-----------------------------
The phone rang seven times before Harpia's voice came onto the line.
"What the fuck could you possibly want from me, Hunter?"
Apollo squeezed his eyes shut, glancing at the trees as they flashed by.
"I found your letter. And there's something I need to sa-"
Harpia's voice rose, and it was clear in her inflection that she was fucked up on something.
"I wrote that when I didn't fucking hate you, Apollo. Leave me alone."
Something heavy dropped into Apollo's chest and he swallowed hard, trying to keep calm.
"Harpia, listen to me."
"I don't want to fucking listen to you!"
There was a scuffle on the other end, and a new voice came over the line. He recognized it, vaguely, as the voice of her other childhood best friend, Casey.
"Sorry, I'm assuming this is Apollo, and I just want to say that Harpia's not in the greatest state of mind right now so don't take the shitty things she just said right now too personally."
Apollo let out a breath.
"Yeah, I can tell. Are you her boyfriend, now?"
Casey laughed, and Apollo relaxed a little.
"She bitches and moans about your ass and you guys are always fighting about some stupid fucking shit, but she still loves you. Even if I did have feelings for her, I wouldn't fuck her because I know her heart still belongs to you."
Apollo heard Harpia make a noise, and she said something in the background. Casey put his hand over the mouthpiece, but Apollo still heard him tell her to shut up.
"I'm sorry. She's really mad at you. But I swear to God, whatever she says, she's lying.
She still loves you."
Apollo cleared his throat, a tiny spark of relief in his veins.
"That's why I was trying to call. I had something to say to her."
Casey was quiet for a moment.
"I have a feeling I know what it is. And honestly, you should probably hold onto it. Tell her when you see her again. Right now, she's not going to hear it."
He noticed, somewhat, that Hale had come into the bus bedroom, and was watching him with curious eyes. He pulled his attention back to the phone, keeping his voice even.
"Alright.
Can you... Can you tell her that I'm sorry? And I'll see her in August, like I promised?"
Hale's eyebrows shot up and he crossed the threshold, tilting his head as he stared down at him.
"I can do that.
But a word of advice, Apollo.
Don't break this promise."
The line went dead and Apollo shoved his phone in his pocket, finally looking at Hale.
"What?"
"What do you have to tell her?"
Apollo rubbed his palms on his jeans, shaking his head.
"How much did you hear?"
"Well... You ran back onto this bus like a bat out of hell, pardon the non-intended pun, so I followed you.
So... everything."
Hale grinned, but there was something distant behind his eyes.
"It's nothing."
"The hell it is."
"It's between me and her."
Hale's tone shifted straight to incredulous, almost condescending.
"It's never been between just you and her."
Apollo walked through the bedroom door, down the hallway, and sat on the couch. And when Hale sat down next to him like he knew he would, he directed his attention to his now open notebook.
"Well, this time, it is."
"What the fuck could you possibly want from me, Hunter?"
Apollo squeezed his eyes shut, glancing at the trees as they flashed by.
"I found your letter. And there's something I need to sa-"
Harpia's voice rose, and it was clear in her inflection that she was fucked up on something.
"I wrote that when I didn't fucking hate you, Apollo. Leave me alone."
Something heavy dropped into Apollo's chest and he swallowed hard, trying to keep calm.
"Harpia, listen to me."
"I don't want to fucking listen to you!"
There was a scuffle on the other end, and a new voice came over the line. He recognized it, vaguely, as the voice of her other childhood best friend, Casey.
"Sorry, I'm assuming this is Apollo, and I just want to say that Harpia's not in the greatest state of mind right now so don't take the shitty things she just said right now too personally."
Apollo let out a breath.
"Yeah, I can tell. Are you her boyfriend, now?"
Casey laughed, and Apollo relaxed a little.
"She bitches and moans about your ass and you guys are always fighting about some stupid fucking shit, but she still loves you. Even if I did have feelings for her, I wouldn't fuck her because I know her heart still belongs to you."
Apollo heard Harpia make a noise, and she said something in the background. Casey put his hand over the mouthpiece, but Apollo still heard him tell her to shut up.
"I'm sorry. She's really mad at you. But I swear to God, whatever she says, she's lying.
She still loves you."
Apollo cleared his throat, a tiny spark of relief in his veins.
"That's why I was trying to call. I had something to say to her."
Casey was quiet for a moment.
"I have a feeling I know what it is. And honestly, you should probably hold onto it. Tell her when you see her again. Right now, she's not going to hear it."
He noticed, somewhat, that Hale had come into the bus bedroom, and was watching him with curious eyes. He pulled his attention back to the phone, keeping his voice even.
"Alright.
Can you... Can you tell her that I'm sorry? And I'll see her in August, like I promised?"
Hale's eyebrows shot up and he crossed the threshold, tilting his head as he stared down at him.
"I can do that.
But a word of advice, Apollo.
Don't break this promise."
The line went dead and Apollo shoved his phone in his pocket, finally looking at Hale.
"What?"
"What do you have to tell her?"
Apollo rubbed his palms on his jeans, shaking his head.
"How much did you hear?"
"Well... You ran back onto this bus like a bat out of hell, pardon the non-intended pun, so I followed you.
So... everything."
Hale grinned, but there was something distant behind his eyes.
"It's nothing."
"The hell it is."
"It's between me and her."
Hale's tone shifted straight to incredulous, almost condescending.
"It's never been between just you and her."
Apollo walked through the bedroom door, down the hallway, and sat on the couch. And when Hale sat down next to him like he knew he would, he directed his attention to his now open notebook.
"Well, this time, it is."
-----------------------------
The noise on the other side of the stage vibrated the ground Apollo stood on. Or at least that's how it seemed.
"There are six thousand people out there, Apollo. Is that a new high? Cause it seems like it is.
They love us, man!"
Apollo could barely hear Vega over the noise, but he laughed under his breath.
"Did you count every single person, or are you just guessing?"
Hale poked his head out of the side of the stage, raising his voice unnecessarily high.
"That's how many tickets were bought. You know you can look that up, right?"
He disappeared back behind the curtain and Vega followed, leaving Apollo alone. He had minutes until the show started, but he couldn't seem to get the same thing he'd been rolling around his head for days, out of it enough to concentrate.
"What's up, little brother?"
Apollo turned around so fast at the voice, he dropped the device he'd been trying to fit into his ear. He scowled openly at the sight of Icarus' face, bending down to pick it up.
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
Icarus didn't react to Apollo's open distaste, a huge grin spreading over his face.
"I bought a ticket to the show. You'd think as your brother I could have gotten one free. But you don't think about any of your family anymore, do you?"
Apollo shook his head, heading for the curtain behind him.
"We've never been friends. You've never given a shit about my music, or anything about me.
I don't want you here, Icarus. Go home."
Icarus brightened at his words, closing the distance between himself and his brother in mere seconds. He ignored Apollo's words, dropping his own on Apollo like a bomb.
"You're right. I don't give a shit. I was here for a different reason.
Artemis just happened to go into labor, and since I was already in this city... I thought I would tell you."
Apollo stopped short of the curtain, turning to look at his brother.
"You're joking, right? This is the biggest show of my tour so far. Are you fucking with me on purpose?"
Icarus grinned at him, shrugging a shoulder.
"Call her yourself. I don't know why she wouldn't have called you too."
His face folded in mock sympathy.
"Oh... wait. Yes I do. Because your music is the only thing that matters to you now. You don't call home, you don't give a shit about anything but those people who listen to your shitty music and feed your ego.
You already lost dad's respect. I guess Artemis was just waiting for her chance to do the same.
Shit, you even lost the one girl no one thought was possible for you to lose.
You destroy everything that you touch."
Before Apollo could think twice of his reaction, his fist collided with the side of his brother's face. He gripped him by the shoulders, and even sharing the height their father had given them, Apollo was at least five inches taller. He shoved him against the brick wall beside the curtain, his face inches away.
"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about. You never did."
Harsh laughter left Icarus' throat as blood leaked from the side of his mouth and his nose. He reached up to wipe it away, leaving a smear of scarlet on his pale skin. He didn't even try to get out of Apollo's grip. It didn't even seem to phase him.
"Do you think I'm afraid of you? You can't do shit to me. You never had it in you.
Get on that stage where you think you belong. Cause you sure as fuck don't belong with us anymore.
Artemis will get over it. She always has, hasn't she?"
Apollo narrowed his eyes, trying to even out his breathing as he stared at his older brother. The one who had never really been what a brother should be. He'd spent his life making Apollo feel inferior. It's what he did.
He released his hold on Icarus' shoulders, shoving him one more time.
"Get the fuck out of here, Icarus.
And if you ever come to one of my shows again, I'll find a way to kill you."
Icarus laughed again, already recovered from what Apollo had done. He healed quickly, his vampire blood erasing the damage in minutes.
"I'm sure dad would forgive you for that. I guess it doesn't matter to you though.
None of us do."
Apollo flexed his knuckles, wiping Icarus' blood off of them and onto his jeans.
"You sound like a broken record. You should probably find a new song, that one's skipping."
Apollo pulled the curtain back, and he knew he was minutes late, he knew that the guys were wondering where the fuck he was. He started to go through it, pausing for one last second before at Icarus' words.
"I know you hate me. But you don't hate her. She needs you there.
Do something right for once."
He didn't even know if Icarus was telling the truth. Artemis would have told him. His mother would have. Someone other than his shitty brother would have told him what was going on. He glanced at Icarus, his words barely audibly over the increasing roar of the crowd.
"Go fuck yourself."
And he let the curtain fall behind him.
The noise on the other side of the stage vibrated the ground Apollo stood on. Or at least that's how it seemed.
"There are six thousand people out there, Apollo. Is that a new high? Cause it seems like it is.
They love us, man!"
Apollo could barely hear Vega over the noise, but he laughed under his breath.
"Did you count every single person, or are you just guessing?"
Hale poked his head out of the side of the stage, raising his voice unnecessarily high.
"That's how many tickets were bought. You know you can look that up, right?"
He disappeared back behind the curtain and Vega followed, leaving Apollo alone. He had minutes until the show started, but he couldn't seem to get the same thing he'd been rolling around his head for days, out of it enough to concentrate.
"What's up, little brother?"
Apollo turned around so fast at the voice, he dropped the device he'd been trying to fit into his ear. He scowled openly at the sight of Icarus' face, bending down to pick it up.
"What the fuck are you doing here?"
Icarus didn't react to Apollo's open distaste, a huge grin spreading over his face.
"I bought a ticket to the show. You'd think as your brother I could have gotten one free. But you don't think about any of your family anymore, do you?"
Apollo shook his head, heading for the curtain behind him.
"We've never been friends. You've never given a shit about my music, or anything about me.
I don't want you here, Icarus. Go home."
Icarus brightened at his words, closing the distance between himself and his brother in mere seconds. He ignored Apollo's words, dropping his own on Apollo like a bomb.
"You're right. I don't give a shit. I was here for a different reason.
Artemis just happened to go into labor, and since I was already in this city... I thought I would tell you."
Apollo stopped short of the curtain, turning to look at his brother.
"You're joking, right? This is the biggest show of my tour so far. Are you fucking with me on purpose?"
Icarus grinned at him, shrugging a shoulder.
"Call her yourself. I don't know why she wouldn't have called you too."
His face folded in mock sympathy.
"Oh... wait. Yes I do. Because your music is the only thing that matters to you now. You don't call home, you don't give a shit about anything but those people who listen to your shitty music and feed your ego.
You already lost dad's respect. I guess Artemis was just waiting for her chance to do the same.
Shit, you even lost the one girl no one thought was possible for you to lose.
You destroy everything that you touch."
Before Apollo could think twice of his reaction, his fist collided with the side of his brother's face. He gripped him by the shoulders, and even sharing the height their father had given them, Apollo was at least five inches taller. He shoved him against the brick wall beside the curtain, his face inches away.
"You don't know what the fuck you're talking about. You never did."
Harsh laughter left Icarus' throat as blood leaked from the side of his mouth and his nose. He reached up to wipe it away, leaving a smear of scarlet on his pale skin. He didn't even try to get out of Apollo's grip. It didn't even seem to phase him.
"Do you think I'm afraid of you? You can't do shit to me. You never had it in you.
Get on that stage where you think you belong. Cause you sure as fuck don't belong with us anymore.
Artemis will get over it. She always has, hasn't she?"
Apollo narrowed his eyes, trying to even out his breathing as he stared at his older brother. The one who had never really been what a brother should be. He'd spent his life making Apollo feel inferior. It's what he did.
He released his hold on Icarus' shoulders, shoving him one more time.
"Get the fuck out of here, Icarus.
And if you ever come to one of my shows again, I'll find a way to kill you."
Icarus laughed again, already recovered from what Apollo had done. He healed quickly, his vampire blood erasing the damage in minutes.
"I'm sure dad would forgive you for that. I guess it doesn't matter to you though.
None of us do."
Apollo flexed his knuckles, wiping Icarus' blood off of them and onto his jeans.
"You sound like a broken record. You should probably find a new song, that one's skipping."
Apollo pulled the curtain back, and he knew he was minutes late, he knew that the guys were wondering where the fuck he was. He started to go through it, pausing for one last second before at Icarus' words.
"I know you hate me. But you don't hate her. She needs you there.
Do something right for once."
He didn't even know if Icarus was telling the truth. Artemis would have told him. His mother would have. Someone other than his shitty brother would have told him what was going on. He glanced at Icarus, his words barely audibly over the increasing roar of the crowd.
"Go fuck yourself."
And he let the curtain fall behind him.
-------------------------------
"So... are you going to explain the blood on your jeans and the late arrival?"
Apollo ran cold water over his bruising knuckles in the bus sink, glancing up at Hale.
"My brother showed up. Told me that Artemis was having her baby. I punched him the face."
Hale leaned against the counter, both of his eyebrows ascending.
"Well that seems like a massive overreaction. I know kids can be annoying, but this one isn't yours, so shouldn't you be happy?"
Apollo snorted, grabbing a towel off of the counter behind Hale and drying his hands. His knuckles would definitely bruise, but at least they hadn't busted open.
"It wasn't the baby news. It was what he said other than that. And I'm pretty sure he was lying."
Hale walked over to the fridge, pulling out a coke. As he twisted the cap off, he looked at Apollo with uncertainty. He seemed to weigh his words, studying Apollo's face.
"He wasn't lying. Artemis sent Variance a picture of the baby."
Hale drank from the bottle in his hand, his eyes travelling in the direction of Variance's bus that was on the road behind them.
"She showed me after the show. Artemis named her Athena."
Apollo stared at his best friend for a long time. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone. There hadn't been any texts. No calls. Nothing.
He let out a groan when final realization sank in.
"It's a new fucking phone. I never gave her this number."
Hale hesitated, drinking again from the bottle.
"Maybe that's why Icarus showed up. Have you called any of them?"
Apollo shook his head, letting out a sigh.
"Not since that shit with my dad. I haven't tried.
I saw my mom and Rhea briefly when I went back for a couple of days.
I figured my welcome there was worn out. Guess Icarus might have been right."
Hale shook his head, pulling a coke out for Apollo and twisting the cap off before handing it to him.
"I doubt that. You have the world's greatest parents. I should know, since they were basically mine too."
Apollo drank half of the bottle of coke in a few seconds, trying to resist crushing the phone in his hand into pieces.
"I fucked up."
"You do that a lot."
"I can fix it."
"Can you?"
Apollo mulled Hale's words over, pulling Artemis' number onto his screen.
"Do you ever think this whole music thing has fucked up as much as its helped?"
Hale watched Apollo send his 'I'm sorry' text with haunted eyes.
"I don't think it's the music, buddy. I think it's your choices."
Apollo slid his phone into his pocket, draining the rest of his beer. He looked at Hale, his voice imploring.
"Can I fix it?"
Hale tilted his head, his tone matching that of his best friend's.
"Can you change?"
Apollo stared at him in silence. Hale tossed the bottle in his hand into the trash, shaking his head.
"That's what I thought.
Nothing will change if you don't.
You want the girl, you want your family, you want the music.
Maybe you can't have it all. Maybe it's not meant to be.
Maybe you have to choose if you can't change the way you handle all of it."
Apollo threw his bottle in the trash on top of Hale's so hard, they both shattered.
"Maybe I can't change."
Hale fixed him with a stare full of an emotion he couldn't read.
"I think you can. You just haven't had enough of a push yet."
Hale turned for his bedroom, and Apollo raised his voice.
"What the fuck does that mean?"
But Hale didn't answer, just shut the door to his bedroom, silence settling in his wake.
Apollo ran cold water over his bruising knuckles in the bus sink, glancing up at Hale.
"My brother showed up. Told me that Artemis was having her baby. I punched him the face."
Hale leaned against the counter, both of his eyebrows ascending.
"Well that seems like a massive overreaction. I know kids can be annoying, but this one isn't yours, so shouldn't you be happy?"
Apollo snorted, grabbing a towel off of the counter behind Hale and drying his hands. His knuckles would definitely bruise, but at least they hadn't busted open.
"It wasn't the baby news. It was what he said other than that. And I'm pretty sure he was lying."
Hale walked over to the fridge, pulling out a coke. As he twisted the cap off, he looked at Apollo with uncertainty. He seemed to weigh his words, studying Apollo's face.
"He wasn't lying. Artemis sent Variance a picture of the baby."
Hale drank from the bottle in his hand, his eyes travelling in the direction of Variance's bus that was on the road behind them.
"She showed me after the show. Artemis named her Athena."
Apollo stared at his best friend for a long time. He reached into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone. There hadn't been any texts. No calls. Nothing.
He let out a groan when final realization sank in.
"It's a new fucking phone. I never gave her this number."
Hale hesitated, drinking again from the bottle.
"Maybe that's why Icarus showed up. Have you called any of them?"
Apollo shook his head, letting out a sigh.
"Not since that shit with my dad. I haven't tried.
I saw my mom and Rhea briefly when I went back for a couple of days.
I figured my welcome there was worn out. Guess Icarus might have been right."
Hale shook his head, pulling a coke out for Apollo and twisting the cap off before handing it to him.
"I doubt that. You have the world's greatest parents. I should know, since they were basically mine too."
Apollo drank half of the bottle of coke in a few seconds, trying to resist crushing the phone in his hand into pieces.
"I fucked up."
"You do that a lot."
"I can fix it."
"Can you?"
Apollo mulled Hale's words over, pulling Artemis' number onto his screen.
"Do you ever think this whole music thing has fucked up as much as its helped?"
Hale watched Apollo send his 'I'm sorry' text with haunted eyes.
"I don't think it's the music, buddy. I think it's your choices."
Apollo slid his phone into his pocket, draining the rest of his beer. He looked at Hale, his voice imploring.
"Can I fix it?"
Hale tilted his head, his tone matching that of his best friend's.
"Can you change?"
Apollo stared at him in silence. Hale tossed the bottle in his hand into the trash, shaking his head.
"That's what I thought.
Nothing will change if you don't.
You want the girl, you want your family, you want the music.
Maybe you can't have it all. Maybe it's not meant to be.
Maybe you have to choose if you can't change the way you handle all of it."
Apollo threw his bottle in the trash on top of Hale's so hard, they both shattered.
"Maybe I can't change."
Hale fixed him with a stare full of an emotion he couldn't read.
"I think you can. You just haven't had enough of a push yet."
Hale turned for his bedroom, and Apollo raised his voice.
"What the fuck does that mean?"
But Hale didn't answer, just shut the door to his bedroom, silence settling in his wake.
-------------------------------
When I think of how cheap,
The price of fame has become
Is it all worth it
To try and be number one
It's hard to remember who I was,
When this began
It's hard to take the lessons that I've learned,
And make amends
When I think of how cheap,
The price of fame has become
Is it all worth it
To try and be number one
It's hard to remember who I was,
When this began
It's hard to take the lessons that I've learned,
And make amends
Yes. Preach. Apollo needs to hear these things. Awe Artemis had a baby. And Harpia is still hating Apollo, but it's alright, at least Apollos trying to change. I'm good with this. But he better stick to his promise. And he better start changing.
ReplyDeleteAnyways it's late, like midnight and I stayed up, I suck. This was amazing and I liked the joke about Apollo not liking Artemis' kid, cute.
-Carley