Chapter 17 - Run Away.....

The guys met at Richie's house, which will eventually be the place where most of the Bon Jovi magic happens.

Jon knocks on the door and Richie's mom answers the door.  "May I help you?"

"Hi, Mrs. Sambora. I'm Jon, is Richie home?" Jon politely asks the single most supporter of Richie's dreams.

She stands back, welcoming Jon into the Sambora home. "Yes dear, come in. They are down in the basement making one heck of a ruckus. Go on down."  And she points Jon in the direction of the basement door.

"Thank you ma'am." And Jon be bops down the stairs.

When he reaches the bottom of the stairs, he sees that he's the last to arrive. The first thing out of Richie's mouth was, "You're late."

"Yeah yeah.  I was running behind sorry." Jon doesn't want to explain that he was out too late and then spent most of the morning on the phone with Monica.  Plus he had worked most of the day.  But David knew something was up.

"Hey Jon, how did it go with Monica last night? Was it a hot date?"

Jon didn't really want to go into detail.  He thought that if he talked about it, it would cheapen it and changed the way he felt about her.  So he just said, "It was  fun.  We went down the shore and seem South Side Johnny.  Stopped into the Fast Lane and had a few drinks. That was it."

Richie asks, "Are you going to see her again?" 

Jon laughs and says, "As a matter of fact, I am.  She said she'd stop by here tonight and see what we're up to"

"Enough of the girl talk, can we do what we came here for?" Alec jumps in. He's not interested in Jon's social life, he's there to play music.

"Sorry, ok - have any of you learned Runaway?  I know it's pretty easy, but it's the one that the people are going to want." Jon questions his band mates.  He wants to play with them and he'd rather it be an original and not a cover that they work on tonight.  David knew it since he recorded it with Jon.  Richie, Alec and Tico have practiced it, so they are ready to play.  They also agreed to join a band and they've never heard the lead singer live, just his radio song.

It takes a few tries before they are able to get the sound right, but once they do and Jon starts to give it his all - Tico, Richie and Alec see that Jon will take them all the way.  All the way to fame and fortune, and lives that will never be the same.

Running through Runaway a few more times, they all feel pretty good about it.  Tico suggests that maybe they do a few covers to see how they sound with different music and different lyrics.  Practicing and playing together felt right for all of them. 

Jon was tired after a long night the night before and his day was equally demanding.  He felt that practicing was as good as he expected and he wanted to call it a night.  He was helping the guys clean up, wind up cords and move the instruments out of the way so they wouldn't interfere with Mrs. Sambora's washing.  At the bottom of the stairs, he asked the guys, "Tomorrow night, same time?"

The guys agreed to the same time and he started up the stairs, where he was greeted by Monica, on her way down.  She says, with a million watt smile, "Hey!"

Jon smiles too and says, "Hey there!"  She comes down to the stair he was on and bends over to kiss him hello.  He doesn't resist, he kisses her back.

"I was just leaving."

"How was practice?  Did you guys write a number one song?"

Richie spouts out, "Hell yes we did.  Hi Mon. Was my mom still up?"

"I didn't see her. The side door was open, so I let myself in. Is that okay?"

Richie nods, telling her it was okay.

Alec, with guitar case in hand says, "I'm outta here.  See ya tomorrow."  And he takes off.  Passing Jon and Monica on the stairs. He says, "See ya."  And he disappears at the top of the stairs. 

David is sitting there watching Jon on the stairs with Monica.  Monica was smitten with Jon, but Dave couldn't tell how Jon felt.  He was really shy about public displays of affection, so him kissing Monica in front of them was a little odd.  Maybe Jon did like her.

Turning on the stairs, Jon tells Tico, Dave and Richie that he was leaving and then he looked at Monica. "Will you call me tomorrow? I need to get home, I'm exhausted." 

Monica shook her head and said, "absolutely, when is a good time?"  She would call him whenever he wanted her to.  She had such a nice time with him, and she would love to get to know him even more.

 

"Whenever.  I'll be home all day.  No work at the studio, so I'll help my folks around the house, maybe write for a little bit." he tells her as he works his way up the stairs.  "Bye.  Richie give me a call, maybe we can get together and write for a while this weekend."  And he too disappears at the top of the stairs.

 

Monica bounces the rest of the way down the stairs and sits on the couch that was in the 'band room.'  She looks at Richie and asks, "What did he say about me?"  Her heart is in her throat, and she hopes he said all good things.

 

Richie laughed, "Guys don't kiss and tell, Mon.  You know that." He gets up and puts his guitar in it's case.  "He likes you.  But he just got out of a bad relationship with a crazy bitch, go easy on him."

 

Monica was smiles, ear to ear.  Jon like her, and she really likes him.  "Easy on him, what do you think I'm going to do?"  She laughs.  Getting up off the couch, she tells Dave, Tico and Richie that she is taking off as well.  She gives Richie a hug, since he's been a brother to her most of her life.  Richie cracks her on the ass, and she leaves.

 

Dave, Tico and Richie hang out a while longer and talk about the practice that they had.  All were impressed with Jon's ability to sing - they all were blown away.  He looked and acted the part, but the sound that came out of his mouth told them all what they needed to know.  They just didn't know how Runaway was going to be handled since he has already recorded it.  David said, "We just need to re-record it, so it's our song." 

 

Richie and Tico agreed, but Tico added, "We need our own songs.  Originals and we need to get some recorded as fast as we can. The sooner WE get out there while is song is on the air, the better our chances are.  Do you guys agree?

 

Both Richie and David agreed.  They also agreed it was time to call it a night, and the boys packed up and left.  Richie went to bed and Dave and Tico went home and turned in as well.

 

Jon arrived home to find the lights on in the living room.  That wasn't normal, so it kind of concerned Jon.  Maybe his mom couldn't sleep?  He parked his car in the road and walked up the driveway.  The living room window was open and he could see his mother crying.  Picking up the pace, he stormed in the door, "Ma, what's wrong?"  And then he seen Liz.  "What are you doing here, mom are you okay?

 

Mrs. B said, "Jonny sit down."

 

"What's going on?  Why are you crying?"  Looking at Liz, "What did you do now Liz?"  he getting pissed because the crazy ex was in his living room and his mother was crying.  Jon looked in the kitchen, his dad must have been in bed.

 

"JONNY, SIT DOWN!"  Mrs. B demanded.  Jon took a seat next to his crying mother and grabbed her hand.  He could tell that she has been crying a while.

 

"Ma, did something happen to someone? Is everyone okay?"  His anger is turning into fear and he doesn't like that Liz is involved in anything related to his family.

 

His mother looks at him with a look he has never seen before.  One he will learn later was disappointment.  "Jon, Lizzy has something to tell you."

 

He looks at Liz and snaps, "What?  Why did you upset my mom like this?"

 

"Jon, I'm pregnant." She proclaims, and she does it with a smirk on her face.  She waits for his response, and is disappointed by what he says.

 

He stands up, points to the kitchen door and tells her, "Get the hell out of here.  Get out now."  He's pissed, beyond pissed.  His mother is still in tears and his reaction to Liz, puts him in tears.

 

"We need to talk about this Jon.  You and me." Liz tries to calm him.  She wasn't very successful.  "Please talk to me, Jon."

 

He walks to the kitchen door and opens it.  Liz gets up and walks towards Jon.  He can't even look at her.  "You knew I was going out tonight and you have to pull this.  I'll call you tomorrow.  Go now."  He holds open the door and Liz leaves, but not without trying to kiss him goodbye.  He pulls away and gives her a dirty look.  Liz leaves and he goes back to his mom.

 

"Ma. she's making all of this up.  We used protection she's mad that I was on a date tonight.  Trust me mom, it's not true."  Sitting back down by his mom, they talk about it all.  He is able to convince his mother that Liz is all lies and he will get to the bottom of it.  Mrs. B feels better after having to talk to  Jon and she kisses him goodnight.  "Good night son, I love you."  She heads up to bed and Jon is in a daze, on the couch - unable and unwilling to move. 

 

Tomorrow - he will get to the bottom of Liz and all of her bullshit.  he's exhausted.