A Different Perspective, chapter 10
Tre answered the door, half awake and what looked to be, surprisingly, sober. He took one look at me, with my puffy eyes, my blotchy skin and my red nose and immediately opened the door wider.
"What happened?" He asked, although instantly knowing it was something to do with Billie.
"I-I-I.." I stammered and he pulled me inside, closing the door. I saw down on the couch and looked at her, my eyes glazed over with tears.
"Start from the beginning and we'll go from there." I nodded and took a deep breath, before starting.
"This all started with running into Alison. We ran into her today and Billie invited her to go with us over here tonight and I got really upset for some reason. So, I started snapping at him and before I could even understand what was going on, I was crying and at my apartment, where Jessica talked me through everything," I explained and he nodded appropriately. "I was going to tell him how I felt, that I wanted to be more than friends."
"I knew it," Tre muttered with a sort of smile and I sighed.
"Yes.. Yes you did," I said, a little more to myself than him before continuing on. "And anyway, I went to Billie's house to wait for him to get back from here and I saw it."
"You saw it?" He had a puzzled look on his face.
"Yes. I saw it, I saw them kiss," I said, and my eyes stung with a tear sensation again. Stop crying, Hayleigh, I told myself. Please stop..
"Wait, what?" His eyes were wide, perhaps even more so than mine were when I actually "caught" them. I didn't really "catch" them doing anything wrong. Did I? I couldn't speak, so I merely nodded. "Why would he-" Tre stopped, probably realizing the same questions were running through my own mind.
"I shouldn't be upset.." I thought aloud and Tre immediately shook his head.
"No, you have every fucking right to be upset. That asshole was putting out all these motherfucking.." His voice trailed off as he stormed into the kitchen. I sat down and after a few minutes, I could hear Tre's voice echoing off of the walls, so I assumed he'd called Billie. Great. This was only going to make things worse. "Don't 'Tre' me, Billie. What the hell were you thinking? What? Yes, she's over here. I don't think she wants to talk to you, man. You fucked up.." I couldn't hear anymore, and finally, Tre came walking back. I looked up at him and he sighed. "Billie insisted on coming over here, so just sit tight." I nodded.
"What am I going to say?" I asked, just as Tre turned around. He shrugged.
"Say what you told me," he simply said, yawning and walking back into the kitchen. What exactly had I told Tre? I started to think of what I could say, planning out any and all possible things he would reply with when the door clicked open and in walked Billie. Everything that I had been rehearsing in my head flew out almost instantly as he stood there, sort of looking at me.
"Hayleigh.." He started. Yes, I knew my name. I was waiting for some sad excuse, not my name.
"Yes?" I asked, annoyance oozing from my voice.
"I didn't mean-"
"You didn't mean for what? For me to walk in and see your tongue lodged down
Alison's throat? Hey, it happens to me all the time. Don't worry about it."
"Hayleigh.."
"No, no Hayleigh-ing me," I snapped.
"Why are you so pissed off at me?" He did not just ask that. I know he did not
just ask that fucking stupid ass question.
"WHY AM I SO PISSED OFF AT YOU? WHY?! How would YOU feel if you walked in to tell someone how you fucking felt about them and then saw them fucking playing tonsil fucking hockey with some bitch you hardly fucking knew? What if it were YOU, hmm?" I screamed.
"Wait, how you felt? What do you mean?" He raised an eyebrow.
".. Just... Nevermind, Billie," I muttered, not actually meaning for that part to
come out.
"No, tell me," he demanded, folding his arms over his chest. I looked at him, blinking.
"Why should I?" I asked and pushed past him, out of the house and into the cold. Billie followed after me.
"Because I want to know," Billie said, managing to somehow get in front of me.
"Why? It's not like I matter much, anyway," I rambled, stepping out into the street. I was going to need a cab..
"That's bullshit and you know it."
"No, I don't know it," I spat and watched the street lights reflect my shadow onto
the pavement. How late was it?
"Will you stop it? I didn't mean to hurt you or to kiss Alison. I was upset because you had ran off earlier and I didn't know where you were and I'd had a few drinks.. I just.." For the first time that night, I looked up and into Billie's eyes. He seemed so sincere and genuine that I just sighed.
"Hayleigh, please.." He began and in the light of the street lamps, I could see his eyes were glazed over with what appeared to be tears.
"What, Billie? What am I supposed to say?" I asked when I felt a sudden tension in my back. My eyes went wide. No.. Not here..I frantically thought, but it was two late. I could feel my knees growing weaker by the second and before I could grab onto Billie for support, they buckled and it was as if everything was suddenly in slow motion. I was falling and Billie was rushing to try and catch me, but it was too late. I could feel my head hit the pavement before I blacked out.
***
My eyes slowly started to open, but everything was hazy for a few seconds. A stream of white figures rushed around the room, carrying gray... blobs. Blobs.. No.. it was coming into focus. Clipboards. They were white streams carrying clipboards. I blinked a couple of times, rubbing my eyes, which sort of helped as everything was starting to become clearer until I could finally see that those "streams" were actually nurses. Wait.. Nurses. Oh my God, I was in a hospital.
"What the.." I mumbled, swinging my head to the side. I looked down to see an
IV in my arm and I started to freak out. "Get this out of me!" I yelled, trying to take it out. The nurses rushed over to me to try and calm me down, but I couldn't help it; I was deathly afraid of needles. I started crying, confused and in pain - how the hell did I get here? "NO! GET THIS OUT OF ME RIGHT FUCKING NOW!" They pinned me down and I struggled to get out of their grips when I heard him.
"What the hell? Hayleigh?!" Billie Joe rushed over to me to try and see what was going on.
"Billie.." I cried and one of the nurses went to go get some sort of shot to give me.. Probably a relaxant or something. I let out another cry and Billie's eyes went wide.
"Woah, what's that?" He asked, wide eyed as the nurse prepped it to give to me.
"Something to calm her down," the nurse explained.
"Calm her down? It's the fucking needles that are making her this way! Just.. lemme see if I can calm her down," Billie suggested and the nurse shook her head.
"I'm sorry, but-"
"Billie, help me please.." I begged, crying still. The other nurses looked from me to Billie and one of them reluctantly nodded, releasing their grip on my wrist. The other nurses slowly followed and I watched as they dragged their feet out of their room. Billie pulled a chair and sat down next to me, slipping his hand into mine and entwine our fingers. I was still crying, still hysterical over the fact that there was a needle in me. I could feel it in my vein and it was the worst pain. Billie stroked his thumb over my cheeks, brushing away the tears that were falling and as crazy as it sounds, him being there, holding my hand and helping me was enough to calm me down. When I was finally able to catch my breath from crying so hard, he spoke.
"You scared me when you passed out," he said, quietly. I looked at him and sighed, trying to find a place to begin.
"I have back problems to where I loose control over my body, so sometimes my knees fail on me and I fall. I just happened to hit hard this time.." I muttered, disgusted with myself. I hated when it happened...
Billie was quiet for a few seconds.
"They said they'll release you, but you can't be by yourself until they run their tests and what not," he muttered. "So, if you want to go now, I'll see if I can get the release forms and get your stuff for you."
"Thanks Billie," I said, smiling. I wasn't mad at him anymore, I mean, how could I? He just could have possibly saved my life.
"I'll have to call Mike and Tre; tell 'em I can't come into the studio for a week or so," he rambled on, and I thought it was more of a reminder to himself than to me.
"How come?" I asked, slightly confused.
"Well, someone has to take care of you.." He said, shaking his head and leaving the room to get my release forms.
***
I was, after a serious struggle with the nurses, able to be released and as we pulled up into the driveway, I let out a sigh of relief. Although I had to be under "constant watch," I still was glad that I was able to get out of that damn hospital. Hospitals were friggin scary and I was in no mood to be in one. All I wanted to do was change and go to bed. Today.. Today had been a long day, filled with too many tears that I think I was all dried up inside. Billie helped me with me inside and I managed to get myself into a shirt Billie let me borrow and a pair of my P.J. pants. Since I was to be watched at "all times," Billie had insisted that I sleep in his room and I didn't have the energy to protest, so I willingly lay down on his bed. I felt it sink next to me as Billie put his arm around me.
"Good Night.." I heard him mumble.
"Night," I said, quietly, lightly running my finger on his hand, tracing shapes. I laid there for a bit, staring at the wall, thinking about things and I has assumed Billie was asleep, until he spoke up.
"Hayleigh..?" He asked.
"Hmm..?" I hummed, still tracing those imaginary shapes on the back of his hand.
"You're way fucking cooler than Alison," he murmured, and I snuggled up to him, a smile beaming on my face.
"Thanks," I said and I gloated to myself until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and I fell asleep.
"What happened?" He asked, although instantly knowing it was something to do with Billie.
"I-I-I.." I stammered and he pulled me inside, closing the door. I saw down on the couch and looked at her, my eyes glazed over with tears.
"Start from the beginning and we'll go from there." I nodded and took a deep breath, before starting.
"This all started with running into Alison. We ran into her today and Billie invited her to go with us over here tonight and I got really upset for some reason. So, I started snapping at him and before I could even understand what was going on, I was crying and at my apartment, where Jessica talked me through everything," I explained and he nodded appropriately. "I was going to tell him how I felt, that I wanted to be more than friends."
"I knew it," Tre muttered with a sort of smile and I sighed.
"Yes.. Yes you did," I said, a little more to myself than him before continuing on. "And anyway, I went to Billie's house to wait for him to get back from here and I saw it."
"You saw it?" He had a puzzled look on his face.
"Yes. I saw it, I saw them kiss," I said, and my eyes stung with a tear sensation again. Stop crying, Hayleigh, I told myself. Please stop..
"Wait, what?" His eyes were wide, perhaps even more so than mine were when I actually "caught" them. I didn't really "catch" them doing anything wrong. Did I? I couldn't speak, so I merely nodded. "Why would he-" Tre stopped, probably realizing the same questions were running through my own mind.
"I shouldn't be upset.." I thought aloud and Tre immediately shook his head.
"No, you have every fucking right to be upset. That asshole was putting out all these motherfucking.." His voice trailed off as he stormed into the kitchen. I sat down and after a few minutes, I could hear Tre's voice echoing off of the walls, so I assumed he'd called Billie. Great. This was only going to make things worse. "Don't 'Tre' me, Billie. What the hell were you thinking? What? Yes, she's over here. I don't think she wants to talk to you, man. You fucked up.." I couldn't hear anymore, and finally, Tre came walking back. I looked up at him and he sighed. "Billie insisted on coming over here, so just sit tight." I nodded.
"What am I going to say?" I asked, just as Tre turned around. He shrugged.
"Say what you told me," he simply said, yawning and walking back into the kitchen. What exactly had I told Tre? I started to think of what I could say, planning out any and all possible things he would reply with when the door clicked open and in walked Billie. Everything that I had been rehearsing in my head flew out almost instantly as he stood there, sort of looking at me.
"Hayleigh.." He started. Yes, I knew my name. I was waiting for some sad excuse, not my name.
"Yes?" I asked, annoyance oozing from my voice.
"I didn't mean-"
"You didn't mean for what? For me to walk in and see your tongue lodged down
Alison's throat? Hey, it happens to me all the time. Don't worry about it."
"Hayleigh.."
"No, no Hayleigh-ing me," I snapped.
"Why are you so pissed off at me?" He did not just ask that. I know he did not
just ask that fucking stupid ass question.
"WHY AM I SO PISSED OFF AT YOU? WHY?! How would YOU feel if you walked in to tell someone how you fucking felt about them and then saw them fucking playing tonsil fucking hockey with some bitch you hardly fucking knew? What if it were YOU, hmm?" I screamed.
"Wait, how you felt? What do you mean?" He raised an eyebrow.
".. Just... Nevermind, Billie," I muttered, not actually meaning for that part to
come out.
"No, tell me," he demanded, folding his arms over his chest. I looked at him, blinking.
"Why should I?" I asked and pushed past him, out of the house and into the cold. Billie followed after me.
"Because I want to know," Billie said, managing to somehow get in front of me.
"Why? It's not like I matter much, anyway," I rambled, stepping out into the street. I was going to need a cab..
"That's bullshit and you know it."
"No, I don't know it," I spat and watched the street lights reflect my shadow onto
the pavement. How late was it?
"Will you stop it? I didn't mean to hurt you or to kiss Alison. I was upset because you had ran off earlier and I didn't know where you were and I'd had a few drinks.. I just.." For the first time that night, I looked up and into Billie's eyes. He seemed so sincere and genuine that I just sighed.
"Hayleigh, please.." He began and in the light of the street lamps, I could see his eyes were glazed over with what appeared to be tears.
"What, Billie? What am I supposed to say?" I asked when I felt a sudden tension in my back. My eyes went wide. No.. Not here..I frantically thought, but it was two late. I could feel my knees growing weaker by the second and before I could grab onto Billie for support, they buckled and it was as if everything was suddenly in slow motion. I was falling and Billie was rushing to try and catch me, but it was too late. I could feel my head hit the pavement before I blacked out.
***
My eyes slowly started to open, but everything was hazy for a few seconds. A stream of white figures rushed around the room, carrying gray... blobs. Blobs.. No.. it was coming into focus. Clipboards. They were white streams carrying clipboards. I blinked a couple of times, rubbing my eyes, which sort of helped as everything was starting to become clearer until I could finally see that those "streams" were actually nurses. Wait.. Nurses. Oh my God, I was in a hospital.
"What the.." I mumbled, swinging my head to the side. I looked down to see an
IV in my arm and I started to freak out. "Get this out of me!" I yelled, trying to take it out. The nurses rushed over to me to try and calm me down, but I couldn't help it; I was deathly afraid of needles. I started crying, confused and in pain - how the hell did I get here? "NO! GET THIS OUT OF ME RIGHT FUCKING NOW!" They pinned me down and I struggled to get out of their grips when I heard him.
"What the hell? Hayleigh?!" Billie Joe rushed over to me to try and see what was going on.
"Billie.." I cried and one of the nurses went to go get some sort of shot to give me.. Probably a relaxant or something. I let out another cry and Billie's eyes went wide.
"Woah, what's that?" He asked, wide eyed as the nurse prepped it to give to me.
"Something to calm her down," the nurse explained.
"Calm her down? It's the fucking needles that are making her this way! Just.. lemme see if I can calm her down," Billie suggested and the nurse shook her head.
"I'm sorry, but-"
"Billie, help me please.." I begged, crying still. The other nurses looked from me to Billie and one of them reluctantly nodded, releasing their grip on my wrist. The other nurses slowly followed and I watched as they dragged their feet out of their room. Billie pulled a chair and sat down next to me, slipping his hand into mine and entwine our fingers. I was still crying, still hysterical over the fact that there was a needle in me. I could feel it in my vein and it was the worst pain. Billie stroked his thumb over my cheeks, brushing away the tears that were falling and as crazy as it sounds, him being there, holding my hand and helping me was enough to calm me down. When I was finally able to catch my breath from crying so hard, he spoke.
"You scared me when you passed out," he said, quietly. I looked at him and sighed, trying to find a place to begin.
"I have back problems to where I loose control over my body, so sometimes my knees fail on me and I fall. I just happened to hit hard this time.." I muttered, disgusted with myself. I hated when it happened...
Billie was quiet for a few seconds.
"They said they'll release you, but you can't be by yourself until they run their tests and what not," he muttered. "So, if you want to go now, I'll see if I can get the release forms and get your stuff for you."
"Thanks Billie," I said, smiling. I wasn't mad at him anymore, I mean, how could I? He just could have possibly saved my life.
"I'll have to call Mike and Tre; tell 'em I can't come into the studio for a week or so," he rambled on, and I thought it was more of a reminder to himself than to me.
"How come?" I asked, slightly confused.
"Well, someone has to take care of you.." He said, shaking his head and leaving the room to get my release forms.
***
I was, after a serious struggle with the nurses, able to be released and as we pulled up into the driveway, I let out a sigh of relief. Although I had to be under "constant watch," I still was glad that I was able to get out of that damn hospital. Hospitals were friggin scary and I was in no mood to be in one. All I wanted to do was change and go to bed. Today.. Today had been a long day, filled with too many tears that I think I was all dried up inside. Billie helped me with me inside and I managed to get myself into a shirt Billie let me borrow and a pair of my P.J. pants. Since I was to be watched at "all times," Billie had insisted that I sleep in his room and I didn't have the energy to protest, so I willingly lay down on his bed. I felt it sink next to me as Billie put his arm around me.
"Good Night.." I heard him mumble.
"Night," I said, quietly, lightly running my finger on his hand, tracing shapes. I laid there for a bit, staring at the wall, thinking about things and I has assumed Billie was asleep, until he spoke up.
"Hayleigh..?" He asked.
"Hmm..?" I hummed, still tracing those imaginary shapes on the back of his hand.
"You're way fucking cooler than Alison," he murmured, and I snuggled up to him, a smile beaming on my face.
"Thanks," I said and I gloated to myself until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and I fell asleep.
