I'm The One (A Van Halen FanFic)

12

{1 month later; June 27, 1978}

It's been one month since Mary's big episode. I'm proud to say that she's been clean (well clean of hard drugs) since that night. Now she sticks to getting buzzed and smoking weed. However, she's been acting really distant since that day. I've been trying to get her to tell me what's wrong, but she's too hard-headed. 
"Hey Ed, Clark wants you to come look at your amps or something." Mary said to me in the doorway of the dressing room.
"Oh okay, thanks."
Mary nodded and proceeded to walk out.
"Wait, hold up, where are you going?" I asked, disappointment in my voice.
She turned back around and her face looked almost expressionless. "I don't want to sound like a bitch, but why does it matter where I'm going?"
I scoffed. "Well, I mean, you always hang out with me before I go onstage."
"Yeah, I know, but I-I dunno, it's kinda...hot in here." I could tell she was trying to think of an excuse.
"Ed, just let her go do what she wants." I heard Alex say softly. I forgot he was in here for the moment.
I sighed. "Okay...I'll see you after the show, babe."
"Break a leg you two." Mary wished us with a faint smile before walking off.
"What is her fucking problem, man?" I asked Alex.
He shrugged. "Well, she's been like this since The Night, correct?"
I nodded.
"Maybe she's embarrassed that you saw her like that, and she's just been weird."
"It's been a month Al. If she was embarrassed, it probably would've been only a couple of days."
He shrugged again and fumbled for a lighter in his pocket. "Some people process things differently." He lit his cigarette. "Or maybe that dream about her dad just fucked her up even more and she keeps hiding her feelings."
"Maybe...I just wish she would talk to me. I'm sick of this."
"Talk to her after the show. Give her no choice."
"That's what I'll have to do."
Mike now appeared in the doorway. "5 minutes till show, guys."

                       ******************
I opened the door to the RV. Laying on the couch was Mary, watching Happy Days and eating chips. I closed the door, and she didn't even look to see who it was.
"Hello? Earth to Mary." I stood right in front of her. She looked at me and waved slightly. I rolled my eyes and turned off the TV.
"Hey, what the hell Eddie?"
"We have to talk. Now."
"Can we talk after this episode? It was one of my favorites."
"No. We're talking now. Mary, I'm sick and tired of you acting so distant from me. I don't know if it's me that's causing you to be like this, or if it's still your dad, but I miss the Mary you used to be."
"People grieve in different ways, Ed." She said softly.
"Yes, I understand that. But most people try to get help so that the grieving process isn't as bad. If you need someone to talk to, you have so many people around you, babe. People who are willing to help you. I can get help for you. I can call-"
"I don't want help, Ed. I don't like to talk about things like this. And that night when I saw my dad in my drugged out dream, it proved to me that I deserve to live with the guilt. And I'm distant from you because you don't need the burden of me."
"Are you insane? You are not and have never been a burden. You've been a blessing."
"No, Ed. Don't tell me that. I've been selfish by staying with you guys."
"No! Stop saying this bullshit, Mary! Snap out of your haze! It's been two months since you found out your dad passed. Find a way to move on!"
"You can't tell me that. You don't know how it feels."
"You're right; I don't. But most people-"
"Yeah, most people do find a way! But I'm not most people, Eddie! I don't know how long it'll take me to stop grieving, so either you let me be, or dump me off somewhere, because I can't go back to being regular Mary! The game has changed..."
The whole time, she avoided looking at me. I stared at her for a moment, fuming, not knowing what to do.
I made my way to the door. "Fine, fine. You know what, Mary? If you were willing to talk about it, I wouldn't be so mad. But I have been by your fucking side since day one, and I'm very sorry that your dad is gone, and I feel bad for you, but after everything I've done for you, I think I at least deserve a god damn chat." And with that I slammed the door and walked back to the venue.

****************
"So, you know, there's a couch in the backstage dressing room if you wanna go back there.." I drunkenly mumbled to the girl standing next to me. She dumbly giggled and nodded her head. As we kissed, I felt a hand roughly grab my arm.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Alex angrily asked me.
"What the fuck are you doing, man?" I pulled my arm away.
"Hey, did you forget you have a girlfriend or are you just being a prick?"
"Mary and I aren't on the best of terms right now."
"So that means you can cheat on her with some skank?"
"Hey, Danielle is not a skank. She owns a jewelry store."
"Okay, well while you were locking lips with Danielle, your girlfriend Mary decided to leave."
"What?"
"I went in the RV to get another pack of cigarettes, and I noticed a letter sitting on the table." Alex pulled a folded up piece of paper out of his pocket. "And I noticed it had your name on it. I didn't read it, but I also noticed Mary was no where to be found. And I've looked everywhere."
I took the piece of paper from Alex's hand and looked back up at him with fear in my eyes...