A Jason White Story, chapter 2
"What? Come on Arika, tell me," Jason asked, pleading.
"I had Billie's kid." It actually felt good to say that to someone. Jason stared at me, dumbfounded.
"What? Are you kidding?" he said after a minute.
"No. It was a mistake. We were young and stupid," I said.
"Does he know?"
"Who? Billie?"
"Yeah."
"No, he doesn't."
"Does the kid?"
"Grace? No way."
"Why not?"
"She's SUCH a fan."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean she has ALL the CDs, watches all the TV shows, gets hold of all the guitar tabs, and still doesn't figure out who the Arika thanked on Kerplunk! is."
"Weird. So, she's a girl."
"Yep."
"Whoa, Billie has a daughter."
"Yeah, that's kind of a weird thought."
"And the fact that he has three kids. More than TRE!"
"Whoa, never thought of that," I said, pretending to be shocked.
"When are you gonna tell?"
"Jason," I looked at him. His expression showed nothing but concern. "I can't."
"Well, you're gonna have to. The girl lives in fucking Berkeley-"
"Oakland."
"Okay, even closer, she lives in Oakland, and so does her father. They're going to find out. And you're going to have to admit it."
I sighed. "Yeah. I know."
"Look, what if I tell her?"
"Omigod, would you?"
"Yep. But I think Billie should know."
"Yeaaahhh, about that, um, Billie and I fight. That's kinda why we broke up." I looked down at the table, ooh, interesting, wood. Jason, softly grabbed my chin, and looked at me.
"It's gonna be okay," he said.
"Yeah, sure."
"No, come on, lets call Billie. I don't live that far from here."
"Okay." I followed him to his house. Goddamn huge house, may I add.
"Okay, so, um, got to find Billie's number," he said, "He keeps changing it."
"Yeah, okay."
"Um, sit down," he said, waving to a couch. I sat. Damn, this is a nice house. He began to page through a cell phone.
"Found it," he said at last. He dialed the number on the house phone and put it on speaker.
"Hello?" a woman's voice asked.
"Hey, Adie, it's Jason. Can I talk to Billie?"
"Yeah. Hold on. I warn you, he's got a hangover. So do I," there was a pause then a "Jakob, stop hitting your brother. BILLIE PHONE!" we heard incoherent yelling and finally, "Hello?"
"Billie, it's Jason."
"Hey. You should have come to the Grammies, they-"
"Billie, I don't care for that shit. Anyway, we have something to talk to you about."
"We?"
"I'm here to Billie," I said.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Arika. She."
"Oh, yeah, hey Arika, how are you. Jason said he ran into you the other day. And I got your email."
"Yeah, Billie whatever," Jason said, "This is important. It's about your kids."
"What's wrong with Joey and Jakob?"
"Nothing. Arika has something to tell you," Jason said.
"What?"
"Well...um..."I began. I shook my head, I couldn't do it.
"Arika had your kid.
"I had Billie's kid." It actually felt good to say that to someone. Jason stared at me, dumbfounded.
"What? Are you kidding?" he said after a minute.
"No. It was a mistake. We were young and stupid," I said.
"Does he know?"
"Who? Billie?"
"Yeah."
"No, he doesn't."
"Does the kid?"
"Grace? No way."
"Why not?"
"She's SUCH a fan."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean she has ALL the CDs, watches all the TV shows, gets hold of all the guitar tabs, and still doesn't figure out who the Arika thanked on Kerplunk! is."
"Weird. So, she's a girl."
"Yep."
"Whoa, Billie has a daughter."
"Yeah, that's kind of a weird thought."
"And the fact that he has three kids. More than TRE!"
"Whoa, never thought of that," I said, pretending to be shocked.
"When are you gonna tell?"
"Jason," I looked at him. His expression showed nothing but concern. "I can't."
"Well, you're gonna have to. The girl lives in fucking Berkeley-"
"Oakland."
"Okay, even closer, she lives in Oakland, and so does her father. They're going to find out. And you're going to have to admit it."
I sighed. "Yeah. I know."
"Look, what if I tell her?"
"Omigod, would you?"
"Yep. But I think Billie should know."
"Yeaaahhh, about that, um, Billie and I fight. That's kinda why we broke up." I looked down at the table, ooh, interesting, wood. Jason, softly grabbed my chin, and looked at me.
"It's gonna be okay," he said.
"Yeah, sure."
"No, come on, lets call Billie. I don't live that far from here."
"Okay." I followed him to his house. Goddamn huge house, may I add.
"Okay, so, um, got to find Billie's number," he said, "He keeps changing it."
"Yeah, okay."
"Um, sit down," he said, waving to a couch. I sat. Damn, this is a nice house. He began to page through a cell phone.
"Found it," he said at last. He dialed the number on the house phone and put it on speaker.
"Hello?" a woman's voice asked.
"Hey, Adie, it's Jason. Can I talk to Billie?"
"Yeah. Hold on. I warn you, he's got a hangover. So do I," there was a pause then a "Jakob, stop hitting your brother. BILLIE PHONE!" we heard incoherent yelling and finally, "Hello?"
"Billie, it's Jason."
"Hey. You should have come to the Grammies, they-"
"Billie, I don't care for that shit. Anyway, we have something to talk to you about."
"We?"
"I'm here to Billie," I said.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Arika. She."
"Oh, yeah, hey Arika, how are you. Jason said he ran into you the other day. And I got your email."
"Yeah, Billie whatever," Jason said, "This is important. It's about your kids."
"What's wrong with Joey and Jakob?"
"Nothing. Arika has something to tell you," Jason said.
"What?"
"Well...um..."I began. I shook my head, I couldn't do it.
"Arika had your kid.
