Brian had overreacted. Just because so many people apparently felt “one love” in Trevor’s presence; just because Trevor bandied about the Rastafarian expression I-and-I, suggesting that regular, selfish people were capable of finding universal unity with God—did not necessarily make Trevor a fake guru.
[Click here to read the first episode, or here to read the previous one.]
Trevor, Brian knew, had never considered such a role. Trevor couldn’t imagine he acted like a pot-addled prophet. To him, it all came down to popularity; lots of people liked him.
So Brian should ease up.
Yet Trevor’s “sit-down” had bothered him so much that minutes afterwards he lay curled in bed, holding Hailey but unable to look at her.
No doubt she was missing the Awake concert playing inside the dome. Possibly she was even scheduled to sing back-up. For despite her telling the band, “no more,” even Brian realized the group sounded much better with Hailey adding to Destiny’s harmony.
He quieted his erratic breath, but having closed his eyes, he was afraid to open them. Hailey was tracing his spine and cupping his head, helping to distract his continuing panic at having seen people file reverently past Trevor’s suddenly empty seat.
Soon Brian could hear Trevor leading the band. He managed to open his eyes—only to stare witless at Hailey’s eyes, which shone impossibly bright and clear and black.
Her smile broke into a giggle and she whispered, “You’re so shy. Brian the shy lion. Trevor’s not an exhibitionist, you know. Just a performer. And better grounded than most. In his way, he’s as modest as you are.”
“Trevor? Modest?”
“I mean,” Hailey said, touching Brian’s face, “the audience doesn’t go to his head.”
“He makes such a spectacle of himself. He didn’t see that fawning, birthday video. But he must have known the manager had the camera on him when he stripped off his shirt and danced around.”
Hailey rolled away from him a little. “That’s what performers do. Dance around and show off. Did I embarrass you in my dance recital?”
“Of course not. I was proud and—moved. But what you did was elegant. Bad enough when Trevor was playing the little white Rasta boy, now he’s posing as a religious mystic.”
“You think he’s posing?”
Brian shook his head. “I can’t see how Trevor will escape turning into someone stupid or bad or both.”
“Except Trevor’s incapable of evil,” Hailey said. “And you know he’s not stupid. He can act stupid, I’ll give you that. But, truth is, he’s not.”
Brian swung his legs around; his feet landed on the floor. “You’re right. He embarrasses me, but that’s my problem.”
Hailey pulled Brian back. Lying beneath her, not daring to touch her, he asked, “Should we check out the party?” They band was playing louder now.
“No, let’s stay here.” She arched up and peeled off her clothes. And then his.
Near dawn someone kicked their door, rang the doorbell, and yelled. It was Trevor and he was upset.
Brian unlocked the door and seeing Trevor’s face, said, “God, what?”
“Our daddy’s dead. He’s dead at last. Now he can never make up the wrong he did us.”
“Trevor, did someone phone you?”
“Who would do that, Brian? How could anybody even find us? But Daddy’s dead. I knew about an hour ago. Do you think people like him go to hell? Or was just being who he was enough hell?”
(Click here to read the next episode)
