Staring At Falling Stars, chapter 5
"Hey Billie Joe can I talk to you for a minute?" Mike says motioning to the lounge.
"Um...Sure." Says Billie getting up.
You pay no attention to it and sit back down across from Tre'.
"So how are you going to make it up to Sammie?" You ask Tre'.
"Well I'm going to find the biggest Bouquet of Canalilies I can and beg her to talk to me." He says and kind of smiles.
"Aww Tre' that sounds sweet." You say. "I wish someone would be that sweet to me..." You mumble.
"Well it was Billie Joe's idea." He says.
You smile.
***In the Lounge***
"You needed to talk to me Mike?" Billie Joe says.
"Yeah, well um. I wanted to thank you for looking after Jess last night." Mike says sitting on the couch.
"Oh no problem man." Billie says sitting next to him.
"You know that really scared all of us. I'm just glad she woke up to a welcoming face you know?" Mike says.
"Yeah, I know. I really care about her." Billie says looking down.
"That's really what I wanted to talk to you about. You know how much she means to me. I mean, other than you guys, she's the only thing I have left. I just...I just don't want to see her hurt that's all. You know I trust you Billie, just make sure you take care of her okay?" Mike says looking at Billie.
"Mike I promise I won't let anything happen to her. You know how much we've all been through together I would never want to her you or Jessie, ever." Billie says looking up at Mike.
" You mean a lot to her man. You know that right?" Mike says smiling and leaning back.
" I guess." Says Billie leaning over on the armrest.
"What do you mean "you guess?" You're all she ever talks about and she doesn't even realize it!" Mike says half laughing half serious.
"Really?" Billie says. "Like how?"
"Like, For instance the other day. She was talking about going to the park to meet Carolina. Then, she said she saw you there writing and she broke off one this whole long story of that one time when we were kids and she fell off a swing and you helped her up and made her stop crying. That was the day she broke her arm remember?" Mike said smiling.
"Yeah, I remember that. I was the first one to sign her cast." Billie said smiling back.
There was a long silence.
"You know when our dad died she was too small to understand what it meant, but I talked to her about it anyway. Then, when mom had her accident a few years ago she said Me, you and Tre' were the only people she could really trust. She said if she ever lost one of us...well." Mike paused. "Well she wouldn't be able to bear it. During that time you were real close to her heart man." Mike finished.
Billie just sat remembering the day it had happened.
***FLASHBACK***
Billie Joe and Tre' sitting on the floor of Billie's room playing a video game. Mike and Jessie sitting on the bed watching and laughing. There was a knock on the door. Billie and Tre' paused the game.
"Yeah?" Billie said.
"Billie Joe there's someone on the phone for Mikey." Billie's mom said.
They knew something wasn't right. Billie's mom never called him Billie Joe unless he was in trouble. Billie walked over and opened the door. His mom handed Mike the phone.
"Um. Hello?" Mike said.
"Hello, is this Micheal Ryan Dirnt?" the voice on the other line said.
"Uh Yeah, yeah it is." Mike replied.
"Son, we have some bad news. Your mother has been in a fatal car accident. An eighteen wheeler ran her off the road into some on-coming traffic. She's in the emergency surgery unit right now, but she's not stable. The doctor says her heart isn't going to be able to last through the night. Is there anyone else an adult who can take custody of you for the time being?"
-silence-
"Son, I know this is-"
Mike had turn a ghostly white and looked like he was about to throw up.
"Mikey are you okay?" Jessie asked.
Billie could hear the voice on the phone still talking. He picked it up as Tre' and Jess kept trying to find out what had happened.
"Hello this is Billie Joe speaking Mike can't talk right now." Billie said.
"Is there an adult around that I may speak to Billie?" The voice said. It was an older lady's voice and she sounded worried.
"Um yeah, my mom." Billie said walking out the door.
He handed his mom the phone and watch as her face went from worry to shock to tears. She grabbed Billie and hugged him tightly.
"Mom what's wrong? What's going on?" He asked, but she was still listening to the lady on the phone.
"Yes ma'am I am their god parent. Yes ma'am. Yes. Okay. I will talk to them. Yes. okay. Good bye." Billie's mom hung up the phone and dropped it to the ground. Billie looked at her. He was only twelve but he knew that look. That's the same look she had the day his day died. Tears were already in his eyes. "Mom-" Billie started, but his mom just kneeled down and started to whisper what had happened in his ear. After that nothing was the same. A week later they went to court to give his mom full custody. Their step-dad was a drunk who didn't care anyway. Billie and Tre' were always there to comfort Mike and listen to whatever he had to say. Billie was usually the one that was always there waking Jessie up from her nightmares and telling her it was okay. Nothing had been the same since that phone call. Bonds were formed that all of them felt were indestructible.
***End Of Flashback***
"Mike I'll never let anything happen to her." Billie Joe finally said quietly.
***In the Kitchen***
You and Tre' had just been talking about easy things like the weather and what kind of flowers you liked.
"I wonder what Mike is talking to Billie Joe about." You say getting up.
"Oh calling him by his full name now huh?" Tre' said jokingly.
"Oh shut up." You say peering around the doorway.
You see them sitting there with serious thoughtful looks on their faces. 'I wonder what they're doing.' you think.
You decide to walk in and lighten the mood.
"Hey guys, what's going on?" You say smiling warmly.
Billie looks at you thoughtfully and smiles.
"Um nothing just talking about band practice." Mike says.
You knew this wasn't true but you played along anyway. Mike didn't sound like he wanted you to know.
"Oh." You say.
"Yeah, well I guess I'll get going now. See you later guys." Mike says walking out the door waving to you all. Tre' Walks out of the kitchen " Hey Jess, I'm going to go ahead and go find those flowers I'll see you guys later too."
"Okay, bye Tre'" You say as he leaves too.
You walk over and sit by Billie. You both sit there in silence for a few seconds.
"So what are you going to do today besides I don't know?" Says Billie finally.
You smile. " I don't know."
He just looks at you "Well fine, you are going to come with me." He says as he grabs your hand and stands up.
"Oh really and what makes you so sure I want to?" you say as he pulls you towards the stairs.
He stops and turns around. He pulls you to him and wraps his arms around you. "Because you said you would."
He kisses you lightly on the lips. "And when did I say this?" you say and smile.
"When you said you were going to help me study." He says and starts to walk up the stairs. You reach your room and he opens the door. You walk in and sit on the bed and sigh. " You were serious huh?" you say picking up his biology book from the floor.
"Yeah, well" He shrugs.
"Okay so...what eight chapters did you need to know?" You say looking at what the book was opened to. 'ugh genetics' you think.
"Um...Sure." Says Billie getting up.
You pay no attention to it and sit back down across from Tre'.
"So how are you going to make it up to Sammie?" You ask Tre'.
"Well I'm going to find the biggest Bouquet of Canalilies I can and beg her to talk to me." He says and kind of smiles.
"Aww Tre' that sounds sweet." You say. "I wish someone would be that sweet to me..." You mumble.
"Well it was Billie Joe's idea." He says.
You smile.
***In the Lounge***
"You needed to talk to me Mike?" Billie Joe says.
"Yeah, well um. I wanted to thank you for looking after Jess last night." Mike says sitting on the couch.
"Oh no problem man." Billie says sitting next to him.
"You know that really scared all of us. I'm just glad she woke up to a welcoming face you know?" Mike says.
"Yeah, I know. I really care about her." Billie says looking down.
"That's really what I wanted to talk to you about. You know how much she means to me. I mean, other than you guys, she's the only thing I have left. I just...I just don't want to see her hurt that's all. You know I trust you Billie, just make sure you take care of her okay?" Mike says looking at Billie.
"Mike I promise I won't let anything happen to her. You know how much we've all been through together I would never want to her you or Jessie, ever." Billie says looking up at Mike.
" You mean a lot to her man. You know that right?" Mike says smiling and leaning back.
" I guess." Says Billie leaning over on the armrest.
"What do you mean "you guess?" You're all she ever talks about and she doesn't even realize it!" Mike says half laughing half serious.
"Really?" Billie says. "Like how?"
"Like, For instance the other day. She was talking about going to the park to meet Carolina. Then, she said she saw you there writing and she broke off one this whole long story of that one time when we were kids and she fell off a swing and you helped her up and made her stop crying. That was the day she broke her arm remember?" Mike said smiling.
"Yeah, I remember that. I was the first one to sign her cast." Billie said smiling back.
There was a long silence.
"You know when our dad died she was too small to understand what it meant, but I talked to her about it anyway. Then, when mom had her accident a few years ago she said Me, you and Tre' were the only people she could really trust. She said if she ever lost one of us...well." Mike paused. "Well she wouldn't be able to bear it. During that time you were real close to her heart man." Mike finished.
Billie just sat remembering the day it had happened.
***FLASHBACK***
Billie Joe and Tre' sitting on the floor of Billie's room playing a video game. Mike and Jessie sitting on the bed watching and laughing. There was a knock on the door. Billie and Tre' paused the game.
"Yeah?" Billie said.
"Billie Joe there's someone on the phone for Mikey." Billie's mom said.
They knew something wasn't right. Billie's mom never called him Billie Joe unless he was in trouble. Billie walked over and opened the door. His mom handed Mike the phone.
"Um. Hello?" Mike said.
"Hello, is this Micheal Ryan Dirnt?" the voice on the other line said.
"Uh Yeah, yeah it is." Mike replied.
"Son, we have some bad news. Your mother has been in a fatal car accident. An eighteen wheeler ran her off the road into some on-coming traffic. She's in the emergency surgery unit right now, but she's not stable. The doctor says her heart isn't going to be able to last through the night. Is there anyone else an adult who can take custody of you for the time being?"
-silence-
"Son, I know this is-"
Mike had turn a ghostly white and looked like he was about to throw up.
"Mikey are you okay?" Jessie asked.
Billie could hear the voice on the phone still talking. He picked it up as Tre' and Jess kept trying to find out what had happened.
"Hello this is Billie Joe speaking Mike can't talk right now." Billie said.
"Is there an adult around that I may speak to Billie?" The voice said. It was an older lady's voice and she sounded worried.
"Um yeah, my mom." Billie said walking out the door.
He handed his mom the phone and watch as her face went from worry to shock to tears. She grabbed Billie and hugged him tightly.
"Mom what's wrong? What's going on?" He asked, but she was still listening to the lady on the phone.
"Yes ma'am I am their god parent. Yes ma'am. Yes. Okay. I will talk to them. Yes. okay. Good bye." Billie's mom hung up the phone and dropped it to the ground. Billie looked at her. He was only twelve but he knew that look. That's the same look she had the day his day died. Tears were already in his eyes. "Mom-" Billie started, but his mom just kneeled down and started to whisper what had happened in his ear. After that nothing was the same. A week later they went to court to give his mom full custody. Their step-dad was a drunk who didn't care anyway. Billie and Tre' were always there to comfort Mike and listen to whatever he had to say. Billie was usually the one that was always there waking Jessie up from her nightmares and telling her it was okay. Nothing had been the same since that phone call. Bonds were formed that all of them felt were indestructible.
***End Of Flashback***
"Mike I'll never let anything happen to her." Billie Joe finally said quietly.
***In the Kitchen***
You and Tre' had just been talking about easy things like the weather and what kind of flowers you liked.
"I wonder what Mike is talking to Billie Joe about." You say getting up.
"Oh calling him by his full name now huh?" Tre' said jokingly.
"Oh shut up." You say peering around the doorway.
You see them sitting there with serious thoughtful looks on their faces. 'I wonder what they're doing.' you think.
You decide to walk in and lighten the mood.
"Hey guys, what's going on?" You say smiling warmly.
Billie looks at you thoughtfully and smiles.
"Um nothing just talking about band practice." Mike says.
You knew this wasn't true but you played along anyway. Mike didn't sound like he wanted you to know.
"Oh." You say.
"Yeah, well I guess I'll get going now. See you later guys." Mike says walking out the door waving to you all. Tre' Walks out of the kitchen " Hey Jess, I'm going to go ahead and go find those flowers I'll see you guys later too."
"Okay, bye Tre'" You say as he leaves too.
You walk over and sit by Billie. You both sit there in silence for a few seconds.
"So what are you going to do today besides I don't know?" Says Billie finally.
You smile. " I don't know."
He just looks at you "Well fine, you are going to come with me." He says as he grabs your hand and stands up.
"Oh really and what makes you so sure I want to?" you say as he pulls you towards the stairs.
He stops and turns around. He pulls you to him and wraps his arms around you. "Because you said you would."
He kisses you lightly on the lips. "And when did I say this?" you say and smile.
"When you said you were going to help me study." He says and starts to walk up the stairs. You reach your room and he opens the door. You walk in and sit on the bed and sigh. " You were serious huh?" you say picking up his biology book from the floor.
"Yeah, well" He shrugs.
"Okay so...what eight chapters did you need to know?" You say looking at what the book was opened to. 'ugh genetics' you think.
