The Day the World Turned Blue

Lisa stared into the mirror. She looked closely at every part of her face trying to discern whether anything about her revealed her real age. What was a thirty year old woman supposed to look like? Her fingers lightly pressed down on her cheeks. She looked at the bags under her eyes. She looked tired, not old. She went to drink a cup of coffee.
The coffee had been on the burner just a few hours too long so it was rather bitter. She should have poured it out that morning instead of drinking it that evening. Lisa drank it quickly as to avoid the burnt taste. She poured the rest of the coffee out of the pot.
Lisa walked to the phone. The last time she called Gene he said he would be back that day. She touched the phone for a moment. Her fingers brushed the receiver as she contemplated calling him. She took a deep breath and picked up the phone receiver. She spun the dial and put Gene's number in. She waited for her call to connect and for Gene to answer.
"Hello?"
"Gene?" Lisa said. She felt a warm feeling in her stomach. It was so nice to hear his voice again.
"Lisa?" Something about Gene's voice sounded off. There was something wrong with him.
"Are you okay?" Lisa asked.
"She's gone... With everything..." Gene said. His voice had a catch in it, like he had been or was about to start crying.
"Who's gone?" Lisa asked. Her hand was gripping the phone a little too tightly, and her knuckles were turning white. She could tell something was very wrong.
"Marcie..." Gene said.
Lisa remembered, Marcia, Gene's last girlfriend. He loved her. "She took everything, what do you mean by that?" Lisa asked.
"She took all my money and stole everything in my house worth anything," Gene said.
Lisa frowned. "Are you at home right now?" She asked.
"Yeah," Gene said.
"I'm coming over," Lisa said.
"You don't need to..." Gene said. His voice was soft, and he sound sincere but Lisa knew he needed someone there even if he didn't realize it himself.
"I'm coming over," Lisa repeated. "I'll be there tomorrow."
"Alright..." Gene said quietly.
Lisa hung up the phone. She ran to her room and changed into a pair of red pedal pushers and a grey sweater. She grabbed her car keys off her dresser and grabbed her purse off of the chair. She checked the purse and made sure she had some money. She walked out of her apartment and locked the door. She rushed down the stairs as quickly as she could.
Lisa raced to her old station wagon and got in. She put the key into the ignition and started the car. She backed out of the parking lot of her apartment building and headed towards Hollywood. The ride took a very long time. Lisa had to take a few stops to fill up on gas and eat something and she rested on the side of the road for a couple of hours. She reached the Hollywood apartment that Gene lived in the next day at around eight. She ran to his home and opened the door without knocking. Gene looked up at her. He was sitting on his couch. He looked sick.
Lisa walked to the couch and sat down next to Gene softly. "Oh, what has she done to you," Lisa said sadly.
Gene gave her a small, sad smile. "I'm a fool," He said. He looked so hurt. His smile was so small and pained.
Lisa tucked her feet up on the couch and wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him closer to her in a hug. "You are, but that's okay..." She said.
"Jackie's leaving me... Marcie robbed me... Margret is suing me for alimony. I just don't know what to do anymore," Gene said. His head was on her chest. He looked so sad.
"It's okay, everything will be okay," Lisa said holding him close.
"I'm not going to be able to afford this place," Gene said looking around the room. "They're going to kick me out."
"You can come live with me until you're back on your feet," Lisa said. Her fingers were petting his hair softly. She wanted him to feel better.
Gene was staring at the ceiling. "How could I be so blind?" He asked.
"Love is blind," Lisa said. That's why I keep coming back to you, she thought to herself.
Gene smiled slightly. "You're too kind to me. You should hate me. You should think I'm the most disgusting creature on the planet. I've married three times while I've known you, but you're still always there for me," Gene said. "Why's that?"
"I fell in love with you in 1957 and that love didn't fade away even now," Lisa said.
Gene kissed her on the cheek. Lisa stood up and looked down at Gene. "Now, I'm gonna make you something to eat," She said putting her hands on her hips.
Lisa walked into the kitchen and looked into the refrigerator. It was didn't have any food in it and the cupboard only had a few cans of assorted items that couldn't make anything edible. She sighed. She turned to Gene. "You don't has anything," She said.
Gene shrugged. "I was touring," He said.
Lisa crossed her arms across her chest. "I'll go get something," She said. "You stay here, and I'll be right back." She glanced over at a few empty beer cans scattered around the room. "Lay off the booze, alright?"
"Okay," Gene said looked over at the cabinet.
Lisa walked out of the door and head to a store. She needed to make something quick and simple, and she didn't have a lot of money... She found a street with an open air market. She looked at all the vegetables and fruit and other products and chose what food she would take carefully. She bought a head of lettuce, a tomato, an onion, a loaf of bead, and a jar of pickles. She went to a butcher's shop and bought a package of ground meat. With her purchases she walked back to Gene's home.
Lisa opened the door to Gene's apartment. He was still on the couch, but he had laid down. It looked like he had fallen asleep. His head was resting gently on a pillow. His eyes were closed.
Lisa smiled and walked into the kitchen to start making him food. She washed her hands then turned on an oven burner and put a skillet on the burner. Then Lisa started to cut the onion. She stayed pretty far from the onion to keep herself from crying, but she still started to tear slightly. Gene woke up and stumbled into the kitchen. He looked over at her and heard her sniffle.
"Is there something wrong?" Gene asked opening the refrigerator. He only had cans of beer so he closed the refrigerator.
"Onions," Lisa said finishing her cutting and wiping her eyes of any stray tears.
She mixed some of the onions into the ground beef then molded it into patties about half an inch thick. She put the burger patties on the skillet.
Gene smiled slightly. He walked behind Lisa and wrapped his arms around her waist. Lisa turned her head to try to look at him. Gene kissed her just below the ear and slowly worked his lips down her neck. Her right hand gripped onto the oven handle and her knuckles turned white. Her left hand made its way to Gene's head and her fingers found their way into Gene's hair. Gene squeezed close to her. She closed her eyes and sighed softly as Gene kissed her neck. Her fingers tugged at Gene's hair.
Lisa stopped pulling at Gene's hair. She could smell the burgers burning slightly. "Please let go for a moment," She said.
Gene unwrapped his arms from Lisa's waist and leaned back on the counter. Lisa flipped the burgers over. Gene watched her cook. "You got over Marcia quickly," Lisa commented as she started to cut the tomato.
"I love you," Gene said smiling.
Lisa tilted her head to one side. She continued to cut the tomato. She was quiet as she tried to decide what to say back to him. When she finished cutting the tomato she cut the bread into slices.
"Sometimes I wish I married you before Jackie or Margret or even Darlene," Gene said, "but then I wouldn't have had my children."
Lisa smiled. "I don't think I would have married you before you married Darlene or Margret," She said. "Maybe before Jackie, but I don't really know."
Lisa took the burgers off the skillet and put them on a plate then turned off the burner. She started to peal the lettuce. Gene smiled. "You know, I think you're more beautiful today than the day I met you," He said.
"I was an awkward skinny kid back then," Lisa said.
Gene smiled at her. "So was I," He said.
Lisa put the burgers together and put them on a plate. She pushed the plate towards Gene. Gene took one of the burgers and started to eat it. He looked over at Lisa and smiled. "This is pretty good," He said.
"Thank you," Lisa said smiling.
"You cook pretty well," Gene said.
"Well, I've had to feed myself for twelve years," Lisa said shrugging.
Gene waited until Lisa turned towards him. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She blushed and took a bite of her burger.
"You know what's crazy?" Gene asked.
"What?"
"We've known each other for over ten years," Gene said.
Lisa nodded her head and took another bite of her burger. She took slow bites as she looked away from Gene. They ate quietly for awhile. Lisa kept looking around the room and shifting how she was standing. She didn't know what to say to Gene.
Gene finished his burger. He put the plate in the sink. Lisa was still eating her burger. Gene walked out of the kitchen. Lisa watched. His limp was so pronounced, and she felt bad for him. She left her burger at the counter. She walked over to the couch. Gene was sitting down on the couch. His left leg was propped out on the coffee table. Lisa sat down on the right side of him. She kissed him on the neck doing just as he did to her earlier. He looked at her in surprise.
"Isn't that usually what I do?" He asked raising his eyebrow.
Lisa shrugged then she moved so she was crouching in front of him. Her right knee was in between his legs and her left leg was laying on his right leg. She was positioned so she was looking down at him. She kissed him on the lips and let her hands find their way into his short hair. Gene was practically purring. One of his hands was placed gently on her lower back and the other was just under her arm.
Lisa moved back slightly so her and Gene's lips were no longer touching. She was breathing a little heavier than normal. Suddenly Gene pushed her over so he was on top of her. Her eyes were wide in surprise. Gene smiled at her and leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. His left hands was holding her right hands behind her head. Their fingers were intertwined. His other hand was under her back still. Her left hand was touching his chest. She slowly drew her foot closer to her so her knee lifted up.
Gene's left hand moved from behind Lisa's back and began to rub her inner thigh. Her left hand started to work at Gene's shirt. Gene started to kiss her neck. He stretched her grey sweater out so it wasn't on her shoulder. Lisa could feel her heartbeat in her ears.
"Gene, don't you think we should take this to the bedroom?" She asked. She was breathing in sudden gasps.
Gene said something, but it was muffled because he was still kissing her shoulder.
"What?"
Gene stopped kissing her neck and lifted himself up so he was able to look her in the eyes. He smiled slightly. "That might be a good idea," He said.
Gene stood up. His dark curly hair was a mess and his shirt was rolled up so his stomach was showing. Lisa sat up on the couch. Her hair was a mess. It was all over the place, and her sweater was pushed so that it was only on one of her shoulders.
Lisa stood up. She looked down at her feet. She kicked off her shoes. Gene smiled at her and kissed her on the nose. He stopped for a moment to run his fingers through her hair then he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. Lisa put her arms around his neck and kissed him. He held her like that for a few minutes then he let her go. Her arms were still around his neck.
Gene smiled and picked Lisa up bridal style. She buried her head in his shoulder. Gene walked to the bedroom with Lisa in his arms. He closed the door behind them with his back.
A few hours later Lisa slipped out of the bedroom. She only had on one of Gene's t-shirts. She looked into the refrigerator as a force of habit. There was only a few cans of beer and a bottle of liquor. She opened a cabinet and took a glass down. She filled the glass with water and sat on top of the counter as she drank the water. Her legs were cold, and she regretted that she hadn't put on her pants.
Lisa finished her glass of water and put the glass in the sink. She noticed her burger still sitting on the counter beside her. She picked it up and debated eating more of it. She was hungry.
Gene walked out of the bedroom. He was wearing a t-shirt and a pair of blue striped undershorts. Lisa looked over at him. He looked even more sick than he had when she first saw him that morning. She put the burger back on the plate and slipped off of the counter. Gene sat down on the couch.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"I don't feel well," Gene said. He rubbed his face with his hands.
Lisa walked over to him and felt his forehead. He didn't feel like he had a fever.
"How do you feel exactly?" Lisa asked looking at Gene's face carefully.
"My stomach burns and I feel nauseated," Gene said.
Lisa touched his stomach. "Do you want me to drive you to the hospital?" She asked feeling his stomach gently.
Gene winced under her touch. "That might be a good idea," He said.
"I'm gonna go put some clothes on, then we'll go straight to the hospital," Lisa said. "Don't move from there until I'm back."
Lisa walked back into the bedroom and changed into her clothing. She glanced over at the room. The bed was a mess and Gene's clothing had been strewn across the room. Lisa took a moment to pick up his clothing. She took it with her into the living room.
Gene was still sitting on the couch. Lisa handed him his clothing. Gene put on the pants and left the shirt on the couch. Lisa helped him up, and they headed out of the apartment. Lisa helped him to her car. She started the car and drove to the hospital with Gene's directions.
Gene and Lisa reached the hospital. Lisa helped Gene to the hospital and the walked to the reception desk with him. The receptionist looked up at Gene and Lisa. "Can I help you?" She asked.
"My stomach is burning and I feel nauseated," Gene said. Lisa looked at Gene. He looked very sick.
The receptionist handed Gene a clipboard and a pen. "Please fill this out, sir," She said.
Gene took the clipboard and the pen and limped to an empty seat. Lisa walked beside him holding his arm. She was worried that he might fall. She sat down beside him. He filled out the papers then he brought them back to the receptionist. Lisa still shadowed him just in case. She was so worried for him.
It took about an hour, but a nurse finally came to help Gene. Lisa tried to come with him, but the nurse wouldn't allow it since she wasn't his immediate family. Lisa sat impatiently in the waiting room. She wanted to know what was wrong with Gene. She wanted to see Gene. Every moment in the waiting room she imagined the worst. Her thoughts slowly became darker and darker. She felt sick waiting for him.
After about three hours of waiting Lisa walked up to the receptionist's desk. "Is there any way I can find out how the man I came in with is doing?" Lisa asked.
The receptionist looked up at Lisa. "I don't know what to tell you," The receptionist said.
Lisa bit her lip. She began to pace around the waiting room. She had to do something. She was about to go out of her mind in worry. Every time a doctor or a nurse would come by she would ask them about Gene. They all looked at her funny. Finally she saw the nurse that had brought Gene away to a room.
"How is Gene?" Lisa asked the nurse nervously.
The nurse looked at Lisa and saw Lisa's obvious distress. "He's fine. He has to go into surgery, but it's a simple procedure. He should be in and out of the operating room in a few hours," The nurse said. She had a very calming voice. It made Lisa feel a whole lot better.
"Thank god," Lisa said quietly looking up at the roof.
The nurse squeezed Lisa's arm for reassurance. Lisa smiled at the nurse in relief. "Do you want to come with me to get a drink of coffee?" The nurse asked.
Lisa nodded. The nurse gestured for Lisa to follow her. They walked down a few halls to a small room. It had a coffee maker and a few stale cookies. The nurse poured Lisa a cup of coffee.
"Do you want anything in it?"
Lisa shook her head numbly. The nurse handed Lisa the mug of coffee. Lisa drank it slowly. Her hands were shaking slightly.
"Will I get to see Gene soon?" Lisa asked.
"You won't be able to see him before the operation, but you'll be able to visit him after it," The nurse said.
Lisa nodded her head. She continued to drink her mug of coffee. Her hands were shaking slightly. The nurse touched Lisa's hand softly.
"So Gene is your..." The nurse started to asked.
"Friend," Lisa interrupted. "He's a very close friend."
"So, what's your name?" The nurse asked.
"Lisa Stone," Lisa replied.
The nurse nodded. "My name's Julie Mason," She said.
Lisa finished the coffee. Julie helped Lisa up and back to the waiting room. She sat down and waited. Every moment felt longer than the next. She would look at every doctor and nurse that walked by. None of them brought news on how Gene was doing. The waiting was horrible.
A few hours later Julie came back. She walked over to Lisa. "You can go see Gene," Julie said.
Lisa stood up and followed Julie to a hospital room. Julie opened the door. Gene was laying on a metal hospital bed.
"Hey," Gene said. He gave her a tired smile.
Lisa walked towards the bed. She sat down in a seat beside the bed. She smiled at him. Julie closed the door and left Lisa and Gene alone. Lisa leaned over to Gene and kissed him.
"Mmm, I should go to the hospital more often," Gene said laughing slightly.
"What did the doctor say?" Lisa asked.
"He said that I should stop drinking and stop taking so many pain pills," Gene replied.
Lisa frowned slightly. "You might want to take his advise," Lisa said.
Gene nodded his head. "I know," He said, "and I'll try."
Lisa took his hand in hers. "I'm glad you're alright," She said.
Gene smiled. "I am too," He said.
Lisa kissed him again quickly. She looked at him lovingly. Her hands were resting gently on his chest.
"Jackie is coming to see me and so are my parents," Gene said.
Lisa bit her lip. Gene smiled slightly. "Don't worry, they're just visiting," He said. "Jackie and I are still friends. It was just the best thing for both of us to split up."
Lisa nodded her head and looked at the door. Gene stared at her. "You know, you look gorgeous," He said.
Lisa looked back over at him. She smiled. "I bet I actually look a mess," She said.
"No," Gene said. "You're a vision of loveliness."
Lisa shook her head and brushed his hair off his forehead and kissed it softly. Gene smiled. Lisa stood up. "I'm going to leave you alone for some rest," She said.
Gene looked up at her. "Oh, do you have to?" He asked.
"No, not really, but if I don't leave now I'm going to have trouble leaving later," Lisa said.
"Well... I guess I'll just be here," Gene said, "lyin' about, doin' nothing..."
Lisa's brow furrowed. She leaned down and kissed him again. As she moved away Gene put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her back to him. Julie opened the door of Gene's room to tell Lisa it was time for her to leave. Julie smirked then coughed. Gene let Lisa go, and Lisa looked over at Julie. Lisa was bright red. Julie was giving Lisa a smug look. "It's time for you to let Mr. Craddock sleep," Julie said.
Lisa walked out of the room blushing brightly. Julie stayed behind for a moment to make sure Gene was alright. She checked the pillows and all the IVs that Gene was hooked up to then she left. Lisa was still beside the door and blushing furiously. Julie smirked. "He's a very close friend?" She said jokingly.
Lisa looked down at her feet. "He is..." She said bashfully.
Julie patted Lisa's shoulder. "I get it. He's one of those guys you don't ever really know where you are with," Julie said.
"Sort of..." Lisa said.
Julie smiled and walked with Lisa back to the waiting room. Lisa sat back down in one of the seats. Julie left to do her job. Lisa fell asleep in the waiting room once it got later in the day. She really hadn't slept much in the past two days, and her lack of sleep finally caught up with her.
Lisa woke up the next day. Her hair was a terrifying mess so she went to the bathroom to clean herself a little bit. She glanced in the mirror. She looked exhausted and her hair was horrifying. She tried to tame her mess of hair with her fingers, but it just wouldn't comply to her wishes. She sighed and gave in to her wild mane. She washed her face with cool water to wake herself up.
Lisa walked out of the bathroom. She saw Jackie sitting on a chair in the waiting room. Lisa sat in a seat a little further away from Jackie. It wasn't that Lisa didn't like Jackie; she just felt uncomfortable around her. Two older people were sitting with her. Lisa assumed they were Gene's parents.
Julie came in and walked over Lisa. Lisa could tell Julie was trying to hold back laughter because of Lisa's hair.
"Do you need a brush?" Julie asked.
Lisa looked up at her and nodded. Julie left to get Lisa a brush. Lisa sat very quietly. She tried to avoid eye contact with everyone, especially Jackie.
Julie came back with a brush which she handed to Lisa. Julie sat down next to Lisa. "So, the lady over there is Mr. Craddock's wife, but they're separated. His parents were asking about his ex-girlfriend, Marcia, and apparently she robbed him..." Julie said. "How do you fit into this soap opera?"
Lisa looked away from Julie. She felt sort of uncomfortable telling this to a complete stranger.
"I don't know how to explain it really," Lisa said.
Julie raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Try," She said.
Lisa looked at her lap. She started to brush her hair. It finally started to lay down. "I met him a longtime ago and we've been friends for about as long. I've always been, uh, attracted to him since I've met him, but nothing happened between us really... We've been friends, but nothing really happened..." Lisa said.
"What I saw in his room wasn't nothing," Julie said.
Lisa looked up at the roof as she pulled out a rather tight knot in her hair. "I got with him a few times before he married his current wife," Lisa said, "but they weren't serious, really."
Julie clicked her tongue. "That still doesn't explain what I'm saying," She said.
"The rest is sort of personal... I love him, and I think he loves me... That's all that matters to me," Lisa said.
Julie frowned slightly. "He can see visitors if you want to go see him alone," She said.
Lisa glanced over at Jackie. She looked so calm and collected.
"Yeah, I'd like to see him again," Lisa said.
Julie stood up and Lisa followed her lead. Julie led Lisa to Gene's room again. She opened the door for Lisa, and Lisa entered. Gene was still laying out on the hospital bed. He smiled at her.
"Welcome back," Gene said.
Lisa smiled and took the same chair as before. "You feeling any better?" She asked.
"Yeah, I got to see Jackie and my parents and we talked. I had to tell my parents you drove me here, but I don't think they know who you are," Gene said. "Now the question is whether or not we're serious enough to tell my parents about us."
Lisa frowned. "I don't know... Are we serious?" She asked.
Gene looked up at the roof. "I'd like to think we are," He said.
Lisa touched his hand. He took her hand in his. "I don't want to be just your rebound..." Lisa said. Her voice shook slightly.
Gene looked at her startled. He tried to sit up, but couldn't so he laid back down. He tugged gently on her arm to pull her closer. He gently moved her chin to look at him. "I love you. I've loved you for a long time, but I've always been somewhere else. If it had been Jackie who had comforted me or Darlene or Margret or even Ruth Ann I don't know what would have happened, but it was you. And I'm glad it was," Gene said.
Lisa leaned down and kissed him. She looked down at him sadly. "I wish I knew where I stood with you," She said.
Gene looked up at her. "What do you want me to do to make you believe me?" He asked. "I'll marry you, anything..."
Lisa's brow furrowed. She rubbed Gene's hand gently. "It doesn't have to go that far yet, just promise me this isn't just a one night stand," She said.
"I promise," Gene said.
The hospital room was silent. Gene was still holding Lisa's hand. They sat there quietly just absorbing the presence of the other. The silence was soothing.

(Well, that's the end of this one. I was originally planning on finishing my Monkees Fanfiction first, but I just got so caught up in this story. The song is The Day the World Turned Blue, the video accompanying it is from a documentary called The Rock and Roll Singer filmed in 1969 during a tour of the United Kingdom. It's on YouTube if you're interested in watching it, it's pretty interesting if you like Gene Vincent. [type in "gene vincent, rock and roll singer, 1969" and it should pop up] I researched a lot for this story. I had his fan page opened almost all the time. This chapter ended up a lot longer than I expected. In real life, at this point Gene Vincent died of a ruptured stomach ulcer caused by his alcoholism and addiction to pain pills. I wonder if he would have made a comeback had he not died, musically he last three albums were pretty good [this may be pretty bias since he's one of my favorite singers]. He really was trying for a come back he never managed to get. By that time rock and roll had really suffered, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper all died in a plane crash, Eddie Cochran died in a car crash, Sam Cooke was shot under questionable circumstances, Johnny Burnette drowned in a boating accident, and the years afterward wouldn't be at all kind to the genre either. Rock and roll might not be the most popular genre of music right now, but as Danny and the Juniors said rock and roll is here to stay. I think I'm gonna do an Everly Brother's Fanfiction next.)