The Demons We Found

2.9 January 29, 2007

Mike said that Jaime showed up to band practice this Friday.

He also said that he looked like shit.

I was sitting on Mike's living room floor with Linds while he was in the bathroom. We were laughing together and trying to imitate the face that was frozen on the television screen. It was a mutilated zombie so we were both failing miserably, but amusing ourselves.

Vic came in the front door, "Mike!"

"He's in the bathroom." Lindsey shouted back. She sent me a nervous look. Vic sounds angry; I've only heard his voice fill with true venom like this a handful of times, but it doesn't end pretty.

Footsteps came pounding over to us. Vic looked furious. More than I had ever seen him. He took off own the hallway towards the bedrooms, "Mike!"

"Hang on a second I'm- hey get out of here!" Mike wasn't happy when Vic pried open the bathroom door. Neither of us girls could see anything, but it still felt a little weird for me. I guess Linds has seen it all before, but I haven't. I don't want to.

"Fucking Guitar Center." Vic said hotly.

"What about it?" I heard Mike turn on the sink and start to wash his hands.

"I went to pick up that chromatic you dropped off." Vic roared.

Mike sighed, "Yeah, and?"

"Fucking Manuelo Rivera gave it back to me." Vic finally finished his story.

Mike came out of the bathroom, wiping his hands on his black skinny jeans. "And?"

Vic looked back at me, "She was hysterical when she called me. I didn't know she was serious. You fucking knew."

Lindsey threw her hands into the ring, "Wait- your dad? Who knew what? When did your dad come back into the picture?"

I sighed, "He works with Tony. Mike saw him two weeks ago."

"Why the hell didn't Tony say anything?" She asked. While Vic looked angry, Linds was just scared. I saw the panic floating around under her pale eyes as she looked me over, trying to find some of the panic that I was trying my best to hide.

"He doesn't know what my dad looks like. I only told Jaime a week ago about any of it. That's why he dumped me." I told her. She had been bothering me about what happened and I had been avoiding it altogether. I didn't want the pity that's inevitable with a story like this.

"He did dump you? It's official?" She looked sad.

"Yeah, no, that would require him to speak to me. I can take a hint though." I assured both of us. "I've got his stuff in the back of my rental car. I'm going to go over there after this movie and drop it off."

"Mike!" Vic shouted again. His voice shook me and Linds loose of our conversation.

"What? You told me that Mariella called you. You knew." He defended himself. Mike was the more passive of the two and while he would be the first to defend me, I think he now understands how it's easy for an alcoholic to hurt someone without trying. Mike understands more than anyone that I'm in no danger aside from my own mind,

Vic was still seething with rage. "I didn't fucking know. She was irrational when she called me."

I was indignant. "I wasn't irrational. I think it was a panic attack. Tone said it sounded like the ones he used to get a few years ago."

"Mariella-" Vic's voice fell away. "Can I talk to you?"

"You are talking to me." I told him dumbly.