Scattered (Green Day)

Something to cry about.

4. S o m e t h i ng - t o - c r y - a b o u t


"HELL-oh, sunshine!" Jimmy smiled at me, his toothy grin made his worn face look younger. I stared at him for a long moment, he was nothing and everything like I had expected. Up close, regardless of his tired under eye circles was the face of a handsome man, he had a strong jawline, high cheek bones and a faint pink scar that ran from his left eyebrow and up toward his forehead, hidden in part with his dark brown hair. 

Gloria took a step forward and Jimmy loosened his grip. I looked around and saw that we were near the edge of some weird looking town, not too dissimilar to the ghost town I'd just spent the night shivering in.

I let myself look over Jimmy again. He was well over 6ft, effectively dwarfing Gloria and myself. He had the look of some catalogue model who'd had one too many beers.

"Jimmy." Gloria shot a looked up at Jimmy to ensure she had his attention before carrying on, "This is Billie. He really helped me out with some Castaway stuff."

Jimmy raised an eyebrow, shot a tense look at Gloria and then took a step forward, offering me his hand. I shook it once and then dropped my arm back to my side. 

"You can explain it all after you've both cleaned up some," Jimmy wrapped an arm around Gloria's shoulders and started to walk toward the town, "leave your car Bill, I'll get someone to drive it up."

"The keys are still in the ignition. Get Jason to do it, he won't total it." Gloria spoke quietly and I walked beside her, noticing her eyes were cast to the ground. 

"I'd like to discuss later in what way my business is entangled with," he kissed Gloria on the top of her head with his eyes tense and staring at me as he did, "my life..." He looked away from me, suddenly smiling at his feet, "later of course."

I put my hands into the front pockets of my jeans, "Where are we anyhow?"

"It's an old ghost town, couple of houses still standing. Some sheds. Some burnt out husks. About a twenty minute drive west of here is a town with actual people. I settled here a few years ago, there's a few trailers littered about too." Jimmy's voice was like gravel but it was impossible not to be fully enveloped in what he was saying, his entire presence was just captivating. I understood now why and how everyone had fallen into a mad love with him, I could feel myself slipping into awestruck admiration.

We kept walking, past rotten houses, rusted trailers and groups of people smoking. We ended up to a house at the back of the town which compared to everywhere else was incredibly well kept.
Jimmy took his arm away from Gloria and turned his back to the house. 

"Hey, you two eat, shower and get some sleep. I think later on tonight they'll be a party," Jimmy put his hands deep into his trench coat pockets. "So this castaway business," he took a cigarette I hadn't seen from behind his ear and put it in between his teeth, "I just, I'm just real curious what happened."