Lou awoke abruptly to the sound of a sputtering engine. Shooting up from his bed, he pressed his face against the window. Dareth kicked off, rolling the bike before applying the gas, he sped out of the driveway and down the street. Lou rubbed his eyes, slowly remembering what happened last night. They had continued to talk and sing, he vaguely remembered Dareth telling him that he had to go somewhere and would be back for the concert the following week. Flopping back on the bed, he sighed curling up in his covers again. It was only 6AM, he didn't feel ready to wake up yet.
The sun beat-down on his leather coat, the rumbling bike pushing gravel around on the road kicking up dust into the wind behind. He had been driving for 3 hours now, and his arms were starting to go numb from them shaking so much against the handles. Dareth wasn't concerned with that. Staring off into the distant road, his mind wandered elsewhere…
'Did I do the right thing?' he questioned himself. The past few days were much more of an emotional ride than he anticipated. Running, arguing, taking from his parents, crying, sucking it all in the appear fine- he took the opportunity to reflect. Part of him wanted to go back, to apologize and promise to never do such a thing ever again, but he knew that wouldn't help him in the long run. Being away and on his own, an overhanging dread of becoming a businessman like his father fizzled away. For once, he felt in control of his own life, and he was happy about it… Dareth chuckled under the helmet. 'Yeah, this is the right thing.'
He had veered off the main road and down a rockier one. The sand had slowly changed to plains and rocks. The sun was quarter of the way down in the air, marking sometime around four. He was starting to feel hungry, so he pulled off the the side and had a snack, looking at his fish. The two playfully chased each other in the tank. "Don't worry fellas, we're almost there. Just another day." He sprinkled some fish-flakes in the tank, and slowly closed it again. Hopping back on the bike, he tuned on the radio and puttered down the road.
'-n the radio tonight, thanks for tuning in, this is your host, Jason Thatch, coming at you live from Ninjago City. Today's question is, Who is the actress that plays Dolly Jingles in 'Dimes from Dolly J'? Be the first to call in five, this is Tom Petty: Last dance with Mary Jane!'
"Dolly J- I only know the dog's name, 'Koju'." Dareth remarked to himself listening to the music play. "… oh narts! I forgot to watch the latest episode!" He realized suddenly. Lou's father's house didn't have a TV, and a new episode came out every Saturday afternoon. He missed that, getting done with homework at the living room table and popping on the television to watch last weeks re-run and then the new episode. Gosh how he wished he could be on set; the show was filmed in a very fancy mansion instead of in a studio so all the cast lived there as well. "…Libby? Was it Libby..?" Dareth proceeded to keep trying to rack his brain a bit.
'First caller! What is your answer?' 'Hey. Uhh, is it Libber Gordon?' 'Correct! Libber Gordon is the correct answer! A dashing, dazzling actress isn't she? Makes me wonder how many pinups you have to answer that quickly!' The guy on the line laughed. 'Since you answered the question correctly, what song do you want us to play next?'
–
Dareth kicked the stand down on the bike, pulling his helmet off and letting it hang on the handlebar. The night sky peppered with stars, more stars than he had ever seen in the city. He flopped down on the grass against a hill, gazing outward at the white dust that covered the sky. Dareth felt his eyes getting heavier, he had been riding for a solid twelve hours- it would take another eight to get to the shoreline by Stiix. before long, he was fast asleep…
The tires had rolled to a stop once more, Dareth had parked his bike against the cliffside. Opening up the saddlebag, he pulled the fishtank out and carried it across the beach, the waves gently rolling across his boots. Sitting down on the sand, he planted the tank beside himself pulling the top off. Rolling up his sleeve, he gently put his fingers into the tank, letting the two fish lightly glide across them. He rubbed the underside of one, petting the top of the other, chuckling to himself. "Well guys, its been a good run but it's time you guys go back to where you came from." It was hard for him, these fish had been around for many years- as long as he could remember. They were from the old house, when his family lived in Stiix, his father had collected them from fishing and were going to turn them into chunk- but his mother had thought they would be better as a pet. Dareth had talked to them a lot, but not in any universal spoken language. With clicks, he could grab their attention, and with a growl, he could make them swim around playfully. He wasn't sure where he picked it up, but he never put too much thought into it.
Taking off his boots and socks, rolling up his pants, he stepped into the water with the tank, slowly submerging it. The fish seemed reluctant at first, but slowly inched into the open water. Dareth watched as the two disappeared into the ocean, teary-eyed. Wiping his face, he smiled, "Make it big out there, little fellas."
