Chapter 69

Mel  picked at her dinner, her mind thousands of miles away. Damn she missed him. Nearly fifteen years without him and now after a few scant months he was just as important as breathing again. Why the hell could she not get him off of her mind?  She growled and pushed the plate away. The last time she’d been unable to eat thanks to him he’d ended up putting a car through the football field fence. Stupid internal radar, stupid fanciful thoughts. He’s in Russia so of course all those old Grade B movies you’ve seen have you thinking something’s wrong.

She shook her head and tugged her plate back in front of her, knowing she had to keep her strength up at least. If she wasn’t on her game when they got home Poofster would for sure find a way to egg something else on. Bad enough he’d found a way to keep her from going with Richie. How could she watch out for Richie with Jon always in the way?  Didn’t he know how Richie got when he’d been thwarted? Richie had wanted her along, fucking badly . She’d seen the look in his eyes when he found out she wasn’t allowed to go. Jesus that look always spelled trouble.

She growled again and shoved the plate away a final time. It was no use, she couldn’t get him off the mind. Something had to be up, but what?  As she stood to take her plate to the kitchen her brow flicked up at the phone’s sudden shrill. She glanced at the phone muttering,“Who would be calling me at 8pm?”  Settling the plate on the counter she lifted the phone to her ear. “Yo?”

"Mel?" Shannon said timidly into the receiver, "Mel are you there?"

Oh hell it was Mrs. Poofy, otherwise known as her sister. Taking a deep breath she turned to lean against the counter. "Well where else would I be Squirt? Moscow? No, not there.. so must be here. How's things going in the land of the rising sun? Everyone ok? You better be calling me to tell me things are ok."

She crossed her fingers and was tempted to cross her eyes too. Please God tell me everything’s wonderful and you're all having a wonderful time.

"Mel... I don't know what to do." Shannon nearly whined. Mel would know what to do, she always did, she always made things better.

"Married Life not suiting ya Squirt?" She closed her eyes and offered up a soft prayer. Let it be trouble with Jon, Let it be trouble with Jon, let it be..  At the soft whimper her heart fell to her feet. "It's not about Jon is it?"

"Not yet..." Shannon fought back the tears and failed, "Oh Mel it was awful! He was so.. so MEAN and he... he.... I've never seen him like that, he scared me!" She rambled as she swiped the tears from her eyes. She felt like such a baby right then but damn she'd been so frightened and confused! "I flushed it! Flushed all of it and he was angry. He was so angry but Mel I didn't know what else to do, I can't tell Jon he'll lose it!"

She took a deep breath. "Ok slow down. Who was mean? What did you flush? Who scared you? Jon? I'll kill him, He being rough with you?"   God what was going on over there? Where was Richie? Was he ok? Had something happened?

"Dammit Shay, quit sniveling and TELL ME they are all OK!"

"Ri...Richie! I tried to help him.. he hates me.... cocaine.... flushed it Mel, please don’t YELL AT ME!" Shannon finally got it all out albeit brokenly and tried in vain to get her tumultuous emotions in check. She hiccupped  and took a deep breath.

She turned, her fist connecting to the cabinet door with a rattle. "Now just wait a minute here Squirt. Coke? You better not be fuckin' telling me Dork’s snortin'."

Shannon whined "I'm sorry Mel... I... I didn't know what to do! He was yelling and leaning over. He got in my face and grabbed me and he was saying shit and I just... I got scared and ran, then I got... angry and well... I went back in and made him stop. I knocked it away from him then took the bag and flushed it and.... and for a minute I thought he might hurt me but I got out and... and I called you. You know him best; you'll know what to do. Don't you?"

She started muttering as she paced the kitchen, the phone cord growing more taunt by the second. "I fuckin' knew it, you don't thwart him, he self destructs. Goddamit all ya did is put it off. He's there with all those guys. Shit Squirt, YOU’RE the rock fiend, tell me.. how bad can that Motley bunch and the Skiddies something be?  Tell me he can't find more Shay. Please tell me that."

"Uh..... well.." Shannon stopped sniveling and started thinking. "No, I don't think, well Baz is the pot guy, he's cool just a pot head really, Motley..." She really hadn't  spent much time around them, they seemed a bit wilder than anyone she'd met before and if it could be gotten anywhere she was sure it was with them.

"Those Motley Crue guys are... well um, even a bit much for me Mel."

Mel took a deep breath, counted to ten and started talking as her mind raced ahead with plans. "Listen to me. You find Doc and you repeat to him what I say ok?" She took a deep breath as her mind went into over drive. “You repeat it verbatim Squirt or this won’t work you hear me?” At her sisters squeak of agreement she started to talk.

She glanced up at the clock, Richie had said they were hours behind Jersey. "You tell that fat bastard that Melanie said there better be arrangements for transport to Moscow for her at the airport within the hour. If there's not, she'll be feeding Jon's cock and his to the fishies from the pier the first chance she gets her hands on them. You got that squirt?"

"Uh.... um.. ok Mel" Shannon swallowed hard she knew Melanie was on a mission and she knew Doc was not gonna like it hearing something so rude but, she'd do it.

She sighed a moment at the uncertainty in her little sister's voice. “Listen sweetie, he don't hate you, but he just gets... well.. crazed when he can't get what he wants, and the ONLY way to get Doc to listen is to threaten him. Just tell him Mel said it. He knows I mean business. If I don't get there, Richie's gonna end up ..." she couldn't say the word, she couldn't; she just knew she had to get there ASAP. "Can ya do that for me sweetie?"

"I can, I....." Shannon paused unsure if she should say anything more, but she trusted Mel, "I .. don't like Doc, and I think he's the reason Jon’s been so...... well.. you know...Jon."

She nodded in agreement, yet another sigh whispering out of her. "Listen don't you dare say anything, but I think I agree with ya. Jon trusts him too much, but if you tell then I can't razz the boy, and he so deserves it based on his hair alone ok?"  She felt the first laugh of the night escape her before the worry returned. "He's not so bad, I mean if Dork likes him he's gotta be ok right?"

 Shannon felt a bit of her worry easing away at her sisters words, "He really is  a sweetheart Mel,  underneath it all." She glanced at the clock once more, "Shit, if I'm gonna corner him without Jon around, I better get moving."

"You tell him, he has exactly one hour. I'm gonna pack and head to the airport, and trust me. YOU KNOW ME sis. If he fucks this up I'll kill him."

"I know...I know." Shannon started to say something else only to hear the dull buzz of the dead phone. Melanie was already on the move.

Time to beard the lion in his own den.