“Okay.” Well I guess the tweet got back to Symmetry already? So much for my job.
“Cynda?”
“Yes, sir.”
“What the hell is going on? I got a call from Rod Dixon about you stealing songs from Raining Chaos? You were supposed to be writing them, not stealing them.”
“I wasn’t stealing.”
“Well it’s all over the twitterverse you were. Or at least a songwriter from our record company. You’re damn lucky she didn’t use your name.”
“I know, believe me, I know. But I wasn’t stealing their songs. Will you let me explain or are you just going to fire me?”
“Explain.”
“Chaos was working on a new song on the bus. I heard it and started making notes on lyrics. One of the backup singers thought I was trying to take it for myself since it was in a private notebook, but that’s where I make my notes. I don’t need to steal their music, why would I?”
“To sell it to other bands?”
“But you said their music wasn’t good enough and that’s why you needed me to write the songs.”
“Yes, but…never mind. I can’t have the company being dragged through the news like this. It’s everywhere today, every news station picked up the story.”
“Are you firing me?”
“I’m considering it, but if what you say is true, then it was a misunderstanding and maybe we can do enough damage control. I’ll get back to you.”
“Okay. Bye.” He’d already disconnected the line. Sitting up in bed I pushed my hair back, and yawned. The throbbing in my head sounded like a base drum. Was it from the alcohol, the crying or both? I didn’t know and I wasn’t sure I cared either. Seeing my face in the mirror was a surprise. My lips were puffy and swollen, my right eye had a huge black and blue bruise under it, and my neck had rows of scratches. Damn, so did my arms. Lovely. I hope she looked worse.
I found more bruises in the shower, on my back and shoulder and right thigh. Ouch. I was going to feel these for a few days. Along with the hickies from Chaos I was covered in little purple bruises. Great, just freakin’ great. I’d really hoped to wake up feeling better, but no such luck. At least since I looked this bad, no one would realize my eyes were red and swollen from crying.
The coffee just finished and I was pouring my first cup when Michelle came to find me. “Morning.”
“Morning. Who the hell was on the phone?”
“The record company.”
“Oh shit. How’d that go?” she asked as she poured a cup of coffee and sat at the table.
“I don’t know yet. At least he listened to my side. Apparently dickman is the one who tipped him off about the tweets. I don’t think he saw the picture though, he didn’t say anything about that. He only asked about the song shit. All the news channels talked about it this morning.”
“Fuck. That bitch sure did a number on you.”
I nodded, getting up to refill my cup. I didn’t know if there was enough coffee in the world to make me feel alive today. “She sure did. I hope she looks just as pretty too.”
Michelle laughed. “Me too. I wonder how she’ll cover it up for the show tonight.”
“I should care about that, huh? Too bad I don’t. I don’t even want to think about Raining Chaos. If I never hear the name again it will be too damn soon.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Because you were calling Trent’s name and crying on and off all night. I thought you were awake the first time.”
“I was?” Sighing, I shook my head. It figured, he wouldn’t be easy to erase from my heart or my head. Would it even be possible? Or maybe I’d have to live with this hole in my heart for the rest of my life.
“Yeah, it scared the shit out of me the first time. I’d just fallen asleep and I heard you screaming. I went running in there and you were out cold.”
