Time Spent, chapter 12
I was driving down the road in Pete's truck, desperately searching for someone. I didn't know who I was supposed to be looking for but I searched on regardless. I slammed down on the brakes and flew out of the front windshield. I stretched out my arms and glided towards a tall, shiny building.
I flew through an open window and looked around. Everyone was looking at me and pointing towards the door on the far wall. I went to the door and went to open it. The door began to wiggle and threatened to collapse on me. I jumped back out of the way and screamed in annoyance.
"Let me in, I have to find him!" I beat on the door furiously, tears of frustration streaming down my face. The people that had pointed now crowded around me and grabbed my arms. They pulled me away from the door as I struggled to get back to it. They shoved me back out the window with a weight tied to my ankle so I couldn't fly back up. I plummeted towards the black pavement below, hopelessly straining against the lead ball tied to me.
I hit the pavement and appeared in a small room. I could hear two people fighting in the next room and I walked over to the wall. I put my ear to the wall and listened. I found myself out-of-body and floating through the room.
"Give him back to me!" I saw myself screaming. Tim grinned evilly and grabbed my neck.
"Or what? What are you gonna do to me, hm?" His face transformed into a demon's head and he licked my cheek with his unnaturally long forked tongue. I saw myself shudder.
"Give him back!" I begged in a weak voice, straining to be heard through my crushed throat Tim was still holding.
"Would you do anything for him?" he teased cruelly.
A single tear slid down my cheek. I somehow knew what he wanted but I didn't care. I wanted him back.
"Yes."
"Kiss me like you kiss him."
Another tear slid down my cheek as I debated whether to do it or not.
"Do it or I'll kill him. I swear it."
"You wouldn't!" I denied.
"Look at what I've already done to him. He would probably welcome death at this point. And when he's gone, you'll be all mine..."
He motioned to the wall opposite from the one I had drifted through and it melted away, and Tim began laughing maniacally.
My heart broke when I looked into the opening. Inside sat Billie Joe tied to a chair...I could barely recognize him he was so mutilated. He was unconscious and barely breathing.
"No! No! Let him go!" I sobbed, beating the demon's chest.
"Chris! Chris, wake up baby... "
My eyes shot open to see Billie Joe staring down at me. Hot tears were flowing down my face and I was trembling.
I let out a sob and covered my face with my hands breathing hard. My head was pounding.
I slowly took in my surroundings. Billie Joe's bedroom slowly came into focus and most of last night's events were coming back. I had gone to a party with Billie Joe, Mike and Tre and had drank a little too much. Okay, way too much.
"It's okay, it was just a dream. I told you not to drink that last shot, tequila is not very forgiving," he laughed quietly. "What were you dreaming about?"
I felt like if I opened my mouth to answer I would be sick, but I attempted to respond.
"Tim..." I managed to get out before slamming my mouth shut again. I felt him tense up and clinch his fist.
"God, I'm gonna be sick!" I rolled off the bed, righted myself, and sprinted to the bathroom.
***
I lay back on the cool bathroom tile feeling relief as the feeling of nausea subsided. I stared up at the ceiling, the dream still vividly replaying in my mind. I closed my eyes and began humming loudly, hoping to erase the sight of Billie Joe tied to that chair.
"Felling better?" he asked as he ambled into the bathroom.
My eyes snapped open and I watched him set down a glass of water and a container of aspirin on the counter. He opened the bottom cabinet and pulled out a small towel which he held under cold water before sitting down on the floor beside me.
He didn't say anything as he dabbed my flushed face with the wet towel. I slowly began to feel better and sat up against the wall. Billie Joe sat up on his knees and grasped the glass and container of pills. He handed them to me and sat back down.
"Thanks," I said gratefully before drinking deep from the glass to help choke down two pills.
"Only for you," he said automatically.
I looked up at him watching as he chewed his bottom lip and creased his eyebrows.
"What's wrong with you?" I finally asked.
"Hm?"
"I said, what's wrong?"
"Oh, just thinking."
After waiting for him to elaborate, and him not doing so, I prodded him in the shoulder.
"Ow, what?!"
"You're creeping me out!" I giggled.
A big, cheesy grin spread out across his face.
"Oh I am, am I?" he teased.
"Yes, you are!"
"Maybe you should spank me!"
"Oh my god! Billie Joe!" I laughed, shoving his shoulder.
He laughed too and pulled me over to him. We sat there laughing, him leaning against the counter and me against his bare chest.
"Oh my head! Stop it!" I gasped when I finally stopped laughing, clutching my head
"Mine too!" he managed to get out. (He was still laughing.)
"I'm going back to bed," I told him, shaking my head.
***
I woke up to the sound of my cell phone ringing.
"Ugh... shut up!"
I scrambled to the end of the bed and leaned over to retrieve my jeans that were lying crumpled up on the floor. I pulled my phone out of the pocket and flipped it open.
"What?!"
"That's a nice way to greet the girl who's saving you're ass right now!"
"Amy, what are you talking about?" I asked as I rolled out of bed and slipped on some pants.
"Maybe I don't want to tell you know, not after that nice greeting!"
"Fine, don't tell me. Look, I'm hung over, starving and tired as hell. I'm not in the mood for games ok? Forget this, I'll just hang up."
Billie Joe looked up from the newspaper he was reading as I walked into the kitchen and sat down across from him.
"You'd regret that."
"God dammit! Just spit it out already!"
"Fine! Don't get so upset! Are you sitting down?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Ok... a man came by looking for you this morning. Said it was important, he left his card with mom and said for her to tell you to call him."
"Who was he?"
"Somebody named Collins or something. Chris, he... "
"He what?"
"...he was heading an investigation...on Tim."
I felt the blood leave my face as my last encounter with him and last night's dream flashed through my mind.
"Chris?!" Billie Joe jumped up out of his seat; the chair fell backwards and landed with a crash.
I jumped as it hit the floor. I could feel the bile rising in my throat again and I rushed to the bathroom, tossing the phone onto the table. I could barely hear Amy still on the line.
***
I flushed the toilet and laid my head down on the plastic seat. Why was this nightmare happening to me? What did I do to deserve this torture? When would it end?!
I felt like ever since we got signed, my life had become so much more complicated. I knew life changed after high school, but I never expected this. Our album wasn't even out and I never had a moment's peace. Damn... what would being famous be like?
I wiped the tears from my eyes and stood up slowly. I turned on the faucet, splashed my face and swirled some water in my mouth.
I walked back towards the kitchen but paused outside the door. I could hear Billie Joe talking quietly.
"No."
"Yeah I know that but-"
"Look, I just don't think it's a good idea!"
"Because! Look, you should have seen her face when you told her! I don't want her having to go through with all this shit!"
"I know... yes I know that!"
"Look, when you care for her in the same way I do, then you can criticize."
"Yes, I realize you care for her, but not in the same way I do. You should know that, you've had boyfriends."
"I'm sorry I'm yelling...I just hate seeing her upset."
"Look, this was just really bad timing. She had a nightmare about him last night, I woke up and she was screaming and shaking like a leaf."
"I have no idea; all I know is that it was about him."
"I hate him more than I hate anybody, but it's not a good idea and you know it. The album comes out in a coupe of days... it's just not a good idea, ok?"
"Yeah. Okay, I'm gonna go check on her. We'll talk about this later, ok?"
"Bye."
I heard the phone snap shut and I backtracked back to the bathroom. I sunk onto the floor and tried to make it look as if I had been there the whole time. For some reason, I felt like I shouldn't have heard that conversation.
Billie Joe came into the bathroom and scooped me up into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face into his bare chest. He brought me into the living room and laid me down on the couch. He walked out of the room, leaving me alone.
I closed my eyes for a moment and listened to the various sounds coming in through the window. A car drove by and a bird was chirping. It reminded me that life was still going on as usual, even though my world seemed to have come to s screeching halt.
***
I must have dozed off because I awoke a few hours later when the doorbell rang. There was a blanket draped over me and I pulled it tighter around me. I listened as Billie Joe opened the door. I could hear faint mumbling coming from the person (a man by the sound of his voice). The two of them exchanged words, but I could hear an aggravated tone growing in Billie Joe's voice.
I sat up and looked over the back of the couch towards the front door. I could see Billie Joe standing in the doorway, blocking it with his arms.
"Billie? What's going on?" I asked from across the room.
His head snapped towards me, a guilty look on his face. He sighed and looked back at the man outside the door.
"You can come in now I guess," he told the man at the door.
"Thank you," the man said courteously.
I stood up cautiously and attempted to fix my hair and straighten out my shirt so I was a little more presentable. I still felt like shit and my head hurt but I smiled politely. I shook the man's hand as he introduced himself as an investigator.
"Jim Carver. I'm leading the prosecution against Tim Osborne."
I blanched slightly but somehow managed to introduce myself and offer him a seat in the living room. He sat down and set his briefcase on the coffee table. He popped it open and pulled out a tape recorder.
"I'd like to ask you a few questions if that's okay," Caver said.
"Alright," I told him, glancing over my shoulder at Billie Joe who was sulking in the corner.
"You may stay with her, if you want, as long as you don't interrupt," Carver told him.
Billie Joe walked over and sat on the couch beside me, gently grabbing my hand and holding it between both of his. I gave him a weak smile to show I was ok with this. He only half attempted to return it.
"Alrighty then... lets begin. Ok, please answer honestly and completely. If at any time you wish to stop, I will destroy this tape and never bother you again. Is all that clear?"
"Yes," I told him nodding.
"So how did you first meet Tim Osborne?"
"Well... I not sure exactly how I met him. He just kind of integrated into my lunch table. I think he was friends with one of the guys who sat at the table, Nick-"
"Nick who?" he inturupted
"Frazee."
"Okay, continue."
"As I was saying, I believe he was friends with Nick and just stayed at the table when Nick got moved into another lunch period second semester."
"Did you talk with him often?"
"At lunch I suppose, just general group conversation, but not really one on one."
"What was your general impression of him at the time?"
"Well, I thought he was a pretty cool guy, he was so laid back about everything and always had just the right thing to say... "
Carver waited for me to say more. I didn't want to admit that I had had a crush on him at the time, especially not with Billie Joe sitting there. I never told him and hadn't planned on ever. I glanced in Billie Joe's direction quickly before looking back down. Carver noticed.
"I'd like to ask both of you a few questions individually now. I'll start with you Chris since you're already talking," Carver told us, stopping the tape recorder for a moment.
Billie Joe muttered something and walked back towards the studio and slamming the door loudly.
I jumped a little but grinned gratefully at Carver.
"Thank you, I don't want him to know."
"I got the impression it was something like that," he said, picking the tape recorder back up and pressing the record button back down.
"Ok, please continue where you left off."
"Um...okay. Well, I thought he was really smooth as I said and... ugh. I had a crush on him at the time," I mumbled.
"Did you ever see him outside of school?"
"He showed up to a lot of the parties people would throw on the weekends, he was usually the life of the party. I never really saw him on a more intimate setting; he was never in my close circle of friends. Oh and one of our first dates, Billie Joe took me to play paintball with him and Tim was there. He apparently played with Billie Joe and the guys a lot."
"I'm sorry, could you specify on who 'the guys' are?"
"Oh, sorry, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool, the other two members of Billie Joe's band, Green Day."
"Can you tell me about the twentieth of July?"
I began picking at the blanket still lying next to me on the couch. I could feel the blood draining from my face for the billionth time that day. I opened my mouth to start but I couldn't. I just couldn't bring myself to say it, to confess what happened to me to a complete stranger.
Carver studied me for a moment before stopping the tape recorder once again.
"If you need him to be in here for this part, he can come back in."
I nodded and got up to go get Billie Joe in his studio. I walked back and stopped outside the door. I pressed my ear to the door and could hear him furiously strumming a song out on a guitar.
I opened the door slowly and creped into the room, closing the door behind me. Billie Joe looked up, an aggravated look on his face. He remained where he was standing but he had stopped playing. We just stood there for a moment before I finally broke the silence.
"I... I... " I took a deep breath and fought back the tears I could feel creeping into my eyes. "I don't think I can tell him," I whimpered pathetically, unable to hold the single tear back that slowly crept down my face.
He slung the guitar behind him so that it hung across his back and walked over to me. He pulled me into his arms and wiped the tear from my cheek. He held me as I cried softly into his chest. I absent-mindedly plucked at the strings on the guitar still slung on his back.
"Stay here, I'll be right back."
He put his guitar back on the stand on the way out and left me standing in the middle of the room. I sighed and wiped my eyes. I sat on a chair in the corner and glanced around the room. It wasn't really a 'studio', that's just what Billie Joe called it. It was really just where he kept his various guitars on display and wrote music. There was a desk in the corner that was covered in papers, both crumpled and un-crumpled, as well as a trashcan full of more crumpled paper... and beer cans.
I got up and paced the room, wondering what Billie Joe could possibly be doing. After about my twelfth circuit he finally came back in. I stopped pacing and looked at him. He looked decided on something and I waited for him to speak.
"I talked to him," he said slowly.
"...and?" I asked after he didn't continue.
He grabbed my hand and pulled me after him over to the chair I had vacated earlier. He sat me down and kneeled before me.
"Chris... I think you should do this."
"Huh?"
"If you go through with this, there will be so much evidence against Tim that he can never even come near you again. I won't have to worry he's watching you or going to hurt you when I'm not around... Chris... I... I can't take this much longer. I'll be with you every moment through all of it; I'll be there to support you."
"But... but you said-"
"Ignore what I said before. I was blinded by my own thoughts. I was being stupid. I thought it was going to hurt you worse. But now I see that it will keep you safe from him forever. He'll get life for his crimes against you and the others-"
"Others?!" I asked shocked.
"Yeah... Carver told me the whole situation just now. After he finally left here, he went to Vegas and... well... now there are others to add to the list. That's why Carver is here, you were the first... victim."
I shuddered. To think I had once had a crush on the guy.
"Please Chris," he begged, raising his hand and tucking the piece of hair that had fallen into my eyes back behind my ear. "Please do this... for me. You'll be glad you did later, I promise."
I met his green eyes and held his gaze. He was searching for my answer, begging me silently to say yes.
"Okay, I'll do it."
"Thank you, thank you," he whispered relieved. He stood up and hugged me tightly.
***
"You ready?" Carver asked once I had sat back down on the couch.
I glanced at Billie Joe who squeezed my hand reassuringly and smiled. I smiled back and turned back to Carver.
"Yes, let's get this over with."
"Okay, so tell me exactly what happened, don't leave anything out."
"Well... "
***
I sighed and wiped my eyes. I flopped back down onto the couch and Billie Joe dived on beside me. Carver had just left and we finally had the house to ourselves again. I glanced at the clock on the wall which read 5: 46.
"Geez, it's late!"
I only got a "humph" from Billie Joe beside me who had his head buried into a pillow. I laughed and pushed him off of the couch. My hangover had mostly worn off by now and I was feeling like an enormous weight was off my shoulders. It wasn't only the first Carver was hearing the entire story; it was Billie Joe's as well. He had only heard a skewed truth from other people.
Billie Joe reached up from the floor and pulled me down beside him. I screamed and fell hard onto the floor. He began to tickle me and I screamed louder and began to struggle to get away from him. I was pinned in between him and the couch however and couldn't get away. My cell phone started ringing, lucky for me.
I was able to get away from Billie Joe and I ran into the kitchen.
"Hello?" I asked breathlessly, still laughing slightly.
"My my, you're in a good mood."
"Hey Amy, what's up?"
"Do you remember Mom telling us Aunt Abigail was coming in for a few days? Next week sometime?"
"Yeah, why?"
"She's here early."
"What?! Ugh... "
"I know. Mom told me to call you. You're supposed to come home; she'll be back from the airport in about an hour."
"Okay, fine," I sighed. "I'll be there soon."
"Okay, bye."
I flipped the phone closed and headed back into the living room.
"Billie Joe, where did you go?"
"Here!" he screamed from behind me, grabbing me tightly.
I screamed before I began laughing hysterically and felt my heart race in my chest.
"Oh my god! You scared the shit out of me!"
"I know, that was priceless!" He giggled.
When my heart began beating normally again, I told him what Amy had said.
"What? Oh man!" he whined. "I wanted you to stay here tonight!"
"Well... you could come with me," I told him sweetly, tracing the line of his back down to his rear. "As long as you can stand going out to dinner with my family."
"Hm... I think I could handle that," he told me, his voice becoming husky.
I smiled mischievously upon hearing his voice. I could tell that he was becoming aroused and that he would do anything I asked.
"Okay, I'll just go grab a hoodie and then we'll go," I told him, heading for the stairs. "I'll take a shower when we get there, I don't have any clean things to wear here."
I flew through an open window and looked around. Everyone was looking at me and pointing towards the door on the far wall. I went to the door and went to open it. The door began to wiggle and threatened to collapse on me. I jumped back out of the way and screamed in annoyance.
"Let me in, I have to find him!" I beat on the door furiously, tears of frustration streaming down my face. The people that had pointed now crowded around me and grabbed my arms. They pulled me away from the door as I struggled to get back to it. They shoved me back out the window with a weight tied to my ankle so I couldn't fly back up. I plummeted towards the black pavement below, hopelessly straining against the lead ball tied to me.
I hit the pavement and appeared in a small room. I could hear two people fighting in the next room and I walked over to the wall. I put my ear to the wall and listened. I found myself out-of-body and floating through the room.
"Give him back to me!" I saw myself screaming. Tim grinned evilly and grabbed my neck.
"Or what? What are you gonna do to me, hm?" His face transformed into a demon's head and he licked my cheek with his unnaturally long forked tongue. I saw myself shudder.
"Give him back!" I begged in a weak voice, straining to be heard through my crushed throat Tim was still holding.
"Would you do anything for him?" he teased cruelly.
A single tear slid down my cheek. I somehow knew what he wanted but I didn't care. I wanted him back.
"Yes."
"Kiss me like you kiss him."
Another tear slid down my cheek as I debated whether to do it or not.
"Do it or I'll kill him. I swear it."
"You wouldn't!" I denied.
"Look at what I've already done to him. He would probably welcome death at this point. And when he's gone, you'll be all mine..."
He motioned to the wall opposite from the one I had drifted through and it melted away, and Tim began laughing maniacally.
My heart broke when I looked into the opening. Inside sat Billie Joe tied to a chair...I could barely recognize him he was so mutilated. He was unconscious and barely breathing.
"No! No! Let him go!" I sobbed, beating the demon's chest.
"Chris! Chris, wake up baby... "
My eyes shot open to see Billie Joe staring down at me. Hot tears were flowing down my face and I was trembling.
I let out a sob and covered my face with my hands breathing hard. My head was pounding.
I slowly took in my surroundings. Billie Joe's bedroom slowly came into focus and most of last night's events were coming back. I had gone to a party with Billie Joe, Mike and Tre and had drank a little too much. Okay, way too much.
"It's okay, it was just a dream. I told you not to drink that last shot, tequila is not very forgiving," he laughed quietly. "What were you dreaming about?"
I felt like if I opened my mouth to answer I would be sick, but I attempted to respond.
"Tim..." I managed to get out before slamming my mouth shut again. I felt him tense up and clinch his fist.
"God, I'm gonna be sick!" I rolled off the bed, righted myself, and sprinted to the bathroom.
***
I lay back on the cool bathroom tile feeling relief as the feeling of nausea subsided. I stared up at the ceiling, the dream still vividly replaying in my mind. I closed my eyes and began humming loudly, hoping to erase the sight of Billie Joe tied to that chair.
"Felling better?" he asked as he ambled into the bathroom.
My eyes snapped open and I watched him set down a glass of water and a container of aspirin on the counter. He opened the bottom cabinet and pulled out a small towel which he held under cold water before sitting down on the floor beside me.
He didn't say anything as he dabbed my flushed face with the wet towel. I slowly began to feel better and sat up against the wall. Billie Joe sat up on his knees and grasped the glass and container of pills. He handed them to me and sat back down.
"Thanks," I said gratefully before drinking deep from the glass to help choke down two pills.
"Only for you," he said automatically.
I looked up at him watching as he chewed his bottom lip and creased his eyebrows.
"What's wrong with you?" I finally asked.
"Hm?"
"I said, what's wrong?"
"Oh, just thinking."
After waiting for him to elaborate, and him not doing so, I prodded him in the shoulder.
"Ow, what?!"
"You're creeping me out!" I giggled.
A big, cheesy grin spread out across his face.
"Oh I am, am I?" he teased.
"Yes, you are!"
"Maybe you should spank me!"
"Oh my god! Billie Joe!" I laughed, shoving his shoulder.
He laughed too and pulled me over to him. We sat there laughing, him leaning against the counter and me against his bare chest.
"Oh my head! Stop it!" I gasped when I finally stopped laughing, clutching my head
"Mine too!" he managed to get out. (He was still laughing.)
"I'm going back to bed," I told him, shaking my head.
***
I woke up to the sound of my cell phone ringing.
"Ugh... shut up!"
I scrambled to the end of the bed and leaned over to retrieve my jeans that were lying crumpled up on the floor. I pulled my phone out of the pocket and flipped it open.
"What?!"
"That's a nice way to greet the girl who's saving you're ass right now!"
"Amy, what are you talking about?" I asked as I rolled out of bed and slipped on some pants.
"Maybe I don't want to tell you know, not after that nice greeting!"
"Fine, don't tell me. Look, I'm hung over, starving and tired as hell. I'm not in the mood for games ok? Forget this, I'll just hang up."
Billie Joe looked up from the newspaper he was reading as I walked into the kitchen and sat down across from him.
"You'd regret that."
"God dammit! Just spit it out already!"
"Fine! Don't get so upset! Are you sitting down?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Ok... a man came by looking for you this morning. Said it was important, he left his card with mom and said for her to tell you to call him."
"Who was he?"
"Somebody named Collins or something. Chris, he... "
"He what?"
"...he was heading an investigation...on Tim."
I felt the blood leave my face as my last encounter with him and last night's dream flashed through my mind.
"Chris?!" Billie Joe jumped up out of his seat; the chair fell backwards and landed with a crash.
I jumped as it hit the floor. I could feel the bile rising in my throat again and I rushed to the bathroom, tossing the phone onto the table. I could barely hear Amy still on the line.
***
I flushed the toilet and laid my head down on the plastic seat. Why was this nightmare happening to me? What did I do to deserve this torture? When would it end?!
I felt like ever since we got signed, my life had become so much more complicated. I knew life changed after high school, but I never expected this. Our album wasn't even out and I never had a moment's peace. Damn... what would being famous be like?
I wiped the tears from my eyes and stood up slowly. I turned on the faucet, splashed my face and swirled some water in my mouth.
I walked back towards the kitchen but paused outside the door. I could hear Billie Joe talking quietly.
"No."
"Yeah I know that but-"
"Look, I just don't think it's a good idea!"
"Because! Look, you should have seen her face when you told her! I don't want her having to go through with all this shit!"
"I know... yes I know that!"
"Look, when you care for her in the same way I do, then you can criticize."
"Yes, I realize you care for her, but not in the same way I do. You should know that, you've had boyfriends."
"I'm sorry I'm yelling...I just hate seeing her upset."
"Look, this was just really bad timing. She had a nightmare about him last night, I woke up and she was screaming and shaking like a leaf."
"I have no idea; all I know is that it was about him."
"I hate him more than I hate anybody, but it's not a good idea and you know it. The album comes out in a coupe of days... it's just not a good idea, ok?"
"Yeah. Okay, I'm gonna go check on her. We'll talk about this later, ok?"
"Bye."
I heard the phone snap shut and I backtracked back to the bathroom. I sunk onto the floor and tried to make it look as if I had been there the whole time. For some reason, I felt like I shouldn't have heard that conversation.
Billie Joe came into the bathroom and scooped me up into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face into his bare chest. He brought me into the living room and laid me down on the couch. He walked out of the room, leaving me alone.
I closed my eyes for a moment and listened to the various sounds coming in through the window. A car drove by and a bird was chirping. It reminded me that life was still going on as usual, even though my world seemed to have come to s screeching halt.
***
I must have dozed off because I awoke a few hours later when the doorbell rang. There was a blanket draped over me and I pulled it tighter around me. I listened as Billie Joe opened the door. I could hear faint mumbling coming from the person (a man by the sound of his voice). The two of them exchanged words, but I could hear an aggravated tone growing in Billie Joe's voice.
I sat up and looked over the back of the couch towards the front door. I could see Billie Joe standing in the doorway, blocking it with his arms.
"Billie? What's going on?" I asked from across the room.
His head snapped towards me, a guilty look on his face. He sighed and looked back at the man outside the door.
"You can come in now I guess," he told the man at the door.
"Thank you," the man said courteously.
I stood up cautiously and attempted to fix my hair and straighten out my shirt so I was a little more presentable. I still felt like shit and my head hurt but I smiled politely. I shook the man's hand as he introduced himself as an investigator.
"Jim Carver. I'm leading the prosecution against Tim Osborne."
I blanched slightly but somehow managed to introduce myself and offer him a seat in the living room. He sat down and set his briefcase on the coffee table. He popped it open and pulled out a tape recorder.
"I'd like to ask you a few questions if that's okay," Caver said.
"Alright," I told him, glancing over my shoulder at Billie Joe who was sulking in the corner.
"You may stay with her, if you want, as long as you don't interrupt," Carver told him.
Billie Joe walked over and sat on the couch beside me, gently grabbing my hand and holding it between both of his. I gave him a weak smile to show I was ok with this. He only half attempted to return it.
"Alrighty then... lets begin. Ok, please answer honestly and completely. If at any time you wish to stop, I will destroy this tape and never bother you again. Is all that clear?"
"Yes," I told him nodding.
"So how did you first meet Tim Osborne?"
"Well... I not sure exactly how I met him. He just kind of integrated into my lunch table. I think he was friends with one of the guys who sat at the table, Nick-"
"Nick who?" he inturupted
"Frazee."
"Okay, continue."
"As I was saying, I believe he was friends with Nick and just stayed at the table when Nick got moved into another lunch period second semester."
"Did you talk with him often?"
"At lunch I suppose, just general group conversation, but not really one on one."
"What was your general impression of him at the time?"
"Well, I thought he was a pretty cool guy, he was so laid back about everything and always had just the right thing to say... "
Carver waited for me to say more. I didn't want to admit that I had had a crush on him at the time, especially not with Billie Joe sitting there. I never told him and hadn't planned on ever. I glanced in Billie Joe's direction quickly before looking back down. Carver noticed.
"I'd like to ask both of you a few questions individually now. I'll start with you Chris since you're already talking," Carver told us, stopping the tape recorder for a moment.
Billie Joe muttered something and walked back towards the studio and slamming the door loudly.
I jumped a little but grinned gratefully at Carver.
"Thank you, I don't want him to know."
"I got the impression it was something like that," he said, picking the tape recorder back up and pressing the record button back down.
"Ok, please continue where you left off."
"Um...okay. Well, I thought he was really smooth as I said and... ugh. I had a crush on him at the time," I mumbled.
"Did you ever see him outside of school?"
"He showed up to a lot of the parties people would throw on the weekends, he was usually the life of the party. I never really saw him on a more intimate setting; he was never in my close circle of friends. Oh and one of our first dates, Billie Joe took me to play paintball with him and Tim was there. He apparently played with Billie Joe and the guys a lot."
"I'm sorry, could you specify on who 'the guys' are?"
"Oh, sorry, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool, the other two members of Billie Joe's band, Green Day."
"Can you tell me about the twentieth of July?"
I began picking at the blanket still lying next to me on the couch. I could feel the blood draining from my face for the billionth time that day. I opened my mouth to start but I couldn't. I just couldn't bring myself to say it, to confess what happened to me to a complete stranger.
Carver studied me for a moment before stopping the tape recorder once again.
"If you need him to be in here for this part, he can come back in."
I nodded and got up to go get Billie Joe in his studio. I walked back and stopped outside the door. I pressed my ear to the door and could hear him furiously strumming a song out on a guitar.
I opened the door slowly and creped into the room, closing the door behind me. Billie Joe looked up, an aggravated look on his face. He remained where he was standing but he had stopped playing. We just stood there for a moment before I finally broke the silence.
"I... I... " I took a deep breath and fought back the tears I could feel creeping into my eyes. "I don't think I can tell him," I whimpered pathetically, unable to hold the single tear back that slowly crept down my face.
He slung the guitar behind him so that it hung across his back and walked over to me. He pulled me into his arms and wiped the tear from my cheek. He held me as I cried softly into his chest. I absent-mindedly plucked at the strings on the guitar still slung on his back.
"Stay here, I'll be right back."
He put his guitar back on the stand on the way out and left me standing in the middle of the room. I sighed and wiped my eyes. I sat on a chair in the corner and glanced around the room. It wasn't really a 'studio', that's just what Billie Joe called it. It was really just where he kept his various guitars on display and wrote music. There was a desk in the corner that was covered in papers, both crumpled and un-crumpled, as well as a trashcan full of more crumpled paper... and beer cans.
I got up and paced the room, wondering what Billie Joe could possibly be doing. After about my twelfth circuit he finally came back in. I stopped pacing and looked at him. He looked decided on something and I waited for him to speak.
"I talked to him," he said slowly.
"...and?" I asked after he didn't continue.
He grabbed my hand and pulled me after him over to the chair I had vacated earlier. He sat me down and kneeled before me.
"Chris... I think you should do this."
"Huh?"
"If you go through with this, there will be so much evidence against Tim that he can never even come near you again. I won't have to worry he's watching you or going to hurt you when I'm not around... Chris... I... I can't take this much longer. I'll be with you every moment through all of it; I'll be there to support you."
"But... but you said-"
"Ignore what I said before. I was blinded by my own thoughts. I was being stupid. I thought it was going to hurt you worse. But now I see that it will keep you safe from him forever. He'll get life for his crimes against you and the others-"
"Others?!" I asked shocked.
"Yeah... Carver told me the whole situation just now. After he finally left here, he went to Vegas and... well... now there are others to add to the list. That's why Carver is here, you were the first... victim."
I shuddered. To think I had once had a crush on the guy.
"Please Chris," he begged, raising his hand and tucking the piece of hair that had fallen into my eyes back behind my ear. "Please do this... for me. You'll be glad you did later, I promise."
I met his green eyes and held his gaze. He was searching for my answer, begging me silently to say yes.
"Okay, I'll do it."
"Thank you, thank you," he whispered relieved. He stood up and hugged me tightly.
***
"You ready?" Carver asked once I had sat back down on the couch.
I glanced at Billie Joe who squeezed my hand reassuringly and smiled. I smiled back and turned back to Carver.
"Yes, let's get this over with."
"Okay, so tell me exactly what happened, don't leave anything out."
"Well... "
***
I sighed and wiped my eyes. I flopped back down onto the couch and Billie Joe dived on beside me. Carver had just left and we finally had the house to ourselves again. I glanced at the clock on the wall which read 5: 46.
"Geez, it's late!"
I only got a "humph" from Billie Joe beside me who had his head buried into a pillow. I laughed and pushed him off of the couch. My hangover had mostly worn off by now and I was feeling like an enormous weight was off my shoulders. It wasn't only the first Carver was hearing the entire story; it was Billie Joe's as well. He had only heard a skewed truth from other people.
Billie Joe reached up from the floor and pulled me down beside him. I screamed and fell hard onto the floor. He began to tickle me and I screamed louder and began to struggle to get away from him. I was pinned in between him and the couch however and couldn't get away. My cell phone started ringing, lucky for me.
I was able to get away from Billie Joe and I ran into the kitchen.
"Hello?" I asked breathlessly, still laughing slightly.
"My my, you're in a good mood."
"Hey Amy, what's up?"
"Do you remember Mom telling us Aunt Abigail was coming in for a few days? Next week sometime?"
"Yeah, why?"
"She's here early."
"What?! Ugh... "
"I know. Mom told me to call you. You're supposed to come home; she'll be back from the airport in about an hour."
"Okay, fine," I sighed. "I'll be there soon."
"Okay, bye."
I flipped the phone closed and headed back into the living room.
"Billie Joe, where did you go?"
"Here!" he screamed from behind me, grabbing me tightly.
I screamed before I began laughing hysterically and felt my heart race in my chest.
"Oh my god! You scared the shit out of me!"
"I know, that was priceless!" He giggled.
When my heart began beating normally again, I told him what Amy had said.
"What? Oh man!" he whined. "I wanted you to stay here tonight!"
"Well... you could come with me," I told him sweetly, tracing the line of his back down to his rear. "As long as you can stand going out to dinner with my family."
"Hm... I think I could handle that," he told me, his voice becoming husky.
I smiled mischievously upon hearing his voice. I could tell that he was becoming aroused and that he would do anything I asked.
"Okay, I'll just go grab a hoodie and then we'll go," I told him, heading for the stairs. "I'll take a shower when we get there, I don't have any clean things to wear here."
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