Danger Days: The True Lives of Ritalin Diamond and the Fabulous Killjoys

The alarm blared right next to my ears. 6:00 a.m. The radio started with Dr. Death Defying’s broadcast.

"Look alive, sunshine. You’re here with me, Dr. Death Defying. I’ll be your surgeon, your proctor, your helicopter. Pumpin’ out the slaughtermatic sounds to keep you alive. This one’s for all you rock’n’rollers. All you crash queens and motor babies. Listen up! It’s time to do it now and do it loud! Killjoys, make some noise!"

I turned down the radio. I didn’t want to wake up. I turned to my left and saw Neon Revolver still sound asleep. “I might as well wake him up,” I thought to myself.

“Neon, Neon, wake up. It’s time to go. We need to keep moving,” I said to him.

His eyes fluttered open and smirked at me.

“Can’t you keep it down, Ritalin? I just want a few more minutes of sleep,” he murmured.

“Come on, Neon. We can’t be spotted by Dracs. Come on, for me?” I asked him.

Neon finally arose from the front seat of his truck and stared onto the road ahead. We found an empty shack the night before but it looked so beaten down by the desert that we decided to sleep in the truck.

He didn’t say much. He knew what today meant for me. Today was the day my mother died protecting me.

Neon and I have been on the run since my mom had been ghosted by Dracs three months ago. I was living with my mom in Zone Two. It became too dangerous for us. We were about to leave when we were ambushed by a group of Dracs. My mom hid me and tried to fight them off. I saw how much of a fight she put up but she was surrounded and couldn’t keep them away. I saw her face for the last time and mouthed the words I love you before she was shot. I ran. I ran to the only one who knew me; who could protect me.

Neon’s house was around the block. He was always there for me. All through my life, he was there. I could be myself with him. I loved him.

I reached Neon’s house and before I could even ring the doorbell, he came out and pulled me in his warm embrace. I didn’t need to say anything. He knew me through and through. We stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity. He took my hand and led me inside.

I told him what happened with as much energy as I could muster. He listened to me and occasionally squeezing my hand for reassurance. I finally lost control when speaking about the last thing I said to her and he held me again. He kissed my head and we fell asleep, not shortly after, on his couch.

That night I dreamt of my mother. Her laugh and her smile was all I could see. Then she started yelling my name.

“Skye, Skye, darling,” she exclaimed.

“I love you. Please remember that. I will never leave you. I will always be here with you. I want you to live. Please never give up hope and you know the future is bulletproof so wake up and make some noise my Ritalin Diamond,” she said in my dream.

I woke with a start and felt Neon sitting beside me. He had packed up his things and was ready to leave. We couldn’t stay. I needed to find my way and take my mother’s advice. I needed to live life. We left that night and headed to Zone Four.

“Hey Skye, you okay?” Neon asked.

I turned to face him.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just remembering what today is,” I replied mournfully.

“I love you Skye, just know that, my darling,” Neon said as he went to hug me.

“I love you too, Keelan,” I finally replied with his name.

I titled my head up and took his lips to mine. It was a sweet but passionate kiss. I loved him. He meant the world to me and I was never letting him go.

We broke our kiss when we saw a vaguely familiar BL/ind white van heading our way. Neon ignited his truck and left with a trail of dust behind us.