The Long Road

I didn't know how long I had cried for, but to me it felt like I would never be able to stop. As I wiped away a tear with the back of my hand, I realised I had run out still holding the drumsticks. I gripped them tightly in my hands and recalled the amazing solo I had performed a few minutes ago . I started feeling a little betteras I remembered the look on Tre's face.

I looked around the backyard under it's near midday glow. Everything looked so cheerful and alive and here I was sobbing my heart out. I straightened up and took a deep breath. It wasn't the end of the world just yet. I would be here for another two weeks anyway, I still had I chance of finding my dad, whoever he was.

Suddenly, a head poked around the corner of the little room, and it turned out to be Joey. I tried to pull on a smile but I completely failed and sighed again.

'Dad told me you ran out. What's wrong?' he questioned, sitting down next to me. I looked up into his face, which was questioning and concerned.

'I thought you weren't talking to me.' I sniffed, remembering his cold manner towards me yesterday and this morning.

'That's not the point! The point is that you're upset about something and I wanna know what it is.' he persisted.

I looked up into his slightly stern face and started explaining what happened. When I finished he nodded and looked down at his hands.

'I'm sorry, y'know, about your whole dad thing.' he mumbled.

'It's okay. I just have to find out who he is, or was, before I leave San Francisco, otherwise I'll regret it forever.' I said, sitting up.

Joey looked back up at me and gave me a tired looking half grin. I noticed how doing that, he made himself look very cute. I tried not to smile and shoved the thoughts away again. But why shove them away?

'Look, I'm also sorry I've been acting like a total asshole since yesterday. I've been completely ignoring everyone, including you.' Joey said, looking at me again.

'Yeah, I starting to wonder why you were becoming so bitchy.' I joked. Joey rolled his eyes at me and continued.

'Anyway, it's just, I thought that I shouldn't bother trying to become friends with you. Why even bother when my dad is the more interesting one? It's not that I hate him or anything, he's a good guy, it's the fact that people only become my friends to get to him which pisses me off. I never know if I can trust anybody.'

I instantly felt sorry for Joey, realising that this must happen to him all the time. Having to deal with a rock star dad and a bunch of fake friends was obviously no picnic. I put my hand on Joey's shoulder.

'That must really suck, but you can honestly trust us. We like talking to your dad, Mike and Tre, definitely, but we enjoy hanging out with them as much as we enjoy hanging out with you.'

Joey smiled up at me and glanced nervously at my hand, which still rest on his shoulder. I snatched my hand away, feeling embarrassed. There was an awkward silence where we both sat there and tried not to look at each other.

'Well, umm - I think we should - y'know - go inside now.' Joey said nervously. We both jumped up and walked up the pathway and back into the house. Mike suddenly came up to me when we walked in, with a concerned expression on his face.

'Can I talk to you for a sec?' Mike asked quietly. Feeling surprised, I nodded and followed him into the lounge room. I sat down next to him, wondering what he wanted to talk about.

'I still feel bad about bringing up your dad like that.' Mike said, looking at me seriously in the face.

'It's okay honestly, I don't know why you feel bad.' I said as I looked down at my lap.

'I feel bad because I know what it's like not having a dad around.' Mike said. I looked at Mike, who folded his arms. There was a look in his eye that looked as though he was pulling all these memories out of the back of his mind and running over them again.

'I never knew my real dad, but my adoptive mum brought a guy home one day when I was in the fifth grade and suddenly he's my stepdad. I know that's not your case or anything, but I know that it hurts for you to never have met your real dad. I just hope you'll find him one day.'

I felt touched by Mike's small speech. He knew what I was going through and could relate to me. I reached over and pulled him into a hug, which slightly surprised him.

'Thanks Mike.' I said in his ear. Mike smiled and rubbed the top of my head.

'Anytime. Hey, are you doing a show today?' Mike suddenly questioned.

'We are doing a show tonight, then we do Thursday, Friday and Sunday night. And the same goes for next week. Why do you ask?'

'Well I was thinking that I might take you guys to my restaurant in Emeryville, for lunch today, if you're interested.'

I had heard of Mike's cafe, Rudy's Can't Fail, so many times over the years. Now was a perfect opportunity to go have something to eat there .

'Sounds perfect!' I said. Mike smiled and left me alone in the lounge room. And for once, I was distracted from the black hole of doom in my head. Today was going to go perfectly. Well, at least I think it would