Goodbye Blues

Joy laid in her stiff bed, staring up at the white wall after storytime. The maroon curtains were closed as was the door. This was the only time this ever happened. Instead of taking the time to rest, Joy let her mind wander to the next part of her story - the part she tended to skip to keep people interested.

___________

"She has to let me," Joy said slowly, letting go of Greta and looking at Chris. He wasn't looking back, just picking popcorn out of his teeth, so Joy just went on. "If she lets you go, why wouldn't she let me go?"

"Because this is my future; being in a band. Your future was college in Berkley. Remember?" Chris said, looking at her over-achieveing sister. When she had gotten the accpetance letter to Berkley, everyone in their family praised Joy. They asked Chris was colleges he got accepted to, and when he'd reply with none, they'd quickly try to change the subject.

"But the tour's just summer time," Joy said quietly. She knew she wouldn't be able to go, though. She was supposed to go to San Francisco in July to get comfortable in her dorm and set into the whole San Francisco vibe and California weather for a little before coming back, and spending her last month with her family and friends.

There was a long pause where everyone just kept quiet. A realization that they weren't teenagers anymore who hung out everyday overrode any other feeling in the room. This was real. The four kids that had spent so much together were being parted, and they were blindly trying to keep themselves back together.

"You can talk your mom into letting you go with us, instead, can't you?" Greta asked, pleading with her tone of voice and eyes. Joy nodded slowly. She had to convince her mother that being with Greta was more important. Spending her last summer with her best friend was so obviously more important.

Bob, Chris, Joy and Greta sat down and watch That 70's Show re-runs in the silence, passing about the popcorn bowl, mellowed and depressed by the mood that had been set. They weren't four kids anymore who were the best of friends. They were four growing kids, who were about to be ripped into four different adults.
The problem in Joy's mind was, while they were having a good time being adults, she was going to be miserable in sunny California.

______________

As Joy felt the feelings of that night overcome her, she turned on her side.
Chris always brought up the obvious bad points that no one wanted to hear.
He did the same thing when Joy's husband was showing signs of cancer.

But Joy shook that thought from her head and let her mind wander to a happy memory.

_______________

Chris and Joy had just gotten home and their mother and stepdad were in the kitchen, making dinner for them. The smell of mashed potatoes was thick in the air and made Joy's mouth water when she realized that she hadn't eaten the popcorn at Greta's or anything else all day.

"We're home," Chris called out, walking on the marble tile floors with ease to the kitchen. Joy lingered behind, her mind still on the heart-stopping topic from Greta's. She knew she had to inform her mother that she was going, she just didn't know how.

"Great, dinner's almost ready. I'm making chicken and Tofu chicken for you, Joy," Their mother called. Joy walked into the kitchen and sat at the barstool next to the island on the other side of Chris. A fake smile was plastered on her face.

"Yum," She said, looking down upon the food. Dinner rolls, salad, corn and a fresh bowl of mashed potatoes sat in front of her and she looked at them longingly while Chris texted someone quickly from his phone.

"Go set the table, would you, kids?" Their stepdad, Mark, asked. Joy had never exactly warmed up to Mark, but she wasn't cold to him. She treated him as if he were her mother's friend rather than third husband. Chris took to another tatic. He was harsh with Mark, never touching him or saying more than he had to, like "Pass the juice, please."

But Chris and Joy obeyed and got up, picking up plates and cups, setting them on the table for four. They worked silently, and Joy tried to think of ways to bring up her summer plans that would make her mom seem optomistic about them. Nothing came to mind as she set the forks and spoons about, next to the plates.

Once dinner was set out and the only sound that could be heard was the clanking of the metal utensils against the plate, Joy decided it was then or never. She couldn't bring it up any later. It had to be dealt with then. "Mom, I've decided I don't want to go to California this summer."

Joy's mother looked up and stopped chewing for a moment, staring at her daughter. She wasn't sure if she meant she didn't want to go to college there or if she just wanted to stay home the whole summer instead. But Joy cleared that up for her right away.
"I want to go to college in Berkley in the fall, yeah, but in the summer, I want to tour with Chris and Greta," Joy said. She didn't want to hear her mother's remarks about what a bad idea it was, so she just went on.

"Ryan Ross called The Hush Sound today and told them some tour terms, which included letting them know that they could bring one more person on tour with them. Mom, I can't leave Greta yet. She's been my best friend for forever, and I love her to death. Being parted from her this summer would like being apart from my other half. I need to go on tour with them. It's not just a want, it's a need!"

No one spoke around the table after Joy's melodramatic rant. Chris was looking back between Joy and his mother, gobbling food by the mouth full. Mark copied Chris's actions but in in a more suttle manner, as Joy and her mother locked eyes and thought about the pros and cons this would bring.

"Joy," Her mother said finally, and Joy cringed. "I-I...understand. You don't want to part from your best friend."

"Y-You do?"

"Yes, of course. Greta's like a second daughter to me, that's how close you two are. I know you don't want to part from her. It'd be harder than parting from your brother," Her mother said. Joy smirked and looked in Chris's direction, but he went unfazed by the comment.

"So, what are you saying? That I can go?" Joy asked, looking at her mother with antisipation. Her mother sighed and looked at Mark for a moment who just shrugged unhelpfully.

"I-I..." Joy's mother sighed. "I guess I am."

A loud scream escaped from Joy again. Today seemed to be going her way. She ran over and hugged her mother, doing the same thing she did with Greta just hours ago. She cried, "I'm calling Greta and telling her the great news."
With that, she ran upstairs, fumbling to get her cell phone out of her pocket, and dialed the all too familiar number four times before getting it right.

______________

"Joy, naptime's over," The nurse's voice said, bringing Joy out of her trance. Joy looked at her, and noticed how scared she looked. Joy must have looked dead staring at the empty spot on the bed next to her.

She got up and out of bed, taking her place in front of the mirror. The nurse sighed a little, and exitted, and Joy couldn't help but feel anxious for tomorrow for the little girl, Delilah.
Tomorrow, little Miss Delilah Feilds would meet the main character, Brendon Boyd Urie. And she'd never love a boy the same again.