Teaching Lift

A crowded, loud and overly crazed music venue awash in the sounds of pop rock band Nemesis. Lead singer guitarist Michael Moriarty clad in his fun shaped sunglasses of the day, platinum blonde hair, and an outfit one can only describe as erotic pharaoh. Singing their albums titular song "Short drive to Madness". The event was sold out for most of the year. The building being over capacity attests to that fact. Special scalpers were placed by the managerial staff to squeeze a few more bucks out of late come concert goers. The band plays then promptly leaves on the seventh song, one of the members has a "phobia" about the number 8. To create a feeling of empathy for him, as well as ensuring the band needn't play more than 7 songs. The opening band which also closes comes out to play their bands last two songs. This too is a fashioned move to control groupies and sales.

While making out with a couple of oversexed groupies Michael Moriarty receives a call on his private phone. His father Dixon is on the other end, having seen a particularly slanderous interview Michael did earlier. Wherein the interviewer asked about the name scheme of the band members. Each seemingly to be named after literary villians with popular known heroes, hence the name of the band, Nemesis. Michael interjected that himself, Iago and Sikes all had their original names. This was infact untrue, Michael's real name is Michael Lift. Michael also callously talked bad about the Midwest, and farmers. Michael was raised in Clinton Wisconsin, from a long line of dairy and corn farmers.

"Michael James Lift!" Dixon yelled through the phone. "Your mother was brought to tears by your horrible words about the very way of life that brought you up. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"It's all publicity, I'm the asshole lead singer." Michael pushes the groupies away, who in turn happily clamor over to Hook, the bassist. "What does it matter anyway old man? Wisconsin is a shithole, best thing I ever did was escape that place."

"Watch your mouth boy!" Michael clearly angered Dixon further. "We didn't raise you to be such a deceitful, hateful, un respectful, Not to mention such an irresponsible individual. You need to learn that your actions have consequences..."

"Yeah, I'll cut you off right there old man." Michael continues to aggravate his father. "I am not having this conversation again. I've got a good life, you should be happy. I'm all matter of successful, adored by millions.. Speaking of millions, I'm insanely wealthy. All the things that matter in life. So just drop this shit."

"Careful of that truck dear." The whispered voice of Roxanne Lift, Michael's mother can be heard through the phone.

"Michael! those are not the important things in life, those are all vices! ..." Dixon's voice calms. "Are you coming to our fiftieth anniversary party..." Dixon's voice cuts off, screams are heard from Roxanne. The sound of metal colliding with metal, scraping and scratching. An extremely loud thud and a pop before the phone call drops connection.

"DAD, DAD...." Michael screams into the phone, hoping for a reply, unrealizing the connection is gone. His band mates and groupies grow quiet as he continues to scream at the phone.

A week passes Michael finds himself feeling a bit naked without the guise of Michael Moriarty, his platinum wig missing, no goofy sunglasses. He thinks he should be feeling something other than that while standing in the cold at his fathers casket. It was a closed casket Dixon requested such a thing in his will. So friends and family would only remember him as they'd last seen. Not the lifeless husk of a man they now visited. Many had words to say about Dixon but Michael even now moments later can not recall a single one, he doesn't even remember walking outside. People Michael hasn't seen in years walk past him, giving him hugs, some envelopes of varied thickness, none seem to be making a big deal of who he is. So many people, seems as though the entire town of Clinton has made it to Dixon's funeral. The amount of people seems large, but Dixon was always a big part of town. He volunteered as a coach at the community center, he was part of big brothers, he was a crossing guard for the school, You name it Dixon was involved in it. He can overhear whispers about how his father died, having prevented Roxanne from taking the brunt of the collision by covering her with his own body. How Roxanne now is unable to attend her own husbands funeral due to being in a coma. Michael even sees his high school sweetheart Cadence walk up to the casket with a teen who puts a watch unto the casket then walk past Michael.

The town of Clinton is practically shutdown tonight. But a remembrance feast is held at the local hangout the Oak Bar. Again people seem to be giving him envelopes, he decides to open them. Some have personal checks made out to cash, others are just cash. Puzzled by the money in envelopes Michael completely missed noticing Cadence walk up to him.

"They were having money problems." She says pointedly at him. "Dixon had to remortgage the house a few times just to keep up with bills. The town knew about it, now with him dead and your mother both not on the mortgage or deed. The bank WILL be retaking the house. Better late then never to help out your Parents." So much spite and anger in her voice, Michael was unable to reply. After she leaves the bar Michael manages to say one word. Yeah, which fell on deaf ears.

The next day Michael makes his way to Frank Stanz's office, his parents attorney. They talk for awhile, he learns the extent of monetary danger that his parents were in. He wonders why it was never brought up to him. Frank informs him that the bank has already begun the process of repossessing the house. Frank makes note that the bank with the mortgage is a large corporate chain, so he was unable to delay anything. Michael promptly leaves the office and makes his way to the house he grew up in. Sure enough five large men have begun to take items from within building. After a few moments of negotiating he manages to convince them to take a break for the day. Michael finds the old worn hideakey rock in the same place it always was. He goes inside and gets hit by a huge wave of nostalgia, he ponders the meaning of that word while he looks at pictures of himself as a child. Pictures of his parents in their youth, their wedding day, the famous fishing trip to Green Bay. That was a pretty magical day, just him and his father in a boat for hours telling each other stories then catching a huge Muskie.

Michael barely notices a new picture, one of his father in Green Bay much like the one of himself. But in this one a boy he doesn't know holding an even larger Muskie. On the next wall were more pictures, more kids with Dixon in Green Bay, a plaque in the middle of them which read "1st annual Green Bay fishing adventure". Michael makes his way through the house, almost nothing has changed. Standing at the door to the room he once called his den, he fears what his father may have done to his old room. Opening the door his heart drops as he finds it practically unchanged. Except a copy of each album Nemesis put out on the desk, a few posters on the bed, other merchandise lay about the room. He moves the items from his bed and lays down, still in shock from the ongoing events, he falls asleep. No sooner did his mind drift to prom night and running away guitar in hand. A knocking on the front door jolts him from his short slumber. Hoping to not see those repo men again Michael cautiously goes downstairs and opens the door. The man standing on the other side is a bespectacled, stout, portly individual garbbed in tweed and nerd decor. His professorial jacket tries to cover a shirt that reads "Shamans use tools". A reference Michael did not understand, but still chuckled at slightly.

"Is that you Mike?" The man said quizzically.

"Uh, yeah... You are?" Michael had no idea who he was talking to.

"Mike!... It's me Albert, Albert LeGreau!" Albert clearly knew Michael. After saying his name a memory of the first time Michael ever got drunk came to mind. Which sadly lead the follow up memory a loud severe argument with Dixon. Which promptly brought Michael out of memory lane.

"Albert!" He says with the now fully realized recognition of the man in front if him. "You look good."

"Ha! Nice of you to say." Albert pats his gut. "I'm comfortable with how I look. But I see you've changed quite a bit. Especially for someone a few thought dead... Er.. Missing."

"Wait, what, dead?" While Michael stated it as a question he was only slightly curious who thought that then that it was a thought in the first place. "Who thought I was dead?"

"After you disappeared, your father, rest in peace." Albert was always a very courteous fellow. "Didn't say where you went. Then pretty much stopped talking about you almost entirely. T'was a point of query for many of us, especially your friends." An implication of guilt was felt for a moment in Michael's heart.

"Yeah, that's not exactly shocking..." A cold breeze cuts off his reply, he motions Albert to come inside and the two take up seating in the living room to continue their conversation. "Things got weird, I had to take off. However, my life got pretty decent soon after."

"I wagered as much.." Albert studies Michaels face. "Mister Moriarty." But doesn't find as much as he'd hoped.

"How many other people figured out?"

Slightly disappointed in the lack of reaction Albert sighs. "I'm not sure but I think most everyone who knew you personally. Which wasn't much, you were kind of a recluse. Which always made me laugh whenever I'd see Michael Moriarty flaunt around Hollywood or New York as this overt party boy. If I had to guess who though, Myself obviously, your parents knew, definitely Cadence although she never talks about you."

"I bet, I kind of ditched her on prom night..." Michael is cutoff by Albert barking out.

"Oh! And Mister Quincy for sure knew, rest in peace. Why did you split on prom..." Albert in turn now gets cutoff.

"Mister Quincy died?! When, how?" News to Michael.

"Er, I thought you knew. Dixon spoke at his funeral, fondly if I remember right." Albert only now notices the level of shock on Michael's face. Figuring out that he's come back to his old stomping grounds because his parents were in a horrible car crash. Resulting in his fathers death and leaving his mother in a coma. Now Albert's just thrown another log on that fire telling Michael that his favorite teacher is also dead. "Hey, you want his old guitar? I could never bring myself to clear out the old music room."

"What do you mean clear out the music room?" Michael intones quizzically.

"Oh, hah, Der. I'm the principal now." Albert said with a hint of pride and frustration.

"Did old lady Carnegie die too?" Michaels tone sounded a bit dark.

"Oh, very much not infact she met some young thing and retired early. Still in town though, If you want to go see her sometime. How long are you staying by the way? Getting your parents things in order then heading out to your tour again I'd wager." Albert's mind didn't always stop from one thought to the next.

"Let's go see that guitar." Michael gets up and heads to the door, Albert follows suit. The two share a mostly quiet walk to the school, well Michael does. Albert tries numerous times to start up a conversation mostly about his favorite hat. Michael seemed to be having none of it. After a good half hour they arrive at the school. Michael noted it was open yesterday too, seemed to be one of a handful of places kids still gotta learn" he thinks. Then chuckles at the irony of his thought, which was mostly an inside joke. They walk into the school and head towards the music room when suddenly a woman jumps into view, she's clearly in search of someone. Michael instantly recognizes her as Carol Caprezio, another former school mate. She hasn't changed much at all. Long red brown hair and a tie-dyed skirt, but now wearing a much tighter sweater than she wore as a child. The sweaters then she always seemed to drown in this one, not so much. He went to say hello when she ran up to him, or so he thought she was but then grabbed Albert by the arm. Besides Albert Michael began to wonder if anyone knew or cared he'd returned, or who he was now.

"Albert you need to come now! There's been a fight, again." Carol seems to either be actively ignoring Michael, or sincerely doesn't notice him.

Albert glances at Michael then says "it's Reed again, isn't it?"

"Of course, it's rarely anyone else. If it was I'd just handle it." She says exasperatedly.

"Alright, I'll go find him." Albert turns to Michael "You know where the music room is, here. Meet me at the Oak tonight we'll catchup some more." He then hands Michael a key and heads off.

"I'm not sure I'm..." Albert turned a corner leaving range of Michael's voice.

"Going to run away again?" Michael heard from behind, he turned expecting to see Carol. But instead he was met with a slap across the face then the blurry visage of Cadence. "You owed me that." Yup, one person cared he returned.

Rubbing the side of his face Michael can feel his cheek swelling up and burn red. "Whatever, it's fine, I've had worse." His Moriarty personality seems to kick in.

"Seriously?! Whatever, it's fine. That's what you have to say in reply?!" Cadence is clearly looking for a fight thought Michael.

"The hell do you want me to say Cade?" He says in a brusk tone.

"No! You don't get to call me Cade anymore. Only the boy who promised to give me the best prom ever can call me that. You're not him, you killed him when you left!" Cadence starts to notice the following of eyes and whispers now surrounding the two of them. "Just go away! You're good at that!" Cadence storms off.

"Dramatic much!" Michael yells

Feeling his time is near spent in the school he heads down to the music room. Unlocking the door he's a bit shocked to find the room dusty and clearly had been used as a storage room for quite sometime. A good few moments of searching and he finally finds Mister Quincy's guitar. Feeling nostalgic again he takes it out gives it a couple strums, tunes it then starts playing. Michael zones out and plays a few songs he remembers learning from Mister Quincy.

"Play a lot do you?" A voice interjects breaking Michael's concentration.

"You could say that, You play?" Michael looks over the teen standing in the doorway. The teen is obviously trying to look cool standing there, as if he'd seen it in a movie then felt the need to emulate.

"Tcht, nah. Haven't you heard, music isn't important. Or so the government keeps saying by cutting funding." Michael could almost taste the spite coming off every word this boy said.

"You could always do private lessons if you were interested. There are open house and free concerts all over" Michael shares.

"Whatever, mom hates music so I doubt that'd go we'll in my favor." Not as much spite that time.

"We'll here." Michael hands the guitar to the boy. "I'll show you a couple chords." The boy takes the guitar then sits down, Michael notices the kids hands are scrapped up. "I take it you're Reed? Still haven't found you I guess."

"Seems so." Reed says curtly.

Michael notes the kids reluctant nature but the fact he sat down to try out the guitar. He proceeds to show Reed the basics, which the kid picks up pretty quickly. The two talk about guitar fundamentals and music on the whole. Michael tries to portray that music is an expression from the soul, a language all of its own. One that doesn't care about other languages, someone can sing in Portuguese about love. Then another someone can hear that same song have no idea of the words but can still feel the intent.

"If that were true, there'd still BE a music class. But there isn't, so it must not be." Reeds voice wafts with a air of anger and discontent. "... But who knows, could be you know what you're talking about." While a backhanded and jaded comment, it seemed like it was almost a compliment. "Should be something we're learning, but it isn't." Reed's words have a ring of truth to them. Why wouldn't that be important to teach, yet they aren't.

"I don't know kid. Doesn't seem right." Michael half replies.

"Yeah well, speaking of right. I'm gonna go, right, not really my deal." Reed gets up, tosses the guitar back to Michael.

"Hey Reed. If something is worth doing right, then it's worth doing wrong." Mister Quincy's old motto rang into Michael's head.

"Heh, I'm gettin part of that." Reed walks off.

Another voice picks up just outside of the room a moment later. An argument can be heard, Michael can't make it out though. So he steps out of the room to see Reed arguing with Cadence. Michael tries to backstep into the music room but Cadence sees him and quickly approaches.

"NO!" She repeatedly jabs her finger into Michael's chest hard. "You do NOT talk to him, ever! You hear me!" Michael felt almost on fire from Cadences words, Almost paralyzed by them. But managed to speak.

"Oh shut up! You give me nothing but grief! And get your finger off me!" Michael pushes Cadence away but is quickly met by a sharp right hook to the midsection.

"You. don't. touch. my. mom. dude!" Spouts Reed.

Losing all air in his lungs Michael crumples to his knees and overhears Cadence telling Reed to go to the principals office. As he begins to breathe again he feels a hand on his shoulder he looks up at Cadence's face.

"Just leave town, we're all better off with you gone." She walks away.

A few more moments pass, Michael regains his senses, grabs the guitar puts it in its case and leaves the school. He's decided to take Cadence's advice and leave. He doesn't need to be here to handle anything else, but he needs to see his mother first. Getting back to his car he packs away the guitar case in the trunk then heads to the hospital. Without realizing it he's speeding, by quite a bit. Inevitably he gets pulled over, while sitting in his car he notices Albert park and walk into the Oak Bar. He decides to go say goodbye to Albert quick after this ticket. The officer walks up and Michael notices the name tag says B. Kanta. He instantly says, "Billy, Billy Kanta?" The officer leans in to show that his assumption was wrong, this is a woman.

"How do you know my husbands name sir?" This woman stares intently at Michael.

"We went to school together, I'm just in town to bury my father." Slipped Michael.

"Are you Michael, Dixon's son?" The officer says plainly.

"That's me officer." Michael tries to add as much charm in his voice as possible.

"Normally, I hate speeders with a bloody passion. But since you're here for such an unpleasant task you get a warning. But I still need you to come to the precinct with me." She had an accent, but he couldn't place it's origin.

"Um, may I ask why?" A slight twinge of worry entered his mind.

"After your parents accident no one has claimed the items from the wrecka..." She clearly changed her train of thought. ".. Just need someone to gather up those things."

"Oh, okay. No ticket then?" He doesn't know why he asked that.

"If you want one sure." She flips open the ticket book.

"No, no. Shitty enough day as it is." He says as if trying to make a joke of it.

"Language sir, this is a family community. Follow me." She returns to her car and drives.

Follow he did, although they went a different way then he expected. He was expecting to go to the north side of town, but they went to the east. Then he saw why, apparently there had been a new police office built recently. He parked and went inside. He stood inside one of the two corner offices and waited for Officer Kanta to return. He noted a few family pictures, some of billy and this woman, a couple with billy and his sister. But also one of billy this woman and a baby. He picked it up to look at it, just as she returned with a box.

"No touching please, sir." She sat the box down in front of Michael.

Michael put the picture down and asked. "You've got a baby, with Billy, how old?"

"I don't like talking about my personal life with strangers, sir. But seeing as you may be in a fragile state I shall do my best to appease." She spoke as if she lived her life via manual. "My child would be just about five months now." She took off her vest and set it into a cabinet just next to the desk.

"Five months, so you just gave birth? You look great for having been pregnant so short ago." Years of practice gave Michaels voice a hint of flattery when talking to women.

The woman blushed for half a second and sat down at the desk, then replied. "Thank you, now these are all the salvageable items from the... Incident."

"You can say horrible car crash. All I've heard about it so far." Michael hadn't looked into the actual accident, the shock of it was still fresh. He realized that beyond the funeral that this might actually be the first time he's about to deal with it having happened.

"No sir, that would be against regulations. However as next of kin the contents are yours."

Michael slumps into a chair, fighting off emotions and asks. "What .... what, exactly did happen?"

"Are you sure you want to know the particulars sir?" Her head tilts as she asks.

"I think I need to." His voice wavered in its reply.

The woman opens a drawer and pulls out a folder, she opens it as not to let Michael see the contents. "The accident resulting in the on site death of Dixon Lift, physical trauma of Roxanne Lift and ..." She stopped from saying something, then continued. "On the night of Friday November...." Michael interrupted her.

"You don't need to read the file verbatim. Just give me a run down of what happened, in English." His gaze affixed to hers, she clearly looked a bit uncomfortable.

The officer closes the folder and sets it down. "Based on the evidence the crash was caused by the truck driver being intoxicated. Your parents were unable to avoid it, your father managed to cushion the your mother from the brunt of the impact. But in doing so he was injured severely, had he not done what he did I fear that both of your parents would likely be deceased. However I don't like to speculate." Michael felt the shock he was already experiencing grip harder. He was unable to reply, so the two of them sat quietly for a few moments. The officer broke the silence by getting up getting her vest and saying she needed to go back out on patrol. Even dumbfounded as he was Michael took this as a cue to leave. She handed him the box and showed him out.

He stood at the steps of the police office holding this box of unknown items. He couldn't help think about the tale of Schrödinger's cat. Until he opened this box it could be anything, he couldn't do it alone. He walked to the Oak Bar, as he got there Albert must have just been thinking of leaving, he was just putting his coat and hat on. Michael walked up to him at the bar and put the box down, shocking Albert who hadn't noticed Michael walking in.

"Man! Where have you been?" Albert seemed annoyed but was trying to hide it. "Better yet what's in the box.. Er.. Yeah."

"Officer Kanta gave it to me.. Did you know she just had a kid? Also that she's married to Billy?" Michael was clearly not in the right mindset.

"Uh, yeah. I was at the wedding. Lots of fruits and vegetables, they're both vegan." Albert sounded disappointed.

"Oh.." Michael replied without really knowing why.

"Cute couple actually. She's a bit odd when in uniform, very monotoned. Billy hasn't changed at all, except he doesn't skateboard anymore, he removed his piercings, he stays at home for work and to raise the kid.. Er... Yeah. Okay, no he has changed, a lot." Albert gets slightly lost in thought then throws back the rest of his drink and orders another. Michael stares at the box as if trying to figure out if it is really real, or just a figment of his imagination. A glass gets set down in front of Albert who promptly takes a sip from it. "We can open it together if you want." Michael takes a moment to reply.

"Yeah, okay.. Lets do that." Michael says but doesn't move so Albert outs his hands on the top of the box.

"Okay, let's see inside." Albert says and begins to lift the top.

Michael grabs Albert's drink and chugs it. His face grows perplexed, slightly disgusted and looks at Albert.

Albert pauses and replies to Michael's gaze. "It's an acquired taste, I wasn't expecting anyone would steal drink it. You deal with children five to six days a week, and their parents. All who blame me and the teachers for things we've no control over. Then get back to me if you don't have need to drink prune juice for an irritated bow... Er.." Albert realizes he over shared. "Let's open this box."

"Let's." Michael is just as happy to move on.

Inside the box most everything is wrapped in nice evidentiary baggies. The keys to the vehicle, Dixon's wallet, his mothers purse, an umbrella, a rubber duck, and a now slightly ripped present. Michael checks over the present reads its tag which says "To: Reed, From Dixon & Roxanne". Michael holds the present tag open to Albert.

Albert reads the tag and replies. "Oh, it's the kids birthday in like a week."

"Ah. Did I tell you I had a run in with him in the music room?" Michael clearly unaware of the fact he's been mostly mute til now asks.

"No, no you did not. You only really just started talking... What else is in the box?" Albert looks into the box again even though the contents are already taken out.

"It's all right here. This present, my mom's purse, a rubber duck, and umbrella and..." Michael looks around but is unable to find something. "Where'd my dads wallet go, Do you have it?"

"No.." Albert says awkwardly.

"It may have been awhile, like 15 years but I can still tell your lieing. You're not good at it."

Albert sighs and hands him the wallet.

"Your weird, hiding a wallet. Why?" Michael opens it up and starts looking through it.

"Oh you know... I wanted to see if he had anything embracing in there..." Albert says even more awkwardly. "Hey, let's get outta here. I got Xbox at my place."

Michael finds a photo of his father and and that boy from the picture back at the house. on the back it says "Dixon and Reed, at the Dane county faire." In Roxanne's handwriting. "Why is does this kid keep showing up. There's a photo of him as a kid in my fathers wallet, on the wall back at the house, a present with his name on it. What does Cadence's son have to do with my father...." Gears can clearly be heard turning inside Michael's head. He's put the pieces together, but doesn't believe the conclusion. "Take me to her house now!"

Albert feels like a deer caught in the headlights of every car ever built, he only manages to mumble an "okay" before they walk to his car. Albert's car seems to feel the tension wafting off Michael. As the engine turns over it gives out a strange grinding noise. The two drive for a very short time to the edge of town then pull into a driveway. Michael gets out and storms up to the walkway to the door. Cadence must have seen them coming she opens the door and stops Michael before he steps a foot on the patio. She stares over at Albert who reluctantly got out of the car.

"Couldn't have kept quiet til he left?" Cadence gruffs.

"I swear I didn't say anything." Albert says as he fumbles with his hat.

"I HAVE A SON?!" Michael yells at Cadence.

"Big time rock star, you probably have a few." Cadence replies.

"That would not be what I'm talking about and you know it!" Michael is clearly having some anger management issues flaring up.

"I needed to talk to you. But you ran away. So you sealed that part yourself. So don't come back here and start yelling at me like I'm the asshole here." Cadence is peculiarly calm.

"Why the hell was I never told about this!" Michael's face has grown a nice shade of red.

"I just told you, You left, you closed that book, then never came back. Then you became this horrible impersonation of yourself. Like I said before you killed that boy I knew. Michael Lift is dead, Dead people can't be fathers, you're Michael Moriarty now. Michael Moriarty isn't welcome here, So go back to that life, and leave us be!" Cadence has remained calm never fumbled with her words showing no emotion the entire time. Almost as if she had rehearsed that entire conversation. She walked into her house, Michael returned to Albert's car. Michael was quiet as they drove back to the bar. They sat quietly in the car for a few moments after parking. Albert got nervous and kept half starting to say things but never actually speaking.

"Drive me to the clinic please." Michael says coldly.

"Are you okay?" Albert asks.

"I need to see my mom."

"Yeah, yeah, of course."

Albert drives Michael to the clinic then takes him to the room his mother is in. As Michael walks into the room, after all the shock he's had today. He hadn't even factored in seeing his mother attached to so many machines, he bursts out crying. "Mom, I don't know what's going on anymore. Dad's dead, your in a coma, I've got a son!... So does Billy Kanta, Albert is the principal, Cadence hates me.. Why didn't she tell me.. Why didn't dad, why didn't you! Everyone kept it from me!.... " Michael awaited a reply, He held his mother's hand and continued to cry for awhile. He doesn't know how much later, but eventually he got up kissed his mother's hand and said. "Okay mom, hurry up and get over this, I love you." He left the room, turned to the nurse on the way out and said "Anything she needs you do it, Top everything". As he walked out he noticed Albert asleep in the waiting area. He went up to him shook his shoulder to wake him up.

"Hey man, get up." Michaels voice was different.

"I'm up, I'm up. Everything okay?" Albert seemed worried.

"School needs a music teacher right?" Michael says calmly.

"We don't have one, why?" Albert switches from worried to quite puzzled.