Without A Bass Player, chapter 6
"Billie? Where are you?" Mike hollered through the empty house, in a worried manner. It barely struck Mike that it was late September, a sensitive time for Billie. Mike ran up the stairs and heard Billie's sobs through his bedroom door. "Billie... " Mike said softly. "I'm so sorry, I forgot all about it." Billie had his face buried in a pillow.
"Go away Mike! Go hang out with Ginger, I'm fine, just go." Billie said through his sobs.
"I'm not going anywhere until you stop crying. Its been seven years Billie, and I know the pain is still there."
"Look Mike," Billie said as he lifted his head from the pillow, "just go okay, I'll be fine, I know that you really like her, so go, I'll get over it. I still don't approve of her though."
"Are you sure Billie? I'll stay if you want," Mike replied in a worried tone.
"No, I'll get over it, besides, we're playing at Gilman's tonight." Billie said a little happier.
"Okay, I'll meet you there, I'm going to take Ginger around and giver her a tour of this shitty town. Can you bring my bass for me?"
"Okay, sure, be there by seven though, so we can warm up."
"Thanks," Mike said as he turned around to leave, "Oh, and by the way, I get to drive Ginger's red convertible!"
"Asshole," Billie sighed, as he sunk his face back into the pillow.
***
Mike jumped back into the car and Ginger asked what he forgot. "Oh, nothing, I just had to remind Billie about bringing my bass to Gilman's later."
"Oh, do you guys have a gig there tonight?"
"Something like that," Mike replied, as he turned the keys in the ignition to start the car.
"So, were are we going?" Ginger asked Mike, who seemed to be in a less excited mood.
"Well first off, I think we'll... I don't know what we'll do, this town is shitty. There's nothing to do here," Mike said sadly.
"What's wrong?" Ginger asked worried.
"Nothing."
"Look Mike, I know something's wrong, don't lie to me."
"Nothings wrong, I'm fine, do you want to grab something to eat?"
"Are you sure nothings wrong."
"Dammit Ginger, nothings wrong."
"Okay, okay, if you don't want to talk about it, its fine, just tell me so. Gosh." Ginger said a little offended.
"I'm sorry, do you want to get something to eat." Mike apologized softly.
"Yeah sure," Ginger said, just as softly.
The rest of the drive to the diner was silent. Mike still kept sneaking glances at Ginger when she wasn't looking, but what Mike didn't know was that she could see him staring at her, and she loved every second of it. As Mike approached the driveway to the diner, he said to Ginger, "Billie and I used to walk here after school everyday in junior high. It was probably the highlight of my day, because it was hilarious what we did to those people there. And then one day, we just stopped coming. I miss it."
Ginger reached over and grabbed his hand and laced her fingers within his and lead him inside the restaurant.
When they found a table a short pudgy waitress asked what they wanted to drink.
"Water's fine." Ginger replied
"I'll have a coke," Mike answered. The woman wrote down their drinks and walked off. "So, tell me a little more about yourself, Ginny, I never get much time to talk to you except for on the bus," Mike questioned.
"Well, lets see. I was born in Seattle on August 19th, 1973. I'm 16 years old. I'm a junior in high school, which I'm sure you know. Um, I have an older brother whose 24 and lives back in Seattle," As she listed things, Mike was recording them in his mind. "Lets see, I am a natural red head. My middle name is May. I have a dog named Sid. My mother is psycho. I love rock n' roll, oh yeah. AND... my favorite color is orange," Ginger replied quickly. "What about you Mr. Mystery?" But just then the stubby waitress reappeared with their drinks and asked what they would like to eat.
"I'll have a cheeseburger without ketchup or mustard," Mike said.
"Uh, I'll have the chicken tenders," Ginger replied. And with that the waitress disappeared again into the kitchen.
"Go away Mike! Go hang out with Ginger, I'm fine, just go." Billie said through his sobs.
"I'm not going anywhere until you stop crying. Its been seven years Billie, and I know the pain is still there."
"Look Mike," Billie said as he lifted his head from the pillow, "just go okay, I'll be fine, I know that you really like her, so go, I'll get over it. I still don't approve of her though."
"Are you sure Billie? I'll stay if you want," Mike replied in a worried tone.
"No, I'll get over it, besides, we're playing at Gilman's tonight." Billie said a little happier.
"Okay, I'll meet you there, I'm going to take Ginger around and giver her a tour of this shitty town. Can you bring my bass for me?"
"Okay, sure, be there by seven though, so we can warm up."
"Thanks," Mike said as he turned around to leave, "Oh, and by the way, I get to drive Ginger's red convertible!"
"Asshole," Billie sighed, as he sunk his face back into the pillow.
***
Mike jumped back into the car and Ginger asked what he forgot. "Oh, nothing, I just had to remind Billie about bringing my bass to Gilman's later."
"Oh, do you guys have a gig there tonight?"
"Something like that," Mike replied, as he turned the keys in the ignition to start the car.
"So, were are we going?" Ginger asked Mike, who seemed to be in a less excited mood.
"Well first off, I think we'll... I don't know what we'll do, this town is shitty. There's nothing to do here," Mike said sadly.
"What's wrong?" Ginger asked worried.
"Nothing."
"Look Mike, I know something's wrong, don't lie to me."
"Nothings wrong, I'm fine, do you want to grab something to eat?"
"Are you sure nothings wrong."
"Dammit Ginger, nothings wrong."
"Okay, okay, if you don't want to talk about it, its fine, just tell me so. Gosh." Ginger said a little offended.
"I'm sorry, do you want to get something to eat." Mike apologized softly.
"Yeah sure," Ginger said, just as softly.
The rest of the drive to the diner was silent. Mike still kept sneaking glances at Ginger when she wasn't looking, but what Mike didn't know was that she could see him staring at her, and she loved every second of it. As Mike approached the driveway to the diner, he said to Ginger, "Billie and I used to walk here after school everyday in junior high. It was probably the highlight of my day, because it was hilarious what we did to those people there. And then one day, we just stopped coming. I miss it."
Ginger reached over and grabbed his hand and laced her fingers within his and lead him inside the restaurant.
When they found a table a short pudgy waitress asked what they wanted to drink.
"Water's fine." Ginger replied
"I'll have a coke," Mike answered. The woman wrote down their drinks and walked off. "So, tell me a little more about yourself, Ginny, I never get much time to talk to you except for on the bus," Mike questioned.
"Well, lets see. I was born in Seattle on August 19th, 1973. I'm 16 years old. I'm a junior in high school, which I'm sure you know. Um, I have an older brother whose 24 and lives back in Seattle," As she listed things, Mike was recording them in his mind. "Lets see, I am a natural red head. My middle name is May. I have a dog named Sid. My mother is psycho. I love rock n' roll, oh yeah. AND... my favorite color is orange," Ginger replied quickly. "What about you Mr. Mystery?" But just then the stubby waitress reappeared with their drinks and asked what they would like to eat.
"I'll have a cheeseburger without ketchup or mustard," Mike said.
"Uh, I'll have the chicken tenders," Ginger replied. And with that the waitress disappeared again into the kitchen.
