When You Wish You had Forgotten..., chapter 5
He just stood there. Amira was topless and working Billie's shirt. They kept kissing, more and more passionately, without paying attention to Mike.
He walked back into the bathroom as quietly as he could. He tried to sort his feelings out. It didn't matter, did it? Amira wasn't his... anymore. But Billie knew... he knew how much he still loved her... Anger was rising. Billie was the problem... But what if Amira wanted it too? He looked sorrowfully into the mirror, wishing to forget.
~
"Amira... " Billie gasped between kisses. "We have to stop... "
She pulled back and looked at him. "What?"
"We have to stop... " he repeated. He looked into her eyes. 'Why does she have to be so fucking beautiful?' he asked himself angrily.
Amira sighed. "I know... "
"Mike still loves you. A lot. And he won't ever forgive me, or you, if this... happens," Billie said with difficulty. She nodded and kissed him one last time before getting up and pulling her shirt on.
She looked at him and smiled. "I really like you, Billie Joe,"
He grinned. "Yeah, I like you too... "
The front door opened. Tre came in with bags of groceries.
"Remind me never to go shopping by choice. I hate it. You have to wait in line and... " he trailed off as he noticed Billie and Amira on the bed, Billie shirt still undone and Amira's hair mussed. "Oh no! No, no, no, no! Bad! You can't do this, Billie, you know how Mike feels! Don't be an idiot... " Tre said, looking mad.
"We already came to that conclusion," said Amira irritation clear in her voice.
"WE?!" Tre nearly shrieked, completely loosing it and dropping the bags. "No 'we's!"
"Shhh... Mike is in the shower. Listen, we- I mean, Amira and I know,"
Still mad, Tre stamped his foot like a child wanting candy. "The showers not running, dumbass!"
Billie and Amira looked at each other.
Amira got up and walked to the bathroom.
Tre glared at Billie. "You screwed us now,"
Billie nodded slowly.
~
Amira walked in to find Mike lying on the floor.
"Erm... Baby? Hellooooooo?"
Mike looked up and his eyes clouded.
"Hiya, bitch, what do you want?" he snarled.
Her face fell.
"Shit. Baby, please--"
"BABY?!" Mike yelled, sitting up. "One minute you're screwing Billie the next you call me BABY?!"
Amira looked as though she had been slapped in the face. Tre and Billie appeared the doorway.
"And YOU!" he turned on Billie. "YOU FUCKING KNEW!"
Billie nodded. "I don't know what to say... " Mike watched as Billie's face turned a sickly green. "I'm so sorry. I know it doesn't help... "
Mike didn't say anything.
Amira spoke up. "Mike... " she took his hand. "I loved you, but not like I should have. I always felt comfortable with you, but not in love. I needed that to get married. Okay? And now I'm glad about where I'm at... but baby... Every now and then, I wonder if I had said yes... " Tears spilled from her eyes.
Mike watched her and felt his anger leave. He wanted her so much... But he also wanted her happy. And she had been. But with Billie.
"I'm sorry," he said to her. He looked at Billie, who looked ready to puke. "I think I need to go... " And he pushed through the doorway.
Tre laughed.
"What?" the two asked at the same time, looking confused.
"It's like a really bad soap," he said, laughing still.
~
Sitting in a small diner after lunch, the three were silent. Billie finally broke the silence.
"We need to call him... " he said quietly. Amira nodded. They both looked at Tre.
"I'm not doing it! It's your problem!" Tre exclaimed defensively.
"But Tre... You're the only one not involved... " Amira said, trying to hold back her smile.
"Exactly! And I want it to stay that way!"
"But it makes you perfect for it. You're on middle ground. Just ask him to talk. And come back. Please?" said Billie, nearly begging. Tre just frowned.
"Does he have his cell phone?"
Amira smiled. "Yep,"
"How do you know?" He asked, trying to stall the phone call.
"Cause he grabbed his pants from yesterday, retard. Just do it," Amira said bossily. Tre's eyebrows went up, but he dialed the number and exited the diner.
"Do think it's gonna work?" Billie asked quietly. Amira laughed.
"Not much of a chance... "
Billie nodded.
~
Outside, Tre tapped his foot, waiting for Mike to pick up.
"What the fuck do you want?"
The voice startled Tre.
"I wanted to talk,"
"Yeah? You just did." The line went dead.
Tre sighed. He spotted a phone booth and stepped in. After inserting the quarters, he waited again. This was getting on his nerves.
"Hello?"
"That was a nicer response,"
"You can just stuff it, Tre. You still wanna talk?"
"Do think I would spend by bubblegum quarters if I didn't?" Tre was getting more and more aggravated by this pouty Mike.
"No. Well?"
"Just talk to the fuckers. Okay? That's all I want. You need to come back. We're leaving tomorrow. We'll have to cancel the next show if we don't,"
"Maybe we should... " It sounded like Mike was crying and Tre lost it.
"Look, it was stupid of Billie and Amira, granted. But she was over you. Only you were the idiot from the past that still was slobbering over her. You need to grow up Mike,"
"This the most amusing thing to hear from you, Tre,"
"Look, I don't cry cause a girl that dumped me 20 years ago is with my friend,"
"Tre, it was 17 years... "
"Fuck it. It doesn't matter... "
"I know. Meet you at the hotel tonight... " The line went dead again and Tre felt a wave of relief sweep over him.
~
Mike sat slumped on a barstool.
"One more... " he slurred. The bartender just looked at him.
"Who dumped you?" he asked in a bored voice.
Mike just frowned. "Amira... She dumped me before too... But now she loves Billie... And Billie... . He just broke up... So they're perfect for each other... She didn't even really dump me... cause she couldn't... "
"Do have a cell phone?"
"Yes... . But I dropped it... On the ground... ."
The bartender nodded. "Can you pick it up?"
"Yeah... " Mike retrieved it and, to his surprise, it was ringing.
The barman just looked at him and moved to another person.
"What?" Mike answered, loudly, making people turn to look at him.
"Hey... It's ten o'clock. You coming home?"
Mike giggled. "Yesh... I wanna go home... "
Amira groaned from the other side. "Where the hell are you?"
Confused, he looked around and handed the cell phone over to the person next to him. Also bewildered, the person took it and talked for a bit, but Mike had already fallen off his barstool.
~
Amira had gone to get Mike so Tre and Billie were left in the hotel room.
"Billie," Tre said suddenly. Billie just grunted. "Ever heard of rebound?"
Billie glanced at him sharply. "Yes."
"What if that's what is happening with you and Amira? You just want another relationship. Fast," Tre said thoughtfully, at least as thoughtfully as you can after five beers.
"I dunno... . Adrienne... She left me. She didn't leave the kids. She wasn't escaping her life. She was escaping me... ." Billie felt his throat tighten and tears form in his eyes. "And its scary... But Amira is very different from her... I don't think I want another Adie... "
Tre nodded like he understood. Then grabbed another beer.
~
Once both Mike and she were in the car, Amira began to drive slowly. She wasn't going to head back to the hotel just yet. She glanced at Mike. Finding a water bottle in the back seat, she opened and drained the whole thing in his face.
Spluttering, Mike woke up.
"Hello," she said. "We're gonna talk,"
"I'm all wet... "
"Yeah... Sorry,"
She pulled over to the side of the road.
"You scared me that day... I had to leave. There had been a slight possibility I would have, and I just went with that. We were so damn young. I mean, we could have had children in middle school by now if had... . Gotten married."
Mike looked at her sadly.
"I wanted that. I wanted a nice family to come home to. I was almost ready to quit the band for you... "
Amira just sighed. "And I wanted a good job and all the different paths that come with it. We didn't want the same thing... "
"I know. I thought I was over it until I saw you walking down the street... Even if it hadn't had been you... . I would've tried to find you."
"But you have a beautiful daughter now, don't you?" she asked, hoping to turn the conversation.
Mike grinned. "Yes..." he looked into her eyes. "I'll always love you..."
She nodded and pulled out into traffic. The rest of the ride was in silence.
He walked back into the bathroom as quietly as he could. He tried to sort his feelings out. It didn't matter, did it? Amira wasn't his... anymore. But Billie knew... he knew how much he still loved her... Anger was rising. Billie was the problem... But what if Amira wanted it too? He looked sorrowfully into the mirror, wishing to forget.
~
"Amira... " Billie gasped between kisses. "We have to stop... "
She pulled back and looked at him. "What?"
"We have to stop... " he repeated. He looked into her eyes. 'Why does she have to be so fucking beautiful?' he asked himself angrily.
Amira sighed. "I know... "
"Mike still loves you. A lot. And he won't ever forgive me, or you, if this... happens," Billie said with difficulty. She nodded and kissed him one last time before getting up and pulling her shirt on.
She looked at him and smiled. "I really like you, Billie Joe,"
He grinned. "Yeah, I like you too... "
The front door opened. Tre came in with bags of groceries.
"Remind me never to go shopping by choice. I hate it. You have to wait in line and... " he trailed off as he noticed Billie and Amira on the bed, Billie shirt still undone and Amira's hair mussed. "Oh no! No, no, no, no! Bad! You can't do this, Billie, you know how Mike feels! Don't be an idiot... " Tre said, looking mad.
"We already came to that conclusion," said Amira irritation clear in her voice.
"WE?!" Tre nearly shrieked, completely loosing it and dropping the bags. "No 'we's!"
"Shhh... Mike is in the shower. Listen, we- I mean, Amira and I know,"
Still mad, Tre stamped his foot like a child wanting candy. "The showers not running, dumbass!"
Billie and Amira looked at each other.
Amira got up and walked to the bathroom.
Tre glared at Billie. "You screwed us now,"
Billie nodded slowly.
~
Amira walked in to find Mike lying on the floor.
"Erm... Baby? Hellooooooo?"
Mike looked up and his eyes clouded.
"Hiya, bitch, what do you want?" he snarled.
Her face fell.
"Shit. Baby, please--"
"BABY?!" Mike yelled, sitting up. "One minute you're screwing Billie the next you call me BABY?!"
Amira looked as though she had been slapped in the face. Tre and Billie appeared the doorway.
"And YOU!" he turned on Billie. "YOU FUCKING KNEW!"
Billie nodded. "I don't know what to say... " Mike watched as Billie's face turned a sickly green. "I'm so sorry. I know it doesn't help... "
Mike didn't say anything.
Amira spoke up. "Mike... " she took his hand. "I loved you, but not like I should have. I always felt comfortable with you, but not in love. I needed that to get married. Okay? And now I'm glad about where I'm at... but baby... Every now and then, I wonder if I had said yes... " Tears spilled from her eyes.
Mike watched her and felt his anger leave. He wanted her so much... But he also wanted her happy. And she had been. But with Billie.
"I'm sorry," he said to her. He looked at Billie, who looked ready to puke. "I think I need to go... " And he pushed through the doorway.
Tre laughed.
"What?" the two asked at the same time, looking confused.
"It's like a really bad soap," he said, laughing still.
~
Sitting in a small diner after lunch, the three were silent. Billie finally broke the silence.
"We need to call him... " he said quietly. Amira nodded. They both looked at Tre.
"I'm not doing it! It's your problem!" Tre exclaimed defensively.
"But Tre... You're the only one not involved... " Amira said, trying to hold back her smile.
"Exactly! And I want it to stay that way!"
"But it makes you perfect for it. You're on middle ground. Just ask him to talk. And come back. Please?" said Billie, nearly begging. Tre just frowned.
"Does he have his cell phone?"
Amira smiled. "Yep,"
"How do you know?" He asked, trying to stall the phone call.
"Cause he grabbed his pants from yesterday, retard. Just do it," Amira said bossily. Tre's eyebrows went up, but he dialed the number and exited the diner.
"Do think it's gonna work?" Billie asked quietly. Amira laughed.
"Not much of a chance... "
Billie nodded.
~
Outside, Tre tapped his foot, waiting for Mike to pick up.
"What the fuck do you want?"
The voice startled Tre.
"I wanted to talk,"
"Yeah? You just did." The line went dead.
Tre sighed. He spotted a phone booth and stepped in. After inserting the quarters, he waited again. This was getting on his nerves.
"Hello?"
"That was a nicer response,"
"You can just stuff it, Tre. You still wanna talk?"
"Do think I would spend by bubblegum quarters if I didn't?" Tre was getting more and more aggravated by this pouty Mike.
"No. Well?"
"Just talk to the fuckers. Okay? That's all I want. You need to come back. We're leaving tomorrow. We'll have to cancel the next show if we don't,"
"Maybe we should... " It sounded like Mike was crying and Tre lost it.
"Look, it was stupid of Billie and Amira, granted. But she was over you. Only you were the idiot from the past that still was slobbering over her. You need to grow up Mike,"
"This the most amusing thing to hear from you, Tre,"
"Look, I don't cry cause a girl that dumped me 20 years ago is with my friend,"
"Tre, it was 17 years... "
"Fuck it. It doesn't matter... "
"I know. Meet you at the hotel tonight... " The line went dead again and Tre felt a wave of relief sweep over him.
~
Mike sat slumped on a barstool.
"One more... " he slurred. The bartender just looked at him.
"Who dumped you?" he asked in a bored voice.
Mike just frowned. "Amira... She dumped me before too... But now she loves Billie... And Billie... . He just broke up... So they're perfect for each other... She didn't even really dump me... cause she couldn't... "
"Do have a cell phone?"
"Yes... . But I dropped it... On the ground... ."
The bartender nodded. "Can you pick it up?"
"Yeah... " Mike retrieved it and, to his surprise, it was ringing.
The barman just looked at him and moved to another person.
"What?" Mike answered, loudly, making people turn to look at him.
"Hey... It's ten o'clock. You coming home?"
Mike giggled. "Yesh... I wanna go home... "
Amira groaned from the other side. "Where the hell are you?"
Confused, he looked around and handed the cell phone over to the person next to him. Also bewildered, the person took it and talked for a bit, but Mike had already fallen off his barstool.
~
Amira had gone to get Mike so Tre and Billie were left in the hotel room.
"Billie," Tre said suddenly. Billie just grunted. "Ever heard of rebound?"
Billie glanced at him sharply. "Yes."
"What if that's what is happening with you and Amira? You just want another relationship. Fast," Tre said thoughtfully, at least as thoughtfully as you can after five beers.
"I dunno... . Adrienne... She left me. She didn't leave the kids. She wasn't escaping her life. She was escaping me... ." Billie felt his throat tighten and tears form in his eyes. "And its scary... But Amira is very different from her... I don't think I want another Adie... "
Tre nodded like he understood. Then grabbed another beer.
~
Once both Mike and she were in the car, Amira began to drive slowly. She wasn't going to head back to the hotel just yet. She glanced at Mike. Finding a water bottle in the back seat, she opened and drained the whole thing in his face.
Spluttering, Mike woke up.
"Hello," she said. "We're gonna talk,"
"I'm all wet... "
"Yeah... Sorry,"
She pulled over to the side of the road.
"You scared me that day... I had to leave. There had been a slight possibility I would have, and I just went with that. We were so damn young. I mean, we could have had children in middle school by now if had... . Gotten married."
Mike looked at her sadly.
"I wanted that. I wanted a nice family to come home to. I was almost ready to quit the band for you... "
Amira just sighed. "And I wanted a good job and all the different paths that come with it. We didn't want the same thing... "
"I know. I thought I was over it until I saw you walking down the street... Even if it hadn't had been you... . I would've tried to find you."
"But you have a beautiful daughter now, don't you?" she asked, hoping to turn the conversation.
Mike grinned. "Yes..." he looked into her eyes. "I'll always love you..."
She nodded and pulled out into traffic. The rest of the ride was in silence.
