Showstopper/Coming Home
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
A long black limousine pulled up outside a tall building in Steel Canyon and double parked in front. Stacey stared out the window as she waited for the chauffeur to come around and open the door. Home. She was home again. She hadn’t intended to be gone so long, but a hundred little things had delayed the filming of “Creature Comforts 8” and she’d been stuck cooling her heels in England for months. And then a small part in another movie had come up and she jetted off to Italy. And then another, this time in Spain. All told she'd been gone over two years. But now she was back. And ready to face the consequences of her actions, whether she liked it or not.
“Thanks, Roger.” She stepped out of the car as the chauffeur held the door open for her. She opened the front door of the building with her pass key and took the elevator to her floor. She paused in front of her door and took a deep breath. He wouldn’t be there. She knew it, but there was that small grain of hope. One more deep breath, and she opened the door.
The place felt empty, lonely. No one had been here for awhile. She wandered around, opening drawers, cupboards, and closets. Not a trace of him. It was like Jeremy had never been here. Maybe it was all just a dream. Yeah. If it was a dream, then she hadn’t screwed up her life so badly. Nice thought.
She wandered back to the living room and over to her stereo. Tears welled up in her eyes as she saw the neat row of Tone Death CDs. Selecting one, she popped it in the stereo and the sound of Jeremy’s voice filled the room. Grabbing a pillow off the couch, she hugged it tightly and curled herself into a ball in her favorite chair. She let the music and the memories wash over her.
She had never been happier. She had a job she loved, great friends, and Jeremy. Ah, Jeremy. It made her smile just to think about him. She still couldn’t believe they were together. How many girls got to actually score with their idol? She giggled at the thought. She’d had a crush on him since she was 12 years old. She had all his albums. She’d had a poster of him of over her bed for years. Being with him was really too good to be true.
And then it happened. He’d said the words… well, almost. But close enough. And she didn’t believe in love. Love never lasted. And she’d freaked out. Sure, she agreed that she didn’t want to be with anyone but him, that she couldn’t imagine her life without him. But was that love? And how hard would it be when he did leave her, if she let herself believe he never would? They’d been able to smooth things over, and that night had made desperate love, pouring all the emotions they were too afraid to express into it. After he left the next morning, the doubts crept in again. And then she’d gotten the call. She hadn’t planned on doing another Creature Comforts movie, she was a superhero now, but it seemed like a sign. So she’d agreed, and left for England that afternoon. She’d thought about leaving a note, but had no idea what to say. She’d picked up the phone a hundred times since, but always put it down again before even dialing his number.
The words to “Black and White” invaded her consciousness. Without a net… no guarantees. But I'll gladly take the leap for more times like these. She started to sob. No guarantees. But it was worth it. She’d f*cked up. She’d be lucky if he ever spoke to her again, let alone try to rebuild what they had had. It was over, and it was all her fault.
