Dry Ice, chapter 8
I woke up and opened my eyes. Bright sunlight streamed into the room. I rolled over and Mike wasn't next to me. I heard someone moving around downstairs, so I figured that must be him. I quickly got out of bed, and pulled on a green hoodie and jeans. After that I went into the bathroom, brushed my teeth, put on some makeup, and put my hair into a messy bun. Then I headed downstairs. Mike was sitting at the kitchen table, eating a pop tart and reading a magazine. He looked up at me and smiled.
"Hey. Want something to eat?" Mike asked.
"Sure." I said. I stuck a pop tart in the toaster, and Mike offered me some coffee. I said yes, and he poured me a cup. I added some milk and then poured a ton of sugar into it. Mike raised his eyebrows when he saw how much sugar I was adding. "What?" I asked. "I don't like strong coffee." Mike just laughed and shook his head.
"I have to be at Billie's house in an hour for the band practice. Your coming, right?" Mike said.
"Of course. I really want to hear you guys play."
"Good." We sat there talking for a while longer, and then Mike said we should get going.
"Hey, can we stop at my house on the way? I have to drop my stuff off." I said.
"Okay, we have time." Mike said. We left, and started walking. When we got to my house, Mike and me ran upstairs into my room. I set down my overnight bag, and grabbed some money and my cell phone. We headed downstairs, and all of the sudden I heard my Mom.
"ALLIE! IS THAT YOU?" She yelled. I closed my eyes and groaned. I wanted to get out as soon as possible, but now my Mom would start asking a million questions, and I didn't want Mike to be late.
"Yeah." I said.
"Whose this? Your boyfriend?" My Mom said, nodding at Mike.
"Uhhhhh..." I couldn't lie to her, but if I said he was my boyfriend, she would start harassing him with tons of questions and I sure as hell didn't want that. My Mom sighed.
"Okay, fine. Where are you two going?" My Mom said.
"Over to Billie Joe's" I said.
"To do what?" My Mom asked.
"Just hang out. God, Mom. Cant I do anything without you giving me the Third Degree?" I said.
"Don't be a smart ass to me. I'm your mother, and I have the right to know where you are." She said.
"Okay." My Mom walked away, and Mike and me headed out the door. "God Mike. I'm so sorry about that. My Mom... She has issues."
"Its all right. Most parents are like that." Mike said. I laughed.
"Yeah, but my moms way worse. She always thinks I'm going to get raped or something. And she makes a big deal about everything. She pisses me off."
"Do you guys not get along very well?" Mike said.
"No. We fight about everything. I usually try to stay out of her way."
"That sucks."
"Yeah... And she and my dad have been fighting more than usual too. I'm surprised they haven't gotten a divorce."
"I know what that's like. Its really hard when they fight." Mike said. We got to Billie's, and his Mom opened the door. She let us in, and told us they were down in the basement. We went downstairs, and Tre and Billie were setting up some amps. Adrienne was there too.
"Hey." She said.
"Hi." I said, smiling. Billie and Tre finished setting up, and then they walked over to their instruments. Mike picked up his bass, and they started to practice. They were playing a song Billie Joe had written. I stretched out on an old couch and listened. They were really good. Even though they were new, they were as good as most other bands. Mike was a really good bassist. When they were finished, they came over and sat down.
"Hey, do you guys want to go somewhere and do something?" Tre said.
"Yeah that sounds cool." Billie said.
"Where do you want to go?" I asked.
"Uh... How about the mall?" Adrienne suggested. We all agreed to go there. When we got to the mall, Billie, Tre, and Mike wanted to go into a music store to look at drum sets. Adrienne and I decided not too, and so we wandered around the mall for a while. Then we stopped in front of a beauty shop.
"The guys will be looking at drums for a while. Wanna go get our hair done?" Adrienne said.
"Sure!" I said, and we walked in. We sat down in the chairs, and a girl came up and started to do my hair. After about twenty minutes, she was done. I looked in the mirror, and was surprised. I had gotten my hair layered and some side bangs, and it actually looked good. Adrienne's hair was layered too, but she didn't have bangs.
"Hey, your hair looks really nice." Adrienne said.
"Thanks. So does yours." I said. We went back to the music store to find the guys. They were outside waiting.
"Woah. You got your hair cut. I love it." Mike said, hugging me.
"Really?" I said.
"Yeah. Its really cute." Mike said, giving me a kiss.
"Thanks." We walked around the mall for a while longer, and went into a few stores. I didn't buy anything though.
"Okay, I am really fucking hungry." Tre said.
"Yeah, me too." Billie Joe said. We went to the food court, and I got some pizza. We sat down at a table, and started to talk. All of a sudden, I noticed two guys from our school walking over to us. One of them came over to me and linked his arm through mine.
"Hey gorgeous. Why are you hanging around with a skinny little twat like this when you could be with me?" He slurred. His breath reeked like old beer. I took my arm away from him.
"Fuck off." I said. "Your drunk. Not that it would make any difference if you were sober." The guy walked away, laughing.
"Wow." Billie said, with a disgusted look on his face. "Its only five in the afternoon and their already wasted." We hung out for a little bit longer, and then we decided to go home. Mike and I walked home together, talking. When we got to my house, he gave me a hug and kiss. Then I ran into my room, carefully avoiding my Mom. I picked up my guitar, and started to play for the rest of the night.
"Hey. Want something to eat?" Mike asked.
"Sure." I said. I stuck a pop tart in the toaster, and Mike offered me some coffee. I said yes, and he poured me a cup. I added some milk and then poured a ton of sugar into it. Mike raised his eyebrows when he saw how much sugar I was adding. "What?" I asked. "I don't like strong coffee." Mike just laughed and shook his head.
"I have to be at Billie's house in an hour for the band practice. Your coming, right?" Mike said.
"Of course. I really want to hear you guys play."
"Good." We sat there talking for a while longer, and then Mike said we should get going.
"Hey, can we stop at my house on the way? I have to drop my stuff off." I said.
"Okay, we have time." Mike said. We left, and started walking. When we got to my house, Mike and me ran upstairs into my room. I set down my overnight bag, and grabbed some money and my cell phone. We headed downstairs, and all of the sudden I heard my Mom.
"ALLIE! IS THAT YOU?" She yelled. I closed my eyes and groaned. I wanted to get out as soon as possible, but now my Mom would start asking a million questions, and I didn't want Mike to be late.
"Yeah." I said.
"Whose this? Your boyfriend?" My Mom said, nodding at Mike.
"Uhhhhh..." I couldn't lie to her, but if I said he was my boyfriend, she would start harassing him with tons of questions and I sure as hell didn't want that. My Mom sighed.
"Okay, fine. Where are you two going?" My Mom said.
"Over to Billie Joe's" I said.
"To do what?" My Mom asked.
"Just hang out. God, Mom. Cant I do anything without you giving me the Third Degree?" I said.
"Don't be a smart ass to me. I'm your mother, and I have the right to know where you are." She said.
"Okay." My Mom walked away, and Mike and me headed out the door. "God Mike. I'm so sorry about that. My Mom... She has issues."
"Its all right. Most parents are like that." Mike said. I laughed.
"Yeah, but my moms way worse. She always thinks I'm going to get raped or something. And she makes a big deal about everything. She pisses me off."
"Do you guys not get along very well?" Mike said.
"No. We fight about everything. I usually try to stay out of her way."
"That sucks."
"Yeah... And she and my dad have been fighting more than usual too. I'm surprised they haven't gotten a divorce."
"I know what that's like. Its really hard when they fight." Mike said. We got to Billie's, and his Mom opened the door. She let us in, and told us they were down in the basement. We went downstairs, and Tre and Billie were setting up some amps. Adrienne was there too.
"Hey." She said.
"Hi." I said, smiling. Billie and Tre finished setting up, and then they walked over to their instruments. Mike picked up his bass, and they started to practice. They were playing a song Billie Joe had written. I stretched out on an old couch and listened. They were really good. Even though they were new, they were as good as most other bands. Mike was a really good bassist. When they were finished, they came over and sat down.
"Hey, do you guys want to go somewhere and do something?" Tre said.
"Yeah that sounds cool." Billie said.
"Where do you want to go?" I asked.
"Uh... How about the mall?" Adrienne suggested. We all agreed to go there. When we got to the mall, Billie, Tre, and Mike wanted to go into a music store to look at drum sets. Adrienne and I decided not too, and so we wandered around the mall for a while. Then we stopped in front of a beauty shop.
"The guys will be looking at drums for a while. Wanna go get our hair done?" Adrienne said.
"Sure!" I said, and we walked in. We sat down in the chairs, and a girl came up and started to do my hair. After about twenty minutes, she was done. I looked in the mirror, and was surprised. I had gotten my hair layered and some side bangs, and it actually looked good. Adrienne's hair was layered too, but she didn't have bangs.
"Hey, your hair looks really nice." Adrienne said.
"Thanks. So does yours." I said. We went back to the music store to find the guys. They were outside waiting.
"Woah. You got your hair cut. I love it." Mike said, hugging me.
"Really?" I said.
"Yeah. Its really cute." Mike said, giving me a kiss.
"Thanks." We walked around the mall for a while longer, and went into a few stores. I didn't buy anything though.
"Okay, I am really fucking hungry." Tre said.
"Yeah, me too." Billie Joe said. We went to the food court, and I got some pizza. We sat down at a table, and started to talk. All of a sudden, I noticed two guys from our school walking over to us. One of them came over to me and linked his arm through mine.
"Hey gorgeous. Why are you hanging around with a skinny little twat like this when you could be with me?" He slurred. His breath reeked like old beer. I took my arm away from him.
"Fuck off." I said. "Your drunk. Not that it would make any difference if you were sober." The guy walked away, laughing.
"Wow." Billie said, with a disgusted look on his face. "Its only five in the afternoon and their already wasted." We hung out for a little bit longer, and then we decided to go home. Mike and I walked home together, talking. When we got to my house, he gave me a hug and kiss. Then I ran into my room, carefully avoiding my Mom. I picked up my guitar, and started to play for the rest of the night.
