Billie and Amanda, chapter 14
Billie was running through a thick forest. Darkness surrounded him. The wind blew in his face as he ran. He looked down to see a gun in his hand. Billie had a sudden urge to pull the trigger. He did. Nothing happened. Billie picked up his feet and ran again, increasing his speed by the second. Finally he stopped at a bay. It had beautiful, dark water. He was transfixed by it and gazed down into it, not breaking eye contact. He brought the gun up to his head and-
"BANG!" Billie awoke with a start. He turned his gaze over to the TV, which was turned up loud and had woken him up.
"A young man by the name of Jimmy, has just committed suicide in the San Francisco Bay. He was 19 years old. The young man put a gun to his head and shot himself. His body has not been found. The family ask their last name be withheld," a young reporter spoke. Billie was shivering and sweating. It was a nightmare, just a nightmare, he thought. At that moment Amanda walked in.
"Sorry," she said, turning the TV down. Billie grinned.
"It's OK," he replied. Amanda sat down on the couch next to him.
"C'mon, we're going to my house, my parents want to meet you," she said.
"What! No way, I'm not good with-with parents," Billie stuttered.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Amanda said, giving him a hug.
*
"Ready?" Amanda asked Billie casually. They were standing in front of Amanda's house.
"No," Billie replied like a grouch, " let's just get this over with."
Amanda opened the door to her house and walked in to be greeted by her mother.
"Hi dear," she said. Billie stood awkwardly at the door. Should I stay or should I go, he thought? It made him think of the song, so he began humming it. This got Amanda's mom's attention. She turned to face him.
"And you must be Billie," she stuck out her hand and they shook hands," nice to finally meet you."
Moms were easy, the dads were the hard part, Billie thought.
"Why don't you two wait in Amanda's room while I finish up with dinner," she asked smiling.
"Alright," Amanda said, pulling Billie into her room. Once they got in, Billie looked around and saw it was a lot like his.
"Make yourself at home," Amanda said," I'll be right back, I have to go to the bathroom." She kissed Billie on the cheek and walked out. Billie walked over to her guitar and began strumming a new song he had written. Then, something caught his eye. He walked over to Amanda's desk and picked up a small picture of a little girl in a soccer uniform. She looked a lot like Amanda.
Billie turned the picture over to see the date was about 5 years ago. He did the math. It must be Cassie. Billie felt a tear come to his eye. It wasn't just about Cassie, but his dad too. Just then, Billie spotted a pamphlet sitting buried under a whole bunch of papers and crap.
I shouldn't snoop, he thought. It was so hard to resist, so he decided he would just take a glance. One quick look wouldn't hurt, right? He dug the pamphlet out from under all the junk that was on Amanda's desk. He was shocked by what he saw. U.S. Army. Billie flipped it open and read:
The U.S. Army is made of committed Enlisted Soldiers and Officers serving together to protect America's freedoms and to preserve the peace. This kind of commitment makes each and every one of these Soldiers the embodiment of selfless service.
The Army is a key component of the U.S. Armed Forces, providing expeditionary land forces wherever—and whenever—they are required. Working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Defense, the Army trains and equips Soldiers—and creates leaders among them—to rapidly respond when they are called upon to serve our Nation.
Billie was shocked. What was this for? He had so many questions.
"Hey c'mon, mom's done with dinner," Amanda said walking into the room. Billie tried to hide the evidence by stuffing it under all the papers. No luck.
"What-what is that?" Amanda asked nearing him.
"N-nothing," Billie stuttered. He tried to put the paper down, but Amanda was too fast for him, and she grabbed it.
"Why are you going through my stuff?" she asked. Amanda took the brochure and stuffed it in her desk.
"C'mon, let's go eat," she said grumpily. She walked toward the door but Billie caught her hand.
"I'm sorry-alright? But I have to know, are you thinking about enlisting or something... " Billie asked softly.
"N-no, look it was my brother's, it's no big deal," Amanda said quickly. A little too quickly maybe.
"Let's just not talk about this again," she said again.
"Fine, I'm sorry though," Billie said.
"Yeah," Amanda said. Billie pulled her into a hug, but she wriggled away, leaving Billie empty-handed.
*
"So, what do you do boy?" Amanda's dad commanded. They were sitting down eating dinner.
"I'm in a band- Green Day, sir," Billie replied. He stuck his fork into his meat and played around with it for a while. He noticed Amanda eyeing him, and quickly put it down.
"A band, huh?" her dad asked in disgust.
"Uh, yeah," he replied.
"So you're a bum?" he looked at Billie with commanding eyes.
"Dad!" Amanda said through her teeth.
"Sorry," he answered, shrugging.
"Don't be so hard on him, he's nice and hardworking and Amanda likes him and that's all that matters," Amanda's mom said. Thank God for her, Billie thought.
"Hmmm. Where do you live?" her dad asked once more. Billie gave him the address.
"All on your own? That's not healthy I tell you, you're too young," Amanda's dad said.
"I-uh," Billie stuttered.
"So, honey, Amanda tells me you play guitar-like her?" her mom asked nicely.
"Yeah," Billie said," I even wrote a couple songs about her." Amanda's dad snorted. Billie blushed.
"You go to school?" her dad commanded.
"I-uh, no sir," Billie answered cautiously.
"And why not? You should be." He was making this really hard for Billie.
"I dropped out," Billie said simply. Amanda's dad dropped his fork and looked over at him, open mouthed.
"How do you expect to get a decent job? Support yourself? Your family? How would you take care of my little girl?" he bombarded Billie with questions.
"I-uh, uh," Billie looked over at Amanda for help but she was looking down," um, well I would, uh-"
"Would you like some chocolate cake?" Amanda's mom asked.
"Yes," Billie replied, extremely fast.
"Please," he added.
The rest of the evening was pretty much like that. Amanda's dad would shove questions down his throat and watch him struggle. Her mom would come to the rescue. Amanda was unusually quiet for most of the evening though.
*
"Thanks for coming dear," Amanda's mom said nicely to Billie.
"Yeah-sure," Billie said. He and Amanda walked out of the door.
"Phew! Damn you're dad's tough. He fucking hates me!" Billie said.
"No, I think he likes you actually, that's him in a good mood," Amanda said.
"Well, bye then," Amanda said cautiously.
"Bye babe," Billie said again. He kissed Amanda on the cheek, but she didn't bother to kiss him back. She turned around and walked back in the house. Billie had so many questions. Did the dream he had that morning mean anything? What was that Army pamphlet doing on Amanda's desk? Who was Jimmy? It seemed like Billie knew him. And why had Amanda been so quiet all evening? Billie got in his car and pulled out of the driveway, lost in his thoughts.
"BANG!" Billie awoke with a start. He turned his gaze over to the TV, which was turned up loud and had woken him up.
"A young man by the name of Jimmy, has just committed suicide in the San Francisco Bay. He was 19 years old. The young man put a gun to his head and shot himself. His body has not been found. The family ask their last name be withheld," a young reporter spoke. Billie was shivering and sweating. It was a nightmare, just a nightmare, he thought. At that moment Amanda walked in.
"Sorry," she said, turning the TV down. Billie grinned.
"It's OK," he replied. Amanda sat down on the couch next to him.
"C'mon, we're going to my house, my parents want to meet you," she said.
"What! No way, I'm not good with-with parents," Billie stuttered.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Amanda said, giving him a hug.
*
"Ready?" Amanda asked Billie casually. They were standing in front of Amanda's house.
"No," Billie replied like a grouch, " let's just get this over with."
Amanda opened the door to her house and walked in to be greeted by her mother.
"Hi dear," she said. Billie stood awkwardly at the door. Should I stay or should I go, he thought? It made him think of the song, so he began humming it. This got Amanda's mom's attention. She turned to face him.
"And you must be Billie," she stuck out her hand and they shook hands," nice to finally meet you."
Moms were easy, the dads were the hard part, Billie thought.
"Why don't you two wait in Amanda's room while I finish up with dinner," she asked smiling.
"Alright," Amanda said, pulling Billie into her room. Once they got in, Billie looked around and saw it was a lot like his.
"Make yourself at home," Amanda said," I'll be right back, I have to go to the bathroom." She kissed Billie on the cheek and walked out. Billie walked over to her guitar and began strumming a new song he had written. Then, something caught his eye. He walked over to Amanda's desk and picked up a small picture of a little girl in a soccer uniform. She looked a lot like Amanda.
Billie turned the picture over to see the date was about 5 years ago. He did the math. It must be Cassie. Billie felt a tear come to his eye. It wasn't just about Cassie, but his dad too. Just then, Billie spotted a pamphlet sitting buried under a whole bunch of papers and crap.
I shouldn't snoop, he thought. It was so hard to resist, so he decided he would just take a glance. One quick look wouldn't hurt, right? He dug the pamphlet out from under all the junk that was on Amanda's desk. He was shocked by what he saw. U.S. Army. Billie flipped it open and read:
The U.S. Army is made of committed Enlisted Soldiers and Officers serving together to protect America's freedoms and to preserve the peace. This kind of commitment makes each and every one of these Soldiers the embodiment of selfless service.
The Army is a key component of the U.S. Armed Forces, providing expeditionary land forces wherever—and whenever—they are required. Working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Defense, the Army trains and equips Soldiers—and creates leaders among them—to rapidly respond when they are called upon to serve our Nation.
Billie was shocked. What was this for? He had so many questions.
"Hey c'mon, mom's done with dinner," Amanda said walking into the room. Billie tried to hide the evidence by stuffing it under all the papers. No luck.
"What-what is that?" Amanda asked nearing him.
"N-nothing," Billie stuttered. He tried to put the paper down, but Amanda was too fast for him, and she grabbed it.
"Why are you going through my stuff?" she asked. Amanda took the brochure and stuffed it in her desk.
"C'mon, let's go eat," she said grumpily. She walked toward the door but Billie caught her hand.
"I'm sorry-alright? But I have to know, are you thinking about enlisting or something... " Billie asked softly.
"N-no, look it was my brother's, it's no big deal," Amanda said quickly. A little too quickly maybe.
"Let's just not talk about this again," she said again.
"Fine, I'm sorry though," Billie said.
"Yeah," Amanda said. Billie pulled her into a hug, but she wriggled away, leaving Billie empty-handed.
*
"So, what do you do boy?" Amanda's dad commanded. They were sitting down eating dinner.
"I'm in a band- Green Day, sir," Billie replied. He stuck his fork into his meat and played around with it for a while. He noticed Amanda eyeing him, and quickly put it down.
"A band, huh?" her dad asked in disgust.
"Uh, yeah," he replied.
"So you're a bum?" he looked at Billie with commanding eyes.
"Dad!" Amanda said through her teeth.
"Sorry," he answered, shrugging.
"Don't be so hard on him, he's nice and hardworking and Amanda likes him and that's all that matters," Amanda's mom said. Thank God for her, Billie thought.
"Hmmm. Where do you live?" her dad asked once more. Billie gave him the address.
"All on your own? That's not healthy I tell you, you're too young," Amanda's dad said.
"I-uh," Billie stuttered.
"So, honey, Amanda tells me you play guitar-like her?" her mom asked nicely.
"Yeah," Billie said," I even wrote a couple songs about her." Amanda's dad snorted. Billie blushed.
"You go to school?" her dad commanded.
"I-uh, no sir," Billie answered cautiously.
"And why not? You should be." He was making this really hard for Billie.
"I dropped out," Billie said simply. Amanda's dad dropped his fork and looked over at him, open mouthed.
"How do you expect to get a decent job? Support yourself? Your family? How would you take care of my little girl?" he bombarded Billie with questions.
"I-uh, uh," Billie looked over at Amanda for help but she was looking down," um, well I would, uh-"
"Would you like some chocolate cake?" Amanda's mom asked.
"Yes," Billie replied, extremely fast.
"Please," he added.
The rest of the evening was pretty much like that. Amanda's dad would shove questions down his throat and watch him struggle. Her mom would come to the rescue. Amanda was unusually quiet for most of the evening though.
*
"Thanks for coming dear," Amanda's mom said nicely to Billie.
"Yeah-sure," Billie said. He and Amanda walked out of the door.
"Phew! Damn you're dad's tough. He fucking hates me!" Billie said.
"No, I think he likes you actually, that's him in a good mood," Amanda said.
"Well, bye then," Amanda said cautiously.
"Bye babe," Billie said again. He kissed Amanda on the cheek, but she didn't bother to kiss him back. She turned around and walked back in the house. Billie had so many questions. Did the dream he had that morning mean anything? What was that Army pamphlet doing on Amanda's desk? Who was Jimmy? It seemed like Billie knew him. And why had Amanda been so quiet all evening? Billie got in his car and pulled out of the driveway, lost in his thoughts.
