Billie and Amanda, chapter 11
The cemetery. Amanda pulled up to the cold, dark graveyard and got out of the car. She locked it and walked toward the metal gates. She then wondered where the hell Billie could be. Amanda was positive he was here, but where? This was the biggest graveyard Amanda had ever known, and when she was younger, she had gotten lost in it, quite a few times. Amanda stopped and looked around. She heard a soft sound, like someone taking deep breaths. She looked to her right and saw a small body, far away, bent over and sobbing uncontrollably. She took off her heels and ran. She ran like she had never run before. When she finally got there she saw it indeed, was Billie. She collapsed on him and began crying.
"I'm so sorry, Billie I know-" but she cut herself off. Her eyes wandered over to the next tombstone and she noticed it was Cassie's. Billie's father and Amanda's little sister were buried next to each other. Her eyes flew down and she saw beautiful red and pink flowers next to her grave. There was some on Billie's dad's grave also. No doubt Billie had put them there.
"Oh my God," Amanda choked out. It was silent for a while, and Billie finally looked up, his eyes bloodshot. He didn't say anything however, just stared at her with those sad eyes of his. Finally she broke the silence.
"How long have you known?" Amanda asked him, referring to Cassie's grave being next to his dad's.
Billie sighed.
"Ever since the day we met and you told me your name," he softly spoke. More tears ran down his eyes and he looked down. Billie's shoulders were shaking and he was sobbing. Amanda knew it was not her place, but she pulled him into a tight hug anyway. Rain drops started sprinkling over the cemetery. Billie rested his head on Amanda's chest, still crying.
"I'm sorry," he breathed.
"Don't be," Amanda replied.
For everything, Billie had wanted to say. He wished he had never went on tour. He wished he had never met Rachael. He wished his dad never died. He wished that Cassie never died. But most importantly, he wished he could lean up against Amanda whenever he wanted, like now, because she understood him better then anyone. But he couldn't. He had blown his chance. She was Mike's now.
"Billie, you know something, the innocent can never last," Amanda said softly.
"The most important thing we can do now is remember them in our hearts and our souls. Our loved ones never leave us."
Billie looked up at her, amazed. He loved her more than anything, he just realized. But it was too late. Lyrics began flooding his head and before he could stop himself he sang:
Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends
Like my fathers come to pass
Seven years has gone so fast
Wake me up when September ends
Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are
As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up when September ends
Amanda looked up.
"Did you just make that up?" she asked amazed.
"Yeah, yeah I did," Billie said, shocked as much as Amanda.
She given him inspiration and an idea for a song that would make him rich and famous in the years to come.
*
Amanda woke up to see she was not in her bed. She was a little scared, but then saw Mike's friendly face smiling at her.
"Hey, time to wake up, it's like 11 o'clock," he said, gently stroking her cheek. Amanda sat up and remembered last night.
"Why am I here?" she yawned. Mike smiled.
"You and Billie fell asleep yesterday in the rain," he replied," I found you two and brought you back here."
"Oh, thanks," Amanda said softly.
"Something wrong?" Mike asked noticing a strange look in her eyes. Amanda was thinking about Billie singing to her last night. She opened her mouth to say something when she heard a shrill voice.
"BILLIE, LIKE, GET UP BABE, BREAKFAST IS READY!"
"Fuck," Amanda said, putting a hand to her head. Rachael's voice was seriously beginning to give her migraines.
"You and Rachael don't get along, huh?" Mike said understandingly.
"I almost slugged that bitch in the bathroom last night," she told him. Mike chuckled.
"Try living with her," he said.
"WHAT-she, she moved in with you guys, holy fuck, no-" Amanda was almost yelling now.
"Calm down, she is Billie's girl and she doesn't live around here," Mike shrugged. Amanda was fuming now.
"Yah, we're all going to the mall today so, I'll just leave so you can get dressed and shit, Kaely brought your clothes for you," Mike said, exiting his room a little scared.
*
At the mall
Once they all got to the mall, they separated into 2 groups. Mike, Kaely, and Tre, who were going to the record store and Billie, Rachael, and Amanda who were going to a small store called "All Guitar" which was, just as the name said, all about guitars. Mike gave Amanda a quick kiss on the lips as the two groups parted. Billie winced. It pained him to see them together. They six kids then went their separate ways.
Billie, Amanda, and Rachael finally reached the store. Amanda knew Rachael didn't play any instruments and was probably as smart as a stick, but she wanted to be with her boyfriend. She probably thought she'd look cool by his side or something. Bitch, Amanda thought. Once they walked in, Amanda walked right over to the Gibson Les Paul models. She wanted one so bad. All she had was her brothers old Fender, which was still good, but she was looking to get a new one. She saw that Billie had already grabbed a guitar, and was strumming some chords. Amanda walked over to him and Rachael, and heard that Billie was singing something softly. It sounded remarkably like what he was singing last night.
"Ooh," Rachael squealed," are you writing a new song, honey?" Billie looked up and nodded.
"Yeah," he said and went back to playing. Rachael interrupted once more.
"Is it about me?" Rachael cooed. Amanda coughed to hide a laugh. Since when did "Like my father's come to pass/Seven years has gone so fast" sound like a love song about Rachael? Rachael looked at Amanda, pissed off.
"Whatever, this is like, extremely stupid anyway. I'm going to Hollister. Wanna come BJ?" she asked sweetly.
"Not really," he grumbled. If there was one thing Amanda had learned about rockers it was this-Never separate a guy from his guitar.
"Whatever," Rachael scoffed, and walked off. Amanda walked back to the Gibson's. God, how she wanted one.
"So," she heard a soft voice creep up behind her," what you got your eye on?" It was Billie.
"Oh nothing, it's not like I could afford this anyway," Amanda said softly.
"Come on lets get outta here," Amanda changed the subject and walked off. Billie stood looking at the guitar for a minute. Christmas was coming up, maybe I could get it for her. Maybe she'll take me back then, he thought.
"Let's go," Amanda said, taking his hand and pulling him out of the store. Billie looked at the guitar one last time and saw the price tag- $3,489.99.
It looks I'll have to sell Blue, he thought.
"I'm so sorry, Billie I know-" but she cut herself off. Her eyes wandered over to the next tombstone and she noticed it was Cassie's. Billie's father and Amanda's little sister were buried next to each other. Her eyes flew down and she saw beautiful red and pink flowers next to her grave. There was some on Billie's dad's grave also. No doubt Billie had put them there.
"Oh my God," Amanda choked out. It was silent for a while, and Billie finally looked up, his eyes bloodshot. He didn't say anything however, just stared at her with those sad eyes of his. Finally she broke the silence.
"How long have you known?" Amanda asked him, referring to Cassie's grave being next to his dad's.
Billie sighed.
"Ever since the day we met and you told me your name," he softly spoke. More tears ran down his eyes and he looked down. Billie's shoulders were shaking and he was sobbing. Amanda knew it was not her place, but she pulled him into a tight hug anyway. Rain drops started sprinkling over the cemetery. Billie rested his head on Amanda's chest, still crying.
"I'm sorry," he breathed.
"Don't be," Amanda replied.
For everything, Billie had wanted to say. He wished he had never went on tour. He wished he had never met Rachael. He wished his dad never died. He wished that Cassie never died. But most importantly, he wished he could lean up against Amanda whenever he wanted, like now, because she understood him better then anyone. But he couldn't. He had blown his chance. She was Mike's now.
"Billie, you know something, the innocent can never last," Amanda said softly.
"The most important thing we can do now is remember them in our hearts and our souls. Our loved ones never leave us."
Billie looked up at her, amazed. He loved her more than anything, he just realized. But it was too late. Lyrics began flooding his head and before he could stop himself he sang:
Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends
Like my fathers come to pass
Seven years has gone so fast
Wake me up when September ends
Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are
As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up when September ends
Amanda looked up.
"Did you just make that up?" she asked amazed.
"Yeah, yeah I did," Billie said, shocked as much as Amanda.
She given him inspiration and an idea for a song that would make him rich and famous in the years to come.
*
Amanda woke up to see she was not in her bed. She was a little scared, but then saw Mike's friendly face smiling at her.
"Hey, time to wake up, it's like 11 o'clock," he said, gently stroking her cheek. Amanda sat up and remembered last night.
"Why am I here?" she yawned. Mike smiled.
"You and Billie fell asleep yesterday in the rain," he replied," I found you two and brought you back here."
"Oh, thanks," Amanda said softly.
"Something wrong?" Mike asked noticing a strange look in her eyes. Amanda was thinking about Billie singing to her last night. She opened her mouth to say something when she heard a shrill voice.
"BILLIE, LIKE, GET UP BABE, BREAKFAST IS READY!"
"Fuck," Amanda said, putting a hand to her head. Rachael's voice was seriously beginning to give her migraines.
"You and Rachael don't get along, huh?" Mike said understandingly.
"I almost slugged that bitch in the bathroom last night," she told him. Mike chuckled.
"Try living with her," he said.
"WHAT-she, she moved in with you guys, holy fuck, no-" Amanda was almost yelling now.
"Calm down, she is Billie's girl and she doesn't live around here," Mike shrugged. Amanda was fuming now.
"Yah, we're all going to the mall today so, I'll just leave so you can get dressed and shit, Kaely brought your clothes for you," Mike said, exiting his room a little scared.
*
At the mall
Once they all got to the mall, they separated into 2 groups. Mike, Kaely, and Tre, who were going to the record store and Billie, Rachael, and Amanda who were going to a small store called "All Guitar" which was, just as the name said, all about guitars. Mike gave Amanda a quick kiss on the lips as the two groups parted. Billie winced. It pained him to see them together. They six kids then went their separate ways.
Billie, Amanda, and Rachael finally reached the store. Amanda knew Rachael didn't play any instruments and was probably as smart as a stick, but she wanted to be with her boyfriend. She probably thought she'd look cool by his side or something. Bitch, Amanda thought. Once they walked in, Amanda walked right over to the Gibson Les Paul models. She wanted one so bad. All she had was her brothers old Fender, which was still good, but she was looking to get a new one. She saw that Billie had already grabbed a guitar, and was strumming some chords. Amanda walked over to him and Rachael, and heard that Billie was singing something softly. It sounded remarkably like what he was singing last night.
"Ooh," Rachael squealed," are you writing a new song, honey?" Billie looked up and nodded.
"Yeah," he said and went back to playing. Rachael interrupted once more.
"Is it about me?" Rachael cooed. Amanda coughed to hide a laugh. Since when did "Like my father's come to pass/Seven years has gone so fast" sound like a love song about Rachael? Rachael looked at Amanda, pissed off.
"Whatever, this is like, extremely stupid anyway. I'm going to Hollister. Wanna come BJ?" she asked sweetly.
"Not really," he grumbled. If there was one thing Amanda had learned about rockers it was this-Never separate a guy from his guitar.
"Whatever," Rachael scoffed, and walked off. Amanda walked back to the Gibson's. God, how she wanted one.
"So," she heard a soft voice creep up behind her," what you got your eye on?" It was Billie.
"Oh nothing, it's not like I could afford this anyway," Amanda said softly.
"Come on lets get outta here," Amanda changed the subject and walked off. Billie stood looking at the guitar for a minute. Christmas was coming up, maybe I could get it for her. Maybe she'll take me back then, he thought.
"Let's go," Amanda said, taking his hand and pulling him out of the store. Billie looked at the guitar one last time and saw the price tag- $3,489.99.
It looks I'll have to sell Blue, he thought.
