Living Life A Bit Differently, chapter 3
Adrienne and Mike walked down the sidewalk together, Mike's arm comfortably wrapped around Adrienne's waist. The only sounds to be heard were the soft clicking of her heels and the crickets in the bushes. Mike's eyes fell on Adrienne's and he kissed her temple, her head rested on his shoulder.
"You know, the waiter was pretty cute," Adrienne spoke up as they rounded the corner.
"I thought he was ugly," Mike answered.
Adrienne punched him in the arm.
"Don't be mean, you're just jealous of his amazing hotness," she laughed.
"Yes, of course I am. His pimples exceed my clear complexion," Mike chuckled.
"Sure do. Maybe if you put on a bow tie and speedo and acted as my waiter for a night, I might reconsider," Adrienne answered, grinning mischeviously.
"I can handle the bow tie, no speedo, though. Those things are traumatizing."
"How?"
"Ever see Arnold Shwaezenager in a speedo?" Mike asked.
"Oh, got it." They both laughed as they walked to the porch.
Adrienne used her keys to open the door and they both stepped inside, the door closed behind Mike.
***
"Come on, Billie. They are gone." Jess tugged Billie's arm, trying to force him out of the bathroom.
She had just gotten him to calm down and stop crying.
"Is Frank g-gone?" he asked.
Jess couldn't help but think he looked similar to a frightened little child. It upset her a great deal. She wondered what he would be like with a normal intelligence, acting just like her and...dare she say it, Frank.
Either way, mentally challenged or not, Billie was a wonderful person to be around; so easily excited and happy.
"Lemme check, you stay here and -" She glanced to his lower body, where his hands were limp, holding his wet pants and he stood shivering, nothing on but boxer briefs, "try and dry those with the hand washer."
Jess pointed to the hand washer on the wall. She waited for Billie to let her know he understood before she left. She walked to the counter, looking behind it to check if Frank was still there or had left. She spotted Deefer, one of the cooks, waving slightly.
"Is Frank still here?" she asked Deefer, leaning over the counter.
Deefer shrugged and continued to clean the stove.
"Lookin' for me?" Jess jumped, startled by the voice coming from behind her. She spun around.
"Don't do that!" Jess pushed Frank away angrily.
"What I do?!" he asked, laughing.
"For starters you upset Billie Joe!"
"Oh tear! A fly can upset that retard." Frank pushed himself up onto the counter leisurely.
"Don't fuckin' say that! Just because he's not like you and me doesn't mean he deserves the shit you put him through," Jess answered angrily.
"You and me, eh?" Frank asked, his voice a mere whisper, he leaned down towards Jess and...
...she slapped him.
"Fuck you, you perve. Just get the hell out of here before I pull you out with my hands around your neck!" Jess stomped back towards the men's bathroom.
"Looks like wittle Jessi has a cwush on the wetard!" Frank called after her mockingly.
His voice left Jess' ears as the door to the bathroom closed behind her. She bent down towards Billie Joe, whose head was to the floor and his hands were wringing his pants.
"You okay?" she asked sincerely.
He looked up, his hazel eyes still red and puffy from tears.
"Why doesn't Frank like me?" he asked quietly.
Jess thought for a moment, not knowing how to answer in a way he would understand.
"I don't know, Billie. But what he thinks of you doesn't matter, you hear? I'm your friend and I always will be." Jess hugged him tightly, and a mere moment later, his arms wrapped around her as well.
"Thank you, Jess," Billie whispered, his chin pressed against her shoulder as his jaw moved up and down as he talked.
"No need to thank me," Jess answered, pulling away and tugging at the hem of her sweater, which had risen slightly above her belly button.
She laughed quietly as she saw Billie shiver.
"Are your pants dry yet?" Jess asked.
Billie Joe shook his head in a silent 'no' and Jess thought of an idea. "Okay, give me your pants, I'll clean them tonight for you, if you want." It wasn't a suggestion, it was an order.
Billie handed her his pants obediently. He looked down at his briefs, and back up at Jess. Just then, Deefer opened the door enough for his head to appear.
"We're closing in a minute you guys," Jess stared pleadingly at him.
He sighed, grabbed Jess' sweatshirt and walked into a stall; Deefer opened it a minute afterwards with his pants in his hand and the sweatshirt acting as a pair of pants, showing off his hairy legs.
"Thanks, Deef." Jess looked at Billie, who in-turn, stood up and took Deefer's pants, smiling appreciatively at him before pulling them on.
They fit loosely, but were good enough.
"Good as new." Deefer forced himself to act happy, although Jess could see right through his fony smile.
"Thanks, Deef," Billie responded.
"No problem, just give them back sooner or later, they're new," Deefer answered.
"Okay."
"Everyone ready to lock up and go home?" Jess asked, clapping her hands together enthusiastically.
"Yeah," Billie and Deefer answered in-unison.
"Okay, then, come on." Jess held the door open for the two men.
"You owe me big time for this, Jessilyn Montage," Deefer whispered, using Jess' whole name.
"Don't I know it," Jess answered, her eyes wide as the door to the bathroom closed and they walked to the front.
The three employees waited patiently as the manager, Kit, locked the front door. When he had, he turned to leave, but Jess caught him by the arm, she looked towards Billie and Deefer. "You two go home, I have to talk with Kit."
Deefer nodded knowingly and him and Billie walked down the street together, both disappearing in different directions.
"What is it, Jess? You know Laur doesn't like when I'm late," Kit asked impatiently.
"This is important. Frank was harrassing Billie Joe again."
"This is a routine thing. I know it looks bad now, but Frank'll get bored with Billie and move on."
"You've been saying that for a year, Kit. How long am I supposed to stand by and let Billie go through this? Today Deefer had to let Billie borrow his pants because of Frank."
"So that's why Deefer was wearing that thing around his waist...but look, Jess. I really gotta go, I'll speak with Frank in the morning." before Jess could answer, Kit was jogging down the street and had turned a corner.
Some manager you are, Jess thought.
She sighed, defeated, and began her trek home, the soles of her shoes dragged along the street tiredly.
"You know, the waiter was pretty cute," Adrienne spoke up as they rounded the corner.
"I thought he was ugly," Mike answered.
Adrienne punched him in the arm.
"Don't be mean, you're just jealous of his amazing hotness," she laughed.
"Yes, of course I am. His pimples exceed my clear complexion," Mike chuckled.
"Sure do. Maybe if you put on a bow tie and speedo and acted as my waiter for a night, I might reconsider," Adrienne answered, grinning mischeviously.
"I can handle the bow tie, no speedo, though. Those things are traumatizing."
"How?"
"Ever see Arnold Shwaezenager in a speedo?" Mike asked.
"Oh, got it." They both laughed as they walked to the porch.
Adrienne used her keys to open the door and they both stepped inside, the door closed behind Mike.
***
"Come on, Billie. They are gone." Jess tugged Billie's arm, trying to force him out of the bathroom.
She had just gotten him to calm down and stop crying.
"Is Frank g-gone?" he asked.
Jess couldn't help but think he looked similar to a frightened little child. It upset her a great deal. She wondered what he would be like with a normal intelligence, acting just like her and...dare she say it, Frank.
Either way, mentally challenged or not, Billie was a wonderful person to be around; so easily excited and happy.
"Lemme check, you stay here and -" She glanced to his lower body, where his hands were limp, holding his wet pants and he stood shivering, nothing on but boxer briefs, "try and dry those with the hand washer."
Jess pointed to the hand washer on the wall. She waited for Billie to let her know he understood before she left. She walked to the counter, looking behind it to check if Frank was still there or had left. She spotted Deefer, one of the cooks, waving slightly.
"Is Frank still here?" she asked Deefer, leaning over the counter.
Deefer shrugged and continued to clean the stove.
"Lookin' for me?" Jess jumped, startled by the voice coming from behind her. She spun around.
"Don't do that!" Jess pushed Frank away angrily.
"What I do?!" he asked, laughing.
"For starters you upset Billie Joe!"
"Oh tear! A fly can upset that retard." Frank pushed himself up onto the counter leisurely.
"Don't fuckin' say that! Just because he's not like you and me doesn't mean he deserves the shit you put him through," Jess answered angrily.
"You and me, eh?" Frank asked, his voice a mere whisper, he leaned down towards Jess and...
...she slapped him.
"Fuck you, you perve. Just get the hell out of here before I pull you out with my hands around your neck!" Jess stomped back towards the men's bathroom.
"Looks like wittle Jessi has a cwush on the wetard!" Frank called after her mockingly.
His voice left Jess' ears as the door to the bathroom closed behind her. She bent down towards Billie Joe, whose head was to the floor and his hands were wringing his pants.
"You okay?" she asked sincerely.
He looked up, his hazel eyes still red and puffy from tears.
"Why doesn't Frank like me?" he asked quietly.
Jess thought for a moment, not knowing how to answer in a way he would understand.
"I don't know, Billie. But what he thinks of you doesn't matter, you hear? I'm your friend and I always will be." Jess hugged him tightly, and a mere moment later, his arms wrapped around her as well.
"Thank you, Jess," Billie whispered, his chin pressed against her shoulder as his jaw moved up and down as he talked.
"No need to thank me," Jess answered, pulling away and tugging at the hem of her sweater, which had risen slightly above her belly button.
She laughed quietly as she saw Billie shiver.
"Are your pants dry yet?" Jess asked.
Billie Joe shook his head in a silent 'no' and Jess thought of an idea. "Okay, give me your pants, I'll clean them tonight for you, if you want." It wasn't a suggestion, it was an order.
Billie handed her his pants obediently. He looked down at his briefs, and back up at Jess. Just then, Deefer opened the door enough for his head to appear.
"We're closing in a minute you guys," Jess stared pleadingly at him.
He sighed, grabbed Jess' sweatshirt and walked into a stall; Deefer opened it a minute afterwards with his pants in his hand and the sweatshirt acting as a pair of pants, showing off his hairy legs.
"Thanks, Deef." Jess looked at Billie, who in-turn, stood up and took Deefer's pants, smiling appreciatively at him before pulling them on.
They fit loosely, but were good enough.
"Good as new." Deefer forced himself to act happy, although Jess could see right through his fony smile.
"Thanks, Deef," Billie responded.
"No problem, just give them back sooner or later, they're new," Deefer answered.
"Okay."
"Everyone ready to lock up and go home?" Jess asked, clapping her hands together enthusiastically.
"Yeah," Billie and Deefer answered in-unison.
"Okay, then, come on." Jess held the door open for the two men.
"You owe me big time for this, Jessilyn Montage," Deefer whispered, using Jess' whole name.
"Don't I know it," Jess answered, her eyes wide as the door to the bathroom closed and they walked to the front.
The three employees waited patiently as the manager, Kit, locked the front door. When he had, he turned to leave, but Jess caught him by the arm, she looked towards Billie and Deefer. "You two go home, I have to talk with Kit."
Deefer nodded knowingly and him and Billie walked down the street together, both disappearing in different directions.
"What is it, Jess? You know Laur doesn't like when I'm late," Kit asked impatiently.
"This is important. Frank was harrassing Billie Joe again."
"This is a routine thing. I know it looks bad now, but Frank'll get bored with Billie and move on."
"You've been saying that for a year, Kit. How long am I supposed to stand by and let Billie go through this? Today Deefer had to let Billie borrow his pants because of Frank."
"So that's why Deefer was wearing that thing around his waist...but look, Jess. I really gotta go, I'll speak with Frank in the morning." before Jess could answer, Kit was jogging down the street and had turned a corner.
Some manager you are, Jess thought.
She sighed, defeated, and began her trek home, the soles of her shoes dragged along the street tiredly.
