Even Now

Chapter 4: Madman Across The Water

March 8, 1993: Seattle, WA, USA

The flight home is long and painful.

Jerry sleeps through most of it, counting the minutes until he's back home in Seattle... mostly because he's trying to avoid the issue of Layne.

Why the hell does he have to get married so soon?

It's not like Jerry didn't know that this day was coming. He'd been there when they'd picked their venue. Cute little place.
He'd been there when Layne had decided to propose to Demri.
He just wished he'd been at that party in '88 to stop the two from ever meeting each other.

Something about Demri just rubbed Jerry the wrong way.
Why was she always so "artsy" and "cutesy," effortlessly beautiful and fashionable as fuck?
Layne was, and of course still is, a sucker for it all. He practically worships her.

Demri was the kind of girl you'd fall in love with immediately. Jerry knew this because Layne, a rather 'timid' guy, had confided in Jerry that he'd been confidently committed to Demri since the start. And although Demri was cheating on him with a few guys here and there back home, as well as the fact that Layne was sleeping with multiple bimbos while on tour, the two pushed on with their joke of a relationship.

And, yes, Jerry knows he's not one to talk. But still, who wouldn't jump at the chance to judge something like that?

Demri had always been a terrible influence on Layne. She'd definitely been the one to introduce him to heroin. It was her fault... it had to be, with her flimsy nature and addictive personality.

Did she know how many times Layne would get high before a show because of her? Did she know how many times Layne had gotten high and complained about her to Jerry, who'd been forced to sit there and listen to him drone on and on about her?
And it went without saying that she was a cheating, lying, gold-digging bitch who just wanted to trap Layne in a loveless marriage to drain him of drug money until one of them eventually overdosed.

But, of course, Jerry had to support Layne anyway. Even though it was immensely frustrating.
What did he see in this girl, really?

***

The plane lands with a jolt. Jerry is shaken awake, frantically searching the cabin with wide eyes for some sign of what woke him.
Eyes turned to the window, he sees a blur of dark pavement.
They're home.
And, of course, it's raining.

Good ol' Seattle.

He supports his face with his hand, elbow on the windowsill as he looks out.
Oh. And there's his girlfriend, Courtney. Waiting patiently for him next to the runway, with Demri beside her, and Layne's mom, Nancy.

Shit.

How many girls had he cheated on her with this time, she'd ask him.

Why did that waitress have to give him, like, a dozen hickies?

Fuck. If only he'd remembered to buy her something, a souvenir from the tour, to stall her imminent jealousy and anger for a while.

The plane eventually comes to a stop, and Jerry stands, reaching for the overhead compartment to retrieve his bag. He exchanges a look with Sean, who shrugs. Jerry grits his teeth, dreading his impending conversation with Courtney.

Holy fucking hell, he keeps thinking over and over again in his head.

With Layne's wedding coming up (he's still not used to thinking about that), Courtney was going to make a big fucking deal about him finally "settling down" with her.