THE BIG DEAL: PART 3
“Sweet’s borrowing my room.” Haze blew smoke out of his nostrils.
“I figured he might be. Don’t worry; I’ll be a good boy tonight.” He smiled sleepily.
“Do whatever you want. You don’t have to try and look clean just ‘cause I am.”
“Don’t get all touchy. I was being nice.”
“Leave me alone.” Cherry shuffled over to Sweet’s bed and sat on the corner of it, like she was unsure whether she should be there or not. She wished it was Haze she was trading with…
“What’s wrong, Cher?” He tapped his cigarette on the edge of an almost-full ashtray. Cherry glared at him and looked through her bag, ignoring the question.
“Hey. Don’t ignore me. C’mon, Cherry.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Haze extinguished the stub of cigarette and frowned sternly at her, like her father used to. She shook her head, then rested it in her palms. He sat down beside her and put his hand on her shoulder. She flinched.
“I won’t tell a soul. C’mon.”
“How the hell do I know that?”
“Cherry, we’re bandmates!” Cherry stared at him, as Sweet’s words from earlier rang in her ears. Her blue eyes began to sting and fill with tears.
“Shit… Come on, Cherry, don’t cry!” He hugged her close as her tears stung her face, sniffling and gasping into Haze’s shoulder.
“Tell me what’s wrong. It’ll be okay. Shh…”
“I-It’s not going to be okay a-at all!” Cherry yelled, hitting her fist against the bassist’s shoulder and sobbing. Haze paused for a moment.
“It’s about him… Isn’t it?” Haze asked. Cherry’s face flushed, and she turned away.
“Who?”
“Sweet.” Cherry trembled, wiping her eyes.
“W-Why do you s-say t-that? I-I m-mean… I-It could b-be… Anything,” she swallowed, “O-Or anyone!”
“Shh… Come on, Cherry, it’s obvious.” She scowled a little. “D’you want a drink?”
“O-Okay.” Cherry took slow, deep breaths as Haze rummaged for something in the mini-fridge.
“Not much to pick from… sorry.” He handed her a bottle. To her, it didn’t smell like booze. It was just Sweet. Everything was. She took big gulps of it as her tears slowed, though she hated the taste. She just wanted to feel like maybe he was closer to her. Like Blueberry would be right now. Maybe things would go right for them, and maybe she would be forever.
Cherry choked a little as her tears returned. She felt dizzy; this stuff was strong and she was already feeling nauseated beforehand. Haze pulled the bottle away from her and sighed.
“You’ll make yourself sick.” He warned, “Or you’re going to choke.” He put his arm around her. “Just tell me what’s wrong.” Cherry sniffed and shook her head.
“I’m really ugly, aren’t I?” she sniffed. “Somethin’s gotta be wrong with me, Haze.”
“What?” Haze frowned.
“C-Cause… S-She must be better than me. Prettier. Something. What is it, Haze? Just tell me.”
“You’re not making sense, Cherry-“
“Blueberry! What’s she got, Haze? Do you like her, too? I don’t. S-She can’t even sing! O-Or anything! Is it because she doesn’t play a big ugly instrument like me? W-What does she have that I don’t!?”
“Cherry, I don’t think it’s like that-“
“I-It is too! W-Why’s he love her? Did he tell you? What is it?”
“Cherry, he’s got needs, too… I mean it doesn’t mean he loves her…”
“What about my needs?” she cried. “I need him! W-Why… W-Why can’t… can’t he…” She was crying so hard that she couldn’t speak.
“Shh, Cherry, someone’s going to wonder what’s happening…” He rubbed her back with his palm. She took quick, shallow breaths, hugging her knees.
“I-I… I love him, Haze… I-I can’t… can’t help it.”
“I know you do, kid. Shh… You’ve got to tell him.”
“Bu-But I…”
The door swung open.
“Haze, what’s going on in here?” A slightly tousled Sweet asked from the doorway. Cherry covered her face and ran to the bathroom.
“I figured he might be. Don’t worry; I’ll be a good boy tonight.” He smiled sleepily.
“Do whatever you want. You don’t have to try and look clean just ‘cause I am.”
“Don’t get all touchy. I was being nice.”
“Leave me alone.” Cherry shuffled over to Sweet’s bed and sat on the corner of it, like she was unsure whether she should be there or not. She wished it was Haze she was trading with…
“What’s wrong, Cher?” He tapped his cigarette on the edge of an almost-full ashtray. Cherry glared at him and looked through her bag, ignoring the question.
“Hey. Don’t ignore me. C’mon, Cherry.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Haze extinguished the stub of cigarette and frowned sternly at her, like her father used to. She shook her head, then rested it in her palms. He sat down beside her and put his hand on her shoulder. She flinched.
“I won’t tell a soul. C’mon.”
“How the hell do I know that?”
“Cherry, we’re bandmates!” Cherry stared at him, as Sweet’s words from earlier rang in her ears. Her blue eyes began to sting and fill with tears.
“Shit… Come on, Cherry, don’t cry!” He hugged her close as her tears stung her face, sniffling and gasping into Haze’s shoulder.
“Tell me what’s wrong. It’ll be okay. Shh…”
“I-It’s not going to be okay a-at all!” Cherry yelled, hitting her fist against the bassist’s shoulder and sobbing. Haze paused for a moment.
“It’s about him… Isn’t it?” Haze asked. Cherry’s face flushed, and she turned away.
“Who?”
“Sweet.” Cherry trembled, wiping her eyes.
“W-Why do you s-say t-that? I-I m-mean… I-It could b-be… Anything,” she swallowed, “O-Or anyone!”
“Shh… Come on, Cherry, it’s obvious.” She scowled a little. “D’you want a drink?”
“O-Okay.” Cherry took slow, deep breaths as Haze rummaged for something in the mini-fridge.
“Not much to pick from… sorry.” He handed her a bottle. To her, it didn’t smell like booze. It was just Sweet. Everything was. She took big gulps of it as her tears slowed, though she hated the taste. She just wanted to feel like maybe he was closer to her. Like Blueberry would be right now. Maybe things would go right for them, and maybe she would be forever.
Cherry choked a little as her tears returned. She felt dizzy; this stuff was strong and she was already feeling nauseated beforehand. Haze pulled the bottle away from her and sighed.
“You’ll make yourself sick.” He warned, “Or you’re going to choke.” He put his arm around her. “Just tell me what’s wrong.” Cherry sniffed and shook her head.
“I’m really ugly, aren’t I?” she sniffed. “Somethin’s gotta be wrong with me, Haze.”
“What?” Haze frowned.
“C-Cause… S-She must be better than me. Prettier. Something. What is it, Haze? Just tell me.”
“You’re not making sense, Cherry-“
“Blueberry! What’s she got, Haze? Do you like her, too? I don’t. S-She can’t even sing! O-Or anything! Is it because she doesn’t play a big ugly instrument like me? W-What does she have that I don’t!?”
“Cherry, I don’t think it’s like that-“
“I-It is too! W-Why’s he love her? Did he tell you? What is it?”
“Cherry, he’s got needs, too… I mean it doesn’t mean he loves her…”
“What about my needs?” she cried. “I need him! W-Why… W-Why can’t… can’t he…” She was crying so hard that she couldn’t speak.
“Shh, Cherry, someone’s going to wonder what’s happening…” He rubbed her back with his palm. She took quick, shallow breaths, hugging her knees.
“I-I… I love him, Haze… I-I can’t… can’t help it.”
“I know you do, kid. Shh… You’ve got to tell him.”
“Bu-But I…”
The door swung open.
“Haze, what’s going on in here?” A slightly tousled Sweet asked from the doorway. Cherry covered her face and ran to the bathroom.