FicWad

CHAPTER 15: KEEPING UP
March 7, 2008
New York, New York

Seth and D awoke to an 8am knock at the door.
"It done mornin?" Seth moaned as he rolled over onto his stomach and buried his head under the pillow.
D's cellphone began ringing by the bed. he sat up with a sigh and answered it. It was Kasey.She slid on a robe and got up to answer Seth's door. It was Jennifer. Jennifer walked in to see Seth naked in the bed with only a sheet covering part of him, but not the right ones. Who couldnt help but look? He had a perfect heart shaped apple bottom. She could see that he obviously didnt want to get up. Moments later he stretched and wormed his way to a seated position on the side of the bed with his back to her and D. They watched as he stuck his legs in his boxers and stood up to pull them on the rest of the way.
Seth glanced over his shoulder, feeling the eyes upon him. Jennifer looked completely shocked. Seth couldnt help but smile at her modesty. "Mornin Jen," he yawned showing zero modesty. Not hat he needed any. Plus his life hadnt left him a whole lot of room for any.e grew up with public showers and had slept with over a hundred girls, what did he possibly have to be shy about?
"Um...yeah...morning Seth," she looked down with a red face, "can I get you anything?"
About that time there was another knock at the door. "Ya's mind gettin dat?" He saked slipping into a pair of jeans.
"Thats probably Kasey," D said picking her clothes up off the floor.
Jennifer opened the door and smiled to Kasey.
"Good morning," Kasey smiled walking in with two cups of coffee. She walked in to see D scrounging for her belongings. "D, you have to be at the dance studio in one hour."
"And youre needed in the studio this morning too," Jennifer spoke to Seth. "You look really tired this morning," she said making note of the two puffy black rings around his eyes.
"Yeah," he shrugged and smiled at D, "late nite."
Jennifer slightly looked away. "Uh...I could come have Dr. Gibbons give you something to help."
"Doctah Gibbons?" He asked.
"Yeah," D nodded. "Thats the doctor the record company gave us. He's been having to give me shots every morning for a while now just so I can dance."
"Yeah he could give you something," Kasey nodded.
Seth glanced to his shirt in his hands. "Calls him," he shrugged and pulled it on.
"Ill do it," Jennifer said pulling out her cellphone.
"Seth, Im gonna use your shower," D said heading for the bathroom.
Kasey picked up the phone in the room to order some breakfast. "Seth are you hungry?"
Seth only smiled and shook his head and walked over to the mirror to straighten his hair.
"Hes on his way," Jennifer spoke. She turned to Seth deciding to make small talk. "So, how long have you and D been together?"
"Oh," hesaid glancing up at her in the mirror, "We's aint like boyfriend an girlfriend or nothin."
Jennifer and Kasey looked at one another in confusion. They had both just naturally assumed they were a couple. They were always together. They obviously had sex. And both seemed to genuinely care for one another.
About five minutes later Dr. Gibbons arrived. Jennifer opened the door and directed him over to Seth. Seth glanced up at him. He appeared to be in his 30's. His hair was short and worn with a part. He was dressed like he was going golfing, minus some plaid.
"Good morning, Im Dr. Gibbons," he said extending his hand out to Seth, "and you are?"
"Seth," he said with a head nod shaking his hand.
"What seems to be the problem this morning Seth?"
"Not enuff sleep doc. I's gots ta be in a studio in less dan a hour...gone be stuck there all day..."
"Sure," he nodded writing him out a prescription for Dexedrine. "This will pick you up when you cant pick yourself up. Take them as prescribed or youll find yourself up for three days."
Seth nodded.
In the meantime I have a little something that will take effect right away." He reached for his bag and pulled out a small clear vial of clear liquid and a syringe. Seth watched him draw the liquid into the syringe. He held it up to the light and gave it a good thump on the side. He then returned his attention back to Seth. He motioned for Seth to hold out his arm as he pulled a tourniquet from his bag. "Make a fist for me," he said tying the tourniquet around Seth's arm. Seth watched everything attentively. "Ok...big stick," the doctor smiled.
Seth felt the needle pierce his skin. He then watched the doctor pull backwards on the plunger of the needle. He could see a stream of his blood cloud into the clear liquid in the syringe.
"Ok...here it comes. It may feel warm."
Seth could feel something happening. That warms the doctor spoke of started first in his arm. His posture began to stiffen.
"Now relax your fist," Dr. Gibbons spoke pulling the needle out and the tournaquet from his arm.
Seth could feel that warm weeling go throughout his whole body. He blew his breath out deeply. He could feel his eyes getting wider and his heart started to pound. "What da fuck?" He asked placing his hand on his chest.
"Just a little cocktail," he smiled up at him. "Now remember that shot is going to do you just fine all day. Do NOT take the prescription with it."
"They's gone do dis too?" He asked. He could feel so much energy coursing through him. He felt stronger than 10 men. It was amazing. He felt almost just the same as he did after kissing D for the first time. It felt like being in that plane bathroom with her. It was like waking up to her asleep on his chest.
"Yes, it just takes them a little longer to work," He gathered up his things and went to see D in the bathroom.
Seth bounced off the bed like a ball. "What else Is gots today Jen?" He began pacing the room not knowing what to do with all this new found energy. He glanced out the window to the city and began pacing again. His breath was racing but he felt like he could run a marathon. He could climb a mountain. He could do a 16 hour show. He didnt know how he was just going to sit there and wait patiently for something to do. He had too much energy. He had to do something.

Seth and D soon went their seperate ways. D went to the dance studio and Seth to the recording studio to lay the vocals to their last track. The producer wanted it completed today. Tomorrow they were scheduled to appear on Good Day Live. He hoped his voice was up to it. He had sang so much lately it didnt take much for him to lose his voice.
"Ok Seth...cut," Said the producers voice to Seth in the sound booth. Seth had been standing there singing the same song for over 6 hours. is pitch wasnt matching up. He sighed and ran his hand through his hair. That shot the doctor had given him was wearing off fast. He was feeling tired and right now was no time to be tired. He pulled his phone from his pocket and txt Jennifer.
"U fill that script? Cud use it like 5 mins ago."
"Ok...ready," the producer said starting up the playback.
Seth nodded and drew his breath in. He sang a few notes and was quickly stopped.
"Cut!"
Seth looked through the glass at the producer. "Pitch off dawg?"
"Not even close," he shook his head, "Whats the problem Seth?"
"Tired dawg," he sighed running his hand over his face.
"You want some coke?"
Seth looked at him a bit unsure. "Word dawg?" He skeptically asked.
"Yeah, sure," the producer motioned for him to come into the control booth.
Seth exited the sound booth and crossed over to the control room. The producer pulled out a pill bottle with no label on it. It was half full of powder.He opened it and poured some out on the mixer board. He rolled up a 20 dollar bill and handed it to Seth. Seth pulled his drivers liscense from his wallet and began making lines. He placed the bill to his nose, closed off he other nostril with one finger, and inhaled deeply watching the line disappear. It hit the back of his throat making it go numb almost instantly. He could feel his eyes becoming more alert. He felt his heart picking up the pace.
"You awake now?" The producer asked with a smile.
"Hold up, Seth said preparing to do another line up the other nostril. It didnt feel the same as the shot Dr. Gibbons had given him. He wanted that feeling again, that chemically induced feeling of being with D. He stood up straight with his head back sniffling for a minute. "A'ite," he nodded, "now I's awake dawg." He wiped his nose and walked back into the sound booth. He put the headphones over his ears and waited for his cue.
"You ready Seth?"
He nodded wiping the sweat from his palms onto the front of his pants. He gripped the mic and cleared his throat. He began singing. This time he didnt hear cut so he assumed he was getting the pitch right. The producer was bobbing his head to the music. Apparently he liked what he was hearing. Seth felt like he could do anything again. He could sing all night long. The only thing that could make that moment any better would be if D walked through the door. He was slightly amazed to find out that drugs could reproduce what he felt around her. He liked how he felt. He wished he felt exactly this way all the time. It was a perfect feeling of sheer joy and happiness. He just wanted to wrap D in his arms and spin in circles.

D came in from the studio completely wiped out. Every inch of her hurt. Her entire midsection was spotted with bruises from learning how to dance suspended from a chain. It looked so easy when her instructor did it, and she wasnt all covered in bruises. D never dreamed that her dancing would evolve into something like this.
There was a knock at the door. She sighed with a frown knowing that she would have to get up to answer it. Where was Kasey when she actually needed her? She struggled to pull herself up and went to the door. It was Seth. He stood there leaning on the door frame with his shoulder. He looked so perfect. His black hair hung in perfectly straight strands down his forehead. Even though he had on shades D knew his eyes were twinkling behind them. What a picture this was. This was the type of thing D knew would flash before her in the moment she died. This image of Seth would be burned into her forever. He made her heart skip a beat. He pulled his half grin to his lips and extended out a bottle of champagne.
"Finished da record. Wants ta celebrate wit me?" He smiled raising his eyebrows up and down cutely behind the shades.
How could she refuse? "Sure," she smiled letting him in.
Seth noticed how stiff she seemed to be. "Here," he said fishing into his front pocket. He pulled out some coke wrapped up in a cigarette cellophane. "some a dis an you's aint gone feel shit."
"Whats this, coke?" she asked taking it from him.
"Yeah, he nodded going over to the mini bar for a corkscrew to open the champagne.
"Where did you get this?" She asked.
He twisted the corkscrew into the cork. "From our producah," he said wiggling the cork out.
"You on it now?" she asked
"Hells yeah," he nodded with a grin as he poured two glasses of champagne. This was the kind of stuff he had only seen in the movies. He handed D a glass. "Dis Cristal," he beamed.
"Really?" D asked in disbelief, "That stuff is supposed to be really expensive."
"True dat," Seth nodded, "da record company gaves it ta me...OH!" He said as he reached into the front pocket on his hoodie. He pulled out a cd case. "Theys gave me a case sample."
D took it from him and looked at it. A cross the front it read; Faithless: In The Dark. The picture on its cover was a silhouetted picture of D blowing out a candle. "Is that me?" She asked.
"Yeah," Seth nodded, "theys aint have no picture a yous on da inside...so I's kinda made em use ya on da covas."
D was flattered. "Where did this picture come from? Ive never seen it before."
"Off a my phone," he siad taking a drink, "las year on ya birthday at Crankshaft."
She smiled in amusement. Never had she dreamed she would see herself on a cd cover. She was surprised by that.
Seth took the coke from her and opened it.He poured it onto the bar and made out some lines with her rooms key card. "Here," he said handing D a dollar. She rolled it between her fingers and leaned over and inhaled a line. She held her head back until she felt it drip into the back of her throat. She passed the dollar to Seth who did a line too. He smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist. He tugged her closer to him and stooped over to kiss her shoulder. His eyes fell on her necklace. He picked the pendant up in his fingertips and examined it. It was a golden D with a rose going through it. He had seen it many times. "You's had dis on when we's met."
"How the hell do you remember that?" She asked looking down at it. She was surprised a guy would remember such a small detal like that. But then, Seth had always managed to shock and awe her.
"Dunno," he replied, shocked himself. "Rememba lookin at it when we's danced." He paused, deep in thought as he studied the pendant further. "An 5 years lata...'ere we is."
e crossed over to the bed and stretched across it. "They's went ta clubs for days lookin for you's. I told em I's wanted a hot girl dat could dance witout da pole." He smiled at her tenderly for a few moments as he fumbled with the seam on the bed spread. "An they's got me you." He looked down to the bed, "I's rememba dat first dance too."
"I was so nervous," D said with a reminiscent smile.
"Me too," he softly confessed.
D though about his mom being a ballerina and show girl. "Did you learn to dance from your mom?"
"Naw, not really," he shook his head, "dat jus where da talent come from. Mosta a it come from watchin you's dance."
"Tell me about your wreck," she said feeling the sentiments of the coke getting the better of her.
"Wuz rainin...slick tires...drivin too fast," he shrugged.
"Do you remember any of it?"
"I's rememba da truck startin ta roll," he thought with a pause, "den da next thang I know, Is wakin up in da hospital hurtin. They's say I's in an out a it when da ambalance gots there, but I aint rememba none a dat."
"So how did you go from sports in Arizona to music in California?"
Seth sighed, "Brian's twin sista actually."
"Oh," she said a bit surprised, "you and her..."
"Yeah," he shrugged, "once...but it wuznt nothin." There was a moment of silence. Then Seth began pulling off his hoodie as he sang, "Its gettin hot in 'ere..." D laughed at his little strip tease approach. "Come 'ere," he seductively smiled at her. God he was sexy.