That Tuesday morning Jon woke up to a phone call.
He stayed at Dave’s house until after dinner and then drove to the studio. It was past 1am when he decided he didn’t want to drive back to New York and walked across the lawn to his house. Not bothering to turn the lights on he went straight upstairs and into his bed, glad with the work he had done.
His ringtone wouldn’t stop, who would phone him this early? He reached over to the night stand and grabbed his phone, pushing the button to answer it.
“Morning.” He said sweetly, guessing only Melody would phone him this early.
“Hey.” A female voice that wasn’t Melody’s said.
Jon frowned, pulled his phone away from his ear and looked at the screen.
“Heather?” He asked, it’s what his screen said, but why would she be phoning him. “Why are you calling so early?”
“It’s 11am for you, Jon.” She said.
Jon turned around to look at his alarm clock, black screen. Everything was still plugged out since he had left in December, but she was probably right.
“Yeah, but it’s early for you.” He said, so he wouldn’t seem like a fool, still asleep at 11am.
“I know, I had to wait for Ava to go to school to talk to you.”
He remembered, he had asked Heather to keep an eye on Richie while he was there. “Shit, did he do something stupid?” He panicked.
“No, but I think you’re right and he needs help.”
Jon sighed. “Fuck.” He sat up in bed. “Do I need a new guitarist?” He didn’t want to tour without his brother but he needed help. His health was more important and there was no way he was cancelling the tour, too much fans would be disappointed.
“You might.”
“Fuck!” He swore again. “I’ll phone him first. Thanks for calling.”
“Good luck convincing him though.”
Jon got out of bed, straight into the bathroom to use the toilet; at least the water was still on. He got dressed in last night’s clothes and went downstairs to get some coffee. He swore when it wouldn’t start and he found it wasn’t plugged in either.
Finally he got his cup of coffee and wondered if he should phone Richie first or Obie. He could phone Obie to ask him to start looking for a replacement for Richie but he should talk to Richie first before he made such a decision. He sighed, sipped his coffee and went through his phone contacts before pushing ‘call’.
“Rich?” He asked when he got a grumbled answer.
“Yeah.” He said like he was concentrating on something else.
Jon didn’t know how to continue, did he just throw it out there or did he do the ‘how are you’ shit first?
“You alright, man?” Richie asked when Jon didn’t say anything.
Jon shook his head. “Yeah I am, are you?”
“Of course I am. What’s up?”
“I should be asking you.” He sighed, he didn’t want to do this but he had to help his friend, so he sucked it up. “Richie, I think you need help.”
“Help with what?” He asked confused.
Of course you don’t know with what. “I talked to Heather about an hour ago, she’s worried you’re drinking too much.”
“I don’t need help with, that I can do on my own.”
“Fuck Rich! You’re not funny! You’re drinking way too fucking much and you know it, you need help. If you don’t sober up, I need to find you a replacement for the tour.” Jon yelled at him.
“You still there?” He asked when Richie didn’t answer him anymore.
“Yeah.”
“I shouldn’t have yelled at you.” Jon apologized, he hadn’t meant to yell, he was just worried about him.
“No, you’re right.” Richie sighed. “I do need help.” He realized.
Jon sighed and started talking to Richie.
Richie promised to try on his own first, but Jon reminded him he already promised that 2 weeks ago too. Then Richie convinced Jon to first help him find a replacement in case he couldn’t do it on his own. Jon relented and decided to wait and re-evaluate it after he got back from Hawaii. Then he would decide to hire someone and sent Richie to rehab, or as he hoped, his brother would be on stage with him.
After they talked Jon had to get back to the city, there was no food around the house and he was getting hungry.
He got his stuff together and got in the car. Backing out of the drive way onto the road he decided to stop at the first fast food drive thru he could find. He needed more coffee and breakfast; well it would be lunch at this hour.
Driving through the city in the middle of the day was never a good idea, traffic everywhere. At this time he just wanted to get home, run a few miles on the treadmill before starting work that he didn’t want to.
Around 2pm he finally got home. He turned on the sound system around the house, changed into workout clothes and went for a long run.
Until he realized he was just running away from what he should be doing, looking for a replacement. He didn’t want to do it, he didn’t even want to think of performing without Richie next to him, he needed him there.
He finally got of the machine and went to shower. First things first. He went to shower and went to his office, got his phone out and phoned Obie first, telling him what needed to be done. Then he phoned Richie back, telling him to get on his laptop so they could do a video call with Obie and figure everything out.
Jon checked his watch, 3.17pm, this was gonna take a long time.
After he got Richie and Obie both on a three way video call, he switched his cell phone off and put it on his desk. Turning his attention to them, they started discussing who they could hire, in the worst case.
Later that night at Melody’s house, after dinner a birthday party started. Melody her family had arrived and as usual with every family visit all the kids were in the basement den and Melody had to call them up to cut the cake.
She had waited to start with the cake until Jon got there but after phoning him 5 times and his phone going straight they voicemail, she sighed and got the kids anyway.
“But not everyone is here yet.” Faith whined.
“I know, but I can’t reach Jon, he’s probably busy with work.”
“Oh.” Faith sighed, disappointed he wasn’t there. She liked her mum’s new boyfriend and really wanted him there too.
“I’m sorry sweetie, but work is important too.” Melody tried.
Faith shrugged, she took a deep breath and blew out the 9 candles on the cake and closed her eyes to make a wish. She opened her eyes again and grabbed a plate for a piece of the cake Melody was cutting.
After everyone had their piece of cake, they got the presents and Faith started opening them.
Chapter 75
He stayed at Dave’s house until after dinner and then drove to the studio. It was past 1am when he decided he didn’t want to drive back to New York and walked across the lawn to his house. Not bothering to turn the lights on he went straight upstairs and into his bed, glad with the work he had done.
His ringtone wouldn’t stop, who would phone him this early? He reached over to the night stand and grabbed his phone, pushing the button to answer it.
“Morning.” He said sweetly, guessing only Melody would phone him this early.
“Hey.” A female voice that wasn’t Melody’s said.
Jon frowned, pulled his phone away from his ear and looked at the screen.
“Heather?” He asked, it’s what his screen said, but why would she be phoning him. “Why are you calling so early?”
“It’s 11am for you, Jon.” She said.
Jon turned around to look at his alarm clock, black screen. Everything was still plugged out since he had left in December, but she was probably right.
“Yeah, but it’s early for you.” He said, so he wouldn’t seem like a fool, still asleep at 11am.
“I know, I had to wait for Ava to go to school to talk to you.”
He remembered, he had asked Heather to keep an eye on Richie while he was there. “Shit, did he do something stupid?” He panicked.
“No, but I think you’re right and he needs help.”
Jon sighed. “Fuck.” He sat up in bed. “Do I need a new guitarist?” He didn’t want to tour without his brother but he needed help. His health was more important and there was no way he was cancelling the tour, too much fans would be disappointed.
“You might.”
“Fuck!” He swore again. “I’ll phone him first. Thanks for calling.”
“Good luck convincing him though.”
Jon got out of bed, straight into the bathroom to use the toilet; at least the water was still on. He got dressed in last night’s clothes and went downstairs to get some coffee. He swore when it wouldn’t start and he found it wasn’t plugged in either.
Finally he got his cup of coffee and wondered if he should phone Richie first or Obie. He could phone Obie to ask him to start looking for a replacement for Richie but he should talk to Richie first before he made such a decision. He sighed, sipped his coffee and went through his phone contacts before pushing ‘call’.
“Rich?” He asked when he got a grumbled answer.
“Yeah.” He said like he was concentrating on something else.
Jon didn’t know how to continue, did he just throw it out there or did he do the ‘how are you’ shit first?
“You alright, man?” Richie asked when Jon didn’t say anything.
Jon shook his head. “Yeah I am, are you?”
“Of course I am. What’s up?”
“I should be asking you.” He sighed, he didn’t want to do this but he had to help his friend, so he sucked it up. “Richie, I think you need help.”
“Help with what?” He asked confused.
Of course you don’t know with what. “I talked to Heather about an hour ago, she’s worried you’re drinking too much.”
“I don’t need help with, that I can do on my own.”
“Fuck Rich! You’re not funny! You’re drinking way too fucking much and you know it, you need help. If you don’t sober up, I need to find you a replacement for the tour.” Jon yelled at him.
“You still there?” He asked when Richie didn’t answer him anymore.
“Yeah.”
“I shouldn’t have yelled at you.” Jon apologized, he hadn’t meant to yell, he was just worried about him.
“No, you’re right.” Richie sighed. “I do need help.” He realized.
Jon sighed and started talking to Richie.
Richie promised to try on his own first, but Jon reminded him he already promised that 2 weeks ago too. Then Richie convinced Jon to first help him find a replacement in case he couldn’t do it on his own. Jon relented and decided to wait and re-evaluate it after he got back from Hawaii. Then he would decide to hire someone and sent Richie to rehab, or as he hoped, his brother would be on stage with him.
After they talked Jon had to get back to the city, there was no food around the house and he was getting hungry.
He got his stuff together and got in the car. Backing out of the drive way onto the road he decided to stop at the first fast food drive thru he could find. He needed more coffee and breakfast; well it would be lunch at this hour.
Driving through the city in the middle of the day was never a good idea, traffic everywhere. At this time he just wanted to get home, run a few miles on the treadmill before starting work that he didn’t want to.
Around 2pm he finally got home. He turned on the sound system around the house, changed into workout clothes and went for a long run.
Until he realized he was just running away from what he should be doing, looking for a replacement. He didn’t want to do it, he didn’t even want to think of performing without Richie next to him, he needed him there.
He finally got of the machine and went to shower. First things first. He went to shower and went to his office, got his phone out and phoned Obie first, telling him what needed to be done. Then he phoned Richie back, telling him to get on his laptop so they could do a video call with Obie and figure everything out.
Jon checked his watch, 3.17pm, this was gonna take a long time.
After he got Richie and Obie both on a three way video call, he switched his cell phone off and put it on his desk. Turning his attention to them, they started discussing who they could hire, in the worst case.
Later that night at Melody’s house, after dinner a birthday party started. Melody her family had arrived and as usual with every family visit all the kids were in the basement den and Melody had to call them up to cut the cake.
She had waited to start with the cake until Jon got there but after phoning him 5 times and his phone going straight they voicemail, she sighed and got the kids anyway.
“But not everyone is here yet.” Faith whined.
“I know, but I can’t reach Jon, he’s probably busy with work.”
“Oh.” Faith sighed, disappointed he wasn’t there. She liked her mum’s new boyfriend and really wanted him there too.
“I’m sorry sweetie, but work is important too.” Melody tried.
Faith shrugged, she took a deep breath and blew out the 9 candles on the cake and closed her eyes to make a wish. She opened her eyes again and grabbed a plate for a piece of the cake Melody was cutting.
After everyone had their piece of cake, they got the presents and Faith started opening them.
Chapter 75
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