Growing Up Won't Bring Us Down

Johnny was woken yet again in the morning by Marco the next day. This time it, luckily, was not drums. It was her running around and screaming about stuff he didn't bother to pay attention to. The only thought he had was how much he wished he would have shut his door after packing last night. It was the day they left for tour and Marco was screaming at five o'clock in the morning.

“Why is she screaming at five in the morning?” Johnny moaned. As if she had heard him over all the running and shouting she as doing, Marco dashed into the room. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail and she was dressed in a baby tee and shorts. Johnny thought she was lucky that he was so lenient with her clothes. There was no way in hell she’d be allowed to wear those shorts if he was anything like his father.

“Dad! Have you seen my Nikes?!"

“What Nikes?” Johnny groaned, rolling over onto his side so that his back was to her. “You have, like, five pairs thanks to Brian.”

“The Nikes,” Marco stressed as if Johnny should automatically know what she was talking about. She let out a loud groan of annoyance when Johnny failed to respond. “My lucky Nikes! I can't leave without them!”

“Marco! The bus won't even be here for another four more hours. Go back to sleep for now.”

“I can't sleep.”

“How long have you been up?”

“Since four.” Johnny sighed, trying to open his eyes and massively failing.

“Why don’t you go bug Jimmy?”

“Because he’s not answering any of my texts. I figured he was still asleep so I left him alone.”

“Why couldn’t you leave me alone? I was sleeping.”

“Because I was hoping you would know where my Nikes were.” Johnny sighed again, rubbing his face into his pillow. Some mornings he wished she would sleep in late for once in her life.

“Well go for a jog or something.”

“A jog?” Marco echoed. She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow to stare at Johnny’s back. “You want a thirteen year old to go for a jog at five o’clock in the morning?”

“If it will get me time to sleep, yes.” Johnny suddenly remembered something that made a faint smile appear on his face. “Call up Matt. He always goes out for jogs at this time. He’ll probably swing by to pick you up.”

“Really? Like the buff gorilla needs to workout anymore,” Marco muttered, turning on her heels to head back out his door. When she shut it behind her Johnny let out a soft sigh. Finally he could get his damn rest. In her room Marco picked up her cell phone from the desk. She quickly scrolled to Mattiekins and pressed the green button. Within the first two rings he answered.

“Hello?” His raspy voice came through unsurely.

“Hey Uncle Matt,” Marco chirped. “Whatcya dooooin’?”

“About to go for a jog. I was pulling on my shoes.”

“Can I come with? I can’t sleep and Johnny is too lazy to get up right now. He told me about your morning jogs and I wanted to come along.”

“Uh, sure. Just get ready. I’ll be there in five.”

“Okay. Thanks Uncle Matt.”

“Anytime Marco.” With that Marco hung up. She traded out her shorts for some basketball shorts. She decided that was good enough and grabbed her iPod before skipping out of her room and then jumped over the stairs to land on the couch. Marco shoved her phone into her bra before climbing out the window in the living room. She shut it before walking to the front of the house. Five seconds later Matt pulled up in his SUV. Marco grinned and ran over, hoping into the front seat.

“Hi Mattie.” She leaned over and placed a quick kiss on his cheek before she buckled herself in.

“Hey Shortie.“ Matt was the only one allowed to call her that. She wasn’t sure why, but it annoyed all the other adult guys.

“Oooh. Metallica,” Marco random cooed, turning up the radio.

“So why did you want to come along so bad?” Matt asked as he pulled out of the driveway, heading towards Central Park. Marco shrugged as she watched the scenery fly by.

“I guess I was just bored. Dad obviously wasn't going to get out of bed and I couldn't play any of my instruments since it might bug him.” Matt nodded his understanding.

“Well then little miss, you get to hangout with your awesome Uncle Matt.” Marco giggled at his 'macho' high sitting.

“Why are you going for morning jogs anyway? It's not really like you need to workout anymore.”

“It's really not for the working out anymore. It just gives me time to clear my head and just not worry about anything.” Marco nodded at this logic.

“I could use some of that myself.” Matt didn't press the subject as much as he wanted to. What could the thirteen year old need to clear her head from? Before he could dwell on it too long the park came into view.

“Here we are,” Matt announced as he pulled into the nearly empty parking lot. As he climbed out Marco noticed he was wearing sweatpants, an Iron Maiden shirt with the sleeves ripped off, and white Reebok shoes.

“Is it okay if we ended up getting split up?” Marco asked as she bent over to stretch, not meeting Matt’s eyes.

“Do you have your phone?” Marco nodded in reply. “Yeah, that'll be fine. I usually leave at six so I'll just call when we need to head out.”

“Okay.” Marco pulled on her arm band that held her iPod as Matt headed off down the path at a jog. Marco turned her iPod to Papa Roach before heading in the opposite direction. After about ten minutes she ended up at the pond that held the ducks. Marco smiled at the sight of “Stallion Duck” curled up and sleeping beside the water. She sat about ten feet away from the white duck, running her fingers through the water. She was too fascinated with the ripples to notice anyone walking up to her.

“Excuse me,” the loud voice called, cutting through her music. She was quick to turn around in her spot, staring up at the person within arm’s length of her. Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion as the man smiled down at her. To say she was getting the creeps was an understatement. He has short brown hair and the skin that was revealed on his arms were covered in tattoos. His gray eyes, something Marco had always taken time to memorize on everyone, didn’t seem familiar. “Have you seen a buff guy with tattoos? Probably jogging.”

“Depends on whose asking.” He raised an eyebrow, still smiling.

“Are you Marco?”

“That one definitely depends on whose asking. More than it was about - ”

“Alex!” Both of them turned to Marco’s left. Matt was jogging down the path, waving to the group. Marco could only assume this man was ‘Alex’. He grinned widely and waved back to the buffer man. Soon the two were talking like old friends finally reunited or something. Marco shrugged, leaning back into the moist grass from the dew. “Hey Marco.”

She popped an eye open to stare up at the adults who were upside down to her eye. “Yeah?”

“Marco, this is my friend Alex. He’s the singer from the band Atreyu.” A mini light bulb went off over Marco’s head at the sound of the familiar band name. “He’s going to be riding with us to Colorado for the first show.”

“Cool. I’m Marco Seward,” Marco greeted, sticking a hand up over her head. Alex smiled, shaking her hand.

“Nice to meet you.”

“So are we gunna keep going or just stop?” Marco asked, eyes trailing to Matt.

“Coming from the girl lying in the grass,” Matt mocked. Marco’s face scrunched up, her tongue poking out of her mouth in a childish manner. Matt and Alex laughed. “But nah, let’s just go ahead and head back. I still need to pack anyways. I procrastinated last night.”

“For shame Matt, for shame,” Marco said with a scowl, shaking her head as she stood to her feet. Matt rolled his eyes as the two adults led the way back to the parking lot. Suddenly Marco caught the sight of something simply amazing: a tabby kitten. “Oh my God, kitty!”

Matt and Alex laughed as she ran off into the empty parking lot, chasing the terrified kitten. Matt and Alex leaned against Matt’s SUV which was parked right next to Alex’s Mustang. As the two men lit up a cigarette each Alex commented by saying, “Well, she’s getting her exercise.”

Matt snorted in reply. “Please, that’s nothing for her. That’s normal behavior.”

“Are we sure she’s not a descent of Jimmy’s?” Alex questioned. He had been informed, minus the multiple news overages he’s seen, that Johnny had adopted Marco. But the more he learned about her the more he thought she was secretly related to Jimmy.

“Pretty sure,” Matt replied, letting out a sigh of the now harmless smoke. Suddenly Marco ran forward, jumping onto the hood of Matt’s car in a smooth movement. She stood on the top with her fists on her hips in a superhero pose.

“I - ” She started dramatically, pausing for a few seconds. “Have lost the kitten.”

“That’s not much of an achievement then,” Alex pointed out.

“I know,” Marco sighed, suddenly slumping with her arms falling to her sides. The two adults laughed, both of them stomping out their smokes. Suddenly Marco ran up to the roof of Matt’s car, falling through the sunroof to stand on her seat. “Come Patsy!”

“Patsy?” Alex echoed, turning to Matt. He simply shrugged, heading to the driver’s side.

“Just go with it,” Matt replied, opening his door. He climbed in and started off down the street with Marco still standing and making clicking noises with her mouth.