Pretty Hate (New Adult Novel) (26 page)

I put the phone on the dining room table and India’s sobbing filled the house. Ivory-Lou stood at the stereo and stared at the phone and shook his head.

“India,” I said, “can you hear me?”

“Y-Yes,” India said.

“Good. Now, I want you to listen to something.”

“I told you!” India said and sobbed. “The song doesn’t work! Nothing fucking works!”

“Hold on, India!” Rebel Love said. “It’s Rebel Love. Just talk for a minute. My sister is...I don’t know.”

“Sadie,” I said, “get a Google page on the television!”

Sadie looked at Ivory-Lou and he nodded.

“Take the remote and press the Google button. It’s right there,” he said and pointed at the couch.

Sadie ran to the couch and brought up Google.

“What now?”

“Type in the words
cut dead lyrics
. Type it into the search box and press enter. Whatever the first link is, press it and wait. Ladies,” I said and turned to the girls at the table, “you’ve got to help me out. Go sit on the couch with Sadie.”

“India, are you there?” Rebel Love said.

“Yes!” she said and cried.

“Got it,” Sadie said. “Is this a gospel song?
Jesus and Mary Chain
?”

“No,” I said, “it’s blasphemous. No one’s religious here, anyway. Rebel, grab the video camera. It’s in the kitchen. We’re gonna make our own video.”

Ivory-Lou looked at me and smiled.

“You’re a good friend, Beth,” he said.

“I’m trying,” I said and shook my head. “India, it’s me.”

“Beth! I’m telling you I don’t want to hear the fucking song. It doesn’t work for me!”

I took the video camera out of Rebel Love’s hands, pressed record, placed it on top of a shelf on the entertainment center and angled it so it captured all of us.

“Yes, I know, India,” I said. “But that’s the old
Cut Dead
. This is the new one. The new
Cut Dead
will definitely work.”

“What are you talking about?” she said. “There’s no new
Cut Dead
.”

“Well,” I said and cleared my throat, “there is now. India, you think your family is weird, well, let me tell you, they walk the clean side of normal compared to mine. I’m making you a video that I’ll show you when we see each other again, but I want you to just listen to me, okay? India, will you listen to me?”

“Yes,” she said and sniffled.

“Now, take for instance, my sister’s boyfriend. His name is Ivory-Lou Franklin, India...Ivory-Lou! And he’s black. And if that’s not bad enough--”

“Wait a minute!” Ivory-Lou said.

“Baby, hush, this is life and death!” Rebel Love said

“Anyway, if that’s not bad enough, he’s a pimp!” I said and gave Ivory-Lou a dirty look. “That’s right, India, a real pimp, like on
Shaft
. He even has a tacky pimp cup that he drinks his coffee out of. Sure he tells everyone he’s a
matchmaker
, but that’s bullshit. He’s a pimp. He also owns a strip club called Knockers. And it’s not classy burlesque, if you know what I mean. Christ, you’d pick up a nice dose of chlamydia just sitting in some of those chairs.”

“You made your point,” Ivory-Lou said as he narrowed his eyes at me.

“You only ever called him your sister’s boyfriend,” India said.

“I didn’t tell you because I thought you would think that I was trash. I didn’t want you to think that.”

“Beth, I’d never think you’re trash. I’m trash!” she said and sobbed.

“Well, it gets better. My sister, Rebel Love, she used to work for Ivory-Lou! And India, Rebel Love is the kindest, sweetest, most beautiful, nonjudgmental person, ever. But if you knew the truth, maybe you would think badly of me, or worse, of Rebel Love. Rebel Love doesn’t deserve anyone to have bad feelings about her.”

“I like your sister,” India said. “What right do I have to judge anyone? I did a gangbang in the eighth grade!”

“Oh, there’s some residual effects,” Ivory-Lou said under his breath.

“Well, speaking of gangbangs, India, right now on my couch there are six hookers all wearing hooker clothes! On my eyes, India, there is a six-pack of Ivory-Lou’s girls getting ready to go out and troll the streets of Charleston for penis.”

Sadie and Gemini giggled and Yolanda shot me a bird.

“Hookers?” India said.

“Yep, hookers. Say hello to India, hookers.”

All the girls said hello to India and India said hello back.

“What about you, Beth?” Ivory-Lou said.

“I’m glad you asked, Ivory-Lou, um, well, India you know about me and my stalking. Well, I kept a log and over the past three weeks, I’ve spent, uh, 168 hours stalking. That’s a full week! For what? And, I paid sixty dollars for the premium membership to the I-Spy Network.”

“What’s the I-Spy Network?” India said.

“It’s a website. You put someone’s name in and it gives you all their personal info: date of birth, social, address, etcetera. India, I should have at least twenty-three restraining orders sworn out against me. Honest to Jesus I should,” I said.

“Well, if guys told the truth you wouldn’t have to, Beth!”

“It’s not just because of that, India. It’s because I’m too afraid to ask them any questions. I’m terrified of the answers, India. I’m a fucking coward. And there’s more, oh, I’m having sex with your stepfather! How is that not weird? And I’m broke as a joke. I have like thirteen dollars in my bank account, India. I returned a bra that I wore in Chicago to the store. I actually snatched that tag machine off the counter in Victoria’s Secret, took it into the dressing room and reattached the tag and returned the bra. There’s a good chance it had semen on it too.”

“That’s fucking nasty!” Yolanda said.

“It sure is!” I said. “And I loved that bra, India. It was like the best bra I ever owned.”

“I’m sorry, Beth,” India said.

“No, that’s who I am, India. I am a semen-stained bra returner.”

Rebel Love walked up to me and smiled.

“I will never love another human being as much as I love you, Bethy,” Rebel Love said.

“Thanks, sis. So, anyway, I promised you the new
Cut Dead
, right?”

“You did,” India said.

“Okay, um, you’re not on the window sill are you?”

“No, I’m in bed.”

“Okay, I want you to listen, okay? Just listen to the misfit choir here because I tell you what, you have never seen a motlier crew.”

I told everyone to sing along to the song as they looked at the lyrics on the website. Ivory-Lou pressed play and we belted that song out as loud as we could. We were off tempo and out of key. We swayed to the music and messed up the words. It was the most horrible rendition of any song in the history of renditions. But you know what? At the end of it, India laughed like I never heard her laugh.

When I hung up, I turned off the video camera and sat on the floor with everyone and we stared at each other.

“That was intense,” Rebel Love said as she walked to the kitchen. “Do any of you Golden Girls want to commiserate over beer?”

We all raised our hands and Rebel Love brought nine beers into the living room and put them on the coffee table.

Yolanda looked at me and pointed.

“I’m gonna let your hooker remark slide, Beth. That was a nice thing you did for your friend. Sounds like she’s gonna be fine.”

Gemini looked around the room and shook her head.

“I wonder if anyone would believe how crazy white people get with their karaoke and shit.”

My passport came three weeks later and after that, another messenger delivered another first class ticket. This time to Barcelona.

I called Declan to thank him and asked if India could join me because she was still depressed over Devon and I was still concerned about her.

“Of course, India is always welcome out here,” he said when we spoke on the phone. “Wait until you see this place. You’ll never want to leave. I can’t wait to see you, Beth.”

“I can’t wait to see you either. I’ve missed you so much, Declan. Hey, your video is up to like a million hits!”

“It’s charting too, Beth. We have you to thank for it. And it’s catching up to your sex tape, baby.”

“Declan! You do not still watch it!” I said and laughed.

“Of course I do. It’s the only thing I have of yours. I use it to get my fix. I will see you soon, love.”

India booked the same flight in the seat next to mine from JFK to Barcelona.

“Beth, we’re finally going to listen to
Tuesday’s Gone
at the same time. This is going to be the best trip ever!”

I had everything I wanted at that moment, but I had a strong feeling all the shoes were going to drop at once.

India and I met in the Sky Club at JFK and we caused a hell of a commotion when we saw each other.

“Can you believe it, Beth?” India said as we walked arm and arm on the plane. “First class all the way to Barcelona!”

“Oh my God! They have the plane seat beds!” I said as the flight attendant showed us how to maneuver our seats into beds.

“It’s a dream, Beth. Here, take this,” India said as the doors to the plane closed.

“What is it?” I said as I looked at the blue pill. “I don’t take pills well.”

“It’s a seven hour flight, Beth. You need to sleep or you’ll look a mess when you see Declan.”

I washed the pill down with a glass of champagne as India and I pulled our iPods out. The flight attendant walked toward us and India looked at me and smiled.

“You tell her, Beth. It’s your first international,” she said.

“Excuse me,” I said as the flight attendant approached.

“Yes?”

“My friend and I are listening to
Tuesday’s Gone
by Lynryd Skynyrd.”

“That’s nice. Do you need any pillows, blankets, eye masks or something to drink?”

“Yes,” I said as India and I pressed play on our iPods, “we will need everything.”

As the plane began its ascent, India and I looked at each other and smiled as we snuggled down in our seats and sang
Tuesday’s Gone
at the top of our lungs.

“You’re my best friend, Beth,” India said as she rested her head on my shoulder. “My very best friend.”

I looked out the window as we flew among the stars and knew in my soul that this trip, this most incredible dream, would either ingrain the birth curse I was afflicted with deeper or lift it completely.

And as India and I walked down the narrow corridor toward the arrival area in Barcelona Airport, I saw great flashes of light at the end of the tunnel and my heart raced as we walked faster toward the end.

“He came, Beth!” India said as we stepped out of the corridor.

Declan walked toward me and I dropped my bags as I watched him. This beautiful man was all I needed to leave everything behind.

“Give your man a kiss, Beth. He’s missed you,” he said and he put his arms around me.

The music blasted through the limo as we drove down the coast of Barcelona toward Declan’s house. The narrow, two-lane road cut through the huge, chalky rock formations of the mountains to the right and the beautiful blue-green waters of the Mediterranean on the left.

“I can’t believe I’m here,” I said as I leaned against Declan and stared out the window. “Thank you so much.”

“I’m glad you’re here. We’re going to have a lot of fun,” he said and kissed the top of my head. “How was the flight?”

“We slept through the majority of it,” I said and kissed his neck.

“Good because you’re not going to be sleeping much while your here,” he said and bit the back of my neck. “India, Tricia, Chickie and Sara are here. They’re excited to see you.”

India opened her eyes and stared at Declan.

“I cannot believe you invited those three freaks. Wait until you meet them, Beth. Talk about dysfunction,” she said and shook her head.

“Now, calm down, love,” Declan said. “I didn’t invite them. You know people just turn up here. Can’t be helped.”

“Who are they?” I said.

“Oh, I’m going to let you meet them first. They’re from Santa Barbara,” India said. “High energy. I called Nando to see if he’s in town. He’s going to come up to the house. God, I can’t wait to see him. Wait until you see this guy, Beth. Soccer player...incredible. He has the most amazing friends and they’re all hot. I do love the men of Spain.”

“Well you have been through most of the men of Spain, darling. You’ll see, Beth,” Declan said and ran his hands up and down my stomach, “it’s very different in Barcelona. People just sort of float in and out. There is no social decorum. It’s very much hedonistic. You’ll love it.”

“No rules?” I said and smiled.