Kiss the Demons out of my Dreams, chapter 17
TRE'S POV
"Billie! C'mon! Breakfast!" I shouted up the stairs. Not that I expected him to come and eat. He hardly ever did. But I made sure to call him anyway, just in case. Ever since Carrie left, though, he hardly came out of his room unless it was for the band. Me and Mike had worried for the first couple of months, but now we just waited. Waited for Billie. Waited for Carrie. Waited for anything.
I was about to sit down and eat alone when I heard Billie come thumping down the stairs. "Hey, Tre!" he said brightly, a grin plastered on his face. "Um...hey...BJ," I said, almost choking on my waffles. Here was Billie Joe, looking almost brand new, and...he was smiling! "What's up?" I asked, swallowing. "Nothing. Just finishing packing for tomorrow. I can't wait. I can't believe we're going on tour," he said excitedly, opening the fridge to grab the orange juice. He poured himself a glass and sat down. I just sat there staring. "What?" he asked. "Oh, um...nothing," I stuttered. Grinning, I finished my waffles and stood up. I couldn't believe it. Maybe the old Billie was back. I glanced at him drinking his juice. He looked perfectly fine. I saw the gold chain and almost asked him about it, but something told me not to. "So, BJ, what do you want to do today?" I asked. "Let's go to Mike's," he answered cheerfully. Out of old habit, I glanced at his eyes. As soon as I saw the mischievous glint in his green eyes, I knew for sure that Billie Joe was back. Whenever Billie used to say, 'let's go to Mike's', we would go and jump off Mike's roof into his pool. We had started this in fifth grade, and we knew Mike hated it. Whenever Billie suggested we go to Mike's, the got this glint in his eyes, one that said he was ready for fun. As soon as I saw that glint now, I knew that our old BJ was back. I ran upstairs to get my trunks and a towel. Billie Joe did the same.
I glanced at the neighbor's windows as we climbed onto Mike's roof. I wondered what they were thinking, seeing two eighteen year olds climbing onto the roof clad in swim wear. Billie grinned at me when we stood on the edge of the roof. "One," he said. "Two," I said, smiling bigger than I probably ever had. "Three," he cried. We jumped off of the roof into Mike's pool, making as much noise as possible. "What the fuck, you guys! You know I hate it when you do that!" Mike shouted, running out of his house. Me and Billie looked at each other and burst out laughing. It was great to hear his laugh again. I saw that he hadn't taken the chain off. "Wait. BJ! Are...you...are you laughing?" Mike cried out. "Yeah. I am," Billie said, grinning. "God, BJ, I've missed you so much," Mike whispered. I just nodded. I couldn't talk. "I missed you guys too. I'm sorry," Billie whispered back. "I'm just glad I'm back."
"Billie! C'mon! Breakfast!" I shouted up the stairs. Not that I expected him to come and eat. He hardly ever did. But I made sure to call him anyway, just in case. Ever since Carrie left, though, he hardly came out of his room unless it was for the band. Me and Mike had worried for the first couple of months, but now we just waited. Waited for Billie. Waited for Carrie. Waited for anything.
I was about to sit down and eat alone when I heard Billie come thumping down the stairs. "Hey, Tre!" he said brightly, a grin plastered on his face. "Um...hey...BJ," I said, almost choking on my waffles. Here was Billie Joe, looking almost brand new, and...he was smiling! "What's up?" I asked, swallowing. "Nothing. Just finishing packing for tomorrow. I can't wait. I can't believe we're going on tour," he said excitedly, opening the fridge to grab the orange juice. He poured himself a glass and sat down. I just sat there staring. "What?" he asked. "Oh, um...nothing," I stuttered. Grinning, I finished my waffles and stood up. I couldn't believe it. Maybe the old Billie was back. I glanced at him drinking his juice. He looked perfectly fine. I saw the gold chain and almost asked him about it, but something told me not to. "So, BJ, what do you want to do today?" I asked. "Let's go to Mike's," he answered cheerfully. Out of old habit, I glanced at his eyes. As soon as I saw the mischievous glint in his green eyes, I knew for sure that Billie Joe was back. Whenever Billie used to say, 'let's go to Mike's', we would go and jump off Mike's roof into his pool. We had started this in fifth grade, and we knew Mike hated it. Whenever Billie suggested we go to Mike's, the got this glint in his eyes, one that said he was ready for fun. As soon as I saw that glint now, I knew that our old BJ was back. I ran upstairs to get my trunks and a towel. Billie Joe did the same.
I glanced at the neighbor's windows as we climbed onto Mike's roof. I wondered what they were thinking, seeing two eighteen year olds climbing onto the roof clad in swim wear. Billie grinned at me when we stood on the edge of the roof. "One," he said. "Two," I said, smiling bigger than I probably ever had. "Three," he cried. We jumped off of the roof into Mike's pool, making as much noise as possible. "What the fuck, you guys! You know I hate it when you do that!" Mike shouted, running out of his house. Me and Billie looked at each other and burst out laughing. It was great to hear his laugh again. I saw that he hadn't taken the chain off. "Wait. BJ! Are...you...are you laughing?" Mike cried out. "Yeah. I am," Billie said, grinning. "God, BJ, I've missed you so much," Mike whispered. I just nodded. I couldn't talk. "I missed you guys too. I'm sorry," Billie whispered back. "I'm just glad I'm back."
