Released {Izzy Stradlin}

Just the Two of Us

It took about twenty minutes for us to drive to the nearest Harley Davidson place. The store was conveniently placed on a not-so-busy street, so we didn't have to worry about fans running up to us and stuff.

At the front of the store, motorcycles of all shapes and colors were on display. The back of the store was dedicated to merchandise and gear for the cycles. In the center stood the rectangular counter where the registers were.

Duff and Steven were examining a pair of two-seater motorcycles. One was tan with black flames, and the other was the opposite. Both were patterned with brown leather. The handlebars wore the same leather and had decorative tassels hanging from them. As the two chatted with one of the employees, I was at the counter getting ready to rent a helmet and pair of sunglasses for myself. I tried getting Izzy to wear a helmet, but he refused. Apparently, all he needed was his sunglasses if he got into a wreck. Steve and Duff feel the same way.

"Did you find everything alright today?" The clerk asks me with a cheerful voice. I make eye contact with the lady and smile with my response.

"I did, thank you."

"No problem," I watch as she scans the bar codes. "If you wouldn't mind, my daughter is a big fan of your band." The lady puts the items in front of me and grabs a pen. "Could you sign something for her? I know I've got some sticky notes around here somehwere."

"Hold on," I stop her from searching around the countertops. "How about this..." I walk away from the counter and grab a large-sized T-shirt from the rack. It was white and had the Harley Davidson logo on it. The lady looks at me half-confused as I put it on the counter. "I'll buy it, and then sign it for your daughter."

"Oh, well I couldn't ask you to buy a whole T-shirt-"

"You didn't have to ask," I chuckled, pulling out my wallet. "I hope you have a marker." The most grateful, most beloved smile was stuck fast to her lips as she scans the tag on the shirt. I couldn't help but smile myself knowing this brought her joy. I could only imagine how her daughter would react.

"I do! Thank you so much, she's going to love this."

"You're welcome," I replied kindly and handed over the money for the rentals and the shirt. While I'm carefully signing the shirt, Izzy comes up behind me silently.

"They're moving our ride out front." He states. I finish my autograph and gave the shirt to the lady, who thanked me again. "You really got a helmet?"

"Yeah, you really didn't get one?" I asked smartly. Turning to him, I'm reminded of our height difference. I took a step back so I wouldn't have to break my neck looking up at him.

"I'm not gonna wreck," Izzy states as though it's obvious. I follow him as he starts walking towards the front door.

"I trust you to not get us into a wreck. I don't trust the other people on the road, though."

"Fair enough," Izzy shrugs.

In the lot out front, Steven and Duff are sitting on their cycles, revving the engines obnoxiously. Izzy walks over to a deep-blue motorcycle. It had black leather seats and handles.

"Not a bad choice, Iz." I said to him, raising my voice over the revving engines.

"Oh, you like it?" He swings his leg over and takes a seat on the bike. "I wouldn't buy this personally, but it's alright. Ape hanger handlebars and a rear shock to keep your kidneys in. It's got an open primary drive system too."

"You talk about it like it's yours," I verbally observe, a smile lingering over my mouth as I put on my sunglasses.

"I just know my stuff, doll. Hop on."