Living Life A Bit Differently, chapter 13
Billie Joe woke up, the alarm clock beside his bed ringing loudly. He stretched his arm and turned it off, nearly falling over the side. He stood up and stretched, his arms way above his head as his shirt rose over his belly button.
He yawned and walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen for a glass of water, stopping short once he saw the phone on the table. Billie Joe hadn't forgotten, he had to call Jess.
He forgot about the water and picked up the phone. Usually he would have had to look up her number in his address/phone number book, but over the past few weeks he had memorized every number and address in it.
Billie dialed her number and placed the phone to his ear as it dialed. He hoped she would pick up, he wasn't good with leaving understandable messages without stuttering through out the message.
Jess picked up on the fourth ring, "Hello?" she asked tiredly.
Billie checked the clock, it was only six in the morning, he had to be at work by seven.
"Hi, Jess. Sorry I woke you up, I'll call back later if you want."
At the sound of Billie voice, Jess shook the exhaustion from her voice the best she could, "Nah, it's okay. Gettin' ready for work?" she remembered when she had to get up at that time some days, but ever since she had started a new job, she could go to work anytime she felt like it.
"Mhm. Jess?"
"Yeah, Billie?"
"Are you still mad at me?" he asked nervously.
Jess rubbed her eyes, she herself wasn't sure what she felt. She didn't want to be mad with Billie anymore, but she couldn't forget what he had done.
"No, I'm not. I can forgive you, but I can't forget." she answered, cutting her feelings evenly.
"I'm sorry," he checked the clock again, he had to start getting ready, "I have to go, can I call you later?"
"Kit wouldn't mind if you missed one day of work, would he? We'll go out somewhere, just the two of us. Make up for our lost time. Please?" Jess begged.
"I dunno...last time I took off he got really mad..."
"That's because you took off to sit around and watch Cartoon Network," Jess laughed, "just tell him you're sick, and he won't care. If he does yell at you, I'll go down there and beat the shit out of him for ya, sound good?"
Billie giggled and nodded, but answered after he realized she couldn't see through the phone, "Okay, I'll call Kit."
"Good, no ex-boss of mine is going to push my best friend around." Jess answered happily, "I'll walk over to your apartment in twenty minutes, okay? We'll spend the entire day just walking around like we used to."
"Yeah." Billie answered.
Jess could tell Billie was smiling, and she was happy for him.
They hung up and Billie dialed Kit's cell phone number. When his boss picked up, he quickly said, "I can't come into work today, I have to visit my Aunt."
Much better lie than saying he's sick.
"What? Bill..." Kit sighed, "Must you? It's like Hell here today, can't your aunt wait?"
"N-No." Billie answered, his lie cracking beneath him.
"Wait...are you lying to me? 'Cause you know how I hate-"
Someone grabbed the phone away and put it to their ear, "Go visit your aunt, Billie. We can hold up here just fine, have fun." it was Deefer.
"Okay, thanks, Deef." Billie answered before putting the phone down on the reciever.
***
"Give...me that...back!" Kit grabbed his phone back and stuffed it in his pocket.
Deefer laughed at Kit's exasperated face at having to jump up to Deefer's height to reach his phone.
"He's lying, you know. 'Going to my aunt's house'! What bullshit!" Kit snapped mockingly, his arms flailing above his head.
"Shut up and give him a break. He deserves a vacation after you shortened his pay since you gave his job to Jack the jackass." Deefer answered.
"He was a horrible mopper anyway, much better with toilets." Kit answered.
"Bla bla bla...if it were Frank taking off you wouldn't have given a shit." Deefer responded before walking away.
***
Billie waited patiently for Jess on the steps of the apartment building. He looked down the street, then the other. She was ten minutes late.
Five minutes later, she ran up to him, out of breathe.
"S-sorry...I'm...late..." Billie waited patiently for his friend to catch her breathe.
Once she had, she continued, "Meeko ran out of the house and wouldn't come back. It took me forever and at least three neighbors to get him back in." she explained.
Meeko was her five-year-old black labrador. Billie laughed at the thought of Jess and three old ladies chasing after a dog.
"So...let's go. You have everything you need?" Jess asked, patting her pant pocket where two $20 bills were stuffed.
Billie Joe nodded, also patting his pocket where money was stocked. They walked down the street together, stopping at a red crossing light.
"Ms. Nesser told me you're getting smarter," Jess commented nonchalantly.
"Yeah...but I don't think I am. I don't feel any smarter." Billie answered as they crossed the street.
"I think you are." Jess answered, smiling.
Billie looked at her in confusion, "How can you tell?"
Jess thought for a moment, "I don't really know; there's just something different about you. I'll figure it out sooner or later."
They laughed together. Jess put her hands in the front pocket of her hoody, finding nothing else to do with them.
"I feel like ice cream, do you?" Billie asked, pointing to the ice cream parlor down the road.
Jess nodded and quickly ran ahead in a race. Billie chased after her, laughing. They stopped short at the front door of the ice cream place, the race tied.
"I won." said Jess, jumping up and down in a victory dance.
"No, I did." Billie answered smugly.
Jess stuck her tongue out at her friend, and they went up to the only employee in the parlor.
"Can I help you?" she asked politely.
"Small vanilla cup with rainbow sprinkles, please. And could I have a straw with that?" Jess asked.
The girl nodded and looked at Billie, "Small strawberry cone with chocolate sprinkles, please."
The girl turned to make their ice creams.
"Since when did you order strawberry ice cream?" Jess asked, astonished.
Billie shrugged, "Mike let me have a taste of his when we went out for dinner."
Jess looked shocked, "You went out with Mike?"
"Yeah, Ms. Nesser invited me to dinner yesturday." Billie answered like it was a normal occurence.
"Oh, okay. I thought you meant you were dating Mike or something..." Jess laughed at her misunderstanding.
The girl tapped her shoulder with a white paper bag with her order, and in her hand was Billie's strawberry cone. He took it and handed her three dollars, and Jess paid for hers.
They sat outside on a bench eating their ice creams, Jess slowly drinking hers with the straw she had asked for.
"How come you do that?" Billie asked before laughing.
"Because it tastes good...and when I was baby my mom fed me ice cream like this, so I guess it just...stuck." Jess answered, going back to drinking her cup of ice cream.
A sprinkle went up the straw and into her mouth, making her cough. Billie laughed hysterically, which made his ice cream fall to the ground in a mess. This made him laugh harder and Jess began to join in.
"Oh-Oh God..." Jess wiped the joyous tears from her eyes.
"Now what?" Billie asked, kicking the cone on the ground so it went flying into the bushes.
"I dunno..." Jess answered, her legs swayed slowly, "Hey, you know why I think you're smarter?"
Billie looked up at her blankly, waiting for her to go on, "Because you're not letting me pick what we're doing today. Usually I have to pick everything we do and you just follow along, but today I didn't have to pick for you, we got ice cream because you wanted it. And you told Kit you were taking off by yourself, usually I have to. I like that, you're finally doing what you want to do and not letting anyone else choose for you."
Billie Joe smiled, happy his best friend was with him, "Thanks, Jess."
"...and you're voice has changed a bit...don't ask me why but you're not as squeaky anymore." Jess arched an eye brow, as did Billie.
Had his voice changed? A little, yes.
They both stood up and continued to walk aimlessly, having no real destination or conception of time. When they got back to Billie's apartment building, they stopped.
"Call me, alright? Come down to the supermarket anytime, I practically live there these days." Jess rolled her eyes.
Billie laughed and shuffled his feet. "Jess?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you really think I'll get to be as smart as you?"
"Of course I do, Billie Joe. Ms. Nesser has already told me you're the fastest and most driven learner on the face of this earth. I think you'll be even smarter than me one day."
Billie looked down at the floor, the blush in his cheeks visable even in the darkest of rooms.
"See ya, tell Deef I said he's a pervert!" Jess called from down the hall.
Billie waved before shutting the door.
He yawned and walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen for a glass of water, stopping short once he saw the phone on the table. Billie Joe hadn't forgotten, he had to call Jess.
He forgot about the water and picked up the phone. Usually he would have had to look up her number in his address/phone number book, but over the past few weeks he had memorized every number and address in it.
Billie dialed her number and placed the phone to his ear as it dialed. He hoped she would pick up, he wasn't good with leaving understandable messages without stuttering through out the message.
Jess picked up on the fourth ring, "Hello?" she asked tiredly.
Billie checked the clock, it was only six in the morning, he had to be at work by seven.
"Hi, Jess. Sorry I woke you up, I'll call back later if you want."
At the sound of Billie voice, Jess shook the exhaustion from her voice the best she could, "Nah, it's okay. Gettin' ready for work?" she remembered when she had to get up at that time some days, but ever since she had started a new job, she could go to work anytime she felt like it.
"Mhm. Jess?"
"Yeah, Billie?"
"Are you still mad at me?" he asked nervously.
Jess rubbed her eyes, she herself wasn't sure what she felt. She didn't want to be mad with Billie anymore, but she couldn't forget what he had done.
"No, I'm not. I can forgive you, but I can't forget." she answered, cutting her feelings evenly.
"I'm sorry," he checked the clock again, he had to start getting ready, "I have to go, can I call you later?"
"Kit wouldn't mind if you missed one day of work, would he? We'll go out somewhere, just the two of us. Make up for our lost time. Please?" Jess begged.
"I dunno...last time I took off he got really mad..."
"That's because you took off to sit around and watch Cartoon Network," Jess laughed, "just tell him you're sick, and he won't care. If he does yell at you, I'll go down there and beat the shit out of him for ya, sound good?"
Billie giggled and nodded, but answered after he realized she couldn't see through the phone, "Okay, I'll call Kit."
"Good, no ex-boss of mine is going to push my best friend around." Jess answered happily, "I'll walk over to your apartment in twenty minutes, okay? We'll spend the entire day just walking around like we used to."
"Yeah." Billie answered.
Jess could tell Billie was smiling, and she was happy for him.
They hung up and Billie dialed Kit's cell phone number. When his boss picked up, he quickly said, "I can't come into work today, I have to visit my Aunt."
Much better lie than saying he's sick.
"What? Bill..." Kit sighed, "Must you? It's like Hell here today, can't your aunt wait?"
"N-No." Billie answered, his lie cracking beneath him.
"Wait...are you lying to me? 'Cause you know how I hate-"
Someone grabbed the phone away and put it to their ear, "Go visit your aunt, Billie. We can hold up here just fine, have fun." it was Deefer.
"Okay, thanks, Deef." Billie answered before putting the phone down on the reciever.
***
"Give...me that...back!" Kit grabbed his phone back and stuffed it in his pocket.
Deefer laughed at Kit's exasperated face at having to jump up to Deefer's height to reach his phone.
"He's lying, you know. 'Going to my aunt's house'! What bullshit!" Kit snapped mockingly, his arms flailing above his head.
"Shut up and give him a break. He deserves a vacation after you shortened his pay since you gave his job to Jack the jackass." Deefer answered.
"He was a horrible mopper anyway, much better with toilets." Kit answered.
"Bla bla bla...if it were Frank taking off you wouldn't have given a shit." Deefer responded before walking away.
***
Billie waited patiently for Jess on the steps of the apartment building. He looked down the street, then the other. She was ten minutes late.
Five minutes later, she ran up to him, out of breathe.
"S-sorry...I'm...late..." Billie waited patiently for his friend to catch her breathe.
Once she had, she continued, "Meeko ran out of the house and wouldn't come back. It took me forever and at least three neighbors to get him back in." she explained.
Meeko was her five-year-old black labrador. Billie laughed at the thought of Jess and three old ladies chasing after a dog.
"So...let's go. You have everything you need?" Jess asked, patting her pant pocket where two $20 bills were stuffed.
Billie Joe nodded, also patting his pocket where money was stocked. They walked down the street together, stopping at a red crossing light.
"Ms. Nesser told me you're getting smarter," Jess commented nonchalantly.
"Yeah...but I don't think I am. I don't feel any smarter." Billie answered as they crossed the street.
"I think you are." Jess answered, smiling.
Billie looked at her in confusion, "How can you tell?"
Jess thought for a moment, "I don't really know; there's just something different about you. I'll figure it out sooner or later."
They laughed together. Jess put her hands in the front pocket of her hoody, finding nothing else to do with them.
"I feel like ice cream, do you?" Billie asked, pointing to the ice cream parlor down the road.
Jess nodded and quickly ran ahead in a race. Billie chased after her, laughing. They stopped short at the front door of the ice cream place, the race tied.
"I won." said Jess, jumping up and down in a victory dance.
"No, I did." Billie answered smugly.
Jess stuck her tongue out at her friend, and they went up to the only employee in the parlor.
"Can I help you?" she asked politely.
"Small vanilla cup with rainbow sprinkles, please. And could I have a straw with that?" Jess asked.
The girl nodded and looked at Billie, "Small strawberry cone with chocolate sprinkles, please."
The girl turned to make their ice creams.
"Since when did you order strawberry ice cream?" Jess asked, astonished.
Billie shrugged, "Mike let me have a taste of his when we went out for dinner."
Jess looked shocked, "You went out with Mike?"
"Yeah, Ms. Nesser invited me to dinner yesturday." Billie answered like it was a normal occurence.
"Oh, okay. I thought you meant you were dating Mike or something..." Jess laughed at her misunderstanding.
The girl tapped her shoulder with a white paper bag with her order, and in her hand was Billie's strawberry cone. He took it and handed her three dollars, and Jess paid for hers.
They sat outside on a bench eating their ice creams, Jess slowly drinking hers with the straw she had asked for.
"How come you do that?" Billie asked before laughing.
"Because it tastes good...and when I was baby my mom fed me ice cream like this, so I guess it just...stuck." Jess answered, going back to drinking her cup of ice cream.
A sprinkle went up the straw and into her mouth, making her cough. Billie laughed hysterically, which made his ice cream fall to the ground in a mess. This made him laugh harder and Jess began to join in.
"Oh-Oh God..." Jess wiped the joyous tears from her eyes.
"Now what?" Billie asked, kicking the cone on the ground so it went flying into the bushes.
"I dunno..." Jess answered, her legs swayed slowly, "Hey, you know why I think you're smarter?"
Billie looked up at her blankly, waiting for her to go on, "Because you're not letting me pick what we're doing today. Usually I have to pick everything we do and you just follow along, but today I didn't have to pick for you, we got ice cream because you wanted it. And you told Kit you were taking off by yourself, usually I have to. I like that, you're finally doing what you want to do and not letting anyone else choose for you."
Billie Joe smiled, happy his best friend was with him, "Thanks, Jess."
"...and you're voice has changed a bit...don't ask me why but you're not as squeaky anymore." Jess arched an eye brow, as did Billie.
Had his voice changed? A little, yes.
They both stood up and continued to walk aimlessly, having no real destination or conception of time. When they got back to Billie's apartment building, they stopped.
"Call me, alright? Come down to the supermarket anytime, I practically live there these days." Jess rolled her eyes.
Billie laughed and shuffled his feet. "Jess?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you really think I'll get to be as smart as you?"
"Of course I do, Billie Joe. Ms. Nesser has already told me you're the fastest and most driven learner on the face of this earth. I think you'll be even smarter than me one day."
Billie looked down at the floor, the blush in his cheeks visable even in the darkest of rooms.
"See ya, tell Deef I said he's a pervert!" Jess called from down the hall.
Billie waved before shutting the door.
