#when its in mels house its just hanging around with them or in random places and mels parents are like ah yes. our son and his bag of flour

[kindrednerdspirit]

Sometimes a Thing Feels so Right: Part 5

Excerpt: A slow smile spreads across Izzie’s face. “This time, I’m ready to broadcast our business.” “Oh yeah?” Casey murmurs. “Pretty sure we’ve already done that.” The curve of Izzie’s lips makes it hard for Casey to think about anything else, so she inches closer until their foreheads touch. The two giggle as they re-live the forehead promise from their not-so-distant past. To draw out the moment, Casey gently rocks her temples against Izzie’s, enjoying how tantalizingly close their lips are.

One Block Later. The Library.

When Izzie walks into the library for the student council meeting, she’s pleased to see Mel is early, too.

Mel looks up from her notebook. “Hey. I know we already have the safe space posters printed and ready to hang up, but I have some ideas for future designs. And ideas for other ways we can make Clayton Prep an LGBTQ+ friendly place.” 

“Great! Hold that thought.” Izzie quickly texts Jason to check up on him.

Hi Jase. Did mum help you and Alysha get ready for school?

The two girls jump into it. They’re about 15 minutes into their work when Harmony and Scarlet show up.

“Wow, you’re early!” Scarlet exclaims, looking at the girls. Izzie shrugs and keeps working. Scarlet scrutinizes her as she makes her way over to the table. Her eyes burn into Izzie, making it hard for her to concentrate.

“What?” She asks, her voice a bit too sharp.

“Your energy feels different, that’s all.” Scarlet ignores Izzie’s tone, continuing her visual inspection. “Did you hear anything else from Brad?”

The pen in Izzie’s hand stops in its tracks. The last people she wants to hear about are Brad or Nate or some other guy she cannot care less about. In the past, she’s repeatedly made this clear, but these two are relentless. Izzie sighs, because she knows It’s time to go public. Before she can change her mind, she looks directly at Harmony and Scarlet and straightens her back, so she’s not slouching in her chair.  “You know that I think Nate and Brad are assholes and I’m tired of repeating myself… so, I’m hoping you’ll listen to this--I’m gay.”

Harmony’s eyes widen and repeatedly blink. Scarlet doesn’t look much different than Harmony, but she’s able to form some words.

“Oh, shit, Izzie. I--we didn’t know.” A long silence fills the library. “Sorry.”

To her right, Mel shifts in her seat, but despite everything, Izzie feels fine. Actually, she feels an odd sense of relief. She realizes she rarely sees Scarlet uncomfortable, so she decides to enjoy the moment.

“Damn, you two, nobody died. I like girls, it’s cool.” Izzie looks over at Mel and the two burst out laughing. “We have to go ladies, but no hard feelings. Really.”

The two girls take their LGBTQ+ posters and leave, so they can start hanging them up in the hallways. Meanwhile, Harmony and Scarlet find themselves alone and digesting the news.

“Do you think her and Casey--” asks Harmony.

“Yes,” replies Scarlet with a firm nod.

“So, we probably shouldn’t have written ‘slut’ and ‘ho’ on her shoes then--”

“No, we shouldn’t have,” she says with a firm head shake.

Harmony inches her hand toward Scarlet’s. “Should we--”

The warmth of Harmony’s hand startles her, making her quickly pull away. “No.”

Concern clouds over Harmony’s face. “Should I--”

“Yes.” Scarlet replies a bit too quickly. She forces herself to look at the wall, anywhere but her friend. In a flash, Harmony grabs her notebook and pencil case, then scurries out of the library.

Break Between Classes. In the Hallway.

“I can’t reach any higher.” Izzie protests while on her tippy toes. She’s holding a stapler with an outstretched arm.

Mel is holding the safe space poster with ease against the bulletin board. “Would you like me to find you a box?”

“Haha. Very funny.” Iz rolls her eyes. “But, yes, a box would help.”

With a grin Mel takes the stapler from Izzie. “Or, you know, I can do this and you can hold the posters.” She proceeds to staple the top right-hand edge of the poster. Out of the corner of her eye, she spots Casey walking down the hallway.

“Yo, Izzie. Casey 4 o’clock.”

At the sight of Newton, Izzie sucks in a quick breath. This is her chance. “Here, Mel. Hold these or something.” Izzie drops the small stack of posters on the ground and whirls around to face Casey’s direction. Her body is shaking as she tries to find the right words.

“Hey. Can we talk?” Izzie’s voice quavers.

“Nope,” Casey replies firmly.

“I’m sorry.” Iz follows Newton to her locker, while Newton aggressively puts in the lock combination.

“I'm sick of you apologizing. You led me on, you're jerking me around. I hate it.”

“I really like you.”

Her pleading and stating the obvious irks Casey even more. “Yeah, in this moment, but in ten minutes, you might be embarrassed by me or kissing some random guy. Just leave me alone.” She slams the locker door, then abruptly turns and starts marching down the hallway.

“Newton!” Izzie is on Casey’s heels. “Will you stop for two seconds so I can explain?” 

It’s as if Casey is seeing red. She’s exhausted from avoiding Izzie at track this morning, nevermind what is currently happening. Needless to say, when she turns to face Izzie, she is done with this conversation.

“What?” Her brow is furrowed, but when she notices Izzie’s close proximity, her eyes soften.

They are close enough for their bare legs to touch. One of the few perks of a Clayton Prep skirt. Izzie hovers close before dipping her chin up. “I’m done being weird,” she murmurs. Casey’s heart is practically bursting as she watches Izzie’s lips part. It’s deja vu of the dance. The two of them in the exact same position with their lips close, but it’s different this time. This time, Izzie initiates. But like before, time slows as the two enjoy one another’s presence and touch. Their legs gently bump together as their arms intertwine.

Her lips taste delicious, like soft, warm vanilla beans. Exactly how Casey remembers. She brushes away a strand of Izzie’s hair after pulling away. Their eyes are locked on one another, a happy glow emitting from the couple. 

Izzie hasn’t felt this good in weeks, not since the dance. She figured she’d feel self-conscious after kissing Casey in front of everyone in the hallway, instead she feels fine. More than fine, even. There’s a strange sense of pride. She’s happy to show off what she has with Newton to Clayton Prep.

“That was pretty weird.” A dumbstruck grin spreads across Casey’s face. This is not what she imagined happening during her walk from Biology to English. She’s still wondering whether the last few minutes actually happened.

Doubt sets in at Newton’s response. Izzie feels her inexperience showing. Was the kiss okay? Did Newton feel the same?

“Bad weird?” She tentatively asks.

Casey just chuckles and throws an arm around Izzie’s shoulders, leading her toward their next class.

“I have so much to tell you!” 

Iz giggles, ecstatic to have her girlfriend holding her close, to have her favourite person back.

“First of all, I told my dad that I love you.” Casey feels her body being pulled back, as Izzie’s feet stop moving. Her eyebrows shoot up as she struggles to find the words.

“Wow, Newton, I--”

“But he thought I meant as a friend.” The two girls laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. “I would’ve corrected him but.. I wasn’t sure about us.” There’s an uncomfortable silence for a few beats. Iz presses her hand firmly against Newton’s. 

“You can be sure about us.”

A Few Weeks Later. Getting Ready for the School Dance. Gardner’s House.

When Casey walks down the stairs in her 1980s-style yellow and black patterned button-up shirt with black suspenders, Elsa feels a surge of pride in her daughter. She cannot restrain herself, she has to throw her arms around her girl and squeeze tight.

“I’m so proud of you!” Casey’s outfit matches the 1980s theme of Clayton Prep’s dance, and it’s reminding Elsa of her first high school dance with its overabundance of neon, big hair, and hormones.

“Mum!” Casey protests with an eye roll. “It’s not like it’s prom or grad, it’s just a dance. Or what you kids used to call it, sock hops.” She’s waiting in the living room, so she can make a quick escape with Izzie when she shows up.

Elsa is now leaning on Doug, enjoying the moment, ignoring her daughter’s teasing. “Can you believe that our youngest is going to her first dance with her first girlfriend?” Her eyes are starting to water. Doug pulls Elsa in with one arm, so her chin is resting on his shoulders. 

“They grow up fast.” He says quietly enough so only Elsa hears.

By this point, Casey has noticed the water works are starting, so she wanders over to Sam who’s sitting on the couch sketching. She gets all up in his personal space by resting her chin on his shoulders. There’s no hesitation or pause in the pencil’s movements. It’s as if Casey isn’t even there.

Ding-dong.

Within seconds, Casey is flinging open the door. She needs a quick exit to escape from the Elsa paparazzi. Except that as soon as she sees Izzie, the quick exit gets scratched. Izzie is wearing a denim jumper, somewhat similar to her own, but more stylized with buttons and rolled up sleeves. Her ears are adorned with her usual hoop earrings, but she’s paired them with a Boy George inspired hat.

A sheepish smile spreads across her face. “Hey, Newton.” She peers around her girlfriend to look at the Gardner family. “Hi Gardners!”

There’s a flurry as Elsa ushers Izzie and Casey inside. “You girls look so cute! Come in, I just want to take a few pictures.”

Casey gives Izzie an apologetic look, but of course, Izzie doesn’t mind. It’s kind-of nice seeing Casey’s family wanting to document and remember this moment. There are pictures taken of them as a couple, then they move on to taking some pictures of the Gardner family.

Sam pauses while Elsa is taking one of him and Casey.

“Are you and Izzie more serious than you and Evan?” His question is genuine.

“Dude, what the hell?” Casey exclaims before glancing over at Izzie. Izzie laughs, not bothered by his question.

“I need another person to go to for advice, like Evan, but I don’t know if I should expect your relationship status to change.”

Casey playfully punches her brother’s shoulder.

“Ow!” His face is scrunched up. “Why did you do that?”

“Because I’m your sister. It’s basically my duty to communicate with you in annoying ways.” Casey walks over to Izzie, wraps her arm around her, then pulls her in for a kiss on the cheek. “I can’t say she’ll give you advice, weirdo, but she’ll be around for awhile.”

***

Synthesizers and dreamy British, New Wave sounds fill the gymnasium. There is a lot of neon, big hair, hormones, and bright lights on the polished gym floor. Izzie stretches out her arm, holding up an inviting palm to Newton. A slow, confident smile spreads across Casey’s face before she takes Izzie’s hand.

“You look…” Her brain is at a sudden loss for words.

“You too.” Izzie finishes her sentence, then promptly blushes before looking at her feet.

“C’mon, let’s show these Clayton Prep losers how to dance.” Casey proceeds to reach into her pocket and pull out fingerless gloves. Izzie’s eyebrows shoot up. 

“I got them from Elsa’s closet.” 

“My girlfriend is unbelievably cool.” Iz says with a wink before placing Newton’s fingerless-gloved hands around her waist. “Hold Me” by Fleetwood Mac begins playing from the speakers. In response, Casey pumps a fist in excitement and carefully but skillfully dips Izzie with her other arm. 

“The power of the fingerless gloves.” She giggles.

“And you think Sam’s a weirdo?” Iz smirks.

The two begin Snoopy dancing to the upbeat piano and guitar licks. Elsewhere, Harmony and Scarlet are dancing suspiciously close, while Mel is talking up some girls at the punch bar. Despite the entire student body surrounding her, Iz doesn’t feel self-conscious at all. She’s just happy she’s no longer hiding anything.

“Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper begins playing, so the girls ditch the Peanuts-inspired dancing. Izzie cannot help but think of the hotel party as the familiar electricity between them pulls their bodies together. Her hands slip around the small of Newton’s back as their bodies rhythmically sway together.

A slow smile spreads across Izzie’s face. “This time, I’m ready to broadcast our business.” 

“Oh yeah?” Casey murmurs. “Pretty sure we’ve already done that.” The curve of Izzie’s lips makes it hard for Casey to think about anything else, so she inches closer until their foreheads touch. The two giggle as they re-live the forehead promise from their not-so-distant past. To draw out the moment, Casey gently rocks her temples against Izzie’s, enjoying how tantalizingly close their lips are.

Iz bites her lip. She wants to resist the urge to taste Newton, but her deliciously warm lips are too inviting. Goosebumps appear on her goosebumps. She feels the familiar tingly feeling that only Newton has ever given her. She could get used to this. This whole being happy at school, time away from her home responsibilities, being comfortable with her identity. Iz feels the remaining tension in her body loosen and the warmth of Newton’s arms around her. She feels safe in her embrace. Neither wants to let go, so they continue moving back and forth, as one, with their foreheads pressed together well after the song ends.

The End

#cazzie #cazzie fanfiction #casey and izzie #casey gardner #izzie no last name #sorry this took way too long to post #they kiss #the feels #the end #let me know if you find the LOTR reference #solved who vandalized Casey's shoes #I hope people understand the fingerless glove references

[cutiepisenpai]

Dear Stranger Series Ch. 8: Georgia(Spencer Reid x Female OC)

Chapter 1 

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Warning : Angst with a happy ending, kidnapping, minor drugging, launguage.

Spencer's POV 

It's an early Sunday morning and the team is off today. Spencer is woken up by a hand running through his hair and the humming of his fiance. He opens his eyes to see her bright smile "Good Morning Sunshine." He hears her call out but he is still so exhausted they had a long night, debating the best Dr. Who Dr.'s. In an effort to stay asleep, instead of responding he just pulls her in to cuddle and closes his eyes. "You know as much as I would love to lay here with you all day, I have things to do." She begins by saying. "And you were supposed to join me but from the looks of it I'm not getting you out of bed anytime soon." She says before turning in his arms and kissing his forehead. He feels her shift to get out of the bed and start her day. 

A few hours had passed before Spencer woke up again. Rolling to look at Melinda's side of the bed he sees a note on her pillow. "Went to the farmer's market. Breakfast is in the microwave. Be back later. ❤ Mel P.S. Peter Capaldi was the better Dr.  XOXO". He laughs at her message and gets up out of bed and washes up before heading to the kitchen. The clock reads one pm he figures Mel should have already been back by now. Reheating the food she prepared and putting coffee on to brew he decides to call her. The phone rings and rings and rings. "Hey this is Melinda, sorry I couldn't get to the phone, leave a message and I'll call you back."  He is surprised she didn't answer but she may be diving back so he doesn't think much of it. Thirty minutes go by and she still hasn't shown up or called him back. Trying to call again the phone rings repeatedly before, "Hey this is Melinda, sorry I couldn't get to the phone, leave a message and I'll call you back." Now Spencer is starting to worry he knows she can take care of herself but seeing what they see at work everyday makes moments like this the scariest thing to imagine. He decides to wait another ten minutes to see if she calls back and when she doesn't is time for a new approach. This time he calls Garcia, " Hello Boy Wonder." He hears her voice ring out. "Hey Garcia, I'm sorry I know it's Sunday and we're not working but I can't get a hold of Melinda and was wondering if you can find her phone's location." "Are you sure she's not just trying to surprise you… Her phone is showing her at the Old Town Farmers Market in Alexandria." "Okay thanks Garcia." He says promptly before hanging up running to change and is out the door. 

20 minutes later Spencer is pulling into the parking lot, driving around looking to see if he sees Melinda's car. A few minutes later he spots it pulling up next to it. When he opens his door and exits his car the first thing he notices is her car door is slightly open. The next thing he notices is that her purse is sitting on the front seat next to the ajar door. Opening his phone and calling her again, he hears the phone ringing, it's coming from inside her car trying not to panic he calls Hotch. 20 minutes later the whole team has arrived after being called in by Hotch. Reid has spent this time assessing the scene but trying to move anything. The more he looked around the more likely it looked as if she was taken. The car is unlocked and the bags of stuff she picked up are in the backseat. Inside her purse her wallet and phone are still there so it wasn't a robbery. The last things he notices are on the ground next to the open door are her car keys and her engagement ring. 

The team considering this a kidnapping, are now trying to narrow down why someone would take her. "Could it be related to one of our cases. Has someone been released or recently escaped prison maybe?" JJ starts by saying "It could be related to her work when she was at Interpol." Emily is next to interject. Spencer is so overwhelmed he doesn't know what to do. "I should have been with her. I was supposed to be there." He says quietly but it makes everyone stop. "You don't know what would have happened if you were there. It could have been worse but you're here and can help us find her." Hotch tells him. The team is trying to find any leads but are just running into dead ends. Hours pass by and they are at a loss. "Are you sure nothing has changed Reid?" Hotch asks, this is the fourth time he had asked Reid the same question. "Have you been to any new restaurants, stores, any new contacts?" Spencer is starting to get annoyed with the question. "For the last time nothing has changed. It's not like we have a ton of extra time and Melinda likes routine, she likes having some sense of normalcy." Reid says in a huff. "Wait, something did change recently. You two got engaged a week ago. What if that is what triggered the unsub." Garcia says. "It would make sense they left the ring at the scene and with the timing it could be an ex who feels like they are running out of time now that you were planning on getting married." Morgan follows. Melinda had only ever spoken about one guy she dated and based on what she said it wasn't serious, but he didn't even know the guy's name. 

Spencer calls the only person who would know more about Melinda other than himself, her best friend Kristen. When she arrived and heard the news she became extremely worried and when they asked about the ex boyfriend she gave them his name but said it probably wasn't him. After looking him up and finding out he's partying on the other side of the country they mark him off the list. "Has she mentioned thinking someone may have been following her or seeing anyone suspicious?" Spencer asks, he feels like he would have known that Melinda would have said something but they have to cover all bases. "Um no, and she is kind of confrontational so even if someone was following her she would have said something to them." Kristen says, "but I know someone has been trying to reach out to her. Her name is "GG" Georgia Richardson, we all grew up in the same neighborhood." Spencer had never heard that name. "Mel has never mentioned her. Did they grow apart?" He asks. "Huh, oh no they are not friends Melinda hates GG. She was a bully and picked on her constantly. I was confused when she said she had been getting letters from GG. I thought maybe she was trying to make amends but Mel said she never even opened the letters she just tossed them in the trash." Now that Spencer remembers, Melinda throwing random letters away claiming them to just be junk mail. But now they had a new lead. 

Garcia was able to place a phone registered to Georgia at the farmers market at the same time before Melinda disappeared. Getting the location to her home the team is on their way there. Arriving at the home of Georgia Richardson they knock announcing themselves when they receive no answer Morgan kicks down the door and they head inside. Separating and checking the house they see no sign of GG or Melinda. What they do find is disturbing, in one room wall to wall is photos of Melinda going as far back as childhood and as recent as last week. "Well we got the right person, but where is she and where is she keeping Melinda?" Morgan says. They call Garcia to see if she may own property elsewhere while checking the rest of the house. While trying to figure out their next move they all stop at the sound of gunfire. It is coming from somewhere in the house. Going room to room looking for any sign of a trap door. Spencer finds a false bookcase with a heavy door behind it. Getting through the door just in time to hear a second gunshot Spencer and Morgan rush down the stairs to see Melinda with her back to them gun in hand having just shot GG in the knee. "Mel… Mel you're safe put the gun down." Spencer says. She hesitates before laying the gun on the ground next to her and wrapping her arms around Spencer. 

Melinda's POV

Waking up to the warmth of Spencer's arms wrapped around her she checks the time. It's nine thirty, a later wake up time for them but there's no work today and having argued from late night to around three am about Dr. Who it wasn't important to be up early. Sliding out of Spencer's grip she's up washing her face and brushing her teeth before climbing back into bed. She is absent-mindedly playing with Spencer's hair making a list in her head when she looks down to see his honey brown eyes looking up at her. "Good Morning sunshine." She says but receives no response he just reaches out to pull her into his body to cuddle. "You know as much as I would love to lay here with you all day, I have things to do." She begins by saying. "And you were supposed to join me but from the looks of it I'm not getting you out of bed anytime soon." Turning in his arms she kisses his forehead and climbs out of the bed. She makes a simple breakfast scrambled eggs, sausage and toast eating her portion after putting a plate in the microwave for Spencer for when he wakes up. She goes to the closet opting for a simple outfit jeans and a sweater with knee high boots. Lastly she writes a note for Spencer placing it on her pillow where he is sure to see it giving him one last kiss before leaving. 

Melinda preferred going to the farmers market for fresh produce. It was better than what could be found at the grocery store and since they were always on the go fresh produce goes bad quite often. Deciding to grab what she came for last not wanting to walk around with an armful of produce she wanders through seeing if anything peeks her interest. After an hour Melinda decides it’s best to get ready to head home. Finally picking out everything she wants she is putting her bags in the car when she hears a familiar voice behind her. Its GG, she had been sending Melinda bi-weekly letters for six months. Melinda wanted nothing to do with her not even to be polite about it. "Mellie, it's so good to see you. You know I've been sending you letters, I haven't heard anything back. I thought you might have moved." GG says in a chipper voice. Her voice was grating to Melinda. "Hi GG, no I haven't moved just didn't care about what you have to say to me now." She sneers, "but as you can see I'm busy so I should be going." Melinda says as she places her purse in the passenger seat. A moment later GG is standing right behind her pressing a syringe into her side. "Oh don't be like that… I've been waiting to have you all to myself." Is the last thing Melinda hears before everything goes dark..

Melinda wakes up in a dark room, trying to figure out her surroundings she is reminded of the conversation she was having with GG. That crazy bitch, where the hell did she take me. The next thing Melinda notices is a chain attached to one ankle leading to the footboard. She isn't wearing the same outfit she left the house in, she is now wearing a black nightie. The room is moderately decorated, nothing that can be taken apart to be used as a weapon or a lock pick at least GG was smart enough to think about that. There are no windows but two doors not sure where they lead. As quietly as possible she goes to the door closest to her. It's a bathroom and everything is just within reach with the chain attached to her. The other door is too far to reach. Melinda sits back on the bed tugging at the chain to see if it had any give, trying to plan out her next move. 

"Oh good you're awake. I brought you some food." GG says coming in from the other door Melinda couldn't reach. "Why the hell did you bring me here?" Melinda asks. "To take care of you of course. Your job is too dangerous." GG says not yet approaching. "To take care of me? We are not friends. And I don't need you to do anything for me." "We aren't friends because for all those years you were so attached to Kristen and then you left and when you came back all of a sudden you're with some guy. Some guy who barely knows you and I couldn't let you marry him. You belong with me. Don't worry you'll see things my way eventually." She says offering the tray gets within reach of Melinda but not a step further before promptly exiting. Melinda was so taken aback by her comments she didn't get a chance to respond. She was bat shit crazy. Melinda wonders if she remembers their childhood differently. If she was asked to describe her she would say GG was, queen bitch for as far back as she could remember GG had been a thorn in her side. From ripping her books apart and  pushing her into fountains in their early years to verbal slander and even once putting a spider on her in their teens. Melinda was thankful she didn't go to school with her but their houses were close enough that she still had to deal with her torment. Melinda did not have time to dwell on the past right now she needed a plan. She didn't know how much time had passed but she knew by now Spencer would be worried and looking for her but he wouldn't know where to look. She never mentioned GG or the letters, oh those damn letters what did she even write. Time to make a plan.

Hours pass by before GG comes back, in that time she had learned she is underground somewhere most likely a basement based on the steps she heard above her earlier. GG came back this time with a chair and a gun in her hand. Shit this isn't going to go well. Sitting the chair on the other side of the tray she set down earlier it's untouched; she has a seat staring Melinda down. "I didn't poison it ya know." She starts talking, "I just don't understand why you aren't happy to see me or why didn’t you never write to me? Didn't you miss me." She sure is putting a lot of emphasis on herself as if Melinda did something wrong. "What, have you had a brain injury in the last 6 years? We are not friends! We were never friends! We are never going to be anything!" Melinda yells without thinking, it wasn't her smartest decision to challenge the wacko with the gun. At Melinda's outburst GG's demeanor changes turning cold. "Oh is that so, you think you can just reject me and I would let you go? Well you're wrong because if I can't have you no one can." At that same moment they both hear footsteps above them. Melinda is hopeful that that is the team. But GG panics and makes a mistake moving away from the door looking at the ceiling, she is stepping backwards into Melinda's reach. In the time she had alone she ripped apart the sheets to use in the hopes to subdue her captor. Melinda takes a torn piece in hand wrapping it over GG and pulling her back into Melinda’s chest, Melinda tackles her to the ground. Pulling the gun out of her hand Mel turns and takes a shot at the chain freeing herself before climbing off of GG and running out of the room. The hallway is pitch black and while she is running, missing where the ground is uneven she trips falling to the ground. Gun still in she can hear GG approaching her, "You can't leave me! You're not allowed to leave!" GG yells in tears. "You come any closer and I will shoot you." "Mellie, we both know you can't kill me." That she was right about but Melinda had other plans, she aimed for her knee and took the shot. GG fell to the ground with a shriek. With the adrenaline flooding through her the only thing she could hear was her own pulse in her ears until Spencer came into sight. He was telling her to put the gun down. 

Sitting outside in the ambulance Melinda insists she is fine, a few scrapes and bruises, she doesn't need to go to the hospital. "Stop being so stubborn, just let them take you to the hospital and make sure everything is alright." Spencer says. "I'm fine, you're the only one that thinks I need a hospital." Once the EMT's clear her, he pulls her into a tight hug. After checking in with the team they head home. Spencer had been fretting over her since they got back, he kept asking if she was okay. Putting her hands on either side of his face pulling it closer to her, "Look I made it back and it's because I have you. Now please just lay down." Laying in bed together just enjoying the feel of each other's warmth trying to relax until Melinda says "By the way Peter Capaldi was a way better Dr than Tom Baker."

#spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x oc #spencer reid #Female reader #female oc #bau x reader #bau team #aaron hotchner #Penelope Garcia #Jennifer Jareau #derek morgan #emily prentiss #Dear Stranger Series

[arteesticwriter]

My Perfect Wife by Blake Pierce ( A book rant / review )

( Major spoiler warning, cuz a girl can’t control herself )

I decided to download a book from iBook recently, and try reading an ‘e-book’. I never really liked it before, but there are many free options available, and I wanted to get a taste of it. And let’s just start with I was not disappointed.

The story begins with Jessica Hunt moving into a new neighborhood with Kyle, her husband. Now at first glance, she seems happy to be moving. She seems to like the house, and the ‘beach air’ which she could not experience because she was a city girl. But as we read on, we realized that she is not really into this. She liked living in the city and she moved for two reasons only; one being her practicum at NRD and Kyle getting a job in the area due to the financial consultancy firm expanding. She is trying to get her Master’s or Phd ( I don’t remember ) in Forensic Psychology and so she enrolls into the local university, where she will finish her degree along with her practicum.

Now, as we read on, we can tell that something is off about the neighborhood, which Jessie also realizes. She feels uncomfortable and out of place, which honestly was a red flag. She should have yeeted out of there the minute they met Teddy, who happens to be Kyle’s best friend from high school, as mentioned by Kyle. Teddy has a son, Daughton, and a wife, Melissa. Throughout the book, we can tell that Melissa and Jessie get pretty close. Mostly because Melissa seems to be the only one who is helping Jessie at least somewhat understand and fit into this new life.

I want to take a pause here and talk about the characters. Let’s start with Kyle. Now Kyle seemed like the ideal husband, until he and Teddy happened to treat a woman like an object behind her back. That too a random ass woman they were just passing by. Kyle seemed almost offended when Jessie called him out, and I automatically knew that he was not what he was pretending to be. At first glance, Kyle seems like a nice, loving husband, who is a bit on the naive side. Innocent almost. At second glance…. think again. He seems like a pretty normal and okay character, but something about him just felt off. And obviously I found out why in the end. Which also makes me question whether this book was somewhat obvious, or am I just too weird about solving the mystery before the end of the book.

Moving onto Teddy. Now Teddy feels like your regular asshole of a husband, who is present in the wife and kid’s life, but is just a very shitty dude. He cheats on his wife on a regular basis, with protection from a club he is a member of. At the end of the day, I must say, he really does care about his son and wife. He is incredibly disrespectful, but you know he is just an idiot.

As I mentioned before, Teddy has a wife, Melissa. Now, she is the basic best friend that supports our main gal through thick and thin, aka Jessie’s non-official best friend. Their friendship formed during a really tough time, but you know that it was strong. Mel was their for Jessie when she lost her baby, and she was also the first person to tell her the reality, at the time alleged by Mel, of Club Deseo. Melissa is your typical housewife. She really loves Teddy, she takes care of Daughton, and she hangs out with local housewives, who also happen to be members of Club Deseo. She has a pretty good idea about what Club Deseo is all about, however, she sticks around because she is used to the life they have created for themselves. She is almost stuck. She does not want leave the comfort and little bubble she has created for herself, and so she deals with Club Deseo’s bullshit, along with Teddy’s.

The one person I have not mentioned yet is Kimberly. Kimberly lives in the house across from Jessie’s and she was also one of the first person she met in this new neighborhood. Okay, now Kimberly is….. quite interesting. I don’t know how to say it, she kind of seems all over the place. There was this one scene where Jessie saw Kimberly’s husband and their nanny running naked up the stairs, and came to the most normal conclusion, he is cheating on her. When Jessie told Kimberly about this, she was mad at Jessie. It almost felt more like she was mad at Jessie for saying something about it, rather than being pissed at her husband about it.

Now, let’s talk about Bolton Crutchfield. He is a serial killer who has been caught and is now residing at the NRD, the same place where Jessie is doing her practicum. If you think about it, we are following two story lines. One of Jessie’s home life, and the other being her professional life, which is also mixed with her childhood. NRD is seemingly a very private, secretive government organization I guess, which homes criminals who can not be rehabilitated. This Bolton guy is a serial killer there, who apparently learnt his techniques from a serial killer who had kidnapped Jessie years ago. Which is why Jessie wants to work in the NRD.

This Bolton guy also knows everything about her life, even though he barely comes into contact with the outside world. It is very creepy. He knew she was pregnant, he knew she didn't kill anyone, etc. It just all feels eerie.

Now, one mystery was solved in this book, but I did not ruin it. It was a pretty good one, but, like I said, it was painfully obvious. It was really entertaining and quick to read, but it was not the most well thought out thriller.

I am too cheap to pay for the series, so I am not going to read the rest of them. However, if you do check this book out, keep in mind, it is a part of a series. I know it is kinda unfair of me to judge a book that is a part of a series by itself, but I think every book should be able to hold its own.

In short; fun, easy and quick, but obvious and not the most gripping.

But I can’t complain, because it was free!

#books and libraries #book review #book recommendations #bookblr #spilled thoughts #spilled feelings #novels #writers on tumblr #bookaholic #book rant #bookish #bookworm #reader #readerblr #thrillers #psychological #my escape #long reads #bookaddict

[standbyphoenix]

Movie star River Phoenix left musical mark in Alabama by Matt Wake

Outside record producer Rick Rubin’s Hollywood Hills home, drummer Josh Greenbaum sat in a silver Volvo with his friend and bandmate River Phoenix, the film actor.

The rock-star Lenny Kravitz was with them.

On the car’s stereo, Kravitz played Phoenix and Greenbaum a recording of a new song he’d written called “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” This was 1992, before that explosive tune would become the title track to Kravitz’s third album and era-defining music.

At the moment, Kravitz needed a drummer. He’d recently told mononymous Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea he was frustrated trying to find the right fit. Flea later told Phoenix about Kravitz’s predicament, while Flea was having lunch with Phoenix. Upon hearing about the opportunity, Phoenix promptly hooked-up the drummer of his own band, Aleka’s Attic, with an audition with Kravitz - a much bigger gig.

“And that’s how much River loved me as a brother as a friend,” Greenbaum says. “He was like, ‘I don’t want to hold you back from potential success, and if I can hook you up with this audition then I’m going to do it.’ River was incredibly gracious and generous. He wanted to see the people he cared about thriving.”

The South Florida native wasn’t the only drummer auditioning that day at Rubin’s house. There were 25 or so “L.A. rocker dudes” at the “cattle call” that day “decked-out in leather, nose rings and tattoos.” In sneakers, jeans, sweatshirt and short haircut, Greenbaum looked more college-kid than arena-ready. In the end, the gig didn’t go to a dude at all. Cindy Blackman, a virtuosic jazz musician who happens to be female, deservedly became Kravitz’s next drummer. Still, Greenbaum says he got two callbacks to jam with Kravitz over the course of a week.

River Phoenix was a gifted, charismatic movie star so physically attractive he seemed to defy science.

His nuanced performances lit up such films as "Stand By Me," "My Own Private Idaho" and "Running On Empty."

But Phoenix told Greenbaum more than once, “music was his first love and film was his day-job.”

While some actors’ musical projects can be of dubious quality, Phoenix had legitimate singer/songwriter talent. “Music was a need of his,” Greenbaum says. “That’s why he put so much effort into a band, trying to make it in the music business, which of course would’ve come easier for him than anyone else that wasn’t famous already.”

Phoenix’s other passions included environmentalism, humanitarianism and animal-rights. He was one of the most visibly philanthropic young stars of the early ’90s.

Phoenix was the reason Seventeen subscribers knew what “vegan” meant. “He had a heart of gold and was an extremely hyper-sensitive, emotional person,” Greenbaum says. “And that’s why he wound up helping a lot of people.”

The Gainesville, Fla.-based band’s tours brought them through Alabama, including circa - 1991 shows at Huntsville’s Tip Top Café and Tuscaloosa’s Ivory Tusk. Greenbaum recalls Aleka’s Attic performing in Auburn, possibly at the War Eagle Supper Club there, and maybe Birmingham too.

“We had some successful tours,” says Greenbaum, who’s resided in Maui for more than 20 years. “People showed up because they wanted to hear what River’s band was like, but once they got there they were like, ‘Damn this really is a good band,’ and we had some real authentic fans of the music, for the music, not just because it was River.”

Back before social-media and celeb clickbait, Aleka’s Attic tours also gave fans a rare chance to see a massively famous actor in-person, in the wilds of local rock-bars.

Back then, Sandee Curry was attending Lee High School and delivering pizzas part-time. She was also "obsessed with anything Hollywood-related." When she and friend Michelle Woodson heard about Phoenix's band's upcoming Tip Top Café show, they resolved to attend. "River Phoenix is coming to Huntsville, my hometown? This doesn't happen," Curry says. As many people who lived in Huntsville then are aware, in addition to hosting touring and local bands, Tip Top was known for being extremely easy to get into under-age, so she'd been to shows there before.

Curry brought her snapshot camera to the show. The camera was freshly loaded with black and white film, and she took photos of Aleka’s Attic that night. When she got the film developed later, mixed in with random friend pics were onstage shots of Phoenix, singer Rain Phoenix (River’s sister), bassist Josh McKay, violist Tim Hankins and drummer Greenbaum.

At the Tip Top that night, River Phoenix played a Stratocaster guitar and sported facial scruff, a white T-shirt and camouflage pants. Curry recalls the famous actor being somewhat withdrawn onstage. “If I’m remembering correctly, he was mostly doing backing vocals,” she says. “The bassist and Rain were doing a lot of the singing.” Although Greenbaum says River Phoenix was the songwriter and lead singer on most Aleka’s Attic’s material, fans interviewed for this story recall Rain Phoenix being the focal point onstage during the band’s Alabama shows.

Curry classifies the band’s live sound as “psychedelic ’90s alternative-rock.” She adds, “It was a fun show.”

She remembers enjoying the song “Too Many Colors” and McKay’s tune “Blue Period.”

At the Tip Top, Curry purchased one of the cassette tapes Aleka's Attic was selling at the time. "I listened to that tape a lot and it turned me into a fan" of the band, Curry says. She considered herself "a hippie" and her listening tastes also included The Doors. Curry kept her Aleka's Attic tape until about 10 years ago when she gave it to a friend's young sister who was fascinated with Phoenix: "She was really impressed by this cassette."

Christopher Brown was one of several audio engineers who ran live sound regularly at the Tip Top. On the night of Aleka's Attic he was off-work but there hanging out.

“They were a little more artsy than the typical stuff that we had at the time,” says Brown, who works at a local brewery now. “I remember being pretty impressed by them.” Looking for a more-mainstream, stylistically similar act, I mention Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, known for 1988 patchouli-pop hit “What I Am,” to which Brown, replies, “That’s not a bad comparison.”

The Aleka's Attic show had been the talk of the bar for weeks. Vira Ceci was bartending that night at Tip Top. She recalls Phoenix being "so nice" when she asked him to autograph a cocktail napkin for her cousin, and says the actor was "easily the most accessible member of the band." Ceci, currently employed as a technical writer, recalls the Aleka's Attic show being "pretty busy for a weeknight" and thinks the bar probably charged their typical, $5 cover that night.

Lance Church owned, ran and booked the Tip Top during its prime. He remembers the motor-home Aleka's Attic toured in arriving early in the afternoon and parked in the gravel lot across the street. There was some advance promotion and local press coverage and Church recalls "parents were bringing kids over to sign their movie posters." 

Church thinks Aleka’s Attic’s guarantee was “maybe a couple hundred dollars.”

In 1991 and several years into his acting career, Phoenix was just 21 years old. Church still keeps a photo of he and Phoenix shaking hands inside the Tip Top. "He seemed like a really good kid to me," says Church, now a manager at a chain restaurant. "He was polite. He didn't come in there like he was too good for the place or nothing. He was humble, a very likeable guy. He was giggly - he was just a kid."

Church says there'd been many phone calls in to the Tip Top in the week leading up to the Aleka's Attic gig, people asking about start time and such. In the end, he thinks about 100 people attended the show, inside the cinderblock building's mechanics-garage-sized interior. The Billiter sisters were among those attendees: Grace, then 18, Becca, 16, and Jo, 14 - all students at Westminster Christian Academy. (Again, the Tip Top was way easy to get into.) That night, Grace drove them to the Aleka's Attic show in her classic pink Volkswagen Beetle. Back at their family's northside Huntsville home, the sisters displayed River Phoenix photos on their bedroom walls, along with images with other hotties of the day, including Mel Gibson and Billy Idol. Other bands back then the sisters liked included INXS. 

Expecting to see Phoenix as he'd appeared as a svelte longhaired Indiana Jones in the latest "Raiders of the Lost Ark" sequel, the Billiters were surprised to see him onstage with a haircut Becca remembers as "choppy and punky." Jo says Phoenix's singing voice "sounded good, a little gravely" and had "nice harmony with his sister." But what's really seared into Jo's hippocampus is she was in the same room with "hands-down my favorite movie star." When the band was on break, the sisters got to meet their idol. Phoenix even briefly, sweetly put his arm around Jo. "I think my heart stopped for a couple beats," she recalls. Looking back, Becca says, "I love that it was the three sisters" that got to share resulting, VW-wide smiles that night.

James Dixon, a University of Alabama student then, attended Aleka's Attic's Ivory Tusk show. On the sidewalk out front of the Tusk, he saw Phoenix leaning up against a nearby light-pole, smoking a cigarette. "That was the days before selfies and things like that," recalls Dixon, who works in financial services in Birmingham. "People would say, 'Hey, River,' and the coeds were swooning over him, but he wasn't being hassled. He seemed laid-back."

Inside, the Ivory Tusk was packed. Earlier that day, Kelli Staggs and friend Lori Watts were playing pinball on a machine inside the bar while the band was doing their soundcheck. One Aleka's Attic musician came over and said hello, then Phoenix, recalls Staggs, who now works in Huntsville as a defense contract specialist. Later that night, Staggs says Aleka's Attic performed, in addition to their material, a version of far-out Jimi Hendrix tune "Third Stone from the Sun." After they played their Hendrix cover, the band asked the crowd if they knew that song. "It was like they were trying to weed out who was there for the music, and who was just there to see him because he was famous," Staggs says. Staggs was an art major at University of Alabama, where she'd seen alternative bands like 10,000 Maniacs perform at local venues.

Aleka's Attic drummer Josh Greenbaum recalls the band enjoying their Alabama shows. "I remember good energy, a good crowd. I remember getting treated pretty well." (Greenbaum has a random memory of one or more of these Alabama venues having troughs instead of urinals in the men's room.) He recalls Tip Top as "a dive, and we loved it for that reason. It was very endearing." In Tuscaloosa, he met a friend named Nancy Romine he's stayed in touch with. "During the same Southeast run, Greenbaum says Aleka's Attic did a show in Knoxville, Tenn. that was multitrack recorded and broadcast. In this era, "Lost in Motion," "What We've Done" and "Dog God" went over particularly well live, he says. Greenbaum recalls Phoenix, "loved the creative process of recording. If he had a preference I would say the studio was, probably, because he was a little bit shy and didn't like being in public places so much. But I know he loved playing live too and he did enjoy the touring. He was happy doing both."

Greenbaum was born 13 days before Phoenix. They were just 16 the first time they met, their families were friends. Greenbaum drove his dad's 1977 Chevy van to Phoenix's aunt's house, Phoenix walked out to meet him, then they went inside where Phoenix played him a demo tape of his song "Heart to Get." "It was a cool song," Greenbaum says. "The last of the commercial music that he wrote, as far as I'm concerned." The two teenagers hung out for about an hour then Greenbaum drove back home. A few months later Phoenix called Greenbaum and said he'd met Island Records founder Chris Blackwell backstage at a U2 concert and Blackwell wanted to sign Phoenix to a development deal. Phoenix asked Greenbaum to move to Gainesville - the famously progressive Phoenix family were living in nearby Micanopy - and start a band. He'd get him money each month to help "develop a band, make records and tour." Greenbaum moved to Gainesville in April 1988. He also spent time with Phoenix in Southern California, getting to know each other."

We were sort of like non-blood cousins," Greenbaum says. "River could trust me, A, because he knew each other through family and he knew I wasn't going to just be some starstruck idiot; and, B, because I'm a great musician. And he valued me as a human being and as a musician, highly. And that proof of his commitment to music, that he was willing to support a brother, to have my talents." 

At the time, Greenbaum had been playing “Aerosmith-y, commercial blues-influenced metal” in a local group called Toy Soldier, that eventually became semi-famous ’80s rockers Saigon Kick. At one point, Phoenix traveled to South Florida to visit with Greenbaum on a weekend when Toy Soldier was performing. “River had just gotten into (1984 mockumentary film ‘This is) Spinal Tap’ really heavily, and he did a ‘Spinal Tap’-esque video of that weekend, of that gig and the next morning,” Greenbaum says. “It was pretty funny, actually.”

Greenbaum was influenced by populist bands like Van Halen, Bee Gees and Queen. Phoenix introduced him to more quirkier acts like XTC, Roxy Music and Squeeze. As time went on, Phoenix's music became increasingly experimental. "It was deep, for sure," Greenbaum says of his friend's songwriting. "He had a commitment to crafting a masterpiece every time he wrote a song. And it drove me nuts. He was an eccentric person and his method of communication was such he didn't speak in technical music terms. He would speak artistically and metaphorically. He would say things like, 'I want it to sound like a ship on the ocean with the waves crashing up against the hull and birds flying over' or whatever. I would be like, 'OK, can we break that into sixteenth-notes?'"

Aleka's Attic's label, Island Records, was trying to figure out what to do with this music too. Island asked Phoenix to record two new demos to determine if they'd continue backing the project. He was going to be in the Los Angeles area filming the movie "Sneakers" and brought Greenbaum out to help demo songs. The drummer was able to hang on the "Sneakers" set, where he met his friend's costars, including Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier and Dan Aykroyd. After Phoenix turned in the new demos to Island, the label deemed the music unmarketable. Aleka's Attic was dropped.

At a certain point, McKay, who’d “butted heads musically and personally” with Phoenix for a while, Greenbaum says, parted ways with the band. Phoenix put together another band called Blacksmith Configuration, that featured Greenbaum and some new musicians, including bassist Sasa Raphael.

Phoenix was big on palindromes, Greenbaum says. Their song titles “Dog God” and “ Senile Felines” were palindromes and they were working on an album to be titled “Never Odd or Even,” another example.

On the night before Halloween 1993, Greenbaum went out partying with local musicians, “an intense night, for whatever reason.” Early the next morning, he crashed on the couch at a friend’s downtown Gainesville apartment. A few hours later, Greenbaum woke still buzzed to one of his musician pals from night prior knocking on the front door. When the friend entered, he looked pale and sweaty. He told Greenbaum he’d heard on the radio Phoenix had died. “I was in shock, but it just made sense and I knew it was true,” Greenbaum says. “In some way it didn’t surprise me. I didn’t see it coming - I can’t say that - but what I did see in River was his tendency for being extreme.”

In the wee hours of Oct. 31, Phoenix had collapsed and died on the sidewalk outside West Hollywood, Calif. nightclub The Viper Room, then co-owned by fellow actor/musician Johnny Depp. An autopsy determined cause of death to be “acute multiple drug intoxication.” Cocaine and morphine. Jo Billiter, the young fan who watched Aleka’s Attic’s 1991 show in Huntsville, cried when she heard the news her favorite actor died. “It broke my heart.”

Several fans interviewed for this story said Phoenix seemed a little bleary to clearly buzzed when they’d seen his band perform. Asked if he ever saw Phoenix’s partying on tour reach scary levels, Greenbaum says, “It was a typical rock & roll level. Nothing out of the ordinary. It was a bunch of guys in their young 20s playing gigs and having fun, just like any other band.”

When he was off working on films, Phoenix would check in every few weeks with Greenbaum, the drummer says. Phoenix called him from Utah, where he was filming the thriller “Dark Blood.” His next role was slated to be the interviewer in “Interview with a Vampire.”

When Phoenix called Greenbaum from Utah, “that was the most lucid, sane, grounded, understandable, discernible I had ever experienced him sounding. (In the past) there were times when I just couldn’t follow what he was talking about. He was kind of cryptic. And on that phone call he was like completely calm and sounded really together and we had a great conversation, a great connection and it wound up being our last phone call.”

In 2019, Aleka’s Attic music is back in the news. Two of the band’s songs “Where I’d Gone” and “Scales & Fishnails” were released along with a Rain collaboration with R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe (a friend of River’s) on a three-song collection called “Time Gone.” The record’s cover art features a photo of Rain and River, young and beautiful enjoying a sibling hug amid a verdant scene. A prior posthumous push to officially release Phoenix’s music hit snags getting musicians involved to sign off. “At that time, I was just like, 'Yeah, Rain, just get River’s music out to the world,’” Greenbaum says of that earlier effort. “That’s why he signed a record deal in the first place, to share his music with the world.”

As of the reporting of this story, Greenbaum says he hasn’t been contacted about usage of Aleka’s Attic music on “Time Gone.” The drummer found out about the release via messages from Facebook “friends” who are River Phoenix fans. “Rain didn’t consult us, she didn’t inform us, nothing,” Greenbaum says.

At one point during this interview, Greenbaum says he needs to call me back, so he can count out change to pay for groceries. He says he still plays drums with different local Maui cover bands as well as a blues-rock trio and by-day works construction and maintenance jobs.

Kro Records, the label that released “Time Gone,” didn’t respond to an email inquiry to interview Rain Phoenix and/or a label rep for this story.

Regular financial support and fast-tracking the Lenny Kravitz audition weren’t the only times Phoenix helped Greenbaum. He also bought him an electric-blue DW drumkit, among other instances. Outside of playing music, Phoenix and Greenbaum would throw the frisbee together or jump on the Phoenix family trampoline. They liked going to Falafel King and eating tabbouleh salad and humus. The famous actor would often come over for coffee to the mobile home Greenbaum and Greenbaum’s father lived in, on the Phoenixes’ Micanopy property.

These days, sometime random things will make Greenbaum think of River Phoenix. Sometimes it’s something more direct, like playing a gig will make him think of a certain onstage moment with his late friend.

After counting out coins in the checkout line, Greenbaum calls back. I ask if he thinks pressures of growing up famous led to what happened to Phoenix. “I wouldn’t doubt it,” he replies. “I definitely see how fame messed with his head, his heart. I think fame has that effect on everybody, which is why everybody wants to be famous, but you hear about all these famous people dropping dead and they’re unhappy, depressed and have drug and alcohol problems. Because fame is unnatural.”

— via AL.com, Feb 19, 2019.

#river phoenix #river #phoenix #josh greenbaum #rain phoenix #alekas attic

[rivjudephoenix]

New Photo and Article: “Movie star River Phoenix left musical mark in Alabama” on al.com

Outside record producer Rick Rubin’s Hollywood Hills home, drummer Josh Greenbaum sat in a silver Volvo with his friend and bandmate River Phoenix, the film actor. The rock-star Lenny Kravitz was with them. On the car’s stereo, Kravitz played Phoenix and Greenbaum a recording of a new song he’d written called “Are You Gonna Go My Way.” This was 1992, before that explosive tune would become the title track to Kravitz’s third album and era-defining music. At the moment, Kravitz needed a drummer. He’d recently told mononymous Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea he was frustrated trying to find the right fit.

Flea later told Phoenix about Kravitz’s predicament, while Flea was having lunch with Phoenix. Upon hearing about the opportunity, Phoenix promptly hooked-up the drummer of his own band, Aleka’s Attic, with an audition with Kravitz - a much bigger gig. “And that’s how much River loved me as a brother as a friend,” Greenbaum says. “He was like, ‘I don’t want to hold you back from potential success, and if I can hook you up with this audition then I’m going to do it.’ River was incredibly gracious and generous. He wanted to see the people he cared about thriving”

The South Florida native wasn’t the only drummer auditioning that day at Rubin’s house. There were 25 or so “L.A. rocker dudes” at the “cattle call” that day “decked-out in leather, nose rings and tattoos.” In sneakers, jeans, sweatshirt and short haircut, Greenbaum looked more college-kid than arena-ready. In the end, the gig didn’t go to a dude at all. Cindy Blackman, a virtuosic jazz musician who happens to be female, deservedly became Kravitz’s next drummer. Still, Greenbaum says he got two callbacks to jam with Kravitz over the course of a week.

River Phoenix was a gifted, charismatic movie star so physically attractive he seemed to defy science. His nuanced performances lit up such films as "Stand By Me," "My Own Private Idaho" and "Running On Empty." But Phoenix told Greenbaum more than once, “music was his first love and film was his day-job.”

While some actors’ musical projects can be of dubious quality, Phoenix had legitimate singer/songwriter talent. “Music was a need of his,” Greenbaum says. “That’s why he put so much effort into a band, trying to make it in the music business, which of course would’ve come easier for him than anyone else that wasn’t famous already.”

Phoenix’s other passions included environmentalism, humanitarianism and animal-rights. He was one of the most visibly philanthropic young stars of the early ’90s. Phoenix was the reason Seventeen subscribers knew what “vegan” meant. “He had a heart of gold and was an extremely hyper-sensitive, emotional person,” Greenbaum says. “And that’s why he wound up helping a lot of people.”

Phoenix formed in Aleka’s Attic in 1987. The Gainesville, Fla.-based band’s tours brought them through Alabama, including circa-1991 shows at Huntsville’s Tip Top Café and Tuscaloosa’s Ivory Tusk. Greenbaum recalls Aleka’s Attic performing in Auburn, possibly at the War Eagle Supper Club there, and maybe Birmingham too.

“We had some successful tours,” says Greenbaum, who’s resided in Maui for more than 20 years. “People showed up because they wanted to hear what River’s band was like, but once they got there they were like, ‘Damn this really is a good band,’ and we had some real authentic fans of the music, for the music, not just because it was River.”

Back before social-media and celeb clickbait, Aleka’s Attic tours also gave fans a rare chance to see a massively famous actor in-person, in the wilds of local rock-bars.

Back then, Sandee Curry was attending Lee High School and delivering pizzas part-time. She was also "obsessed with anything Hollywood-related." When she and friend Michelle Woodson heard about Phoenix's band's upcoming Tip Top Café show, they resolved to attend. "River Phoenix is coming to Huntsville, my hometown? This doesn't happen," Curry says. As many people who lived in Huntsville then are aware, in addition to hosting touring and local bands, Tip Top was known for being extremely easy to get into under-age, so she'd been to shows there before.

Curry brought her snapshot camera to the show. The camera was freshly loaded with black and white film, and she took photos of Aleka’s Attic that night. When she got the film developed later, mixed in with random friend pics were onstage shots of Phoenix, singer Rain Phoenix (River’s sister), bassist Josh McKay, violist Tim Hankins and drummer Greenbaum.

At the Tip Top that night, River Phoenix played a Stratocaster guitar and sported facial scruff, a white T-shirt and camouflage pants. Curry recalls the famous actor being somewhat withdrawn onstage. “If I’m remembering correctly, he was mostly doing backing vocals,” she says. “The bassist and Rain were doing a lot of the singing.” Although Greenbaum says River Phoenix was the songwriter and lead singer on most Aleka’s Attic’s material, fans interviewed for this story recall Rain Phoenix being the focal point onstage during the band’s Alabama shows.

Curry classifies the band’s live sound as “psychedelic ’90s alternative-rock.” She adds, “It was a fun show.” She remembers enjoying the song “Too Many Colors” and McKay’s tune “Blue Period.”

At the Tip Top, Curry purchased one of the cassette tapes Aleka's Attic was selling at the time. "I listened to that tape a lot and it turned me into a fan" of the band, Curry says. She considered herself "a hippie" and her listening tastes also included The Doors. Curry kept her Aleka's Attic tape until about 10 years ago when she gave it to a friend's young sister who was fascinated with Phoenix: "She was really impressed by this cassette."

Christopher Brown was one of several audio engineers who ran live sound regularly at the Tip Top. On the night of Aleka's Attic he was off-work but there hanging out. “They were a little more artsy than the typical stuff that we had at the time,” says Brown, who works at a local brewery now. “I remember being pretty impressed by them.” Looking for a more-mainstream, stylistically similar act, I mention Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, known for 1988 patchouli-pop hit “What I Am,” to which Brown, replies, “That’s not a bad comparison.”

The Aleka's Attic show had been the talk of the bar for weeks. Vira Ceci was bartending that night at Tip Top. She recalls Phoenix being "so nice" when she asked him to autograph a cocktail napkin for her cousin, and says the actor was "easily the most accessible member of the band." Ceci, currently employed as a technical writer, recalls the Aleka's Attic show being "pretty busy for a weeknight" and thinks the bar probably charged their typical, $5 cover that night.

Lance Church owned, ran and booked the Tip Top during its prime. He remembers the motor-home Aleka's Attic toured in arriving early in the afternoon and parked in the gravel lot across the street. There was some advance promotion and local press coverage and Church recalls "parents were bringing kids over to sign their movie posters."

Church thinks Aleka’s Attic’s guarantee was “maybe a couple hundred dollars.”

In 1991 and several years into his acting career, Phoenix was just 21 years old. Church still keeps a photo of he and Phoenix shaking hands inside the Tip Top. "He seemed like a really good kid to me," says Church, now a manager at a chain restaurant. "He was polite. He didn't come in there like he was too good for the place or nothing. He was humble, a very likeable guy. He was giggly - he was just a kid."

Church says there'd been many phone calls in to the Tip Top in the week leading up to the Aleka's Attic gig, people asking about start time and such. In the end, he thinks about 100 people attended the show, inside the cinderblock building's mechanics-garage-sized interior. The Billiter sisters were among those attendees: Grace, then 18, Becca, 16, and Jo, 14 - all students at Westminster Christian Academy. (Again, the Tip Top was way easy to get into.) That night, Grace drove them to the Aleka's Attic show in her classic pink Volkswagen Beetle. Back at their family's northside Huntsville home, the sisters displayed River Phoenix photos on their bedroom walls, along with images with other hotties of the day, including Mel Gibson and Billy Idol. Other bands back then the sisters liked included INXS.

Expecting to see Phoenix as he'd appeared as a svelte longhaired Indiana Jones in the latest "Raiders of the Lost Ark" sequel, the Billiters were surprised to see him onstage with a haircut Becca remembers as "choppy and punky." Jo says Phoenix's singing voice "sounded good, a little gravely" and had "nice harmony with his sister." But what's really seared into Jo's hippocampus is she was in the same room with "hands-down my favorite movie star." When the band was on break, the sisters got to meet their idol. Phoenix even briefly, sweetly put his arm around Jo. "I think my heart stopped for a couple beats," she recalls. Looking back, Becca says, "I love that it was the three sisters" that got to share resulting, VW-wide smiles that night.

James Dixon, a University of Alabama student then, attended Aleka's Attic's Ivory Tusk show. On the sidewalk out front of the Tusk, he saw Phoenix leaning up against a nearby light-pole, smoking a cigarette. "That was the days before selfies and things like that," recalls Dixon, who works in financial services in Birmingham. "People would say, 'Hey, River,' and the coeds were swooning over him, but he wasn't being hassled. He seemed laid-back."

Inside, the Ivory Tusk was packed. Earlier that day, Kelli Staggs and friend Lori Watts were playing pinball on a machine inside the bar while the band was doing their soundcheck. One Aleka's Attic musician came over and said hello, then Phoenix, recalls Staggs, who now works in Huntsville as a defense contract specialist. Later that night, Staggs says Aleka's Attic performed, in addition to their material, a version of far-out Jimi Hendrix tune "Third Stone from the Sun." After they played their Hendrix cover, the band asked the crowd if they knew that song. "It was like they were trying to weed out who was there for the music, and who was just there to see him because he was famous," Staggs says. Staggs was an art major at University of Alabama, where she'd seen alternative bands like 10,000 Maniacs perform at local venues.

Aleka's Attic drummer Josh Greenbaum recalls the band enjoying their Alabama shows. "I remember good energy, a good crowd. I remember getting treated pretty well." (Greenbaum has a random memory of one or more of these Alabama venues having troughs instead of urinals in the men's room.) He recalls Tip Top as "a dive, and we loved it for that reason. It was very endearing." In Tuscaloosa, he met a friend named Nancy Romine he's stayed in touch with. "During the same Southeast run, Greenbaum says Aleka's Attic did a show in Knoxville, Tenn. that was multitrack recorded and broadcast. In this era, "Lost in Motion," "What We've Done" and "Dog God" went over particularly well live, he says. Greenbaum recalls Phoenix, "loved the creative process of recording. If he had a preference I would say the studio was, probably, because he was a little bit shy and didn't like being in public places so much. But I know he loved playing live too and he did enjoy the touring. He was happy doing both."

Greenbaum was born 13 days before Phoenix. They were just 16 the first time they met, their families were friends. Greenbaum drove his dad's 1977 Chevy van to Phoenix's aunt's house, Phoenix walked out to meet him, then they went inside where Phoenix played him a demo tape of his song "Heart to Get." "It was a cool song," Greenbaum says. "The last of the commercial music that he wrote, as far as I'm concerned." The two teenagers hung out for about an hour then Greenbaum drove back home. A few months later Phoenix called Greenbaum and said he'd met Island Records founder Chris Blackwell backstage at a U2 concert and Blackwell wanted to sign Phoenix to a development deal. Phoenix asked Greenbaum to move to Gainesville - the famously progressive Phoenix family were living in nearby Micanopy - and start a band. He'd get him money each month to help "develop a band, make records and tour." Greenbaum moved to Gainesville in April 1988. He also spent time with Phoenix in Southern California, getting to know each other.

"We were sort of like non-blood cousins," Greenbaum says. "River could trust me, A, because he knew each other through family and he knew I wasn't going to just be some starstruck idiot; and, B, because I'm a great musician. And he valued me as a human being and as a musician, highly. And that proof of his commitment to music, that he was willing to support a brother, to have my talents."

At the time, Greenbaum had been playing “Aerosmith-y, commercial blues-influenced metal” in a local group called Toy Soldier, that eventually became semi-famous ’80s rockers Saigon Kick. At one point, Phoenix traveled to South Florida to visit with Greenbaum on a weekend when Toy Soldier was performing. “River had just gotten into (1984 mockumentary film ‘This is) Spinal Tap’ really heavily, and he did a ‘Spinal Tap’-esque video of that weekend, of that gig and the next morning,” Greenbaum says. “It was pretty funny, actually.”

Greenbaum was influenced by populist bands like Van Halen, Bee Gees and Queen. Phoenix introduced him to more quirkier acts like XTC, Roxy Music and Squeeze. As time went on, Phoenix's music became increasingly experimental. "It was deep, for sure," Greenbaum says of his friend's songwriting. "He had a commitment to crafting a masterpiece every time he wrote a song. And it drove me nuts. He was an eccentric person and his method of communication was such he didn't speak in technical music terms. He would speak artistically and metaphorically. He would say things like, 'I want it to sound like a ship on the ocean with the waves crashing up against the hull and birds flying over' or whatever. I would be like, 'OK, can we break that into sixteenth-notes?'"

Aleka's Attic's label, Island Records, was trying to figure out what to do with this music too. Island asked Phoenix to record two new demos to determine if they'd continue backing the project. He was going to be in the Los Angeles area filming the movie "Sneakers" and brought Greenbaum out to help demo songs. The drummer was able to hang on the "Sneakers" set, where he met his friend's costars, including Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier and Dan Aykroyd. After Phoenix turned in the new demos to Island, the label deemed the music unmarketable. Aleka's Attic was dropped.

At a certain point, McKay, who’d “butted heads musically and personally” with Phoenix for a while, Greenbaum says, parted ways with the band. Phoenix put together another band called Blacksmith Configuration, that featured Greenbaum and some new musicians, including bassist Sasa Raphael.

Phoenix was big on palindromes, Greenbaum says. Their song titles "Dog God" and " Senile Felines" were palindromes and they were working on an album to be titled "Never Odd or Even," another example.

On the night before Halloween 1993, Greenbaum went out partying with local musicians, "an intense night, for whatever reason." Early the next morning, he crashed on the couch at a friend's downtown Gainesville apartment. A few hours later, Greenbaum woke still buzzed to one of his musician pals from night prior knocking on the front door. When the friend entered, he looked pale and sweaty. He told Greenbaum he'd heard on the radio Phoenix had died. "I was in shock, but it just made sense and I knew it was true," Greenbaum says. "In some way it didn't surprise me. I didn't see it coming - I can't say that - but what I did see in River was his tendency for being extreme."

In the wee hours of Oct. 31, Phoenix had collapsed and died on the sidewalk outside West Hollywood, Calif. nightclub The Viper Room, then co-owned by fellow actor/musician Johnny Depp. An autopsy determined cause of death to be “acute multiple drug intoxication.” Cocaine and morphine. Jo Billiter, the young fan who watched Aleka’s Attic’s 1991 show in Huntsville, cried when she heard the news her favorite actor died. “It broke my heart.”

Several fans interviewed for this story said Phoenix seemed a little bleary to clearly buzzed when they’d seen his band perform. Asked if he ever saw Phoenix’s partying on tour reach scary levels, Greenbaum says, “It was a typical rock & roll level. Nothing out of the ordinary. It was a bunch of guys in their young 20s playing gigs and having fun, just like any other band.”

When he was off working on films, Phoenix would check in every few weeks with Greenbaum, the drummer says. Phoenix called him from Utah, where he was filming the thriller "Dark Blood." His next role was slated to be the interviewer in "Interview with a Vampire."

When Phoenix called Greenbaum from Utah, "that was the most lucid, sane, grounded, understandable, discernible I had ever experienced him sounding. (In the past) there were times when I just couldn't follow what he was talking about. He was kind of cryptic. And on that phone call he was like completely calm and sounded really together and we had a great conversation, a great connection and it wound up being our last phone call."

In 2019, Aleka's Attic music is back in the news. Two of the band's songs "Where I'd Gone" and "Scales & Fishnails" were released along with a Rain collaboration with R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe (a friend of River's) on a three-song collection called "Time Gone." The record's cover art features a photo of Rain and River, young and beautiful enjoying a sibling hug amid a verdant scene. A prior posthumous push to officially release Phoenix's music hit snags getting musicians involved to sign off. "At that time, I was just like, 'Yeah, Rain, just get River's music out to the world,'" Greenbaum says of that earlier effort. "That's why he signed a record deal in the first place, to share his music with the world."

As of the reporting of this story, Greenbaum says he hasn’t been contacted about usage of Aleka’s Attic music on “Time Gone.” The drummer found out about the release via messages from Facebook “friends” who are River Phoenix fans. “Rain didn’t consult us, she didn’t inform us, nothing,” Greenbaum says.

At one point during this interview, Greenbaum says he needs to call me back, so he can count out change to pay for groceries. He says he still plays drums with different local Maui cover bands as well as a blues-rock trio and by-day works construction and maintenance jobs.

Kro Records, the label that released "Time Gone," didn't respond to an email inquiry to interview Rain Phoenix and/or a label rep for this story.

Regular financial support and fast-tracking the Lenny Kravitz audition weren't the only times Phoenix helped Greenbaum. He also bought him an electric-blue DW drumkit, among other instances. Outside of playing music, Phoenix and Greenbaum would throw the frisbee together or jump on the Phoenix family trampoline. They liked going to Falafel King and eating tabbouleh salad and humus. The famous actor would often come over for coffee to the mobile home Greenbaum and Greenbaum's father lived in, on the Phoenixes' Micanopy property.

These days, sometime random things will make Greenbaum think of River Phoenix. Sometimes it's something more direct, like playing a gig will make him think of a certain onstage moment with his late friend.

After counting out coins in the checkout line, Greenbaum calls back. I ask if he thinks pressures of growing up famous led to what happened to Phoenix. “I wouldn’t doubt it,” he replies. “I definitely see how fame messed with his head, his heart. I think fame has that effect on everybody, which is why everybody wants to be famous, but you hear about all these famous people dropping dead and they’re unhappy, depressed and have drug and alcohol problems. Because fame is unnatural.”

#river phoenix #music #aleka's attic #josh greenbaum #lenny kravitz #flea #red hot chili peppers #rain phoenix #josh mckay #rick rubin

[summerrrluvvv]

Chapter 3

Music featured in this chapters: 

Cranes in the sky by Solange

Crew by Gold Like ft Brent Faiyaz and Shy Glizzy

Yesirrrskii by Lil Uzi Vert ft 21 Savage

Act Up by City Girlz

Cash Shit by Meg Thee Stallion

Miami: Day 2

Ariana:

“Uhhhhhhh what the fuck” I groaned waking up. I had a huge headache and my stomach was on fleek. I still had on my fit from the night before, my damn wig was barely hanging on. “Bro what the fuck man” I said taking off my wig. I got up and got undressed and into the shower, which did not last long because I needed some medicine ASAP. “Rise and Grind girls” Melody came in happily. “Mel why did you not help me out my clothes?” I asked her. “Uh we all passed out in here. I got up in got in my bed and i guess we all just took showers” She said drinking out of a coffee mug. “What is that?” I asked. “Hangover Tea, Tye made” She said. I laid back down. “Tell Tye Tye to bring me up some” I told her. “Ari you can’t sleep in all day today is the yacht party” Mel said. I almost threw up thinking about being seasick and hungover. “When can we rest?” I asked. Melody looked at me crazy. “Miami never sleeps, shake that hangover off so we can drink again” She said. “Ima go get your tea” She told me closing my door. I sighed at the idea of getting fucked up again. I rolled over and grabbed my phone. “I want you so bad” I see. I had remembered that Marlon crazy ass messaged me last night. Tye came walking in with my mug. Melody was right behind her. “Okay now that we all in here except Zion ass, we need rules” She said. Melody groaned. “Boring” She said smiling as Tye playfully pushed her. “Aight so, basically rule #1 is always always get lit, #2 is never worry about yo girls get the Dick sis but send us your location so if shit go down you know #3 No sad girl shit, no mopping #4 if bitches try us they try us all and that’s the rules I love you hoes” She said laughing. “Not the ditch your friends for the D” I said laughing. “Well Zion completed #2, and I’m get on her ass too. Saying this trip all about my girl’s face ass” Tye said. “Yall um I think I seen Isaac last night” Melody said. “And I oop” Tye responded. “Are you sure we were drunk as fuck” I said to her. She nodded. “I know what Isaac looks like and his friends you know Freddie and Trey” She said. I nodded, “Well don’t let that ruin your trip fuck Isaac” I said. “She going to fuck Isaac alright” Tye said smirking. “Nooo Im not” Mel said. “Ima get me a new boo”. I clapped for her. “You see that, growth” I said imitating Kelly from insecure. Tye looked at me as Melody walked out. “She happy as fuck on the inside” I started laughing. “Shut up!”.

 After our little house meeting. I decided to take a run in our Airbnb subdivision. I always ran to clear my head especially after a hangover, Thank God Tye got me that tea. I took a break, caught my breath, and took a sip of my water. I see a Convertible pull up near me, and the top lifted off, revealing some sexy light skin guy. He started talking to me, but I had my headphones in listening to “Cranes In The Sky” by Solange. I took my earphones out. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t hear you” I said smiling. He laughed a little. “I was saying damn it rare we see such beauty in this area, normally got to wait till you hit the beach” He said. I rolled my eyes playfully. “Uh boy” I said. He smiled at me. “I’m Anthony” He said. His voice was so whew lord. “Ariana” I said. “Call I call you Ari or RiRi for short?” He asked. I shook my head. “Nigga I don’t know you like that” I told him placing my hand on my hip. He laughed. “Feisty little thing, aight I dig it. Hopefully, I see you around, Ri” He winked at me before pulling off. I cheesed all the way to house cause that man was an Angel. “Girls, Ladies, Bitches I seen a fine ass man on my run. I’m talking GQ fine” I said blushing. Melody and Tye came out they room and looked over the staircase balcony we had in the house. “And?” Tye said. “His name is Anthony and he stays over here I guess; He has a nice ass car and he called me Ri” I said cheesing. They just looked at me. “Number?” Melody asked. I bit my lip and shook my head. “He just said, see you around Ri” I said smiling. Melody and Tye laughed. “Well at least it aint that nigga Marlon” Tye said. “We gone go to every door and find him” Mel said. I started laughing. “Ima get me some Anthony” I said. “You better” Tye said. I could not stop squealing about that man.

  Zion:

I woke up to sun beaming bright as fuck in my eyes. I put my hand up to block the sun. I turned over to see I was in bed with Kyrel from last night. I palmed my face. I got up and grabbed my shit. He rolled over and looked at me. “Good morning Beautiful” He said. Normally I would cringe at any nigga telling me that, but it made me slightly smile. “Hey, I’m sorry. Last night shouldn’t have happened” He said. I looked at him. “Yeah, I didn’t want you to feel like it was a one-night stand. I really dig you and I want to see you again if that’s okay” He said to me. I nodded. “I would like that” I simply said smiling. Normally my ass would say something smart, but his energy was different. “Let me get my ass up, so I can make sure you get home okay” He said. A man! I thought. These niggas in Atlanta do not even care if I made it home unless they thirsty as fuck. He got dressed and we got in his car. “I see money all around me, I feel like I’m the man. But I was done and out like last week tell me where have you been? You came out of hiding girl. Don’t act like I’m your man, you just a fan, don’t hold no rank” He sang along. He looked over at me smiling. “What?” He asked. I giggled. “Nothing, you just cute. I guess” I said. He put his hand up to me like a mic. “Come on sing it with me” He said. I laughed. “I see money all around me, I feel like I’m the man. But I was done and out like last week tell me where have you been? You came out of hiding girl. Don’t act like I’m your man, you just a fan, don’t hold no rank” We sang turnt in the car. “Aye see” He said. I playfully pushed him. “Got me slipping out here” I told him. He started laughing. We pulled up to my Vacay house and just sat in the car. “So, Ima take you out Wednesday if that’s okay?” He asked. I looked at him crazy “And where we are going sir?”. He smiled. “It’s a suprith” He said in a funny voice. “Aight We gone see about that” I said laughing. He leaned over and pulled my face towards his and we started kissing. His lips tasted so nice; it was about to be a Tsunami in this car. I had to go. I pulled back. “Thank you for the ride, home and to sleep” I said laughing. He smirked. “Keep your phone on you” He said. I got out the car and waived bye. I walked into the house and Ariana met me at the door. “Its 2pm Mam, where have you been young lady?” She said with her hands on her hip. “I went to see a man about a horse” I casually said. “Irrrrr ok” Ari said making a funny noise. Tye came downstairs in her swimsuit looking like a goddess. “Okay I see you” I said. She twirled around. “Inches on Inches baby”. Melody came down after her in her swimsuit. “Yeahhhh get intoooo itttttt” She said holding Patron in her hand. “Okay Ari I see you too girl” I said gassing up my girls. “Bitch go get motherfucking dressed; our ride will be here soon” Tye said. I ran upstairs got in the shower and got myself all the way together. That took almost 2hrs. “Zion! Hurry up!” Tye yelled. “Im coming!” I yelled. “Ooh Z you look good girl” I told myself. I did a little twerk, and scurried downstairs before them hoes leave me. “Dick got you taking yo time huh?” Melody said. I playfully pushed her. “Shut up, I have yall know that Kyrel is a gentleman okay, and he is fine as fuck. He laid it down good as hell, Yall I’m let him go because he gone fuck me up” I said. Ari sucked her teeth in. “You better get you that gentlemen peen” She said. I almost spit out my water. “Bitch, I almost died” I said laughing. “Shots!” Tye said. “I’m not uh uh, only a little Tye” Ari said. We all took shots before we headed into the party bus.

  Melody:

“Hit your main bitch, yessirskii, Doin' donuts in the six, yessirskii. You got engaged but she still wanna slurpskii” Lil Uzi “Yessirskii” played as we walked onto the Yacht. I never been on no Yacht before and bitch this shit was a dream come true, another lit drunk night for me Yesssiiirrr. My girls and I were twerking our ass off. “Fuck it up Tye!” We yelled as Tye twerked on the opening of the boat. “I always wanted to do that” She said taking more shots. We were eating and Ari and Tye were smoking, just enjoying the vibes. 2 hours had passed, and we had drunk 2 bottles of Patron. I felt more fucked up then I did last night. The movement of the boat was causing my world to spin, and I needed to sit the fuck down, ASAP! “You good Mel?” Tye asked high as fuck. “No girl I feel sick as fuck” I said. She took me downstairs to lay on a random ass bed. No matter how much I stayed still the rocking of the boat was making me feel nauseous. I got up to look for a bathroom. “Fuck” I said realizing this room had no bathroom. I stumbled to quickly find one before I threw up in these people’s boat. As I was moving fast but woozy, I bumped into somebody. “Sorry” I said. I felt hands around me. “Yo you good?” I heard. I looked up seeing the beautiful man, but I was so messed up I did not care. I shook my head “No” I could feel the vomit rising. I tried to get out of his way, but he was trying to check on me, and what I feared most happened. I could not hold it in, and I threw up all over him. I could not stop it just kept coming. “Bro what the fuck!” He yelled. “I’m sorry” I said faintly before I knew it my eyes got heavy and I passed out.

  Tye:

“Real ass bitch gives a fuck about a nigga big Birkin bag hold 5,6 figures stripes on my ass so he calls this pussy tiger, fucking on a scamming ass rich ass nigga. Same group of bitches aint no adding to the picture” All of us girls were screaming the lyrics at the top of or lungs. “You check on Mel?” Ari asked. I looked at her crazy and hurried downstairs, because niggas is weird. When I got down there, I seen she was wrapped in the blankets on the bed. “This your friend?” I heard behind me. I turned around to see a fine ass black man wrapped in a towel. I nodded. “Yeah she didn’t feel good, I’m sorry I will get her up” I said. He shook his head. “Nah, she good this my boat so she straight. She must be sick or something she threw up all over me bruh” He said. I guess that explains the towel. “Oh my gosh, I’m sorry” I said. He laughed, “It’s cool if it was anybody else they have to get the fuck off, I had my home girl clean her up and I put her in here, so yall enjoy the party. Here is the key to this room just check on her when you need too” He told me. I smiled “Thanks”. I locked Melody in and went back upstairs to go see Samar.

 “Hey stranger” Samar said as I walked over to him DJing. “When we gone be able to kick it?” I asked. He looked at me confused. “What you mean nigga? we are kicking it now” He said I rolled my eyes. “Samar I’m talking like how we do back home we in Miami nigga lets kick shit have fun” I said. He nodded. “Aight movie night at my house, bring the liq I got the wings and the weed” He said. I smiled at that idea. “Aight cool motherfucker” I said just dancing to the music slick coming down from being lit. “Here drink this and come over here” Samar told me. I took the shot and came near his mixing station. “Okay now what?” I asked. He smiled. “You gone learn how to mix for a little minute”. I was excited, “Bitch I’m a star, I got these niggas wishing. He says he hungry this pussy the kitchen, yeah he my dog he going to sit down and listen call him a drink and he don’t get offended” He clicked on some buttons then went to his computer. He brought the mic over to me. “Say something” He smiled. “I don’t feel like yall lit enough for me, let me run that shit back!” I yelled on the mic. Samar ran it back. “Bitch I’m a star, I got these niggas wishing. He say he hungry this pussy the kitchen, yeah he my dog he going to sit down and listen call him a drink and he don’t get offended” Every female sang. I got happy as hell. For the whole party that is all we were doing, I am surprised they aint pay me the fuck. After, the boat owner helped us get Melody on the bus, and Samar pulled me to this side. “Do me a favor bro, don’t be out here wilding with these Miami cats okay?” He said to me. “Can it just be yall girls chilling and shit?” He asked. I busted out laughing. “Samar, I’m grown sir you don’t have to worry about me honey, I’m good” I said. He looked at me annoyed. “Tye, I’m trying to be like a big bro and be protective but okay city girl Tye” He said. I shrugged. “Thanks bro” I said rolling my eyes. Nigga fuck yo big brother face ass, the fuck. He hugged me and said bye to everyone on the bus. I see him go talk to some Randoms. Typical Nigga shit. I pull out my phone a text Julian.

[lemon-patches]

Charmed (2018) 2x01 - Safe Space Recap & Review

Well.

Look at that.

It’s my first review...ever. (AKA i really felt like ranting about this show.)

Let’s hope this goes well. (This very well could turn into me just shouting random theories into the dark void of Tumblr)

I’m not sure how else to start off this but i would like to say that these opinions are totally my own and that you do not have to agree with me or even read the rest of the review if you do not choose to. Free will. It’s a wonderful thing.

This is gonna be wicked long. Get comfortable if you wanna.

Starting off, I’d just like to say that I am absolutely LOVING this new season? Like the previous season (season one) was fine on it’s own. It was campy and a little cheesy and still trying to find it’s footing but it was still enjoyable. (If it hadn’t there wouldn’t’ve been a season two now would there?) In my personally brutal honest opinion, the first season was more of a stream it. A one and done sort of deal.

BUT BOY DID THAT CHANGE WITH SEASON 2.

Perhaps I’m biased because I already adore the cast and I gravitate towards shows with darker content and vibes (ESPECIALLY if it includes the supernatural)

So episode one of season two starts off with Maggie celebrating her birthday. (Happy Birthday Mags) It’s been three weeks since season one’s finale and the Charmed Ones have been appointed to being in charge. Meanwhile, Macy’s also has been accepted for a dream job offer that’s two hours away while Mel really buckles down on this leadership role and Macy is afraid to tell Mel. While two-thirds of the Charmed Ones are getting their party on (same with Harry) Mel encounters a fellow witch who’s Whitelighter has mysterious gone missing. There’s a nice little sister moment and Macy screams that she loves this song. (That’s not important. I just thought it was a cute/funny moment)

The fun times quickly come to and end because the morning after, while sporting some nasty hangovers (except Maggie because that’s just another one of her powers apparently) the girls are attacked by some dark cloaked covered assassin. Which is clearly not a good thing but it does give them a plausible reason not to continue their awkward conversation when Maggie accidentally spills the beans about Macy’s new job.

Back to the murderous cloak guy...

Try as they might, the girls and Harry can’t slow down the assassin (not even with the Power of Three) but it turns out to be fine as a portal appears just in time to save them all. Before I forget, cloak guy also destroys the Book of Shadows. Maggie and Mel escape, Macy gets shot in the leg by the assassin before she begrudgingly Harry behind. Harry, who gets a fatal blow to the heart by the assassin.

The girls are then transported to this secret bunker that the elders had created. They tried to get more answers but Harry isn’t there for info and Eldervarian isn’t just a thing in Riverdale. They’re in witness witch-ness (Let Macy have her puns.) protection. It’s revealed that Macy was shot with some type of poisonous dart and the girls make the risky decision to brave whatever demonic nightmare may or may not be on the other side of the exit door only to discover something much worse.

Hipsters.

(I’m. KIDDING.)

But real talk, suddenly they’re in Seattle at a place called Safe Space (what up, title name?) Curiouser and curiouser, the girls lose their powers and Macy’s wound only gets worse. Maggie and Mel split to get first aid (Mags) and trying to contact Harry and get back to the bunker. (Mel)

Mel has a moment with a dime store witch (who may not be all that dime store. I like her) while trying to contact Harry (kudos to having his number memorized), Maggie runs into a hipster and Macy starts hallucinating a voice after reading a creepy plaque about a mental asylum for witches that compels her to follow it. (Most coffee places have plants or coffee puns. Just saying.)

MEANWHILE, (and this is just a little before halfway into the episode people) Maggie has a bumpy interaction with a boxing trainer who thinks she’s a scam artist at first while trying to get the first aid. Jordan, boxing trainer and medic, offers to help but Maggie just wants and gets the first aid. Mel and Maggie quickly discover that Macy is missing notice the trail of blood drops she left behind.

It’s fine. They find her in like two seconds. What’s not fine is that Macy keeps hallucinating and the poison in her leg is spreading. Harry’s still missing but the girls make their way back to the bunker via a key card that Mel had swiped earlier. The door is hidden, they use the Desenmascarar spell (without magic somehow) while Macy totally blacks out and dreams about “Harry.” It’s um...heated a bit to say to the least.

Back in the bunker there’s a large map of the world on a wall with lights and two of them just turned red. Maggie presses a glowing globe that opens another portal and creates a black goo ball. (It’s important. Promise.) The girls go through the portal and end up at Mary’s Magickal (no, I didn’t misspell that) in Vermont where they stumble upon a house that’s been ravaged and there’s a murdered witch that’s been hanged with the words “DIE WITCHES” behind her.

There’s also rats. Ew.

They find another dead witch (I don’t know if she was hanging too, she’s just in the next shot. RIP. I like your top.) and figure out that lights = witches. A witch board alarm system for witches in trouble. They find more darts and assume that the assassin had been there. Then there’s a third blonde lady that comes downstairs (Witch? I don’t know but how did she miss the sounds of her flatmates getting brutally murdered again?) and remember those rats? Yeah, well they’re people (well, demons) and one kills her via some nasty ass venom. (Toothpaste dude. It does wonders.) 

Macy hallucinates the voice again (It’s Harry and telling her to come home. What is going on???) and totally gives away their hiding spot. Which alert the vermin demon but it’s chill because Mel literally rodent repellent sprays him away...and then runs out of spray for the next one (his cousin, mind you). Classic.

Maggie and Mel are losing the fight until Macy just steps up and straight up barbecues rodent man #2. Her magic’s back but it kinda doesn’t matter because she passes out because of the poison in her spreading and getting worse. (It’s green and black and throbbing and veiny and bleh) And then Harry pops in because he could finally track them due to Macy using her powers and absorbs the poison from her into him. I mean, it’s basic Whitelighter decency but Hacy fans for the win! There’s a tense moment where she doesn’t wake up, another tiny Hacy and sister moment and bam, Macy is up.

They all try to leave but Harry is weak from the poison which is the perfect time for mac daddy of rodent people to appear. Terrible phrasing, I know but the guy is huge. The four of them jet through back and try to leave but oopsie-doopsie, there’s no portal but there is a giant rat man following them. Macy can’t control her powers but decides to bluff with the demon in order to try and buy the others more time. Maggie remembers the black goo ball (marble, it’s a marble but I like black goo ball) and the demon tells Macy that there’s war coming. Marble’s tossed, portal’s open and they all just barely make it out.

Back at the bunker, Harry explains the bunker and the portal and that it was originally for their mother who was an elder. He also explains that the portal removed their aura and powers leaving them untraceable. Except for Macy because of her demon side. Harry tells them that the bunker is a free pass for a new life, denies knowing what the assassin looks like, and oh yeah, died earlier. Woke up in his grave and everything. He tried to get help from his fellow Whitelighters except they’re all dead. (Remember the witch who couldn’t find her Whitelighter?) And it turns out, since all the Elders are gone all the Whitelighters that were tied to them (which was all of them except Harry) are gone too.

Harry is the last Whitelighter. And there’s no one left to protect witches. Just them.

Back at Safe Space, the girls and Harry decided to stick around instead of having a fresh start. In a nice CGI moment, Harry shows the girl the house they thought they left behind that conveniently went through the portal and is cloaked and bound to them forever. Maggie vows on behalf of them all that they’ll hunt down the assassin. Meanwhile, in his solitude in the attic, Harry remembers being killed by the assassin.

The assassin who, eerily enough, looks exactly like him.

WHEW!

Can you believe that’s all just recap?

Like I said earlier I am already loving this new season. It’s darker, it’s grittier but it’s still keeping itself together. And it hasn’t lost it’s humor as there are plenty of laughable moments. And I really commend that because when a lot of shows decide that darker is better, it loses almost all its’ sense of humor which is understandable but I’d still like some faith in humanity and life when I’m done watching sometimes. It’s still fast paced but it doesn’t feel rushed or jam packed. In fact, I had wanted more action and there was clearly already a lot which only makes me wonder about what else this season has in store. It feels kinda weird to say goodbye to Hilltown and I am gonna miss Lucy and Parker, assuming we’re not going to see them for a while...if ever, but boy am I ready for the chaos in Seattle! This very well could be because I am super biased and more a city girl, then close knit town, but I just love the new scenery. There’s just so much more to wrk with. And the vibes, I can’t get over the vibes. I’m going to start sounding like a broken record if I don’t already. Also, Macy, Harry and Hacy are going to be quite the plot this season and not just in a romantic way that drowns out the plot but in a mysterious and romantic way that pushes the plot. Speaking of romances it also seems that Nico and Jada and Parker are out for the moment as this episode introduced some potential love interests with the store witch and the boxer/ medic. It feels like a new show but in a good way. And I’ve never seen the original Charmed (please don’t shun me) but I do know that they’re keeping some plot lines like the destruction of the Book of Shadows. (That’s just something I heard. I don’t know if I’m right) So I don’t know if this new direction is normal or the creators just trying to establish their own version of the universe but i am HERE FOR IT.

And now for my brand new, just thought of it, segment where I write down all my favorite lines and moments!

“All work, no play makes Mel a very dull witch.” - Maggie

The guy hanging upside down in an inflatable bubble ball.

“One drink. One, one, one drink.” - Macy, while dancing. (Also, Macy jumping up and down while sort of...shaking screaming that she loved this song was adorably hilarious for me.)

“You don’t waste anytime killing the buzz do you?”- Macy

“Why are you going into bummer mode when we haven’t even had coffee yet?” - Maggie

When Maggie tells Mel that’s she not going to wait for trouble to come through the door and seconds later a cloaked figure breaks the door down.

“Who the hell invited him?” - Maggie

“Jump now. Think later.”- Maggie

“This is why I don’t leap before I look.” - Macy

“Who says we’re on earth?” - Mel

“I don’t think they have weed dispensaries in Hell.” - Macy

Mel trying to freeze time and getting a high five instead.

 “So we can abandon our lives and become baristas at...Safe Space?”          - Maggie

Maggie trying to get help and find a first aid kit from a barista but he insists that he has to finish his slow pour first.

“Harry’s MIA, Kombucha tastes like barf, and our new friend Swan isn’t very careful with her keycard.” - Mel

“Seriously? Another portal?” - Mel

“Is there anything worse than sitting here watching Macy die?” - Maggie

“Vermont? Seriously?” - Maggie

“Okay, the Elders officially suck.” - Mel

“Where’s a big-ass cleaver when you need one?”- Maggie

“Marbles.”  “As in you’ve lost yours?”- Mel

“There’s a chair at a dusty command center with your name on it.”- Mel

“You had me at dust command center.” - Harry

“To the power of three. Four, actually. This is the magic right here.” - Macy 

“Today was a bad day.” - Maggie “Tomorrow will be better.” - Macy “It has to be.”- Mel

“It will be. That assassin, whoever he is, he’s not coming for us. We’re coming for him.” - Maggie

#charmed 2018 #Charmed reboot #2x01 #Maggie Vera #Macy Vaughn #Mel Vera #Harry Greenwood #review #episode review #not my gif #tumblr thief strikes again