Page 19 of The Story of Us
“Rape, Georgia, they’ve both been charged with rape and a few other lesser things.”
Rape?
“What, rape? Na, na, no way, this is Marley and Sean Dad, they wouldn’t rape any one. Why would they? Why would Sean?”
“I don’t know all the details, they’re not telling us much over the phone, that’s why I need to get there with the briefs and sort things out.”
Rape. I was numb, what on earth could have happened that would’ve led to a rape charge? “I’m coming with you.”
“NO!” My parents both said at the same time.
“No George, I need you to stay here and look after your Mum, we’ll have this sorted in no time, once we do, then we’ll get you over to see them, besides, they’re holding them in cells at a Police station right now. Let me go and get it all sorted, then perhaps you can fly over next week, once your English exam is out of the way.”
He rubbed his thumb over my cheek, then lent forward and kissed my nose, before standing and heading off to the shower. I sat at the dining table, staring blankly at my Mum’s hand holding mine, I felt sick, I felt scared, I felt a little bit angry and for the first time ever in my life, I doubted my Dad’s ability to be able to make everything right. The front door bell rang and I jumped, my Mum stood from the table, squeezing my shoulder on her way to answering the door.
I could hear my Mum talking quietly to someone, then Jimmie appeared in front of me. “George,” is all she said as I stood from the table and we hugged.
“What a fucking mess George, I didn’t know until early this morning and I didn’t want to call, in case you hadn’t heard, she’s a fucking bitch, I don’t believe a word of it.”
My stomach hit the floor and my heart stuttered in my chest. “Who Jim?” She looked from me to my Mum and frowned.
“Who Jim?” I repeated.
“Haley the whore.”
“It’s Haley the whore who’s saying she was raped. How? Why would she say that, was… was she in their room Jim?” My best friend steps toward me and in my head I’m begging her not to lie to me but in my heart, I’m begging her to protect me from the truth.
“Let’s go up to your room George.” I let out a deep breath and follow her up to my bedroom, I’m freezing so I climb under the quilt and Jimmie joins me.
“I won’t lie to you George, this is what Lennon told me; the boys left Spain Monday after us, they had no gig that night and all went to a party that Rocco threw in his room, Len said it was madness, women, drugs and drink, the usual KR sort of a do, the room was trashed and everyone was suffering the next day.”
“Including Sean?” I don’t know why I ask, I know what the answer is going to be.
“Including Sean and the rest of the band,” she nods as she speaks. “They played so bad that night that Len orders them straight back to their room Tuesday night and bars any calls from being made from their rooms so that they can’t order in booze or drugs or girls. Wednesday they are on lock down and only allowed to rehearse and sound check, then straight back to the room after the show. They flew into Paris Thursday morning and Marley and Lennon have a big bust up. Marls goes straight to the bar with Rocco and the rest of KR, Sean joins them after a while, they take over the pool area, Rocco calls up girls from everywhere. Apparently Haley flew in around lunch time and started partying with them and was all over Sean and Marley, and they all went back to their room at about seven o’clock, they were all pissed and all off their tits on Charlie, whizz and trips. Next thing Len knows is Haley’s on the landing, screaming the place down, stark bollock naked and saying that she wants the Police called because Sean and Marley have taken it in turns to rape her. Hotel management call the Police, everyone makes statements and Maca and Marls are taken away.”
She’s still talking as I jump off the bed and into my bathroom and throw my stomach contents down the toilet, Jimmies behind me, holding my hair back, then rinses out a flannel and puts it on the back of my neck. I stay on my knees for a few minutes and wait for the room to stop spinning and Jim passes me a glass of water, I rinse my mouth and spit into the toilet, before sitting back down on my bed.
“Why was she in their room?”
“I don’t know George, I only know what I’ve told ya, nothing else, Lens gonna ring here as soon as he knows anything, he’s not been allowed to speak with the boys yet but he said the label are flying their lawyers out there.”
I nod. “Yeah, my Dad’s going too.”
“Why was she in their room Jim, I just can’t see why she needed to be there? Unless they were all shagging.”
“Don’t George, don’t do this to yourself until we know all the details, this is Whorely we’re talking about, she would do anything for her five minutes of fame, you know that.”
“Yeah and I also know that she’s been after Sean forever and I also know that Sean should never have had a girl in his room, if Marley bought her back, then he should have gone to Len’s room, not stayed there with them, with her.”
I was angry now, fuck him, if he wanted the rock and roll life style, then fuck him, he could have it but there was no way I was going to sit at home like the dutiful little wifey while he shagged whores and snorted lines of coke. Serves him right if he was locked up, there was no way I was flying out to be with him now, let him sweat a bit. I went over to my bedside drawer and pulled out my engagement ring and held it up to Jimmie. “He proposed Jim, Saturday night before the show, he asked me to marry him, we were keeping it secret until he got home and could ask my Dad and we could do it properly.”
I looked from my best friend to my ring. “Oh my god George, it’s huge, put it on.”
I couldn’t, not now. I shook my head. “No, no way, until he’s stood in front of me and gives me his version of events, until he looks me in the eyes and tells me nothing happened with that slut, then I don’t want to talk to or hear from him.”
“Don’t be stupid G, you don’t mean that.” She laughs nervously at me.
“Oh I fucking mean it Jim, this is only the start, they’ve not even made the big time yet and already there are problems with whores and coke, if that’s the life he wants, then he can take it, I won’t be waiting at home for him while he does all that shit.”
