Lilly is sitting at her old church picking at the same piano keys she played about 15 years ago in front of her first audience. “Stomach scrapes the rusty pavement. Claws are out trying, trying to tame it.” She starts playing the first few notes of Animal Love II by Charlene Kaye. Lilly only means to play a few measures, but gets carried away after the 1st line. As she finishes a voice startles her, “I thought you ran away,” Lilly looks behind her to see a guy silhouette standing in a doorway. “I did,” she replies as she turns and looks down at the keys. “I did run away, but we all have to come back someday to show our family that what we have become.” She starts hearing the steps come closer to her. “Still into the music, huh? Thought we got it through your head that you will be nothing in that business, Came back to Illinois to live with your parents because you’re broke?” Lilly finally recognizes the voice. “Jack? What are you doing here? And no, Starkid just got done with our tour and we have the whole group until next week so I wanted to show them how I lived.” “Can’t a guy come to church, and how many people were at your shows, 10?” He replies sliding onto the piano bench beside Lilly. Lilly gets off the bench and walks down the steps to a chair. “Still afraid of me,” Jack asks her. Lilly waits awhile to answer before replying, “Not really, but it’s more of my past with you coming back.” “Ah, that past,” Jack is now whispering in her ear, “you have to admit, what we had then was priceless.” “No Jack, I was alone and just wanted someone. We were nothing.” Lilly tells him as she gets up and starts walking around the familiar surroundings. “Admit it, you want me.” Jack tells Lilly while cornering her. “Jack, stop please,” Lilly tries telling him as he’s trying to make-out with her. “Lilly, are you in he- What the hell is going on!” Lilly hears a voice she knows by heart. “Darren! Oh thank god you’re here! I swear this is nothing! Jack keeps trying to do things to me, I swear it’s nothing! Please believe me.” “No, screw it. I’m leaving. You can come back when you’re done screwing around with other guys!” Darren yells at her as he storms out of the church. What Darren told Lilly really shocked her, “Look what you done! You and your stupid head did this! I was finally happy and you come and ruin all of it!” Lilly is screaming at Jack while tears are running down her face. Lilly slips out of Jack’s grasp and starts running towards the parking lot.
When she gets to the parking lot Darren’s car isn’t there, Lilly slips out her phone and dials a number she knows by heart. 1 ring, 2 rings, 3 rings, “come on Darren please answer me.” It stops at 5 rings and she thinks Darren finally picked up because she hear a deep breath from him, but instead he hangs up and she gets his voicemail. Lilly doesn’t bother leaving a message because she knows at this point he won’t listen to it. Lilly only knows one other person who will answer. “Joey,” Lillian is trying to say between her sobs, “Can you please come pick me up. Darren left.” Joey tells Lilly he’ll be there soon. Lilly sits down on the curb and starts reading a book. Finally after what seems like hours Joey pulls up and gets the door for Lilly. “Alright tell me everything,” Joey tells her right off the bat. Lilly tries explaining as best as she can. “Give Darren a few hours, he’ll cool down by then. I’ll give him a call in a minute to talk it out with him.” Lilly gets nervous when Joey mentions he’s going to call Darren when she’s in the car, but she figures it’s whatever and hopes Joey knows what he’s doing.
