The Forgotten Stardust Crusader

Swimming Pools

"Fine, do you guys have any shot glasses?"
Kakyoin asked. Sid rummaged through her bag and found a few shot glasses and a flask.
"You just have that stuff with you?"
Jotaro asked, concerned.
"Yeah, what about it?"
Sid agressivly questioned.
"Never mind that I asked."
Jotaro stated. Sid poured a shot in each glass. Kakyoin and Sid grabbed a shot glass, Sid motioned for Jotaro to grab one.
"No thanks, I'm more of a beer guy."
Jotaro stated, holding up the case of beer he stole.
"I'll join you guys, just give me a second."
Jotaro stated and opened up the case and grabbed a can. Kakyoin and Sid grabbed their shot glasses.
"I'll have to admit, I've never drank before. I feel kind of weird about it since I'm a minor but, I don't want to possibly die on this journey having never tried it."
Kakyoin stated.
"Well, to the new year and Kakyoin's first drink. May both be filled with good times. Cheers!"
Sid stated and raised up her glass. Everyone clinked their drinks together and started drinking.
"It's about five so, in an hour or so, we should go outside and set off these fireworks I bought."
Sid stated.
"You mean the ones the old man bought."
Jotaro corrected, Sid shrugged her shoulders. She looked through the pile of stuff her and Jotaro had stolen.
"I was surprized they sold Fireball here."
Sid stated as she grabbed the bottle and poured it into her flask.
"Don't tell me you got Fireball, keep that shit away from me."
Jotaro stated.
"You're going to be so flamable that setting off fireworks is a bad idea."
Kakyoin joked. Sid shrugged her shoulders.
"I can just make Soundgarden do it. But, I'm more curious as to what Jotaro's history with Fireball is."
Sid stated as she took a swig from her flask.
"Good grief, let's just say it's something I'm never drinking again."
Jotaro stated.
"Fair enough."
Sid sarcastically replied. A few hours passed and they kept drinking.
"It's dark out now, we should go set off the fireworks."
Sid recalled. Sid grabbed the bag of fireworks and the group made their way to the hotel parking lot. Sid put down one of the fireworks in an empty area of the parking lot. She summoned Soundgarden and handed it her lighter. Soundgarden moved it's way to the firework and lit it up. Soundgarden disappeared and threw Sid her lighter. Sid didn't catch the lighter, though for a moment she thought she had. Jotaro and Kakyoin let out a chuckle as Sid looked confused that she didn't have the lighter in her hand. Sid started laughing too then, they heard the sound of the firework go off. They looked up and saw the blue flash of color in the sky. Sid had Soundgarden place and light half a dozen more fireworks.
"I'm getting tired, I think we bought too many fireworks."
Sid stated after letting out a yawn. She sloppily lit a cigarette, almost setting a strand of her hair on fire. Soundgarden set off a few more fireworks and was noticably slower this time. All three of them stood there in drunken awe as the fireworks went off. Jotaro had put his arm around Kakyoin and Sid stood next to them, smoking her cigarette.
"Hey, you kids can't be doing this out here, we've gotten several complaints. Scram or I'll call the cops."
A man shouted from the back exit of the hotel. Soundgarden set the bag of firework on fire and the three of them started running. The large amount of fireworks distracted the hotel employee enough so that he didn't give chase. They kept sloppily running as fast as they could for the next few blocks.
"He isn't running after us and I don't see any cops. I think we're good. Fuck, I'm drunk, how the hell did I run that fast and that far."
Sid slowly annunciated with her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath.
"Must've been pure adrenaline."
Kakyoin slowly stated.
"We should lay low for a little while, we need to stay away from the hotel."
Jotaro drunkenly reasoned. They all agreed. They walked around, seeing if anyone else was setting off fireworks. Kakyoin and Jotaro walked hand in hand, all of them swayed back and forth as they walked. They eventually found a fenced off park. They used their stands to hop the fence and sat down on a grassy hill. Red, purple, orange and other colorful fireworks had appeared on the horizon. They sat there watching the sparks appear in the air and listening to the distant booming sounds. Sid laid down, no longer able to see the fireworks. She stared up at the stars that dotted the night sky.
"What if this is all for nothing?"
Sid questioned. She continued,
"Charlie's death, all our injures, sleeping in the desert or sometimes, not at all. What if everything we do ends up being for nothing? What if some of us do end up dying? The only reason Avdol survived is because Jotaro and Joseph acted fast. What if, everything we've done now is all for nothing?"
Sid drunkenly questioned.
"What if?"
Jotaro sarcasitcally replied. Full well knowing that Sid could be right.
"Come on, both of you, we have to be optomistic. If we don't we'll most certainly fail."
Kakyoin reasoned. Everyone fell silent and they went back to the hotel about an hour later. They fell asleep in no time. When Sid woke up the next morning, Kakyoin and Jotaro were still asleep. She took her pain meds and a couple of ibprofin. She quietly got ready and left the room, as she left, she checked the clock, 10 am. She assumed everyone else was already awake. She went to the hotel's dining room to find the rest of the group eating breakfast. SHe grabbed a plateful of food, a cup of orange juice, a cup of coffee and sat down with them. Sid started to drink her coffee.
"Wet your whistle for New Years?"
Polnareff jokingly asked. Sid gave him a dirty look after she finished drinking her coffee.
"Anyways, did you hear about the three teenagers setting off fireworks in the back parking lot of the hotel last night?"
Joseph asked the table. Avdol and Polnareff shook their heads in disaproval.
"Awful stuff."
Sid stated, then took a sip of her orange juice, wondering if they believed her lie.
"Do you think I'm stupid?"
Joseph asked Sid. It was silent for a moment as Sid chugged the rest of her orange juice.
"Do you really want the answer to that?"
Sid asked, pointing at Joseph. Sensing the tension, Avdol decided to join in.
"We need to leave in a couple of hours so, once you're finished eating, I'd say it would be a good idea to wake up Jotaro and Kakyoin."
Avdol explained, Sid nodded her head in agreement.
"And make sure there not still sloppy drunk."
Joseph agressivly stated.
"Don't act like they're middle schoolers, they're only about a year younger than me."
Sid snapped. She took her food and drinks upstairs to her room. Sid grabbed her bag and sat down at the hotel room's desk. She grabbed a smaller bag out of her bag and rifled through it's contents. She pulled out a walkman and a cassette tape. The tape had a pool of blood surrounding a hand that was holding a hammer. She put the tape in the walkman and put the headphones on. She listened to the album as she ate her breakfast and finished her orange juice and coffee. She poured a couple of shots of leftover creme liqour in her coffee before finishing it. She brushed her teeth in hopes that the smell of the liqour wouldn't be present. She shook Jotaro and Kakyoin awake and gave them a moment to wake up. After a few moments, she tossed the ibprophen on their bed. They both took a moment, Kakyoin rubbed his eyes and Jotaro streached his arms above his head.
"They found out."
Sid coldly stated after moving one of her earphones behind her ear.
"Who and about what?"
Kakyoin asked, groggy and still rubbing his eyes.
"I recomend taking a couple of ibprofen first."
Sid stated, pointing to the bottle she just threw on their bed. They both took a couple a drank some water. After they did, Sid explained everything that happened and that the rest of the group found out. Kakyoin looked at Jotaro in horror, Jotaro shrugged his shoulders as if it was something that happened any other day.
"I feel awful about my behaviour and you guys are acting as if this happens all the time."
Kakyoin angrily explained.
"It's just what happens when you drink."
Sid calmly replied. Jotaro nodded his head in agreement.
"Oh my god, we ran from that hotel worker. I guess I'm not myself when I drink."
Kakyoin concluded.
"No, you're yourself without inebitions. You've always wanted to do something like we did last night but, were too afraid to."
Sid replied.
"I have not, I regret everything I did last night. I have to go apologize to the hotel staff and the rest of the group."
Kakyoin argued.
"Whoa, lets stop right there, Mr. Straightlace. You can apologize to the rest of the group all you want but, apologizing to the staff would give our identities away and we'll be arrested."
Sid stated. Kakyoin was in shock but, knew it was for the best to listen to what Sid said. He nodded in agreement, Sid left the room, Jotaro and Kakyoin got ready. Sid went down to the lobby to find everyone ready to go. She put her bag down and slumped into the chair next to where Polnareff was sitting. Joseph walked over to where Sid was sitting and stood over her. Sid put her headphones around her neck.
"Can I help you?"
Sid snapped.
"Are they awake?"
Joseph questioned.
"As far as I know."
Sid coldly replied.
"For the rest of this trip, you are not going to share a hotel room with my grandson and Kakyoin. You will share a room with either me or Polnareff."
Joseph aggresivly stated.
"You died and made you the boss of me?"
Sid agressivly replied.
"You may be eighteen but, you act like a child and I am your father. And by default, I am the boss of Jotaro who, is still seventeen. You will listen to your elders on this trip which are Avdol, Polnareff and I."
Joseph disaplined.
"Look, I'm not in the mood for this crap so, I'll keep this short. You are my father by blood, not by action. The only adult I've listened about is my dead aunt and that's not about to change. I'll keep rooming with Jotaro and Kakyoin if they want me to. If not then, yeah, I start rooming with the old folks. If you're trying to control people on a journey where we could end up dying, then you're one fucked up old fart. Let us live a little before we die."
Sid explained. Joseph stood there stunned as Jotaro and Kakyoin walked towards them.
"Jotaro and I have to make a call, the rest of you, go to the car dealership a half mile away and go buy us a car."
Joseph stated as he gave Polnareff a wad of cash. Kakyoin, Sid and Polnareff started walking to the dealership.
"I'm not a bad guy, you know."
Polnareff stated.
"What?"
Sid questioned, annoyed.
"I won't tell you to do anything wrong, you can listen to me."
Polnareff replied.
"Are all french people this weird?"
Sid questioned. Polnareff didn't say anything, a shocked look spread across his face. They all kept walking.
"You know, Mr. Joestar does feel guilty about missing your childhood. Maybe now is the chance to let him be the parent you always wanted him to be."
Avdol pointed out.
"It's not that I wanted him to be, it's just that he wasn't."
Sid stated.
"I don't follow."
Polnareff added.
"It's not that I think he would be a good parent. He's an accident waiting to happen. It's just that he was never there to try. He wasn't there to forget my costume before a performance. Or to forget that I told him that I was going to a friend's after school so he threatens to ground me. I've tried to get along with him but, he's such an idiot that I want to punch him in the face. I hope that I'll get over that when I get older."
Sid sorrowfully stated.
"If it helps, his other daughter, Holy, used to say the same thing. When he showed up at the airport in Japan, she wouldn't stop hugging him."
Avdol replied. They made their way to the dealership and bought an all terrian mini van.
Back at the payphone in front of the hotel, Joseph and Jotaro had just finished their calls with the Speedwagon foundation and Suzi Q.
"So, your still not going to tell her about Sid. It would've been a perfect cover story, old man. You could've told her that we're out visiting Sid and you're very sorry."
Jotaro pointed out.
"I think it's best not to worry her more than she already is. Plus, I think we should tell her about Sid when Suzi sees her. But, when we do we need to make sure Sid is on her best behaviour. If she isn't then I'm going to be handed divorce papers right then and there."
Joseph explained. Jotaro decided to ignore Joseph just as the group rolled in with the new car. Sid cranked the window open, stuck her head out and shouted,
"Get in losers, we're going to kick DIO's ass."
Joseph put his head in his palm and shook his head. Jotaro let a slight smile creep across his face. Joseph got in the passanger seat and Jotaro sat in the back next to Kakyoin. Avdol started driving.
"Before anyone puts their headphones on or goes to sleep, I just need everyone to know that we're going to be picking up another ally in a couple of hours. Everyone will need to be awake and get out of the car as the one we're picking up is known to be short tempered and we will need as much help as possible."
Avdol explained. Kakyoin, Jotaro and Joseph fell asleep and Sid put her headphones on for the rest of the drive. Avdol and Polnareff mostly chatted but, there were a few moments of silence along the way.