A Start of Something New

A New Beginning:

Ronald Joseph Radke looked out the window of the car. Trying to hold back his tears.

`Holy shit, I really can't believe this day is really happening. There's a lot of anxiety...'

Ronnie's thoughts kept racing, his best friend Nason Schoeffler was talking to him trying to calm his nerves but Ronnie really wasn't paying attention.

Nason wore his sunglasses that day and his black and white headband fit snugly around his half blond and half black hair.

Then Ronnie couldn't control it any more. Hot tears swelled above his eyes and ran down his check. It was the first time that he had cried in 2 ½ years. He didn't cry at his sentencing, not even while he was locked up.

“Its ok man, you're free now!” Nason tried to comfort him. Ronnie's hands started shaking. Not just because of the anxiety and weird nervousness but his hands trembling was normal since he'd been sober. It was part of this nervous system disorder he now had

“Yeah, I'm ok. It's just so surreal to me. I've almost forgotten how things were or looked like outside those gates.” Ronnie tried to explain. Nason was about to reply but soft sound of bells ringing floated around in the car. Nason pulled out his cell phone to read his text message.

“Hey Ronnie reply to this for me, I'm driving. Just say we'll be home in about 20 minutes” He handed Ronnie the HTC Evo and Ronnie stared at it in amazement. It was very different from his old sidekick much less any other cell phone he seen before. It was big, sleek and touch screen. Ronnie barley tapped it and it moved smoothly along with his finger.

“Whoa, cool phone. Its like a computer” Ronnie stated Nason just simply smiled it took a while for Ronnie to get used the smooth touch screen. Nason pulled the car into the drive way and as Ronnie stepped out in to the open more anxiety filled him. It was almost hard to breathe. He fought back more tears this time he managed to compose them. Ronnie was just starting to think he could get through the day with out to much trouble but that's when he opened the door…

“SURPRISE! WELCOME HOME RONNIE, HAPPY BIRTHDAY” everyone yelled confetti was thrown at Ronnie. Then he was immediately greeted with hugs. There was a big banner that hung from the ceiling that read `happy birthday/welcome home' even though his birthday was 3 days ago. Ronnie of course who was already a nervous wreck nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Oh thanks guys, you really shouldn't have” Ronnie said shockingly and he wasn't lying about the last part. Derek Jones, Jacky Vincent, Brian Rogers (who was dressed up as a rock star Santa clause), and few other friends of friends were there. There also was one girl that stood out to Ronnie though, she was the tannest person there with the completion of olive or an almond, and under her Santa clause hat her hair was black, fluffy and curly that went down pass her shoulders. She had no tattoos or piercings. Unlike everyone else was. She wasn't dressed in all black like everyone either. Instead the girl was dressed in a white tank top and red denim shorts. For a second there eyes meet and they smiled at each other, her eyes where light brown with a hint of hazel, but Ronnie didn't have time to fully admire her. It was like a sea of people came greeting him with hugs a lot of familiar faces even though he couldn't put a names to most of them

“Hey, Ronnie come and cut your birthday cake so you can open you're gifts and this party can get going” Nason announced seizing Ronnie's shoulder and sort of dragging him towards the dining area. On a long Carmel colored table was a big white cake with blue icing around the sides and on the top it said `HAPPY BIRTHDAY' Jacky pulled out a Zippo and carefully lit the 2 and the 7 candle. Ronnie felt like drooling over the cake it was the best looking thing ever compare to stuff he ate in prison.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Ronald…" Everyone singed Ronnie felt himself kind of blush it was kinda embarrassing for him as he heard some women awe, and pointed out the obvious. At that point the only thing Ronnie wanted to do was disappear but for everyone else sake he decided to just pull on through for a few hours…

Mean while Maxwell Scott Green was pacing the floor of his Los Angeles apartment, he was very anxious himself.

“Hey man, what's the problem? You look worried.” Craig Edward Mabbitt said inviting himself into Max's apartment.

“Ronnie got released from prison today” Max said in a low bleak voice

“Oh yeah I forgot about that” Craig said Max cell phone ranged. He took it out of his pocket and threw it across the room. It broke against the wall and then cracked a picture frame it had hit before the shattered pieces fell to the light brown carpet

“Whoa, calm down! Who was that?”

“It was Lexus” Max almost yelled Craig started to get really concert for his friend

“What's going on with you and Lexus?” Craig inquired

“SHE CHEATED ON ME WHILE I WAS IN REHAB!” this time Max actually screamed

“That slut! I'm sorry dude.” Craig apologized to his friend that was in distress

“Yeah and now she wont stop calling and texting me”

“First of all just chill, deep breaths, woosaaahh”

“Whatever man, I'm fine it's just…”-max voice trailed off a bit then it came back quivering- “what do we suppose we do about Ronnie?” he questioned

“Gosh Max, you sound like we're trying to cover up for a murder.”

“I'm serious!”

“Well we have a few options, very few”

“What's that?”

“We can try and befriend him, or just ignore him”

“What do you think?”

“I'm not sure Max, I barley know the guy. You're the one that grew up with him. I'll leave that decision up you.” Craig said to max giving him a squeeze on the shoulder and leaving the apartment, leavening Max by his lonesome to really think what he was going to do

At that same time back over at Nason's house the party really started. People were mingling we each other eating food and having a good time Ronnie didn't feel to good being around this many people made extremely nervous, and especially when women came up to him. He couldn't speak correctly, he blushed a lot to it made him feel uncomfortable. Especially when some girls came on a bit too hard. It also really irritated him when anyone would come to him with a camera he tried to keep his head ducked and turned away from the lime light. Although he was kind of hoping that girl would come to him and just talk, but he hadn't seen her since they cut the cake. And he tried looking for her even asking a few people about her but nothing came up until, he was walking around up stairs trying get away from everybody. He felt claustrophobic, and then something unusual happened. He heard the sounds of classical symphonic music drift out of one rooms. Ronnie being curious and adventurous like always he followed the sounds of the music. He slowly opened the door.

In the room was the girl he saw before that was wearing the red shorts and Santa hat. She was in the corner of the room and was painting on a canvas and there was a white sheet on the floor under her stool and canvas stand.

“What are you painting?” Ronnie said at first softly, she didn't hear him her radio was right next to her sitting at the foot of the bed.

“Hello?” Ronnie said a bit louder. She heard him this time because she jumped right out her stool making her painting palette fall right on her painting, as a result ruining it.

“Ah, darn it! My painting...” the girl said frowning

“I'm sorry I messed up your painting” Ronnie tried to apologized and picked up the palette.

“Oh well it wasn't coming out that good anyway” she said taking the palette out of Ronnie's hand

“I'm Ronnie, by the way” he greeting himself holding out a hand it had paint on it but she shook it anyway because she too had paint on hers

“Yeah I know, my cousin told me about you”

“Who is your cousin?”

“Nasty”

“Oh, Nason?” it kind of took Ronnie of guard

“Yeah, can't you tell the resemblance?” she said sarcastically, there wasn't any visible similarity between her and Nason well maybe her Nose or mouth that was it.

“So I didn't catch your name?”

“That's probably because I didn't throw it” she said smugly

“You look really young-” before Ronnie could finish his sentence she said

“And you look really old, what are like 30? 40 something?” she laughed

“Very funny, how old are you?”

“What's it to ya” she said it was amusing to Ronnie how this girl wasn't giving him the information he wanted she was different from the rest of the girls from the party that was all over him. And giving him too much information

“So you live here too? Nason never mentioned you.”

“That's nasty for ya, he usually leaves me out and most of the time he forgets I'm here I'm always here in my room or working” she explained it was the first bit of information she gave him

“So are you gonna tell me you're name or not?”

“Sure I'll tell you”

“What is it?”

“I'm not sayin''”

“You just said you were”

“Yeah I'll tell you, just not right now”

“OK, I see how you wanna be”

“And what's that?” she asked

“I'm not telling you”

“OK, whatever” she turned away from him and started scraping her ruined painting Ronnie observed the room. Portraits and painting hung from the walls. They were all really good. They're was one of her and Nason that looked liked a digital picture and when he looked closer he realized it was a painting

“Wow, these are really good”

“Thank you”

“Why aren't you at the party?”

“Why aren't you at the party. should be the better question after all, it all just for you” she said

“I don't really like being around to many people, it makes me nervous”

“Same here, not about the nervousness I just don't like being around people”

“So you like symphony music, huh?”

“Maybe” the mystery girl said, Ronnie gave her a look

“What?”

“Why did you gotta be so mean to me”

“I'm not mean, would a mean person do this” she went to the closet and took out a long cardboard cylinder she pulled out a big piece of sketching paper and handed it to Ronnie it was still rolled up and it had a red bow on it that said to RONNIE. He unraveled the red ribbon and unrolled the paper and on it was a sketch drawing of himself.

“Thanks, I guess you dig ok mystery girl.”

“Why you're welcome Ronald, I would have given it too you when you were opening your other presents but I didn't want anyone else to see it” she confessed. Then Ronnie did something that surprised himself and the girl. He hugged her. It probably surprised her even more because at first she didn't hugged back. It felt as if someone splashed cold water on her as Ronnie hugged her tightly. She finally put her arms around Ronnie neck. To her it seemed like this moment could have gone on forever but it didn't.

“Ronnie? What the hell, that's my little cousin!” Nason exclaimed and that ended their embrace. Both her and Ronnie where blushing and looking embarrassed. Nason raised an eyebrow

“What's going on here?” Nason demanded to know

“Nothing, she was giving me a present” Ronnie explained showing his friend the drawing, Nason gave both his cousin and his best a look that could slice bread

“I should be going back to the party…bye mystery” just as Ronnie was walking out she stopped him

“Wait!”

Ronnie stopped in his tracks and turned on his heels

“Yes?”

“My name is Oli, its short for Olivia” Olivia finally confessed Ronnie just smiled at her then left.