Chapter
13: Chic-A-Cherry Cola
Darren could feel the soft hand whose fingers were entwined with his
and instantly opened his eyes. A sharp pain hit him as he gazed around the stale
white room. He knew he wasn’t home, nor was he at Chance’s. Darren looked to
his right to discover her asleep in a chair beside his bed. Suddenly realizing
he was in a hospital, he knew what he had done to himself the night before.
He reached up with his bandaged left arm to feel the gauzed welt on his forehead.
It stung with a burning sensation.
“Owe!” Darren yelped. Chance immediately woke up and looked at him then
burst into tears.
“What were you thinking last night?” she asked. “Why did you do it? Was
it me? Was it the fact that I slept with Scott? What was it? Tell me.”
“Calm down,” he replied. “It’s none of those reasons. It’s something
totally opposite of what you think. Besides, if I told you why, you’d think
I was crazy or something.”
“I have to know why, or I’ll be blaming myself for the rest of my life.
Just tell me. I promise I won’t think you’re nuts,” Chance said.
“Okay, well, it all started after Colby and I divorced. I began to hear
the voices inside my head. It wasn’t that bad, and I thought I could deal with
it. Then they got louder and louder, and started to bicker with each other.
By that time, I was ready to lose control. They wouldn’t stop. I haven’t had
one night of rest in the last year and a half. Last night, after I realized
what you and Scott had done, the damn things go so loud that even if I tried
to ignore them, they’d get louder. That’s when I decided to hit my head against
the table. At the time I thought it was a good idea, but I didn’t realized that
this would happen,” Darren said lightly touching his bandaged forehead. He winced
in pain as his fingers brushed across the sore area.
Chance looked at him thoughtfully then said, “You need some help. I know
a great psychiatrist.”
“I don’t need help,” he retorted. He was furious that Chance had told
him he needed to see someone about this. “There’s no way I’m going to a shrink.”
“Look at what you did to yourself last night and tell me you don’t need
help. You almost caused serious brain damage. The doctor said that if I hadn’t
found you when I did, you’d be dead by now,” Chance nearly exploded into tears.
“Darren, I can’t bare to lose you. You’re the only best friend that I have in
this world. You’re one of the few people that actually give a shit about me.”
Seeing the tears in her eyes, Darren’s anger evaporated and he could
see that she cared about him as much as he cared about her. He put his hand
on her cheek and wiped away a single tear that had dripped down from her eye.
“Fine, I’ll get help. But you have to promise me that no one’s going to find
out about this.”
“I promise on my life that nobody will ever know,” she swore.
“Good, now can we leave?”
“No, the doctor won’t let you.”
“But I’m fine,” Darren whined as he tried to sit up, but became dizzy.
“You’re not fine, any way you look at it,” Chance cracked. She laughed
at her own stupid joke.
“You know, you’re about as messed up in the head as I am,” he retorted.
“Shut the fuck up. That’s bull shit,” she retaliated.
“Okay, then why would you need a shrink?”
“Because I couldn’t deal with my parents’ deaths.”
“Oh,” Darren finally realized the mistake he had made. “I’m sorry.”
“At least I’m not hearing voices!” Chance doubled over laughing. She
couldn’t help herself. This was all fair game in her book for cracking jokes.
“Enough.” Darren was angry. Chance was being a real bitch towards him
now that she knew his secret.
“I’m sorry,” she snorted, making herself laugh harder. It was his turn
to laugh at the strange sound she had just made.
Dan popped his head into the room and asked, “What’s so funny?”
“I just made some really bad jokes, that’s all,” Chance giggled. She
sat down in the chair she had occupied earlier and added, “Darren’s up.”
“I noticed,” Dan replied. “What’s up? How are you feeling?” he turned
to Darren.
“I’m okay, I guess. It’s just a little bump on the head,” Darren said
as he felt his forehead again.
“Yeah, right. It looks like you were hit by a bat,” Dan commented. He
stepped inside the room and stood at the foot of Darren’s bed.
“How would you know?”
“Chance told me.”
Darren glared at Chance. “I had to tell him. He was worried,” she claimed.
“I’ve got to run. Plane’s leaving in an hour. I have to get to the airport,”
Dan said as he began to leave. “Is there anything you want me to send you from
home?”
“Everything in my closet,” Darren answered.
“You have to be kidding. You know how much stuff is in that thing? I’d
probably kill myself if I even tried to get in there,” Dan protested.
“Dan, do it,” Chance butted in.
“Two against one,” Darren smirked.
Dan glared at the two of them sitting side-by-side and finally said,
“Fine, but you owe me.” Then he left.
~~~~~~~~~~
Two days later…
“Why can’t I get a single idea for a song?” Chance complained as she
tried to strum something on her guitar. She hadn’t had an idea for a song in
the last few weeks, which left her desperate for some new material.
Chance tried again, but nothing good came from her fingers and the strings.
She sat on her bed and looked at the wall. Her favorite “Roswell” poster of
Max and Liz hung just across her bed. Transfixed to that one point, Chance began
to zone out and think about things. She didn’t notice that Darren had walked
in with a hat and sunglasses on.
“Are we going to go to the studio today, or are you intent on watching
the wall for the rest of the day?” he asked. She didn’t respond. Chance was
in a state of deep thought and unable to do anything about it. “Earth to Chance.
Come in Chance,” Darren tried again, waving his hand in front of her face.
Still, Chance stared at her wall without movement. Darren walked up to
her bed and bent over so that he was right next to her ear. “Chance!” he yelled.
Chance jumped up, startled and confused. “What the hell?” she asked,
shaking the ringing out of her ears.
“Took you long enough to get out of that daze,” Darren said. “Come on,
we’re supposed to be in the studio today.”
“Oh, yeah. I completely forgot. Sorry, I was just trying to write something
new. I haven’t had an idea for a long time,” Chance replied. She put the guitar
down and walked out of the room, Darren following.
“Maybe singing someone else’s songs might help you think of something,”
he offered.
“I don’t know, but I’ll give it a try,” she said.
The two stepped outside into the bright sunshine. It was only six in
the afternoon, and the sun hung low in the horizon. Chance took her key out
of her purse and unlocked the doors of her car.
“Nice,” Darren commented as he sat down in the passenger’s seat.
“Oh, it gets better,” Chance said, pulling down the top.
“Very nice.”
“That’s why I like it.”
They made the studio just before the sun disappeared into the night.
As Chance stepped out of the car, she looked up at the stars and began to wonder
about her parents. Darren noticed and looked up as well.
“They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” he asked.
“Yeah, they make me think of my parents,” Chance said. She looked at
Darren and smiled. “I think I got an idea for a song.”
“Great. Let’s get inside and you can write it,” Darren replied as he
pulled Chance towards the door. They went straight to Studio C, which Chance
had reserved for herself that day.
“I wish Dan was here. I miss him already,” she said as she walked into
the room. “He played some great stuff too. I don’t know how I’m gonna manage
without him today.”
“You always have me,” Darren said through the PA system.
“I’m just gonna do vocals then,” Chance replied. She began to tune her
voice for what was to come. Stretching out her neck, she tested out her voice.
“I wanna love you forever, and this is all I’m asking of you; 10,000
lifetimes together. Is that so much for you to do? ‘Cause from the moment that
I saw your face, and felt the fire in your sweet embrace I swear I knew. I'm
gonna love you forever,” Chance belted out.
“Damn, you’re really good,” Darren commented on her voice.
Chance smiled and said, “Start recording now. I got most of the song
in my head.” She cleared her voice once more and began.
“I've been through the darkest night. Now I can see heaven's light. From the first day we met I knew it was our best bet that you and I would be together forever. But now I can see we were meant to be so baby please come back to me.” She paused for a moment before starting the chorus.
“I wish I could have you. I don't know what I’d do without you in my life. I feel empty inside. Please come back to my arms. I will do you no harm.”
Darren sat back in the chair behind the console and just watched her from his viewpoint. Chance looked so beautiful under the bright lights of the booth. Her face shown like the sun as her lips sang the rest of the song. Darren scanned her figure. He noticed that every time she hit a high note she’d squeeze her hands into fists. Chance’s voice was filled with passion as she confidently sang her song. Her eyes were closed, letting her concentrate on the song instead of everything around her. She was definitely going to make it in the music industry with her talent.
With the last few lines finished, Chance breath in deeply and sat down on a chair to regain some strength. She felt ready to pass out, but kept herself upright. Her body always felt that way after an intense song.
“Great job,” Darren congratulated. “I think I’m going to send some of this stuff to Charles and see what he thinks. I know he’ll be impressed and want to sign you for a few more albums.”
“Really?” Chance panted. “Cool.”
“Mind if I join you on a song?” he asked.
“No, I’m the one who’s supposed to be recording with you, remember? You have all the rights in the world to step in when you want,” Chance said. She stood up and opened the door. A gust of cold air hit her face making her feel better. “I’ll just go get someone from another one of the studios and have them behind the console.”
Chance stepped out of the studio and headed for the one next door, Studio D. She knocked before entering. There she found Andy Barrens, one of her father’s favorite employees.
“Hey, Andy. Are you busy?” Chance questioned.
“No, just about to lock up this studio. Why?” Andy replied.
“I’m recording in C, and I don’t have a tech behind the console. The tech I had also happens to be my partner, and he wants to sing a song with me,” she explained.
“Sure, I’ll come in as soon as I finish here,” he said, turning back to his work.
“Thanks, Andy.” Chance left the studio and went out into the hall. Instead of immediately going back to her studio, she decided to get a bottle of water from the vending machine. As she passed the front desk, she waved to the woman behind it.
“Hey, Lara. How’s it going?” Chance politely said as she walked past the 25-year-old woman in the black outfit.
“I’m good. How are you?” Lara replied.
“I’m doing well. Did you hear? I got a record deal,” Chance gushed.
“That’s wonderful. I knew it was just a matter of time before you climbed your way up to the top,” Lara said as she typed up a few more things on the computer. “So, who’s the hot guy you’re here with? I remember seeing him the last time you came in, too.”
“That’s Darren. He’s the guy I’ll be recording the album with,” Chance said nonchalantly. “He’s the lead singer of Savage Garden.”
“No way! That’s him? He looks so different in person.”
“Lara, you’re weird.”
“You’re weirder.”
Chance stuck out her tongue. “I should go. I need to get a bottle of water then I have to go back to C and record a song with Darren. I’ll see you later.”
“Hey, introduce me, will you?”
“Yeah, I will. I just really have to go.” Chance rushed out of the front office and went straight to the vending machine in the lounge. After getting her water, Chance went back to the studio to find Andy and Darren talking.
“Hey, Chance. I was just about to come looking for you,” Darren said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her into the booth.
“So, what are we singing?” she asked, setting the bottle of water down on the floor beside her feet.
“Let’s see…” Darren thought for a moment then said, “How about ‘I Want You?’”
“Sounds good to me,” Chance agreed and turned to her mic. “Ready.”
Andy began to record as soon as Darren began to sing the first verse.
“Any time I need to see your face, I
just close my eyes and I am taken to a place where your crystal mind and magenta
feelings take up shelter in the base of my spine sweet like a chic-a-cherry
cola.”
Chance began the second verse. “I don't need to try and explain; I just
hold on tight and if it happens again I might move so slightly to the arms and
the lips and the face of the human cannonball. That I need to, I want to.”
It was then back to Darren for the next part of the song. “Come stand
a little bit closer. Breathe in and get a bit higher. You'll never know what
hit you when I get to you.”
The two of them sang the chorus together. ”
Ooh, I want you. I don't know
if I need you but, ooh, I'd die to find out. Ooh, I want you. I don't know if
I need you but, ooh, I'd die to find out.”
Chance began the next part of the song. “I'm the kind of person who endorses
a deep commitment. Getting comfy, getting perfect is what I live for. But… Ah.
Shit, I screwed up. I can’t remember the line.” She began to laugh at the mistake
she had made to relieve the tension she was feeling standing beside Darren and
singing with him.
“Once more, and I promise this time I won’t screw up,” Chance said as
she cleared her throat. After several attempts, each time being a funnier mistake
than the last, she finally was able to sing the line and finish the song.
“I can’t believe you screwed up one simple line. I’m so offended,” Darren
sarcastically said.
“I didn’t mean to, I swear,” Chance defended, bursting out into giggles.
“But you have to admit, that was really funny.”
"I Wish I Could Have You" ©2004 Dmmuzicfan@aol.com. All rights reserved.