Not a Dream

Reneé’s eyes fluttered open around 5 in the afternoon. She had been napping with AJ most of the day and felt well-rested. She rolled over to cuddle with him, but the bed was bare. She sat up and yawned, examining the empty room. It was quiet. It was then she heard talking from downstairs.

She crept down the stairs and AJ’s voice became clearer, along with two other voices she didn’t recognize. One sounded like a woman’s voice, the other of a man. She sat on the stairs, out of sight, listening in on the conversation.

“Mr. McLean, we need you to tell us, in detail, what went on the night of May 18th, 2001.” The woman said. AJ was quiet for a moment, then started to answer.

“I explained this to you already. We had a show in Orlando that night. When it ended, I headed back to my dressing room. There was this girl trying to get passed security. I mean, she was screaming and kicking. I felt kind of sorry for her, acting all crazy like that just to see us, so I got them to let her back. I figured we’d just take a few pictures and maybe I’d sign some stuff for her.” AJ explained. The man held a small tape recorder in his hand, and the red light was shining. AJ continued.

“We went into my dressing room, and I closed the door. I started taking my boots off, but that’s all I was doing. She just stood there, looking around the room. Then, she took my other boot off. I mean, sometimes fans do weird stuff like that. It was what she did after that was crossing the line. She took her shirt off, and she didn’t have a bra on. I told her to wait a second, that I didn’t even know who she was. She told me her name was Carrie and then she just jumps on me. Kissing me and shit... oh, excuse me. Like I said, she’s kissing me. Now, I know it’s wrong for her to be doing it, and wrong for me to let her, but I couldn’t help it. Next thing I know, she’s on her knees, doing her thing. But after she finished, I told he she had to go. Detective, I swear, I never had sex with her. That was it.” Reneé still sat on the stairs listening. She wondered why he was telling this story to detectives. Had that crazy kid reported him? Was she telling the truth? Was she really pregnant? Reneé started to worry.

“Alright Mr. McLean. We’ve got your story on record. Now let us tell you why we’re here. Even though I think you have some idea. Carrie Newton has filed a report against you. She claims you raped her. According to her, she came here to talk to you about the baby she conceived while you took advantage of her, and you threw her out. Now, the girl is pregnant. We’ve confirmed that much. But there is no proof that you’re the father of this child, or that you raped her. No one saw you, and she waited an awful long time to notify the police. However, I regret to say that if you’re the father, you can and will be arrested.” AJ stood up and the chair he was sitting in fell to the ground.

“Arrested! I didn’t rape that girl! I swear, I didn’t! She’s lying!” The woman gathered her paper work and stood as well.

“If you’re telling the truth, you have nothing to worry about. We do need a blood test done as soon as possible. You have to report to this clinic tomorrow at 10:30 am.” He gave AJ a card with the clinic’s address printed on it. “And after that, we’ll let you know where thing’s stand. Thank you, Mr. McLean.” The male detective said. They both left quietly, leaving AJ still standing in the kitchen.

He couldn’t believe this was happening. He never slept with her. Never! She had to be lying. She must want money. That’s all she wants, she wants to be paid. Or maybe she wants publicity. But calling her idol a rapist was a hell of a way to get the media’s attention.

AJ began pacing, back and forth in the kitchen. He stopped suddenly hit the wall with his palm. Reneé got up from the stairs and went to him. She raked through his hair with her fingers. He was hot, tense, angry, and scared.

“I heard everything.” She said to him. AJ lifted his head and looked at her standing before him. He immediately broke down crying. She held him in her arms, rubbing his back, and comforting him.

“It’s ok. I believe you. I know you didn’t hurt that girl. It’s not in your nature.” He felt a little better knowing that she believed in him and trusted his word. He also found solace in the fact that after the paternity test, they would have proof that he was not the father of that kid’s baby. He just couldn’t be.

The very next day, AJ went to get his blood drawn, Reneé by his side the entire time. They sat together in the waiting room. AJ removed the small bandage from his left arm and threw it in the trash can. Reneé rested her head on his shoulder, not speaking.

“Ok, we have all that we need from you. You can go home now and someone will contact you with the results.” AJ nodded and the couple left the clinic.

As Reneé drove them home, AJ looked out of the window thinking. He was confident that they would just call him to tell him that there was no match and that he was free of all the charges. Then he started to think about Carrie. He felt sorry for her. She went all out of her way to try and bring him down. She had to have mental issues to try and pull something like this.

“Penny for your thoughts.” Reneé said, pulling AJ from his train of though.

“Oh, I was just thinking about that girl. I feel sorry for her, you know?” Reneé nodded, feeling quite sorry for the young and obsessed fan herself.

In Orlando, Carrie was sitting in front of the mirror. She pinched the sensitive skin directly under her eyes and it made her cry. Then she pasted a depressed expression on her face.

“He took advantage of me, your honor. All I wanted was to meet my favorite person in the whole world. That’s all. But he turned out to be a monster. He grabbed me and touched me everywhere! I was so scared! I was terrified! I kept telling him no, that I was too young, that I wasn’t ready to do that kind of thing. But he covered my mouth and... and....” She broke off into false sobs. Satisfied with her little performance, she smiled and wiped her tears.

“The jury will definitely fall for that one.” Carrie said to herself, still looking in the mirror. Kaitlyn stood outside Carrie’s bedroom door, listening in.

“Oh my God, she’s setting him up!” Kaitlyn thought to herself. Before Carrie caught her, she ran back down the stairs and out of the house.

It was around this time that there was a ring at AJ’s door. He was sitting on the sofa with Reneé, kissing and holding her. She offered to answer it and got up from his lap. AJ just sat up, waiting to see who it was.

“Yes?” Reneé said as she opened the door. It was the two detectives again.

“Is Mr. McLean home?” The woman asked, looking around the inside of the house.

“Yes, I’m here. How did thing’s turn out?” The woman held a piece of paper into the air. The man walked passed her and into the house. Holding out handcuffs. AJ felt like his heart had stopped.

“We have a warrant for your arrest, Mr. McLean. We got the test results back, and you are the father of Carrie Newton’s unborn child. You have the right to remain silent. Whatever you say or do can and will be used against you in a court of law...” She continued to read AJ his rights as the man put the handcuffs on his wrists. AJ felt the cold metal against his skin, and he felt like crying. This couldn’t be happening!

“No! This is all wrong! Let him go! There has to be some kind of mix up! AJ did not rape that girl!” Reneé shouted in her fiancé’s defense. Her pleas went unheard. The male detective led AJ out of the house and to the police cruiser waiting outside. There was another police officer in uniform waiting at the cruiser.

“I’m innocent! I didn’t do this!” AJ shouted. Still, the pushed his head down and forced him into the back seat. Reneé was crying and screaming hysterically now. As the two cars pulled away, she fell to her knees. How could AJ be the father? He swore to her that he didn’t sleep with Carrie. And he was telling the truth. He had to have been telling the truth. He wouldn’t lie to her. Or would he?

A female officer in uniform took AJ to a room where he had to provide finger prints. She took each of his fingers and pressed them on the ink pad. With each print he made, he felt like he would lose his mind. He kept wondering when the dream would end. He kept hoping he would wake up in his bed, Carrie being only a nightmare.

It wasn’t until they took the first mugshot that AJ knew it wasn’t a dream. It was all a reality. They turned him to the side and took another mugshot. He started thinking about Reneé. Then his mother. She would be forever known as the mother of a statutory rapist, even though he wasn’t one. He then thought about his bandmates. Their careers would be ruined now. They would hate him. He wondered if they would believe Carrie.

A new officer snatched AJ by the arm and led him to a room with height markings on the wall. He was faced toward a mirror and he knew Carrie was on the other side.

“You know I didn’t do this!” He screamed, hoping she would hear him. “Tell the fucking truth!” The officer approached him, and AJ reluctantly silenced himself.

On the other side of the glass, Carrie wondered whether she should go through with this. AJ was innocent. But he hurt her. He denied her. He deserved to go to jail. She stared the the glass and it seemed as though AJ was staring directly into her eyes. It intimidated her. Her good sense battled her insanity, and for a brief moment she wanted to drop everything and apologize to him. But her insanity won over. Her obsession was too strong. It wouldn't have killed him to leave his fiancé for her! He had to pay!

“Yes, that’s him.” She said. The detective with her leaned toward a microphone and held down a red button, telling the officer standing with AJ that he could go. AJ was then taken to a cell and locked in.

“What now?” AJ asked, talking to the officer who had just locked him in.

“You wait until your trial. Simple as that.” He said plainly, then walked away. AJ sat on the dusty cot inside the cell. He stared at the wall, trying to be brave about the whole situation.

Hours had passed before someone came back. It was yet another officer. AJ was quickly growing tired of seeing different men and women in police uniforms.

“You got a visitor.” The man said. He opened the cell door and let AJ out. Before AJ could take two steps outside the bars, he was handcuffed again. Then he was taken to a room where there were windows separating the “guilty” from visitors.

Reneé came into view. Her eyes were red, as well as her nose. AJ was seated in front of the window, then the handcuffs were removed. He picked the phone up to speak to her.

“They said that there is nothing I can do. You’re trial is in a week. That’s seven days without you. Seven days of you being in this shithole.” Reneé said. She put her hand against the window, and AJ did the same. He couldn’t bare to see her in so much pain. He wanted to break the window and hold her, but that was impossible.

“You gotta call my lawyer. We have to figure something out. Baby, I didn’t do this.” He assured her.

“I know you didn’t. And I did call him. He’ll be here to see you tomorrow morning. You just sit tight until then, ok?” She instructed him. AJ nodded. They spent a few moments just looking at each other. AJ broke the silence....

“I love you.” A tear fell from Reneé’s eye and onto the counter in front of her.

“I love you too.” She kissed her finger tips and then touched the glass where AJ’s hand was. The officer on AJ’s side tapped him on the shoulder.

“Ok, time’s up McLean.” Again, he put the handcuffs back on AJ’s wrists. Reneé watched as they took him away, back to his cell. She vowed to herself at that very moment she would do all that she could to get him out of that place.


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