A Different Perspective, chapter 3
"Hey Hayleigh, just Jessica.. Saw your note and thought I'd call to see when you'd be back. Call me." "Hey, Hayleigh, just Jessica again. Wondering what's going on. Call me..." I sighed, as I listened to all seventeen of her messages, each one becoming more and more frantic than the other. When I had finally deleted them all, I called her, even though I knew what was coming to me.
"HAYLEIGH MORGAN WHERE ARE YOU?" She hadn't even bother to say hi, rather getting right into her lecture. I rolled my eyes and let her vent, saying she had been worried sick and all this other shit. It wasn't that I didn't believe her, it was just I was tired of having to always check in with her. She liked to think she owned me sometimes, which really pissed me off.
"Will you calm down and lower your voice?" I asked, looking over at Billie, who I could tell was listening in on the conversation.
"NO, I WILL NOT LOWER MY VOICE!" She yelled, even louder than before and began, once again, telling me how irresponsible I was for staying out and whatever else she had begun to bring up.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know I was going to be out all night. I kinda started drinking and -"
"DRINKING?!"
"Yeah.. and I kinda passed out on Tre's couch, but I'm okay, really." Billie looked over at me and then at the clock. "Look, I gotta go."
"But what abo-"
"Bye." I hung up on her and turned my phone back off.
"Are you two okay?" Billie asked, looking at me with such an adorable little puzzled look that I had to smile.
"Yeah, we're fine. She's just a little controlling, that's all," I muttered, shoving my phone back into my pocket. "She won't be mad for very long."
"You sure?" He seemed honestly concerned which made my heart swell with happiness. Billie actually cared about what was going on with me and Jessica.
"Yeah, it'll blow over soon enough," I said, smiling a little. An awkward silence set over us until Tre walked into the room.
"Man, I thought I'd walk in on something other than you two being all.. quiet," he said, as though being quiet caused him some sort of disturbance. Billie Joe shrugged and finally got off the couch. "Where you going?" Tre called to him.
"To take a shower.." Billie called back and I could hear the clopping of his feet as he bounded upstairs. Tre looked at me and suddenly my good feelings went away.
"Heeeeee liiiiiiiiiiiikes yooooooooooou," Tre said, dragging out every word.
"And you know how?" I asked, sarcastically.
"I can tell."
"How is that?"
"'Cause I'm psychic."
"Billie wouldn't like me," I said, even though I hadn't meant to actually share my thoughts aloud.
"Yes he does."
"No, he doesn't."
"Yes he does."
"No, he doesn't."
"Yes he-"
"Tre!" I said, frustrated. It was like I was talking to a friggin five year old, for godsake.
"Yes?" He asked, with such an innocent little, "What did I do?" look that I had to bite back a smile. "And anyway, he does. I don't see why you can't see it."
"Because.. he's Billie Joe Armstrong."
"Yes and you're Hayleigh.. whatever your last name is."
"Yeah, he's well known and I'm well.. unkown."
"Your point?"
"My point is why would he like me?"
"Because he does."
"Why?"
"I dunno, why are you asking me?"
"Because you're the one who brought it up!"
"Brought what up?" I looked up to see Billie standing there, his hair soaking wet and in new clothes.
"Dude, those are mine!" Tre whined, pouting.
"So? What was brought up?" Billie was fixed on the subject as his eyes scanned from Tre to me trying to find out what was going on.
"Nothing," Tre said, shaking his head. He stood up and began walking away, turning around only once to say, "Hayleigh, go on your instincts. Trust me, things'll.. work out." He left without another word. I contemplated this, silent until Billie finally spoke what was on his mind.
"What was that all about?" He asked, eyebrow raised.
"Huh, what? What was what about?" I was sort of dazed out, trying to take this all in.
"You and Tre."
"Oh.. nothing."
"Bullshit."
"We were just.. talking, that's all."
"That's all?" I knew he knew I was lying and that killed me because I didn't like lying to begin with and now I was doing it to Billie Joe.
"Sure?" He looked at me again and shook his head, but he didn't continue to question me. I was incredibly thankful he decided to drop it.
"Come on," he said, heading towards the door.
"Where are we going?" I raised my eyebrow, getting up and putting on my shoes.
"To get something to eat."
"Eat? I look like shit. No."
"You want me to take you home?"
"No!" I answered a little too quickly. "I mean, um.."
"Yeah, that's what I thought.." I heard him mutter underneath his breath. "So, then, what do you want?"
"I don't care."
"Now you don't care?" I nodded and climbed into his BMW, putting on my seat belt and making a very bad attempt at making myself at least presentable. "You are the most confusing person I think I've ever met."
By the time we had finally found a place to eat at, I had fixed my screwed up hair and makeup to the best of my extent. It wasn't extraordinary, but it wasn't as bad as it had been, and for that, I was satisfied - or at least as satisfied as I was going to get. I climbed out of the car, watching as Billie put on the same sun glasses and hat he had when I first bumped into him.
"Do you always wear that?" I asked, absent-mindedly.
"Yeah, it helps.. sometimes," he muttered, closing the door to his car and locking it. I walked up onto the sidewalk and he did something I never thought he would - he put his arm around me as we walked into Bayview Cafe, a place I hadn't been since I was little. "Two.." He said to the waiter, who nodded, grabbing two menus and heading towards a both.
"Thank you," I said, flashing the waiter a smile as he handed me my menu.
"Thanks.." Billie muttered, as the waiter handed him his menu. I looked over what they had, occasionally peering over the menu to look at Billie. He started catching on and everytime I'd look up, he would eventually do the same and I would look back down. "What?" He asked.
"Nothing," I said, closing my menu. He looked at me and smiled, shaking his head when the waiter came back to take our order.
"What can I get you?" He asked, pen and paper in hand.
"Bocca burger plain on a wheat bun, thanks.." Billie said, handing him his menu.
"And for you?" The waiter asked, turning to me.
"Umm.. A burger'll do, thanks.." I said, handing my menu to the guy. Billie wrinkled his nose in disgust.
"How can you eat that?" He asked, watching as the waiter walked away.
"I dunno.. I like meat," I said and that only made Billie's face wrinkle even more so.
"I'm a vegeterian.."
"I kinda figured that out with the whole, 'Anti-Meat' thing you had going on there," I said, smiling a little. We'd gotten so deep into conversation that I completely forgot about my ordering the hamburger thing. When it came, Billie kept gagging, which only made me eat it slowly in front of his face to taunt him a little. Even though it wasn't in the least bit funny, we both started laughing and everyone around us looked at us, but I didn't care. I was having an incredible time, even if we kept opening our mouths to show eachother the chewed up food inside. In a way, it had become a little game, sort of like, "Who's food looks nastiest going down?"
When we had finished our sort of breakfast, sort of lunch ordeal, Billie had been called by Mike to go over Tre's to go over some new stuff Mike had apparently written. He apologized to me and said that he'd call me later, dropping me off at my apartment. I knew I was going to have to come back sooner or later, but I had been hoping it would have been later.. Or at least a little later.
"Hey," I said, unlocking the door to the apartment. Jessica was sitting on the couch, watching some random shit like always.
"Hey," she said. "What took so long?"
"I went to get something to eat with Billie," I said and she just nodded. I was surprised she wasn't yelling at me for turning my phone back off.
"Billie Joe?! Like Armstrong?" She asked, spazzing out a little."OhmygodIcan'tbelieveheactuallycalledyouandohmygoooooood Dude,whydidn'tyoufuckingtakeme?!"
"I told you last night. You didn't spazz out so much last night or this morning.." I pointed out.
"Yeah, I thought you were lying!" She said, wide eyed. "Dude, how was it? What was it like?! Givemeallthefriggindetailsyoulittlewhore.." There she went, throwing all of her words into one really long word. I laughed and began to tell her everything that had happened, her eyes wide as she clutched a pillow to her chest, listening to the whole thing closely. Time whizzed by and just like that, we both ended up falling asleep on the couch. I woke up a little while later and headed into my room, trying to get some sort of sleep..
"Hayleigh? Hayleigh.." I heard someone whisper my name to me. "Hayleigh.." Whoever it was shook me a little.
"Nyaaah.." I said, turning over and putting a pillow over my head.
"Hayleigh.. It's Billie.." I opened one eye and peered from underneath the pillow. In the darkness, I could make out the outline of him and I sighed, rolling over.
"How'd you get in?" I asked, squinting.
"Jessica let me in," he explained.
"Why are you here?" I asked, a little annoyed. I was exhuasted and all I wanted to do was sleep..
"I.. Well, I was thinking about my dad and.. I don't know. You seemed like the only person who would understand right now and.." I squinted again, and I could see his eyes look bloodshot and watery, like he was crying or something. I sighed again and scooted over, making room for him to lay down. He immediately took to and crawled into my bed, like how I used to when I'd wander into my parents room, crying from a nightmare I'd had.
"What happened?" I asked, waiting as he got adjusted.
"I.. I don't really know," he said. "I just.." I thought I heard a muffled cry.
"Shh.. It's okay. Just, try to get some sleep, okay?" I asked and he nodded, wiping his eyes.
"Hayleigh?" He whispered.
"Mmmyeah?" I asked, half asleep - half awake.
"Thanks." I smiled and stayed awake until I knew for a fact that he had fallen asleep and was okay. Once I was sure, I let the rustling of the wind and the warmth of the night drag me away and I feel asleep - right there, next to Billie.
"HAYLEIGH MORGAN WHERE ARE YOU?" She hadn't even bother to say hi, rather getting right into her lecture. I rolled my eyes and let her vent, saying she had been worried sick and all this other shit. It wasn't that I didn't believe her, it was just I was tired of having to always check in with her. She liked to think she owned me sometimes, which really pissed me off.
"Will you calm down and lower your voice?" I asked, looking over at Billie, who I could tell was listening in on the conversation.
"NO, I WILL NOT LOWER MY VOICE!" She yelled, even louder than before and began, once again, telling me how irresponsible I was for staying out and whatever else she had begun to bring up.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know I was going to be out all night. I kinda started drinking and -"
"DRINKING?!"
"Yeah.. and I kinda passed out on Tre's couch, but I'm okay, really." Billie looked over at me and then at the clock. "Look, I gotta go."
"But what abo-"
"Bye." I hung up on her and turned my phone back off.
"Are you two okay?" Billie asked, looking at me with such an adorable little puzzled look that I had to smile.
"Yeah, we're fine. She's just a little controlling, that's all," I muttered, shoving my phone back into my pocket. "She won't be mad for very long."
"You sure?" He seemed honestly concerned which made my heart swell with happiness. Billie actually cared about what was going on with me and Jessica.
"Yeah, it'll blow over soon enough," I said, smiling a little. An awkward silence set over us until Tre walked into the room.
"Man, I thought I'd walk in on something other than you two being all.. quiet," he said, as though being quiet caused him some sort of disturbance. Billie Joe shrugged and finally got off the couch. "Where you going?" Tre called to him.
"To take a shower.." Billie called back and I could hear the clopping of his feet as he bounded upstairs. Tre looked at me and suddenly my good feelings went away.
"Heeeeee liiiiiiiiiiiikes yooooooooooou," Tre said, dragging out every word.
"And you know how?" I asked, sarcastically.
"I can tell."
"How is that?"
"'Cause I'm psychic."
"Billie wouldn't like me," I said, even though I hadn't meant to actually share my thoughts aloud.
"Yes he does."
"No, he doesn't."
"Yes he does."
"No, he doesn't."
"Yes he-"
"Tre!" I said, frustrated. It was like I was talking to a friggin five year old, for godsake.
"Yes?" He asked, with such an innocent little, "What did I do?" look that I had to bite back a smile. "And anyway, he does. I don't see why you can't see it."
"Because.. he's Billie Joe Armstrong."
"Yes and you're Hayleigh.. whatever your last name is."
"Yeah, he's well known and I'm well.. unkown."
"Your point?"
"My point is why would he like me?"
"Because he does."
"Why?"
"I dunno, why are you asking me?"
"Because you're the one who brought it up!"
"Brought what up?" I looked up to see Billie standing there, his hair soaking wet and in new clothes.
"Dude, those are mine!" Tre whined, pouting.
"So? What was brought up?" Billie was fixed on the subject as his eyes scanned from Tre to me trying to find out what was going on.
"Nothing," Tre said, shaking his head. He stood up and began walking away, turning around only once to say, "Hayleigh, go on your instincts. Trust me, things'll.. work out." He left without another word. I contemplated this, silent until Billie finally spoke what was on his mind.
"What was that all about?" He asked, eyebrow raised.
"Huh, what? What was what about?" I was sort of dazed out, trying to take this all in.
"You and Tre."
"Oh.. nothing."
"Bullshit."
"We were just.. talking, that's all."
"That's all?" I knew he knew I was lying and that killed me because I didn't like lying to begin with and now I was doing it to Billie Joe.
"Sure?" He looked at me again and shook his head, but he didn't continue to question me. I was incredibly thankful he decided to drop it.
"Come on," he said, heading towards the door.
"Where are we going?" I raised my eyebrow, getting up and putting on my shoes.
"To get something to eat."
"Eat? I look like shit. No."
"You want me to take you home?"
"No!" I answered a little too quickly. "I mean, um.."
"Yeah, that's what I thought.." I heard him mutter underneath his breath. "So, then, what do you want?"
"I don't care."
"Now you don't care?" I nodded and climbed into his BMW, putting on my seat belt and making a very bad attempt at making myself at least presentable. "You are the most confusing person I think I've ever met."
By the time we had finally found a place to eat at, I had fixed my screwed up hair and makeup to the best of my extent. It wasn't extraordinary, but it wasn't as bad as it had been, and for that, I was satisfied - or at least as satisfied as I was going to get. I climbed out of the car, watching as Billie put on the same sun glasses and hat he had when I first bumped into him.
"Do you always wear that?" I asked, absent-mindedly.
"Yeah, it helps.. sometimes," he muttered, closing the door to his car and locking it. I walked up onto the sidewalk and he did something I never thought he would - he put his arm around me as we walked into Bayview Cafe, a place I hadn't been since I was little. "Two.." He said to the waiter, who nodded, grabbing two menus and heading towards a both.
"Thank you," I said, flashing the waiter a smile as he handed me my menu.
"Thanks.." Billie muttered, as the waiter handed him his menu. I looked over what they had, occasionally peering over the menu to look at Billie. He started catching on and everytime I'd look up, he would eventually do the same and I would look back down. "What?" He asked.
"Nothing," I said, closing my menu. He looked at me and smiled, shaking his head when the waiter came back to take our order.
"What can I get you?" He asked, pen and paper in hand.
"Bocca burger plain on a wheat bun, thanks.." Billie said, handing him his menu.
"And for you?" The waiter asked, turning to me.
"Umm.. A burger'll do, thanks.." I said, handing my menu to the guy. Billie wrinkled his nose in disgust.
"How can you eat that?" He asked, watching as the waiter walked away.
"I dunno.. I like meat," I said and that only made Billie's face wrinkle even more so.
"I'm a vegeterian.."
"I kinda figured that out with the whole, 'Anti-Meat' thing you had going on there," I said, smiling a little. We'd gotten so deep into conversation that I completely forgot about my ordering the hamburger thing. When it came, Billie kept gagging, which only made me eat it slowly in front of his face to taunt him a little. Even though it wasn't in the least bit funny, we both started laughing and everyone around us looked at us, but I didn't care. I was having an incredible time, even if we kept opening our mouths to show eachother the chewed up food inside. In a way, it had become a little game, sort of like, "Who's food looks nastiest going down?"
When we had finished our sort of breakfast, sort of lunch ordeal, Billie had been called by Mike to go over Tre's to go over some new stuff Mike had apparently written. He apologized to me and said that he'd call me later, dropping me off at my apartment. I knew I was going to have to come back sooner or later, but I had been hoping it would have been later.. Or at least a little later.
"Hey," I said, unlocking the door to the apartment. Jessica was sitting on the couch, watching some random shit like always.
"Hey," she said. "What took so long?"
"I went to get something to eat with Billie," I said and she just nodded. I was surprised she wasn't yelling at me for turning my phone back off.
"Billie Joe?! Like Armstrong?" She asked, spazzing out a little."OhmygodIcan'tbelieveheactuallycalledyouandohmygoooooood Dude,whydidn'tyoufuckingtakeme?!"
"I told you last night. You didn't spazz out so much last night or this morning.." I pointed out.
"Yeah, I thought you were lying!" She said, wide eyed. "Dude, how was it? What was it like?! Givemeallthefriggindetailsyoulittlewhore.." There she went, throwing all of her words into one really long word. I laughed and began to tell her everything that had happened, her eyes wide as she clutched a pillow to her chest, listening to the whole thing closely. Time whizzed by and just like that, we both ended up falling asleep on the couch. I woke up a little while later and headed into my room, trying to get some sort of sleep..
"Hayleigh? Hayleigh.." I heard someone whisper my name to me. "Hayleigh.." Whoever it was shook me a little.
"Nyaaah.." I said, turning over and putting a pillow over my head.
"Hayleigh.. It's Billie.." I opened one eye and peered from underneath the pillow. In the darkness, I could make out the outline of him and I sighed, rolling over.
"How'd you get in?" I asked, squinting.
"Jessica let me in," he explained.
"Why are you here?" I asked, a little annoyed. I was exhuasted and all I wanted to do was sleep..
"I.. Well, I was thinking about my dad and.. I don't know. You seemed like the only person who would understand right now and.." I squinted again, and I could see his eyes look bloodshot and watery, like he was crying or something. I sighed again and scooted over, making room for him to lay down. He immediately took to and crawled into my bed, like how I used to when I'd wander into my parents room, crying from a nightmare I'd had.
"What happened?" I asked, waiting as he got adjusted.
"I.. I don't really know," he said. "I just.." I thought I heard a muffled cry.
"Shh.. It's okay. Just, try to get some sleep, okay?" I asked and he nodded, wiping his eyes.
"Hayleigh?" He whispered.
"Mmmyeah?" I asked, half asleep - half awake.
"Thanks." I smiled and stayed awake until I knew for a fact that he had fallen asleep and was okay. Once I was sure, I let the rustling of the wind and the warmth of the night drag me away and I feel asleep - right there, next to Billie.
