New/returning readers:
Start here: Let it Rock Chapters 1 & 2
Click here to read the previous chapter or click here instead, to see the full Table of contents
Listen along to our custom Spotify Playlist
LYNN
The ride up was quiet.
"Is she okay?" Kanu whispered to Angie. "She is not talking, or asking more questions."
"Yes, I think so," replied Angie.
"I'm fine," I said, "I just need to think." Except I couldn't think about anything. I need to see Jim. To hear what he has to say. What am I going to say to him?
Angie and Kanu looked at each other, and Kanu shrugged.
At Jim's door Kanu, the only one among us with a free hand, knocked. I heard a male voice say, "C'min."
Kanu pushed the door wide, and Angie angled herself inside with me in her arms.
He was sitting, facing away from us. The room was a total mess, with papers on the floor and notes on the board. Notes about the music robbery. "Give me a minute, k?," he said. Then he spun the chair around.
"Wha...?" He looked shocked, seeing the three of us together. He started to get up, but then stopped midway, and sat back down.
He looked at Angie. "You're back already." He sounded confused.
Then he stood up again, perhaps finally seeing the state I was in. I'm sure I looked a wreck.
"Lynn, are you all right? What happened?" He reached for me, but Angie held me tightly and gave him a look that could burn concrete. He stopped, hand frozen in mid-reach, and then dropped his hand to his side.
Angie glared at him. "That's right, we're back."
"Okay, I see that. So what are you all doing here?"
"Jim," I said.
"What is it?"
"You suck."
"Ha ha, very funny Lynn." He reached for me again, and felt my forehead. "What's wrong with you? Can you move? What happened to your face? Why is she carrying you?"
I turned away from Jim to look up at my friend. "Angie, I'm sorry. I do trust you, and I hope you trust me, at least a little. But I can't believe it until I hear it from him myself. Put me down, please."
Angie carefully lowered me to the second chair. The pain in my side was tender but bearable, and my arm was fine as long as I didn't move it. Kanu moved from her place in the doorway all the way inside the small office, and closed the door behind us.
"Oh, yeah?" Jim asked, once I was settled. "What's so important? This 'truth' stuff? Seriously, Lynn, take a look at yourself. You should probably be in the school nurse's office.. Or..."
"Jim, shuddap," I cut him off. "Yes, it's time to tell me the truth, the real truth if you can manage it. Did you really do all those things that Angie told me about? Are you a..a criminal again?"
"Whaddaya talking about? Did your friend here tell you some crazy story about me? Don't believe it, Lynn."
I replied slowly. I wanted him to know I was serious. "Jim. Don't lie. This is important to me. It's important to the people I care about." I closed my eyes, and thought of Angie, then opened them to look at his features. He looked angry. "I care about you. Why would you keep something like this from me?"
"Lynn, really?" He laughed. "You are serious. I mean, what are you talking about? You only care about two things Lynn, music and music." He gave us a stupid grin, but nobody responded. "Really? This is more important to you than music?" he asked.
"Yes, Jim, even more than that."
"Well, what are we talking about here? Sure, I told Angie a few things this morning. No big deal. I nevah hurt anybody. I just did a few odd jobs, that's all. Nothing big." He took his eyes off of me. "Kanu, why are you here? I know I look horrible, but I can explain everything. You know I told you I needed some time. Are you here to yell at me too?"
Kanu replied calmly, "I am here to listen to you, Jimmy. I am also here to support my friend, Angela. And Angela is here for Lynn. If you care about me at all, Jimmy, you will listen to what Lynn has to say to you." She sounded determined.
"Kanu," he asked, "You know all about this too? Are you, are you still mad at me?"
"Maybe. We'll see."
Jim looked from Kanu to me, and back, avoiding Angie's gaze. Finally, he said, "I'll...I'll talk to her.. But just so ya know, it's not my fault."
Jim had lowered his elbows to rest on his knees, and folded his hands. A look of concern was plastered onto his features, like a mask. "All-right, Lynn-baby. Out with it. What's bothering you?"
"You admit it's true, then. All of it. You really suck, Jim."
"Now you are just repeating yourself." He grinned.
"Well, you do." I tried to keep my voice calm, even though I felt like a hurricane inside. "I know I should be nicer to you, because you are my brother," I continued. "But you've been sneaking around." My voice rose. "You've been horrible to me for weeks and weeks, ignoring me, avoiding me. Now I find out you've been breaking the law, getting yourself back into trouble. Again. How could you keep stuff like this from me? I'm your sister!"
His eyes burned into me. "Yes, you are my sister. I share my place with you, don't I? I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. Just like Mom asked me to. And I didn't steal anything. It's not what you think." He glanced at Kanu. "I just did some jobs, that's all. Just earned some extra money to supplement my stipend."
"That's NOT what you told Angie," I accused.
He paused. "N-no, you are right. I told her...more."
"Why can you tell her and not me?"
"I can't tell you because..I don't want to tell you.." His voice cracked, then he dropped his head into his hands. Just like in the car this morning. He continued speaking through his fingers. "Y'know what? I'm so tired of all of this, Lynn. I'm tired of sneaking around. I'm tired of not saying what's on my mind. You want to know what's on my mind? I just don't want you around. There. I said it. Get out."
He lifted his face to mine, and said it again, his eyes clear and cold. "Get out. Just, get out of my office, out of my apartment, out of my world. Y'know, I had no life in high school because I was taking care of you all the time! I had no life in college, because I was forever rescuing you from one of your crazy-schemes! All I've done my whole life is take care of you, and now its over. It's just us now, and I'm done. You can do this yourself. Be on your own. Just grow up already, Lynn!"
He's telling me to grow up?
"Grow up? Grow up?" I let out a laugh. "Which one of us is breaking the law? Which one of us is lying to his family? To his girlfriend? Which one of us got beat up last night and ended up in the trash? Which one of us needs to be taken care of?" I paused, and took a breath. "Jim, I'm going to tell you this right now. You don't deserve to hear it, but it's the truth. I love you, Jim. I love you so much that I'm going to go outside right now, call the police, and tell them everything. You need help."
"N-no," he said. "You can't do that. I'll be arrested. I'll go to jail. Again!"
"I can and I will. I'm not the smart one, I make my mistakes sometimes. But you made a really big mistake this time. Just remember, no matter what happens, I love you."
He didn't answer. The silence stretched out, as we looked at each other.
"What exactly do you expect me to do?" he finally spoke.
"Me?" asked Lynn. "I guess...I don't know. Maybe I was hoping you would apologize. To say to us that you are sorry for what you've done. Maybe, to tell me that you love me too."
"I...I'm not sorry."
"So, you are going to insist that you didn't make any mistakes here?"
"The only mistake I made was telling Angie what I did," he snarled. His determination was crystal clear.
So was mine.
"That's it, then. I'm done. Kanu? Do you have anything else to say to Jim?"
Kanu's voice was cold and soft, like a snowflake. "No. I'm done with him."
"Okay then. Bye, Jim. Angie, can you please carry me out now?"
She scooped me up again, and said, "I think the secretary out front will let us borrow his phone."
"Agreed." said Kanu, as we left and she pulled the door shut, leaving Jim behind.
Can’t wait for more? Click below to subscribe and get alerted for new chapters.
Click the little heart below to help others find this story.
Think this is worth paying for? Please click here to add a tip.
Thanks for reading!
Janet