21st Century Breakdown: Nathan and Ari

10 - Murder City

Chapter 10

Joey Armstrong

Really, Emma? I thought to myself, setting her down on the driveway. Emma looked up at me, pouting once again.

"Joey, baby," she whined, "what was that for?" Just as she finished her question, she stumbled forward and I had to make sure she didn't fall face first onto the pavement. I sighed, shaking my head and rolling my eyes. She giggled as I set her up straight again.

"Emma, I'm not going to beat around the bush with this," I sighed, crossing my arms over my chest. "Are you cheating on me?" My question seemed to sober her up a bit. She looked up at me again, her expression completely dumbfounded. "I guess you didn't understand. Are. You. Cheating. On. Me?" I asked her again, each word its own sentence.

"No!" she shouted, blatantly lying to my face. Her answer came out way too fast, and in that instant, I knew she was cheating. I just knew it. In retrospect, it was actually pretty obvious. Getting hammered at every party we've been to in the past month, agreeing to leave her best friend, just to go home with me. That wasn't her. In all honesty, I probably should've expected this from someone who spends almost every waking moment with Anna and Veronica.

I shook my head at her. "And to think I thought better of you. Emma, all you are is a hoe. Just a fucking whore. Just like Anna and Veronica. I mean, once a whore, always a whore, right?" I laughed humorlessly. "Go on, run back inside and fuck that other guy. We're over and I'm done with you," I spat at her. "Besides, we never had anything in common and I never liked you anyway. You were just a good fuck."

The girl in front of me looked like she'd just been punched in the gut. She won't remember any of this tomorrow, I thought to myself, shoving my hands in the pockets of my jacket and walking to my car.

"Joey! Wait!" Emma called after me, although I was already in my car, my keys in the ignition. I rolled down my window as she made her way over to me. She sighed, kneeling down next to the car so she was eye level with me. "Y-you're r-right," she stuttered, her chocolate brown eyes boring into mine, "I ch-cheated."

I shook my head, turning the key in the ignition and starting the car. "Let me guess," I began, "just time for a change? Or was I boring you?" She looked completely alert now. If anyone saw her, they'd think that she was as sober as sober gets.

Emma was never one to pass up a good opportunity to start shit with anyone, especially while she had alcohol in her system. "Honestly, Joey, you were really starting to bore me. This isn't one of those 'it's not you, it's me' situations. Really, it's you, not me. And besides, Jorden is a way better fuck than you. Really, this is your loss."

I laughed humorlessly. "Well then. As said before, we're done. Fuck you, and have a nice day." I smiled at her, rolling my window up and driving away. Damn, I'm hungry, I thought to myself as I veered out onto the road. Time to hit the 7-Eleven.

As I reached the beat up little gas station, I couldn't help but think of all the memories I've gotten from this place. Just two weeks ago, actually, me and the rest of my band were down here trashing the place. They were out in the store part, terrorizing the children that came in alone, and I was in the bathroom, writing on everything, even the probably-two-day-old paint on the walls.

In terms of Green Day, I am the Jesus of Suburbia. (A/N: Yeah, that's stupid. I know. Don't judge me.)

______

Nathan Pritchard

I watched from the recliner in the living room as Ari and Anthony got started with the pizza and boneless wings. Ari was preheating the oven and Anthony was getting the pizza stone out of the cupboard above the stove because Ari was too short to reach it. I laughed quietly to myself.