Status: Well... I hope this is what you were all expecting for an good, clean start to kick of the sequel. Let me know!

Viva La Gloria II: 21st Century Breakdown

When You Walk Away

I forced myself not to cry. No tears. No troubles.

However I instantly tensed when I heard the soft crunch of gravel behind me but refused to look. Disappointment is such a painful thing and it happens to the best of us. So I didn't look.

But from the sound of dragging feet, I could tell it was one person. Scuffing a worn out pair of Chucks through the gravel along the trail to the water gate where I now sat. Looking out upon the encroaching clouds. Threatening to make this day worse then it has to be.

I recognized the step pattern of the person behind me. I also knew that the person was 5'7" and had piercing pale green eyes. Of which shimmered like emeralds in the sunlight that no longer existed today.
It had tattoos that I had become incredibly familiar with over the years. I knew it had a tattoo on it's left shoulder blade, right hand  that say the same the same thing, D.W.K.
It stands for Deadly White Kungfu.  Why? I do not know.
He also has the word PUNX on his left hip.
I know he has a tattoo of a muscle car on his chest that means dominate male, but hell, he's such a little butter ball. I know he has a Adeline skull tattoo on his middle finger of his right hand from the record company he started with his wife before the divorce.
He had a tattoo of two clowns on his left arm for his son Joey and a photo strip of his wife on his right arm along with her name. 
He has the most calluses fingers from years of his work of choice. The blackest hair which is unnaturally black. His real color is brownish color, but the closest I've come to seeing his original color, was a dishwater blond color with ash grey highlights. He is only two inches taller than me. His first guitar was a cherry red acoustic and when he was ten he lost his father to cancer. His mom bought him a Daphne blue Fernadez, that had originally belonged to his music teacher, Cole. to cheer him up and he covered it In stickers, put his initials on it in red duck tape and named it Blue. He is double jointed in the elbows and has funny front teeth because of an incident with Tré a long time ago. He used to have a pierced nose bit got it removed because he was prone to somehow getting it stuck on his Guitar strings. He also used to have pierced ears.
He had a girlfriend named Amanda in the late eighties and after she broke up with him to tour the world, he has written numerous songs about her. Such as Whatsername, Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) and she.
He also had a girlfriend during the time Green Day was called Sweet Children. Her name was Erica Paleno.
He had a cat named Zero that was killed in a washing machine accident and was given a shout out to on Deadbeat Holiday. He is an Insomniac and has had and still does have occasional panic attacks. He got married at the age of 22 and had his first son when he was 23. He has a pet dog at home in California named Rocky and he is the youngest of six kids. He has a deadbeat stepfather and a loving mother I never met. He has branded the guy from the band Kut U Up with a pool stick heated up with cigarette lighters. He has swung from a chandelier and his favorite book is the Catcher in the Rye. He has won multiple awards for his music and it is his life. I can't change him. I can't see him any other way.

“Gloria, what's wrong?” he whispered. Sitting down beside me and looking over at my face. Probably seeing the black streaks down my cheeks from what once was my raccoon eyes. I merely shook my head.

“I'm lost.” I murmured. Looking down upon the crashing water below us that was within arms reach.

“I feel so drained of everything and can't fight emotions anymore. It seems to be a losing battle.”

I looked up at his eyes. his raccoon eyes. I laughed in my head because of course he hadn't missed the opportunity to wear his eyeliner.

“What do you mean?” he whispered.

“Everything in my life, has been leading up to the final fall. And Billie, you're it.” I murmured. Looking over at his face as I hugged my knees before me.

His face paled noticeably and his expression froze with something I'd been dreading. I knew it. The song was pointless... Why would he ever like me? Thats the answer right there. He doesn't, it's all for show. And his expression was spitting out the acidic words at me without him even lifting a finger.

I sighed and ran a shaky, sweaty hand through out my hair in long intervals.
He was being particularly awkward around me now.

“Gloria... How can you even judge me? Or pull me into a position where you think I'm your destined love or something like that?” he spat sarcastically while making quotations in the air.

I felt literally broken in that moment
He didn't care. He was exactly the rich, ignorant punk who thought his shit didn't stink. He was exactly who I thought he was. Converted into some kind of beast by Hollywood. He, I'm sure was just as normal as I, during Dookie. But now, fame has gotten to him and that's all that matters. He's not looking for a replacement to Adrienne. 
My heart sunk to the depths or my slowly blackening soul. And it was taking every drop of my self control not to throw every bad name in the book At him for leading me on. Every little thing we did that I'd classify as romantic was a lie.
The dance at the restaurant, our talks where I shared my most precious life story.
the little things that didn't mean much and should be forgotten. Like the first day at the beach with them. The sprinkler incident, the rush of adrenaline I got when I preformed Know Your Enemy with them. Smearing cake across his face and having a sock wars. It killed me inside to admit it to myself, let alone this stranger of a man that I, I could have loved him. 

He read the brokeness in my eyes on my face “Gloria, I never meant to lead you on, but rather give you something to remember for your summer and move on from. I ended up learning too much about you and I ended up writing a whole album about your life. This town, who your friends with, your past, your future. Who you love and who you could have loved. But really what was it? An act of rebounding from me?” he was explaining his reasonings. But I wouldn't have it, I knew what he was suppressing.

“Then why'd you write that about me, and show it to the whole city of Torrington if you had no intentions of leading me on?” I said outwardly to him.

His face suddenly looked pained. He narrowed his eyes and glared at the water. Cutting in icy illusions of black under the storm clouds.
“I. I do like you... Gloria. But hell, I just don't know what I'm doing. I may be rebounding or I may actually be happily moving on from Adrienne.”

I stood up abruptly. This was too much, only liking me because he's rebounding?! I can't... I just can't.
I turned my back on him. I could see East 12th front here. Merely a Bloch of sand under a canopy of scrawny trees. I closed my eyes and breathed. I heard him get up behind me. The gravel crunched as he stood a few feet behind me.

“Billie. I can't take anymore heartbreak. I've been fighting depression since I was eleven. Im an fucking insomniac and I can't sleep because my memories bombard my head.” I whispered bluntly.

A hand rested upon my shoulder “Then don't face anymore heartbreak.” he murmured.

I turned to face him “How can I just avoid it?! You think it's just so amazingly easy don't you?...” I whispered hurtly.

“I never said it was easy for you to forget.” he growled through clenched teeth.

“Your sure as hell acting like it!” I snapped. I opened my mouth to scream a line of every profanity and bad name in the book at him. Outrage etched into my face when suddenly he yanked me into his chest in a tight hug while he planted a kiss upon my lips. I was in such awe, surprise even, that I didn't kiss him back. Just stood there awkwardly. And when he finally pulled away, hurt was very evident in his eyes.

“No, I'm pretty sure it's just a rebound. A little summer fling. Your right, I should have listened. It's nothing really.” he muttered, I looked away to the water.

“I'm leaving Gloria.” he stated after a few minutes.

“Where are you going?” I asked suddenly full of surprise at him sudden word choice.

He merely shrugged “California.” he answered before giving me a long look and turning, the crunching sound of gravel beneath his shoes disappearing. 

No no no no... I didn't mean to chase him away, I, I failed everything. Everyone. I didn't get to have a proper goodbye with him. Maybe the whole summer was just a fling like he said. It didn't mean much and should be forgotten. Well he obviously does not know me if he thinks I'll just forget....

I glanced towards my house. The stage lit up with new acts and a car parked along the curb in front of my house. I peered at it a moment longer and recognized the car. Not that exact car but the model. A long, sleek black limo. Oh joy, their ride is here and they are leaving. Not only are they leaving Torrington behind, but they are leaving me.

I glared out the water full of anger. I was angry towards Billie for everything. He'd reopened the wounds I'd sewed up long ago.
I'm mad at all of Green Day. They were my medicine through my toughest days, and now that medicine has gone rancid because they are my heartbreak now. Typically most people get over heartbreaks pretty quick and are not clingy forever. But I am no one of those people.

My anger was quickly fading as I was comic to realizations of what will happen when they are not here. I at least have to say goodbye to them. They are my whole life... I, I can't just let them leave.
My anger quickly resolved as I came to answers. No.

“No...” I whispered outloud. I spun around to see Tré. Walking out the gate of my house carrying his suitcase. He sat it down on the sidewalk and stood back to get a good look at the house for memories sake. I saw Mike and Jason walk out then without a sideways glacé at the house as they tossed their bags into the trunk.  I took off running before I could realize it and was tripping over roots and stones all the way back down the trail. I ran up by the camp grounds and saw Billie walking down the sidewalk, closing the gate behind him and shuffling into the backseat of the limo.

“No no no! Billie!” I shouted, taking off running again while my sides ached. I couldn't seem to run fast enough. I chased up until I stood breathless in the middle of the street before my house. The limo turning right and disappearing. I was moving again before I even had the chance to catch my breath.
I suppose a normal person would have given up, but I'm not known for giving up.

I huffed a quick, airless breath and ran to the end of the street with the soles of my feet stinging with the vibrating burn Every-time they connected with the asphalt. The limo becoming smaller I and I becoming more breathless as I chase. My breaths heavy and my eyes oddly evoking clouded with tears. I felt like the worlds weakest wimp. I couldn't just let them go... Hell no they are my remedy.

And I am addicted.
♠ ♠ ♠
Next chapter is up. After I finished editing it twenty million times of course ;)
Lemme know what you think!
Xoxo