V & V - Rageous Road to Fame

Battered Subway

I stare at our old place, searching for the spare key we kept in the front rock garden. I find it, a bit of relief washing over me.

I open the front door, seeing inside is exactly how we left it. I let us all in, helping Crimp and Floyd out of the tote. The only thing left is the TV mounted on the wall; everything else is gone from when we moved.

I sit on the floor against the island, finally feeling like I can take a deep breath. The serenity lasts for only a moment as I think of Kid Ritz.

I pull my phone out, seeing its battery low. I call him, yet I get sent straight to voicemail. I call Orchid and Fred, met with the same response. I call each of them again, giving up. I put my phone down, freaking out internally.

Velv looks at me warily, reaches out, and pats my shoulder. She grabs the remote, then turns on the TV. We watch as a news channel covers the scene at "The Boom Box," police finally escorting fans off the scene.

News: *CHAOS AT THE ESTEEMED VENUE "THE BOOM BOX" WHERE SUPERSTARS VELVET AND VENEER PERFORMED THEIR FIRST SOLO SHOW. THE TEEN TALENTS, MANAGED AND NEWLY SIGNED BY MRS. MANAGEMENT ARE REPORTEDLY NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. VENEER'S SUSPECTED PARTNER AND FELLOW COMPETITOR SAGE BOY DOM HAS A MESSAGE FOR HIM FROM HIS INSTAGRAM*

The TV flashes Dom's face, a video he recorded playing for all to see.

Dom: *VENEER, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HIDE. I'LL KEEP SEARCHING FOR YOU UNTIL I BRING YOU HOME, WHERE YOU BELONG. MY HEART IS FROZEN WITHOUT YOU*

I can't watch anymore, feeling nothing but sick. I run to the bathroom, throwing up violently. Yet, the only thing that comes up is... snow. I throw up snow until I can't anymore, my throat throbbing.

Velv rushes in, wetting her hands and cusping my face with water. She helps me to cool off, taking my hoodie off after seeing how much I'm sweating. I pant, tired and weak beyond belief. I can't believe this; I literally threw up snow. It's just another bad omen; Dom showing he still has some control over me.

Eventually, I'm able to stand and walk back out to the living room. Velv balls my hoodie up as a pillow, helping me lay down. I breathe heavily, trying not to focus on anything.

The TV continues to play, showing reruns of the scene from tonight. Panicked and excited Rageons run out of the venue and onto the streets, chaos and frenzy rampant. Dom's words play repeatedly in my head, making me crazy.

I panic more as I remember I still don't know what's happened to my friends, to Kid Ritz. I start to feel another panic attack coming on and shove the ring pop into my mouth. I shake hard, energy flowing freely through my veins from the excitement of tonight.

I use until it feels like a heavy blanket is thrown on me, weighing me down. My hand falls involuntarily from my mouth, my body forced into relaxing from how much ring pop I used.

I lay on the floor, strung out of my mind... yet finally relaxed. The world feels heavy, the TV and the light it reflects on the bare walls coming off as smears. I look around, feeling slow; every little move I make is heavy.

I watch Velv stand up from the floor and grab my phone, walking to the island. I can't quite make out what she says, as her voice sounds muffled, and blood pumps loudly in my ears. She appears in front of me, her body looking like there are multiples of her.

She speaks to me directly, but I can't make out much other than "found him" and "going to be ok."

I blink at her, not able to speak. She sighs, sitting down next to me. She leans her back against the island, bringing her knees to her chest. She flips the channels until she lands on her favorite show. I try to watch, yet my mind doesn't let me focus on anything in particular; I'm too high.