Greetings. Hopefully someone is reading these. The responses I get are greatly appreciated. Here is chapter 24. You can send comments to d.beer@hotmail.com. Enjoy.

The next few days were a blur to him. He was reviewing everything that was happening to him. Tommy had come to visit but Devon acted distracted to him. He just quit coming over 3 days later. Devon was kind of relieved but still pretty upset. Joan could see it in his eyes and his conduct. He wasn’t the fireplug he was a few days prior. She quizzed him about it but didn’t get much of a response.

But in Joan’s world things were getting pretty intense. She had found the lawyer was moving rapidly on Devon’s emancipation. He thought that it’d be done in just days.

The cd sales were amazing. They were working overtime to try to keep up with the demand. The money was more than Joan had ever seen before. She conferred with her Doctor brother-in-law on Devon’s mental being. It only served to reassure her plans.

Devon was all in a mess. His emotions for his siblings were fighting for his friendship with Tommy. He tried to listen to Joan. He knew she was right again and trying to help him. He’d gotten some songs converted that he wanted but needed several others. He was having all he could do to focus on what was expected of him.

The night before the concert he found the liquor cabinet. He wasn’t going looking for it, but just stumbled upon it. He began with the local French wine. By the time that Joan found him, he was pretty much out of a normal picture.

“What are you doing?”

“Drinking my problems away!”

“And you think this is the way to do it?”

“It sure isn’t hurting” he giggled.

She took him to the roof to get some fresh air. He was blabbering on and on about his problems. Joan just listened.

“You know he fucked me all over, fucked me all up!”

“Who Did?”

“Fucking bastard. He told me that I owed him for the song. That’s where all my problems started, ya know”

“No i didn’t know. What did you do about it?”

“Do about it? Hell, I was all tied up. I just had to stand there and ‘take’ it”

“Oh Devon I am sorry to hear about that”

“Ya, so was Paul. Ole sweet caring Paul, another prick up my ass”

“He was trying to help you”

“Ya, fuck lot of good that did. Almost cut my nuts off”

“Well.....”

“Well hell, I got you. You made it all better”

“Oh, how’s that?”

“You suck a good dick girl!”

“Devon, how could you say such a thing?”

“Well, you just do!”

“Devon, that’s never been the point of it”

“Ya but it was cool baby”

“What would Tommy think, you being all drunk and stuff?”

“Tommy? Hell, like he’d give a shit. I mean he hasn’t come over for several days now. Hell, I got no body now” he said miserably finishing the last of the whiskey.

“You got your sister and brother”

“Like I’ll ever see THEM again. They probably think I’m dead”

Joan said nothing and stood up to leave.

“What’s the matter? You gonna leave me too? Like everyone else?” he whined at her.

She came right up to him and stared him in the eyes.

“I bet you got some killer knockers baby” he slurred.

Without thinking, she drew her hand back and slapped him across the face hard. He fell to his knees in shock. Holding his face he looked back at her.

“Never, ever think I do not care. I have done things for you that you cannot begin to conceive you little spoiled asshole!” and she strutted off leaving him on the roof alone.

He stood up still holding his face where she’d hit him hard. He’d never been assaulted like that before. He stared at the door she’d just went thru. He didn’t know that she’d been watching him on the close circuit monitors. She saw him run to the side of the building and start puking over the side. She initially thought he might jump off.

She found him on the edge crying his eyes out. He’d managed to puke his shirt and shorts all over. He was a mess. She took him back inside still staggering some. She took him into the bathroom and gave him a shower after getting the soiled clothes off of him.

She took him and put him into bed. She lay down with him until he went to sleep. Soon after, she left and went to her room. She was somewhat upset by the whole situation as she soon fell asleep.

He wondered into the music room holding his head looking like shit. The music was too loud playing (which it actually wasn’t). His eyes looked bloodshot as he plopped down into a chair. After a little while he got up and wondered up to the roof. Joan was sitting there looking out over the city sipping a cup of coffee.

As the door opened she looked over to see a nude Devon step into the sunlight. He immediately covered his eyes. She smiled but he couldn’t see her. His hair was long and all stringy from sweat.

“Oh God! Turn off the light!” he moaned to no one in particular.

“Little too bright for you, little man?”

She heard him moan out loud. Little by little, he uncovered his eyes. He could see her over there. He slowly moved in that direction until he sat in a chair.

“I feel like a train hit me! What happened?”

“Well let’s see, you drank because you feel sorry for yourself. You’ve given up on your siblings cause they think your dead. Your feeling sorry for yourself because Tommy isn’t here to kiss your ass anymore and oh yeah, you sexually assaulted me with your punk ass mouth. Guess that’s about all”

“Oh fuck! Great. I’m just a loser. I’m sorry for whatever I said! I’m terribly sorry about that ma’am. I shouldn’t have been drinking anyways. I’ve never drank before like that. I swear!”

“Uh huh”

“No seriously, you have to believe me”

“Uh huh. You’re young and sassy. You’ve had a taste of the good life and now when things don’t go your way; you’re like ‘fuck the world’ and all that. So I doubt that you’ve never drank before”

Devon sat quietly looking out over the city. He said nothing for quite a while. Joan sat there sipping her coffee. She poured him a cup and offered it to him.

“Thank you ma’am Joan. But no, I truly have never drunk before. I don’t think I want too anymore either” he said very quietly.

“Ok” was all she said.

He was quiet for quite a while. “What did I say that was so bad to you?” he mumbled quietly.

“You said I have some killer knockers, well you thought I might”

Quiet. A minute or two later he said quietly “well, no offense meant, but I bet your whole body is killer with all due respect and admiration” he said looking over at her.

For once, she turned red. She mumbled something about all men must think like that. She turned towards him to say something, but he was sitting there with his cup in his hand, scooted out in his seat a little and his pecker, all 4” standing proud with a little pre-cum on the tip. She turned crimson and turned away from him.

“As for your siblings, they will always remember you. Life has strange things that happen” she said to no one in particular but he heard her. She stood up as the doorbell rang. She left her cup sitting there with a pot of coffee and left the roof. A few minutes later, Tommy came thru the door. Devon immediately covered his legs as Tommy approached.

“Man your eyes are all bloodshot dude” he said in French.

“Yeah, it was a good party I guess. I got completely fucked up dude”

Devon uncovered and exposed his hard. Tommy stared for a second but said nothing.

“I stopped by to see if you wanted to come with me tonight as a friend, as my best friend”

“I can’t tommy. I already told you that. But I am quite flattered that you offered again.”

“You can’t get out of it? This is the one and only concert this dude will give I’m told. I’m so stoked and he is sending a limo for me. It’s like he knows me”

“Maybe he does dude”

“Maybe, but I doubt it. I’m a no body. No one knows about me”

“I do and I consider you my best friend. Enjoy yourself tonight dude. I hope it’s something that you’ll always remember” he said standing up his hard gone now.

“Well ok then. Thanks” tommy said as he left the roof. Tommy stood watching him leave the building. They waved at each other.

Devon knew he had a lot to do today. The concert was slated for dark, around 7 o’clock. He had to review his songs so he went to the music room and found his equipment gone. He thought ‘great’ to himself now what. At least he still had the music he could mentally review.

About 5:30 that night, Devon found himself in a dark limousine with Joan. It was the first time she left the studio in weeks maybe months. She was dressed like a Saudi Arabia lady with a cloth covering most of her face. Devon was constantly looking out for her. He felt like he wanted to protect her. They road in silence to the auditorium. Devon knew it was the biggest one that he’d been in yet.

They were escorted into a large dressing room where there was another man with Margaret. She introduced him as her assistant. She sat down with Devon first and reviewed with him what he actually wanted to experience. She listened and nodding in agreement.

At 6:45 Devon was ready for the show. He knew he’d never be figured out who he really was. He had on a green hair wig. His own hair had been pulled, pinned and patted (loaded) down with hairspray. It was really hard. Margaret then put some kind of glue on his head and put the green wig on. It was also shoulder length. She did his eye brows up and then put these weird contacts into his eyes. He was told that they made him look like an animal of some type. They were glowing off orange/yellow. His costume was also special. She’d taken a pair of spandex leotards and cut the legs up and down. But before he put them on, his legs and feet were sprayed with a brown and his toenails were painted black. He put the leotard on. His penis was put inside a pocket that stood it up. He was told that the material was reinforced with netting. It might protrude but wouldn’t stick out to embarrass him.

Devon was doing stretching exercises while Joan’s makeup was applied. A sudden appearance by the attorney at the door stopped Joan’s progress. The attorney was so insistent that needed to be let into the room. Devon stopped his exercises while the attorney came into the room.

All in French Devon listened in....

“What is so important that you just had to come right now? Couldn’t this wait?” Joan asked the attorney.

“I thought that you’d be happy to know that all is needed is for him to sign this paper and he will be free for everyone”

“Oh, everything went well and it is all legal”

“Oui ma’am” and the both looked to Devon.

Devon spoke slowly. “All I need to do is sign that paper, you’ll file it and I’m free? Free from Paul?”

“Oui sir”

“I can be known as Devon Shire from here out? If I wanted to be known as that tonight I could be?” Devon asked with tears in his eyes.

Margaret became concerned as his makeup would come off.

“Yes Devon Shire. You have satisfied the citizenship of France to become a dual citizen of the United States and here”

Devon sniffed, took a pen and signed his name. Everyone in the room signed the paper. Devon felt funny. The attorney told him that his copy would be at the house tomorrow sometime in the afternoon.

Devon stared at a picture hanging on the wall. Everyone watched him. He let out a deep sigh and turned around. His mascara had run down his face.

He looked at Joan thru watery eyes.

“You told me that life had strange things happening. I see your wisdom again. I do think you have a killer body under there Ma’am Joan. I sincerely thank you. You have lifted from my shoulders a great deal of strain. I’ll do this concert as never before. Now I have reason to be joyous”

Margaret and the assistant were in tears also. Margaret also quickly finished up Devon again. The mascara made a dark glow on his face and Margaret thought it looked fine.

Devon went back to stretching again. Joan had no idea why either. Devon’s whole personality changed with the stage manager knocked on the door and told him it was time. Devon held Joan’s hand as they went to the outer limits of the stage. Joan left him there. He was listening to the warm up band as they finished their last song.

Devon never flinched when the outdoor stadium lights all came on. Devon could see the place packed. He was standing just off stage. The musicians that Devon had been told about took to the stage. They’d been given some music to listen to that Devon had recorded at his last concert. Since he’d never written the music out, they had to improvise. Devon felt like it was Rueben and his people.

He heard them crank up the guitars but no drums. He thought that was queer. Devon watched the stage slowly become rearranged like he’d told them. Lots of carpet in center stage. He saw his guitar across the stage. All he had to do was walk there and start. He thought about it. Was the microphones on? Probably not.

He was startled to find a hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Pierre there looking across the stage.

“Feels the same, eh?”

“Ya, very much so”

“Watch this. Joan had this happen”

Devon watched as a security guard went to the front row. He looked down harder and saw Tommy there with his father and 2 sisters. Tommy was ranting and raving about somethuing but soon he was lifted over the security wire. He walked to the side of the stage still waving his arms all over talking earnestly with the guard.

The guard took him by the arm to a set of drums. Tommy stood there confused. He told him to sit there and be the drummer for the night. Tommy began to argue but the guard stood there with his arms crossed. Tommy sat down with major reservations and beat them a couple of times. The last thing the guard told him was to match the musicians and have the time of his life. Devon saw the guard lean back and smile really wide. Tommy was still confused but began a slow bass to match the other musicians.

The guard left. Tommy was stopped a few minutes later by someone else. They put a headphone/microphone on him and told him that he’d be live when he needed to be.

Devon smiled back at Pierre. That was the dream that he had not thought of. Tommy would not only get to see him but to play with him. He looked over at Joan who smiled and waved at him. He felt a flood of joy go thru him.

“Did you hear? I’m free”

“Huh?”

“I just signed paperwork for emancipation. Paul can’t touch me now! Here or at home”

“Really?”

“Yeah, cool huh?”

“Devon, do you realize that you can get Sebastian and Amanda now?”

“I guess I didn’t, but I want too. I hope they remember me and want to come live with me”

“Oh Dev, you have no idea”

The stage manager came over to tell Devon that they were ready for him. Devon said to Pierre “Later, find me later please” and Pierre nodded walking off towards Joan.

Devon shook himself all over. It was time. It was HIS time. All his. He told the manager to get his guitar ready to throw to him. Devon wanted him to do it. He told him that Tommy should follow his lead on his beat. The stage manager told him to wait just a few minutes till he got to the other side of the stage. Standing where he was, he couldn’t see the huge screen that was all over the stage.

Devon did a few more stretches. He saw the stage manager across the stage. The stage went from all kinds of colors to a flaring orange. The musicians stopped in mid-stride not having any idea what was happening. Joan watched with Pierre as Devon began a series of flips all across the stage ending in a leg split. He looked at the startled stage manager who simply threw him the rhythm guitar. Devon caught it in mid-stride springing to his feet and beginning the most recent hit he’d released.

The musicians were still stunned as the crowd began to go wild. Tommy caught right on and began a booming bass beat. Tommy was all smiles as he watched Devon, his identity still unknown to him; his idol began to dance around the stage. As Devon began to move into the song, he could hear Tommy on very tender vocals. Devon moved to go back by the boy, he smiled at Tommy. Tommy nearly missed a beat as he did that. Devon went thru the whole song gyrating all across the stage.

Meanwhile, unknown to Devon, Sebastian and his tutor were standing with Joan just out of Devon’s reach and visual acuity. Joan had told Sebastian the good news about Devon. Sebastian was dancing and moving all around nodding his head. He asked who the drummer dude was. Joan told him it was Tommy, Devon’s best friend. Sebastian nodded.

“You know he needs support don’t ya” Sebastian said intently to both Joan and his tutor. Pierre was standing near. Joan looked at him for guidance.

“He’ll fall apart if he doesn’t have some help. I’m telling you”

Joan started too looked very worried. She didn’t plan on this. Devon told her that he could do this.

“I’m the only one, who knows his spots, ma’am Joan, you have to let me help him”

“I’m afraid it’d be too much for him”

“Devon? And music? Hell no, ma’am! Hell no!”

“Pierre?”

“Trust him Joan. For once trust his brother “

“Ok” she said taking Sebastian by the arm abruptly. She found Margaret and explained the situation quickly. All three of them could hear the song end and some verbiage. They heard a booming bass from the drums again and knew Devon was into another song at that point.

Margaret quickly grabbed a spray can and started changing Sebastian’s hair to an orange color. After that, she grabbed some strange contacts and popped them into his eyes. Sebastian just stood there. Margaret then quickly removed his shirt and painted some stuff on his front and back. Then she took his shoes and socks off. Grabbing a pair of scissors, she quickly cut patterns in his pant legs.

“It is the best I can do” she said to Joan.

“It’ll have to do”

She grabbed Sebastian’s arm and pulled him quickly thru the door. She found the stage manager and told him what she needed him to do. He stood there for a second or two and took Sebastian by the hand to the other side of the stage. He gave him a rhythm guitar with a remote pickup, put a headset/microphone on him. They put him in a harness and out of the view of the lights; they lowered him from up high to stand above the speakers but on the speakers.

Sebastian could feel the beat coming thru the floor of the speaker. He didn’t care about any of the uniforms or stuff like that. He had to help his brother. Devon’s face was all over the big picture behind the drummer. Once he got used to that, he just ignored it. Devon was getting near the end of the song wondering what they next one he’d play. He had a fleeting though of panic.

As the song ended. Devon stood there, petrified. All the music stopped. The drums stopped. Devon looked out to the crowd as the white lights went on. Devon turned around to look at Tommy for some kind of inspiration. The musicians were good as Joan said they’d be, better than Reuben’s.

        Devon fell to the ground as a ripping guitar began somewhere. The though went thru his mind that if he didn’t know better, he’d swear it was Sebastian. God! He thought, if he were only there. Devon looked to the ground as he was racking his brain to figure out what that song was going to turn to. Then as it turned around slowly, he knew what the song was. No one here could know that song. The musicians picked up on it as well as Tommy as the drums began to boom out a defining beat.

        Where. The music rolled around to where he should sing but he had to find his brother. Devon took the guitar off and put it on the floor. He started looking all around. He ended up after looking all over at Joan standing just off stage. They made eye contact. Devon shrugged his shoulders like “Where?” Joan pointed up and Devon followed. It couldn’t be? He was in the states. The eyes, they were just like his--fake. Sebastian was HERE!

        There where he couldn’t get to him, stood his brother atop a bunch of speakers. They made brief eye contacts as Sebastian went into another riff.

        In French Devon heard “come on Dev, I didn’t come all the way here to see you stumble”

        Devon waved at him, looked around the stage and spotted a keyboard, he danced his way there. It was just like Amanda’s. He pushed a few keys and began the long interlude to Rosie’s song. Devon gave Sebastian all the space he needed for his part. Sebastian was singing along with Devon where he needed the accompaniment but what Devon noticed was that it was in French and the right phrasing. Devon was beginning to trip some about that.

        At the end of that song, Devon stood and looked around for his bass guitar. None was around. He went to the musicians and there in the back was one bass guitar that nobody had bothered to neither unpack out on stage nor set up. Devon turned to the crowd and then extended his arms out in a “like I don’t know what happened”. He lowered them and skipped back to the guitars. The other musicians were getting nervous since they had no idea what he was up too.

        Sebastian knew. He was going after his guitar, his preferred instrument while on stage. Sebastian slowly began a rhythmic series of cords. The lead musician had to stand away from the others to look at him. He didn’t need to since the big screen was all over Sebastian atop the huge speakers. Sebastian didn’t know nor care about the camera; he was beginning to work himself into a song. A song that Devon had only written the day before he left, a song he’d never played fully thru over 13 months prior, but Sebastian had found it. He worked on it until he had it into what he wanted it to sound like.

        Devon was listening. It sounded familiar but he couldn’t pull the words from his head. Something distant. Oh well, he thought. He got the guitar out. It was a remote job, so he wasn’t tied to an amplifier. He was glad for that. He began tuning on the thing.

        Oblivious to him, people just beyond the stage were beginning to go nuts. The stage manager was shouting in to his own microphone orders that Devon & Sebastian could hear but ignored. Luckily for Devon, the sound man was watching him thru spy glasses. He quickly shouted instructions into his own microphone. His assistant quickly adjusted knobs and flipped switches. Apparently not fast enough for the sound manager as he started yelling louder. He was still looking at Devon thru the glasses and not getting any feedback.

        He quickly calmed down as Devon started nodding his head as he plucked the guitar. After a few minutes, he looked up and smiled at no one in particular. He then plucked on his ear piece a couple of times waiting for the whole sound to come back. Thru the speakers he could hear Sebastian going nuts on them. The sound manager yelled at his assistant to restore to normal and the man did.

        The sound manager calmed down as Devon nodded his head in time with everyone else. Although he couldn’t quite make out the song, the tempo sounded familiar. Devon started walking among the musicians who were doing their best to keep up with Sebastian. One of them bent his head down to Devon and heard him say “he’s just awesome, isn’t he?” in French. The man stood up and looked at Sebastian, smiled and nodded his head. Devon walked to the lead man and watched him. He had been plucking his own guitar just fitting in with the beat. The main man watched him and matched his strumming.

        Devon then walked over to Tommy who was now beginning to sweat. Tommy for his part got very nervous as this was ‘his’ star watching him. Devon walked around to watch him intently. Tommy was getting more and more nervous.

        Devon leaned in and said to him “This, my friend, is what you’ve always wanted” and leaned back.

        Tommy nodded. Devon went around front of him and stood where Tommy could see him. Devon was purposely strumming his guitar until Tommy realized why. He was showing him the right beat. Tommy was almost mesmerized by his eyes, the contacts being cat like.

        Devon then turned around and walked out to center stage. The music up top changed some as Sebastian of all people began to sing. Slowly the words came back to Devon. He didn’t remember writing them but they were in his head. He sang backup for Sebastian as he completed the whole thing. At the end, the audience went bananas.

        Devon reached behind him and clicked the buttons to the stage manager and sound man. He told them to kill the lights, spot light on him at organ and get Sebastian down to the stage.

        Abruptly the lights dimmed and a spot light hit the organ. Devon put his guitar down in the case in the back; he patted Tommy on the shoulder and told him “good Job” as he walked past him. Tommy smiled his biggest. He was already sweating profusely. He never thought that playing drums would be so hard and hot under the lights. All the band members felt their inputs to the music killed.

        All in French, Devon said “Time for the older folks to rest some. Our new drummer, Tommy, isn’t used to doing real work. He just likes to beat the drums I hear and I think he’s doing a good job. How about everyone giving him and the others a big round of applause” as he stood and swung his arms out.

        Sebastian was also wondering what was going on. He could hear shouting in his ear. He actually listened to it and saw the lift coming down. He got on it with his guitar and it took him up. The stage manager met him there and had him taken to the ground level. He sat there drinking a water bottle that Joan had given him watching Devon to see what was happening.

        Devon finally made it to his organ. He pushed and pulled some keys.

        “While the others are resting, I’m going to sing a song that was my first hit back in the states. It was a song written by my cousin, Peewee. I only wrote the music”

        He began an introduction before he spoke above the music “Oh and thanks for coming”

        He launched into the song. He had as much emotion as he could into the song.