We Will Run Away Together Hand In Hand, chapter 24
"Guys can I be alone for a bit?" Taylor asked, "I don't mean to be rude but I need some space."
Tre and Mike complied and left Taylor alone. They decided to see Billie so they walked up the same corridor to room 372. Tre opened the door slightly and saw Billie lying across the bed. Tre walked in leaving the door open for Mike to catch up. He walked over to Billie and noticed he was unconscious.
"Billie?" Tre asked shaking Billie, "Billie, come on man wake up." Tre said again, Mike walked into the room wondering what was going on.
"What's going on?" Mike asked.
"It's Billie, he won't wake up" Tre replied then noticed the novocaine drip was empty, "Shit! Mike get help!" Tre shouted, "Come on Billie, up and at 'em!" he said slapping Billie across the face.
Nurses and a doctor ran in and escorted Tre and Mike outside. After the door closed Mike and Tre pressed themselves to the glass hoping to see what was going on, hoping that the doctors would save Billie. They both heard cameras clicking, Mike looked around and saw the press taking pictures of him and Tre. Security came round and escorted the photographers out of the ward. Billie was laid back into the bed and had IV lines connected up to his arms to get the novocaine out of his system. Mike and Tre looked on with concern for their friend.
Rebel was taken home from the hospital by Mike. Apart from Tre, Mike was the only one capable of driving at that moment. Rebel sat in the passenger seat of her car for a moment in silence. Mike was watching her from the drivers seat. Rebel was feeling around for the switch to let the window down. When she found it she pressed it and heard the window go down into the body of the door.
"Mike, start the engine...please," Rebel said. Mike twisted the key in the ignition and the engine of the black Trans Am roared, "That's my baby..." Rebel sighed, Mike smiled.
"You love this car don't you?" Mike asked, reversing the car out of a parking space then driving out.
"Ever since I was little I wanted this exact car...Trans Ams are my life. I found this baby when I was sixteen, abandoned. Stupidly enough for them the keys were still in the car, so I took it back home and worked on it in the garage. Dad helped me with the engine because he knew more about it than me...this car is a way to keep my dad alive I suppose."
"Do you miss him?" Mike asked as Rebel put the window up again.
"Yeah, I think about him everyday," Rebel replied, "Mike? I know what Billie did to himself with the novocaine. I may be blind but I still feel other things around me and Tre told me," she said, "Why am I blind Mike? Why me?"
"I don't know sweetheart. I know you want to see Billie and everyone else...I can't imagine how you can be feeling right now?"
"Depressed is that one main feeling right now. Mike, I want you to look after Billie for me because I know that I can't right now as much as I want to."
Four hours later Mike was still driving Rebel home back to Berkeley. Rebel was sleeping in the back seat. Mike was driving along a highway when his phone began ringing. Quickly not to wake Rebel, he answered the phone. Billie was on the other end of the phone.
*PHONE CONVERSATION*
BILLIE: Hey, is Rebel with you?
MIKE: Yeah, she's sleeping right now man. Why?
BILLIE: Oh. I was just wondering. I'll phone her later then.
MIKE: Billie wait a second.
BILLIE: Yeah?
MIKE: Why did you pump yourself with novocaine? Back in the hospital?
BILLIE: It wasn't me... It was Jimmy...
*PAUSE IN PHONE CONVERSATION*
Mike looked at Rebel in the rear view mirror- she was still asleep. 'Good.' Mike thought, he couldn't tell her about Jimmy. Jimmy was Billie's schizophrenic other personality, he only showed up in times of trauma. The worst time was when Billie's father died. Billie became isolated from everyone then threw himself into music and that brought Billie back.
*RESUME PHONE CONVERSATION*
MIKE: Jimmy came back?
BILLIE: Yeah he came back. Tell Rebel I love her. Please!
After Billie had said that he hung up the phone. Mike was confused but put down the phone as well. Maybe Billie was still doped on the drugs but he couldn't be sure, it could have been just exhaustion. Mike continued driving until he became tired, he pulled into the café he owned, left Rebel in the car and went to get a coffee. Once he had a drink Mike got back into the car and drove back to Billie Joe's house. He drove up the gravel driveway and stopped outside the front door. Mike turned round and looked at Rebel. Mike undid his seatbelt, got out of the car and went round to the other side and opened the passenger door. Mike carefully scooped Rebel up in his arms, closed the car door behind him then knocked on the front door of the house. The sound woke Rebel and she didn't know that she was in Mike's arms, Rebel tried to stretch out and Mike almost dropped her.
"We don't want Billie having a go at me for dropping his fiancée on the front door step," Mike laughed.
"Oh sorry Mike," Rebel said, "I'm not used to being blind yet, where are we?"
"We're at home," Mike replied as someone opened the door.
"Rebel!" a small voice came.
"Mike put me down," she whispered, "Frankito!" she shouted.
"Kneel down," Mike whispered.
Rebel knelt down and felt Frankito run into her arms, just then the other kids came running over and hugged Rebel as well. Once Rebel pulled away and stood up, with a little help from Mike, she went to the living room to relax a little. Mike sat down on an armchair while Rebel was lying on the couch. They heard someone approach the living room. Rebel and Mike were too exhausted to move so they let the person talk first. Mike turned the TV onto Cartoon Network, 'Ed, Edd and Eddy' was just starting.
"Hey Mike," a voice came.
"Cartoon!" Mike snapped.
Rebel giggled at Mike, "Hey Natalie," she said then realised something, "Are you and Tre still...getting it on?" she asked
Natalie paused for a moment and flicked her black and pink hair, "Er...I don't know, we'll have to wait for him I suppose."
"Well he'll need to be someone's dominated love slave at some point," Rebel giggled
Two weeks later was the start of the hot month July. It was a hot morning when Mike woke up alone in bed. He looked around and was blinded by the sunlight. Mike sat up and ruffled his dark brown hair before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and looking around once again. Mike pulled himself out of bed and trudged over to his wardrobe. He pulled out a black vest and a pair of black tracksuit pants with a red stripe running down the leg. Mike walked over to his drawers and pulled out a pair of socks and boxer shorts. Mike threw all the clothes on the bed and pulled his boxer shorts down. He picked them up off of the floor and put them on the bed. Mike sat down feeling the bed sheets against his naked backside. Mike picked up the fresh pair of boxer shorts and put them on. After getting dressed completely Mike left the bedroom and threw the dirty boxers down the laundry chute and walked to Rebel's bedroom. Mike opened the door, like every morning and walked over to Rebel's bed.
"Ups a daisy Rebel." Mike said gently shaking Rebel's shoulders.
Rebel stirred slightly then slowly flickered her eyes open. She rubbed her eyes of sleep and was shocked by what had happened to her overnight. There, above her, she saw Mike. Dark brown hair, pale blue eyes, he was all the same.
"Mike..." she whispered, "I can see you."
Mike sat back and looked at Rebel strangely, there in front of him, was a young woman, blinded by a brain virus saying she could see him.
"Rebel are you sure you can see me?" Mike asked.
"Yeah," Rebel replied, "I'm not blind!" she said then sat up and hugged Mike.
That very same day Billie, Tre and Taylor all came home from the hospital up north. Another month went by and August 14th came. Again Rebel had dressed early in the morning and was being helped by Taylor to get ready for that afternoon's ceremony. She was stood in the bedroom having her corset tied. She could hear the guys rushing about just outside the bedroom door. After she had tied Rebel's corset Taylor left Rebel for a while to think and prepare herself for the day. When Taylor closed the door she was met by Mike out in the hall way.
"Hey gorgeous." Mike said and kissed Taylor, he was out of breath.
"What's with the panting? Are you alright?" Taylor asked her boyfriend.
"Ah Billie's just panicking because of what happened last time. Making me and Tre run around making sure everything's alright and shit."
"Awwr he's just nervous," Taylor replied, "Rebel is as well man. She won't talk, she's just staring out the window, her hands are shaking like fuck. Keep Billie calm ok?"
One o'clock came, Billie and Mike had already left for the church with Joey and Jakob. Tre stayed behind because he was giving Rebel away, given the circumstances. Estelle and Ramona were running round the house with their straw baskets, they were both flower girls since Rebel couldn't decide between them. Frankito and Dominic were running around with toy cars pretending to be in a car chase for some reason or another. Tre gathered the kids round and waited for Rebel to come downstairs. Taylor came down first wearing a gold dress and matching shoes. She stood beside Tre and waited for Rebel to come downstairs. Just then Rebel appeared at the top of the stairs. She was wearing a white dress, it had a corset top and the skirt cascaded out from the bottom of it. Her black hair was in tight curls bouncing on her shoulders. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked down at herself.
Tre and Mike complied and left Taylor alone. They decided to see Billie so they walked up the same corridor to room 372. Tre opened the door slightly and saw Billie lying across the bed. Tre walked in leaving the door open for Mike to catch up. He walked over to Billie and noticed he was unconscious.
"Billie?" Tre asked shaking Billie, "Billie, come on man wake up." Tre said again, Mike walked into the room wondering what was going on.
"What's going on?" Mike asked.
"It's Billie, he won't wake up" Tre replied then noticed the novocaine drip was empty, "Shit! Mike get help!" Tre shouted, "Come on Billie, up and at 'em!" he said slapping Billie across the face.
Nurses and a doctor ran in and escorted Tre and Mike outside. After the door closed Mike and Tre pressed themselves to the glass hoping to see what was going on, hoping that the doctors would save Billie. They both heard cameras clicking, Mike looked around and saw the press taking pictures of him and Tre. Security came round and escorted the photographers out of the ward. Billie was laid back into the bed and had IV lines connected up to his arms to get the novocaine out of his system. Mike and Tre looked on with concern for their friend.
Rebel was taken home from the hospital by Mike. Apart from Tre, Mike was the only one capable of driving at that moment. Rebel sat in the passenger seat of her car for a moment in silence. Mike was watching her from the drivers seat. Rebel was feeling around for the switch to let the window down. When she found it she pressed it and heard the window go down into the body of the door.
"Mike, start the engine...please," Rebel said. Mike twisted the key in the ignition and the engine of the black Trans Am roared, "That's my baby..." Rebel sighed, Mike smiled.
"You love this car don't you?" Mike asked, reversing the car out of a parking space then driving out.
"Ever since I was little I wanted this exact car...Trans Ams are my life. I found this baby when I was sixteen, abandoned. Stupidly enough for them the keys were still in the car, so I took it back home and worked on it in the garage. Dad helped me with the engine because he knew more about it than me...this car is a way to keep my dad alive I suppose."
"Do you miss him?" Mike asked as Rebel put the window up again.
"Yeah, I think about him everyday," Rebel replied, "Mike? I know what Billie did to himself with the novocaine. I may be blind but I still feel other things around me and Tre told me," she said, "Why am I blind Mike? Why me?"
"I don't know sweetheart. I know you want to see Billie and everyone else...I can't imagine how you can be feeling right now?"
"Depressed is that one main feeling right now. Mike, I want you to look after Billie for me because I know that I can't right now as much as I want to."
Four hours later Mike was still driving Rebel home back to Berkeley. Rebel was sleeping in the back seat. Mike was driving along a highway when his phone began ringing. Quickly not to wake Rebel, he answered the phone. Billie was on the other end of the phone.
*PHONE CONVERSATION*
BILLIE: Hey, is Rebel with you?
MIKE: Yeah, she's sleeping right now man. Why?
BILLIE: Oh. I was just wondering. I'll phone her later then.
MIKE: Billie wait a second.
BILLIE: Yeah?
MIKE: Why did you pump yourself with novocaine? Back in the hospital?
BILLIE: It wasn't me... It was Jimmy...
*PAUSE IN PHONE CONVERSATION*
Mike looked at Rebel in the rear view mirror- she was still asleep. 'Good.' Mike thought, he couldn't tell her about Jimmy. Jimmy was Billie's schizophrenic other personality, he only showed up in times of trauma. The worst time was when Billie's father died. Billie became isolated from everyone then threw himself into music and that brought Billie back.
*RESUME PHONE CONVERSATION*
MIKE: Jimmy came back?
BILLIE: Yeah he came back. Tell Rebel I love her. Please!
After Billie had said that he hung up the phone. Mike was confused but put down the phone as well. Maybe Billie was still doped on the drugs but he couldn't be sure, it could have been just exhaustion. Mike continued driving until he became tired, he pulled into the café he owned, left Rebel in the car and went to get a coffee. Once he had a drink Mike got back into the car and drove back to Billie Joe's house. He drove up the gravel driveway and stopped outside the front door. Mike turned round and looked at Rebel. Mike undid his seatbelt, got out of the car and went round to the other side and opened the passenger door. Mike carefully scooped Rebel up in his arms, closed the car door behind him then knocked on the front door of the house. The sound woke Rebel and she didn't know that she was in Mike's arms, Rebel tried to stretch out and Mike almost dropped her.
"We don't want Billie having a go at me for dropping his fiancée on the front door step," Mike laughed.
"Oh sorry Mike," Rebel said, "I'm not used to being blind yet, where are we?"
"We're at home," Mike replied as someone opened the door.
"Rebel!" a small voice came.
"Mike put me down," she whispered, "Frankito!" she shouted.
"Kneel down," Mike whispered.
Rebel knelt down and felt Frankito run into her arms, just then the other kids came running over and hugged Rebel as well. Once Rebel pulled away and stood up, with a little help from Mike, she went to the living room to relax a little. Mike sat down on an armchair while Rebel was lying on the couch. They heard someone approach the living room. Rebel and Mike were too exhausted to move so they let the person talk first. Mike turned the TV onto Cartoon Network, 'Ed, Edd and Eddy' was just starting.
"Hey Mike," a voice came.
"Cartoon!" Mike snapped.
Rebel giggled at Mike, "Hey Natalie," she said then realised something, "Are you and Tre still...getting it on?" she asked
Natalie paused for a moment and flicked her black and pink hair, "Er...I don't know, we'll have to wait for him I suppose."
"Well he'll need to be someone's dominated love slave at some point," Rebel giggled
Two weeks later was the start of the hot month July. It was a hot morning when Mike woke up alone in bed. He looked around and was blinded by the sunlight. Mike sat up and ruffled his dark brown hair before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and looking around once again. Mike pulled himself out of bed and trudged over to his wardrobe. He pulled out a black vest and a pair of black tracksuit pants with a red stripe running down the leg. Mike walked over to his drawers and pulled out a pair of socks and boxer shorts. Mike threw all the clothes on the bed and pulled his boxer shorts down. He picked them up off of the floor and put them on the bed. Mike sat down feeling the bed sheets against his naked backside. Mike picked up the fresh pair of boxer shorts and put them on. After getting dressed completely Mike left the bedroom and threw the dirty boxers down the laundry chute and walked to Rebel's bedroom. Mike opened the door, like every morning and walked over to Rebel's bed.
"Ups a daisy Rebel." Mike said gently shaking Rebel's shoulders.
Rebel stirred slightly then slowly flickered her eyes open. She rubbed her eyes of sleep and was shocked by what had happened to her overnight. There, above her, she saw Mike. Dark brown hair, pale blue eyes, he was all the same.
"Mike..." she whispered, "I can see you."
Mike sat back and looked at Rebel strangely, there in front of him, was a young woman, blinded by a brain virus saying she could see him.
"Rebel are you sure you can see me?" Mike asked.
"Yeah," Rebel replied, "I'm not blind!" she said then sat up and hugged Mike.
That very same day Billie, Tre and Taylor all came home from the hospital up north. Another month went by and August 14th came. Again Rebel had dressed early in the morning and was being helped by Taylor to get ready for that afternoon's ceremony. She was stood in the bedroom having her corset tied. She could hear the guys rushing about just outside the bedroom door. After she had tied Rebel's corset Taylor left Rebel for a while to think and prepare herself for the day. When Taylor closed the door she was met by Mike out in the hall way.
"Hey gorgeous." Mike said and kissed Taylor, he was out of breath.
"What's with the panting? Are you alright?" Taylor asked her boyfriend.
"Ah Billie's just panicking because of what happened last time. Making me and Tre run around making sure everything's alright and shit."
"Awwr he's just nervous," Taylor replied, "Rebel is as well man. She won't talk, she's just staring out the window, her hands are shaking like fuck. Keep Billie calm ok?"
One o'clock came, Billie and Mike had already left for the church with Joey and Jakob. Tre stayed behind because he was giving Rebel away, given the circumstances. Estelle and Ramona were running round the house with their straw baskets, they were both flower girls since Rebel couldn't decide between them. Frankito and Dominic were running around with toy cars pretending to be in a car chase for some reason or another. Tre gathered the kids round and waited for Rebel to come downstairs. Taylor came down first wearing a gold dress and matching shoes. She stood beside Tre and waited for Rebel to come downstairs. Just then Rebel appeared at the top of the stairs. She was wearing a white dress, it had a corset top and the skirt cascaded out from the bottom of it. Her black hair was in tight curls bouncing on her shoulders. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked down at herself.
