21st Century Breakdown
Last Night On Earth
Jimmy danced around Nancy’s apartment, swinging his arms and twirling in circles like a small child. Nancy was sitting calmly at the kitchen table, under a hanging lamp, drinking her coffee and drawing something or other.
“Fuck Jimmy settle down!” She finally yelled, flustered, throwing a purple stuffed elephant at him. He held an arm up and deflected it, letting it fall to the ground.
“Awh, come on baby, I wanna go exploring.” She turned to face him, her blond hair spilling over her shoulders in long straight threads.
“Where the hell are you planning on going?”
“Out.” He said simply. His arms crossed.
“Out? Jimmy, please, just sit down and shut up and let me finish this, I need to get paid so my squatter boyfriend has somewhere to go.” She said, lightening just a little to Jimmy’s eyes.
“If I let you finish that off... Will you finish me off?” He grinned mischievously. Nancy laughed quickly, and went back to work. “No, but I’ll take you exploring in this shit hole city. I really don’t see your infatuation with it.” Jimmy shrugged. He sat on the edge of the couch for a moment, pulling the skin away from his hand, trying to entertain himself while Nancy finished her drawing. After a moment he cracked all of his knuckles. Then he sat, and he waited.
He’d waited about forty-five seconds when he changed how he was sitting. Thirty seconds later he laid down across the couch, then another few moments later he sat back up. Then he decided to sit on the back of the couch.
Nancy looked at him, her head still pointed down at her drawing. He scooted down onto the couch again and cracked his knuckles. Then he scratched his head and clicked his tongue. When that lost it’s entertainment he stuck his pointer finger in his mouth against his cheek and popped it out making an almost bubbly sound. He grinned, entertaining himself again and continued. Nancy finally stood.
“Jesus Christ, I’m not going to get any work done with you here, am I?” Jimmy shook his head. “Go get your leash.”
“Remember this place?” Jimmy and Nancy walked hand-in-hand down the street, and Jimmy swung their hands, letting his childish behavior take ahold of Nancy’s heart. She smiled and nodded at him.
“Back when it was that old bar. I remember.”
“I’m glad I met you.” He said quietly, staring into the blackened windows from the fire a few months ago.
“Me too.” Jimmy released her hand and tried at the door, but it was locked. He could see the spot where they met, right by the jukebox. Yes, it had a jukebox. “Nice try.”
“I’m not done.” Jimmy flexed his fist, stretched his fingers once, and then blew them threw the glass on the front door. He unlocked it and then opened the door, took off his jacket and threw it onto the broken glass, then held out an arm for Nancy, who was staring at him with bright eyes and a warm smile. He led her over to that spot, which coincidentally had a circle of blackened wood. He motioned for her to stay there and then walked over to the jukebox and looked at the back.
He pulled the plug to the wall and plugged it into the outlet. He tried to turn it on, and after a kick or two it came on and he chose the song.
“Good times for a change,
See, the luck I’ve had,
Can make a good man,
Turn bad.”
Jimmy walked up to Nancy. “Remember?” He said quietly.
***
Christian grabbed Gloria’s hand under the sheets and blindly played with her fingers.
“Why now?” She asked him quietly.
“What do you mean?” He let go of her hand, thinking he did something wrong. “Why did I have to meet you now? Why did we have to live now? Why couldn’t we live when we had more time? More time to fall in love, and to do whatever it is we’re supposed to. And maybe this sounds selfish, but I don’t want to fall in love with you, I don’t even want to like you, but I can’t help it.” She started speaking through tears and Christian scooted up against her, holding her head against his chest, just listening.
“I don’t want you to help it.”
“You don’t get it. I don’t want to die with a feeling that I should be alive. You make me feel like I should be alive. And we’re all gonna die. Soon.”
“Gloria. Listen to me. We’re not going to die. It’s not going to happen. The world is shitty right now, but..” He didn’t know what to say. His voice fell away, and he saw what she meant. They sat there in silence, until Gloria sighed.
“So I’m refusing to fall in love with you.”
***
Jimmy and Nancy had been slow dancing in the circle of black. Nancy’s head was up against Jimmy’s chest and he could smell her hair.
“Nan, I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“There’s something I want to say. I just don’t know how.” She backed away from him and stared up into his eyes. “So I guess I’ll just say it.” He fell to his knee and looked down for a moment before looking up at Nancy. Her eyes were wide.
“Nancy Elizabeth Pritchard, will you-”
***
“If we die tomorrow, I won’t regret meeting you, I’ll regret breathing.” Christian whispered into the darkness.
***
Locked in a kiss, the room spun. And Nancy’s arms found Jimmy’s neck and his arms found her waist.
“So please please please,
Let me, let me, let me,
Let me get what I want,
This time.”
“Fuck Jimmy settle down!” She finally yelled, flustered, throwing a purple stuffed elephant at him. He held an arm up and deflected it, letting it fall to the ground.
“Awh, come on baby, I wanna go exploring.” She turned to face him, her blond hair spilling over her shoulders in long straight threads.
“Where the hell are you planning on going?”
“Out.” He said simply. His arms crossed.
“Out? Jimmy, please, just sit down and shut up and let me finish this, I need to get paid so my squatter boyfriend has somewhere to go.” She said, lightening just a little to Jimmy’s eyes.
“If I let you finish that off... Will you finish me off?” He grinned mischievously. Nancy laughed quickly, and went back to work. “No, but I’ll take you exploring in this shit hole city. I really don’t see your infatuation with it.” Jimmy shrugged. He sat on the edge of the couch for a moment, pulling the skin away from his hand, trying to entertain himself while Nancy finished her drawing. After a moment he cracked all of his knuckles. Then he sat, and he waited.
He’d waited about forty-five seconds when he changed how he was sitting. Thirty seconds later he laid down across the couch, then another few moments later he sat back up. Then he decided to sit on the back of the couch.
Nancy looked at him, her head still pointed down at her drawing. He scooted down onto the couch again and cracked his knuckles. Then he scratched his head and clicked his tongue. When that lost it’s entertainment he stuck his pointer finger in his mouth against his cheek and popped it out making an almost bubbly sound. He grinned, entertaining himself again and continued. Nancy finally stood.
“Jesus Christ, I’m not going to get any work done with you here, am I?” Jimmy shook his head. “Go get your leash.”
“Remember this place?” Jimmy and Nancy walked hand-in-hand down the street, and Jimmy swung their hands, letting his childish behavior take ahold of Nancy’s heart. She smiled and nodded at him.
“Back when it was that old bar. I remember.”
“I’m glad I met you.” He said quietly, staring into the blackened windows from the fire a few months ago.
“Me too.” Jimmy released her hand and tried at the door, but it was locked. He could see the spot where they met, right by the jukebox. Yes, it had a jukebox. “Nice try.”
“I’m not done.” Jimmy flexed his fist, stretched his fingers once, and then blew them threw the glass on the front door. He unlocked it and then opened the door, took off his jacket and threw it onto the broken glass, then held out an arm for Nancy, who was staring at him with bright eyes and a warm smile. He led her over to that spot, which coincidentally had a circle of blackened wood. He motioned for her to stay there and then walked over to the jukebox and looked at the back.
He pulled the plug to the wall and plugged it into the outlet. He tried to turn it on, and after a kick or two it came on and he chose the song.
“Good times for a change,
See, the luck I’ve had,
Can make a good man,
Turn bad.”
Jimmy walked up to Nancy. “Remember?” He said quietly.
***
Christian grabbed Gloria’s hand under the sheets and blindly played with her fingers.
“Why now?” She asked him quietly.
“What do you mean?” He let go of her hand, thinking he did something wrong. “Why did I have to meet you now? Why did we have to live now? Why couldn’t we live when we had more time? More time to fall in love, and to do whatever it is we’re supposed to. And maybe this sounds selfish, but I don’t want to fall in love with you, I don’t even want to like you, but I can’t help it.” She started speaking through tears and Christian scooted up against her, holding her head against his chest, just listening.
“I don’t want you to help it.”
“You don’t get it. I don’t want to die with a feeling that I should be alive. You make me feel like I should be alive. And we’re all gonna die. Soon.”
“Gloria. Listen to me. We’re not going to die. It’s not going to happen. The world is shitty right now, but..” He didn’t know what to say. His voice fell away, and he saw what she meant. They sat there in silence, until Gloria sighed.
“So I’m refusing to fall in love with you.”
***
Jimmy and Nancy had been slow dancing in the circle of black. Nancy’s head was up against Jimmy’s chest and he could smell her hair.
“Nan, I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“There’s something I want to say. I just don’t know how.” She backed away from him and stared up into his eyes. “So I guess I’ll just say it.” He fell to his knee and looked down for a moment before looking up at Nancy. Her eyes were wide.
“Nancy Elizabeth Pritchard, will you-”
***
“If we die tomorrow, I won’t regret meeting you, I’ll regret breathing.” Christian whispered into the darkness.
***
Locked in a kiss, the room spun. And Nancy’s arms found Jimmy’s neck and his arms found her waist.
“So please please please,
Let me, let me, let me,
Let me get what I want,
This time.”
♠ ♠ ♠
Different kind of chapter, but I wanted something different for this song, it wakes a few bad memories for me, so I guess I just wanted to make something to push that out of my memory.It didn't, but oh well.
Love,
Lucy.