Bitter Farewell Read Online Free Page A

before they had to split up after the funeral.
    The door opened and Danny waited for Johnnie to take the lead. Danny filed right behind him, stepping from the private jet. Thankfully the jet didn’t have Chasing Cross’s logo everywhere, not that it mattered to the small crowd gathered outside near the runway.
    They cheered and clapped as the band made it to solid ground. Danny looked into the crowd, his eyes instantly scanning. He didn’t stop until he crashed into the back of Johnnie.
    “Damn,” he cried out as he bent down to put his guitars down. He touched his nose, expecting to see blood, but there was none.
    “What were you doing?” Johnnie asked.
    “Nothing,” Danny said. “Just looking at the crowd.”
    “Recognize anyone?”
    Danny looked and nodded. Of course he recognized the people. They had aged of course, but they were there. The same people. The same town. Having Chasing Cross landing in their backyard would certainly be headline news in the town. It would be in the newspaper for days, not to mention on every news broadcast.
    Photographers snapped a few pictures and an eager female reporter ran towards Johnnie holding a tape recorder. She was stuck between being professional and being starstruck.
    “Are we doing this?” Johnnie asked, looking at Danny.
    “Might as well,” Danny whispered.
    The rest of the band stood with Johnnie and Danny as the woman introduced herself and said she had just a few questions.
    “Of course,” Johnnie said.
    “Johnnie! Yo! Johnnie!” a man shouted from the crowd.
    Johnnie looked and waved.
    “It’s me! It’s Paulie!”
    Johnnie nodded.
    Danny looked to the crowd and recognized Paulie. He had been a misplaced bully in school, desperate to gain attention for himself by doing dumb things and trying to pick on kids. Danny remembered Paulie picking on a kid with glasses. He kept flicking the kid’s glasses off his ears. When Danny tried to say something, Paulie made a fist. Danny saw the fist and it made him think of his father. In a matter of two seconds, Paulie was on the ground, holding his nose as the class clapped.
    Danny laughed when he saw that Paulie wore big thick framed glasses.
    Fate was really a funny thing.
    “What’s it like to be home?”
    Danny looked at the woman, holding a recorder to Johnnie’s mouth.
    “Well, of course Bakersville was our home for a while,” Johnnie said. “We all grew up either in town or nearby. It’s not a favorable situation to bring us here... but it will be nice to see old friends and maybe make some new ones.”
    “I see you brought guitars, right?” the woman asked.
    Johnnie smiled and nodded.
    “Are we going to see a Chasing Cross show perhaps?”
    “Listen,” Danny said. “Johnnie and I have to take care of some personal business here. I’m sure you know that’s why we’re here. We have a lot to take care of and not much time.”
    “Where will you be staying?” the woman asked, her eyes excited for the answer.
    “A private hotel,” Danny said. “As I said, Johnnie and I have a lot to take care of...”
    “Chasing Cross rocks!” someone yelled and whistled from the crowd.
    The crowd cheered and began a Chasing Cross chant.
    The woman turned and hurried away to capture the scene.
    “I’m done here,” Danny said, feeling anger burning in his gut. He picked up his guitars and started to walk.
    A black van waited just a few steps away. They needed a vehicle big enough to transport the band and both Danny and Johnnie agreed the last thing they needed to do was be driven around in a limousine. The driver of the van opened the back and the side door.
    “Can I take that for you?” he asked when Danny was close enough.
    “No, we’re good,” Danny said. “Thanks though.”
    This wasn’t a world tour. This wasn’t a press release. This wasn’t the launch of a new album. This wasn’t an award show. There was no reason, what so ever, for people to care and be so excited for the band to be