Can I Be Your Anything?, chapter 6
Adrienne took in the house ahead of her. She prayed it would become what her house in Pilem didn't... A home.
It was a plain, run-of-the-mill house. Drab, no personality. Plain brick, with wooden shutters just for decoration. There were shrubs that looked like they were soon to die. The grass was turning a burnt green colour, as autumn was approaching. The two Trees were running short on leaves, which had piled up on the ground. The short concrete driveway pulled into a clean, 1950s style garage, with a few bikes in it, and a drum set. Linda pulled neatly on the other side of the drum set. Billie and Mike hopped out of the car as soon as it came to a halt. Linda and Adrienne took some time getting out of the car. Adrienne reached for the handle, and the door opened before she could pull it, resulting in her falling face flat on the concrete, legs still in the car. Everyone gasped until they heard Adrienne laugh.
"Smooth Bill," Mike said, socking him playfully in the shoulder. Billie and Linda helped her up, as Mike grabbed her bag, and she dusted herself off. She caught Billie's eyes which immeadiatly fell to his feet. She giggled, and followed Linda up the steps and into the house.
The first room she saw was a living room. It was plain, with a couch and a love seat. There was a wooden coffee table, with two drinks on it, dripping with condensed water. The dining room was directly to the right, and the kitchen straight past it. Turning to the left out of the kitchen, and you were at an intersection. Straight ahead went behind the couch to a front door, and to the left went back into the living room. The right went to a long hallway. Linda led them down the hallway. She stopped at the first door.
"This is mine and my husband Brad's room," she said. "He's already left for work, so you'll meet him this afternoon. He's Billie's stepdad." That comment left Adrienne wondering what happened to Billie's dad. Her own father left her family when she was eight. They walked farther down the hallway. The next door was on the left. The door was closed and the light was on, shining underneath it.
"This is Maria's room. She's Billie's older sister, and my second youngest. Maria, get to bed!" Linda yelled.
"Okay Mom," Maria said cooperatively, but it wasn't like she was going to obey. She turned and pointed directly across the hall.
"This is Billie's room. Billie go to bed," Linda said.
"Okay," Billie said. Laughing, he wished everyone a goodnight, caught Adrienne's eye, and shut the door.
As Linda, Mike, and Adrienne continued with the 'tour', Billie leaned against his door, pulling his shirt over his head. He still wore the grin he'd shared with Adrienne.
"Adrienne," he whispered to himself.
"Billie," he heard someone whisper. He jumped away from the door as it opened.
"Bitch, you scared the fuck out of me," he snapped at Mike.
"Sorry man." Mike flopped down on Billie's bed as Billie tried to change.
"Dude, do you mind?" Billie asked sourly.
"Sorry," Mike said, and turned to play with something on Billie's nightstand.
"So whaddya think about Adie?" Mike asked Billie.
"Huh?" Billie said, turning to look at Mike, looking caught off guard by the question, pants half off.
"You heard me."
"She's cool," he said calmly, but only sounding more like an idiot.
"Riiight. Cool. So that's what they're calling it nowadays," Mike said. "You said her name the second you closed the door."
"Yeah, well, I was just wanting to hear it," Billie said. "Now get the fuck outta here, I wanna go to bed."
"Okay, man, see ya," Mike said, shutting the door.
"Fucker!" Billie yelled at Mike, because he didn't turn off the light. Mike caught up with Linda and Adrienne in his 'apartment'.
"This is the couch you'll sleep on, I think," Linda said.
"Yeah," Mike said, taking them both by suprise.
"Well, I'll let you get settled in," Linda said. "Goodnight all!"
"Goodnight," Adrienne and Mike said in unison. Linda shut the door to the staircase that led down to Mike's space. Mike fumbled with the couch, trying to make it suitable for Adrienne.
"It's alright, it's alright," Adrienne said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, don't fuss over me," she said with a mock-southern accent. They laughed.
"Well, if you're certain, little missy, then I'll just wander off to bed. G'night," Mike said, pretending to tip his hat. Adrienne giggled.
" 'Night," she said, falling onto the couch. When she heard his door click shut, she started dressing into the night clothes that Linda gave her. She went to the bathroom and washed her make-up off, brushed her hair, and then fell onto the couch. She rolled onto her left side, facing the door.
In his room, Billie rolled onto his right side, not being able to sleep. He sighed.
Both Adrienne and Billie went to a sweet sleep with thoughts of each other.
It was a plain, run-of-the-mill house. Drab, no personality. Plain brick, with wooden shutters just for decoration. There were shrubs that looked like they were soon to die. The grass was turning a burnt green colour, as autumn was approaching. The two Trees were running short on leaves, which had piled up on the ground. The short concrete driveway pulled into a clean, 1950s style garage, with a few bikes in it, and a drum set. Linda pulled neatly on the other side of the drum set. Billie and Mike hopped out of the car as soon as it came to a halt. Linda and Adrienne took some time getting out of the car. Adrienne reached for the handle, and the door opened before she could pull it, resulting in her falling face flat on the concrete, legs still in the car. Everyone gasped until they heard Adrienne laugh.
"Smooth Bill," Mike said, socking him playfully in the shoulder. Billie and Linda helped her up, as Mike grabbed her bag, and she dusted herself off. She caught Billie's eyes which immeadiatly fell to his feet. She giggled, and followed Linda up the steps and into the house.
The first room she saw was a living room. It was plain, with a couch and a love seat. There was a wooden coffee table, with two drinks on it, dripping with condensed water. The dining room was directly to the right, and the kitchen straight past it. Turning to the left out of the kitchen, and you were at an intersection. Straight ahead went behind the couch to a front door, and to the left went back into the living room. The right went to a long hallway. Linda led them down the hallway. She stopped at the first door.
"This is mine and my husband Brad's room," she said. "He's already left for work, so you'll meet him this afternoon. He's Billie's stepdad." That comment left Adrienne wondering what happened to Billie's dad. Her own father left her family when she was eight. They walked farther down the hallway. The next door was on the left. The door was closed and the light was on, shining underneath it.
"This is Maria's room. She's Billie's older sister, and my second youngest. Maria, get to bed!" Linda yelled.
"Okay Mom," Maria said cooperatively, but it wasn't like she was going to obey. She turned and pointed directly across the hall.
"This is Billie's room. Billie go to bed," Linda said.
"Okay," Billie said. Laughing, he wished everyone a goodnight, caught Adrienne's eye, and shut the door.
As Linda, Mike, and Adrienne continued with the 'tour', Billie leaned against his door, pulling his shirt over his head. He still wore the grin he'd shared with Adrienne.
"Adrienne," he whispered to himself.
"Billie," he heard someone whisper. He jumped away from the door as it opened.
"Bitch, you scared the fuck out of me," he snapped at Mike.
"Sorry man." Mike flopped down on Billie's bed as Billie tried to change.
"Dude, do you mind?" Billie asked sourly.
"Sorry," Mike said, and turned to play with something on Billie's nightstand.
"So whaddya think about Adie?" Mike asked Billie.
"Huh?" Billie said, turning to look at Mike, looking caught off guard by the question, pants half off.
"You heard me."
"She's cool," he said calmly, but only sounding more like an idiot.
"Riiight. Cool. So that's what they're calling it nowadays," Mike said. "You said her name the second you closed the door."
"Yeah, well, I was just wanting to hear it," Billie said. "Now get the fuck outta here, I wanna go to bed."
"Okay, man, see ya," Mike said, shutting the door.
"Fucker!" Billie yelled at Mike, because he didn't turn off the light. Mike caught up with Linda and Adrienne in his 'apartment'.
"This is the couch you'll sleep on, I think," Linda said.
"Yeah," Mike said, taking them both by suprise.
"Well, I'll let you get settled in," Linda said. "Goodnight all!"
"Goodnight," Adrienne and Mike said in unison. Linda shut the door to the staircase that led down to Mike's space. Mike fumbled with the couch, trying to make it suitable for Adrienne.
"It's alright, it's alright," Adrienne said.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, don't fuss over me," she said with a mock-southern accent. They laughed.
"Well, if you're certain, little missy, then I'll just wander off to bed. G'night," Mike said, pretending to tip his hat. Adrienne giggled.
" 'Night," she said, falling onto the couch. When she heard his door click shut, she started dressing into the night clothes that Linda gave her. She went to the bathroom and washed her make-up off, brushed her hair, and then fell onto the couch. She rolled onto her left side, facing the door.
In his room, Billie rolled onto his right side, not being able to sleep. He sighed.
Both Adrienne and Billie went to a sweet sleep with thoughts of each other.
