Ch. 16

"Sally? Sally?" I called down the small aisle of our bus.

She lifted her head from her hands. "Yeah?"

"Whoa, you look like you don't have a friend to call your own. What happened?"

"Howie happened, then screaming followed. Now, if you like I could break an egg into a skillet and we could relive a classic 80's moments and you may say, "Any questions?"

I laughed. "Well, I always did like that comercial. That and Dunkin Donuts one. 'I made the donuts, time to go make the donuts..."

She rolled her eyes. "Please, AJ, don't bring up donuts."

"Well.....where'd D head off to?"

"I don't know, and I'm not sure I care. Chances are he doesn't."

"What the hell happened between you two?"

"A fight about my weight. Stupid shit." She sighed. "Do you have a cigarette?"

"You really shouldn't be smoking."

"Neither should you, now that we have expressed our love to health concerns- may I bum a smoke?"

"Sure, let's go outside."

I glanced at her frail form as we made our way to a secluded area of the parking garage. What had happened to her? She use to be a friendly, beautiful girl- now, she was sickly and cynical as ever.

I handed her a Marbo Light. "Take it easy on those cancer sticks, kid."

"Thanks, Dad. Let's go make the popcorn on the bus and watch Brady Bunch reruns," she sarcastically added accpecting my light.

I exhaled. "We have to go the hospital tomorrow."

She paled. "Why?"

"Typical shots. We're going to the UK over December to promote the album, you know the shots you have to have to cross the line."

"Oh, yeah."

"You look kinda' scared, you afraid of needles?"
"No, something much bigger," she muttered beneath her breath. She faced me putting out her cig. "You know, AJ, I'm not feeling so well."

I threw my cancer stick into the fresh snow. "You know, while we're there- we might have you checked out, just so, you know why you've been so sick lately."

"Um.... sure. Uh...I'm gonna catch some zz's."

"Rest up." I felt sick to my stomach. How could I have been so conkneiving with Howie's girlfriend? The plan I had set up to make her disorder public was about to unfold.

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