Tripping Over Raindrops, chapter 1

It had been a long night for Billie Joe, Mike, and Tre'. Gilman Street was great and full of energy that night. Their show had went great and they had sounded awesome. They had been pretty drunk and doped up that night, but they all sobered up enough to know it was time to go home.

"Sowhere... are... wegonna... crashhhh... tooonight?" Billie Joe slurred grabbing Mike's arm for support from his swaying.
"I dunno. Where.... youguys.... wanna?" Mike said a little more understandable.
"Howaboutyourplaccccce...." Tre' said leaning on Billie Joe.
"Yeah." Billie Joe said smiling goofily at Tre'.
"Alright, sure....." Mike said.


After a ten minute walk that seemed like eternity the three of them arrived on Mike's doorstep. Mike shuffled his hand around in his pocket trying to find his key. Finally he pulled it out and opened the door quietly. The television was on, but the sound was turned down in the lounge. There was a light on over the sink in the kitchen, but it wasn't enough light to see down the hall. Mike walked over and turn on a small lamp in the corner of the lounge, it was dim but it was enough to see and that's all that mattered. Billie Joe and Tre' walked in behind him and looked around. After that walk they were a little more sober, but not completely. Billie Joe walked into the lounge and looked at the lump of comforter laying on the couch. It was Jess, Mike's little sister, you could only see her head poking out of the mounds of poof from the blanket. She was only a year younger than him, but Mike still acted like she was four sometimes. Billie Joe had always had a thing for Jess, but never mentioned it to anyone, even so it wasn't like they didn't notice. Jess had been sick for the past week with a head cold that had progressed into the flu. She hadn't really moved off that couch either, except for emergency trips to the closest thing to throw up in. Billie Joe sat down in an arm chair next to the couch and looked over at her. Her face was pale and sweaty. She looked miserable everytime he had seen her that week, but this time she was sleeping and she looked peaceful. She was always cheerful anyway even if she didn't feel good. She was like Mike, nice to be around. Tre' had decided to go hit the sack right away and swayed his way up the stairs. He finally got to the spare bedroom and thought about what Billie Joe would say, he might want to sleep in there. Oh well, he got there first and all he wanted was sleep, nothing else mattered right then. Forget Billie Joe. Mike walked up to his room and pulled off his sweaty clothes from that night and decided to take a shower in the morning. He got ready for bed and walked back down stairs.

"How is she doing?" Mike asked as he walked into the lounge.
"She's sleeping, I guess that's good huh?" Billie Joe said back looking up.
"Yeah, it is. She's been so sick all week she's been having to jump up and run outside or to the bathroom every five minutes." Mike said sitting down in the chair opposite of Billie Joe.
"Has she been back to the doctor?" Billie Joe asked concerned.
"No, not yet. She canceled out on her last appointment day before yesterday, because she couldn't get up she was so sick." Mike said shaking his head.
"Oh." Billie Joe said falling silent. He didn't like seeing Jess like this, of course it's not like it was really her choice to, but still. All of them kind of felt guilty for her being sick. They had attacked her with water balloons as a joke and locked her out for an hour in the cold winter night air. She didn't blame them, she said she had been feeling sick before then, but even so that still made them feel bad. She blamed it all on the stress of school.
"I really think she needs to go back soon though, I don't think she's keeping her medicine down long enough for it to help any." Mike said looking at his sister.
"Yeah." Billie Joe said examining the floor.
"Well I'm going to get to bed, I'll see you in the morning Billie Joe, Oh and you can stay in her room if you want. Since I doubt she'll make it up there anytime soon." Mike said getting up.
"Okay thanks Mike. See you in the morning." Billie Joe said looking up.
Mike nodded and walked up to his room. Billie Joe sat in the chair a while longer pondering whether or not he wanted to get up or just sleep in the chair. He finally decided to go upstairs. He got up and walked over to the television and turned it off, Jess probably had the remote hidden in her palace of blankets anyway. He paused as he walked by the couch. Jess was just so pretty and sweet. He had known her since they were kids and he had been there to see her grow up with them. Billie Joe had a hard time figuring out why she didn't have many friends at school, and why she never really had boyfriends. If he had the chance...Billie Joe shook the thought from his head....he would never, she was too good and she deserved so much better than him, in his mind anyway. Billie Joe walked over and gave Jess a light good night kiss on the top of her head and walked over to the lamp in the corner. He turned that off and walked up to her room.

When Billie Joe opened the door he immediately was hit by a fresh sweet scent of a girls room. He walked over to her bed stepping over random articles of clothing thrown here and there. When Billie Joe did reach the bed he saw that there was one pillow missing and the comforter. That was okay though, he only slept with a sheet usually anyway. He sat down and pulled his shoes, socks, shirt, and pants off quietly. Billie Joe laid down and pulled the sheet over him. He rolled over onto the pillow next to his head and fell asleep fast with the sweet fruit-like smell in every breathe. It was a nice break from the usually smokey smells of the day he thought.