• anytime you want || Danger Days MCR •

where do we go now?

~ (where do we go) Where Do We Go Now? ~
Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns 'n' Roses
***

As we approach the tunnel exit of Battery City, Kobra pushes to 110 kilometres an hour. We were flying when we entered, the tunnel enclosing the car in the darkness. There is a small shack up ahead with a boom gate blocking the road.

Everyone is silent as we speed towards the boom gate, no sign of slowing down. We are going to go straight through it.

"Umm, guys?" I say, panic in my voice. "We're going to umm... crash." It is close now only a few seconds away.

"No, we're not," Kobra said and planted his foot on the accelerator.

I put my arms over my head and squeeze my eyes shut bracing for the impact.

CRASH. The car crashed through the boom gate, the impact of the metal on the car no doubt leaving a dent. I look up to see the window has a new crack in the lower middle. The boys all look unfazed like they've done this thousands of times. They probably have.

I turn around in my seat to see the twisted metal of the destroyed boom gate laying on the road. An angry-looking worker in all white comes out of the shack and throws up his hands in frustration.

"We're on our way home, baby!" Party cheers from the front. The others joined in laughing and cheering.

I wasn't going home. I was leaving home. Never going back.

As if reading my thoughts, Party turns around in his seat and says, "This can be your new home too."

"Yeah, you can live at the diner with us and Dr D. Oh, and Missile Kid, and Killer Sunshine, and Show Pony." Ghoul says next to me.

I nod and look out the window. We come out of the tunnel, the sudden brightness from the sun stinging my eyes.

When my eyes finally adjust, outside the window all I can see is desert. Orange-brown earth stretches out to the horizon, dotted with lifeless shrubs, sticks and lumps of red rocks. The sky is bright, baby blue with not a cloud in sight. It's beautiful. A sort of scary beautiful, like when you look at the scene too long an emptiness fills your stomach. The world is so big, and I've been trapped it the same city, the same suburb for 5 years.

A sign whizzes past, snapping me out of it. From the brief glance I got, it looked to be a corrugated metal sheet with red spray-painted words reading 'Zone 1'.

The Zones.

This was it. Killjoy territory. I'm out of the safety of the city, out it the open.

But I wasn't alone. Not anymore.

***

The car was quiet except for the sound of The Eagles playing on the car radio. Hotel California.

The atmosphere was almost like the boys were afraid to talk, like my presence was holding them back.

It took me another 5 minutes to come up with what to say, considering I hadn't had to start a conversation in 5 years.

"So, uhh... Where are we going?" a simple question I had been wanting to know the answer to and a great conversation starter.

Kobra and Party exchange a look in the front seats.

"Zone 4," Kobra says, leather-gloved hands gripping the wheel.

"We're almost at Zone 2. It's a long, dangerous drive so get comfortable. We should be there by sundown." Party elaborates. He reaches to turn up the radio as the Guns play their iconic opening guitar riff at the beginning of Sweet Child O' Mine.

"Oh yeah!" Jet yells and plays air guitar in the small space he has between the car door and Ghoul.

I know this song well. I have Appetite for Destruction on CD from my Dad. I hope I packed it.

"She's got a smile it seems to me, reminds me of childhood memories, where everything

was as fresh as the bright blue sky!" I sing loudly.

Kobra was banging his hands on the steering wheel to the drumbeat.

Party and Ghoul join in with me. "Now and then when I see her face, she takes me away to that special place and if I'd stare too long, I'd probably break down and cry!"

Beside me Ghoul starts playing his own air guitar, he and Jet jamming together.

Party turns around in his seat, a fist up to his mouth like he's holding a microphone as he sings the chorus with me.

"Woahhhhh, ooooh, ooooh sweet child o' mineeeee!

Woahhhh, ooh, ooh, ooh sweet love of mineee!"

I'm an average singer, I not good but I'm not bad either. I just enjoy the music.

The guitar solo in the middle of the song comes and Jet and Ghoul go crazy with their air guitars. Party and I laugh at the stupid facial expressions and headbanging going on, and I stick as close to the door as possible to avoid being killed by Ghoul's violent movements.

The song quiets and Party and I are singing in lows tones, "Where do we go? Where do we go now? Where do we go?" The boys laugh at us.

I see Kobra crack a small smile at our music high, still drumming the beat on the wheel.

The guitar starts again, and Ghoul is spasming beside me, Party and I still singing like crazys.

The song comes to an end and we are all a laughing breathless mess.

Our wild performance together seemed to break the awkwardness and the boys don't hold back after that. They talk so much I couldn't get a word in even if I want to. It's nice. The chatting and laughing amongst them. I listen to their conversation's half understanding what they were saying and trying to figure out how we got on the subject of movies.

"What do you mean?! Star Wars is a classic, no ifs or buts." Jet says. Ghoul nods in agreement.

"I'm not saying it isn't, man. I'm just saying that Steven King's works are better." Party counters.

I had seen Star Wars millions of times, I love it. I watch it every month. Steven King wrote books though, so I didn't understand why they were comparing apples to oranges.

Ghoul turns to me. "You're Dad showed you Star Wars, right?"

"Yeah."

"What's your opinion on Ewoks?" He smiles, raising an eyebrow.

"Umm... What are Ewoks?"

His smile vanishes and he looks shocked. I hear Jet gasp behind him.

"They're the little bear creatures on the forest moon of Endor! They're the best part in The Return of The Jedi!" He tries to explain, furiously.

I had seen it loads of time and have never heard of the Ewok bear things or the Endor moon or the Return of The Jedi.

Seeing that I still look confused he exclaims, "How can you have seen Star Wars and not know what Ewoks are?!"

Jet pokes his head out from behind Ghoul. "What's the name of the Star Wars you've seen?"

"Ahh... Star Wars A New Hope."

Party laughs in front of me. "Oh Sugar, you haven't even scratched the surface."

Ghoul and Jet look relieved. "So, you're saying you've only seen the first movie?" Ghoul asks.

The first movie? There's more?

"What do you mean the first movie?"

"There are three movies in the original trilogy. And three in the prequels." Jet explains.

"Six!?" I can't stop the smile that spreads across my face. "Do you have them all?"

"Yep. We have to watch them when we get home." Ghoul says.

There's that word again. Home.