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CHAPTER3
First order of business call mom; none of us were allowed to go a whole week without some form of contact with the home front. It didn't matter if we were in the bowels of Borneo or bumfuck anywhere; unless we were in a coma, we called home. I knew she was having a hard time with this; my whole family was; they'd all grown to love the viper I had introduced into their midst three years ago. I'd briefly spoken to my parents for about five minutes that first day when my life was fucked, but nothing since then. I just couldn't; I had nothing in me to give to anyone. Bitch gutted me like fuck. You know you hear all these stories and see some fucked up shit in the Wood, but you tell yourself that would never be me, I would never play the chump. Well, somebody must've had it out for my ass because she didn't just knock me down a peg; she threw my ass off the fucking ladder. It's widely believed that in the Wood, everyone is fake, relationships are organized, and everything rolls off you like you're Teflon; well fuck that noise; I'm a real motherfucker; I wasn't raised with this shit. My family isn't a Hollywood family, I was the first and only one in the business, my dad was a head surgeon at his hospital in our little hometown in Montana, and moms was an interior designer who stayed home until my little sister Tiffany started school. Dad comes from money, like a boat load of that shit, but moms came from humble beginnings; she taught us how to value the things that were important in life; we had to work hard for what we wanted. It wasn't just handed to us, well, okay, we didn't mow the lawn and all that shit, but we had to do good in school, keep our rooms clean, play nice with others and all that happy shit, okay, that's not as hard as some have it, but it did teach us to respect certain things. So all those jokers who were in the tabloids speculating that this shit was some kind of hoax could go fuck themselves, tell that shit to my decimated heart assholes.
UNTITLED
Enough of this shit. I have to get my shit straight, so I can call home and talk to moms without losing it. I took a deep breath and reached for calmness. Heading into the state-of-the-art kitchen, I brewed a pot of coffee for the first time since my arrival. Foregoing my new enemy, aka the laptop, I headed outside for some much-needed fresh air. It felt like years instead of days since I'd been outdoors. I can't believe this is my life; one week ago, I was on stage with the love of my life, the woman I was about to ask to marry me, basking in the glow of our success. Our one movie together had been phenomenal and had catapulted both of us into stardom; I was so in love with her that night, smiling for our fans and just loving life, until it all came crashing down twenty-four hours later. Now here I am, a clone of myself hiding away and licking my wounds. Another deep breath Gage; you're still breathing, so there's still life to live, just pick the pieces up and keep on trekking on. Yeah, okay.
The beauty of my surroundings finally penetrated for the first time as I took in the wildflowers spread out in abundance, with the backdrop of redwood trees. There was a nice stream running through the property that dad and gramps kept filled with trout, wild birds were going crazy in the trees closest to the cabin, and the sun was magnificent. How the fuck could life still go on when I felt half-dead inside? I wanted to rant and rave, scream at the top of my voice, kick and yell like a toddler with ADD until this pain left me, but nothing I did helped. I thought with time, it would get easier, but with each passing day, the agony intensified. My trust was gone with the wind, shattered; I had no feelings left, no care for anything or anyone, I literally wanted to lay down and die, but this beauty, this peace that now surrounded me, was the first light of hope in a thousand days of darkness. It was my new awakening, time to plan. Let the motherfucking games begin.
CHAPTER4
Mom answered on the first and a half ring like she'd been waiting by the phone, or maybe it was that freaky premonition shit she's had going on since we were kids. Somehow she always knew when we were up to no good; as a teenager, that shit was scary as fuck. Imagine planning to have a fuckfest while the parents were away for the weekend only to have your moms give you the evil eye and a lecture before the fact. Good times.
"Baby, how are you? Where are you, are you okay? You need to come home. Your father and I need you here so we can take care of you; everyone's worried sick, especially your brother and sister; we've been going out of our minds here."
"Mom, slow down; I'm fine, really; everything's good." I lied through my teeth. Just the sound of her voice and the love I heard there made me want to cry like a little bitch. I do want to go home and crawl into her lap and let her play with my hair the way she did when I was sick as a child. What the fuck? Man, the fuck up, Maddox, no crawling in mommy's lap, you douche, it was time to be a man and hit these motherfuckers hard; can't do that from mommy's lap.
"Of course, you're not fine, don't lie to your mother; regardless of what's going on, you need your family at a time like this; we need to regroup and come up with some kind of plan. Jane has been calling here nonstop looking for you, something about a statement. Suzette called, and I had to restrain your sister-in-law from reaching through the phone and strangling her." My girl Connie I felt the first smile in a week cross my face. Connie was a grade-A bitch, but when she was on your side, you had no worries. I had no doubt she would tear Suzette a new one, but that was my job; I had to leave my little hideaway and go handle my shit. I wasn't surprised the skank had called my house; how she found the nerve was beyond me, though, the girl I knew was a timid little thing afraid of her shadow. She must really be desperate if she was willing to confront Linda's wrath over the phone. She had to know my family would want nothing to do with her right now; at least, I thought she knew us that much. We're a clannish bunch us, Maddox. We stick together no matter what.
"Mom, I just needed to get away for a while, clear my head, you know, but I really am better now. I just needed some alone time out of the public eye. I think I've had enough of that shit to last me a lifetime."
"Oh, you don't have to worry about the vultures; for the first few days, they were camped outside the gates, but I took care of that shit right quick." Did I mention I got my potty mouth from mom? Funny as hell, here she is, the sophisticated little bundle of beauty who stood all of five foot six, her blond beauty a throwback to a different era. To see her, you wouldn't think butter would melt in her mouth, but when she got riled up, that little sailor that lived inside came out. I think I learned my first cuss word from her.
"Oh yeah, what did you do?"
"I decided to take a walk with Zeus and Xerxes...without a leash."
I felt the laughter start in the pit of my guts and work its way up and out.
"Oh man, I would've loved to see that." I couldn't stop laughing at the picture in my head. Zeus and Xerxes were two Doberman pinchers with a mean streak a mile wide; if you weren't family or friend, they'd try to eat your ass. I could just see the paparazzi scattering.
"Did they get any of them?" I wouldn’t mind hearing they’d eaten one of the fucks.
"Nah, they scattered to the wind, but it was a sight, Brian got pictures, and your dad got good video; it's been good for a few laughs around here, I can tell you that. So when are you coming home, son?'
And just like that, I knew I was ready to go, not to lie in her lap like a baby, but to be around her warmth and her support, to have my older brother try to joke me out of my funk the way he has been my whole life. The only problem might be the girls; Tiffany and Suzette were like sisters separated at birth, they were constantly talking to each other, and I don't know what was going on with that now, though.
I knew no matter what, my sis would be on my side, and that just got me to thinking, who did Suzette have in her corner? I'm sure her mom and dad and her brothers would be there for her, but most of our friends were of the mutual kind, and since most if not all of them were on my voicemail cussing her out, I didn't know who she had left. Connie was a no brainier.
She liked Suzette, okay, but she was a loyal bitch and no one messed with family, or she would go Rambo on their ass. Connie and Brian had been together since college, and in our family, she was more than just an in-law. She was one of us. Bitch was hardcore.
"I'll be there later tonight." Okay then, it was settled; I was going home. I'd have to call Jane, my PR rep, sometime today, but right now, I didn't want to deal with it; I wanted nothing to do with anything Hollywood for the next little while.
"Okay, son, I'll let the others know you're coming, and don't worry, everything's going to be just fine."
"Yeah?" I smiled through my pain again.
"Would I lie to you? You go do what you have to do in order to get here; I love you, son. I'll see you soon."
We said our goodbyes and hung up. I stretched my arms over my head and gave the computer the stink eye; hey, I'd gone a whole ten minutes without cussing skanky hoe and douchetard; alrighty, then progress.
