Waking Up, chapter 3
Ella looked back at him, startled.
"I... I thought you were asleep... " She blushed.
"No... It's okay... "
He sat up, watching her blush deepen.
"I'm... uh... gonna go to--" Lips pressed urgently against hers stopped her. Billie drew back and gave her an is-this-okay-with-you look. She nervously looked back.
He kissed her again, wrapping his arms around her slim waist, her fingers soon entangled in his hair. Billie pulled her towards him gently. They broke apart, both breathing heavily.
"I don't know... " She looked at Billie. "We don't know each other very well, and I dunno... " She glanced at him again. "I mean, I like you... "
He nodded. "I know," She smiled, pecking him on his cheek, and moved to her own couch.
Billie hadn't counted on this. At all. He watched her fall into sleep again before lying down himself.
He woke up on the floor. Face down in the odd smelling carpet, Billie quickly sat up. Ella wasn't the other couch. There wasn't any light. Confused and slightly lost, he walked into the hall. Walking for what seemed forever in the dark, he finally came to a door.
Opening the door, he groped for the switch. In the light he found a small bedroom. Toys were strewn about, and in the corner sat a bed with a young girl in it. She stirred a bit, squinting her eyes at the light.
"Mummy?" she mumbled sleepily. Billie froze. "Mummy, turn out the lights please, its hurting my eyes... " Rubbing her eyes and sitting up, she gave a yelp at finding Billie in the doorway. "Who are you?"
Billie didn't answer right away. He just watched the girl. "Err... Billie. My name is Billie Joe," He attempted a smile. "What's yours?"
"Ana," She frowned at him. "But I'm not supposed to talk to strangers,"
"Really? Who taught you that?"
"Mummy did," Ana replied, with a bit of pride.
"Well, she's a very smart lady, then, isn't she?" Billie said, smiling at the charm of the girl.
"Thanks," A voice said from behind him. He turned to find Ella.
"You're... "
She nodded.
"Not now," she murmured. "Okay, Ana, time to go back to bed now,"
"Awwwwwwwww... I like Billie," Ella smiled.
"We're in agreement then. But yes, off to sleepy land for you. Remember, Auntie Angie is going to take you to school tomorrow!"
Giddy, Ana smiled broadly and squirmed beneath the covers.
"Good night, baby, see you in the morning,"
"G'night, mummy," Ana replied, stifling a yawn.
Walking back into the kitchen, Billie felt a bit guilty in the midst of his confusion. He shouldn't have looked in that room... He should have remembered the way back...
"Anything to eat?" Ella asked casually. Billie shook his head. "Okay then. Go ahead,"
"What?"
"Ask."
He wasn't sure if he wanted to know. She seemed to understand.
"He died. A few months before she was born," Tears welled in her eyes. "I'm sorry you found out... "
Billie felt strangely disconnected. He didn't have anything to say. Nothing that could be meaningful, nothing that would fit the gravity of what she was saying.
"It was a car accident. Drunk driver." The tears now slid down her cheeks, her eyes becoming red. That was it. She had let him see her, bare, no restraints but the pain that still lingered in her memory. Billie watched her silently give in to her sorrow. He wanted to help, to make her stop, to comfort her, but remained motionless.
"We were engaged, but so young, so we didn't have much of a plan... "
Billie regained his senses. He moved toward her cautiously, and then slowly wrapped her in a hug. She quietly cried into his shoulder for a while, leaning on Billie more and more as she wore herself out. Slowly the tears stopped.
"I'm sorry," Stepping back, she wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Don't be. It's hard... to lose someone... " Billie trailed off, remembering the death of his father, long ago, though the pain still remained. Ella looked curiously at him, but didn't say anything.
"Well... It's one o'clock," she stated, for no real reason. He nodded. "I think I'll go to bed. Do you need anything?"
"No, I don't think so,"
"Alright. If you do, I think I'll just be on the couch," She kissed him on the cheek and left him alone in the kitchen.
"I... I thought you were asleep... " She blushed.
"No... It's okay... "
He sat up, watching her blush deepen.
"I'm... uh... gonna go to--" Lips pressed urgently against hers stopped her. Billie drew back and gave her an is-this-okay-with-you look. She nervously looked back.
He kissed her again, wrapping his arms around her slim waist, her fingers soon entangled in his hair. Billie pulled her towards him gently. They broke apart, both breathing heavily.
"I don't know... " She looked at Billie. "We don't know each other very well, and I dunno... " She glanced at him again. "I mean, I like you... "
He nodded. "I know," She smiled, pecking him on his cheek, and moved to her own couch.
Billie hadn't counted on this. At all. He watched her fall into sleep again before lying down himself.
He woke up on the floor. Face down in the odd smelling carpet, Billie quickly sat up. Ella wasn't the other couch. There wasn't any light. Confused and slightly lost, he walked into the hall. Walking for what seemed forever in the dark, he finally came to a door.
Opening the door, he groped for the switch. In the light he found a small bedroom. Toys were strewn about, and in the corner sat a bed with a young girl in it. She stirred a bit, squinting her eyes at the light.
"Mummy?" she mumbled sleepily. Billie froze. "Mummy, turn out the lights please, its hurting my eyes... " Rubbing her eyes and sitting up, she gave a yelp at finding Billie in the doorway. "Who are you?"
Billie didn't answer right away. He just watched the girl. "Err... Billie. My name is Billie Joe," He attempted a smile. "What's yours?"
"Ana," She frowned at him. "But I'm not supposed to talk to strangers,"
"Really? Who taught you that?"
"Mummy did," Ana replied, with a bit of pride.
"Well, she's a very smart lady, then, isn't she?" Billie said, smiling at the charm of the girl.
"Thanks," A voice said from behind him. He turned to find Ella.
"You're... "
She nodded.
"Not now," she murmured. "Okay, Ana, time to go back to bed now,"
"Awwwwwwwww... I like Billie," Ella smiled.
"We're in agreement then. But yes, off to sleepy land for you. Remember, Auntie Angie is going to take you to school tomorrow!"
Giddy, Ana smiled broadly and squirmed beneath the covers.
"Good night, baby, see you in the morning,"
"G'night, mummy," Ana replied, stifling a yawn.
Walking back into the kitchen, Billie felt a bit guilty in the midst of his confusion. He shouldn't have looked in that room... He should have remembered the way back...
"Anything to eat?" Ella asked casually. Billie shook his head. "Okay then. Go ahead,"
"What?"
"Ask."
He wasn't sure if he wanted to know. She seemed to understand.
"He died. A few months before she was born," Tears welled in her eyes. "I'm sorry you found out... "
Billie felt strangely disconnected. He didn't have anything to say. Nothing that could be meaningful, nothing that would fit the gravity of what she was saying.
"It was a car accident. Drunk driver." The tears now slid down her cheeks, her eyes becoming red. That was it. She had let him see her, bare, no restraints but the pain that still lingered in her memory. Billie watched her silently give in to her sorrow. He wanted to help, to make her stop, to comfort her, but remained motionless.
"We were engaged, but so young, so we didn't have much of a plan... "
Billie regained his senses. He moved toward her cautiously, and then slowly wrapped her in a hug. She quietly cried into his shoulder for a while, leaning on Billie more and more as she wore herself out. Slowly the tears stopped.
"I'm sorry," Stepping back, she wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Don't be. It's hard... to lose someone... " Billie trailed off, remembering the death of his father, long ago, though the pain still remained. Ella looked curiously at him, but didn't say anything.
"Well... It's one o'clock," she stated, for no real reason. He nodded. "I think I'll go to bed. Do you need anything?"
"No, I don't think so,"
"Alright. If you do, I think I'll just be on the couch," She kissed him on the cheek and left him alone in the kitchen.
