Free Some Kind of Hell by London Casey

acknowledge it had the power to take him away.
    “I love you, grandpa,” I said. “I needed to talk to you. For me.”
    “Okay,” he said. “Okay. I sure hope you find something you want soon. You can’t hide and be afraid. I believe that it all somehow comes together. Usually when you least expect it.”
    Our conversation shifted from the depressing side of life to other things. He talked about the weather, acting as if I was a continent away. When he talked about rain, I had to laugh because we got the same rain he did. The same with the temperature and even some of the news around us. But it was just good to hear his voice.
    When I got off the phone, I felt a little better.
    I went to find Maggie and knocked on her door.
    “I’m here to beg for forgiveness,” I said.
    The door opened and Maggie stood trying to look tough. “I don’t know. You didn’t sound sorry just then.”
    “Oh, Maggie,” I said, trying to keep myself from laughing. “I am so sorry. I would rather suffer death than see your face in pain.”
    I began to make kissing sounds and tried tickling her. We both started laughing and almost fell as we scuffled for a few seconds. Maggie finally ended it by making some kind of growling sound and shaking her head.
    “I’ll never understand you,” she said.
    “Good. Neither will I.”
    “Logan has his hands full.”
    “He did the other night,” I whispered and shook my chest.
    “I talked to Tripp this morning and he talked to Jason again.”
    “Uh-oh,” I said. I pictured the worst. The management guy backed out...
    “No, it’s a good thing,” Maggie said. “They’re flying out to LA early next week to meet with Jason and talk strategy.”
    “Talk strategy,” I whispered. “I can’t believe that’s happening for them.”
    “They deserve it,” Maggie said.
    “Oh, yeah, of course they do. I’m not saying they don’t. It’s just... I don’t know, a little funny how I finally get to hang out with Logan and he’s leaving. Probably for good, right?”
    “They’re not moving there,” Maggie said. “They still have to play shows here and record their full demo. Jason has to shop it, too. There’s lots of time here, Annie.”
    “What would you do?” I asked. “I mean, if the band left.”
    “I’d cross that bridge when I came to it,” Maggie said.
    “I want to live like you.”
    “You used to be the crazier one,” Maggie said. “Did Jared really hurt you that bad?”
    I swallowed. The honesty of the question was like a dagger to my heart.
    “I don’t know,” I whispered. “I mean, I wasn’t happy for a long time. But I was comfortable. I thought I was in a rut and that we were in a rut. But that town, Maggie, it just sucks you in, holds you there. You know, part of me almost doesn’t blame Jared because things had gotten so slow and so boring.”
    “No,” Maggie said. “He doesn’t get a pass. Ever. I don’t care.”
    “Okay, fine. I hate him.”
    “Good.”
    “I’m just... I feel like I did my time and then I got kicked out and someone else got the reward.”
    “Shit,” Maggie said. “You really think that way? That you’re paying a price for something else?”
    “I don’t know. I think so.”
    “That’s horrible. If you’re not happy, you need to go. You need to leave and find something that makes you happy. Just because you were with Jared for years didn’t mean he’d marry you and knock you up.”
    “But he went out and knocked up someone else,” I said.
    “So what?” Maggie asked. “That’s his life. You’re free.”
    “Free...”
    I wanted to say more, to be bitter, but I suddenly thought of Logan. I saw him without his shirt. Looking at his scars. His body against mine. His hands and fingers touching me everywhere I wanted to be touched.
    “When is DownCrash leaving again?” I asked.
    “Don’t worry, we have time. Are you working tonight?”
    “No,” I said. “I have the day off.”
    Maggie hugged me and said, “Good.