Star by Eliza Witte - HTML preview

62

‘No mistake, son! I don’t dig money, see?’

Stu freaked out, ‘Are you crazy? Annie said you'd pay 8 bucks an hour. For EACH of us.’

‘I don’t know what your arrangements with her were and I don’t care but she was the one who said I don’t pay you,’ Louie headed to the back leaving them with their mouths open. John and Bob didn’t even dare to move. Stu, on the other hand, was choked with anger. In the quiet of the place his roar shot through the night, ‘ANNIE!’

Annie appeared at the kitchen’s door – she’d just done her work. She only managed to say she was ready when she noticed that there were something wrong, very wrong. They all stood there frozen, Stu bristling up. Doing his utmost to get control over himself, he spoke gritting his teeth, ‘I think you owe me one hell of a good explanation. How come Louie hired us with no obligations to pay?’

‘I... I can explain everything.’

‘You'd better do. I thought you were my friend. This is a real humiliation! Where did you get this money from anyway?’

‘I… I've been working extra-hours…’

‘OH, NO! This was your wages! I DON’T NEED COMPASSION!’ he yelled at her.

Then he turned to the rest of the band, ‘I DON’T NEED ANYONE’S COMPASSION!’

‘Stu, I only wanted to help.’

‘IT’S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!’ he shouted out at her, ‘I don’t want to see you anymore.’

Annie got the message. She turned aside and for a moment the guys thought that she’d just go quietly guilty as she was but then she turned back again. She walked firmly straight up to Stu and got him by the hands. Then she spoke to him looking right into his eyes – slowly and clearly, and hypnotically. She looked so powerful at the moment that her entire being seemed to radiate with extraterrestrial light, ‘You will play one more time here,’

She said confidently, ‘just one more time and it will all turn out well. It will be only then that I’ll leave you. I will disappear and you will never see me again, but you will play one more night here.

Stu couldn’t believe his eyes. This girl's change of behavior was so abrupt that he could do nothing but just stand there transfixed, ‘OK! If it is so important!’ he only managed to say.

‘Then I will go!’ Annie whispered and left the bar. The boys were left alone and neither of them was able to say a word. Finally, John mustered up courage, ‘Will someone tell me what happened?’