Time Spent, chapter 4
I ran into my room and threw open the closet. What was I going to wear?! Well, I didn't know where we were going and it's not like he actually said this was a date. Man this was hard. I decided on jeans and a black wifebeater, casual was probably a better idea. I went into the bathroom and put on eyeliner and a little mascara. Now all I had to do was wait.
Fifteen minutes had passed and I was starting to get nervous. I was used to hanging out with guys, even ones I had a crush on, but this was different. This was the man I had had a crush on ever since I was in sixth grade. This was Billie Joe Armstrong, the lead singer of Green Day.
Finally I heard a car pull up the driveway. I took a deep breath, threw on the old pair of converse lying by the door and went outside.
Wow. He had a really nice car. I opened the door and got in.
"Hey," he said casually and grinned at me.
"Hi," I replied in a small voice.
"So have you ever been paintballing?" he asked me.
I looked at him with one eyebrow raised.
***
We had been driving a while when we finally stopped outside a wide, low building out in the middle of nowhere. We got out of the car and walked towards it.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked him.
He laughed. "Everyone has to do this once. You won't regret it, don't worry."
He went and talked to the guy at the counter and then turned to me.
"Ready?"
"Um... "
I followed him into a room and changed into an oversized pair of coveralls and the man issued me some giant goggle-helmet thing. Then he took me over and told me how to use a gun.
Then we went out onto the course and joined a large group of people standing there.
"Hey Billie Joe!"
An intimidating man came over with his hand outstretched.
"Hey man, how's it goin?" Billie Joe replied, shaking his hand. "This is Chris; she's the bass player in the new band Reprise Records just signed."
"You brought a girl? Where are Tre and Mike?" He asked clearly giving me the brush off and not even bothering to shake my hand.
"Busy. Besides, girls are capable of pulling a trigger. Just watch, she'll kick your sorry ass!" He laughed and winked at me.
I smiled back and watched the man walk back over to talk to his buddies. He gestured towards us while his cronies smirked.
"He's not very nice... " I muttered.
"Yeah, he thinks he's a big shot paintballer, a big shot everything actually. You won't have to worry about him though. It's that guy you'll have to worry about. Good thing he's on our team."
I followed his pointing finger and my jaw dropped open. Billie Joe noticed my shock.
"What's wrong?" he asked me.
"I know him!" I responded, blushing slightly.
"You do? Hey Tim! Come over here!" he shouted.
Tim turned around and jogged over.
"Sup man?" Tim high-fived him.
"Hey you know Chris?" Billie Joe asked him nodding his head in my direction.
"Oh shit, hey Chris. Haven't seen you in a while," he said to me.
"Hey man." I answered, trying to play it cool.
"Ok listen up!" The guy from the counter interrupted. "Rule time!"
He quickly explained the rules and the two teams went to their sides of the field. I was slightly nervous but I wasn't about to show it.
"GO!!"
Billie Joe grabbed me and pulled me with him behind a large red shape.
"I'm not sure I can do this... " I admitted, uneasily looking around at the chaos around me.
He laughed. "It's pretty straightforward- just don't get hit and shoot anybody wearing blue."
"If this was that easy, everyone would do it."
He grinned mischievously. "That can't be a bass player talking. Ready now?"
"Let's go!" I shouted, grinning back at him.
We ran around the shape and dodged around a few more. I couldn't help but laugh.
"Dive!" Tim shouted, cutting my laughter short.
We both dove behind a blue shape and caught our breath.
"They're all camped out up there. We can't get by without getting hit." Tim explained.
I involuntarily ducked as a shot grazed the top of our shape.
"So why don't you shoot them?" I asked.
"Well it's not that easy. They have a better position than us." He told me.
He then turned to Billie Joe and they began discussing plans and strategies. Boys I thought, shaking my head.
I had my back against the shape and I looked out to the right of me. I followed a group of shapes up and over the hill. I had found the path leading around to the back of the other team's camped out spot. If we moved fast, we could outflank them from behind. I laughed to myself. I guess watching all those history channel war documentaries with my dad was paying off.
"Billie Joe, I found how to get around behind them."
Tim gave me a doubtful look.
"Look," I told them tracing out the path of shapes we had to follow.
Billie Joe smiled. Damn he had a nice smile. Ugh, so NOT the time Chris.
"We'll need a distraction," he said looking a Tim.
"Gotcha covered," he said raising his gun, grinning, and adjusted his goggles.
"GO!" I shouted and we raced out from behind the structure and up the hill. Paintballs whizzed passed my head and I heard Tim's gun begin to fire behind us.
Somehow we made it without getting hit and we slowly made our way around behind the blue team. I looked out from behind a large box and took aim. I pulled the trigger a couple of times and quickly ducked back behind.
I heard a loud yelp followed by cursing. Billie Joe could hardly contain his delight.
"You hit him square in the ass! I told him that you would!" he managed to get out in between fits of laughter.
"That's what you get for being so rude to me earlier, not to mention thinking that girls were good for nothing!" I yelled out to him from behind the safety of the box.
We both laughed but we were cut short by several shots aimed at us.
"We're gonna have to charge. Ready?" he asked, the excitement shining in his eyes.
I nodded.
He started again, "On three... one... two... THREE!"
We burst out from behind the large box and began firing at the many blue team members crouching behind the overturned old car. Billie Joe hit two straight off and I shot one.
Tim and two other guys had followed our lead and were heading up the hill towards us. We had surrounded the blue team and were about to win the game.
That's when I felt an incredibly sharp pain to the lower right side of my belly button.
"I'm hit!" I cried out and fell to my knees, clutching my side.
"Damn it!" Billie Joe ran over to me and quickly fired a few rounds off at the man who had shot me. "Are you ok?"
"God damn it! That hurts like a mother... " I moaned.
He laughed and helped me stand up. Tim and the rest of the team members left in the game came over and congratulated us. My plan had won us the game.
***
"Don't touch it!" I shrieked as Billie Joe tried to lift up my shirt to see the damage.
"I'm not gonna touch it, just come over here... please?"
He looked at me with those big green eyes and I melted. I walked over to him and he reached for my shirt again.
"No, don't, I'll just show it to you," I told him, lifting up my shirt and grimacing.
"Damn... " he sighed. "It's already blue! And it's all my fault."
"What are you talking about?" I asked him, rolling my eyes .
"I was the one who brought you here and then I didn't even watch to make sure you didn't get hurt." He looked down at his shoes, dejected.
"Billie Joe, don't be ridiculous. I've never had so much fun in my life! So I got a bruise, don't beat yourself up over it."
"Did you really?"
"Would I really lie to you about something like this? Seriously, don't blame yourself for me getting myself shot. I should have paid more attention."
He looked at me and smiled. "Yeah, you're right. Come on, I don't know about you but I'm hungry."
"Starving!"
***
"So where do you want to eat?" he asked me after getting the car started.
"I don't even know where we are... so you pick. Surprise me." I told him.
"Hmm... " He thought about it for a moment. "You like Mexican?"
"Yeah, it just happens to be my favorite."
With that he pulled out of the parking lot and drove back the way we came.
***
We arrived outside a restaurant named Omar's and got out. We were seated promptly and ordered drinks.
"So how do you know Tim?" he asked me after we had ordered.
I felt the blood rise in my cheeks. "School. We used to sit at the same lunch table."
He studied me for a moment. "That's it?"
"Yup." I countered.
"Ok... "
He picked up his coke and took a long drink. I felt bad lying to him but it didn't seem right telling him.
Our food came soon after that and our conversation went elsewhere.
***
"You should have let me pay for that, but thank you," I told him as he got out his keys and unlocked the door to his car.
"Hey, I still feel responsible for that bruise and want to make it up to you," he told me shrugging his shoulders.
"You did when you paid the paintball bill," I replied, grinning.
He opened the driver's side door and smiled back at me over the car before getting in.
The ride home was short and I hated pulling into the driveway. I liked being around him, he made me laugh and he was sweet. Not to mention HOT.
He stopped the car and killed the engine. I picked at the seatbelt before undoing it and slid it off. I looked over at him and met those jade eyes.
"I had a lot of fun," I told him nervously breaking the stillness.
"Yeah me too. We should do it again some time," he said as he looked down and began tracing the outline on his steering wheel.
It seemed like he wanted to say more, but we just sat there in silence. Finally I broke it by opening the door.
"Bye Billie Joe."
"See ya Chris."
I got out and walked to the door reaching for my keys and put them in the lock on the front door.
"Chris wait... "
Billie Joe got out of the car and bounded over to me. He reached the porch and looked into my eyes.
"... yes?" I asked breathlessly, confused, nervous, and exited all at the same time.
"I forgot something."
I tilted my head to one side, looking at him.
Then he reached out, pulled me close, and kissed me, long and good.
Fifteen minutes had passed and I was starting to get nervous. I was used to hanging out with guys, even ones I had a crush on, but this was different. This was the man I had had a crush on ever since I was in sixth grade. This was Billie Joe Armstrong, the lead singer of Green Day.
Finally I heard a car pull up the driveway. I took a deep breath, threw on the old pair of converse lying by the door and went outside.
Wow. He had a really nice car. I opened the door and got in.
"Hey," he said casually and grinned at me.
"Hi," I replied in a small voice.
"So have you ever been paintballing?" he asked me.
I looked at him with one eyebrow raised.
***
We had been driving a while when we finally stopped outside a wide, low building out in the middle of nowhere. We got out of the car and walked towards it.
"Are you sure about this?" I asked him.
He laughed. "Everyone has to do this once. You won't regret it, don't worry."
He went and talked to the guy at the counter and then turned to me.
"Ready?"
"Um... "
I followed him into a room and changed into an oversized pair of coveralls and the man issued me some giant goggle-helmet thing. Then he took me over and told me how to use a gun.
Then we went out onto the course and joined a large group of people standing there.
"Hey Billie Joe!"
An intimidating man came over with his hand outstretched.
"Hey man, how's it goin?" Billie Joe replied, shaking his hand. "This is Chris; she's the bass player in the new band Reprise Records just signed."
"You brought a girl? Where are Tre and Mike?" He asked clearly giving me the brush off and not even bothering to shake my hand.
"Busy. Besides, girls are capable of pulling a trigger. Just watch, she'll kick your sorry ass!" He laughed and winked at me.
I smiled back and watched the man walk back over to talk to his buddies. He gestured towards us while his cronies smirked.
"He's not very nice... " I muttered.
"Yeah, he thinks he's a big shot paintballer, a big shot everything actually. You won't have to worry about him though. It's that guy you'll have to worry about. Good thing he's on our team."
I followed his pointing finger and my jaw dropped open. Billie Joe noticed my shock.
"What's wrong?" he asked me.
"I know him!" I responded, blushing slightly.
"You do? Hey Tim! Come over here!" he shouted.
Tim turned around and jogged over.
"Sup man?" Tim high-fived him.
"Hey you know Chris?" Billie Joe asked him nodding his head in my direction.
"Oh shit, hey Chris. Haven't seen you in a while," he said to me.
"Hey man." I answered, trying to play it cool.
"Ok listen up!" The guy from the counter interrupted. "Rule time!"
He quickly explained the rules and the two teams went to their sides of the field. I was slightly nervous but I wasn't about to show it.
"GO!!"
Billie Joe grabbed me and pulled me with him behind a large red shape.
"I'm not sure I can do this... " I admitted, uneasily looking around at the chaos around me.
He laughed. "It's pretty straightforward- just don't get hit and shoot anybody wearing blue."
"If this was that easy, everyone would do it."
He grinned mischievously. "That can't be a bass player talking. Ready now?"
"Let's go!" I shouted, grinning back at him.
We ran around the shape and dodged around a few more. I couldn't help but laugh.
"Dive!" Tim shouted, cutting my laughter short.
We both dove behind a blue shape and caught our breath.
"They're all camped out up there. We can't get by without getting hit." Tim explained.
I involuntarily ducked as a shot grazed the top of our shape.
"So why don't you shoot them?" I asked.
"Well it's not that easy. They have a better position than us." He told me.
He then turned to Billie Joe and they began discussing plans and strategies. Boys I thought, shaking my head.
I had my back against the shape and I looked out to the right of me. I followed a group of shapes up and over the hill. I had found the path leading around to the back of the other team's camped out spot. If we moved fast, we could outflank them from behind. I laughed to myself. I guess watching all those history channel war documentaries with my dad was paying off.
"Billie Joe, I found how to get around behind them."
Tim gave me a doubtful look.
"Look," I told them tracing out the path of shapes we had to follow.
Billie Joe smiled. Damn he had a nice smile. Ugh, so NOT the time Chris.
"We'll need a distraction," he said looking a Tim.
"Gotcha covered," he said raising his gun, grinning, and adjusted his goggles.
"GO!" I shouted and we raced out from behind the structure and up the hill. Paintballs whizzed passed my head and I heard Tim's gun begin to fire behind us.
Somehow we made it without getting hit and we slowly made our way around behind the blue team. I looked out from behind a large box and took aim. I pulled the trigger a couple of times and quickly ducked back behind.
I heard a loud yelp followed by cursing. Billie Joe could hardly contain his delight.
"You hit him square in the ass! I told him that you would!" he managed to get out in between fits of laughter.
"That's what you get for being so rude to me earlier, not to mention thinking that girls were good for nothing!" I yelled out to him from behind the safety of the box.
We both laughed but we were cut short by several shots aimed at us.
"We're gonna have to charge. Ready?" he asked, the excitement shining in his eyes.
I nodded.
He started again, "On three... one... two... THREE!"
We burst out from behind the large box and began firing at the many blue team members crouching behind the overturned old car. Billie Joe hit two straight off and I shot one.
Tim and two other guys had followed our lead and were heading up the hill towards us. We had surrounded the blue team and were about to win the game.
That's when I felt an incredibly sharp pain to the lower right side of my belly button.
"I'm hit!" I cried out and fell to my knees, clutching my side.
"Damn it!" Billie Joe ran over to me and quickly fired a few rounds off at the man who had shot me. "Are you ok?"
"God damn it! That hurts like a mother... " I moaned.
He laughed and helped me stand up. Tim and the rest of the team members left in the game came over and congratulated us. My plan had won us the game.
***
"Don't touch it!" I shrieked as Billie Joe tried to lift up my shirt to see the damage.
"I'm not gonna touch it, just come over here... please?"
He looked at me with those big green eyes and I melted. I walked over to him and he reached for my shirt again.
"No, don't, I'll just show it to you," I told him, lifting up my shirt and grimacing.
"Damn... " he sighed. "It's already blue! And it's all my fault."
"What are you talking about?" I asked him, rolling my eyes .
"I was the one who brought you here and then I didn't even watch to make sure you didn't get hurt." He looked down at his shoes, dejected.
"Billie Joe, don't be ridiculous. I've never had so much fun in my life! So I got a bruise, don't beat yourself up over it."
"Did you really?"
"Would I really lie to you about something like this? Seriously, don't blame yourself for me getting myself shot. I should have paid more attention."
He looked at me and smiled. "Yeah, you're right. Come on, I don't know about you but I'm hungry."
"Starving!"
***
"So where do you want to eat?" he asked me after getting the car started.
"I don't even know where we are... so you pick. Surprise me." I told him.
"Hmm... " He thought about it for a moment. "You like Mexican?"
"Yeah, it just happens to be my favorite."
With that he pulled out of the parking lot and drove back the way we came.
***
We arrived outside a restaurant named Omar's and got out. We were seated promptly and ordered drinks.
"So how do you know Tim?" he asked me after we had ordered.
I felt the blood rise in my cheeks. "School. We used to sit at the same lunch table."
He studied me for a moment. "That's it?"
"Yup." I countered.
"Ok... "
He picked up his coke and took a long drink. I felt bad lying to him but it didn't seem right telling him.
Our food came soon after that and our conversation went elsewhere.
***
"You should have let me pay for that, but thank you," I told him as he got out his keys and unlocked the door to his car.
"Hey, I still feel responsible for that bruise and want to make it up to you," he told me shrugging his shoulders.
"You did when you paid the paintball bill," I replied, grinning.
He opened the driver's side door and smiled back at me over the car before getting in.
The ride home was short and I hated pulling into the driveway. I liked being around him, he made me laugh and he was sweet. Not to mention HOT.
He stopped the car and killed the engine. I picked at the seatbelt before undoing it and slid it off. I looked over at him and met those jade eyes.
"I had a lot of fun," I told him nervously breaking the stillness.
"Yeah me too. We should do it again some time," he said as he looked down and began tracing the outline on his steering wheel.
It seemed like he wanted to say more, but we just sat there in silence. Finally I broke it by opening the door.
"Bye Billie Joe."
"See ya Chris."
I got out and walked to the door reaching for my keys and put them in the lock on the front door.
"Chris wait... "
Billie Joe got out of the car and bounded over to me. He reached the porch and looked into my eyes.
"... yes?" I asked breathlessly, confused, nervous, and exited all at the same time.
"I forgot something."
I tilted my head to one side, looking at him.
Then he reached out, pulled me close, and kissed me, long and good.
