Angel's Lullaby (sequel to Where Do Broken Hearts go?), chapter 4
That night Tre and Taylor had stayed over, since Tre had no one to go home to, and Mike was visiting his daughter and insisted that Taylor stay behind to watch over me. So the next morning we bid them goodbye and Billie and I walked out to his BMW. It was mid-December, two weeks until Christmas actually, so it was rather cold outside. I hadn't noticed this however, nor did Billie, until we walked out.
"Damn I forgot it was going to be cold today." Billie said. "Come on we go get a coat." I followed Billie into the house and grabbed my brown tweed jacket and a scarf. That may sound a little ridiculous considering it was 52 degrees outside, but to people who were used to higher temperatures 52 was, as Billie put it, pretty damn cold. We walked back outside and got into the car. I took a deep breath.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Billie asked, touching my shoulder gently. I nodded. He took one last look at the directions Taylor had given him and started the car. We headed down the road. It was a long drive, Taylor had said. She figured it would take us about an hour and a half, considering that it took her a full two hours from where she used to live. We hadn't been driving for more then a half an hour when my nerves got the best of me.
"Billie." I said.
"What love?"
"Can we get something to eat?" I asked.
"Breakfast?" he said surprised. "You don't ever eat breakfast."
"I know but... I don't know. Can we have ice cream." I paused then added; "I'm nervous" He laughed, because he knew that whenever I was nervous, ice cream was one of the only things that would calm me down. Ice cream and Billie Joe himself.
"Of course we can." he said. We drove a little ways and finally stopped at an ice cream parlor. It had just recently opened judging by the giant sign that read, "GRAND OPENING." It was a Coldstone's Creamery. There was next to no one inside the place, of course, that could be because it was so cold outside. We ordered a large bowl with a special order in it. Half apple pie and half birthday cake. Billie and I talked and laughed and ate our ice cream. It reminded me of when I was still an angel, when he would come home from the studio and not go out with the guys and we'd eat pizza and ice cream all night. The ice cream calmed me down and soon we were on the road again. I became so tired, that I was yawning every few minutes. Billie reached over and rubbed my shoulder.
"Why don't you close your eyes and take a nap?"
"I don't want you to have to drive alone." I said.
"I'm a big boy. I can manage." he said. I smiled and lay my head on the window, and didn't wake up until we were there.
"Charlie? Charlie baby were here." Billie gently shook my shoulder until I opened my eyes. He brushed back a piece of my hair, and helped me out of the car. I was shaking profusely, but I wasn't sure if it was from nerves or from the cold weather. Billie took my hand and held it and we walked to where my grave had been.
"Should be here. Right between Mr. And Mrs. Moreau's heart headstone, and the giant headstong with the name Oman on it." These two headstones were so conspicuous, seeing as they were the largest in the entire cemetary. We walked toward them, toward the much smaller grave in between. It was funny to see such a tiny, obviously cheap gravestone in between these two huge extravagent one. This one had so much more meaning though. Taylor had used her money from the savings her parents left her when they died and left her in the orphanage. She chose the only headstone she could afford, and she had it engraved too. Not that I had ever seen what it said. Now I looked to the ground, holding my breath. Billie and I studied the name for a moment, before I read it outloud...
"Damn I forgot it was going to be cold today." Billie said. "Come on we go get a coat." I followed Billie into the house and grabbed my brown tweed jacket and a scarf. That may sound a little ridiculous considering it was 52 degrees outside, but to people who were used to higher temperatures 52 was, as Billie put it, pretty damn cold. We walked back outside and got into the car. I took a deep breath.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Billie asked, touching my shoulder gently. I nodded. He took one last look at the directions Taylor had given him and started the car. We headed down the road. It was a long drive, Taylor had said. She figured it would take us about an hour and a half, considering that it took her a full two hours from where she used to live. We hadn't been driving for more then a half an hour when my nerves got the best of me.
"Billie." I said.
"What love?"
"Can we get something to eat?" I asked.
"Breakfast?" he said surprised. "You don't ever eat breakfast."
"I know but... I don't know. Can we have ice cream." I paused then added; "I'm nervous" He laughed, because he knew that whenever I was nervous, ice cream was one of the only things that would calm me down. Ice cream and Billie Joe himself.
"Of course we can." he said. We drove a little ways and finally stopped at an ice cream parlor. It had just recently opened judging by the giant sign that read, "GRAND OPENING." It was a Coldstone's Creamery. There was next to no one inside the place, of course, that could be because it was so cold outside. We ordered a large bowl with a special order in it. Half apple pie and half birthday cake. Billie and I talked and laughed and ate our ice cream. It reminded me of when I was still an angel, when he would come home from the studio and not go out with the guys and we'd eat pizza and ice cream all night. The ice cream calmed me down and soon we were on the road again. I became so tired, that I was yawning every few minutes. Billie reached over and rubbed my shoulder.
"Why don't you close your eyes and take a nap?"
"I don't want you to have to drive alone." I said.
"I'm a big boy. I can manage." he said. I smiled and lay my head on the window, and didn't wake up until we were there.
"Charlie? Charlie baby were here." Billie gently shook my shoulder until I opened my eyes. He brushed back a piece of my hair, and helped me out of the car. I was shaking profusely, but I wasn't sure if it was from nerves or from the cold weather. Billie took my hand and held it and we walked to where my grave had been.
"Should be here. Right between Mr. And Mrs. Moreau's heart headstone, and the giant headstong with the name Oman on it." These two headstones were so conspicuous, seeing as they were the largest in the entire cemetary. We walked toward them, toward the much smaller grave in between. It was funny to see such a tiny, obviously cheap gravestone in between these two huge extravagent one. This one had so much more meaning though. Taylor had used her money from the savings her parents left her when they died and left her in the orphanage. She chose the only headstone she could afford, and she had it engraved too. Not that I had ever seen what it said. Now I looked to the ground, holding my breath. Billie and I studied the name for a moment, before I read it outloud...
