Page 23 of Graves

Shit! And why the hell does the guy have to be so attractive?

4

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Aran

“I really don’t understand why people are so desperate to see Grave Sinner live,” Donna Broderick says into the camera, clearly trying to convince not only her guest Bruce Goodwill but every viewer of Today with Donna. “It’s like they’re trying to recapture the success from five years ago. Doesn’t anyone see how ridiculous that is? Aran Graves killed Ben Jenkins. The guy belongs behind bars. And they just let him out? And back on stage?”

“I totally get you, Donna,” Bruce agrees, one leg crossed over the other, hands folded, resembling a repressed priest in a buttoned-up shirt while pretending he’s not gay. “It’s like the Poles just washed their hands of him and shipped him back because they were tired of dealing with him.”

Donna nods like she knows everything. She looks like a washed-up beauty queen who’s had one too many surgeries out of fear of aging. Her bleached-blonde hair is teased so high and shellacked with hairspray that it could pass for a wig.

“You’ve researched the case a little more. Could you explain to our viewers why Aran Graves is even out of prison? I mean… if this is our justice system, I find that pretty terrifying. Shouldn’t the man be on death row?”

I stare at the screen and feel my stomach twist.

Fuck. My whole body reacts to the bullshit pouring out of her mouth. My skin feels too tight, like I’m trapped in a straitjacket. Breathing gets hard. My leg bounces nonstop.

And I still can’t turn it off.

“According to court documents, Aran Graves was released early due to good behavior and new evidence.”

“Good behavior?” Donna scoffs. “So being a little nice gets you out of prison early? Isn’t that outrageous?”

“Evidence was presented showing that Ben Jenkins apparently provoked him into striking.”

“What evidence?”

“Audio evidence. Apparently, a phone was recording and caught part of their argument.”

“But if I’m not mistaken, Aran Graves admitted in court to hitting Ben Jenkins. He confessed to everything!”

“A remorseful confession is already part of atonement.”

Donna Broderick is visibly speechless for a second.

I lean forward and exhale into my hands.

Ever since I got back, everything feels like a dream. I never imagined it would turn into this nightmare.

There’s no audio evidence. It’s all made up. I have no idea where they pulled that from, but clearly “good behavior” isn’t sensational enough.

“Well, fine,” Donna says, relenting. “I guess I’ll have to accept that a violent criminal is walking free. Nothing I can do about it. But why is everyone making such a big deal out of this? Sure, we’re talking about it too, but at least we’re not twisting the facts. There are people out there treating Aran Graves like a god. I heard the tickets for those five shows sold out in minutes. How is that possible?”

“Well, five years ago, Grave Sinner were absolute global superstars,” Bruce says. “Aran Graves wrote songs that touched people all over the world. It was more than just punk rock. Some tracks went viral in days and are still inescapable today.”

“Sounds like you’re defending him,” Donna snaps.

Bruce smirks and puts on his professor voice, though he’s just a mediocre music critic. “I’m not defending him, but I think someone who gets out of prison after five years and steps on stage ten days later shows a lot of courage.”

The noise in my head drowns everything out. I jump off the couch and start pacing. The courage has abandoned me. I’m losing myself. I rake my hands through my hair, not knowing what to do with myself.

The first show is tonight, and I just want to disappear.

“Who is Aran Graves?” Donna asks, her tone making it clear she doesn’t give a shit. She only wants scandals that prove I’m unfit for society and belong in a cage.

“Aran Graves grew up in a suburb of Boston,” Bruce begins while they roll old footage of Grave Sinner that Liam posted on Instagram. “His father owned a carpentry shop; his mother was a homemaker. He has an older sister who runs a flower shop in Boston. According to sources, they no longer have contact, which suggests he’s also estranged from his parents. The incident with Ben Jenkins apparently caused the family rift.”