Broken Arrow
A Lonely Road, Crossed Another Cold State Line
Ruby's POV
The road was dark, illuminated only by the headlights of Sam's car as we drove down the highway. It felt strange to be back in a regular car, watching the countryside whizz by as the world slumbered, instead of in a bus on my way to another tour date. This time, I was going home. Back to Chicago, back to the place I never thought I would be again.
"Hey, you." Sam said, nudging me and breaking me out of my thoughts. "Don't look so glum."
"This just stinks." I sighed.
"You didn't have to come, you know." she frowned, watching the road ahead.
"Yes, I did." I replied. "You shouldn't have to take care of my mess of an Ex on your own."
"Well, I'm not having you mope around about it, you made your choice." she said, leaning forward to turn up the car stereo. "So suck it up, and don't sulk."
The melody that met my ears as she cranked up the volume brought back memories from so long ago. Sam had always been a huge A Day To Remember fan and had tried really hard to get me into them. It wasn't that I didn't like them, I just wasn't as enthusiastic about them as she was.
And hey darling, I hope you're good tonight. And I know you don't feel right when I'm leaving. Yeah, I want it but no, I don't need it. Tell me something sweet to get me by, cause I can't come back home till they're singing...
"La, la la la, la la la." I sang along, a few tears rolling down my face at the relevancy of the lyrics. "Till everyone is singing..."
"If you can wait till I get home." Sam joined in. "Then I swear to you that we can make this last."
"La la la." I sang.
"If you can wait till I get home, then I swear come tomorrow, this will all be in our past." the two of us sang together.
"Well it might be for the best." my voice cracked as my emotions took their toll.
And hey sweetie, well I need you here tonight. And I know that you don't wanna be leaving me. Yeah, you want it, but I can't help it, I just feel complete when you're by my side. But I know you can't come home till they're singing...
La, la la la, la la la,
Till everyone is singing.
La, la la la, la la la...
The Chicago River came into view, the reflection of the city lights dancing upon its surface. The city had always looked so magical at night. It wasn't Chicago itself that I had a problem with, the Windy City was beautiful in its own way, even given the drastic difference in atmosphere when compared to California. But everyone I loved and cared for was back in Orange County.
I wouldn't get stuck here, not again...
***
Brian's POV
As we drove through the night on the way to Minneapolis, the tour bus was a-buzz with the usual party atmosphere. I however, was holed up in the back of the bus, the curtain drawn, shutting myself off from everyone. I gazed down at my guitar, as though in a trance, plucking away at the strings in an attempt to distract myself from thinking about the fact that once again, Ruby had slipped through my fingers.
Suddenly cutting off the soft tune that I played, I could hear the harmonized voices beyond the curtain as my bandmates and our crew sang along to a song that played from the radio. The lyrics were hitting to damn close to home, and it was the last song I needed to hear right now.
If you can wait till I get home, then I swear to you that we can make this last...
La la la...
If you can wait till I get home, then I swear come tomorrow, this will all be in our past. Well it might be for the best...
I groaned with frustration, setting my guitar aside as I buried my head between my knees. I tugged at my hair, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes, and I blinked hard, trying to fight against them. I drew in a deep breath and exhaled, but it did very little to help.
"Brian?" I heard Jimmy's voice break through the haze as he drew the curtain back. "You okay, man?"
"What do you think?" I scowled, directing my attention to him.
"Dumb question, I apologize." he sighed, taking a seat beside me.
"It's fine."
"No it's not." he frowned. "But it's out of our hands, man."
"I know..."
"Hey." he cooed, picking up my acoustic guitar and placing it in my lap. "Play, trust me, it'll help."
"I've been doing that for the past hour." I grumbled. "It's not doing shit."
"Okay, well-" he said, setting his beer down on the coffee table. "How about this; write something."
He pulled out his drumsticks from his back pocket, and began to softly tap them on the tabletop, nodding to me in encouragement. I sighed and began to strum, the tune taking on a kind-of country sounding vibe. It was drastically different to anything I had come up with before, but strangely soothing.
"A lonely road, crossed another cold state line, miles away from those I love, purpose hard to find. While I recall all the words you spoke to me, can't help but wish that I was there. Back where I'd love to be, oh yeah." Okay, so I couldn't quite sing like Shadows, but it wasn't entirely terrible.
Jimmy grinned and began to add his own lyrics. "Dear God, the only thing I ask of you, is to hold her when I'm not around. When I'm much too far away. We all need that person who can be true to you, but I left her when I found her, and now I wish I'd stayed. 'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tired, I'm missing you again, oh no. Once again..."
I stopped playing, and Jimmy gave me a small smile. His hand clamped around my shoulder and he squeezed it gently in comfort.
"Feel better?"
"A little." I nodded. "Thank you."
The road was dark, illuminated only by the headlights of Sam's car as we drove down the highway. It felt strange to be back in a regular car, watching the countryside whizz by as the world slumbered, instead of in a bus on my way to another tour date. This time, I was going home. Back to Chicago, back to the place I never thought I would be again.
"Hey, you." Sam said, nudging me and breaking me out of my thoughts. "Don't look so glum."
"This just stinks." I sighed.
"You didn't have to come, you know." she frowned, watching the road ahead.
"Yes, I did." I replied. "You shouldn't have to take care of my mess of an Ex on your own."
"Well, I'm not having you mope around about it, you made your choice." she said, leaning forward to turn up the car stereo. "So suck it up, and don't sulk."
The melody that met my ears as she cranked up the volume brought back memories from so long ago. Sam had always been a huge A Day To Remember fan and had tried really hard to get me into them. It wasn't that I didn't like them, I just wasn't as enthusiastic about them as she was.
And hey darling, I hope you're good tonight. And I know you don't feel right when I'm leaving. Yeah, I want it but no, I don't need it. Tell me something sweet to get me by, cause I can't come back home till they're singing...
"La, la la la, la la la." I sang along, a few tears rolling down my face at the relevancy of the lyrics. "Till everyone is singing..."
"If you can wait till I get home." Sam joined in. "Then I swear to you that we can make this last."
"La la la." I sang.
"If you can wait till I get home, then I swear come tomorrow, this will all be in our past." the two of us sang together.
"Well it might be for the best." my voice cracked as my emotions took their toll.
And hey sweetie, well I need you here tonight. And I know that you don't wanna be leaving me. Yeah, you want it, but I can't help it, I just feel complete when you're by my side. But I know you can't come home till they're singing...
La, la la la, la la la,
Till everyone is singing.
La, la la la, la la la...
The Chicago River came into view, the reflection of the city lights dancing upon its surface. The city had always looked so magical at night. It wasn't Chicago itself that I had a problem with, the Windy City was beautiful in its own way, even given the drastic difference in atmosphere when compared to California. But everyone I loved and cared for was back in Orange County.
I wouldn't get stuck here, not again...
***
Brian's POV
As we drove through the night on the way to Minneapolis, the tour bus was a-buzz with the usual party atmosphere. I however, was holed up in the back of the bus, the curtain drawn, shutting myself off from everyone. I gazed down at my guitar, as though in a trance, plucking away at the strings in an attempt to distract myself from thinking about the fact that once again, Ruby had slipped through my fingers.
Suddenly cutting off the soft tune that I played, I could hear the harmonized voices beyond the curtain as my bandmates and our crew sang along to a song that played from the radio. The lyrics were hitting to damn close to home, and it was the last song I needed to hear right now.
If you can wait till I get home, then I swear to you that we can make this last...
La la la...
If you can wait till I get home, then I swear come tomorrow, this will all be in our past. Well it might be for the best...
I groaned with frustration, setting my guitar aside as I buried my head between my knees. I tugged at my hair, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes, and I blinked hard, trying to fight against them. I drew in a deep breath and exhaled, but it did very little to help.
"Brian?" I heard Jimmy's voice break through the haze as he drew the curtain back. "You okay, man?"
"What do you think?" I scowled, directing my attention to him.
"Dumb question, I apologize." he sighed, taking a seat beside me.
"It's fine."
"No it's not." he frowned. "But it's out of our hands, man."
"I know..."
"Hey." he cooed, picking up my acoustic guitar and placing it in my lap. "Play, trust me, it'll help."
"I've been doing that for the past hour." I grumbled. "It's not doing shit."
"Okay, well-" he said, setting his beer down on the coffee table. "How about this; write something."
He pulled out his drumsticks from his back pocket, and began to softly tap them on the tabletop, nodding to me in encouragement. I sighed and began to strum, the tune taking on a kind-of country sounding vibe. It was drastically different to anything I had come up with before, but strangely soothing.
"A lonely road, crossed another cold state line, miles away from those I love, purpose hard to find. While I recall all the words you spoke to me, can't help but wish that I was there. Back where I'd love to be, oh yeah." Okay, so I couldn't quite sing like Shadows, but it wasn't entirely terrible.
Jimmy grinned and began to add his own lyrics. "Dear God, the only thing I ask of you, is to hold her when I'm not around. When I'm much too far away. We all need that person who can be true to you, but I left her when I found her, and now I wish I'd stayed. 'Cause I'm lonely and I'm tired, I'm missing you again, oh no. Once again..."
I stopped playing, and Jimmy gave me a small smile. His hand clamped around my shoulder and he squeezed it gently in comfort.
"Feel better?"
"A little." I nodded. "Thank you."
Notes
^ Literally me whilst writing this chapter
Sorry it's a little short, I just really wanted to post something. And I know "If It Means A Lot To You" didn't come out 'till like 2009, and this story is set in late 2005/mid 2006. But I've had that many bands and songs featured in this that didn't exist yet at that point in time that I really. don't. care. It's FICTION. I'll do what I want.
Both the ADTR song and Dear God are now in the Story's Soundtrack
Enjoy
Also, yeah, I changed my username, deal wid it
And I'm sorry for the two week wait, I didn't mean for that to happen
There's this little bitch-ass thing called Writer's Block, it happens sometimes
Comment, Subscribe
Because it honestly does help to motivate me
Until next time!! xx
@Ghost-On-A-Sea-Of-Wine
I totally get where you are coming from! Hopefully inspiration comes along
8/7/21