I Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You, chapter 3

...The phone ringing, making them jump about two feet, crashing into each other.
"Sorry!" they said in unison while rushing inside so Skyler could answer.

"Hello?" she said picking up the black receiver.

"Hey, hun, it's mom."

"Oh, hey mom."

"I'm gonna be home a little later than I thought....."

"Like how late?"

"Er...about eleven or midnight. I'm sorry hun."

"'Sokay mom. Is it alright if my friend hangs out with me a while?"

Surprised, since she hadn't been asked this question since early last year, and happy for that same reason, Skyler's mother agreed.
"Sure Skyler! As long as you like. Just make sure their parents are fine with it."

Billie could hear her wrapping up the conversation.

"Yeah mom. I will. Sure. Yes, yes....love you too. bye."

Skyler turned to look at Billie Joe. "So, whatcha wanna do?"

"I dunno. What's there to do here?" He asked.

"Well, we could watch a movie, TV, listen to music, talk, or we could always go prank my man-bitch neighboor and his Barbie wife!" she said cutely.

"Oh! Oh! Let's prank on the man-bitch!" Billie replied enthusiastically.

"Haha. Er, ok, what do you suppose we do, since you're so anxious to prank them."

"Well, do you know where their bathroom is?"

"Yeah, first floor, but-"

"Does it have a window?" he cut her off.

"Well, yeah, but what are you gon-"

"Good. This'll work great....."

"What will?" Skyler was really anxious to know what the hell Billie was talking about.

"We can trash the bathroom!"

"Oh! Ok! Never would have thought of that..... lemme go get some stuff. You can sit on the couch if you wanna."

Billie Joe waited patiently on the living room couch while Skyler went to put a thick black marker, unused lipstick, cotton balls, and upon returning downstairs, a jar of mayonaisse.

"Kay, let's go." she said.

"Uh, what's all that?"

"Some things we might need." She stated simply.

Giving her a quick glance of confusion, Billie shrugged his shoulders Okay and the two left Skyler's house to wreak havoc upon the neighboor's "facilities".

*15 minutes later*

After Billie Joe opened the bathroom window somehow using only Skyler's hair clip, they were in. Skyler went straight to work, pulling the marker out of her bag and writing on the mirror "charge THIS to you're Gucci account bitches!" and before she could continue, Billie grabbed the marker and wrote "no one likes you and you know it don't pretend that you enjoy it"

"Where'd that come from?" Skyler questioned in a low voice.

"Well, i guess..."

"A thought burst in your head?" she replied sarcastically.

"So you DO go to our shows at the Gilman!" she said triumphantly, a proud smile on his face.

"Yeah, yeah, i do. Now let's get down to buisiness."

"Right."

The team continued working diligently to thoroughly fuck up the Kingham's bathroom. When they had finished finally the damages included:

- graffitied mirror
- the counter colored solid red with lipstick
- mayonaisse covered cotton balls stuffed into half empty shampoo and conditioners bottles
- peanut butter covering the bottom of the bathtub
- vaseline covering various surfaces(including the toilet seat)
- and some strategically placed tooth paste
Nothing unfixable.

Wanting to see Mrs. Kingham's face when she discovered that her bathroom had become a crime scene, Billie Joe and Skyler climbed out the window they came in, shut it, and broke a bottle on the sill. They concealed themselves in the bushes just in time to see Cecilia Kingham burst through the door and slip on some tooth paste, landing her on her ass on the hall carpet. This gave her a chance to get a good look at the room.

"M-m-my MIRROR! Oh god! I can't get ready for the dinner party with the bathroom like THIS!"

Yes, all she could think of was how she'd make herself look pretty. Not who did it, why they did it, how, or any other questions or concerns the normal person might have. No, just how she'd make herself look good.

Unable to contain their laughter, the two teens ran into the empty street laughing till they cried. Now, don't go thinking there was no reason to pull the prank in the first place. It was not out of pure cruelty, but the Kinghams fully deserved what they got. Cecilia was a nasty person who enjoyed insulting those she thought lesser of herself on a regular basis. Of course this population consisted widely of Skyler and her mother. Cecilia would probably make her husband clean the mess, which was fine because he had hit on Skyler at last year's summer barbeque.

The duo quickly straightened their expressions and ran to the Kingham's front door. Skyler rang the bell, causing the door to swing open, revealing a very distraught middle aged suburban house wife, who wasn't even going to bother to pretend she was okay.

"yeah?" she said.

"Oh, hi Mrs. Kingham! Me and Billie Joe here were just wondering if you were okay, cuz we heard this crash, like glass breaking or something and-"
Skyler was cut off from her frantic doe-eyed explination.

"Yes, i'm perfectly fine. Thanks i guess. Goodbye." and with that the door was slammed in their faces, leaving the two rather startled. They walked back to Skyler's house both taking on the challenge of not thinking of each other, which they had been finding rather difficult lately. When they returned, they took one look at eachother and burst into another fit of laughter, collapsing on the couch.

Near the point of hyperventilation, and after quite a few failed attemps as calming down, the pair managed to settle down enough to talk.

"So, what now?" Skyler asked, looking over at Billie.

He glanced at the clock. "Oh shit!"

"What?"

"It's five. I gotta get to band practice!" he said rather panick stricken.Then, muttering to himself he said" did Mike say he'd bring Blue, yeah he did." Then to Skyler again, "hey, you wanna come?"

"Sure, lemme put my shoes back on" she said, leaving the room to grab her green converse. Upon returning, they agreed to drive there. Billie Joe gave directions..

"Turn right up here. Yeah. Now go like, two, no, one street down. Turn here, now wait! up there. yeah, ok. it's the blue one, yup. WE'RE HERE!"

"Billie Joe, would you happen to be IDC?"

"What the hell's that?"

"Irreverably Directionally Challenged. I'd give you the scientific name, but Latin's where I take my mid-afternoon nap."

Billie laughed. How does she always manage to make me laugh like that? He asked himself. Usually only Tre can, but that's usually just him doing stupid stuff....this is different.

He walked up to the garage door, Skyler in tow, and yanked it open to find that Mike and Tre already set up and Blue sitting on the couch.

"Thanks for bringing Blue, Mike."

"No problem. Who's this?"

"Oh, sorry. This is Skyler Brink."

Mike held his hand out and Skyler shook it. "Hey, I'm Mike Pritchard."

"Hi Mike."

Tre suddenly saw Skyler, jumped out from behind his drum set and attacked her with a bear hug. She hugged him back, quite surprised.

"Tre, off." Billie and Mike said in unison. Tre stepped bakc and held his hand out for Skyler to shake, which she did.

"Hello, I'm Cool. Tre Cool."

Skyler laughed.

"His real name's Wright, Frank Edwin Wright." Billie Joe offered, killing Tre's attempt at being suave.

"DON'T call me that PLEASE." Tre begged Skyler before smacking Billie in the head.

"OW! That HURT!" He said babyishly.

"Well, then I guess now you know not to blow my cover, don't you?"

"Whatever Tre, let's just practice." Billie said.

Mike grabbed his pick off a shelf as Tre got settled at his drum set and Billie plugged in. Skyler got comfortable on the couch.

"What should we start with?" Mike asked.

"Uh, ladie's choice!" Billie announced, looking at Skyler.

"Ok, Tre, you heard him. Your pick!" Skyler replied.

Everyone laughed exept for Tre, who was pretending to pout.

"Okay, okay. How about...Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?" she suggested.

Billie Joe smiled and the trio began to play. They also played Dissapearing Boy, At the Library, 16, and The Road To Acceptance.

All the while Skyler couln't help but think only of Billie.


At the end of practice, everyone said bye to Tre, and Skyler drove Billie and Mike home, since they Mike lived with Billie and his mom. This was done with Mike directing Skyler, which proved to be much less nerve wracking than when Billie gave directions. It was also less animated, which was slightly dissapointing.

When they arrived at their destination, Mike went straight inside, and Billie walked around to the driver's window, Blue in hand. Skyler rolled the window down.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?" the boy asked.

"'Course you will!"she said.

"Kay, awesome. See you!" Billie replied, running into the house after Mike.

"Yeah, see you." Skyler sighed happily. She returned to her owm house and began to write a song.


*At Billie's House*

"So, do you like her?" the bassist asked his best friend.

"Like who?" he replied cluelessly.

"Skyler"

"No! Well, yeah, as a friend, but now THAT way....I'm with Bianca, 'member?"

"Oh, come on man! You and Bee have been rocky lately, and they way you look at Skyler..."Mike began.

"Well, I don't. That's all I don't..." Billie trailed off sounding more like he needed to convince himself instead of Mike.

"Hey, whatever you say man. I'm just calling 'em as I see 'em."

Just the the phone rang. "Speaking of calling" Billie said as he went to answer it.

"Yellow, Armstrong residence. Green isn't home right now, would you like to leave a message?" he said cheekily into the receiver, though he didn't know who it was yet.

"Ha ha, funny Billie Joe. Lemme talk to Mike." It was Mike's girlfriend, Karen. Billie handed the phone over to Mike saying loudly, "Here, it's your fuck buddy."

Billie and Karen enjoyed insulting each other as a friendly ritual.

"I heard that fucktard!" They heard from the receiver.

Mike put the phone to his ear.

"Hey hun!"

"Hey Mike. I was just wondering if we're still on for the movies tonight?"

"Yeah, er, i'll see you in 15 then?"

"Ok, i'll meet you there."

"Bye babe."

"Bye Mikey!"

He hung up."See you man." Mike said turning to leave.

"Later."

Billie was alone now. He decided to call Bianca. He picked up the cordless and got comfortable on the sofa. He looked at the phone a minute before finally dialing the number and putting the device to his ear.

Ring...Ring...Ring...Ring...Ring...

"Hello?'

Well, she sounds fine he thought.

"Hey Bee!" Billie said, trying to sound enthusiastic.

"Hey, where've you been?" she asked.

"Well, just now I was at practice at Tre's and before that I was hanging our with Skyler-"

"Who's that?" she questioned.

"It's that girl I invited to the party Friday." he said simply.

"Wait- you didn't tell me this. How long were you two hanging out?"

"About 2 hours, why is it important?"

"Two hours? That's a long time for some girl you don't know too well. Billie, is there something you wanna tell me?"

"No, MOM, there isn't. What, and I not allowed to make new friends now?"

"It's not that- I just don't think that it takes two hours to make friends with some random girl."

"She's NOT some random girl- She's my friend! And I only called to see if you wanted to go out later, not to get the third degree, but forget that. I don't need to take this. I just wish you trusted me."

And with that, he hung up.