Everlong - Let Me Call You Sweetheart Part 2

Stacked Actors

"You know, I count myself lucky to be one of the few that got out alive that night, and having the privilege of a safe space, with friends, to recover." You smile and force the tears to come, just like you rehearsed, just like you did for every reporter.

"So, why do you think you are in there whilst the rest of your alleged friends are out here on the other side of the glass?" The reporter, thinks they're asking a revolutionary question, giving a slight side eye to Dustin and Steve, but it's just like clockwork. They all did this they all wanted you to know they were on your side, but they had absolutely no idea what happened that night. Henderson, Harrington and the rest of the band did.

The government had obviously got involved, convinced people of other things, another big fire for the history books. You were labelled an arsonist, a disgruntled young person, who had been brainwashed by enigmatic man who had apparently also died in the fire. A big neon sign so that people had nothing to fear from you personally, you were just a confused kid, who made a bad choice. It just happened to be a big one.

A year and a half later and the reporters were still coming, less now, but much more niche.
The initially reporters wanted to paint you as what you deserved, a killer, a devil, a demon, born evil, corruptor.

Over the last month or so they'd changed, the people coming wanted to hear your story, the harsh environment you had grown up in, how that had thrust you into the arms of someone who showed you an ounce of care, Eddie. It killed you to lie about him, but Mr Harrington did not believe for second, you would have been capable of anything you had done, if Eddie hadn't been involved. You were such a good kid before meeting Eddie. Part of you knew you were a timebomb, part of you didn't know if Eddie had been the spark or not, but you blamed him for nothing.

"I've been told that I caused some people serious injury that night. No part of me wants to be out there until everyone, including myself, is happy I won't do anything like that again. I can't take back what happened, but I just want to assure everyone that I am genuinely deeply sorry and want to make amends if they will allow me" You give the reporter the look they want as the camera next to them snaps. That doe eyed pout look, the slightly furrowed brow, on the verge of tears. They just ate up that shit.

It wasn't that you didn't care about the lives lost, you did, truly. The scenes haunted your wandering thoughts and dreams, but it all would have been worth it, if you hadn't been interrupted, if you hadn't had to make that choice. Fix everything, or save Eddie. Though in the moment it didn't feel like much of a choice, her voice screamed in your brain to save him, so you did.

Communities of people online campaigned for your release, labelling Dustin as a rich tyrant, Mr Harrington as his accomplice.

You look behind the reporter for a second and meet the eyes of Dustin Henderson, who is watching your every micro expression, and has a drone trained on you with a sedative if you make one false move. You look to the other side and meet Mr Harrington's happy face. He's beaming at you proudly, giving you a secret thumbs up when the visitors and Dustin aren't looking.

"Do we mind if we get a shot of the scar?" She asks politely, but you can see the morbid fascination in her eyes. She wanted to see want it looks like after you get impaled on a guitar and live.

"Absolutely, no problem" you smile, stand up, take off your suit jacket and gently lift your shirt, untucking it to reveal the uneven divoted flesh at the site of impact and exit. You move side to side as the camera rapidly clicks.

"Does it still hurt?", She asks, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly agape, drinking in that delicious scar tissue.

"Sometimes I get these twinges, but it's nothing compared to what happened to others. I am very lucky, truly." You say tucking your shirt back in and putting your blazer back on.