Adeline Street, chapter 13
Dust settles on a backroad
In the middle of Nowhere, USA
Sit on the front porch in a daze
It's just another day
I paused my pencil and closed my eyes. I rememberd what it was like back home. The smell of the cotton as the combines sucked it up. A musty smell that was made worse by the humidity of Mississippi summers. I hated it. But you can take the girl out of the south, but you can't take the south out of the girl.
I was sitting in the grass in the backyard a couple of months later with my composition book and a pencil and my guitar.
A day in the life
Of a soul with hopes and dreams
Only hopes and dreams
Where nothing's truly
As it seems
The dust falls on the dreams
Totally true, I thought to myself. I was shaken from my thoughts by Joey coming in the backyard.
"Dad said it's time to go."
I got up and walked in the house.
"Got a new song?" he asked eagerly.
"Always. Thinking of breaking it out next Friday." Friday was my show in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. My first show of my 2nd tour.
I got in the car with Billie, and we headed toward the doctor's office. This was my final once a week check-up, and Jesus, was I happy. I had gained some of my weight back, and I looked healthier. And my eating habits were 98% back to normal.
"What's that you have been working on all day?" Billie asked.
"Just a little walk down memory lane," I sighed. He laughed.
We reached the doctor's, and I got my check-up.
"106. Not bad. Not bad at all. I'm proud of you," Dr. Taylor smiled. "Now you won't have to see me again until next month."
"And I couldn't be happier," I smiled. We always picked at each other.
We drove home with the radio blaring Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". I felt like I was on Wayne's World or something, but it was fucking awesome. We were laughing the whole time so it sounded like shit. Freddy Mercury would have rolled over in his grave, but we had so much fun. I was ready for a new tour and a new life to unfold.
I played a quarter of a set with no problems. There were more people and wider age groups than when I first toured. People from 13 to 30 were moshing and screaming. It was amazing. But there was one fan who I couldn't keep my eye off of. She wasn't moshing or screaming. She was trying to talk to a friend who was enjoying herself immensely, but she couldn't get a word in. I finished "Silence Kills" and watched her for a second. She shoved her friend, who turned around and looked at her, completely shocked.
"Hey!" I yelled at her. She looked up. The place went almost silent.
"Yeah?" she asked snottily.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"What do you mean?"
"You just shoved her. What's up?"
"I did it cuz you suck."
The place started getting tensed up.
I cocked an eyebrow. "Where are you from?"
"None of your fucking business."
"Don't know where that is, so I'm gonna ask you to be more specific. Where the fuck are you from?"
"Toronto, Canada!"
"So let me get this straight- you spent $145 for a ticket, about $1000 for a plane ticket, and took your fucking time just to see a concert of a person you think sucks!? Did I get that right?"
She just stared.
"Man they're right about you Canadians. You're fucking stupid."
The crowd screamed.
"Why don't you come down here and say that to me!?"
"Why don't you come up here so I can say it to you!?"
She climbed over the rail. I told Chief to let her up. I threw off my guitar and walked over to her, away from the mike.
"You ready for me to say it again? You're fucking stupid!"
She belted me across the face, and I stumbled. I jumped back and the fight began. No slapping, no hair pulling. Balled fists and knees were all we needed. She was on top of me, beating me within an inch of consciousness. I felt my anger and adrineline build up, and I flipped her over off of me and started kicking and punching the shit out of her. The security guards, Billie, Mike, and Tre, were all on the stage, trying to get me off of her. After I stopped for a second, I recognized her. Jody.
I had met her online before I came to Oakland on a message board. She has always been a fucking bitch. When I figured out who she was, I wanted to hurt her even more. Chief had her around the stomach and Billie, Mike, and Tre were all holding me back. I charged again as did she, but we couldn't get loose. They carried us off the stage, one to the left and one to the right. I saw Chief take her out of the fire exit. Serves you right, bitch.
Billie sat me down and got me a ice bag.
"I swear to God if it's not health, it's your attitude," he said, shoving the ice bag on my eye. My nose and lip were bleeding and bruises were forming all over my arms and stomach.
"I hope you know I'm finishing this concert," I said coolly. He looked at me and sighed.
"You know, you are so much like me it's too scary."
I smiled and took off the ice bag.
"Damn, that's gonna be a shiner," Billie said, laughing.
I nodded and got up, wiping the blood off my chin. I walked back out on the stage, and the roof blew off the building. You beat a bitch's ass and everyone loves you. Insanity.
"Sorry about that." I put my guitar on and retuned it. "People didn't come here for negativity. They came here for fucking music, Goddamnit." They cheered even louder. I finished the set with a tremendous response. By the end, my swollen eye had developed into a shiner, just as Billie had predicted it would. Chief climbed up on stage.
"Kayla, the cops wanna take you down town."
"What?"
"For the fight. Their fuzzy on the details cuz she lied about what happened."
I rolled my eyes. I nodded and he signaled to one of the cops. He cuffed me and walked me down the steps on the side of the stage. Billie peeked from backstage and gave me a "what's going on?" shrug. I just shrugged my shoulders back and turned around, walking out of the place with all eyes on me. People talking back and forth about why I was cuffed and walking out with a cop. He opened the door and pushed my head down, and I got in. As we were driving, I asked him what was this all about.
"Miss Coleman says that you hit her first. We've got one of our guys still at the show. If we need to, we're gonna grab a third witness."
I laid my head back against the seat. We arrived at the station, and we walked into a small office where the sherrif was sitting with Jody handcuffed in front of him.
"Please sit, Miss Stevens."
I did as I was told. Right next to Jody.
"So I understand you two had a dispute at a concert tonight."
"Because she's an idiot. And she was roughing up a fan."
"I am not an idiot."
"Paying about $3,000 dollars just to come see a show you don't like and to tell me I suck isn't idiotic? Why didn't you just stay your ass in Toronto?"
Jody jumped at me, but the cop held her down.
"Miss Stevens, that's enough. I'm gonna hold you two here tonight. Both of your bails will be set for $400. You have one phone call. Now get out of here."
The cop took each of us in each hand and led us to two cells. He let Jody use the phone first. I sat down on the bench in the cell and stared at the ground, feeling pride and anger. I wanted to smile, but didn't feel that proud.
The cop brought her back and took me to the pay phone. I dialed Billie's cell phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey. It's me. I've been arrested. You need to bail me out."
"Arrested!? For what?"
"I still don't fuckin' know, man, just come get me."
"How much?"
"$400."
"I'll be there in an hour." He hung up.
I put the phone back on the hook and walked back to my cell. I laid down on the bed and must have fallen asleep.
"Stevens! You're bail is here." The sherrif popped me on the shoe. I rubbed my eyes and looked up. Billie was laughing at me.
"What the hell's so funny?" I asked.
"You're a criminal," he laughed harder, bracing himself against the cell door.
I stood up and jabbed him a quick punch in the stomach as I walked by. He and I walked out to the car and went home. Billie explained the details of the fight to me from his perspective.
"Then you just went apeshit and flipped her and started pounding her. Man, that was cool!"
"What are you, 16?" I laughed.
"All I know is I'm not gonna piss you off," he said, pulling into the driveway.
"You better not," I laughed, getting out of the car and walking into the kitchen. As soon as I did, Adie accosted me.
"My God, I heard what happened. You look terrible."
"Thanks, Adie!" I smiled.
"You should see the other girl!" Billie said enthusiastically. Adie placed her hands on her hips and looked at him. "Sorry," he said softly.
"You need to go straight to bed and rest. You're gonna be sore tomorrow," she said, hugging me.
"Yeah, guess so. I'm pretty wiped." I hugged Billie and walked upstairs. Joey was on his way from the bathroom to his room.
"I heard about what happened! Heard you kicked her ass good!"
"Karma, baby."
He high-fived me, and we both went into our bedrooms. No sooner had I fallen on the bed, did I fall asleep.
In the middle of Nowhere, USA
Sit on the front porch in a daze
It's just another day
I paused my pencil and closed my eyes. I rememberd what it was like back home. The smell of the cotton as the combines sucked it up. A musty smell that was made worse by the humidity of Mississippi summers. I hated it. But you can take the girl out of the south, but you can't take the south out of the girl.
I was sitting in the grass in the backyard a couple of months later with my composition book and a pencil and my guitar.
A day in the life
Of a soul with hopes and dreams
Only hopes and dreams
Where nothing's truly
As it seems
The dust falls on the dreams
Totally true, I thought to myself. I was shaken from my thoughts by Joey coming in the backyard.
"Dad said it's time to go."
I got up and walked in the house.
"Got a new song?" he asked eagerly.
"Always. Thinking of breaking it out next Friday." Friday was my show in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. My first show of my 2nd tour.
I got in the car with Billie, and we headed toward the doctor's office. This was my final once a week check-up, and Jesus, was I happy. I had gained some of my weight back, and I looked healthier. And my eating habits were 98% back to normal.
"What's that you have been working on all day?" Billie asked.
"Just a little walk down memory lane," I sighed. He laughed.
We reached the doctor's, and I got my check-up.
"106. Not bad. Not bad at all. I'm proud of you," Dr. Taylor smiled. "Now you won't have to see me again until next month."
"And I couldn't be happier," I smiled. We always picked at each other.
We drove home with the radio blaring Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". I felt like I was on Wayne's World or something, but it was fucking awesome. We were laughing the whole time so it sounded like shit. Freddy Mercury would have rolled over in his grave, but we had so much fun. I was ready for a new tour and a new life to unfold.
I played a quarter of a set with no problems. There were more people and wider age groups than when I first toured. People from 13 to 30 were moshing and screaming. It was amazing. But there was one fan who I couldn't keep my eye off of. She wasn't moshing or screaming. She was trying to talk to a friend who was enjoying herself immensely, but she couldn't get a word in. I finished "Silence Kills" and watched her for a second. She shoved her friend, who turned around and looked at her, completely shocked.
"Hey!" I yelled at her. She looked up. The place went almost silent.
"Yeah?" she asked snottily.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"What do you mean?"
"You just shoved her. What's up?"
"I did it cuz you suck."
The place started getting tensed up.
I cocked an eyebrow. "Where are you from?"
"None of your fucking business."
"Don't know where that is, so I'm gonna ask you to be more specific. Where the fuck are you from?"
"Toronto, Canada!"
"So let me get this straight- you spent $145 for a ticket, about $1000 for a plane ticket, and took your fucking time just to see a concert of a person you think sucks!? Did I get that right?"
She just stared.
"Man they're right about you Canadians. You're fucking stupid."
The crowd screamed.
"Why don't you come down here and say that to me!?"
"Why don't you come up here so I can say it to you!?"
She climbed over the rail. I told Chief to let her up. I threw off my guitar and walked over to her, away from the mike.
"You ready for me to say it again? You're fucking stupid!"
She belted me across the face, and I stumbled. I jumped back and the fight began. No slapping, no hair pulling. Balled fists and knees were all we needed. She was on top of me, beating me within an inch of consciousness. I felt my anger and adrineline build up, and I flipped her over off of me and started kicking and punching the shit out of her. The security guards, Billie, Mike, and Tre, were all on the stage, trying to get me off of her. After I stopped for a second, I recognized her. Jody.
I had met her online before I came to Oakland on a message board. She has always been a fucking bitch. When I figured out who she was, I wanted to hurt her even more. Chief had her around the stomach and Billie, Mike, and Tre were all holding me back. I charged again as did she, but we couldn't get loose. They carried us off the stage, one to the left and one to the right. I saw Chief take her out of the fire exit. Serves you right, bitch.
Billie sat me down and got me a ice bag.
"I swear to God if it's not health, it's your attitude," he said, shoving the ice bag on my eye. My nose and lip were bleeding and bruises were forming all over my arms and stomach.
"I hope you know I'm finishing this concert," I said coolly. He looked at me and sighed.
"You know, you are so much like me it's too scary."
I smiled and took off the ice bag.
"Damn, that's gonna be a shiner," Billie said, laughing.
I nodded and got up, wiping the blood off my chin. I walked back out on the stage, and the roof blew off the building. You beat a bitch's ass and everyone loves you. Insanity.
"Sorry about that." I put my guitar on and retuned it. "People didn't come here for negativity. They came here for fucking music, Goddamnit." They cheered even louder. I finished the set with a tremendous response. By the end, my swollen eye had developed into a shiner, just as Billie had predicted it would. Chief climbed up on stage.
"Kayla, the cops wanna take you down town."
"What?"
"For the fight. Their fuzzy on the details cuz she lied about what happened."
I rolled my eyes. I nodded and he signaled to one of the cops. He cuffed me and walked me down the steps on the side of the stage. Billie peeked from backstage and gave me a "what's going on?" shrug. I just shrugged my shoulders back and turned around, walking out of the place with all eyes on me. People talking back and forth about why I was cuffed and walking out with a cop. He opened the door and pushed my head down, and I got in. As we were driving, I asked him what was this all about.
"Miss Coleman says that you hit her first. We've got one of our guys still at the show. If we need to, we're gonna grab a third witness."
I laid my head back against the seat. We arrived at the station, and we walked into a small office where the sherrif was sitting with Jody handcuffed in front of him.
"Please sit, Miss Stevens."
I did as I was told. Right next to Jody.
"So I understand you two had a dispute at a concert tonight."
"Because she's an idiot. And she was roughing up a fan."
"I am not an idiot."
"Paying about $3,000 dollars just to come see a show you don't like and to tell me I suck isn't idiotic? Why didn't you just stay your ass in Toronto?"
Jody jumped at me, but the cop held her down.
"Miss Stevens, that's enough. I'm gonna hold you two here tonight. Both of your bails will be set for $400. You have one phone call. Now get out of here."
The cop took each of us in each hand and led us to two cells. He let Jody use the phone first. I sat down on the bench in the cell and stared at the ground, feeling pride and anger. I wanted to smile, but didn't feel that proud.
The cop brought her back and took me to the pay phone. I dialed Billie's cell phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey. It's me. I've been arrested. You need to bail me out."
"Arrested!? For what?"
"I still don't fuckin' know, man, just come get me."
"How much?"
"$400."
"I'll be there in an hour." He hung up.
I put the phone back on the hook and walked back to my cell. I laid down on the bed and must have fallen asleep.
"Stevens! You're bail is here." The sherrif popped me on the shoe. I rubbed my eyes and looked up. Billie was laughing at me.
"What the hell's so funny?" I asked.
"You're a criminal," he laughed harder, bracing himself against the cell door.
I stood up and jabbed him a quick punch in the stomach as I walked by. He and I walked out to the car and went home. Billie explained the details of the fight to me from his perspective.
"Then you just went apeshit and flipped her and started pounding her. Man, that was cool!"
"What are you, 16?" I laughed.
"All I know is I'm not gonna piss you off," he said, pulling into the driveway.
"You better not," I laughed, getting out of the car and walking into the kitchen. As soon as I did, Adie accosted me.
"My God, I heard what happened. You look terrible."
"Thanks, Adie!" I smiled.
"You should see the other girl!" Billie said enthusiastically. Adie placed her hands on her hips and looked at him. "Sorry," he said softly.
"You need to go straight to bed and rest. You're gonna be sore tomorrow," she said, hugging me.
"Yeah, guess so. I'm pretty wiped." I hugged Billie and walked upstairs. Joey was on his way from the bathroom to his room.
"I heard about what happened! Heard you kicked her ass good!"
"Karma, baby."
He high-fived me, and we both went into our bedrooms. No sooner had I fallen on the bed, did I fall asleep.
