1969 - The Rolling Stones

Chapter Nine

Mick's eyes bored into me with pain.
"Wha, what does that mean?" He panted, stepping away from my body. "If you don't want me, or if you don't love me just say something."
"Mick-" I began to explain, but words stopped forming as Keith stood up and put his fist against Mick's face with major force. He kept hitting his face, over and over. His tall skinny body tumbled to the floor in that little hallway by the restrooms. It took me a minute to fully comprehend what just happened. I quickly knelt down next to Mick, sobbing like a baby. I glanced up and saw the blood all over Keith's white knuckles. Everything began to play out in slow motion.
"Keith, get some help, get anyone!" I had no energy left to be mad at him. If anything, I pitied the guy. I watched as multiple people came rushing to Mick's side, lifting his body and taking him out through the door. I sat there frozen, with tears in my eyes. Charlie and Haley almost immediately dropped to the floor next to me.
"Olivia," Haley spoke softly, rubbing my back. "What's happened?" I sat there, not speaking a word. I put my throbbing head down in between my knees like a child.
"Let's get you out of here, darling." Charlie lifted me up and carried me out of the building. Haley stayed behind to gather the rest of the boys, and they all met us outside by the glimmering black limousine. I lied there, in the back of the limo, all eyes on me. No one had a full, valid explanation for the events that took place that night, except for me, Mick, and Keith. Unfortunately, everyone looked to me to explain everything, which I was unsure I was capable of doing. No one could ask Mick, or Keith. They were both absent in that very moment. Mick was somewhere lying in a hospital bed, and Keith could've been anywhere.
"We need to go back to Olivia and I's place. Just drop us off, please. You know the way." Haley spoke to Charlie softly, who was in the front driving.
"We can come with you. Watch after you both" sweet Charlie insisted.
"Do what you want, I just need to get Liv home." She rubbed his shoulder reassuringly. Charlie nodded, kissing her hand.
"We can have fun," Brian added. "You know, like makeovers and pillow fights." Everyone tried to break the ice by laughing, but I wasn't phased. We arrived at the Laurel Canyon house, everyone trudging inside with exhaustion. Lulu and Rich were probably off somewhere, as the house was vacant. So, I slipped into my bed and snuggled into the covers. They smelt unmistakably like Mick. Suddenly, Brian opened my door slowly, and peeked inside. He plopped onto the bed right beside me.
"Cheer up buttercup. Mick loves you, he always will." Brian tried to comfort me, but he didn't quite understand.
"That's not the problem, Bri. I'm the problem. I can't get over myself for one second and realize what I have in front of me." A single tear rolled down my cheek. He leaned over and wiped it away.
"Well, Liv. We all adore you, so whatever problem you have with love, you can just forget it. Nothing's gonna change that." I paused for a moment to think about his words.
"Brian?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think if I just left for a while, everything would go back to normal, and Mick and Keith would forget about me?" I glanced over at him laying next me.
"Never. Don't even try it, because the second the boys find out you've gone, they will go batshit and probably get lost while trying to find you." We both laughed, and I threw my arms over his shoulders playfully. "Well, Charlie is going to go see if he can find Mick. Theres only one hospital in town so it shouldn't be that difficult."
"I need to talk to him." I tugged on Brian's sleeve.
"No, no. You've been through a lot tonight and we came back with you guys to watch over you. If I let you run off, that would defeat the whole purpose." Brian gave me a side smile.
"Well I wouldn't really be running off.."
"Olivia! You can wait!" He tucked me in and trotted out of my room. Charlie walked in right after he left.
"Anything you want me to tell Mick, doll?" He read my crazy mixed up mind while leaning against the doorframe.
"Just tell him I'm sorry, and I'll see him." I sat up in my bed, moving the canopy out of the way to see his concerned expression. Charlie agreed and closed the door behind him. I began to wonder where that thrill went, where all that excitement from in the beginning disappeared to. It had been replaced with worry. All I did was worry. I was stressing about Mick and Keith, where they were and how they were doing. If Keith would ever turn up, or if I made him feel useless and unimportant. None of it was true. I cared for him, I cared for both of them. A while later, Haley came to check up on me.
"How ya doing, hun?" I flung myself into her, hugging her tightly.
"I'm okay. I'm fine, I think." My lips spoke lies. I was falling apart in her embrace.
"Do you want to come into the living room with all of us? We're playing cards, and I'm beating all the boys butts!" We both laughed as she cheered me up with her enthusiasm. We both pranced into the living room while Haley wrapped me in my duvet.
"God, this reeks of Mick Jagger." She retorted, causing me to smile.
"Heyyy! Look who it is!" All the boys yelled, as I came and sat in the middle of the floor.
"You guys are too much." I shook my head, the corners of my mouth rising and molding into a grin. We all spent the night in my living room, playing cards and trying to stay positive. It wasn't hard to be, when around those boys.