Ben and Sukh watched as Casey took her pen out and started jotting down
notes.
 
Even without proof, the lyrics
were already coming to her.

“Done,” Leigh said.

“Righteous.” Casey’s phone buzzed to notify her of a text.
 
She held the phone away from her and saw
that a jpeg was attached.
 
“Nice
work, spanky.
 
Now go back to your
hiding place.”

 
“I’m not so sure
about this anymore.
 
Can I forward
you my Mom’s email?”

“No.
 
We’ll confer
later. Ciao.”
 

She clicked the phone off and held the screen away so she could
study the .jpeg Leigh sent.
 

Sukh reached over and angled it so he and Ben could see
too.
 
“Oh yes,” he said, “She indeed
has altered not only her nose but her chest.”
 

Casey smiled.
 
Ben
looked at her.
 
“What are you up to?”

“You’ll see.”
 
She
put the phone down and continued writing.
 

Ben attempted to read but Casey pulled the paper away.
 
She wrote faster.
 
“Looks like lyrics,” Sukh commented to
Ben.
 

“I don’t like this,” Ben said.

The bus came to a stop and Casey put the paper away.
 

“You still have not told us what you are writing,” Sukh said.

“Pop Wire’s first big hit, Sukh.
 
That’s what.”

25

“Maxine French is a Bitch” was the name of the song.
 

The first verse was about a high school girl who was popular
and a bully.
 
Then the chorus kicked
in.
 
The girl was Maxine
French.
 

Though what would Maxine know with her fake
boobs and nose.
 
That’s the sit*.
 
Maxine French is a Bitch.
 
(*pronounced
‘sitch’)

As soon as Casey finished playing it, Sukh clapped with
vigor.
 
“That was your best song
yet!”

“Thanks!” Casey turned to Ben.
 

He took an apricot cookie from the plate in front of them.
 
“It’s a good song.
 
Quite possibly your best.
 
But I don’t think we should play it at
auditions.”

“Those cookies are clouding your judgment,” she said.

“She might really go after us, or you, if we play that song.”

Casey waved a hand in the air.
 
“Please.”

“Maybe she try to hit us with the fake breasts!” Sukh said.

“It’s bad energy,” Ben said.

“What is?” Casey asked.

“The song.”

“Bad energy,” she repeated.

“It says bad things about another person.
 
The sole purpose is to hurt her.
 
A negative goal means, by default, it’s
giving off bad energy.”

“Is that Reiki?” she asked.

“No.”

“Bullshit.
 
How’s
that for bad energy?” she said.

“You wanted my opinion on the song, and I gave it,” Ben said.

“I think we should play it,” Sukh said, “and I know all about
energy and karma.
 
But it is funny
and good and Maxine French is not a nice girl.”

“Then that settles it,” Casey said, “Majority rules, drummer.”

“If, that is, we get asked to audition again tomorrow,” Ben
said icily.

She scowled at him. “
If
we do, we
play that song.”

“Great!” Sukh said.

“Yeah it
is
great,” she
said.

“Yeah, great,” Ben said, even if his voice said he did not
think it was.

26

“No,” Yull said.

“I have to know,” Casey said.

“I’m sure you do.
 
But
you’re going to have to wait until tomorrow morning to find out just like every
other kid who auditioned.”
 
He
paused.
 
“I do have one thing I can
share with you, though.”

They were in the kitchen.
 
Casey had just arrived home from Ben’s house, Yull was making dinner,
and Leigh was sniffing a bowl of leftover Barnes food.
 
Casey leaned over to take a piece of
salad from a bowl on the table but Yull slapped her hand away.

“What’s that?”

“Samantha told me she thinks your drummer Ben’s cute.”

Casey shot Yull a dirty look.
 
“She did not.”

“She did.
 
She wants
to know if he’s going out with anyone.”

“Samantha’s a dork,” Casey said, “I saw her iPod and it had
John Mayer.”

“Maybe Ben isn’t as picky about music as you are.”

“HE IS.
 
He won’t
like her.
 
No way.”

Yull studied her. “You’re awfully touchy.
 
Is something going on between the two of
you?”

Leigh slammed a hand on the counter.
 
“I knew that was going to happen!
 
Awesome.
 
He’s much nicer than Alex Deal.”

“Nothing is happening between us.”

“Are you sure?” Yull asked.

“Yes.”

Leigh rolled her eyes.
 
“She’s still holding out for Alex Deal.”

“I AM NOT.
 
I just
don’t think Ben will like that dork Samantha.
 
That’s all.”

“So then he’s not going out with anyone?” Yull asked.

Casey glowered at him.
 
Yull shook his head and turned to Leigh.
 
“So tell me, how did you pass your, what
is it, third day as a runaway?”

Leigh popped the bowl into the microwave.
 
“I did homework.
 
I’ve been following our assignments
online and figured it might be a good idea to catch up a bit.”

Casey shot her a disbelieving look.
 
“You did what?”

“Are you going to call your parents tonight?” Yull asked.

“No!” Casey said.

“I was thinking it might be a good idea,” Leigh said, “My mom
sounded really freaked out in her email.”

“I can’t believe this,” Casey said, “You’re going to allow them
to ship you off to hell just because your mother dangled a little
sentimentality in your face?”

“Oh Casey grow up.
 
She can’t stay here forever,” Yull said.

“No, she can let her nerve morph into a slice of moldy cheese
soufflé and go to boarding school.”

“I bet they’ll reconsider the boarding school idea,” Yull said,
“But call your mother before she loses her mind.”
 
He took the phone off the receiver and
carried it to her.
 
“If you dial *67
first the number will come up as unknown.”

Leigh dialed the phone.
 
Mrs. Robinson answered.

“Hi mom,” Leigh said quietly.

They all heard Mrs. Robinson say, “WHERE ARE YOU?”

“Nowhere.
 
I mean,
safe.
 
I have food and I don’t have
a cold.
 
Just calling to tell you
that.”

“ARE YOU AT CASEY’S HOUSE?”

“Of course not,” Leigh replied with admirable steadiness.

“I DON’T BELIEVE YOU.”

Leigh did not respond for a moment.
 
“So how’s Vincent?” she asked.
 
Vincent was the Robinson family
cat.
 

“IF YOU’RE NOT AT CASEY’S THEN WHERE ARE
YOU?”
 

Casey looked to Yull for help.
 
He grabbed a message pad and scribbled
on it.
 
W/ a friend
from school, one she’s never met b4

“WHERE ARE YOU, LEIGH?”

They heard a car approaching the house.
 
Yull darted to the front door to see who
it was.
 

“I’m at a friend’s house from school you’ve never met before, a
new friend.”

“I’M CALLING THE POLICE!”
 

Leigh groaned.
 
Casey scribbled another note.
 
Calling po-lice’ll harm her biznes.
 
Who buys scented candles from the parent
of a fugitive?

“DID YOU HEAR ME?”

“Don’t call the police.”

Yull came back into the room and mouthed, ‘Jim!’

“It’ll hurt your business since no one wants to buy candles
from the parent of a fugitive and anyway I have to run,” Leigh said.

“THAT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING CASEY WOULD TELL YOU TO SAY.”
 

“I’m hanging up, Mom, but please reconsider
sending me to--”

“NO.”

Leigh slammed the phone down and bolted upstairs to hide in
Casey’s closet.
 
Casey ran into the
living room and turned on the television.
 
Yull continued cooking.

The pot brownies.

Casey theorized later, when she and Yull were sitting on the floor
of her room whispering to Leigh through the closet door, would be inedible if
they sat in the bottom of her backpack for another day.

“Which is why you should just throw them out now,” Yull
hissed.
 

Casey shook her head.
 
“I don’t think so, bro.”

“Don’t be a crackhead.
 
In the morning Leigh will call her mother and talk to her about why
boarding school is not a necessary step at this point.
 
If she’s calm and articulate her mother
will come around.”

Casey glared at him.

“I agree with Yull,” Leigh whispered.

Casey fixed the closet door with an annoyed look.
 
She knew Yull was right.
 
But there was a part of her, one that
reared its ugly head in moments such as these, that couldn’t admit it.
 
“I think we should leave the pot
brownies on your parents’ doorstep tonight.”