The Test

                                    

                                          
*Nate*
I'm not on board with the idea of Trisha making an appointment with Jeremy.  But I've been outvoted.
 Nothing will happen today. Trisha won't call him to schedule anything until tomorrow. It would be too obvious if she suddenly had an opening in her schedule at the same time Julia had an encounter with Jeremy. We need everything to be perfect. Right now, she's down at the gym working out while Paul babysits her, so the conversation is over.
Julia didn't shut down today after the Avalon incident. We are ALL surprised. She ate breakfast. She took care of James. She did anything she could to keep busy. 
But as the day goes on, I can tell it's eating away at her. Thanks to Paul covering for her at the Avalon, she is supposedly out with the stomach bug, which we could stretch for a few days. But then after that, we have no excuse for her not to go back for her sessions.
Right now, she's outside on the balcony with James. He's in his wheelchair and she's sitting next to him. They are both just sitting there with their eyes closed and the sun on their faces. It's weird how they cannot talk to each other for hours on end and still be content. I'd feel awkward not saying anything. Just sitting there. That damn dog is out there, too.
I'm glad James is here for Julia, though. I have an afternoon session at the studio in a little while. An important one that can't be missed. We are running through the new song and going to begin recording it today. I'm SO glad Julia didn't shut down. I can't leave her here when she's like that, but I can't cancel this session with the band either. This is my career. My life.
"She's doing ok." Jonah says with surprise in his tone. He's making a sandwich even though the fucker just ate leftover pizza for lunch. Tapeworm. He has to have a tapeworm.
"Knock on wood. I still think this thing with Trisha is a bad idea. Using her as bait. Bait for a fucking rapist." I pinch the tension at the bridge of my nose.
"You want to build a case though, right? As far as Jeremy knows, Trisha was about to use him as her doctor. She already has one foot in the door. She can handle herself just fine from what I've seen from her." Jonah puts the lunchmeat away and sits next to me at kitchen island.
Yeah, but she can't. Whatever that was, a while back, when she tried to console Julia the night she found out about everything. How she could relate. Something happened. Trisha still won't tell me. Not yet. What if something similar happened to her? Then I'm just putting her right back into that same situation. 
Trisha and Paul come back up.
"Hey. Can I use your shower before the session, instead of going back home? I can just meet you there in a little while?" Trisha asks and I nod. She's used my shower a million and one times and still has clothes here.
"Go for it." I end the conversation with Jonah now that Trish is back. I grab my guitar out of the bedroom before she takes over and sit in the living room to practice the song on my own for a bit. 
As well as to get my mind off all this shit.
*****
*Julia*
"The sun feels good, huh?" I open my eyes at the same time James does, and he nods. "You really don't remember Griffith Park?"
James shakes his head no and it saddens me that he doesn't remember one of my favorite memories.
"That's a shame. We'll have to go there soon. Maybe that will help. Did you do your PT with Jonah while I was gone this morning?" I raise an eyebrow at James who shrugs his shoulders.