The Rockstar and The Graduate//L.A. Guns •Kelly Nickels•

Too Broke

We weren't even half way there yet. "Man, fuck this!" Janey said, wanting to already been to Hartford and back.

I pulled over on the side of the road and parked. I brought the palms of my hands to my eyes and rubbed them. "This was stupid...all of it. The bar, the show, letting Kelly drive us home when we were drunk, letting him stay, giving him my number, hanging out with him for a little bit, fighting with him, kissing him, and getting engaged to him? Was stupid. All of it was a fucking mistake!" I yelled as I felt my eyes get wet with tears  against my palms.

"This was a mistake." I said no longer yelling. I felt Janey's hand on my shoulder. I looked at her. "We can still go to Hartford..." she said softly. I shook my head and grabbed my wallet. "We're too fucking broke for that shit." I told her as I flipped my wallet upside down and no money came out.

We didn't think about this.

She didn't say anything as I started the car and put it into drive, making a U-turn from the side of the road so we were going in the direction we came.

As I drove, I wondered if I still would have gone to Connecticut if Janey and I weren't broke. I was knocked out of my thoughts by Janey talking to me. "What's gunna happen when we get back to California?" She questioned me.

I shrugged. "I don't Jane. I don't know." I told her truthfully as I reached under the seat in the middle of us and pulled out the shoebox of cassettes. "Pick your poison." I told her.

She ended up putting in the album Desolation Boulevard by Sweet in.

On our way through Fresno, we stopped at a diner. We were starving, and even though we didn't have any money, we were gunna finesse our fucking asses off through this.

We ordered a few burgers and two cokes. Janey whispered to me across the table. "Laurie...what are we going to do about this? We're too broke for this." Janey said as she looked at her and I's plates.

I pretty much told her to shut up and follow my lead. We sat there for a while eating and talking about what we were gunna do. My mind went to the only choice we had,

Dine and dash.

I was about to tell Janey my plan when the door to the diner jingled. Janey looked behind me and her eyes went wide, her mouth practically hitting the floor.

I furrowed my eyebrows at her and followed her line of sight to what it was she was staring at behind me.

My eyes too went wide. Kelly, Kelly, Kelly. I whipped my head back around and faced Janey. "What the fuck." I whispered to her.  She nodded. "I know."

"Maybe you two should talk though. I mean things must be pretty rough for him too." Janey explained. I sighed and told her that she was probably right. I took a sip of my coke and then got up.

"Hey." Is all I said to him as I reached him. He looked at me. "Can we please talk?" He questioned. I nodded and we both started walking outside, I of course shooting Janey a look.

I leaned against the side of the diner on my back. "I'm sorry." Kelly said. I shook my head. "We've had our fair share of fights, but the last one? Jesus Christ, Kelly. You tore my heart out and stepped all over it. Who in their right mind takes their fiancé's ex's word against their fiancé's?" I asked as I pulled out a cigarette.

I fished around in my pocket for my lighter and I eventually got it. I pulled it out. It wasn't the lighter Kelly had given me, this was just an a solid colored old bic lighter.

Kelly's was at home, in my drawer. I looked at Kelly as I took a drag. "I don't know why I listened to that fuck face." Kelly said as he shook his head. I pushed off of the wall and faced him.

"Well I don't know either Kelly." I told him. He just stared at me. I couldn't with this.

***

I've been on the road for awhile, but I needed a break, so I pulled over at a diner and walked in. When I entered I looked around the place and my eyes landed on Janey, and then she turned around.

She got up, and then we went outside to talk. I knew I missed her, but even though I was just a few feet away from her, I missed her even more.

She had just pulled out a cigarette and lit it, except she didn't have my lighter. I talked for a minute and then she responded. Now both of us were just standing there.

I couldn't help but stare at her. She was pretty, and I missed her. Her laugh, her humor, her kisses, her cigarettes, everything.

I then glanced to her hand as she brought it up to her face so she could take another drag of the cigarette. I felt a pang in my chest.

She wasn't wearing her ring anymore. I then glanced at her neck, the pang floating away in a cloud of happiness. She was wearing it on her neck.

"Look I was incredibly stupid for listening to him over you. I guess I was just scared. I mean-ive never been engaged, let alone married before and I guess it just wigged me out." I explained.

She had that look on her face that she gets when she's thinking.

***

I was thinking. "Yeah okay, but that argument we had was still very fucked." I told him honestly. He nodded and stepped a few inches closer. I didn't step back.

"I know and I'm gunna make it up to you however I can. I just- I've gone without you for more than I already care too and I don't want to endure that for another minute.

I looked at him "We're too young." I responded, facing reality. We were too young to get married. Just 18 and 21. He looked at me with hope.

"Then baby, we'll grow old together." Is all he said. We never talked about growing old together, not even when we decided we were gunna get engaged.

I thought for a minute. The way he addressed me then did make my heart soar. I couldn't help when a smile formed on my face.

"Alright." Is all I said a I stubbed out my cigarette. Before I knew it Kelly had closed the space between us and hugged me. I laughed.

When he put me down, I gave him a look. "You don't happen to have any cash on you, do you?" I questioned. He looked at me confused with a bit of humor. "What, you making me pay to marry you?" He joked.

I shook my head and laughed as we started walking back in. "No, Janey and I are just in a predicament." I said.

I was glad that I had Kelly back. I just don't want want anything else that's fucked to happen.

And I mean it. Even if we are too young or too broke.

(A/N: sorry if the grammars a little wonky, half asleep as I write this :) Happy Reading -Jaimie🦆🤙