There Were Places We Would Go At Midnight..., chapter 5
2 months prior
Tre pulled up the driveway of the Armstrong residence to find Billie playing basketball with the boys, while simultaneously commentating.
"Jakob dribbles up the court to the half-way mark. He looks to the right, the left, he shoots!" Billie waited until the ball was right over the basket and grabbed it out of mid-air. "Oooooh, intercepted by the other team." He held the ball just out of Jakob's reach as the boy jumped after it, giggling. Joey jumped up and caught it out of his Dad's hands. Billie let the boys continue the game with each other has he walked over to Tre, who was leaning against the car, watching.
"Hey man," Tre greeted him. "How's it goin?"
Tre shook his head. "Not so good. Claudia and I got in another fight. I have half a mind to walk out right now. I would too, if I didn't have Frankito."
Billie put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know, man. I'm sorry about all this. It's a crappy situation."
Tre shrugged. "Yeah. So I was wondering if I could crash here tonight?"
"Of course, man. I mean, I'm not going to be here, but I'm sure Adie wouldn't mind."
"Where are you going?" Tre inquired. He hadn't known his friend to go anywhere without either him, Mike, or Adie for as long as he could remember.
"I'm taking the boys up to see my mom. Our flight leaves at seven. But Adie has a lot of work to do so she's going to stay here. Helping with the clothing line and shit. I just hope my mom doesn't get drunk and hit on me again like last time."
Tre laughed, recalling this incident quite vividly. "Yeah. She was ready to take you home in her little pocket." Tre grabbed Billie's cheek, jokingly. Billie shoved him off, and shuddered. "I didn't sleep for a week," he admitted. Tre laughed. They went into the house together, Billie grabbing a beer and tossing one to Tre. They went into the den to find Adie curled up on the sofa with a root beer, watching some dating show. Billie plopped down next to her and put his hand on her knee.
"Honey, I love you, but guess how much we aren't watching this." He grabbed the remote and switched the channels, with a disapproving groan from Adie, but nothing spoken. After a few minutes they settled on Vh1, just to see what was going on with their video. To their surprise they were up to number 2 again, having fallen down to 8 the previous week. Videos rarely made a comeback after dropping down in a countdown. "Nice," Billie said, approving. "Yeah," Tre agreed, "We have good fans." Adie snorted. "It's a good thing you aren't full of yourselves." Billie swatted her leg playfully, then rubbed it idly with his free hand. His other was still switching channels. He eventually turned the TV off, leaned back and sighed. Tre got up to throw away his beer. "I'm bored," Billie whined. Adie laughed, "Well, there is one thing we could do before you leave tonight.." Billie gaped at her. "Seriously? With Tre here?" Adie smiled at him. "He won't mind." She got up and stuck out her hands for him to grab, which he did, and she hoisted him up. He put his arm around her and they walked into the kitchen where Tre was distracted by Speedy, their fish. "Uh, Tre? I'm going to go get ready to leave alright? I'll see you tomorrow night." Tre sort of waved without looking at him. "Uh huh, have a good time flirting with your mom." Billie rolled his eyes and Adie snorted. 15 minutes later and they were lying together, out of breath. Billie stirred. "I have to get ready to go now." Adie tightened her grip around him. "No you don't." Billie laughed, "Come on, Adie. Don't make this harder than it already is." He kissed her once more and broke free of her grip, and in 10 minutes was out the door. Adie didn't have the energy to get dressed. She turned on the TV and resumed her dating show marathon. And before she could control herself she was crying, because every time he left it got harder and harder. Would she ever have him all to herself? Or would she have to share him with the rest of the world forever? She grabbed a tissue and dabbed her eyes as Tre entered the room. "Hey Adie, where do you keep the fish foo- Oh, shit." He covered his eyes, seeing that she was topless, with the sheets around her waist. She pulled them up hastily, sniffing. "Sorry, Tre." She slouched down in the bed and turned on her side in a fetal position to hide her tears, but Tre had already seen them. He came over to her. "Adie, what's the matter?" She tried to be brave, she really did, but before she could control it she was shuddering with sobs. She sat up, careful to keep the sheet around her, and Tre knelt by the bed. "It's just" she strained, her voice quavering, "it gets harder every time he leaves. Why do I have to share him with the rest of the world? Why can't I have my husband to myself like most people?" Tre looked at her. "I know. It isn't fair to you, you didn't sign up for a part-time husband. Hey, hey, come on now," he wiped her tears from under her eyes as she continued to sob. What was he doing? He knew this couldn't be OK. "If it helps, the media is cruel. We will be old news any day now, and you're going to have him all to yourself. Something almost 95% percent of the teen population would cut off their left hand for." She laughed, sniffling a bit. "Oh, Tre. How do you do that? I could be dying and you would still know how to make me smile." Tre shrugged. "As long as I'm good for something." And before he knew what was happening her finger was under his chin, and she was leaning into him and- no, no this wasn't ok. STOP. STOP YOURSELF. But he couldn't. And then he was as naked as she was. And he was in the bed, and she was up against him, and her hips were grinding against his and the whole time he was thinking of how his life was over, the band was over, his friendship was over because of one moment, one stupid moment that neither of them had the self-control to stop.
Tre pulled up the driveway of the Armstrong residence to find Billie playing basketball with the boys, while simultaneously commentating.
"Jakob dribbles up the court to the half-way mark. He looks to the right, the left, he shoots!" Billie waited until the ball was right over the basket and grabbed it out of mid-air. "Oooooh, intercepted by the other team." He held the ball just out of Jakob's reach as the boy jumped after it, giggling. Joey jumped up and caught it out of his Dad's hands. Billie let the boys continue the game with each other has he walked over to Tre, who was leaning against the car, watching.
"Hey man," Tre greeted him. "How's it goin?"
Tre shook his head. "Not so good. Claudia and I got in another fight. I have half a mind to walk out right now. I would too, if I didn't have Frankito."
Billie put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know, man. I'm sorry about all this. It's a crappy situation."
Tre shrugged. "Yeah. So I was wondering if I could crash here tonight?"
"Of course, man. I mean, I'm not going to be here, but I'm sure Adie wouldn't mind."
"Where are you going?" Tre inquired. He hadn't known his friend to go anywhere without either him, Mike, or Adie for as long as he could remember.
"I'm taking the boys up to see my mom. Our flight leaves at seven. But Adie has a lot of work to do so she's going to stay here. Helping with the clothing line and shit. I just hope my mom doesn't get drunk and hit on me again like last time."
Tre laughed, recalling this incident quite vividly. "Yeah. She was ready to take you home in her little pocket." Tre grabbed Billie's cheek, jokingly. Billie shoved him off, and shuddered. "I didn't sleep for a week," he admitted. Tre laughed. They went into the house together, Billie grabbing a beer and tossing one to Tre. They went into the den to find Adie curled up on the sofa with a root beer, watching some dating show. Billie plopped down next to her and put his hand on her knee.
"Honey, I love you, but guess how much we aren't watching this." He grabbed the remote and switched the channels, with a disapproving groan from Adie, but nothing spoken. After a few minutes they settled on Vh1, just to see what was going on with their video. To their surprise they were up to number 2 again, having fallen down to 8 the previous week. Videos rarely made a comeback after dropping down in a countdown. "Nice," Billie said, approving. "Yeah," Tre agreed, "We have good fans." Adie snorted. "It's a good thing you aren't full of yourselves." Billie swatted her leg playfully, then rubbed it idly with his free hand. His other was still switching channels. He eventually turned the TV off, leaned back and sighed. Tre got up to throw away his beer. "I'm bored," Billie whined. Adie laughed, "Well, there is one thing we could do before you leave tonight.." Billie gaped at her. "Seriously? With Tre here?" Adie smiled at him. "He won't mind." She got up and stuck out her hands for him to grab, which he did, and she hoisted him up. He put his arm around her and they walked into the kitchen where Tre was distracted by Speedy, their fish. "Uh, Tre? I'm going to go get ready to leave alright? I'll see you tomorrow night." Tre sort of waved without looking at him. "Uh huh, have a good time flirting with your mom." Billie rolled his eyes and Adie snorted. 15 minutes later and they were lying together, out of breath. Billie stirred. "I have to get ready to go now." Adie tightened her grip around him. "No you don't." Billie laughed, "Come on, Adie. Don't make this harder than it already is." He kissed her once more and broke free of her grip, and in 10 minutes was out the door. Adie didn't have the energy to get dressed. She turned on the TV and resumed her dating show marathon. And before she could control herself she was crying, because every time he left it got harder and harder. Would she ever have him all to herself? Or would she have to share him with the rest of the world forever? She grabbed a tissue and dabbed her eyes as Tre entered the room. "Hey Adie, where do you keep the fish foo- Oh, shit." He covered his eyes, seeing that she was topless, with the sheets around her waist. She pulled them up hastily, sniffing. "Sorry, Tre." She slouched down in the bed and turned on her side in a fetal position to hide her tears, but Tre had already seen them. He came over to her. "Adie, what's the matter?" She tried to be brave, she really did, but before she could control it she was shuddering with sobs. She sat up, careful to keep the sheet around her, and Tre knelt by the bed. "It's just" she strained, her voice quavering, "it gets harder every time he leaves. Why do I have to share him with the rest of the world? Why can't I have my husband to myself like most people?" Tre looked at her. "I know. It isn't fair to you, you didn't sign up for a part-time husband. Hey, hey, come on now," he wiped her tears from under her eyes as she continued to sob. What was he doing? He knew this couldn't be OK. "If it helps, the media is cruel. We will be old news any day now, and you're going to have him all to yourself. Something almost 95% percent of the teen population would cut off their left hand for." She laughed, sniffling a bit. "Oh, Tre. How do you do that? I could be dying and you would still know how to make me smile." Tre shrugged. "As long as I'm good for something." And before he knew what was happening her finger was under his chin, and she was leaning into him and- no, no this wasn't ok. STOP. STOP YOURSELF. But he couldn't. And then he was as naked as she was. And he was in the bed, and she was up against him, and her hips were grinding against his and the whole time he was thinking of how his life was over, the band was over, his friendship was over because of one moment, one stupid moment that neither of them had the self-control to stop.
