Page 16 of Wants and Needs
“Sebas’s is getting more and more visitors every quarter. His sculptures are really taking off.”
“He’s making a name for himself,” Diana says, pride clear as day in her tone and expression.
“And St. Anthony is almost at the point where we’ll need to start asking other artists to do showcasings because there’s barely anything left in storage.”
“And what are you doing with all that money?” Diana asks, turning with an interested smile to CJ.
He smiles happily, and stretches his arms forward like a little kid.
“It’s all going to art programs in public schools.”
“You’re such good boys,” she coos, patting his hand then reaching over for mine. “I’m so proud of you,” she says, looking right into my eyes. “I’m sorry you felt the need to go through the sale alone, but I’m really glad youweren’talone.”
“Me too,” I whisper.
“Now, I need to go inside and see what Clive has thought of for lunch. Y’all need a good meal before tomorrow’s festivities.”
She’s up and rushing inside in no time and I’m left sharing a secret smile with CJ.
Kevin and Elliott aren’t the only boys Diana and Peter adopted. We’re Darnells in spirit, and that is all I really need to be happy.
4LIAM
I’ve always hada bittersweet relationship with California.
On the one hand, it’s always sunny, most people here are pretty laid back, and as long as you’re not in downtown LA, the number of cars isn’t too bad.
But then you get to all the stuck-up celebrities, the people willing to do anything to get ahead in the industry—music, film, television, they’re all the same—or how backstabby everyone is, and also how genuine friendships rarely exist in this city.
Especially when you’re the obvious surprise kid of two hugely successful musicians.
Everything about the city of angels reminds me of the most painful time of my life, of how awful people can be.
Growing up, when it was just Mom, Dad, and me, we spent a lot of months out of the year here, at least when they weren’t on tour. I remember them trying to make things better for me—taking me to the amusement parks, which I still hate, taking me to work with them, which I only liked when it was time in the studio. They even enrolled me in a middle school in Beverly Hills, but that just... didn’t work out. Not even for a full week.
Eventually they stopped traveling here altogether.
Whenever they weren’t on tour we were in England with my gran and pop, or in New York, but seeingthisCalifornia is very different than what I’m used to.
“Why didn’t we ever livehere?” I ask my parents while we drive down the highway right next to the ocean. “This is amazing,” I tell them, watching the scenery pass through from the back seat of the SUV they arranged to drive on our short weekend trip.
We didn’t land in LAX or in the small airfield outside the city, but instead we landed a bit up north, and only a twenty-minute drive away from Western Malibu, where the ranch is, though we’re staying in Central Malibu—I checked the map while we were on the plane.
I hear Mom chuckle from the back.
“We didn’t have any reason to come here, sweetheart. We always came to LA for work,” she reminds me in that gentle way that doesn’t bother me. When people are too gentle, that bothers me.
“It is gorgeous out here, isn’t it?” Dad asks softly, looking out the other window. When I lean over to see what he sees, it’s all mountains and endless fields.
I go back to my view; it’s better.
“Love you moonlight,” I hear him whisper, and knowing it’s for Mom, I don’t turn back to look.
It only occurs to me then that I might’ve fucked up what was supposed to be a couple’s getaway for them. They do have three kids at home who all think they know better than them—they don’t. Even Logan, who’s already an adult and of drinking age, can act like a real baby sometimes.
We arrive at a beach house near the actual town of Malibu, where they’ve rented a house for the two nights, and hurry to leave our bags because that’s all we have time for.
On the way over to where this party will be, I tell myself I’ll give them all the space I can today to enjoy their time away from the kids. It was very rude of me, the way I just said I was coming after all, and Mom did give me a talking to about being respectful after. Thankfully I escaped Dad’s impending inquisition. He saw me looking at Carter and smirked at me—smirked!So I knew it was coming, and it’s probably still going to come no matter how much I outrun him, but I’m not going to stop trying.
