Falling Down(78)

"Meggie!"
"Meggie!" my mother shouts. "Oh, this makes me happy. Very happy. Meggie is a good girl. Weird and a bit rude but a good girl."
I laugh. "I agree."
"Who is your drummer?" my dad asks.
"Brace yourself."
"We're braced."
"Trace Styx."
"Oh! Joey is going to be crazy."
"I know, which is why I'm holding off telling him until we all get a chance to know Trace a little better."
"I can understand that," my dad says. "Ah, your mother is opening her wine."
"Oh boy. I'll talk to you as soon as I know anything about the press conference."
"You better," my mother shouts from across the room.
"Love you mama."
"Love you mom," Sera says.
"Hmm. Of course you do. I love you too."
"Thanks daddy."
"You're welcome, my babies."
"Love you daddy."
"Love you dad."
"Love you too. We'll talk soon. Your mother has two bottles of red open and breathing. It's going to be a long night."
"Have fun, dad."
I hang up and Sera plugs her ears as does Frank. They motion for everyone else to do the same and Max rolls up the privacy window.
"PRESS FUCKING CONFERENCE! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME! Motherf*cking cocksuckers!"
I lean forward and put my head between my knees taking deep soothing breaths. Jesse rubs circles on my back.
"You okay, Luce?"
"Do I look okay, Jace?"
"No, actually."
"Well, there you f*cking go then, huh?"
"Whoa," Jesse says chuckling.
"Laugh it up rocker boy. You're not the one on the press chopping block."
"It really can't be that bad," Ben says.
I sit straight up as if a spring was released and Sera cringes.
"It can't? Really?" I screech. "Well, it just so happens that I have my laptop packed so I'll let you see what my press conferences are like and I wasn't even f*cking the guy they were accusing me of f*cking! We barely knew one another. We had three scenes together in a movie and we were rehearsing lines outside. We were laughing and just having fun sitting under a tree while rehearsing. Somehow that equated to a relationship that included sex--all kinds of sex because said actor was seriously into the kink. I'm not into that shit! And even if I were, it wouldn’t be with him of all people! He's a nice guy but I've heard where his dick has been and there is no going near that shit. Ever."
Sera shudders as she names the celebrity.
"Dude," Jace says.
"I know, right? As if that's going to happen. I need a minute."
Head between knees. Breathe. Air in. Air out. Air in. Air out. Air in. Air out.
"What makes it worse for Lucy is--well, Jesse you know how she was both times she met you?"
"Frozen and speechless?"
"Yeah. Well, imagine frozen, not quite speechless, but if she doesn't have notecards she's f*cked. So picture her on a podium giving a conference and the Santa Ana's being really strong that day."
"Oh hell," Ben says.
"Mhmm. Sweaty palms. Sweaty upper lip and forehead. Hyperventilating. Mumbling. Rambling. Saying things that made no sense and some things that made things ten times worse. It was brutal. And knowing she was in that state, they kept on badgering her. We were young and they abused her vulnerability."
I raise my hand and Sera and Frank plug their ears. I tick off one, two, three fingers.
"Asshole f*cker shit ass bitch sonofabitchin' motherf*ckers!"
"Major potty mouth when she's pissed, eh?" Ben asks.
"Caught that, did ya?" Sera asks.