DAMAGED

COURT

She was asleep against me with her legs shoved between mine. I couldn't understand how she was comfortable or how I was. She appeared to be all sharp angles usually but folded up and invading my space there wasn't an angle on her body. I sighed at the very hushed sound of her snore. I knew what was coming; I couldn't pretend that our odd behavior wouldn't warrant rumors. My brother and I did well with the shows and the record sales but she was myth and mystery, everyone wanted a piece of her. I didn't know anyone who didn't know her story now that I knew who she was. I vaguely even remembered some art house film about her parents. She existed as what she was supposed to be but maybe the girl trying to cover herself in clear plastic like it would help was who she was. I didn't want to pretend to be her friend who wanted more, I was determined to be her friend if nothing else. The way she would fall asleep with the descriptions of my perfectly ordinary life as a thumb in her mouth, a security blanket under her chin surprised me. She wasn't wrong, woman in age or not she was still very much a girl.

The sound of brakes with the flash of headlights in the window let me know everyone was back. The second day was never like the first, this time the shells of former musicians would drag themselves through the door and into any bed available. There were no late night jams sessions over a dozen packs of cigarettes with the hotel lamps a glimmer in empty beer bottles. Tonight it would be more like The Walking Dead than anything else. I buried my head into my pillow and pulled my arm back against my body. She shot a hand out, dragging her palm across the sheets before going still again. I couldn't help it, I put my arm back around her because she had looked for it when it was gone. I closed my eyes and pretended that I was anywhere else.

***

"Get up brother! Rise and Shine young prince." I groaned into the ball of pillow beneath my head. I swung an arm out trying to slap his face or arm or whatever I could reach. He always did this, woke me up with our mother's words. It was irritating and familiar.

"Fuck off!" The words were more of a growl. I moved slowly trying to stretch my body out until I hit skin. The skin hit me back. My eyes flashed open and all I could see was tangled blonde hair with splashes of color peeking up from sheets. Casey laughed to the side of me before letting out a low whistle. He did that when absolutely everything was about to hit the fan. The last time he had whistled like that I was getting arrested in a bar fight. I hated that damn whistle. I pulled the pillow out from under my head and threw it behind me.

"Missed." I groaned at his smug tone.

The bed bounced up again with the addition of a third party. I opened my eyes to the sun and Kat's head again but there was another head with candy apple red hair. I shut my eyes and waited for her to wake Kat.

"Lady, you better get your ass up and see if you can outrun the talk this time. We have to pack up anyways you have that phone interview in two hours so coffee is a must. Get up, okay." Harper was light tones and contained happiness. They were like night and day in difference.

"Why I am running? Is it Monday?" Kat murmured from her cocoon of sheets. I sat up and waited for her to freak out but Harper was all smiles.

"No idiot, not like really running." Harper shook her head before bouncing off the bed to the scattering of bags and suitcases. Kat sent one arm out and then a leg. Watching her wake up was like watching a chicken bust out of its egg. She yawned and toppled back over. I touched the back of her arm. She went still.

"If you get up I will buy you more granola than you can fit in an ice bucket." I waited while she remained motionless.

"Donuts. Gross sugary donuts and a gallon of coffee better be the only things in that ice bucket. I will owe you my life if you get me those two things. My head is a bass drum, thump.thump.thump." Her voice faded with each thump until it was just breathing.