"Tonight's been the biggest drag." Jetta rolled her eyes, stretching
out on the sofa of the hotel lounge and flicking through the magazine
with a
disinterested sigh. "This whole tour's been a waste of time for out of
hours
fun, Pizzazz...please tell me we're gonna do something tomorrow night?"
"I sure hope so, if our bassist don't go AWOL." Pizzazz glared at Roxy,
who was checking her reflection in her compact mirror. She glanced up
now, shrugging.
"Not my fault. I had a good time." she said carelessly, shutting
the compact with a snap.
Stormer stifled a yawn, curling up in her chair with the cushion.
"I'm so tired." she murmured. "It must be late..."
"'Alf twelve is all, love." Jetta glanced at her watch.
"It's been a long day, then." Stormer shrugged. "If you don't mind, I
think I'm gonna go to bed."
"Whatever." Pizzazz waved her away. "Do what you want." She sent Roxy
another glare. "Everyone else seems to."
"Ms Pelligrini? Phone call for you." The interruption of a hotel
employee prevented the bass player from making any retort, and she got
to her feet, trailing after the girl into the lobby where the main
phone was located.
"What now?" She wondered, scooping up the receiver. "Hello?"
"Hello, Roxanne."
Her heart chilled at the sound of his voice.
"Get lost. I don't want to talk to a creep like you." she snapped.
"Oh, I think you do...and you know you have to." Her uncle's voice held
an amused tone, but there was no disguising his threat. "I know you, my
girl, and how easily you get distracted, so I thought I'd remind you.
You have
a commitment to me, remember...and I shan't forget it, so don't you
forget
either."
"I'm not giving you anything." Roxy retorted.
"No?" There was a deep chuckle. "I think you will, Roxanne...after all,
you wouldn't want to end up like your poor mother now...would you?"
"You!" Roxy's heart skipped a beat. "It was you! You...you
who..."
"You'd never prove it." There was no worry at all in his voice. "It was
an accident, that's all. A nasty nasty accident. And I'm just giving
you a
warning...don't forget it, will you?"
There was a click and Roxy realised that her uncle had replaced the
phone on the hook. Slowly she followed suit, her mind racing.
So he had been lying, but only to a degree. Accident or not, he had
been involved in her mother's death, and his threats were only too
clear.
Despite herself, Roxy was frightened.
"Roxy, you okay?" Stormer passed her, pausing to take in her
expression. Roxy nodded.
"Yeah. Just...tired. I'm goin' to bed, don't bother me."
Roughly shoving her companion out of her way, she headed for the lift,
banging the buttons with more force than was necessary.
After gauging her band-mate's expression, Stormer decided to take the
stairs instead.
"I'll be glad when this tour is over, it's been nothing but chaos from
start to finish." she told herself as she got ready for bed, brushing
out
her long curls and tying it neatly back from her face as she slid
beneath
the covers. "Travelling with the Misfits is crazy at the best of times
but
Jetta's right - it's been no fun."
Stifling a yawn she reached up to douse the light, settling herself
more comfortably and closing her eyes.
"At least now I've time to myself and some peace." she mused drowsily.
"In this line of work that don't happen often..."
Somewhere in the distance she was aware of a door slamming and she knew
Roxy had indeed retreated to her own room also. A smile touched her
face. Ah well. Twenty-four hours more and they'd be moving on, leaving
Philadelphia far behind them. Surely then things would be okay?
It was gone three in the morning when Stormer next opened her eyes,
blearily reaching for the switch of the lamp as she pulled herself into
a sitting
position. From somewhere she had distinctly heard a cry and it had
pulled
her out of her dreams...but now things all seemed quiet. Glancing at
her
clock she frowned. So early...she'd barely been asleep three hours.
"I guess I imagined it...everything was so busy yesterday it must have
upset my dreams. Brilliant...I'll be a zombie tomorrow for our finale
concert."
She was about to lie back down and close her eyes once more when she
heard the noise again. She froze, listening.
It sounded very much like a frightened scream.
Now wide awake, Stormer frowned, pushing back the covers and sliding on
her slippers. Where was it coming from? It was a sound unlike any she'd
ever heard before, and she was about to place it once more down to
imagination when the night's peace was once more broken, this time by
the sound of a voice.
"No...please...please don't drop me..."
The words were muffled but audible enough and Stormer's eyes opened
wide with shock as she recognised the voice.
"Roxy!" She murmured, pulling on her dressing gown and hurrying towards
the door that divided the two rooms. With some relief she realised that
both sides of the door were unlocked and it swung open easily. In an
instant
she was at her band-mate's bedside and it was soon clear enough the
cause
of the bass player's distress.
A nightmare.
Oblivious to the fact she had company, Roxy seemed to be struggling
against an unseen enemy, and every so often frightened little cries or
pleas to
leave her alone passed her lips. Stormer put a hand to the other girl's
shoulder, shaking her.
"Roxy, wake up! You're having a bad dream!" She murmured.
Roxy, deep in her dream did not stir, nor did she cease to struggle.
She murmured something incoherent and Stormer was startled by the note
of vulnerability in the other girl's voice...it was something she had
never heard before.
"Roxy! Come on, snap out of it!" she urged, shaking the guitarist more
violently. "It's okay, you're only dreaming!"
Roxy's eyes fluttered open and immediate confusion was replaced by fear
as she registered the fact that she had company. Pushing Stormer's arm
away she pulled back against the bedhead, clutching the covers to her
protectively.
"Get away from me!" she exclaimed.
"Roxy, it's only me, Stormer." Stormer spoke gently. "You were having a
bad dream, that's all."
"A...a dream?" Roxy repeated, at first not comprehending.
"Yes. A nightmare, from the sound of it. You woke me crying out."
Stormer nodded. "Do...do you want to tell me what it was about?"
"It doesn't matter. It wasn't real." The defensive tone was back in
Roxy's voice. "Leave me alone, will ya? I want to sleep tonight."
"Well, all right." Stormer knew when not to push her companion. "Sleep
better, huh? I'd kinda like to sleep too - we've a big concert tomorrow
night."
"Don't remind me." Roxy rolled her eyes.
"You sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine. Go away." Roxy replied obstinately, and with a shrug Stormer
obeyed, carefully pulling the dividing door to behind her. Finding she
couldn't sleep right away, she settled down with her book to read for a
while, but her mind kept being drawn back to the frightened cries of
her bandmate.
"Whatever it was really scared her." she told herself with a sigh. "I
don't understand that girl sometimes. It's like...I want to help her
but when
I try and reach out to her, it seems that she...she really doesn't want
me to."
A sound from across the room caught her attention and she glanced up,
seeing Roxy standing in the doorway that split the rooms apart. She
frowned.
"I thought you went back to sleep." she said.
"Well, I couldn't sleep now you woke me up." Roxy spoke abruptly, but
her expression belied her words, and with a jolt Stormer realised that
there
were real tears in the other girl's eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly.
"I..." Roxy faltered, as if unsure as to how to proceed, and Stormer
beckoned for her to come and sit down.
"Tell me." she said gently. "Maybe it'll help you sleep if you do."
"Oh, I don't know." Roxy bit her lip, doing as she was bidden. "It...it
all seems so spooky in there and...and every time I c...close my eyes I
see him there...he won't leave me alone."
"Who won't?" Stormer set her book aside, sending her companion a
concerned look.
Roxy swallowed hard.
"My uncle." she whispered, her voice catching in her throat as she felt
the tears begin to fall.
"Your uncle?" Stormer repeated. Roxy nodded numbly.
"I didn't know you still had family in Philly."
"I wish I didn't." Now Roxy's self-control was really wavering, and
instinctively Stormer found herself putting a comforting arm around the
elder girl's shoulders. "He...he wants me to pay him m...money I took
when I left home, only he
wants m...more. He's threatened to...to..." She bit her lip, unable to
to
continue.
"Then he's a creep." Stormer was surprised at the strength of her anger
towards this man she had not even met. "And you should ignore him,
Roxy. He
just wants to cash in on your success."
"You d...don't understand." Roxy murmured. "He...when I was small he
used to...when I was bad he...he'd hold me out on the balcony, over the
edge,
just air between me and the sidewalk, twelve storeys down below. He'd
go...go
to drop me, only he never did...but I'd be screamin' and he...he didn't
take a blind bit of notice. He's evil...he'll do anything! And
t...tonight I...I found out..." she swallowed hard.
"He told me my father killed my mother and went to jail...that's why I
have no parents." she whispered, her voice wavering from the tears that
now she had no control over. "B...but last night he let something
slip...I...I
know he had something to do with my mother...and...and he threatened
to...he
said I..."
"Oh, Roxy..." Stormer hugged her bandmate tightly. "I knew you'd had a
miserable time of it, but I had no idea how bad. No wonder you ran
away!"
"I had to. I had to get out." Roxy faltered slightly. "Whatever it was
like livin' rough, Stormer, it couldn't be as bad as that...leavin' was
the best thing I ever did!"
"Yeah, I think you're right." Stormer nodded. "And you know why?
Because you proved you could survive against all odds, Roxy. Most
people faced with the awful time you've been through would have folded
and failed, even given up completely. You never have...and you're one
of the most famous music stars in the country! You did what you had to
do to make it...and there is noone I admire more for determination than
I do you. You gotta know that."
"Really?" Roxy stared. Stormer nodded.
"Of course." she agreed. "Listen. I don't know what exactly this jerk
of an uncle of yours thinks he can do to you, but he's gonna have to
deal with all of the Misfits before he can try and take you out, and
you're pretty
good with your fists, you know. Don't be afraid of him...he's
capitalising on your fear, that's all. On your bad memories. You're not
a small child
any more, you're a grown adult and you make your own choices. He can't
control you now."
"I...I guess." Roxy paused, considering. Then she grimaced, dashing her
tears away. "Look at me. I haven't done this since I was a kid..."
"It doesn't make you any less strong to cry sometimes." Stormer told
her gently. "Really. And I don't think any the less of you for it. In
fact I
think it's better you don't bottle it all up inside of you...you'll
only
make yourself feel more alone."
"I don't need anyone." Roxy retorted. "Never have. I take care
of me."
"Yeah, I know." Stormer nodded. "But...well, it might not matter
much to you, I know you think I'm a soft little wimp and all that, but
I'm
kinda fond of you. You can always come to me if...well, if you ever
feel
you do need someone."
"You...you like me?" Roxy looked taken aback, and despite
herself Stormer laughed.
"Of course I do, you idiot." she said with a grin. "Do you think I'd
have stuck it out with you so long otherwise? Why do you think I came
back to
the Misfits in the first place? I wasn't going to abandon you when you
needed my help!"
"Oh!" A strange expression crossed Roxy's face at this and she
fell silent, as if digesting her companion's words. Then a tiny smile
touched her face.
"I...never thought about it." she admitted.
"Well, it's true." Stormer responded. "Whatever you think about
friendship, Roxy, I think of you as a friend...so remember
that,
huh?"
"I...never had anyone as a real friend before." Roxy admitted.
"Do you trust me?"
"I...I guess." Roxy hesitated.
"Well, you told me all this tonight...you must trust me some."
Stormer reasoned.
"I...I think I do." Roxy replied, leaning her head on her
companion's shoulder. "I...gee, I dunno, Stormer. It's late, I...I'm
kinda tired..."
"I know. Me too." Stormer nodded. "You want to go back to bed, then?
You feeling better?"
"I...I guess so." Roxy agreed slowly. "Stormer, you won't...tell anyone
about this, will you? I mean...I kinda have a...a reputation to...I
mean, if Jetta or Pizzazz knew..."
"Don't worry. As far as I'm concerned tonight never happened." Stormer
said with a grin. "And as for this jerk uncle of yours, well, tell him
to
leave you alone or you'll stick the best lawyers in the country on him
and
get him sent down for stalking and harassment, okay? You're not a poor
or
insignificant Roxy Pelligrini in the big scheme of things these days,
you
have the power to stop this kinda behaviour. Don't let
him
abuse you, okay? He's done it enough already!"
"You...you know what? You're right, and...and I will." Some of
the old defiance sprang into the blond's tired eyes. "I...guess I
better go
back to bed now, think it over...get some sleep. We...do have a big
concert
tomorrow, and all that."
"Sure." Stormer nodded. "Good night, Roxy. Sweet dreams now, huh?"
"Yeah, whatever." Roxy nodded, getting to her feet and tucking her hair
behind her ear. "G'night."
She headed back towards her room, but in the doorway she paused,
turning.
"Thanks, Stormer." she said softly. Then she was gone, closing the door
with a click behind her.
Stormer paused for a moment, going through all that had happened in her
head.
"She's not so tough underneath her shell...I just never got this deep
before." she decided finally. "This guy's a creep for getting her that
wound up -
I hope she takes my advice and sticks the law on him. Misfit Music has
pretty high powered lawyers thanks to Mr Gabor...surely something could
be done
to keep him away from her."
She shrugged, sliding back beneath the covers and flicking off the
lamp, resting her head on the pillow and closing her eyes once more.
"Well, all that can wait till morning. For now at least I need some
sleep, and so does Roxy, else we'll both be hopeless tomorrow and
Pizzazz will
throw a fit." she mused. "And with any luck this time tomorrow we'll be
preparing to move on out of here...this has definitely been some
visit!"
(The Misfits and Holograms and other animated Jem characters are copyrighted to Hasbro Inc. All characters who do not appear in Jem episodes are my own creation. This story is copyrighted to E.A Woolley (2001). Background image was drawn and edited by me and therefore is copyrighted to me (E.A Woolley). Roxy is copyright of Hasbro Inc.