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1. that love said hello
I promised my parents I'd check out at least one Easy Street concert before I swore off on joining Easy Street forever but if my parents thought that seeing the throngs of teenage girls was going to change my mind they were mistaken. First, there wasn't really a throng, just about two dozen teenagers and a few parents hanging around the stage and a few people who slowed down when they passed who only came to check out what was going on. Second, I didn't want anything to do with fame.
The opening act was a kid. A cute kid but a still a kid. She seemed to be doing her job well enough since a lot of the people who walked by stopped to hear her sing. The lyrics were awful, all candy this and sugar that but I didn't expect much better from the song writers at Cartwright Records. (Reason number three I didn't want to be in Easy Street, all the songs sucked.) The singer was having fun though, and that was infectious. Her hair bounced all around her head and she was jumping up and down (not much of a dancer) but at least she had enthusiasm.
I was almost enjoying myself (not that I would have told my parents) when she finished singing and ran back stage. The announcer came to center stage and said, “A big round of applause for Heather Wells, everybody. She'll be touring with Easy Street all summer!” The crowd gave a cheer and the announcer paused before saying, “And now Easy Street!” The crowd erupted into a cheer and I was pretty sure that was because my family had put ringers in the audience. I still didn't want to join Easy Street but I knew Heather Wells was going to stay on my mind. At least to wonder how long the enthusiasm would last before my parents programmed it out of her.
2. and brought my sunniest day
Heather showed up carrying three suitcases, a guitar case and a dog. “You said Lucy was okay?”
“Your dog is fine Heather.”
“Thanks.”
“Need some help?”
“You've done enough already, I mean here you are taking me in when everyone else has deserted me.”
“I can still help you up the stairs.” I grabbed two of the suitcases and lead Heather up to the third floor. I had been expecting Heather to be a lot more upset but she seemed rather upbeat for someone whose mother had just stolen all of her money and taken off for South America. “How are you holding up?” Real smooth Cartwright.
“Pretty good.”
“Really?”
“Am I upset about losing my contract? Yes. Am I upset about my mother running off with all of my money? Yes. Am I angry at your brother? Absolutely. But ultimately I think everything here is going to be for the best.”
“Really?” Apparently I only had one word left in my vocabulary.
“I think this is just the kind of fresh start I needed. No more teen popstar, Strictly the civilian world from now on.”
“Then I'm glad to be helping you get this fresh start.”
“Why are you helping me?”
It was going to be hard to explain to Heather because we weren't really close but I felt that people who got screwed over by my family needed someone to help them and it might as well be me. If my grandfather hadn't been there for me who knew where I might have ended up. Probably in Easy Street.
Plus I always had a soft spot for Heather. She was way too nice to be anywhere near my family, I could tell that even in the few times we met before my family officially cut me off. Jordan still called occasionally, but I tended to ignore those calls. He'd called the night before telling me that I was making a big mistake letting Heather stay with me. And he said that if I was just doing it to get back at him it wasn't going to work anyway. I didn't do anything to get back at Jordan, most of the time I barely even thought of him. I'd asked Heather to stay with me for her own sake, because she had been handed a lot of shitty stuff all at the exact same moment and needed a friend. If it happened to make my family mad at the same time then that was just a bonus. “You need the help.”
“That is very true.” Her smile started to falter. “I don't know what I am going to do.”
She looked dangerously close to tears. “For now just do my accounting, which is going to be quite the task because I'm not much of a record keeper. And worry about everything else later.”
“But I can't pay rent or contribute anything until I get a job.”
“The accounts are good enough. That is worth so much more to me than any rent would be.” Of course I didn't need Heather to pay any rent. Even having her do the accounts was mostly an excuse so she would feel okay about living here.
“If you say so.” Heather dropped her bag in the bedroom on the third floor. “You know, I've never actually lived anywhere by myself? I spent all that time touring and then I lived with my mom and your brother but I've never been on my own. I guess I'm still not on my own since I'm living with you.”
“This door has a lock and everything. It counts as living on your own.”
“I guess you're right.”
“You should get used to that.”
“Okay.”
“Well I'll let you get settled in.”
“Thanks.”
I walked out of the third floor making sure to shut the door behind me. Heather seemed like she needed the privacy.
3. and I had found my future at last
In the end we didn't end up getting married on the Cape. Instead Heather and I just ended up going to the Marriage Bureau at City Hall. Alone, aside from about a dozen of our closest friends.
“You know this is starting to look an awful lot like a wedding.” I didn't actually get to say it to Heather since she was in the bathroom changing into her wedding outfit, which I wasn't allowed to see until we were actually getting married. Even though Heather kept assuring me this wasn't a wedding.
Heather stuck her head out of the door and carefully shielded the rest of her body from view. “I only plan on getting married once. So I want to do it in front of all the people I love. Hey!' Her head disappeared behind the door. “Magda that hurt.”
Magda's answer was muffled by the door but I could hear her say, “If you stopped moving--”
“I have to talk to Cooper.” Heather popped back around the door. “You said it was fine as long as no one told your parents.”
“I know.” I couldn't help but smile at her. I might not have wanted a wedding but I do love Heather and if she wants to get married in front of people then I couldn't possibly say no. I started to lean in to kiss her (I just couldn't help myself) but she leaned back.
“It'll mess up my makeup.”
“Okay.”
“Just save it for ten minutes, mister. That's all I need to be ready.” The door closed and I could hear the muffled sounds of Magda and Heather talking about her dress. I'd leave that discussion to her, it didn't matter to me what Heather was wearing. I just wanted to be married.
Our guests were gathered on a few benches near the door to the marriage bureau. Given the odd looks they were getting from some of the other people waiting I guessed that most of them thought we just grabbed some random people off the street. And had somehow convince a rock star to make an appearance at our wedding. Even if Frank was trying his hardest to be incognito (it wasn't very convincing.) Patty was with Heather and Magda and it seemed like everyone else, except for Mr. Wells, was too intimidated to talk with Frank but he and Heather's dad seemed really engrossed in a conversation about something.
I was just starting to think that Heather wasn't going to show up and we'd miss our chance at getting married at all when the bathroom door opened. Heather emerged looking fantastic. Personally I thought that Heather looked great all the time but right now she looked simply stunning. It was a simple dress, and not at all a wedding dress, but Heather just looked radiant in it. Simple make up and her hair all swept back from her face. Just gorgeous. I'm sure I wasn't the only one who noticed either. But I didn't bother to look around. I only had eyes for Heather, and right then I knew I was the luckiest guy in New York City.