A Different Perspective, chapter 9
I looked up to see Alison's eyes brimming down at me from beneath her white sunglasses. She was making it a point to show off the fact that the coach symbol was engraved in them, but I couldn't care. My sister was the one who was into all that crap, not me.
"Allie?" Billie looked from me to her and let go of my hand almost instantly. I crossed my arms over my chest, not pleased. She nodded, as if it were in question as to who she was.
"And.. Hayleigh, was it?" A slight smirk danced on her lips as she cocked her head. I nodded, grudgingly forcing a smile. She looked back over at Billie. "Anyway, as I was saying, I was just thinking about you and about calling you. We haven't hung out in a really long time.."
"No.. No we haven't," Billie said, smiling slightly.
"So.. we should," She said, beaming. Billie nodded.
"That we should. Do you want to come over Tre's tonight?" WHAT? No. No fucking way. This was not fucking happening.
"Yeah, of course I would," She said and waved good-bye, bouncing off and twirling her obviously-not-natural blond hair. I was fuming and didn't say a word to Billie after that.
We silently drove back towards his house, and I stared out the window the whole time, utterly pissed off. How could he invite that bitch over to Tre's? Well, whatever. I sure as hell wasn't going to be there. Fuck that.
"What's wrong with you?" He finally broke the silence. Leave it to him to fuck things up.
"Nothing. Nothing is wrong with me," I muttered bitterly as he pulled the car into the driveway and put it in park, locking the car doors. I tried to open it and bitterly sighed. "Let me out of the car."
"No. Not until you tell me what the fuck is up with you." Why was he so damn stubborn? Better question: why was I?
"I'll fucking break the window, I swear to God," I snapped and he unlocked the door as I got out and slammed it shut. I marched myself into the house, Billie following right behind me and I continued to go until I was climbing up the stairs, each step hitting heavier than the previous.
"What are you doing?" Billie asked, still following behind me.
"I don't know." That was the truth and that pissed me off even more because here I was, throwing a tantrum like a five-year-old. Why? Billie was allowed friends. I slapped myself and Billie just kind of looked at me, strangely.
"I know you don't like Alison, but we're friends. Kind of like how we are friends and I'd like to be able to be with you both at the same time." Wait, if he knew I didn't like her, why did he invite her? I couldn't handle this anymore and I looked at him, shaking my head, and stormed outside. "Where are you going now?" He called to me and I just shrugged.
"Somewhere far away from here," I whispered to myself, wiping my eyes from the burning tears that were starting to fall.
I didn't know where to go. I mean, I was in an unfamiliar town, alone, crying and shaking from the cold. The only place that I thought of going to was Tre's, but Billie and Alison were gonna be there. Alison. God, I hated that bitch and I hardly knew her. Why was I so judgmental towards her? What was it that I didn't like? I pondered this and walked until the sun was finally going down and saw that I had stumbled onto BART. Where was I going to go? The BART train shifted into its station as I climbed out and realized I was in San Francisco. What was I doing here? And that's when it dawned on me - subconsciously, I was heading to go see Jessica; she was my problem fixer. I walked down the streets and to my complex, dragging myself up the stairs and I knocked on the door. I looked up at her as she answered, my eyes red and puffy from crying and my face splotchy. Without saying a word, she hugged me, pulling me into the apartment and sitting me down in front of the fire ready and willing to listen to my story. I explained slowly to her, as she poured me a cup of tea to calm me down and warm me up.
".. I don't even know her and I already hate her, not to mention Billie hates me.. Oh God, Billie hate me.." I cried out and she listened, taking a sip of her tea before answering.
"He doesn't hate you, because if he did, he wouldn't keep calling your phone," she said, and for the first time, I noticed that my phone was vibrating on the table. I reached over and picked it up, the screen clearly blinking the words, "10 Missed Calls." Why hadn't I noticed this until now? "And as for that Alison chick, I don't care much for her, either, and I haven't even been around her. If anything, it just sounds like she's trying to move in on your territory, which isn't cool, man. It's not cool at all." I looked up at her and sniffled. "How serious are you with Billie?"
"He's the one the one who I want to take home to my sister for the Holidays, the one that I want to take to my parent's graves.." She looked at me for a second before nodding.
"That serious?" I nodded.
"What should I do?" I was so confused. Didn't I learn from other guys that all they do is play mind games on you until you drive yourself to the point of insanity? And they say girls are confusing... Pft.
"Well," she said, taking a sip of her tea. "I think I should drive you on over to Billie's and I think you should wait there until he gets home. You two need to get to an understanding and if that means expressing profusely the feelings you have, then by God, so be it." I smiled and chuckled a little.
"And what if those so-called feelings aren't very mutual?"
"Well then, we'll egg his car and do some sort of voodoo on him - poke him in the crotch a couple of times with a fatty needle." She winked at me and pulled me into a hug, smiling.
"Thank you so much," I said, hugging her back and I meant it. I don't know what I'd do if she hadn't of been there to just.. listen.
"No problem."
We pulled up in front of the house in Jessica's Monte Carlo, and I saw there, listening to the engine run. Truthfully, I was scared shitless. I mean, I was about to waltz in there and then tell Billie Joe Armstrong that I thought he was sweet and kind and that I liked him as more than a friend. You'd be scared too. Jessica nudged me a little, and I nodded. It was something that had to be done. Right? Right. Taking a deep breath I pulled on the door handle and heard a pop, watching as the door to the car swung open. I slowly stepped outside and walked, shaking, to the front door to find the hide-a-key underneath the mat. I'd always just assumed it was there incase Billie had a little more to drink than he was supposed to. I took another deep breath, stuck the key in the hole and unlocked the door, opening it.I raised my eyebrow. I could distinctly hear voices and the light in the living room was on. OH GOD! Billie was already home.. Oh man, I wasn't ready for this. I wasn't.. I wasn't. Was I? I was. I had to be.. I argued with myself until I finally reached the living room. My mouth opened to say something, but then I looked up and saw it happen. Billie Joe sat on the couch, opposite of Alison when he leaned down and did the unthinkable - he kissed her. I just sort of stood there, wide-eyed and confused.
"Hh..hh..." I stammered and sort of backed out. Billie and Alison's heads immediately shot up, Billie looking at me for a second with a "Oh-My-God," kind of face. I ran backwards and out of the door, which seemed to be the theme of the friggin day. What the hell was going on?!
"Hayleigh! Hayleigh, wait!" Billie called after me, running down the street, but I was going too fast and before I knew it, I was already down three blocks and had lost Billie. I kept running, feeling those same burning tears return and I turned the corner, heading down the streets until I saw it. There was only one person who I knew could help me now and he's the only one I wanted to see.
"Allie?" Billie looked from me to her and let go of my hand almost instantly. I crossed my arms over my chest, not pleased. She nodded, as if it were in question as to who she was.
"And.. Hayleigh, was it?" A slight smirk danced on her lips as she cocked her head. I nodded, grudgingly forcing a smile. She looked back over at Billie. "Anyway, as I was saying, I was just thinking about you and about calling you. We haven't hung out in a really long time.."
"No.. No we haven't," Billie said, smiling slightly.
"So.. we should," She said, beaming. Billie nodded.
"That we should. Do you want to come over Tre's tonight?" WHAT? No. No fucking way. This was not fucking happening.
"Yeah, of course I would," She said and waved good-bye, bouncing off and twirling her obviously-not-natural blond hair. I was fuming and didn't say a word to Billie after that.
We silently drove back towards his house, and I stared out the window the whole time, utterly pissed off. How could he invite that bitch over to Tre's? Well, whatever. I sure as hell wasn't going to be there. Fuck that.
"What's wrong with you?" He finally broke the silence. Leave it to him to fuck things up.
"Nothing. Nothing is wrong with me," I muttered bitterly as he pulled the car into the driveway and put it in park, locking the car doors. I tried to open it and bitterly sighed. "Let me out of the car."
"No. Not until you tell me what the fuck is up with you." Why was he so damn stubborn? Better question: why was I?
"I'll fucking break the window, I swear to God," I snapped and he unlocked the door as I got out and slammed it shut. I marched myself into the house, Billie following right behind me and I continued to go until I was climbing up the stairs, each step hitting heavier than the previous.
"What are you doing?" Billie asked, still following behind me.
"I don't know." That was the truth and that pissed me off even more because here I was, throwing a tantrum like a five-year-old. Why? Billie was allowed friends. I slapped myself and Billie just kind of looked at me, strangely.
"I know you don't like Alison, but we're friends. Kind of like how we are friends and I'd like to be able to be with you both at the same time." Wait, if he knew I didn't like her, why did he invite her? I couldn't handle this anymore and I looked at him, shaking my head, and stormed outside. "Where are you going now?" He called to me and I just shrugged.
"Somewhere far away from here," I whispered to myself, wiping my eyes from the burning tears that were starting to fall.
I didn't know where to go. I mean, I was in an unfamiliar town, alone, crying and shaking from the cold. The only place that I thought of going to was Tre's, but Billie and Alison were gonna be there. Alison. God, I hated that bitch and I hardly knew her. Why was I so judgmental towards her? What was it that I didn't like? I pondered this and walked until the sun was finally going down and saw that I had stumbled onto BART. Where was I going to go? The BART train shifted into its station as I climbed out and realized I was in San Francisco. What was I doing here? And that's when it dawned on me - subconsciously, I was heading to go see Jessica; she was my problem fixer. I walked down the streets and to my complex, dragging myself up the stairs and I knocked on the door. I looked up at her as she answered, my eyes red and puffy from crying and my face splotchy. Without saying a word, she hugged me, pulling me into the apartment and sitting me down in front of the fire ready and willing to listen to my story. I explained slowly to her, as she poured me a cup of tea to calm me down and warm me up.
".. I don't even know her and I already hate her, not to mention Billie hates me.. Oh God, Billie hate me.." I cried out and she listened, taking a sip of her tea before answering.
"He doesn't hate you, because if he did, he wouldn't keep calling your phone," she said, and for the first time, I noticed that my phone was vibrating on the table. I reached over and picked it up, the screen clearly blinking the words, "10 Missed Calls." Why hadn't I noticed this until now? "And as for that Alison chick, I don't care much for her, either, and I haven't even been around her. If anything, it just sounds like she's trying to move in on your territory, which isn't cool, man. It's not cool at all." I looked up at her and sniffled. "How serious are you with Billie?"
"He's the one the one who I want to take home to my sister for the Holidays, the one that I want to take to my parent's graves.." She looked at me for a second before nodding.
"That serious?" I nodded.
"What should I do?" I was so confused. Didn't I learn from other guys that all they do is play mind games on you until you drive yourself to the point of insanity? And they say girls are confusing... Pft.
"Well," she said, taking a sip of her tea. "I think I should drive you on over to Billie's and I think you should wait there until he gets home. You two need to get to an understanding and if that means expressing profusely the feelings you have, then by God, so be it." I smiled and chuckled a little.
"And what if those so-called feelings aren't very mutual?"
"Well then, we'll egg his car and do some sort of voodoo on him - poke him in the crotch a couple of times with a fatty needle." She winked at me and pulled me into a hug, smiling.
"Thank you so much," I said, hugging her back and I meant it. I don't know what I'd do if she hadn't of been there to just.. listen.
"No problem."
We pulled up in front of the house in Jessica's Monte Carlo, and I saw there, listening to the engine run. Truthfully, I was scared shitless. I mean, I was about to waltz in there and then tell Billie Joe Armstrong that I thought he was sweet and kind and that I liked him as more than a friend. You'd be scared too. Jessica nudged me a little, and I nodded. It was something that had to be done. Right? Right. Taking a deep breath I pulled on the door handle and heard a pop, watching as the door to the car swung open. I slowly stepped outside and walked, shaking, to the front door to find the hide-a-key underneath the mat. I'd always just assumed it was there incase Billie had a little more to drink than he was supposed to. I took another deep breath, stuck the key in the hole and unlocked the door, opening it.I raised my eyebrow. I could distinctly hear voices and the light in the living room was on. OH GOD! Billie was already home.. Oh man, I wasn't ready for this. I wasn't.. I wasn't. Was I? I was. I had to be.. I argued with myself until I finally reached the living room. My mouth opened to say something, but then I looked up and saw it happen. Billie Joe sat on the couch, opposite of Alison when he leaned down and did the unthinkable - he kissed her. I just sort of stood there, wide-eyed and confused.
"Hh..hh..." I stammered and sort of backed out. Billie and Alison's heads immediately shot up, Billie looking at me for a second with a "Oh-My-God," kind of face. I ran backwards and out of the door, which seemed to be the theme of the friggin day. What the hell was going on?!
"Hayleigh! Hayleigh, wait!" Billie called after me, running down the street, but I was going too fast and before I knew it, I was already down three blocks and had lost Billie. I kept running, feeling those same burning tears return and I turned the corner, heading down the streets until I saw it. There was only one person who I knew could help me now and he's the only one I wanted to see.
