Authors: Holly Hood
“You’re always running off. Can’t you have a little faith in me,
Hope?
We might have more in common then you even know.”
I turned around, walking backwards
down the boardwalk
. “I really doubt it. But it was nice seeing you again.” I spun around and went on my way leaving Hutch frustrated, but it was for his own good.
I had been singing for Clive for
a
week now. Three times a week and I had to admit I loved what I was doing. Clive paid
his entertainers
great
money,
and to some the free coffee and cookies were
an added
perk
. I did my best to choke down strong cappuccinos whenever I was in his presence, but when he was out for the
day,
I preferred bottled water.
I gave Moe the sheet music to my musical
selection
and settled in on the stool behind the
mic.
At
first,
I had the
endurance
to stand on stage and belt out three songs, but sometimes people shouted
encore,
and then my
staying power
flew right out the window. Clive was always willing to give the people what they wanted, even if it left me
gravelly
and wiped out by the end of my shift.
The door chimed just as we were gearing up and in walked Karsen. She waved excitedly at me and took a seat on the overstuffed couch in the corner. There weren’t many other choices for seating in the packed café at the moment.
I stared around the room at the awaiting customers. Some sipping coffee, others chatting and occasionally laughing with their friends, I was glad to see Karsen had finally made it to one of my gigs. She and I had hardly hung
out
since she started hanging with Erica and Audrey.
The door chimed again and in came Hutch. He shot me a quick wave and headed to
the counter for coffee. He was d
oing a great job at pretending he wasn’t
t
here to see me sing. He even
jokingly
poked at the brunette taking his order, giving her his famous grin.
“Are we ready?” Moe asked
,
he dropped his head strumming a fast
jingle
to get into character. I had chosen a song I hadn’t sung ever. But I was drawn to it while surfing the web trying to come up with new music to sing to the masses.
Moe leaned closer to me. He wasn’t a bad looking guy. A little skinny,
laid-back style,
a great head of hair like Clive, he even had arms covered in tattoos. He was hip and funny and kept me on the up and up when it came to singing at the Shore Café.
“So I was thinking before we start. Is there any way you could sing
backup
?” I
stared
at
him hoping he wouldn’t panic.
“No problem. My sister
listens to
these guys all the time.” He started playing. As I peered out into the
audience,
I immediately noticed Slade and Kidd standing in the back of the café next to Karsen. Kidd nuzzled Karsen’s
neck,
and Slade smiled at
me. It
wasn’t a bright beaming
smile. It
was more a
Jordan Catalano
manner
in
my
so-called life,
t
he
I
’m-to-cool-to-seem-genuinely-happy
kind of smile
.
The first song went off without a hitch. I never understood that expression, but it was fitting at that moment. I took a swig of water, discussing the next song with Moe just as Hutch settle
d
at
the table in the front row. H
e
grabbed
the spot as soon as the woman reading the newspaper left.
Karsen hurried over. “
You’re
doing amazing,” she told me, squeezing my hand. “I wouldn’t expect anything other
than
amazing though.”
Moe smiled, not saying anything. I got the impression he wasn’t into getting to know anyone he didn’t have
to. He
just wanted to play music and leave at the end of the night. Slade joined Karsen as well as Kidd. I noticed Hutch
watching. I
wondered what he was
thinking,
or if he was trying to figure out what I saw in someone like Slade.
“Having fun?” Slade asked
,
he wagged his finger drawing me
to
him. I planted a kiss on his lips.
“It’s fun. I’m glad you came to see me sing.” I smiled, stealing a glance in Hutch’s direction. He shifted in his seat, his jaw tense.
“
We all wanted to support you.” Karsen interrupted.
We?
I asked
myself,
my eyes immediately
searched
the crowd and
located
Erica and Audrey. Audrey wiggled her hand in my direction. She climbed up on the stool and took a seat.
Moe began playing my next song and Karsen, Kidd and Slade all found places to sit while I started singing again.
It would have felt great to have my friends there to watch me sing, but it didn’t because once again to see
them,
it meant I had to see Audrey as well.
It was unhealthy the amount of
revulsion
that coursed through me when it came to her. I didn’t understand why I was the only one who saw the
wickedness
in
her. It clung to her, why was I the only one who saw it?
With my final song coming to an end Audrey dropped down from her stool and wove herself through the crowd until she was standing in front of
me, not
too
far away from Hutch. I shot Slade a confused look wanting to know why she felt the need to stalk me.
Slade shook his head, staying where he was doing
zero
to save me from Audrey’s presence. Moe rested his guitar against his seat and let me know he was taking a restroom and cigarette break.
“Great job.
I totally see the connection now,” Audrey said, resting her hands on the stage
floor. She
leaned close a
scheming
smile on her face.
“I don’t know what
you’re
talking about,” I said, ignoring her and settling on a staring contest with Hutch while patrons shifted around the room getting new cups of coffee before the encore performance.
“Slade said there was some sort of accident at your house last
week; I
hope everything is okay.” She laid it on thick making me want to spit nails—in
her face. I
had it
.
I wasn’t going to play nice with Audrey anymore. If she wanted to get
under my skin,
I was going to make it
easier said than done
.
“Look, I don’t like
you,
and you don’t like me, so why don’t you turn around and go talk to somebody who cares about what you have to say.” I snapped, glaring down at her. I glared at Slade and the rest of them
too. I
was tired of having to be the only one fighting with Audrey while they played nice with her or tried to ignore her.
“I want your help with something. And then I’ll gladly play with Karsen after. She loves hanging out with me.” She glared back, her blue eyes slicing into me with
impatience
and
rage.
“Help with
what,”
I asked,
incensed
the
girl had nerve. “I don’t want to do anything for you.”
“It’s for the coven, the one
you’re
part of,” she said under her breath so nobody could hear. She narrowed her eyes. “You don’t want to upset them. Bad things could happen. Things you could never imagine.”
“Like the pentagram in my house right? You had something to do with that.” I demanded an answer. Just so I knew I wasn’t crazy for thinking the worst.
“That could have been anybody. I have no idea what
you’re
talking about.”
I looked away. “What do you want me to
do?
I don’t know any spells.”
“I just want you to sing, of course after you take this,” she shoved a dark stone in my hand. I slipped it in my pocket pretending it never happened. “And I will do the rest.”
“What is this going to do?” I fidgeted with the
microphone; Moe
took his place next to me.
“Just sing.”
She swiped her hands together, shooting me
a sweet smile and took her seat, w
atching me closely.
My hands trembled. This was what I didn’t
want.
I didn’t want to be a part of anything evil. What was she going to do with these people? My eyes fell on Hutch, an innocent guy who didn’t deserve whatever Audrey had
in store for him. He watched me sing, concern showing all over his face. He knew something was
wrong. I
wasn’t sure how he picked up on it, but he had.
I stopped singing, ignored the crowds over enthusiastic cheers. Audrey clapped along with them. She smiled bigger at me, heading out of the café. I shoved the microphone in Moe’s hand and left before he could
say to
me way to go.
Slade grabbed me by the arm before I escaped into the back room. “I need to talk to you. Are you mad at me again?”
I pulled away, backing up. “I thought you said you would take care of Audrey, Slade.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I’m trying. I told her
to stay
away from you. But when she wants something there really isn’t much you can do to stop her. She’s a…witch.” He looked over his shoulder verifying nobody had heard us.
I just felt awful. “What have I done?”
“I’m not sure.” He said dodging my stare.
I
shoved
the stone into his
chest;
he covered it with his hand. “She wanted to influence these people. And I had to go along with it because I am smart enough to realize she has severe issues that
me
and my family do not need to be a part of. Look what happened already.” I was on a
rant,
and I wasn’t sure if it was going to end
soon,
or if I was going to end it by knocking Audrey’s
block
off.
“
It’s
hard to know what her
plans
are
I could talk to them. S
ee if there is anything I can do to stop whatever Audrey is
planning
.” Slade’s expression changed.
“Or them.”
“I’d do that. Because my friend, Kidd’s girlfriend
,
was here tonight, and if anything happens to
her,
I will find a way to make her pay. And I don’t care what any of you think.” I stomped down the hall and slammed the door to the backroom where Clive’s staff kept their belongings.
I hu
rriedly grabbed my
purse going for the door in a hurry t
o
get the hell out of the café.
Slade was gone, not sticking around to take
any more
of my
abuse. I
was sure.
I shoved pasted the door and stalked through the hallway, right into the arms of Hutch. He took me by the elbows. “Whoa.”
I twisted out of his grasp. “Just let me go, will you?”
“No. I’m not going to let you leave. You’re upset.” He insisted, staring down at my
heated
expression.
“That has nothing to do with you. I’m not your concern,” I informed him, could this guy ever take a hint?
“Would you just talk to me?” He released his grip, backing away to let me see he wasn’t trying to keep me
there. He
just wanted a few minutes to say whatever it was he needed to say.
I grumbled. “Fine, you can walk me home. But once I am there that’s it, Hutch.” I started out the door of the café, moving quickly past the crowd hanging around the boardwalk.
The wind only irritated my skin, nipping at my already heated face. Hutch grabbed my wrist bringing me to a stop. “I’ll accept those terms if you walk at a leisurely
pace,
so I can get a word in.”
I scoffed, laughing
at
his odd
vernacular
. “It’s 2012, nobody says leisurely pace anymore.”