Goodbye Blues

"Joy? Joy, wake up. It's dinnertime. Joy?"

Joy's eyes fluttered open to see her nurse looking down upon her. She sat up in bed slowly, fixing her hair and clothes. She ignored the small smile the nurse had on her face.

"What would you like for dinner, Joy?" The nurse asked kindly, as she fluffed some pillows for the elderly woman. Joy always found this question completely absurd every time she was asked, because Joy never had a choice. So she merely shrugged in response, her eyes looking towards her mirror that looked oh-so comforting at the moment. "Alright, well, I'll just bring you whatever the special is in the cafeteria."

With that, the nurse exited and Joy quickly made her way to her mirror. She stared for minutes, as she tried to find the youthful Joy under all the wrinkles and gray hair, but it seemed the young Joy was gone forever.

The loud clank brought Joy out of her depressing stance, and she turned to see the nurse setting down the food on the table and quickly walking out, a sad look on her face. Joy sighed and looked at the food, quickly realizing that she wasn't hungry. So instead, she looked back towards the mirror, and thought about how when she was young, she never found herself pretty. Especially that morning after she had gotten drunk the first night of tour.

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After washing her face, Joy went into the living room to be greeted by the sight of Bob, Chris, Darren and Greta all sitting around the table, talking, with Tom and Jerry in the background. They all looked up at Joy when she entered.

"Good morning, party girl," Greta said in a joking matter, but Joy didn't find it amusing at all. Instead, she sneered at her best friend and sat next to her brother on one of the couches. "Too soon to joke around about it?"

"Shut up, Greta," Joy said, putting her head on her brother's shoulder. She felt close to him, knowing that he had caressed her in her moments of drunken misery, and he didn't mind it. He rested his head on hers, smiling a little because for once, it wasn't him who was bugging her.

"Meow," Greta mused, turning to Bob who laughed a little. "Guess I shouldn't tell you that we're stopping at a nearby Denny's then, aye?"

"Do you think a pharmacy store will be around it? I need Advil. Badly," Joy said, putting her hand on her head for a moment before sighing a little and lifting her head from Chris's shoulder.

"Probably," Darren said, now looking towards the television, deep in the episode of the old cartoon. Joy nodded and sighed, her mind racing about thoughts of last night. She had danced, flirted, and drank endlessly with tons of guys. Especially William. Over and over again. The thought of having to see him in just a few minutes made her crinkle her nose.

"I think I might just stay in the bus instead of going into the diner. Will one of you guys bring me back something?" Joy asked. Greta looked towards Chris who shrugged.

"Sure thing," Greta said, looking towards her friend. But Joy didn't make eye contact with her. Instead, she stood up with a yawn and went back to her bunk to read a little.

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Joy was re-reading Little Women for the tenth time, alone in the bus, when she heard the bus door open and loud footsteps come in. She shut her book slowly and made no movement, wondering who it could be, when her bed curtain was pulled back and she was greeted by a very handsome face.

"Hi," Brendon said, crouching a little to come face to face with the tired looking girl. Joy stared at him a long moment, before whispering a hello herself.

Brendon got onto his knees so he wouldn't have to crouch and let the awkward silence linger before asking, "So uh, what's up?"

"Uhm," Joy said, pausing a little and looking towards her book, "Reading Little Women. What about you?"

Brendon shrugged a little, and Joy only then noticed that he was wearing a suitable red v-neck and black skinny jeans, his hair sticking up in certain places. She herself was in a pink tube top and Tweety pajama bottoms. In her head, she scolded Greta for putting them on her, and scolded herself for packing them. "Just came to check on you. I heard you were pretty intoxicated last night."

Joy closed her eyes, feeling her cheeks get red hot with embarrassment. She hoped to God that whoever had told Brendon about last night, hadn't gone into full detail. She grumbled, "Uh, yeah."

"I'm guessing you need Advil?" Brendon asked, a little smile appearing on his face. It was a cautious, playful smile that seemed contagious, for it made Joy smile as well as she whispered, "Just a bit."

"Then you're going to love me," Brendon said as he shoved his hand into his pocket, making Joy raise her eyebrow, until he pulled out a small box of the medication. "You're lucky there's a pharmacy in this plaza."

"Oh my God, you're my hero," Joy said, smiling. She got out of the bunk as Brendon stood up and hugged him tightly. Her arms wrapped around his neck, her head lying against his chest as she stood on her tip toes. She could feel his warm breaths against her hair. Slowly, Brendon let his hands fall to her hips and slide to the small of her back, putting some force into the kind gesture, making their bodies come even closer.

Joy's heart began racing as she felt Brendon's fingers slowly caress the skin on her lower back that was showing. She didn't want to let go, wanting this odd feeling to last inside her, but she had to. She unwrapped her arms, letting his hands fall down his chest before quickly turning away and walking towards the kitchen to get water.

She returned and Brendon handed her the medicine that he had already unwrapped. She put them in her mouth and downed them with water, before smiling towards him, and whispering, "Thanks."

Awkwardly, Brendon rubbed the back of his neck and said quietly, "Anytime."

The sound of his voice was low and made Joy bit her lip as she stared at the cover of her book. She could feel his eyes burning into her, and she tried her very hardest not to look at his beautiful features. But she failed miserably, looking up at his chocolate brown eyes.

They looked soft and welcoming unlike the many times Joy had seen them before. They matched his soft little smirk and Joy suddenly felt as if he was closer to her than she remembered. His body heat, so irresistible in that moment against her oddly cold skin, seemed to lure her in, as he looked down into her hazel eyes.

Their bodies seemed like magnets, falling closer and closer together in such a cliche matter, that Joy almost wanted to stop. But when Brendon's lips were just seconds away from hers, she felt as if she wasn't in control anymore, and pressed her plump lips against his.

As she leaned against Chris and Bob's bunks, her hands made their way around Brendon's neck again, feeling at home as her fingers played with his dark hair. His arms slid around her waist like snakes, pressing her body roughly against his.

Almost immediately, Brendon's tongue begged for entrance against Joy's bottom lip, and gladly, Joy let him in, feeling perfectly happy as her tongue danced with his, and her skin tingled at his touch, his hands moving under shirt, but not going any higher than the small of her back.

Slowly, they both proceeded to unravel themselves from each other, leaving the last few moments with just a few small, moist kisses before Brendon stepped back and stared right at Joy who looked back at him.

"Joy, I brought you back hash-browns and a pancake! I was going to bring back two but Chris ate - " Greta's voice came in, but stopped when she saw Joy against the bunks, and Brendon only a few inches away from her. Quickly she finished up her thought and went on, "The other one. Sorry, am I interrupting something?"

"N-No," Joy said, her eyes widening at Greta's assumption.

"Actually, I was just leaving," Brendon said slowly, and pushed past Greta, dashing out of the bus. Greta though stood in front of her friend with the food in her hand, and looked at Joy quizzically.

"So," Joy said awkwardly and slowly, knowing there was no use in trying to deny that anything happened just moments before. "Hash-brown and a pancake, you say?"

But Greta just snickered.

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The memory made Joy smile. Brendon's kisses were so sinful but sweet. She loved them so, and anytime she was around him, she longed for one, for even the smallest or quickest ones were better than anyone else's.

If could have had anything in that moment, it would have been one of those bittersweet kisses filling her senses with happiness.

But you always want what you can't have.