Smoke and Mirrors, Chp 7
Okay... I've put off posting this chapter for too long. This one's from Carly's POV, to shake things up a bit. This story is transforming into more of an "American Idol Season 7" fic, lmfao. Anyway. Onto the fic.
Title: Smoke and Mirrors
Author:
maroonjessy5
Chapter: 7/?
Pairing(s): David Cook/ Brooke White
Rating: R, for themes of kidnapping and murder
Summary: Five years after winning American Idol, David Cook is living the perfect life. All it takes is one night to send his world crashing down around him.
Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5 / Chapter 6
Carly couldn’t believe what she was doing. She sat in a gray rental, a beat-up station wagon, parked in front of the airport entrance. She waited, looking for the lanky frame of one David Archuleta. Every time the doors began to spin, she expected to see him stroll toward her car, the same bouncing, lopsided stride he always had.
Carly reached for the keys, flicking the dash on to check the time. It was 4:30. David’s flight was supposed to be there at four. It must be running late.Either that or David had backed out. Suddenly, terror overcame her at the prospect, wondering if the boy wonder had seen the moral implications of the scheme, ratting them all out. She scrambled to grab her purse, fishing out a crumpled, near-empty pack of cigarettes.
She pulled one out, lighting it from the book of matches she had stuck in the pack as well. Carly had never used to smoke, not until about a year and a half ago. Things always change, she thought bitterly, taking a long drag and filling her lungs with the toxic smoke. She was quite aware of the damage she did to herself, not really caring that she was ruining her voice and any chances of a comeback album along with it. As long as everything continued to go according to the plan, then she wouldn’t need her voice.
She twisted around in her seat, peering through the windows at the airport entrance. A large crowd of people started to emerge, clearly fresh off a flight. Carly nearly dropped her cigarette in relief when she saw that familiar frame split from the crowd, quickly moving to her car.
David had grown a few inches over the years, which surprised Carly. She didn’t think he had it in him to sprout up anymore. He wore a beanie over his dark hair and a simple t-shirt and sweatpants. David used to never be caught wearing sweatpants in public, but he didn’t care anymore. He had let the pretty boy image slide off his back, losing interest in what the screaming girls thought of his fashion choices. Eventually, those same screaming girls let him slide off their radar for the next big thing.
He stood at the passenger door, staring in at Carly. David jerked the handle a few times, waking Carly from her reverie. She leaned over and unlocked the door, watching as the now twenty-two year old man got into her car, throwing his bag over into the backseat.
“Hi to you too, Carly. When did you start smoking?” David’s voice didn’t have the same raspy, innocent tone it had once carried. His voice just sounded tired and strained, an unfamiliar sarcasm evident in his tone.
“Hello, David.” Carly replied softly, leaning to put out the half-burned out cigarette in the ashtray. She turned the key, starting up the rickety vehicle. David turned and stared at her, his brow furrowing in annoyance.
“You didn’t answer my question.” He said, rolling down the window and hanging his arm out.
“When do you think I started smoking?” Carly snapped, instantly feeling guilty for her angry outburst, “Since when do you not wear a seat belt? Strap yourself in, dear.”
David turned again, this time an incredulous smile stretching across his features. Carly noticed he had scruff along his jaw line, an uncharacteristic look for the baby-faced singer. She watched him reluctantly snap his seat belt into place, surprised by how much the boy had changed. He was no longer the bumbling seventeen-year-old that almost won American Idol. He was his own man who couldn’t give two shits about the manufactured fame he had acquired from the now-floundering show, which had not reclaimed the glory of its seventh season, their season.
“You going to stare at me or drive? We’re already late and I’m afraid I’m not that attractive, Ms. Smithson.” David said, tapping the clock on the dash. There was no way they’d make it back to the warehouse before five.
Carly frowned, shifting the wagon into drive and pulling out of the airport. “It’s Hennessy.” She replied quietly, pushing the gas pedal a little harder than she intended, gunning through a yellow light as it flicked to red.
“Oh. My bad. Didn’t realize you had changed your name back, after everything.” David muttered, folding his arms.
“You didn’t know. We haven’t talked since before it happened anyway. You wouldn’t know.” Carly replied quickly, ready to change the subject.
“So that’s why you agreed to all of this?” David pressed, much to Carly’s chagrin.
“What does Todd have to do with any of this?” Carly nearly shouted, wishing she hadn’t volunteered to pick him up. She knew this conversation was inevitable, but why did he have to interrogate her now?
“Not Todd.” David said simply, his hazel eyes flashing toward her, gauging her reaction.
Carly inhaled deeply, clenching the steering wheel until her knuckles turned an even paler shade of white, if that was at all possible.
“This is not the conversation I wanted to have upon seeing you for the first time in three years, David.” Carly replied through gritted teeth, not looking him.
“I was the only one who knew about you and -“
“SHUT UP, DAVID!” Carly slammed on the brakes, veering to the side of the road. She put the car into park, turning and staring at the young man. “We will not have this conversation. Not now, not until I say so. Am I clear?”
David just laughed, unfazed by Carly’s outburst. He yanked off his beanie, running his fingers through his messy, dark hair.
“Whatever you say, Mom. But do know that I’m not a kid anymore. I don’t really have to listen to you.” David replied smartly, staring at the flustered Irishwoman. “But I’m not dropping it altogether, Carly.”
Carly snorted in annoyance, throwing the car into drive once more and pulling off the shoulder, the tires squealing.
“Not a word of this when we get to the warehouse, Archuleta.” Carly said quietly, clearly gripping the steering wheel to keep from shaking.
“Oh, that’s right. He’ll be there, won’t he?” David mused nonchalantly, tugging the beanie over his hair once more.
Carly shot a glare toward the younger man, her lips pursed.
“Fine. Not a word of it.” David surrendered, leaning over to turn on the radio. He adjusted the dials, searching for a good station amidst the static. He settled on a top 40 station, only to grimace as Cook’s newest single started to blare through the speakers.
”Oh bloody hell, I don’t need to hear that right now.” Carly hissed, motioning for David to turn it off. He obliged, sighing in annoyance.
“So, tell me. Were you there last night, Carly? When it all went down?” David asked quietly, distaste for the topic of conversation evident in his tone.
“Yeah, I was there.” Carly replied shortly. She pressed the gas pedal a little more, pushing the speedometer a few more miles over the speed limit, anxious to get out of this car.
She knew Archuleta was not entirely in agreement with the whole situation. Hell, neither was she. She had argued up and down with Michael at the prospect of bringing the younger David into all of this. Carly was adamant that he was not involved, but Michael had his ways of convincing her otherwise. So now here she was, carting David Archuleta right into the middle of their grand scheme, pitting themselves against one of their best friends.
“Well, you going to tell me about it?” David pressed, interrupting her thoughts.
When did he get so obnoxious? Carly thought, growing tired of David’s version of twenty questions.
“No, I’m not going to tell you about it. There’s nothing to tell.” Carly snapped, again regretting her tone, but she fought the urge to apologize and coo at him in the motherly way she used to. He wasn’t a little boy and she sure as hell wasn’t the motherly type, not anymore.
David finally turned to stare out the window, huffing quietly. He was clearly displeased with her responses, but she didn’t care. He’d find out exactly what happened soon enough. She wouldn’t be the one to put all of this on him - that was where she drew the line.
“Bout time you got here.” Jason muttered as Carly and David trudged through the door. Carly rolled her eyes, flopping onto the couch next to him, “Hey, Archie. Long time no see.”
“Hey, Jason. Where is everyone?” David looked around the small living room, his eyes lingering on the metal door to the left, behind the couch.
“Oh, they’re all down the hall in the ‘conference room,’ as Mike calls it. He’s trying to be really serious about it, I guess.” Jason lazily pointed a finger down the hall, toward the open door on the right.
“It kind of is a serious matter, you know.” David replied, walking past the couch and down the hall. Carly watched him, frowning.
”He shouldn’t be here.” She whispered to Jason when David was out of earshot.
“Yeah, well, what are you gonna do.” Jason said, his voice barely audible over cries of “David!” and “Archie!” down the hall. Carly looked at the metal door, then back to Jason.
“How is she?”
“Fine. Sy took her to the bathroom and she ate the food and water we left for her. So she’s as good as a hostage can be, I suppose.” Jason muttered softly, sitting up on the edge of the couch.
Michael’s head popped out of the conference room, glaring at the pair of them. He walked out into the hall, strolling into the living room.
”Well, you going to join us? We have a call to make.” Michael said, dangling a disposable cell phone in front of them. Jason sighed, getting up and walking into the hall, leaving Carly and Michael.
Carly stared up at Michael, trying to keep her expression as neutral as possible.
“I know you’re mad about Archuleta being here -“
“Just shut up, Mike.” Carly interrupted, looking away from him. “He’s here, he knows all about it. There’s nothing I can do about it now.”
Michael sat next to her on the rumpled couch, sliding his left arm around her shoulders. Carly shivered at the contact despite herself, trying not to react to him. He leaned over, his lips brushing against her ear.
“Everything will be fine, Carls. Don’t get your knickers in a twist, love.” Michael laughed, his breath tickling her neck. He got up abruptly, striding backwards down the hall, a cheeky grin on his face. Carly gave a half-hearted smile, the expression disappearing from her face as he entered the conference room.
Carly wrapped her arms around her torso, disappointed in herself. She hated how his charm affected her - how it always worked on her. That charm had caused her to do quite a few things in the last few years that have brought her to this point, making her a divorced criminal, essentially. She tried so hard to put up a wall against him, or to completely disconnect from the Australian, but nothing worked. No matter how much she tried to loathe Michael or how obvious it was that the charm wasn’t really for her, she still fell for his shenanigans.
Carly slowly stood up, walking down the hall to meet the rest of the former Idols. She put on her best poker face and entered the room, readying herself for what she was about to do.
She caught Michael’s eye as she settled into a chair, a pained smile stretching across her lips as he gave a quick wink before he started speaking, detailing the plan.
Carly could not believe the things she had done and were still doing for a man, a man that would never be hers.