American Idiot

The sun was high in the sky. I'd wandered through the shady streets for about an mile and an half. Looking at the rundown architecture that reminded me of home. The shadows the tall, pieced together buildings casted across the streets where all tangling with the next. There were an lot of buildings smashed together on this one street. I think I may have found the gang infested, rundown neighborhood after all. Dark alleys squeezed in-between empty warehouses and small businesses. Shaded, dusty windows and no signs of life inside. Nothing but piles of cardboard boxes lining the walls inside and an big handwritten sign hanging in the windows saying 'going out of business.'
After walking this street, I think it should be pretty clear that this is an common thing to happen here. Businesses coming and going just and night and daylight do. It doesn't seem like anything anyone celebrates when an new CD store or dress shop opens on the corner.
There was few foot traffic on the empty street. I was getting close to the end of the block when I heard the scuffing sound of someone approaching behind me. I kept walking, ignoring them. Until the sound of gunfire cracked through the still, empty air. I spun around. The bullet had nearly wizzed past my face.
An boy, about sixteen with baggy basketball shorts and an sagging black jacket hanging off his scrawny shoulders, pointed an standard pistol at my face. He could be one of two things.
One, an neighborhood watch that's leathal to anyone who doesn't belong and just really wants to guarnatee the safety of his street, or...
Two, he's from one of the gangs that dude talked about. Wanting me dead for some reason I can't imagine. Some little voice in the back of my head wished he hadnt missed.
The kids eyed widened with recognition “Oh my god, are you Jimmy?” he said outloud. Really sounding younger than he looked.
I narrowed my eyes and he lowered the weapon until it looted at the cracked cement beneath our feet.
“Depends on who's asking.” I watched him cautiously.

He shoved the muzzle of the pistol in the back of his shorts.
“I'm Jeramine. I'm with the gang that rules this district.”

District?? That word echoed in my head. They really have things under control here...

“What gang?” I asked, impatiently crossing my arms over my chest.

“You promise not to tell anyone?” he whispered loudly, I honestly think everyone knows now...

I shrugged “Yeah, sure.”

“40 Theives.”

My eyes narrowed again. What kind of gang name was that? Sounds like something you'd hear for an gang name in Egypt. I kept my mouth shut about it though. Regardless of how much I actually felt like laughing, and I hadn't done that in months.
I tried to take him serious but I think he saw some droplet of humor in my face. Because his expression softened.

“Don't worry about it, you can laugh.” he grinned.

“Good.” I replied. Laughing out loud.

“So what brings you here? You belong in Suburbia don't you?”

It amazed me that anyone outside of home knew it was nicknamed Suburbia and that I was some sort of Jesus of it. I nodded slightly. Not wantit to bombared this stranger with my personal, life problems.

“Cool, say, you want to meet the rest of 40?”

I looked at him wide eyed for an second. Like he had to be joking to already be taking be in open armed into hid group.
But then again, because I'm St. Jimmy. And he recognized me he didn't kill me. But I bet that if I'd been anyone else, I'd be an blood stain on the cement surrounded by an chalk outline.
I shrugged.

“I'm mostly looking around the neighborhood, maybe in an couple hours?”

He nodded “Yeah, that'll work. Meet me on Broken Dreams Boulevard in a bit.”

I looked at him like he'd spoke another language.

Then he grinned.
“Oh, sorry. I'm used to using that term with my bros. Broken Dreams Boulevard, as we nicknamed it, is down there on East 12th Street.”
He pointed in the general direction.

“You can't miss it, see you in a bit.” he added before turning and displeasing into an alley that I assumed he had come from.
At least I have somewhere to go from here, I guess I should finish up my sightseeing and get to 'Broken Dream Boulevard' chuckling as I walked. One thing is certain, this particular gang has an thing for naming things oddly.
I pushed the recent conversation from my mind and concentrated. Even though I'd only left yesterday, I wonder if anyone misses me. Probably not. Just answer that question right now. No, no one does. I bet Mary-Jane and Tunny haven't even noticed my absence.
I looked up the street to my certain future and opted to go left instead.
I walked about two blocks. Thinking some more about home and who Id miss and who I'd diss. People I might actually to back to see and people who's grave I want to piss on.
Let's just say the list for people I want to see again is much, much shorter.
The houses were filling out more as I passed farther up thr blocks. In an blur. And soon I was in the middle of an nice, clean-cut neighborhood that I dot belong in. The lawns all glistens like an wet jewel in the sunlight. Most of the houses on this stretch of road were two story. Painted in soft pastels. Not fading bold colors like my old neighborhood did.
There were flowers and ageless trees lining the freshly paved street. It didn't have gash like cracks running up it that made you absently wonder if someone dragged an plow through it. If there was one thing really clear about this neighborhood, is that I don't belong in it. Not in the same little, quiet world these people do. I would never fit in here. Not even when I'm eighty because I'll still tell the stories of what happened to me on days like today and yesterday and before. I'll still wear band shirts and will refuse to wear 'old people' clothes that they'll force me into at an nursing home.
When it became uncomfortable to stand on the clean, white curb, I turned and headed back down the three blocks to where I'd met Jeramine. I stood on the fading, grey curb then, looking up at the sky. Suddenly my heart felt heavy because I just realized something. No matter where I am, hoe brightly the sky glows and how alive I feel, I still walk alone. On these empty streets.
I looked up to East 12th. That's the Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Maybe Jeramine is already there waiting and I won't be wanting all damn afternoon...
I started trudging toward it cutting across streets in diagonal patterns until I reached the street corner with an green sign suspended high in the air claiming this patch of space to be East 12th Street. An few businesses were up thr street. Also an few little fading houses that were different from what I'd just witnessed in the ritzy neighborhood. I looked over when I heard my name being called. Rain clouds were beginning to slink across the sky temporarily blocking out the sun.
Jeramine stood in an weed choked lot in front of an abandonned warehouse waving me over. About fifteen others stood around him. An few looking in my direction. And they all looked like people from the Underground. The way they dressed, the way their eyes cut at you. Everything, only they weren't. And I was thankful for that, without looking, I crossed the street to my future.