Chapter 4: Tommy

Chapter 4: Tommy

Tommy was in the living room looking at the newest porn site on the family computer, he laughed as soon as he saw the midget enter the screen. The front door opened and Tommy kicked the modem shutting the computer down. He turned around to see his father, Corey, drop his stuff onto the ground. His dad called to his mom, Jessica, and she came down. Tommy really couldn’t remember what was said, but the next thing he knew he was moving. All his mother said was that his father’s job had them move. The first 3 times no one really said anything, when the 4th and 5th one came instead of Corey taking his family out to dinner him and Jessica fought.

Tommy walked in on his mother one time while his mother was knocking back bottles of vodka. She said it was water, and then told him to go to bed.

In school he would keep to himself, as he did at home. He didn’t think anything was wrong with it, but the other students had other agendas. The freak comments started coming when he would draw macabre pictures in his notebook. He was really hurt by them for the first couple of months, buy then he realized they would never stop, so he played it up.

He purposefully wore black, and said weird things to make people scared of him, while he laughed on the inside.

He started writing songs early, they started out mostly like poems, but then he would try to imagine a beat to it, but all the music he rally heard was Brittany Spears, from Kelly’s stereo.

Once he hit the 8th grade he started getting pushed into lockers and things started getting thrown at him. A kid threw a CD at Tommy, and the whole hall laughed. Tommy picked it up to see it was Hilary Duff. He secretly put it in his jeans pocket when no one was looking.

As he was listening to the CD a song came on, it was a little more rock oriented, but he liked that much better than the pop stuff. He went to Best Buy the next day and picked up some Green Day, Blink 182 and The Used.

He had no clue that The Used, were more metal since the CD was found in the rock section. He wore that CD out like crazy.

He started keeping a journal with his poems, and songs, since he had found the right kind of music that his poems needed.

His mothers’ drinking was starting to get worse, when he was 14 his father came home with a somber face. Tommy didn’t stick around to hear what he had to say, he just went to his room, and started packing quietly while him and his mom fought. He heard the words ‘Divorce’ and his eyes widened, he heard the front door slam, and he just shook his head. He took out his journal from the back of the closet, he hid it so well sometimes he forget where he put it himself, no like anyone would come into his room.

Since he went the so-called Goth route, his parents let him do what he wanted. Paint his room black, buy his own clothes and music. Once he stared doing this everyone thought he was tough and, the one HE always loved, He worshipped Satan. Tommy milked that thing for all it was worth.

He entered high school, and the Jocks didn’t like him at all. So, for fun, Tommy would say that if the didn’t leave him alone he would make them lose all muscle they had. This got reported to the office, and Tommy was glad to serve his detention.

This went on for his whole freshman year, and this mini war went no where, the Jocks eventually dropped it, well most of them, he still had about 3 of them on his back.

Tommy got some money for writing songs for popular local bands, he had a great mind, you could tell him about what you wanted him to write about and he would have something for you in a couple of days. One day some kids found out about the songs, so he started charging them.

His friendship with Z started over this, Z came up to him with a list and asked for 3 separate songs, One about his dad dieing, one about his alcoholic mother, and one about him raising his brother and sister.

Tommy wrote some of his best work on those songs since they related to him so much. Eventually they started talking and things just clicked, and it also helped that Z liked to make fun of jocks as much as Tommy did.

Z was a good friend, he was calm in tense situations and could always help Tommy through his family problems, especially when Tommy decided to move out. Things between his mom and dad were getting worse by the day. Tommy felt horrible about leaving Kelly there, but she was 13 and said she could handle it.

Tommy moved in with his brother Zach, Zach had moved out 2 years earlier and said he always had a bed waiting for Kelly and Tommy when they wanted it. Z helped Tommy pack for the 11th? Time? Tommy lost count after 6. Tommy loved Zach’s apartment, really spacious, lots of light, Tommy thought of what the jocks would think about the Goth kid liking natural light.

Tommy’s relationship with Alexia started a little awkward. She came up to him with a request to write a songs about ponies and rainbows. He knew she was being stupid, but he still got paid, and then consulted Kelly what the song should have. She was impressed with his work, and then they just started talking more and more. They went out for about 2 months, he thought the relationship was strong, but when she dumped him, saying she was over the Goth-ness, he knew her preppy friends had gotten to her.
When she dumped him at the beginning of school, all day he wanted to get home, Zach’s place, and write in his journal. As he has hastily writing an “I Hate You” song, Z called him.

“Yo, there’s gonna be a kick ass party tonight, and we are totally going” Z basically yelled into the phone.

“Oh, sweet, wait is Alexia gonna be there?” Tommy asked, hesitant.

“What? Oh, no she...she’s not gonna be there, why would she?” Z stumbled over his words, and said a quick “I got to go” and hung up.

Tommy mulled it over in his head, but then just said “F_ck it” and decided to go. The party was absolutely crazy when they got there, people were already drunk. Him and Z both took a beer and made their rounds. The house was so packed that you had no clue whose hand was touching what or whose neck you were breathing down. Tommy coughed as the smoke from cigarettes entered his nostrils. A girl turned around.

“You’re so gross, cover your f_cking mouth!” Alexia said, then her mouth dropped. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Z pulled Tommy away before he said anything that would get the both of them kicked out of the party.

Tommy then drank beer after beer to get the beautiful face of Alexia out of his mind. He then saw Megan stumbling over and he was immediately interested, mostly because she was Alexia’s best friend.

They sat on the lounge outside and started ‘talking’ if that what you want to call it. Z took out his cell phone to record this.

Tommy looked to the phone and saw it was recoding.

“Hey, I just want to say to America, that I love this girl right here!” he chugged his beer more, it spilling down his chest.

He pushed Megan in front of him to face the camera, she spilled her drink all over herself, and she got up and then stumbled. “Hey, get that thing out of my face”

Z was laughing like crazy.

Tommy and Megan started making out and Z turned the camera to himself “This is so pathetic, I’ll give you the paternity results when they come in”

***
While Tommy and Z were at the mall, two security officers tapped them on the shoulder. They both turned around.

“Come with me?” One of the officers said.

Tommy and Z were escorted outside where they were interrogated, they patted them down, but evacuated the mall anyway just in case, the officers took down all of the information, and once the bomb sweep was over the were allowed to go home.

Tommy was lying on his bed, wondering who would call the police like that. Then Zach poked his head in through the door, “Um....Tom? You awake?” Tommy nodded his head. “Oh O.K. well there’s someone here for you, Brooke? I’ve never heard of her before” Zach said as he put emphasis on the last part.

Tommy bolted up in his bed as Brooke appeared in his bedroom doorway. Zach left them there.

“Uh...do I know you?” Tommy said, ready to call the police for trespassing.

“Well I really don’t know where to start” Brooke smiled, a little intimidated.

After 2 hours of talking Brooke concluded with “Now Megan is....dead, and Alexia is in the hospital, and I’m still looking for Charlie”

Tommy stopped stiff “Megan’s.....how?”

“She fell into an open AC vent, I can’t even explain it” Brooke said putting a hand to her mouth.

“Wait, wait, wait, do you believe her death was connected with this imaginary car crash?” Tom was beyond confused.

“Yes” Brooke said “Or that’s what Marie thinks”

“Bulls_it” Tommy said getting up.

“I know it sound crazy, but......come to the hospital with me, we’ll talk with Marie” Brooke said thinking quickly.

“Why is she there?” Tommy asked.

“She was thrown through a window” Brooke said quietly, knowing Tommy would have some comment.

Tommy was so confused, “Alright, let’s go” he followed Brooke out of Zach’s apartment, shaking his head.
At the hospital Tommy and Brooke entered Marie’s room, she had obviously been crying, and she looked out of the window in a trance.

“Marie?” Brooke said.

Marie snapped back to reality, and turned toward her, she saw Tommy standing there with her.

“I thought I told you to find Charlie?” Marie asked, with worry on her face.

“The hospital wouldn’t let me see his address and Mike is the only one that knows it, and I can’t get to him because I'm not a family member that can visit.” Brooke said, an obvious emotional drain present.

Tommy piped in, “So Brooke filled me in on everything, why do you think were on a list?”

“Because Megan’s car was the first to roll down the cliff, and she was the first to die”

Tommy had an interest in one thing “So how did I die?”

“I don’t know, I woke up on the highway and it looked like Z’s jeep had exploded, with 3 burnt bodies next to it”

“And you think death is doing this?” Tommy said.

“Yea” Marie and Brooke said at the same time.

“Then who would be last?” Tommy was starting to get frustrated.

“I guess me?” I only saw what happened up to me getting thrown into the rocks, and the aftermath, so I don’t know any order of death or anything” Marie knew that she should be moved to where Mike was.

“And what about Alexia? She’s still alive, so does that mean she ‘beat’ death?” Tommy was about to walk out.

“I DON’T KNOW!” Marie screamed.

“Ok. Ok, what if, for example, the last in line were to make the utilitarian choice. Kill themselves. Well, wow, that's pretty much gonna ruin any plan deaths put in motion. And even better, I think that's gonna save, seven skipped lives. Any takers?”

Marie looked toward the window, not saying anything.

“I didn’t think so” Tommy said as he walked out.