Soda Pop And Ritalin, chapter 9
"I... don't know what to say." Tre said after the 5-minute silence they had had after Jackie told them about Billie. Mike still didn't say anything just kept looking into space. Jackie did the same but soon her head fell into her hands and her stinging eyes let out more tears. Tre put his strong arms around Jackie as she wept into them. Jackie had been up for almost a whole day and started dozing off...
"Jackie... Jackie... "
Jackie opened her eyes and saw Mike staring at her. Mike realised that she was awake and could hear him.
"Jackie, do you wanna go in and see Billie now? The doctor just informed me that he fell back to sleep again but were still allowed in."
Jackie yawned. "Uhmmm... give me a few more minutes, why don't you go see him first and I'll go in afterwards, it might be a bit of a surprise seeing a stranger come to visit him."
"Maybe, but your not a stranger, and you know, Billie knows that too, he just needs some time to remember it."
"Maybe your right but I still think you should go in first, see how he's feeling, you know, don't ask him about me yet."
"I won't. If your sure... "
"Mike. You're his best friend. Go see him. And Tre for that matter, which reminds me, where is he?"
"He's already in there as we speak."
"Ok then... Mike just go join him."
"All right."
Mike turned then walked down the corridor towards the room Billie was staying in.
"Mike, wait!" He spun round on his white creepers. "Do you...do you think he will...ever...you know...remember me?"
Mike walked back and sat next to Jackie holding her trembling hands as her tears started falling yet again.
"Jackie, off course he will. You're the one person meant for him and he's the one person meant for you. You're soul mates. If people can just forget their soul mate there's something wrong in the whole meaning. Don't worry Jack, we will find away if it takes us to the end of the world."
Jackie was crying with her head bowed down looking at her feet. Mike put his arms around her and kissed her on the head comforting her whilst doubting what he just said, what if he doesn't remember her?
Tre was sitting on a chair on the side by Billie's hospital bed. The heart monitor was letting off a steady beat whilst Tre was tapping on his lap nervously.
"Tre?" Billie said with a husky, tired voice. Tre almost found it a bit sexy himself. Tre leapt up and hugged Billie.
"Oh my god, Billie! I'm so glad your OK!!" He shouted.
"But still recovering!!!" He said whilst Tre was squeezing Billie so hard he felt like his guts were going to come out of his ears. Tre let go and sat back down in the chair smiling so much Billie thought he was going to swallow his ears if he made his smile any wider. "Ouch!"
"Sorry. So have the doctors told you what happened?"
Billie nodded and faked a smile, which trembled forcing him to hide it by looking down at his lap. Tre did the same but got interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Billie said snapping out of his thoughts.
"Hey." It was Mike. "You OK man?"
"I was. Until Tre here hugged me so tight that every unbroken bone in my body was on the verge of snapping." He caught a glance at Tre who was blushing and smiling not knowing if he was joking or being serious.
"I said I'm sorry."
Billie laughed. "Don't worry Tre."
Mike went up to him and gave him a hug, not quite so strong as Tre's may I add making Billie sigh of relief. Mike turned around to sit on the chair next to Tre and signaling to Tre not to tell Billie anything about Jackie yet.
Billie, Mike and Tre sat in his room for what seemed like a lifetime discussing and laughing about all the things that Billie had done in the six weeks and about their new album being finished with Mike and Tre being careful about mentioning Jackie.
Dr. Keeting walked in after knocking. "You've got 25 minutes left until visiting times are over"
"OK thanks." Mike replied before Dr. Keeting walked back into the corridor with his clipboard.
"Uh, guys, I'm just gonna go get some coffee." Mike said whilst getting out of his seat. He bent down and put his mouth close to Tre's ear and whispered to him that he wasn't allowed to tell him anything about Jackie until he came back in with her. Tre nodded as Mike straightened out smiled at Billie then walked out.
"What was that about?" Billie asked Tre when Mike had gone.
"Oh nothing, we were just discussing your Christmas present."
Billie gave Tre a suspicious look. "Christmas isn't until 4 months."
"It's a special present. Something that we need to sort out way before Christmas.
Billie shrugged then drank some of his milk as Tre started nervously tapping on his knees again.
"Jackie!" Jackie snapped out of her deep daze and looked up at Mike walking towards her with two cups of coffee.
"Hey, how is he doing?"
"He's doing fine." Mike said whilst handing her one of the cups. She smelt it then started to sip on it.
"That's good to here."
There was an uncomfortable silence with only the noise of Mike sipping away on his coffee. Jackie was the one to break it.
"I'm not going to see Billie anymore!" She suddenly blurted out making Mike choke and almost spit out his coffee in some poor woman's face.
"What?!"
"I said... "
"I heard what you said. Jackie, you cant just get up and leave all this behind."
"Why not? He doesn't even know I exist."
"Sooner or later he will remember Jackie, and you know that just as well as I do."
"His life will be better without me. All I'll do is get in the way of your touring and stuff and I don't want to be the one to do that. I'm not mother material anyway so we're never gonna have a future together. There's no point Mike."
"Listen to yourself. I can't believe your saying all this. You and Billie were so happy together and if you, we if you really want, can help him remember all that."
"What if he doesn't remember? Even how hard we try? I mean we don't have that many photos to show him, we don't have any proof."
"We have me and Tre and we're his best friends, as well as you. He'll believe us."
There was another silence as Mike sat staring at Jackie.
"Mike?"
"Yes?"
"You trust me don't you?"
"Of course I do... "
"Then believe me on this. I know what I'm doing. We're better apart from each other and now that he doesn't even know me it's going to be easier for him. Much easier."
"What about when he starts to remember you, what are we going to say then? 'Don't worry Billie, you're just crazy. Don't take any notice of it.' Is that what we should say? He'll think he's going mentally ill and that will be the cause of Green Day splitting up or getting in the way of tours, not you."
"Mike," she said softly whilst taking his hands. "Its for the best, I wouldn't do it other wise. I'm not going to change my mind. You have to understand me."
Mike sighed. "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this? There's no turning back afterwards."
"Positive."
He sighed again, this one longer and deeper.
"I love you Jack, I don't want to you getting hurt, you and Billie are meant for each other... "
"We're not. If we were I wouldn't be saying this right now. Its fate. Believe me."
He looked her deep into her eyes and tried persuading her with a mix of puppy eyes and sadness. She nodded her head and smiled at him.
"Bye Mike." She said and hugged him. "You've been a great friend and I will always remember you. All of you. Please don't tell Billie." She looked at him as a tear he'd been trying to hold in escaped from his eye. She got her thumb and wiped it away.
"Write a song about me ok?"
He laughed slightly. "Sure, I wont make it to discreet."
"Thanks!" She said and hugged him again. This time it was her tear that had escaped when they parted and Mike wiped it off her face with his thumb. He got up and smiled at her then turned to walk away.
"Bye." He said and waved at her. She smiled and waved back.
"Oh! Could you get Tre please?"
"Sure. Bye!"
She blew a kiss at him then waved and smiled. He turned around quickly. "Here take these and go get rid of all your clothes and stuff, you can leave them under the pot outside my house." He threw her two pairs of keys, one was Mike's and the other one was Billie's. She looked at them then smiled and gave Mike a wave as he turned again to walk away.
When he had gone she slammed her head back on the wall and even though it hurt the tears she was crying was because she wondered if she had done the right decision.
"Tre you've got a visitor."
"A visitor?" He asked very confused until it entered his brain. "A visitor." And with that he got of his seat, which was quickly replaced by Mike and walked out towards Jackie.
"Aren't I supposed to be the person with the visitors?" Billie laughed.
"Yeh." He said whilst forcing a smile. His eyes were harsh and his mouth was dry as he sipped on what was left of his now cold coffee.
"You OK man?" he asked Mike.
"Yeh, I am. You?"
"Never been better."
"Good."
They sat in silence making Billie uncomfortable. He pretended to slip of to sleep to stop it from being awkward but made it even that more awkward as he could tell that his friends were hiding something from him and now he could try and figure out what it was. It certainly wasn't a Christmas present because that wouldn't have made Mikes eyes all red. If only he could figure out what.
Jackie told Tre everything that she had just told Mike but it was easier with Tre because he didn't seem to object. There would just be an occasional 'Are you sure?'. She kissed Tre on the cheek and hugged him numerous times then Tre eventually made his way back to Billie. Funny how time seemed to stay still whilst they were talking. They still had 10 minutes left to visit Billie.
When she knew Tre had sat down she got up and walked towards Billie's room. There was a window in the door where she stood and looked at what was going to be her past she wasn't ever going to go back to. They sat laughing and talking. She wondered what they were talking about making her eyes fill with salty tears as she knew if she left now she would never know. Her tears had come and gone for the past hours but this time she knew those tears she was crying now would last forever in her soul. Eating away at it. Tearing her guts and heart open. But this is what she had to do. She took one last look at the best friend anyone could have, the funniest drummer she'd met in her life and the man that sent shivers up her spine every time he looked at her. Why was she parting from them? From him? She didn't know, but she did know she had to do it. For some reason it just seemed like the right thing to do. She didn't want to think it over cause she knew she'd change her mind so she swallowed the lump that had been in her throat for the last hour and walked slowly out of the hospital. Making every moment last a lifetime.
THE END
"Jackie... Jackie... "
Jackie opened her eyes and saw Mike staring at her. Mike realised that she was awake and could hear him.
"Jackie, do you wanna go in and see Billie now? The doctor just informed me that he fell back to sleep again but were still allowed in."
Jackie yawned. "Uhmmm... give me a few more minutes, why don't you go see him first and I'll go in afterwards, it might be a bit of a surprise seeing a stranger come to visit him."
"Maybe, but your not a stranger, and you know, Billie knows that too, he just needs some time to remember it."
"Maybe your right but I still think you should go in first, see how he's feeling, you know, don't ask him about me yet."
"I won't. If your sure... "
"Mike. You're his best friend. Go see him. And Tre for that matter, which reminds me, where is he?"
"He's already in there as we speak."
"Ok then... Mike just go join him."
"All right."
Mike turned then walked down the corridor towards the room Billie was staying in.
"Mike, wait!" He spun round on his white creepers. "Do you...do you think he will...ever...you know...remember me?"
Mike walked back and sat next to Jackie holding her trembling hands as her tears started falling yet again.
"Jackie, off course he will. You're the one person meant for him and he's the one person meant for you. You're soul mates. If people can just forget their soul mate there's something wrong in the whole meaning. Don't worry Jack, we will find away if it takes us to the end of the world."
Jackie was crying with her head bowed down looking at her feet. Mike put his arms around her and kissed her on the head comforting her whilst doubting what he just said, what if he doesn't remember her?
Tre was sitting on a chair on the side by Billie's hospital bed. The heart monitor was letting off a steady beat whilst Tre was tapping on his lap nervously.
"Tre?" Billie said with a husky, tired voice. Tre almost found it a bit sexy himself. Tre leapt up and hugged Billie.
"Oh my god, Billie! I'm so glad your OK!!" He shouted.
"But still recovering!!!" He said whilst Tre was squeezing Billie so hard he felt like his guts were going to come out of his ears. Tre let go and sat back down in the chair smiling so much Billie thought he was going to swallow his ears if he made his smile any wider. "Ouch!"
"Sorry. So have the doctors told you what happened?"
Billie nodded and faked a smile, which trembled forcing him to hide it by looking down at his lap. Tre did the same but got interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Billie said snapping out of his thoughts.
"Hey." It was Mike. "You OK man?"
"I was. Until Tre here hugged me so tight that every unbroken bone in my body was on the verge of snapping." He caught a glance at Tre who was blushing and smiling not knowing if he was joking or being serious.
"I said I'm sorry."
Billie laughed. "Don't worry Tre."
Mike went up to him and gave him a hug, not quite so strong as Tre's may I add making Billie sigh of relief. Mike turned around to sit on the chair next to Tre and signaling to Tre not to tell Billie anything about Jackie yet.
Billie, Mike and Tre sat in his room for what seemed like a lifetime discussing and laughing about all the things that Billie had done in the six weeks and about their new album being finished with Mike and Tre being careful about mentioning Jackie.
Dr. Keeting walked in after knocking. "You've got 25 minutes left until visiting times are over"
"OK thanks." Mike replied before Dr. Keeting walked back into the corridor with his clipboard.
"Uh, guys, I'm just gonna go get some coffee." Mike said whilst getting out of his seat. He bent down and put his mouth close to Tre's ear and whispered to him that he wasn't allowed to tell him anything about Jackie until he came back in with her. Tre nodded as Mike straightened out smiled at Billie then walked out.
"What was that about?" Billie asked Tre when Mike had gone.
"Oh nothing, we were just discussing your Christmas present."
Billie gave Tre a suspicious look. "Christmas isn't until 4 months."
"It's a special present. Something that we need to sort out way before Christmas.
Billie shrugged then drank some of his milk as Tre started nervously tapping on his knees again.
"Jackie!" Jackie snapped out of her deep daze and looked up at Mike walking towards her with two cups of coffee.
"Hey, how is he doing?"
"He's doing fine." Mike said whilst handing her one of the cups. She smelt it then started to sip on it.
"That's good to here."
There was an uncomfortable silence with only the noise of Mike sipping away on his coffee. Jackie was the one to break it.
"I'm not going to see Billie anymore!" She suddenly blurted out making Mike choke and almost spit out his coffee in some poor woman's face.
"What?!"
"I said... "
"I heard what you said. Jackie, you cant just get up and leave all this behind."
"Why not? He doesn't even know I exist."
"Sooner or later he will remember Jackie, and you know that just as well as I do."
"His life will be better without me. All I'll do is get in the way of your touring and stuff and I don't want to be the one to do that. I'm not mother material anyway so we're never gonna have a future together. There's no point Mike."
"Listen to yourself. I can't believe your saying all this. You and Billie were so happy together and if you, we if you really want, can help him remember all that."
"What if he doesn't remember? Even how hard we try? I mean we don't have that many photos to show him, we don't have any proof."
"We have me and Tre and we're his best friends, as well as you. He'll believe us."
There was another silence as Mike sat staring at Jackie.
"Mike?"
"Yes?"
"You trust me don't you?"
"Of course I do... "
"Then believe me on this. I know what I'm doing. We're better apart from each other and now that he doesn't even know me it's going to be easier for him. Much easier."
"What about when he starts to remember you, what are we going to say then? 'Don't worry Billie, you're just crazy. Don't take any notice of it.' Is that what we should say? He'll think he's going mentally ill and that will be the cause of Green Day splitting up or getting in the way of tours, not you."
"Mike," she said softly whilst taking his hands. "Its for the best, I wouldn't do it other wise. I'm not going to change my mind. You have to understand me."
Mike sighed. "Are you absolutely sure you want to do this? There's no turning back afterwards."
"Positive."
He sighed again, this one longer and deeper.
"I love you Jack, I don't want to you getting hurt, you and Billie are meant for each other... "
"We're not. If we were I wouldn't be saying this right now. Its fate. Believe me."
He looked her deep into her eyes and tried persuading her with a mix of puppy eyes and sadness. She nodded her head and smiled at him.
"Bye Mike." She said and hugged him. "You've been a great friend and I will always remember you. All of you. Please don't tell Billie." She looked at him as a tear he'd been trying to hold in escaped from his eye. She got her thumb and wiped it away.
"Write a song about me ok?"
He laughed slightly. "Sure, I wont make it to discreet."
"Thanks!" She said and hugged him again. This time it was her tear that had escaped when they parted and Mike wiped it off her face with his thumb. He got up and smiled at her then turned to walk away.
"Bye." He said and waved at her. She smiled and waved back.
"Oh! Could you get Tre please?"
"Sure. Bye!"
She blew a kiss at him then waved and smiled. He turned around quickly. "Here take these and go get rid of all your clothes and stuff, you can leave them under the pot outside my house." He threw her two pairs of keys, one was Mike's and the other one was Billie's. She looked at them then smiled and gave Mike a wave as he turned again to walk away.
When he had gone she slammed her head back on the wall and even though it hurt the tears she was crying was because she wondered if she had done the right decision.
"Tre you've got a visitor."
"A visitor?" He asked very confused until it entered his brain. "A visitor." And with that he got of his seat, which was quickly replaced by Mike and walked out towards Jackie.
"Aren't I supposed to be the person with the visitors?" Billie laughed.
"Yeh." He said whilst forcing a smile. His eyes were harsh and his mouth was dry as he sipped on what was left of his now cold coffee.
"You OK man?" he asked Mike.
"Yeh, I am. You?"
"Never been better."
"Good."
They sat in silence making Billie uncomfortable. He pretended to slip of to sleep to stop it from being awkward but made it even that more awkward as he could tell that his friends were hiding something from him and now he could try and figure out what it was. It certainly wasn't a Christmas present because that wouldn't have made Mikes eyes all red. If only he could figure out what.
Jackie told Tre everything that she had just told Mike but it was easier with Tre because he didn't seem to object. There would just be an occasional 'Are you sure?'. She kissed Tre on the cheek and hugged him numerous times then Tre eventually made his way back to Billie. Funny how time seemed to stay still whilst they were talking. They still had 10 minutes left to visit Billie.
When she knew Tre had sat down she got up and walked towards Billie's room. There was a window in the door where she stood and looked at what was going to be her past she wasn't ever going to go back to. They sat laughing and talking. She wondered what they were talking about making her eyes fill with salty tears as she knew if she left now she would never know. Her tears had come and gone for the past hours but this time she knew those tears she was crying now would last forever in her soul. Eating away at it. Tearing her guts and heart open. But this is what she had to do. She took one last look at the best friend anyone could have, the funniest drummer she'd met in her life and the man that sent shivers up her spine every time he looked at her. Why was she parting from them? From him? She didn't know, but she did know she had to do it. For some reason it just seemed like the right thing to do. She didn't want to think it over cause she knew she'd change her mind so she swallowed the lump that had been in her throat for the last hour and walked slowly out of the hospital. Making every moment last a lifetime.
THE END
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