Okay, it's me

Chapter 6- Oh Oh I love her So

Okay, it's me. Buenos Snicklefritz. (My life is awesome, isn't it?) The names In the first paragraph of this story have reason behind them. Penny Lane, is not only a Beatles Song, but also a character in the movie Almost Famous. (God, I loved that fake ass band! They were actually meant to be a cross of The Allman Brothers Band and Led Zeppelin. Two of my faves of that era…) Anyway, that movie freakin' rocks, so rent it, dammit! Lady Goodman also came from the movie, but as not to spoil, I won't tell. James DeBello is a very sexy actor, who starred as Tripp in the movie, Detroit Rock City, in which he was a KISS fan, willing to do anything to see the greatest fuckin' rock and roll glam band ever! He was also in Crime and Punishment in Suburbia. I recommend all three for the hot actors in them. (Patrick Fugit, James Debello, and Dave. What more could a girl ask for… I mean, besides another Dave…)

Also, I make referance to Dexter Holland of the Offspring. I don't know if he'd ever give a fan a necklace or not, but I made it up. I don't even know if he wears a leather strap with the name 'Dexter' on it or not, I just made it up.

Also, I'm not a doctor, I don't have the gut for it. I'm also not a lawyer, and don't intend to be one. I hate them. They bore me half to death, and speaking to the lawyer that I had to have for my uncle's estate didn't help things one bit.

"Wow. I…I don't know what to say!" Alex said. "Don't say anything, just be my friend. I really could use one right now." Joey sighed. He had told this girl his story, and just because she drew a reaction, not only to his libido, but his heart as well. His stomach was flip-flopping, his groin was pulsating, his heart was racing, his palms were sweaty, his lips were trembling, which could mean one thing. He was head over heels in love with Alex. The door opened and Dave came out. "Hey! Aren't you Penny Lane's daughter?" He asked. "Penny Lane?" He asked. "Oops. Sorry. Lady Goodman's daughter?" He asked. Alex nodded. "It's DeBello now." She corrected. "Wow. Miss Penny Lane finally got hitched and had a kid." "Three." "Holy Sh-h-hnikes!" Dave said, careful to watch his mouth. "He's a fuckin' moron, isn't he?" Joey said. Alex giggled. "Yeah. My mom is worse." She said. Joey smiled. Alex took a pen out of her JNCO's and grabbed Joey's arm. She wrote a number on it. "Call me, Joey." She said, picking up her ten-speed and hauling away, flashing a devil-horns with her hand as she rode off to her home. Joey had a smile transfixed on his face. "Well, you haven't been here two hours and you've made a friend. Geez." Dave paused, remembering the happier half of his youth. "I lived there from the time I was ten, 'till I was eighteen and left for Grenada, and I wasn't that lucky!" He said. Joey smiled. "Did you crack your dad, yet?" He asked. "You mean, your grandfather?" Dave replied. Joey smiled an unforgettable grin. "Really? Oh, this is fuckin' awesome!" He said, hugging Dave out of impulse. Dave hugged back, hoping to whatever god would listen that he would get Joey as his legal child.

A few hours later, Dave and Joey were back in Dave's car and headed for his apartment. They climbed the stairs and entered the place they called home, and Dave checked his answering machine. "Malucci residence. Talk to me. *Beep* Dave? It's me, Scott. Uhm, I just wanted to let you know my address."

Meanwhile, Joey had found the boxers and put them on. It was a warm night in Chicago, so he didn't bother with the t-shirt. He got under the dark blue comforter and snuggled in the sheets. He closed his eyes and lie into the covers, thinking over the events of that day. All he had on his young mind was Alex. Not just the fact that he found her sexy, but the fact that she seemed perfect. She'll never fall in love with a stupid fuck like you! One side of his mind said. Bullshit! That fucker's lying! She'll love you; just let it grow for a while. Another corner said. Would you guys shut the hell up! I'm trying to get some Goddamn Sleep! A louder corner yelled. His bad arguing thoughts disappeared, leaving his mind to dream of a sweet romance with Alex.

Meanwhile Dave was in his own bed, tossing and turning with dreams of his own. His mind was playing cruel jokes on him, making him believe for a few seconds that he'd never be Joey's legal father. Then the other corner told him that he'd be Joey's dad, and a great one at that. Then the final corner told them all to shut the hell up, he was trying to sleep.

Joey thrashed in his sleep. His fingers grasped like claws in the bedsheets as his dream unfolded.

A cool night, a few years prior to the date of this story, we see a young boy, about thirteen. He has brown hair, fair skin, and the prettiest eyes that has ever been seen on a male. Even prettier that Fred Durst's icy stare. He is sitting on his bed, covered in a yellowy-green plaid cover. He is listening to the Offspring, a band he liked as much as the Ramones. He heard the familiar thud of his dad's workboots and knew that he was in deep shit. He panicked and fled to the CD player, but he was too late. Sean, a tall and malevolent man crashed through the door. "How many fucking times have I told you not to play that damn SHIT so fucking loud? Huh?" He asked his young son. The boy knew he'd be beaten worse if he replied, as obedience had been beaten into him. Sean took the boy and threw him on his bed. The stereo was still blasting Ixnay on the Hombre, and it came to a familiar track:

Nothing changes cause it's all the same
The world you get's the one you give away
It all just happens again
Way down the line
There is a chain that's never broken
You know the story it's sad but true
An angry man gets drunk and beats his kids
The same old way his drunken father did
What comes around well it goes around
Nothing changes cause it's all the same
The world you get's the one you give away
It all just happens again

Way down the line

"What the hell is this shit?" He asked, punching the button to open the CD player. The CD popped out and Sean grabbed the disc. He tossed it like a frisbee out the window. He Shut the window, closed the blinds and curtains, locked the door and turned to his only son. There was a look of pure hatred in his eyes, the kind that should not be given from a father to a son. Joey shut his eyes tightly and began to think of the first time he saw the Offspring in concert. Dexter Holland had the coolest look on him, and was extremely cool to the fans. After the concert, Joey had met Dexter, shaking hands with him. Dexter had been amazed by this little kid, and called him a punk pipsqueak. Joey had smiled and Dexter gave him a small satchel. Inside was a guitar pick, and a necklace that Dexter had always worn, but had grown out of. "Keep it, it's yours." Dexter had told him, waving goodbye as he boarded the tour bus. Joey had stood there with a grin on his face watching as the band's bus left for the next tour date.

Pretty soon, the beating was over, and Joey's face had been unhurt. Sean always made sure not to hit Joey where it could be a dead giveaway as to what happened in the home. Joey was in pain, but he made sure not to wince or moan in any way, at least until Sean left for the bar. But Sean didn't leave. Instead unsatisfied with the look on the boy's face, he ran and got a baseball bat. He raised it high over his head and he brought it down with a hard-

Joey sat bolt upright in his bed. He was sweating from his head to his toes, as he remembered the horrible beating. He reached to his neck, and tugged at a leather strap that had the name Dexter on the side that was rubbing on Joey's neck. There was a small silver ankh that hung from it, and it was worn with the rubbing that Dexter and Joey had done to it over the years that they respectively owned it. He checked the clock and saw that it was 5:30. He decided that he'd better get up and get a shower before Dave had to get up. He did so, but first he took out his piercings, knowing that he really didn't have to. He also took the necklace that he treasured so much off and lay it on the counter as well. He scrubbed himself down again and toweled off. He stepped out and put his jewelry back on, except for the necklace. Dave was already up and dressed when Joey got out a few minutes later. "Good Morning, Sunshine." Dave said. "Mornin'." Joey said. "Um, could you put this on for me?" Joey asked, handing the necklace over. Dave examined it. "Who's Dexter?" He asked. "Dexter Holland." "Of the Offspring?" Dave asked. Joey nodded. "I met him when I was twelve. My cousin Deanne took me to see them and then she and I managed to sneak back to where the tour bus was, and I was perfectly happy to just watch from afar, but she dragged me over to Dexter. I kinda shyed away, but he knelt down and handed me a bag with this necklace in it. He said something like 'Keep it, It's yours'." Joey said. "Sweet!" Dave said, tying it on gently. Thanks." "I got a call from my dad. He will pursue your case, and so that means we may have to be in court soon." Dave said. Joey smiled. "B-But what will happen to my dad?" He asked. "Well, he'll be put in prison for child abuse, at the least. He'll also be fined, and he'll lose you." Dave said. Joey smiled. "And he'll never hurt me again?" He asked. "Never." Dave said. Joey smiled.

Dave had decided to stop at Doc Magoo's this morning, rather that have Jing-Mei take him to the cafeteria again. They ate their breakfast in silence, each thinking about what could happen in the future. Soon enough, they were done and they left for the hospital. Everyone looked up as the pair entered the ER together. Jing-Mei smiled to herself. Caring for this teen had turned the brash, sarcastic smart-ass into a loving and caring smart ass. In fact, that was the opinion of the entire ER. Dave Malucci was responsible when he had a kid to care for. Dave led Joey into the locker room and pulled out a book. "I know this isn't much, but we can't have you cleaning up messes anymore, so you'll have to read this while I'm working. I'll take you upstairs at my lunch, and we can stuff our faces together, okay?" He asked. Joey nodded and headed to the lounge. Joey sat on the couch and looked at the book. "The A-mmmfgh-C's of ventriloquism. This'll be fun!" He said sarcastically. Joey had finished the book in an hour, and had practically perfected it. Carter came in and jumped when he noticed Joey with his mohawk slicked up. "Jeez! You scared me!" He said. "Sorry." Joey said. "So, uh. Whatcha doing?" He asked. "Dave gave me this book, and now I'm finished. He says I can't clean up any more messes. So I have nothing to do until Dave gets his lunch hour." He said. "Well, there is a phone here, so if you want you can use it to make a call. You have any friends you want to call?" He asked. Joey smiled and nodded. "Hell yeah." He said. "Here ya go." He said, handing a cordless phone the ER had been given. The hospital annually gave out phone cards to its employees, and Carter never used his. He gave it to Joey, who thanked him. He got his coffee and left Joey to give him privacy.

"Hey, Is Alex there?" "Yes, Who is this?" "Joey." He said. There was a short pause. "Hello?" A groggy voice asked. "Hey, Alex!" He said. "Joey? Hi!" She exclaimed. "Wow. I didn't expect you to call so quickly!" She exclaimed. "Well, Dave is working, and I'm sitting in the lounge, bored. I never got much to talk about the other day, and so I decided to call and learn more about you." He said. "Well, whaddya want to know?" She asked. "What are you willing to tell?" He asked back. "Um…" She said, shyly. "Well, what kind of music do you like?" He asked. "Well, Blink-182, Offspring , The Ramones, Green Day, The Sex Pistols, stuff like that." She said. Joey almost fell off the couch when he heard that. "Wow. You like all the same shit that I do." He said, flabbergasted. She giggled. They stayed silent for a minute, neither knowing what the other thought of them. He broke the silence. "Ummm… Do you want to go out, on like a date, or something sometime?" He asked, voice fading. "Wow. Sure, I suppose." She said, happy that he'd asked, but nervous as all hell. His heart nearly came out of his chest and into his mouth. He hadn't been rejected. And on top of that, she'd actually met him beforehand. "Cool. I'll figure out something for us to do, and then I'll call you about it?" He asked. "Sure. Oh, Shit!" She said. "Hmm?" He asked. "I have to go now. Kristen wants me at the skatepark in an hour, and I'm not even dressed." She said. This brought about certain thoughts in Joey's mind, but he forced them away. That's not why you want her! He reminded himself. "So, I'll call you soon?" He asked. "Sure. I'll see you around, babe." She said. He smiled groggily. "Bye." He said. They were reluctant to hang up, but eventually they did. (Oh, Come on people! You can't tell me that none of you people have never had a relationship, or friendship where neither of you could hang up!)

A few hours later, Dave entered the lounge to see Joey, sitting there as obedient as ever. He was doodling on a pad of paper that Kerry had given him. "Dave, I'd like to speak to you." She told him. "Well, Dave. I see that Joey being around has brought on a huge sense of responsibility. Keep this up Dave. Maybe, just maybe, some girl will go out with you." She said. Dave smiled. "Right. And Romano'll be nice to someone for once." He said sarcastically as he went back into the lounge. Joey was still drawing. "Hey. It's lunch. Wanna come, or are you not hungry?" Joey stood up. "Yeah, I'm hungry." He said. "Let's go." They made their way upstairs and got their lunch. Dave looked at the skinny kid as he ate. He was so beautiful. Why would anyone hurt such a perfect kid? They finished their meal and Dave checked his watch as they walked back to the ER together. "Shit. Hey, Carter? Wouldja mind covering-" "Nope. Gotta go and help my parents with housework. I hate spring cleaning!" He said. "It's summer." Dave said. "We're still doing fucking housework." Carter said as he left. "Hey, Jing-Mei?" He asked. "Dave, I'm a bit busy, thank you!" She said. "Dr. Chen?" Joey asked. "Can you cover for Dave? He has to do something that involves my well-being for the next two years of my life, and…" He said. "Sure. But he owes me." She said, smiling up at Dave. Dave looked at the kid, flabbergasted. "Let's go, Dave." He said.

The two drove to the Police Station and met the PI. "Well, Dave. We have him in jail now, and so you had better have a good lawyer. He's going on trial. Son, Can you prove that your dad did indeed beat you?" He asked.