“This traffic is ridiculous,” Billy moaned in the passanger’s seat of the boys’ rented black Suburban as Joel carefully watched the road, his eyes squinting underneath his black MADE cap against the falling golden sun, their car crawling slowly towards the intersection. Honks, angry words, and hot air spewed into the humid air as brake lights lined the busy New York City strip. “There is the invention of the train.”
“Or they could walk,” Chris suggested, staring lazily into the continuous line of identical buildings, despising the bum rush of city living, preferring a calm, quiet country setting, “Save money, the planet, and get some exercise.”
“You know, they all must be running from the sight of Paul,” Benji joked boisterously, leaning forward and slapping Joel on the shoulder, laughing hysterically, Paul gazing at him with fire in his narrowed eyes.
“BENJI!” Chris yelled at him, slapping him lightly upside the head, his brown eyes boring into his, “Joel is trying to concentrate.”
Paul followed Chris and punched him with an iron fist in the shoulder, Benji conveniently pinned in the middle of Chris and Paul.
“OW!” Benji cried, frowning under his black MADE bandana as he rubbed the spot of contact with his right hand, feeling a bruise coming on, Paul staring defiantly at the back of Joel’s head. “What was that for?”
“That was mean,” Paul whispered, hurt coating his voice, slouching down in his seat and clamping his arms under his chest.
“Learn to take a joke, man,” Benji spat back at Paul, leaning to the side over Chris to get better leverage for his potent kick to Paul’s shin.
“Fuck, Man!” Paul yelled wildly, ready to pummel Benji’s face in if Chris didn’t swiftly unbuckle his seatbelt to maneuver in between them.
“Put your seat belt back on, young man,” Joel shouted intensely behind him, as if he was scolding his disobedient children.
“Stop, Guys!” Billy cried, watching distastefully as Benji and Paul began to bite, kick, and throw punches at each other, Chris trying to crowbar them apart, then dropping his bald head in his hands in defeat. “How old are you?”
“I’m going to pull this car right over if you don’t…” Joel continued his motherly threats before being slightly pushed toward the steering wheel like he hit a bump. Joel raised his cap and winced with disappointment.
“Looks like you’re going to have to now,” Benji snickered, placing his hands comfortable behind his head as if he won, the jolt of the Suburban crashing into another car ringing the bell on him and Paul’s fight.
“Fuck,” Joel whispered as the light turned green and he laggardly followed the car around the block, sighing loudly as he pulled behind what he could see were 2 girls. He hastily left the driver’s side, tucking his hands embarrassedly in his baggy jeans’ pockets at the sun beat down on him vengefully. Paul followed Joel, taking one last swing at Benji’s shoulder before slamming the door shut. Benji shrugged away then lunged for the door.
“What do you always have to start with him, Benji?” Billy asked with a sigh, rolling his eyes as he slid out of the passanger’s seat.
“What?” Benji shouted at Billy innocently, looking over to Chris for answers, Chris shaking his head.
“You know Paul’s sensitive,” Chris replied matter-of-factly, leaning against the door and jumping out.
“Sorry if I don’t treat him like he’s still in diapers,” Benji mumbled to himself, pulling himself dramatically out of the car and swinging the door shut.
The 2 girls were already inspecting the damage by the time Joel got up enough courage to speak, steamy air from whizzing cars smacking at his face. “I’m really sorry,” Joel began, but it all blended together like one word, the girl with short blonde hair looking up from her crouched position, the black haired girl flicking her almond eyes up at him curiously, leaning her one hand on the rear headlight.
“Hey,” Deon replied with a pixie smile, looking back down at her bumper and dancing her fingers across the gleaming finish. “No skin off my ass. Looks like there’s no damage.”
“I definitely see a scratch,” Benji differed with a smart-ass grin, Joel shooting Benji a look before nudging hard at his arm.
Deon laughed, her laugh hearty for a girl who only reached 5’2, the sun glinting off her sparkling nose piercing as she straightened up. “I’m Deon,” she introduced herself before lacing her arm around Wyllah’s arm, who was leaning casually against the side of the Firebird. “This is my cousin, Wyllah.”
Joel peered at Wyllah curiously, Wyllah waving uncomfortably at him with a crooked smile, a smile he knew all too well. Her beauty was immaculate, but there was something else about her that intrigued Joel so much. “Oh, I’m Joel,” Joel began, breaking out of his daze, giving them a spontaneous bow before going down the line, “And this is Chris, Billy, Paul, and my obnoxious twin, Benji.”
“Proud of it,” Benji beamed with pride, pumping a fist into the air, making even Wyllah crack a smile.
“So what are you nice-looking 5-pack of men doing in the Big Apple?” Wyllah asked them sweetly, leaning on the bumper of her car and spreading her tanned arms across it, her breasts constricting under her black tank top, Benji couldn’t help but staring. Paul pushed Benji over, Benji almost falling into streaming oncoming traffic.
“Hey,” Benji yelled at Paul, Paul ducking for shelter behind Joel and sticking his tounge out at Benji spitefully. Deon laughed.
“A vacation, I suppose,” Billy replied uncertainly, scratching one of the many tattoos on his arms.
“We’re in a band!” Paul blurted out with a bright smile, Wyllah peering at him with a curious one.
“Rock stars,” Deon replied with raised eyebrows, tucking her thumbs into the loops of her tattered-kneed Mudd jeans, “A Bonus.”
“We’re working on our sophomore album,” Chris added, leaning up against a silver parking meter, proud to be apart of Good Charlotte, and not shy about expressing it, Joel nodding as he inspected the dirt on his Cons, “Actually, just the finishing touches. We were very hands-on with this album.”
“It should be coming out in October.” Billy continued, sensing how interested Deon was in this information, Deon leaning forward and gazing into their eyes.
“Well,” Deon responded, unhooking her thumbs and pushing herself up from the bumper, watching a train of pedestrians hurry across the street. “Impressive. Does this band of yours have a name?”
“Good Charlotte,” Benji informed them jollily, emphasizing the ‘good’ dramatically, Deon and Wyllah chuckling under their breaths.
“How cute,” Wyllah responded with a perfect smile, flipping her long tangled behind her right shoulder.
“Ummm…thanks?” Paul responded unsurely, tapping the toe of his right black old school vans into the dark asphalt.
“Well,” Deon replied, nodding at Wyllah as turned her back, giving them one last sultry glance before slipping into the front seat, “If you guys aren’t too big of Rock Stars and want to chill with us commoners, we’re inviting you to our motel room on the Jersey Shore. Free food, free cable…”
Benji glanced around at his friends and shrugged, not wanting to seem too eager to go anywhere with Deon the Vixen.
“Oh,” Deon began to add with a sly smile, tapping her fingers against the top of the leather seats as Wyllah leaned over Deon and turned on the car, it purring gently as Wyllah began to channel surf, “Did I mention we’re also right on a Nudist beach.”
“I’m in!” Paul shouted, waving his hand wildly in the air, Billy laughing and patting him genially on the back.
“Whoa, Tiger,” Joel cautioned him, holding him back from diving head first into the front seat with Deon and Wyllah. “I guess we can go. Sounds good to you, guys?”
“How can we say no?” Benji responded with a dreamy smile, Deon whispering to Wyllah but her bright green eyes locked on Benji, Benji’s heart tripping over itself.