Greasepaint by David C. Hayes Read Free Book Online Page A

smash him to bits for a few moments.
    Mona exits the club. The doors open on to a large parking lot. She scans the area. Michael squats on the ground, back against the wall, smoking a cigarette. He has been crying. His make-up is smeared. He plays his guitar between sobs. Mona approaches slowly. Michael looks up, tears streaking down his face. Mona sits next to him and takes his face in her hands. He stops playing.
    â€œThis is bullshit.”
    â€œThe same stuff from before?” Mona asks. Michael nodded. “Who was that guy?”
    â€œHe’s got a TV show.”
    Mona’s eyes grow wide. “Yeah! That talk guy. This could be great for the band…”
    â€œNo!” Michael cuts her off, loud and emphatic. Mona stares at him, startled.
    â€œWhat the fuck, Michael?”
    â€œThere’s some things you need to know…about me.”
    â€œIt can’t be that bad.”
    Michael stubs out what’s left of his cigarette on the pavement and lights another one. “You ever hear of Orzo the Clown?”
    Mona nods. “Yeah. That freak on the TV that killed and molested kids? Damn, that happened forever ago. What does that have to do with you?”
    Michael takes a drag and looks at Mona, eye to eye. He readies himself. He has never, ever, told anyone about this before.
    â€œOnly one kid survived him,” he says. Simple.
    Mona continues to stare at Michael, confused. Until it dawns on her, that is. She raises her hand to her mouth.
    â€œOh my God…”
    Michael stubs out the cigarette and turns away from her. He can’t bear for anyone to see him. Ignoring his non-verbal cue, Mona hugs Michael. He has no reaction at first, but this is genuine. It is warm and it communicates a great deal. Michael didn’t expect this. He thinks that she will turn and run as fast as possible in the opposite direction. His parents did. Not physically, of course, but they left him alone because they were so unsure of what they had on their hands. He always resented them for that, even if he can’t admit it, and expects every reaction to the truth of his past to be the same. He is happy to hold Mona, happy she doesn’t leave. Mona rests her head on his shoulder.
    â€œWhat do you want to do?” she asks.
    â€œI left a long time ago and then, after my parents died, I…I just stayed. I didn’t have any money…”
    Michael separates from Mona and stands up. His sadness galvanizes into anger. He points toward the club.
    â€œIt’s shit like that, y’know? All I ever wanted to do is play music…my music, okay? It stops hurting then! But assholes like that won’t let it die! I don’t even know how they found me. I changed my name for the band, I wear make-up for Christ’s sake!”
    Mona stands as well. She grabs Michael’s chin and forces him to look into her eyes.
    â€œYou say the word and we drop this, start someplace else.”
    Michael is taken aback. He certainly didn’t expected this.
    â€œWe?”
    â€œWe.”
    Michael takes a deep breath. “It’s gonna get bad.”
    â€œMaybe not. Let’s stick it out. We get a distribution deal off of Monster Fest, everything works. If we don’t, we leave…simple. The Fest is a good shot, we’re the best here and everyone knows it.”
    Michael stares off into the night sky. He takes a deep breath. Mona wraps her arms around his shoulders.
    â€œStop trying to forget…you’ve got back up now,” she whispers into his ear. He turns then and they embrace.
    â€œWe get a deal, we cut an album and it’s not about O…O…Orzo anymore.”
    â€œIt’s about Michael Bain,” she says, “and possibly Mona Bain…who knows?”
    Michael squeezes Mona tighter. Tears flow down his face, smearing the paint and causing it to run in long black streaks down his cheeks.
    â€œAnd Michael Talbot finally dies in that