JJ was brought to the police station, and after a few hours of waiting, was finally put into a holding cell. The whole time he was getting processed and transferred, he kept thinking about the situation he found himself in.
“That is the last time. I am done with Peter. I am done with magic, and I am done with all that Hawaiian god stuff. I am done with all of it.” JJ said to himself, quietly, after he found an empty spot on a bench in the jail between some inmates sleeping off a night of partying. He put his head in his hands and thought about screaming in frustration.
Before he decided to let himself express his frustration, he figured out why the spot was unoccupied. He could feel something wet seeping into his pants. “Great, last time someone threw up on my shirt, now I’m sitting in … something. Shit, shit, shit,” JJ decided a low-brow term for excriment would adequately express his frustration and anger and general displeasure with his current situation. The previously sleeping inmates did not share his enthusiasm for that specific word. “Shut up and let me sleep,” an itinerant resident mumbled.
“Keep it down in there,” a voice from the free side of the bars yelled.
***
“Mr Presley, looking at your record, I can see you were here just a few days ago. Couldn’t stay out of trouble, could you?” The judge asked, then finally looked up to see JJ. “Wow, those are quite a pair of pants.”
“Yes, your honor, I mean no, your honor, I mean that I was minding my own business when two guys attacked me, and the pants,” JJ hung his head, looking at the ridiculous clothing option. “They are courtesy of a jailor who took pity on me when mine became soiled by another inmate's lack of bladder control,” JJ said. The pants in question were hot pink with very bright lime green polka dots. Whoever wore them before was a very large person. On JJ, they were closer to clown pants or a shoplifter's dream. There was so much room in them that he could have gone to the closest Kmart and cleaned out the CD section.
“Those are pretty awful pants. Whoever gave you those did you no favor.” He took his reading glasses off and rubbed his eyes. “Wow, they are so bad they’re hurting my eyes,” the judge said and then looked back down at the case files, putting his glasses back on. “Please take a seat so I don’t have to look at that crime against fashion.” He was silent for a moment while he read the files and let JJ sit. “It says here you were trespassing in the pool around the volcano at the Mirage.”
“No, sir,” JJ said. “I was on the sidewalk trying to tell a crazy guy to get out of the pool.”
“Sorry, I’m late, Judge. There was an incident near here, and Metro shut down all the streets,” the public defender said as he smashed open the courtroom door and entered, bumping into every bench like a plinko ball making its way down the board. He finally made it to the gallery door and almost fell over before it swung out of his way.
The judge looked up at the interruption. “I find it disappointing that you have such low regard for my time. You should have called the court and made us aware of the delay. There must have been a payphone at the bar you were in.” The judge looked down, then added, “At least fix your collar.”
The public defender looked down at his tie and then adjusted it along with the collar that was standing up on one side. “Yes, sir,” he finally said after checking the rest of his slept-in attire, “Can I take a moment to look over the case, sir?”
“Take your time, we’ll wait,” the judge said with obvious sarcasm.
“Thank you,” the public defender said as he looked down at the case paperwork. After a moment, he looked up and said, “My client pleads guilty and will accept a …”
“No, I don’t,” JJ yelled, interrupting his attorney. “I was on a sidewalk! A public sidewalk!”
“Is that true?” The judge asked the ADA at the other table.
“Uhmm,” the ADA stalled while he looked through his case paperwork. “Uhm, no, he was in the fountain … wait … no, the unknown bather was not apprehended. It says here that Mr Presley was next to the … Uh, yes, your honor, Mr Presley was on the sidewalk.”
“Did this trespassing start in the casino?” The judge asked.
“Uhm …” Again, the ADA stalled while he looked through the case. “No, sir, there is no indication of that. It says here that security first interacted with him when they observed him trying to get a homeless person to get out of the body of water around the volcano.”
“Did the defendant assault the security personnel?” The judge asked. “Any time you want to offer anything, speak up.” The judge said to the public defender.
“Uhhh, yes, sir, I mean, yes, your honor. I ask for a complete dismissal,” the public defender said.
“ADA Johnson, please answer my question.” The judge demanded.
“Yes, your honor, Mr Presley fought their attempt to detain him,” the ADA said.
“Mr Presley defended himself when he was attacked by some men on the public sidewalk. I am dismissing the charges with prejudice and would expect an apology from the casino,” the judge said.
“Uhm, your honor, can I speak?” JJ asked.
“Yes, Mr Presley,” the judge said.
“I’m supposed to be at Sunset Park this morning for community service. Could you do anything?” JJ asked.
“Ah, yes, I see that here.” The judge said, looking down at the previous case. “Howard, can you put together a stay of execution?”
“Yes, your honor,” the judge's assistant said.
“It was just supposed to be community service for trespassing!” JJ exclaimed in alarm.
“Just a little judicial humor,” the judge said. “Howard, make the commencement date one week from today.” The judge looked down at his desk and made some notes, then closed the folder. “Next case.”
“Thank you, sir,” JJ said to the judge, then looked over at the distillery-smelling public defender. “Now what?”
“The bailiff will get your things, and you are free to go,” the public defender said, then looked back at the next case with the defendant already being brought into the courtroom.
JJ retrieved his belongings and then found his way out.
At the sidewalk, there was a cab driver with his light on.
“Where to?” The driver asked when JJ got in.
“Sierra …” JJ started to give his home address. “You know what, how about the California? I think I need some breakfast.” He had a sudden urge to go get breakfast there.
“All right,” the driver said and then rocketed around the corner and down a few blocks to the back door of the Califonia.
JJ got out, paid his fare, and headed in. His feet seemed to be on autopilot. He felt like a passenger as he went in, watching all the lights and sounds of a morning casino.
“How many?” The voice of the coffee shop hostess broke into his daze.
“Oh, uh, one,” JJ said in response.
The hostess grabbed a menu and then walked JJ over to a mostly empty counter. JJ sat and busied himself with rearranging the silverware that was already positioned perfectly for a person seated
He had just begun to look at the menu when two guys sat down on either side of him.
JJ looked to his right and left and saw that the unwelcome company was Peter and Raul.
“Go away,” JJ said, looking at Peter. “Every time I’m near you, something bad happens.” He put down the menu as the waitress walked over.
“What can I get you, honey?” the older waitress asked.
“Coffee and a loco moco,” JJ said, ignoring his two companions.
“Coming right up.” She wrote down the order and then looked at Peter and Raul on either side of him. “Let me know when you guys are ready.” She said to them and then walked away to put the order on the wheel. “One loco dripping.” She called out.
“How did you find him?” JJ asked Raul. “And how did you know to go with him?” JJ asked, turning to Peter.
“It was pretty easy, he was the only guy climbing out of the pool of the volcano while you and the guards were wrestling, then I yelled out his name and he came over,” Raul said.
“I figured he was a good guy or that guardian spirit wouldn’t be around him,” Peter said.
Raul looked at him, then said, “What do you mean by guardian spirit?” Raul asked.
“Oh, uhmm, nothing,” Peter suddenly said, looking up above Raul. “I was just, uhm, just — having a hallucination. But it ended up being the right hallucination.”
Raul looked at Peter, not believing his obvious lie.
“So how did you guys know I would be here?” JJ asked, seeing that the two were not going to move.
“Oh, an old thing you taught me,” Peter started. “I said your full true name.”
“Ok, you said my name, is that supposed to mean anything?” JJ asked.
“Here’s your coffee.” The waitress said, dropping off the coffee for JJ. “Did you two decide?” She asked, noticing that Peter and Raul didn’t have menus.
“Just coffee for me,” Raul said.
“Me too,” Peter said.
“Put it on my tab, and bring them both a loco moco,” JJ said quickly, realizing that most likely neither of them had any money.
“What's a loco moco?” Raul asked.
“Hawaiian comfort food,” JJ said matter-of-factly. “So what do you mean by you said my name?” JJ asked Peter.
“Well, a while ago, you told me that anytime you said your full name, things really started to happen. You told me the first time you said your name, your full name, you ended up at a party on a private jet that ended up here in Vegas. You said it was the wildest weekend you ever had.” Peter said.
“So is that why I spent the night in Jail?” JJ asked, interrupting Peter.
“No, I’m getting there. Man, you have no patience these days. Anyway, after you told me about you saying your own name, you told me what happens when someone else says your name. When someone says your full name, you are drawn to them. The longer it takes you to get to them, the more urgent the need to get to them.” Peter finished.
“Have you said my name any other time recently, like before you were attacked behind Big Top Casino? Or before you got into the Mirage volcano pool?” JJ asked.
“No, why do you ask?” Peter asked.
“It doesn’t matter. Do me a favor and don’t say my name. I really don’t want anything to do with magic ever again.” JJ stopped and took a drink from his coffee. He sat for a few minutes in silence while Peter and Raul looked at him, waiting for him to say he was just kidding. When the silence had gotten over being uncomfortable and was just settling in for a long nap, he finally said, “I have a week until my community service, and I think I am going to go buy a TV and do what everyone else in my building does, sit and watch some mindless shows. Maybe I’ll take up smoking …” JJ was interrupted by the waitress setting down three orders of loco moco.
“Here you all go, enjoy.” She said, and then set down the bill for JJ. “You can pay at the register when you’re ready.”
The three of them were silent as they enjoyed their meal, with Peter and Raul making small sounds of enjoyment at the delights of eating a loco moco.
“Oooh, loco moco’s that's sounds good.” JJ heard Kavika’s voice from behind him.
“Here, take my spot. This is Raul and Peter,” JJ said, indicating the guys on either side of the stool he had just got up from. “I am one with the whole thing,” JJ said with half of his meal sitting on his plate.
Kavika didn’t hesitate and sat down to the half-eaten loco moco. Before he could dig in, JJ asked the waitress to add another loco moco to his bill for Kavika.
“Mmm, a nice loco moco to start the day,” Kavika said, completely missing the mood of the three.
“Have a good life, you three,” JJ said and walked away. He could hear the ensuing explanation from Peter and Raul until he was out of earshot.