Page 14 of Charm City Rocks
“Where even am I?” she asks.
This could be a literal question, because Margot doesn’t know. It could also be a figurative question, because Margot doesn’t know that either.
“You’re in Fells Point.” Billy points across the water. “That’s Federal Hill over there. And that’s Harbor East. It’s nice. Kinda touristy, with the Inner Harbor and all, but…” To his credit, he seems to suddenly get that maybe she wasn’t looking for a rundown of the surrounding neighborhoods. “Sorry. I’m babbling. Do people get nervous when they meet you?”
Margot looks down the long cobblestone street, which fades into urban blur, and she wonders what she’s going to do with the rest of her life, because there seems to be finality to this moment.She hasn’t recorded music or performed in front of anyone in years. Somehow, though, she’s never stated, even to herself, that her career as a musician might be over, and it’s a suddenly devastating thought. Because if she isn’t a musician, what is she?
“Well,I’mnervous,” says Billy. “I’m a…a big fan. But that’s beside the point. Obviously. Again, hi, I’m Billy. Billy Perkins. My son lied about who he was. I know that’s bad. Also, creepy, in context. I’ll talk to him—ground him, maybe? Can you ground people who are half a foot taller than you? I don’t know. But it’s kind of my fault, too. I had these edibles behind the cereal. I’m not a big drug guy. My friend Gustavo gave them to me. He thought it’d be funny. Caleb thought they were candy. He’s smart. He’sreallysmart, actually. His SAT scores are nuts, especially the math part. He created this app for a school project that aggregates basketball statistics. It’s pretty amazing. But you know how sometimes really smart people can be complete idiots? That’s him. And I may’ve told him…we were watching this thing on Netflix about you. I let it slip that I may have had a crush on you back in the day, and…”
Margot realizes that if she doesn’t say something to stop him, Billy will just keep talking until he passes out, like those goats that faint when they’re startled. He looks nice, actually. Maybe it’s the cardigan. “Just stop, okay?” she says. “I get it, I guess. Not really, but, what’re you gonna do?”
“Margot, you okay?” It’s Rebecca, shouting from outside Charm City Rocks. She has her phone to her head.
“Are you gonna sign the wall?” the shop owner asks.
“Jesus, he really wants me to sign that wall.”
“Yeah, he’s pretty proud of it,” Billy says. “I’d consider that spot next to Cal Ripken. That’s prime real estate in this city.”
Margot watches the drummer kid. Some ladies in jogging shorts drop change in his bucket. “He’s not bad,” says Margot.
“I know. The tempo, right?” Billy cups his hands to his mouth. “Hey, Daquan, do you know ‘Power Pink’ by Burnt Flowers?”
Daquan stops playing, thinks, then shrugs. “Nah, man. Never heard of it.”
“Oh,” says Billy. “Well, shit.”
“Nice,” says Margot.
“Yeah, I imagined that going differently,” he says.
Daquan starts playing something new. In seconds, his hands are a blur, and Margot remembers playing “Enter Sandman” by Metallica at her junior high talent show five hundred years ago. Her stunned classmates stood and cheered for her for two full minutes. Her principal had to finally shout at them to stop.
“He reminds me of you,” says Billy.
“Who, him?”
“Yeah. That intensity. Like he’s got a personal vendetta against each drum. It doesn’t matter that he’s playing buckets. That sound, you know? Pure percussion.”
The big black SUV pulls up to the curb. Rebecca is in the front seat, hanging out the window like a terrier. Todd, whom Margot would like to throat-punch, is still filming.
“Let’s get out of here, Margot. Andyou.” Rebecca points at Billy. “Don’t be surprised if you and that lanky creep hear from our lawyers.”
“I appreciate the warning,” says Billy. “Also, I don’t think you’d think he’s a creep under different circumstances. He’s actually a good kid.”
Margot is that little girl again. Mom is telling her it’s time to go, and there’s nothing left to do but obey.
“Wait,” says Billy.
Margot stops, her hand on the car door.
“You came all this way,” he says.
Rock-star Margot would’ve grabbed Todd’s stupid camera andchucked it into the harbor. Present-day Margot does her best to ignore him as she watches Billy put his hands in his pockets and look at his sneakers.
“Can I maybe buy you a beer?” he asks.
“Are you fucking serious, dude?” says Rebecca. “You’re lucky we’re not calling the cops right now.”
