Five Minutes

Gonna Raise Hell

The outside air would've been otherwise pleasant had smoke not been wafting into Ralston's nostrils.

Tim, Veronica's father, trudged outside for a smoke to cool down, and Ralston thought the wise thing to do was accompany him. He wasn't a smoker; he wanted to be certain that the man's rage wouldn't spiral upward. Even though it was justified.

Tim took a long drag of his cigarette.

Ralston wasn't even sure what to say to terminate the tension. He stood alongside Tim awkwardly, with a half emptied bottle of beer in his grasp.

Tim was blowing the smoke in the other direction, but the scent it was too strong to be ignored. Ralston had always hated that stench. Like he was standing next to a human sized ashtray.

"You know," Tim started, "I saw a viral video of you."

"What video?"

"The video of you beating the shit out of Daniel," Tim said. "I never liked that guy. I was glad you did. Now I wish I could do it myself. I would have done more than punch him. It's a shame those security guys stopped you."

Ralston didn't say anything; he watched Tim take another drag of his cigarette.

"I never wanted Ronnie to do that movie."

"Why didn't you say anything to her?" Ralston asked.

"She wouldn't have listened to me," Tim replied. "I tried to encourage her with her career, but I would've preferred she do something else. Anything else."

Ralston could understand why. For someone who grew up outside of the industry and didn't exhibit the behaviour of a stage parent, having a child in entertainment industry probably sounded like a nightmare.

"It's too late now though," Tim added.

Another stream of silence hovered as Tom smoked and Ralston drank his beer. Ralston wanted to say something optimistic about the situation, but he those hopeful words would be false, empty of any sincerity.

Tim was the one who began to speak again. "You know, you're a good kid, Ral."

Ralston stared at him with surprise. "I don't know if that's true. I've... done a lot of stupid things."

"You're still better than most," Tim said. "I couldn't have asked for a better son-in-law. You'd do anything for Ronnie, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah, I would," Ralston replied.

"That makes you a good kid."

Did it? If he were a good person, he would have visited Veronica on set more. He would have been there at the after party. She wouldn't have been left alone. He would have taken action against the abuse in the entertainment industry. But he didn't. Like any other actor or director, he worked with anyone regardless of their alleged past. He never questioned his decency or morality. But wasn't being an idle bystander just as bad as an enabler? What use was it if the acts of good were only performed when one was directly impacted by the negative?

But he smiled meekly at Tim anyway. "Thanks,"  he said. He wasn't perfect. He was trying. It was better than those who didn't try at all.

________

She stood across from her mother at the island, unsure what to say. Her mother had calmed down following her breakdown. But now her actions were subdued. And Veronica kept glancing up at her, trying to gouge emotion.

"Do you want anything to eat?" her mother asked. "Are you thirsty? Maybe some whiskey? Or coffee. I could get you coffee."

"Don't act like this," Veronica said.

"What am I acting like?"

"You're acting like you don't know what to say to me." She knew that her mother was upset but she didn't want what happened to her to impact their relationship.

"Because I don't know what to say," her mother admitted.

"We haven't seen each other in months. Ask me how I am or ask me what I've been up to."

"How are you so calm about this?"

She let out a small breath and lowered her eyes to the counter, her eyes following the marble pattern. "I'm not," she said. "I was really messed up after it happened. Ask Ralston.  Everyone noticed something was wrong with me." She stared back at her mother. "But then I realized wallowing and feeling sorry for myself wasn't going to get me anywhere."

Her mother only stared at her, her eyes full of grief and sadness, making Veronica wish she hadn't said anything at all. But that hadn't been fair to her parents and she knew it. She'd done the right thing opening up to them. Just another band aid she was ripping off.

"I know I should have told you a lot sooner." She felt like she was repeating too much, though she really did sense remorse omitting it for so long. Not just omitting. Plainly ignoring. "Telling anyone... was hard. It took me months to tell Ral."

"It's okay," her mother, placing a consoling hand on top of Shelley's. "But do you promise you'll really fight back? You'll try to put him behind bars?"

She might have been too afraid to do it for herself, but she needed to commit for her parents. And all the victims who never did share their voices. Who were scared or threatened into silence. "I promise," she said.

Her mother smiled. It was a smile of sadness; the devastation still glinted in her eyes. She hugged Veronica tightly.

She would keep her promise. That was one thing she was now sure of.