The Dark Clouds aren't as Far as they Seem
By: Raemie
"So you have the next three weeks off, right?" Lourdes yelled poking her head out of the freezer.
"Yes, just you and me, and you don't have to yell I'm right here." he wrapped his arms around her midsection from behind and peered into the fridge grabbing a Mountain Dew and sitting at the kitchen counter. She smiled and gazed at the ring on her left hand. Her engagement ring. She shut the freezer.
"Joel, we have no food." she pouted sitting on his lap. He laughed.
"You think I'm going to get groceries with you again?" he questioned raising his eyebrows.
"WHAT!? You don't enjoy grocery shopping with me?"
"Hah, yes I do dollface but last time you got us kicked out. Of the grocery store..." she smiled looking away.
"Woops. Hey, it's not my fault the cart just crashed into the aisle...with me on it."
"So now it's the carts fault, eh?"
"Yes. They should put brakes on carts, they're dangerous. But anyway, I'm going no matter what so would you like to come, love?" she asked grabbing her messenger bag from a nearby hanger.
"Nahh, I think I might go over to Benj's house so if I'm not here when you come back come over." he stated nodding.
"Alright, I'll see ya later." the two kissed and Lourdes walked out of the house to her black and silver Mini-Cooper. She turned the ingition and grabbed her Rancid And Out Come the Wolves cd from the passenger seat, slipped it into the cd player, and pulled out of the driveway.
*******
Lourdes pulled into the driveway an hour and a half later and carried the groceries into the house. "Well, Joel must've gone to Benji's..." she sighed and put the food away. There was a note on the counter.
Lourdes,
Paul called, he wants everybody at his house tonight. You're supposed to come.
Love, Joel
"Huh, well, to Paul's it is." she shrugged and ran back out to her car driving the mere 7 miles to Paul's apartment. She knocked on the door and was greeted by a pair of brown eyes identical to Joel's. "Hey Benj." she stated hugging him quickly. She walked into the living room and saw Paul, Joel, Chris, Billy and Stokely, Paul's girlfriend sitting around the room. She waved at everyone sitting next to Joel on the couch. "What's going on?" she elbowed Joel in the side slightly.
"I think Paul's gonna propose." he whispered in her ear grinning. Lourdes smiled and giggled. 'Finally.' she thought to herself since Paul and Stokely had been together over the past 5 years. Paul stood up.
"Stokes....I'm just gonna get this over with..."he sighed reaching into his pocket. "Will you-" he was cut off. The front door burst open and in walked three police officers.
"Mr....Madden?" asked one.
"Yes?" both Benji and Joel replied at the same time. The officers exchanged a look.
"Sorry. Mr. Joel Madden?" Joel stood up.
"Can I help you?"
"You're under arrest, sir, please come with us." the tallest officer said stepping forward.
"WHAT!? What the FUCK am I being arrested for!?" Joel shouted growing angry. Lourdes stood grabbing Joel's hand.
"You are under arrest for conspiring and attempting murder." the man stated sliding handcuffs around Joel's wrists.
"I DIDN'T KILL ANYONE! Or TRY to for that matter, dammit!" he yelled.
"Then you should be able to get out easily. Please come with us, sir." one of the three men said and they took Joel out of the building. Lourdes ran to the window and peeked past the blinds. She saw Joel pushed into the police car as it drove down the snowy street.
"I've gotta go, I-I have to talk to Joel." Lourdes cried turning and grabbing her coat and bag.
"I'll come with you." Benji ran out the door with Lourdes and they drove down to the police station.
"Joel!!!!!! What the hell's going on here!?" Lourdes sobbed as she stood infront of Joel's cell.
"They keep saying I tried to kill someone name Louise McHarl. I didn't do it, Lourdes, I swear." he sighed holding her hands through the bars.
"I know. You'll get out. They'll let you out..." she cried as a large man came and pulled her and Benji out of the cell area. "I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!" she screamed. She heard his yell back. She and Benji left.
*******
They kept Joel locked up for 6 days. Joel's stories checked and the police discovered soon after they were looking for Joe Matten.
"Well, welcome home?" Lourdes smiled wrapping her arms around Joel as they stepped out of the car and walked into their home.
"It's so great to be home. That fucking jail cell was freezing." he shivered slightly. Lourdes kissed him. "Mmm, now that's what I missed most." they both smiled and walked into the bedroom for the rest of the night.
*******
"Joel, sweety, wake up." Lourdes nudged Joel out of his slumber.
"Mmm, early...what time is it?"
"It's 1:23, Joel. We have to go to Benji's house, remember?" Lourdes replied kissing his lips quickly and getting up out of the bed. "Hey, I just remembered tomorrows Valentine's Day..." she called from the adjoined bathroom.
"Yes, yes it is, and we're going on that lovely cruise." Joel grinned. The two got dressed and ate and were soon out the door.
"You wanna drive or should I?" Lourdes questioned grabbing her keys.
"You can." Joel shrugged opening the passenger side door. Lourdes got in and turned the ignition. Rancid came blaring through the speakers. She backed out fumbling with the cd player. Joel was talking, too. She pulled the car out of the garage and hit the gas pedal hastily. The car shot back into the bustling city street. They both yelled out, neither hearing the screeching of the brakes nor the honking horn of the car speeding towards the passenger side. Lourdes looked to Joel, then past, just in time to stomp on the gas quickly. The oncoming car passed, yet just barely, but now they were in the other lane. Joel looked up and gasped.
*********
Chris, Billy and Benji ran down the stark white corridor searching. Searching for something, someone who could give them any hints as to what was going on. They arrived in the Emergency Room's waiting room and scrambled up to the desk.
"...J-Joel and Lourd-es....Madden..." Benji gasped. The young nurse typed on her computer intensely. She looked up. "Well!?" he hollered frowning.
"One of them, Joel, is in ICU..the other I have nothing." she mumbled.
"Where's ICU from here?" Chris asked frantically. The woman pointed down the hall to her left and all three bolted down, pushing wheelchairs, people, whatever they had to out of their way in their search. They stumbled, gasping, into ICU.
"Can I help you gentlemen?" an old woman in uniform asked from behind a desk.
"Joel and Lourdes Madden...please...?" Billy shot out.
"The man, he's in room 523, the woman, I don't know, boys." she said shooing them with her hand. They then hussled to room 523 and walked into the room. A man, the doctor, looked up from the chart in his hands.
"May I help you?" he raised an eyebrow. Nobody spoke. They all looked to the figure lying past him on the bed. Benji stepped closer, almost next to the doctor.
"Joel...." he trailed his eyes wavering. "It can't be you...look at you..." he stuttered grasping his hand.
"He's got 7 broken ribs, a few severed disks in his spine, a broken leg, arm, wrist, ankle, torn pelvis, a large fracture to his head, and many cuts and scrapes alongside..." the doctor listed speaking up. "He's in a coma, there’s a large chance that he will not recover from this. I'm sorry." Benji now let the tears come. He broke down next to the bed.
"Lourdes...wh-what about Lourdes?" Chris gasped.
"Lourdes? Lourdes, did she come in with this gentleman?" the doctor asked. They nodded.
"I'm sorry I have to inform you of this, but, the woman that came in with him died. She had severe internal bleeding, there was nothing we could do." he frowned exiting the room. They all sat in various places around the staunch hospital room, and mourned.
********
Weeks went by. Then months. Then a year. Joel never came out of his state. The Madden family decided that it would be best to let him go. They took him off of life support February 14, 2005.
Good Charlotte played no more shows, released no more albums, and spoke no more of what was. The remaining members stayed close, never truely getting over the loss of their two friends.