Bullets
Departure
With one final look around his cluttered bedroom, Joey hitched the bag he was holding over his shoulder. He ran through a quick checklist in his mind, making sure he had absolutely everything he needed, from the right pair of socks to his toothbrush. He took a moment to pause and think about the next four days ahead of him – the summer roadtrip he and his friends had been carefully planning over the last year was something he had been looking forward to for a while. Only the current situation he was in had been enough to distract him from it for a while.
From outside there was the crunching of tyres on gravel, and within a few moments of the sound stopping a car horn beeped loudly. Sighing contentedly, the teenager hitched the bag carrying all the necessities over his shoulder, quickly padding down the stairs and out into the entrance hall of the house.
“Mom? Dad? I’m leaving!” he called, hurrying forward to the front door in the hope he could get out of the house as soon as possible.
His hope was short lived, as Adrienne came thundering out soon after him, pulling him back for a crushing hug. She pulled back, looking into his eyes and frantically searching his face.
“Now are you sure you’ve got everything? Toothbrush? Warm clothes? Underwear? Have you and your friends got enough food? What about insect repellent? I’m sure the flies will be as annoying as –“
“Mom!” Joey said indignantly, pushing himself out of his mother’s firm grip. “Sheesh, calm down will you? I’ve got enough clothes, and it’s summer, it’s not going to get that cold. I’m eighteen, I think I can look after myself.” He tried to ignore the pressing feeling that explained why his mother was acting more panicky than usual.
Adrienne sighed, giving him a sheepish look. “Sorry. Maternal instinct, I guess.”
“It’s cool.” Joey grinned.
Billie moved up from behind his wife, wrapping an arm around her waist. He too looked at him concernedly. “Have you got everything?” He cast a wary eye towards the bag his son was holding.
“Yes,” Joey replied impatiently, rolling his eyes and ignoring the next line of honking being emitted from his friend’s car. “Now can I please go?”
His father laughed, tilting his head slightly to the side. “Aren’t you going to give your mother and I a proper farewell?”
The teenager grudgingly obliged, giving his mother a quick kiss on the cheek and his father a one-armed hug. Before his parents could give another reason to hold him up, Joey opened the front door with a flourish, eagerly hurrying to the back of his friend Matt’s car. He could feel his parents’ eyes on him as they stood on the front step, and after quickly throwing his back into the boot of the car he gave them a quick wave, jumping into the backseat.
As the SUV abruptly sped off down the Armstrong’s gravel driveway, it was Matt, the driver, who spoke first.
“Fuck, Joey, you sure took your time.”
“Ah shut up,” Joey retorted, crossing his arms in a mock pout across his chest. The car pulled out of the front gate and onto the street. “It doesn’t help that I’ve got overprotective psychos for parents,” he added, despite knowing that his statement wasn’t entirely true.
“You’d be surprised how protective rockstar parents are,” Estelle chimed in from her position in the front seat, winding down her window and letting her blonde hair loose from its ponytail. She turned around, grinning. “Right, Joey?”
“Right.”
Joey watched the scenery flash by as they took the familiar route to Melanie’s house. She, unlike Joey, was waiting by her front gate, her bag sitting by her feet. The car skidded to a stop, allowing her to open the boot and place her things in the back. Within moments she was sitting next to her boyfriend, and the car had sped off again.
“Hey you,” Joey said softly, giving a small smile as his girlfriend climbed in next to him. She returned the smile, kissing him on the lips.
Matt glanced at them from the rearview mirror, throwing a suspicious look. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make out in my car.” A typical Matt grin tugged at the corners of his full lips, his tanned, handsome features twitching slightly.
“If you keep your eyes off Estelle, then we’ll keep our hands off each other,” Melanie replied smoothly, raising an eyebrow and trying to keep an inevitable smile off her face. Matt’s smile faded, and he redirected his gaze away from the rearview mirror. It was no secret that Matt secretly fancied Mike Dirnt’s daughter, only allowing for such easy mockery from his friends. Estelle remained silent, quickly moving her line of sight out the open window. Joey smiled to himself, lifting an arm to gently wrap around Melanie’s shoulders.
The car reached its final stop in terms of picking up the various members of the group, slowing to a stop outside Robbie’s house, where he too was waiting by his front gate, bag in hand. His tall thin frame stooped to climb into the car, the redhead taking his place beside Melanie.
“And off we go!” Matt called excitedly, slamming his foot down on the accelerator and sending the car speeding forwards. Everybody was thrown backwards, but Joey couldn’t stop grinning – here he was, at last, enjoying his time away from school in the unusual space between high school and college.
From outside there was the crunching of tyres on gravel, and within a few moments of the sound stopping a car horn beeped loudly. Sighing contentedly, the teenager hitched the bag carrying all the necessities over his shoulder, quickly padding down the stairs and out into the entrance hall of the house.
“Mom? Dad? I’m leaving!” he called, hurrying forward to the front door in the hope he could get out of the house as soon as possible.
His hope was short lived, as Adrienne came thundering out soon after him, pulling him back for a crushing hug. She pulled back, looking into his eyes and frantically searching his face.
“Now are you sure you’ve got everything? Toothbrush? Warm clothes? Underwear? Have you and your friends got enough food? What about insect repellent? I’m sure the flies will be as annoying as –“
“Mom!” Joey said indignantly, pushing himself out of his mother’s firm grip. “Sheesh, calm down will you? I’ve got enough clothes, and it’s summer, it’s not going to get that cold. I’m eighteen, I think I can look after myself.” He tried to ignore the pressing feeling that explained why his mother was acting more panicky than usual.
Adrienne sighed, giving him a sheepish look. “Sorry. Maternal instinct, I guess.”
“It’s cool.” Joey grinned.
Billie moved up from behind his wife, wrapping an arm around her waist. He too looked at him concernedly. “Have you got everything?” He cast a wary eye towards the bag his son was holding.
“Yes,” Joey replied impatiently, rolling his eyes and ignoring the next line of honking being emitted from his friend’s car. “Now can I please go?”
His father laughed, tilting his head slightly to the side. “Aren’t you going to give your mother and I a proper farewell?”
The teenager grudgingly obliged, giving his mother a quick kiss on the cheek and his father a one-armed hug. Before his parents could give another reason to hold him up, Joey opened the front door with a flourish, eagerly hurrying to the back of his friend Matt’s car. He could feel his parents’ eyes on him as they stood on the front step, and after quickly throwing his back into the boot of the car he gave them a quick wave, jumping into the backseat.
As the SUV abruptly sped off down the Armstrong’s gravel driveway, it was Matt, the driver, who spoke first.
“Fuck, Joey, you sure took your time.”
“Ah shut up,” Joey retorted, crossing his arms in a mock pout across his chest. The car pulled out of the front gate and onto the street. “It doesn’t help that I’ve got overprotective psychos for parents,” he added, despite knowing that his statement wasn’t entirely true.
“You’d be surprised how protective rockstar parents are,” Estelle chimed in from her position in the front seat, winding down her window and letting her blonde hair loose from its ponytail. She turned around, grinning. “Right, Joey?”
“Right.”
Joey watched the scenery flash by as they took the familiar route to Melanie’s house. She, unlike Joey, was waiting by her front gate, her bag sitting by her feet. The car skidded to a stop, allowing her to open the boot and place her things in the back. Within moments she was sitting next to her boyfriend, and the car had sped off again.
“Hey you,” Joey said softly, giving a small smile as his girlfriend climbed in next to him. She returned the smile, kissing him on the lips.
Matt glanced at them from the rearview mirror, throwing a suspicious look. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make out in my car.” A typical Matt grin tugged at the corners of his full lips, his tanned, handsome features twitching slightly.
“If you keep your eyes off Estelle, then we’ll keep our hands off each other,” Melanie replied smoothly, raising an eyebrow and trying to keep an inevitable smile off her face. Matt’s smile faded, and he redirected his gaze away from the rearview mirror. It was no secret that Matt secretly fancied Mike Dirnt’s daughter, only allowing for such easy mockery from his friends. Estelle remained silent, quickly moving her line of sight out the open window. Joey smiled to himself, lifting an arm to gently wrap around Melanie’s shoulders.
The car reached its final stop in terms of picking up the various members of the group, slowing to a stop outside Robbie’s house, where he too was waiting by his front gate, bag in hand. His tall thin frame stooped to climb into the car, the redhead taking his place beside Melanie.
“And off we go!” Matt called excitedly, slamming his foot down on the accelerator and sending the car speeding forwards. Everybody was thrown backwards, but Joey couldn’t stop grinning – here he was, at last, enjoying his time away from school in the unusual space between high school and college.