Eagles - Hotel California

New Kid in Town

New Kid in Town

As Julian's jet touched down, he looked out and could see the car waiting for him.

For once it wasn't a limo, just a simple pickup truck. He wasn't interested in all the flash this week. He wanted to go back to his hometown and enjoy the simplicity. It was his ten-year class reunion and for the first time, he decided to attend. His best friend started nagging him a year ago that he should make an appearance. He grabbed his duffel bag and ran down the stairs once they were opened. He smiled a bit, finding the truck unlocked and the keys under the mat. Daron trusted no one would touch the truck and steal it.

He drove into town, noting all the changes. There were still all the local pubs, but some stores had changed hands, more catering to tourists, but some were precisely the same. It felt like he was visiting Mayberry and Andy Griffith. He slowly rolled past the town's only police car, a quick wave to Office Benson. There it was, the officer recognized him and already had the radio mic in his hand.

He drove on to Daron's place, smiling at the scene before him. Barking dogs, kids running the yard, and his beautiful wife wiping her hands on a towel to wave to him. He hopped out to give hugs all around. This felt good, this was the life he thought he was working for, but it was never to be. His company took off and grew with all his hard work. Profits were in the stratosphere. But money wasn't everything.

"Hey Kid!" He and Daron man-hugged and slapped each other's back. Daron and his friends always called him The Kid, because he was so short.

He and Daron stayed up late, drinking light beer and talking, catching up on all the little details of life.

Then Daron dropped the bomb. "Betsy is coming to the reunion." He sipped from his beer and watched Julian over the bottom of the bottle.

Julian's bottle hand stopped halfway to his face. He froze. "I thought she was in  Seattle."

"No man, she came back right after you left town. She's working for that attorney on 3rd Ave."

"Huh." Julian didn't know what else to say. He and Betsy had it on hot and heavy, but when he wanted to move to the city to run his business, she wasn't interested in moving. So they had to say goodbye. They kept in touch for a few months and then she stopped reaching out and he got too busy to notice.

Now he's feeling a lot of regrets over not coming home more often. He shrugged and downed the rest of his beer. Guess he'd see her tomorrow at the picnic.

Morning rolled around early, with Daron and his kids making a racket while cooking breakfast. Julian tried not to wince while they were yelling, but he was surely regretting all that beer. Daron's wife was sitting on his knee, feeding him bacon and scolding the kids while Julian looked on with envy.

Eventually, things got cleaned up and everyone piled in their trucks to head over to the picnic. It was in the park in the middle of town. There were games for the kids and food set up in the bandshell. The tables groaned with all the food and there was more on the grill.

Stetson, Daron's youngest wanted to play some games, so Julian took him over to win a big bear. Another boy ran up to play the game, with his mother on his heels. Julian looked over at the woman and time stood still. Besty hadn't changed one bit. Those curls ran down her back in a beautiful cascade and her skin was still completely flawless.

"Oh, hey." Nice move Julian, great way to greet her. He felt like a kid."

She tossed her hair over her shoulder and looked around for an escape. "Uh, hey."

"Mom?" They both looked down at the boy at the same time. Except Julian was looking into his own eyes. If that didn't jar him, the kid had the same red hair like his own. What the...

"Betsy?" Julian never took his eyes off the kid. The boys had turned to play the game when he finally broke his gaze to stare at her. "I think we need to talk."

"Not much to talk about."

"I think there is." He was looking at her. She was looking everywhere but at him.

"Let's go, Richard." She put a hand on the boy's shoulder.

Richard...that was his middle name. This shit was serious. This shit was real.

Julian walked over to where Daron was sitting. He sat down, feeling shocked. Why hadn't anyone told him?

Daron held up his hands. "I didn't know until she brought him around last summer. She wouldn't say, but everyone guessed."

Julian grabbed a beer and downed a deep drink. "Yeah, kinda obvious."

"Looks like there's a new kid in town, huh?" Daron chuckled.


756 Words










Lyrics ▼

There's talk on the street, it sounds so familiar
Great expectations, everybody's watching you
People you meet, they all seem to know you
Even your old friends treat you like you're something new
Johnny come lately
The new kid in town
Everybody loves you
So don't let them down
You look in her eyes, the music begins to play
Hopeless romantics, here we go again
But after a while you're looking the other way
It's those restless hearts that never mend
Johnny come lately
The new kid in town
Will she still love you
When you're not around?
There's so many things you should have told her
But night after night you're willing to hold her
Just hold her
Tears on your shoulder
There's talk on the street, it's there to remind you
It doesn't really matter which side you're on
You're walking away and they're talking behind you
They will never forget you 'til somebody new comes along
Where you been lately?
There's a new kid in town
Everybody loves him, don't they?
And he's holding her, and you're still around
Oh, my, my
There's a new kid in town
Just another new kid in town
Everybody's talking 'bout the new kid in town
Everybody's walking like the new kid in town
There's a new kid in town, I don't want to hear it
There's a new kid in town, I don't want to hear it
There's a new kid in town
There's a new kid in town
There's a new kid in town, everybody's talking
There's a new kid in town, people started walking
There's a new kid in town
There's a new kid in town