A Summer In Arizona || A Lady Gaga Fanfiction

Chapter 7 - She's A Free Soul Burning Roads

The next morning I left early. After I'd had some fried eggs with bacon and a cup of freshly brewed black coffee, I felt amazing. I hadn't slept that good in ages and felt like a totally new person. That morning the sun was lying low in the sky and promised yet another beautiful summer day. I enjoyed the view and the tranquility around me. That morning I kept the radio off and solely listened to the rythm of the weels of my car and the wind that was blowing through my hair. Those sounds reminded me of my favorite moments with John. The memoiries of our relationship I cherished the most were the Sunday mornings. Sometimes he would just disappear out of nowhere on my doorstep with his motorbike and he'd only leave if I jumped on the back of it. Most of the time we'd just wander around New York and during that period of my life it was my absolute favorite thing to do. I considered those rides as few of the only things that gave me absolute freedom. Especially when we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge - the absolute midpoint of our homes, because as I grew up as a Manhattan Girl, he was a true Brooklyn Boy.  At that place time really stood still. When we sped over the East River, I was just Stefani for a moment. We were Always heading towards the same place. It was this cute little cafe, where we spend hours talking or just staring into each others eyes over pancakes and hot chocolate. It didn't matter what we did, because we were in love and love transforms even the most lost souls into hopeless romantics.

As I was dashing over the highway, I felt exactly like that. I'd never forget what it felt like and it was the highlight of our relationship. It did kind of remind me that our relationship really was over. We were never getting back together, but I could feel like that on my own. I didn't need a man to be free and that made me feel way better. Something that didn't contribute to my freedom, was my freaking phone that kept on buzzing. It drove me insane. The first two times I still took the time to pick up. First I talked to Tara, who had to check if I was still alive and informed me that my flight and the show were cancelled. After that we just chatted for a while, because apart from being my make-up artist and my assistant, Tara was my best friend as well. I told her everything that happened and how amazing I slept that night. She really understood me and knew that she had to let me go for this one time, because if I stayed in this bubble called my life, I'd probably end up in a psych ward.

Christian followed shortly after. He was a little bit more practical and realistic than Tara was. He was putting the worst scenarios in my hand and begged me for my safety to come back to New York, but I ignored him and eventually got irritated by his overprotectiveness and hung up. Several other members of the Haus of Gaga tried to reach me, but I ignored their calls. I wasn't going to let my great mood be ruined by people that were a few hundred miles away from me.

After a while I decided to put on the radio and was singing along a song of the Beatles when my Phone started to ring for the thousanth time. It frustrated me so much that I parked my car at the side of the road and without actually thinking it through I shattered my phone on the asphalt and threw it into the grass. It might not have been the smartest thing to do, but it felt so liberating that I felt a hundred times better afterwards.

I was feeling at peace when I drove through St. Louis at the end of the day and found myself on the famous Route 66. When I saw the famous logo on the road, it felt like I drove right into a movie. I had never expected myself to be the one going on a roadtrip, but in the end I didn't regret my decision at all.

Because I was on Route 66 anyways, which sounded pretty awesome in my ears, I decided that my final destination would be Los Angeles. In the early stages of Lady Gaga I traded my safe New York for sunny LA to pursuit my musical carreer. I succeeded and as my life bloomed I moved back to New York, because I longed to be back at my home town, but I couldn't deny that sometimes I truly missed the heat and the bright colors of LA.

When I stopped by a diner at the end of the day to eat something and was standing in front of the mirror in the toilet, I looked myself in the eye. I felt like I needed to change something. I took a make-up wipe out of my bag and removed the red lips and black eyeliner I applied that morning out of habit. Now that all of the make-up was gone, I felt like a different person. For years there hadn't been a day I walked out the door without putting on some lipstick or a fancy wig. I didn't use make-up as a mask, but more like a way to express myself. I didn't only want my creative personality to be on the inside, but also reflect on the outside and that's why I switched up my wigs every week and let Tara create bold eye-looks, because then I was the true me. At least I thought I was, because as I looked myself in the eye I felt more like myself than I had felt in ages. Maybe it was my bare face or my character, but something had visably changed.

With a certain confidence I stepped into the diner and went to sit at the bar. I wasn't feeling like sitting at one of the tables all by myself. Then I would start thinking about things and I was way too tired for that. So it was better for me to surround myself with active people. I was starving and I was so happy when I finally got my steak. The trucker that was sitting at the end of the bar, had caught me.

'A lady that actually eats, that's something very rare nowadays.'

I looked up and had eye contact with the man. 'Car rides make me hungry.'

He laughed. 'You would expect that from such a tiny girl.'

I started to laugh too. 'I'm Italian, though.'

'That makes a lot of sense. Where are you headed for?'

'Los Angeles,' I answered.

'Ah, I see. You're following the well-known Route 66. Then you still have quite some miles to go.'

I nodded and took a sip from my coke. 'Luckily I don't really mind. When I'm on the road, I have room to think.'

'I feel you.'

'What brings you here?'

'I'm on my way to Tulsa. Going to St. Louis tomorrow. Who know where I'm heading the day after? I'm a truck driver.'

'Then you must have seen many places.'

'I've been all over the continent, but I must say there's no better place than home.'

I smiled. 'I can agree to that.'

'So what's you name?'

I was quiet for a moment and then said the first thing that popped into my mind: 'Joanne.'