Where'd You Go? (Track Twelve, III), chapter 15
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*Wren.
Oh God, somebody shoot me.
She cracked open her eyes just enough to check her clock. Daytime. It was something like 3:32, if her eyes were focusing correctly. Her head was feeling like someone had pounded all the insides to mush. It hurt to blink. She looked over to see Billie Joe, back to her and curled in the fetal position.
Hah, he looks like a little kid.
Guilt smashed into her as she remembered why he was on her bed. Feeling tainted, Wren rose out of bed. She had to stand for a bit and not move as she fought nausea. Realizing she was losing, she sprinted for the bathroom.
After emptying her guts into the toilet, she braced herself on the bathroom counter and peered at her reflection.
I look like something the cat dragged in. Oh crap.
Even worse than her bloodshot eyes was the incriminating hickie on the join of her shoulder and neck. Wren did not have any shirts that would hide it fully. A hoodie would, but it was the middle of summer. That would just bring more questions.
Aha, bandages. That'll do.
Just the way the hickie was, it took two to hide it. Wren was inspecting her handiwork when Billie Joe thundered on the door.
"You better get out. I gotta puke." The stress in his voice was genuine.
Wren opened the door and he rushed by. Not wanting to hear Billie Joe worship his porcelain god, Wren went back to her room. She busied herself tidying it up to keep her mind from running back to last night. Loud voices in the hall made her flinch, and then stop to listen.
"You got to be fucking kidding. What the hell were you thinking, Billie? Hunh?"
"I was pissed. I wasn't thinking!"
"Well of course you weren't. FUCK man. I mean--fuck! Did you not stop to think at all?"
Oh shit, Mike must have looked in on us.
"You know what Mike? Fuck you. I already told you before you started yelling that we didn't do nothing. Can't you believe me?"
"Not really. Not with you looking like this."
"I didn't fuck her dammit! So lay off!"
There was a thud, like somebody being shoved into a wall. Wren couldn't take it anymore. She ran into the hallway. Mike had Billie Joe pinned against the wall. Anger vibrated from the lighter brown tips of his hair to the soles of his bare feet.
"I don't care. You knew, Billie Joe, you knew I liked her, but you couldn't fucking take it that you weren't going to be the first in anything."
"No, I wasn't. I stepped out for you. I knew you two liked each other and there was no place for--"
"No place for what?" Mike asked dangerously.
"Mike, you know fucking well what!" Billie's eyes flicked over to Wren. His voice dropped to a much lower volume. "Don't get into this. Not right here." He jerked his head fractionally in Wren's direction.
Mike released his hold and looked at Wren. Now there was no rage-filled snarl, only hollowness. It was hideous, the absolute lack of emotion in his pale face. He looked like he was too tired to care anymore. Upon longer inspection, she could see he was quivering with emotion.
"Mike, don't get pissy at her. It was Wren who stopped me." Billie stood up straighter.
Mike laughed bitterly, "Yeah, after you two got friendly."
"Mike, please," Wren begged. "I didn't mean it. It was just--"
"Just what? Couldn't you have 'just' waited? Damn, I waited all day to come home! Some welcome." As he strode past, Wren reached out and caught his arm. He stopped for a second, and then jerked away as if her touch burnt. "I'm sure Billie Joe would like your company more." He kept walking, and this time, Billie Joe was the one who grabbed his shoulder.
"Mike would you listen? We were loaded. What do you want to hear? I'm sorry doesn't seem to be working. What about how we spent five minutes just kissing before we started--"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Mike spun and gave Billie Joe a massive shove into the wall. It was so forceful, the smaller man actually bounced off the wall. He sunk to his knees, winded. Mike stared at Wren with eyes that were too glassy, but the anger in his face burned the tears before they fell.
He only said, "You betrayed me. Both of you." Then, he walked out of sight. As Wren knelt to check on Billie Joe, she heard the door slam with ground shaking force. Painfully, Billie Joe sucked in a few breaths.
"I think we made a mistake," he said and looked down the hall where Mike had gone.
"I know."
Oh God, somebody shoot me.
She cracked open her eyes just enough to check her clock. Daytime. It was something like 3:32, if her eyes were focusing correctly. Her head was feeling like someone had pounded all the insides to mush. It hurt to blink. She looked over to see Billie Joe, back to her and curled in the fetal position.
Hah, he looks like a little kid.
Guilt smashed into her as she remembered why he was on her bed. Feeling tainted, Wren rose out of bed. She had to stand for a bit and not move as she fought nausea. Realizing she was losing, she sprinted for the bathroom.
After emptying her guts into the toilet, she braced herself on the bathroom counter and peered at her reflection.
I look like something the cat dragged in. Oh crap.
Even worse than her bloodshot eyes was the incriminating hickie on the join of her shoulder and neck. Wren did not have any shirts that would hide it fully. A hoodie would, but it was the middle of summer. That would just bring more questions.
Aha, bandages. That'll do.
Just the way the hickie was, it took two to hide it. Wren was inspecting her handiwork when Billie Joe thundered on the door.
"You better get out. I gotta puke." The stress in his voice was genuine.
Wren opened the door and he rushed by. Not wanting to hear Billie Joe worship his porcelain god, Wren went back to her room. She busied herself tidying it up to keep her mind from running back to last night. Loud voices in the hall made her flinch, and then stop to listen.
"You got to be fucking kidding. What the hell were you thinking, Billie? Hunh?"
"I was pissed. I wasn't thinking!"
"Well of course you weren't. FUCK man. I mean--fuck! Did you not stop to think at all?"
Oh shit, Mike must have looked in on us.
"You know what Mike? Fuck you. I already told you before you started yelling that we didn't do nothing. Can't you believe me?"
"Not really. Not with you looking like this."
"I didn't fuck her dammit! So lay off!"
There was a thud, like somebody being shoved into a wall. Wren couldn't take it anymore. She ran into the hallway. Mike had Billie Joe pinned against the wall. Anger vibrated from the lighter brown tips of his hair to the soles of his bare feet.
"I don't care. You knew, Billie Joe, you knew I liked her, but you couldn't fucking take it that you weren't going to be the first in anything."
"No, I wasn't. I stepped out for you. I knew you two liked each other and there was no place for--"
"No place for what?" Mike asked dangerously.
"Mike, you know fucking well what!" Billie's eyes flicked over to Wren. His voice dropped to a much lower volume. "Don't get into this. Not right here." He jerked his head fractionally in Wren's direction.
Mike released his hold and looked at Wren. Now there was no rage-filled snarl, only hollowness. It was hideous, the absolute lack of emotion in his pale face. He looked like he was too tired to care anymore. Upon longer inspection, she could see he was quivering with emotion.
"Mike, don't get pissy at her. It was Wren who stopped me." Billie stood up straighter.
Mike laughed bitterly, "Yeah, after you two got friendly."
"Mike, please," Wren begged. "I didn't mean it. It was just--"
"Just what? Couldn't you have 'just' waited? Damn, I waited all day to come home! Some welcome." As he strode past, Wren reached out and caught his arm. He stopped for a second, and then jerked away as if her touch burnt. "I'm sure Billie Joe would like your company more." He kept walking, and this time, Billie Joe was the one who grabbed his shoulder.
"Mike would you listen? We were loaded. What do you want to hear? I'm sorry doesn't seem to be working. What about how we spent five minutes just kissing before we started--"
"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Mike spun and gave Billie Joe a massive shove into the wall. It was so forceful, the smaller man actually bounced off the wall. He sunk to his knees, winded. Mike stared at Wren with eyes that were too glassy, but the anger in his face burned the tears before they fell.
He only said, "You betrayed me. Both of you." Then, he walked out of sight. As Wren knelt to check on Billie Joe, she heard the door slam with ground shaking force. Painfully, Billie Joe sucked in a few breaths.
"I think we made a mistake," he said and looked down the hall where Mike had gone.
"I know."
