The New Jesus (Sequel to 'Cigarettes and Valentines'), chapter 1

[Recap]
This story "The New Jesus is the sequel to "Cigarettes and Valentines". It is set 5 years after he leaves Berkley in search of a new life.
[End Recap]


It had been five whole years. Five whole years of brilliant events and heartbreaking tragedies. I'd forgotten about Jimmy, Whatshername and Tunny, but that all changed on one fateful morning.
"Good morning!" I chirped to Nicole. How I loved her. I'd married her three years previous and had a child with her, which made me love her even more.

My past was now gone. I never, ever thought about it. At least not until Maria came. Maria entered the world 25th May 1994 and my life was turned around the day she came. She meant more to me than life itself. Her name was in memory of Maria... though Nicole wasn't aware of this, I simply told her the name and she adored it. It was rather odd though, the day she was born... it carried a certain memory with me... one I had tried to leave behind.

"Morning darling." Replied Nicole giving me a kiss on the cheek. I sat down at the table next to Maria who was drawing a picture. I smiled at her.

"Hello beautiful. What are you drawing?" I asked.

Her bright blue eyes gazed from the page to me... she was so similar to someone I had once known... though I couldn't quite recall her name.

"I'm not sure. I just thought of it." She said sweetly before holding the page up to me.
I felt my heart beginning to race. It couldn't be... This had to be some kind of freaky coincidence.
"Dad, are you ok?" She asked, looking at me worriedly.
"I'm fine sweetheart. Darling... where did you get the idea for that picture?" I asked looking at the detail of it. This was no coincidence. The picture was of my old room at the Lost and Found... it was as clear as day, the blood stained carpet, the union jack banners even the lyrics on the wall where there. And on the right side of the page stood 3 people I had tried to forget for so long. Tunny, Jimmy and Whatshername stared at me from the page. Jimmy with his evil smirk, Tunny with lost eyes and Whatshername with a tear rolling down her face.
I felt my anger begin to swell at that small picture of Jimmy's smirk. It was surreal how the picture mixed my emotions.
"I don't know... " she trailed off before placing the picture in front of her and continuing to draw. I would have questioned it further if it wasn't for Nicole sitting across from me, looking at me both confused and worried.
"James, are you feeling ok? You look a bit sick. Do you want me to call the firm and let them know you can't come in today?" she asked while eying me up.
"No, its ok. I better head off to work though." I said before standing up and saying goodbye to Nicole and Maria.
I walked to the apartment lift. The steel on the door showed a reflection I hadn't seen in 5 or so years. The Jesus of Suburbia stared back at me.
I stood there in disbelief, I closed my eyes and opened them. Praying that it was my mind playing tricks on me I looked at the door again, this time I saw myself. The respectable James Pritchard.
As I stepped on to the street the cold breeze hit my face. I walked to the train station.

*Flash back to the night when Jesus arrived at New York*

I had been sitting on the train for 6 or so hours when it finally pulled into the main New York station. I got off. I didn't blend in with the crowd to well. There were Women, Children, Business men, some homeless guys, but I was the only stray punk kid on the station. I didn't know where I could go, I started thinking twice about my decision to leave Berkley, though I guess it didn't really make a difference as I barely had enough money for the trip down here, there was no way I could pay to get back. I sat down next to the soda vending machine. I opened my rucksack and dug around for paper and my last bag of dope. I opened the small plastic bag to find nothing but the steams and seeds left. I cursed at myself and rolled up the stems and the seeds and lit the joint.

*End Flashback*

I strolled up to the soda machine and noticed a young kid sitting there. He looked identical to someone I knew.
"Tunny" I spoke without realizing.
The kid looked up at me, not in a scared way at all, but more of a... 'Whose asking' way.
"Tunleah, Tunny for short." He corrected me.
I was dazed. He was the spitting image of Tunny. I knelt down beside him.
"James." I extended my hand towards him.
He looked at before cautiously shaking it. He placed his middle finger on my wrist.
"Novacaine." He replied.

**Flashback**

He pulled of my wrist band and found a small entrance into the vein; he stabbed it slowly and painlessly.
I started to sing a song... I wrote it when I first had Novacaine.

"Oh Novacaine

Drain the pressure from the swelling
this sensation's overwhelming
Give me a long kiss goodnight and everything will be alright
Tell me Jimmy I won't feel a thing
So give me Novacaine"

**End Flashback**

"You're a smart kid. You also look a bit homeless, if you ever need a hand give me a call" I said giving him my business card.
An expression of disbelief spread across his face, but was then replaced with a look of dainty. He had to be related to Tunny, the stubbornness and being proud were traits.
I left before he could thank me or throw it back in my face.