Time Spent, chapter 5
I tossed myself face down on my bed and sighed. He had kissed me.
I rolled over to look at the poster above my closet. Billie Joe Armstrong had KISSED ME.
I changed into pajamas and turned out the light. I could still feel where his lips had been on mine and where his arms were wrapped around me as I drifted off to sleep.
***
I woke up to the sound of hard objects striking glass. I shut my eyes tighter trying to hold on to the dream that was slowly fading. The sounds finally stopped.
A few minutes later there was a knock at the door. I buried my head under my pillow as Pete let himself in.
"Whaddya want?" I groaned into the pillow.
He laughed and took a running start before leaping onto the bed and grabbed a pillow at the end of the bed. We faced each other, both lying on our sides, content to just be in the other's company.
"So how's your dad?" I asked after a while.
"You know him," he told me.
"And his wife?"
"Don't bring that damn gold digger bitch up," he spat.
"Sorry. I know how you hate her."
He was silent for a minute before asking, "So what did you do last night?"
"Oh ya know... Watched TV, ate. Just hung out around here."
"Really... That car in your driveway must have had the wrong place."
He shoved me playfully as I blushed.
"You were watching me?!"
"You had a date and didn't even tell me. I'm offended!"
"Don't change the subject! What did you see?"
"I'm not changing the subject, you are! So who was your date?"
"I'm not telling you nothin."
"It was Tim wasn't it?"
"No actually. I told you it wouldn't be right to go out with him."
"So who was it? Come on, who am I gonna tell?" he asked teasingly
I didn't say anything.
"Chris... Please? Pleeeeease?"
"I don't think I should. It's complicated enough. I... I just can't."
"Alright fine! I guess I'll have to respect that." He said as he crossed his arms and pretended to pout.
"Thank you," I told him chuckling.
With that I got up and opened the closet, stretched, and pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
"Holy shit! Chris, what did you do?!"
Oh shit, I forgot about the bruise. It must look ten times worse today and when I had stretched, my shirt had come up just enough for him to be able to see it..
"Um... It's from last night. We... Uh... We went paintballing."
"You went PAINTBALLING?" he asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, I was actually pretty good. I shot some guy right in the ass!"
He burst out in laughter and took the opportunity to finish getting dressed.
***
"... I want to be the minority; I don't need your authority... " Travis was singing as he walked into the studio a few days later.
"Good morning Trav," I greeted him. "Seems like you're in a good mood today."
"Yup, it is a fucking beautiful morning," he replied with a big smile on his face.
"Seems like somebody got laid last night," Pete whispered in my ear.
I exploded in laughter and Travis shot Pete a dirty look.
"You're just jealous you're still a virgin," he retorted.
Brandon walked in the door with McMillan at that very moment, which saved me from being in the middle of a fight.
"Wow, I so came in at the wrong part of that conversation," Brandon said shaking his head.
We all sat down around the table and got down to business. McMillan began discussing artists that he could get to do the album cover and showed us some samples when my phone vibrated.
I discreetly slipped it out of my pocket and read the text message on the screen. It was from Billie Joe: I'm outside the door. I need to talk to you.
"Man I have to pee really badly. Can we take a break or something?" I asked McMillan in the sweetest voice I had.
"Fine... Five minutes," he barked, clearly annoyed.
I rushed out the door and found Billie Joe leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. He looked up and saw me come out.
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me down the hall into the recess where the vending machines were.
"Chris... I... I feel really bad about what happened last night. I moved really fast."
I looked at him but he couldn't meet my eyes.
Man the guy really looked like he'd beat himself up over this. I don't see why, I had been disappointed when I thought he wasn't going to kiss me. Why did he worry so much about every thing?
I went over to him and planted my mouth over his. "Now we're even I guess."
He looked at me with wide eyes. I think he was shocked.
"You didn't mind?" he asked me, astounded.
"Billie Joe, I was disappointed when I thought you weren't going to." I admitted.
He sighed in relief, then smiled and pulled me close.
"How about dinner tonight then?"
"Pick me up?"
"I'll be there. Say seven thirty?"
"Alright then."
He kissed me again and I felt on top of the world.
"I have to go; I was only given five minutes to go to the bathroom."
"Okay. I guess I'll see you tonight."
I walked out of the recess and headed back towards the meeting room, beaming all the way back.
***
"Get out of the bathroom Amy! I need to get in there!" I yelled through the closed door.
She opened the door with an annoyed look on her face.
"Why, you got a hot date or something?" she shot sarcastically.
"Yeah actually, I do. Got a problem with that?"
"Oh... I was kidding. But you do? Really? Who?"
"Huh, like I'd tell you."
"Bitch... "
I laughed and pushed past her into the bathroom.
"Ok so you won't tell me who he is. But you're gonna tell me about him right?" she asked me while brushing out her hair.
"Huh?"
"You know, is he cute, how old he is, how you know him... "
"No."
"Please? I tell you everything about the guys I go out with! Every last detail!"
I sighed and looked at her through the mirror. "That's your choice."
She gave me a hurt look.
"Ok fine. Yes, he's hot, he's older than me and we met... No wait, I'm not telling that part."
"Older huh? Where's he taking you?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. Dinner somewhere."
"You won't even tell me where you guys are EATING?!"
I laughed incredulously, "Hell no! I know you better than that. You'd get whoever it is your going with tonight to go there to just to see who it was I was there with."
"I would not!"
"Remember the night I went out with Brian and would only tell you where we were going?"
She was silent for a moment.
"Ok I would," she admitted shrugging her shoulders.
***
The restaurant was pretty crowded when we got there. Billie Joe, being the famous rock star that he was, grabbed my hand and went up to talk to the guy at the counter.
The kid looked up and his eyes got really big.
"Oh shit! Are you really him?"
"Really who?" Billie Joe asked casually.
"You know... Billie Joe Armstrong, from Green Day?" he whispered.
Billie Joe smiled and looked at me, an amused look on his face. The kid then turned to me.
"Well is he?" he asked me.
I smiled. "Yeah."
"Wow, I'm a huge fan Mr. Armstrong. I love Green Day!"
"Uh... Thanks," Billie Joe replied. "Ya know, I'm really hungry. Do you think...?"
"Oh right, of course! No need to wait any longer, we have a table opening right now. Two people right?"
"Yup."
"Wait just a minute young man, we have been waiting half an hour already! We should be next!" demanded a man standing behind us with his wife and daughter.
"Dad, do you even know who that is?!" the girl asked, clearly embarrassed by her father's actions.
"Not now Amanda, don't you see I'm busy?" he said, gesturing towards us.
"No Dad, you don't understand! That's Billie Joe! Lead singer of Green Day?"
"That guy on all those posters in your room?" he asked her.
"Yeah," she said quietly, reddening slightly and looking down.
"Ah, I see how it is. Famous people get treated above everyone else now?" he asked the kid at the counter.
Finally the owner came out to see what all the commotion was. Upon his arrival, the man started yelling about equal service to all customers and something about the constitution. The kid was cowering behind the menus he was holding, the man's daughter was hiding her face, obviously horrified by her father, and her mother was trying to comfort her and silence her husband at the same time.
Finally the owner took the kid aside to get the story. They came back a minute later and the owner took Billie Joe and me aside.
"I am so sorry about this misunderstanding Mr. Armstrong. I sincerely hope this will not keep you from dining here tonight or any other night. We would like to make it up to you so tonight's meal will be free of charge."
"Thank you, but that won't be necessary," Billie Joe responded.
With that the owner motioned to the kid, still cowering behind the menus, to seat us as the man continued to chew him out.
***
We were seated in a back corner booth, a very intimate setting. We were sucked up to the entire night, which, I'll admit that I enjoyed. They promptly took our order and brought it out faster than you can say "kiss ass".
"Wow, I had no idea you liked to start riots at restaurants," I teased him.
He laughed. "I've gotten pretty used to that happening. One day it will probably happen to you too."
"Great," I replied sarcastically.
He laughed. "So how's everything going with the album?"
"Why is it every time we talk it's about work?" I asked him giggling.
He shrugged. "Ok, no work. Tell me something about yourself then."
"Um... Well I grew up here, same house and everything. That's how I know Pete. He's always lived next door to me."
"I noticed how much closer to him you are than Brandon or Travis. Ok so... Family?"
"I have a sister, Amy. She's sixteen. We get along pretty well. My parents are surprisingly supportive about this whole thing. I think my dad's a little disappointed about it though. He wanted me to be an archeologist!"
He laughed skeptically. "An archeologist?! I can't even imagine that!"
I laughed too. "I know right?"
Once he finally got over his fits of laughter, he asked more about Amy. "So your sister's sixteen. Is she anything like you?"
"Well, kinda personality wise I guess. She's a prep though and always brings home football players and shit. And I can't stand being around any of her friends."
"Man I hate those kinda guys; they think they're hot shit. How do you get along with her then?"
"Oh I dunno. We just do. I've always thought that you can't hate your family or make them hate you. If your family leaves you, you have nothing."
He was silent. He began tracing the pattern on the tablecloth. The word 'divorce' quickly flashed in my mind, causing me to quickly change the subject.
"So how long have you been going to that paintball place?"
He shrugged. "I dunno, a while. That reminds me; you never really told me how you know Tim."
"Yeah I did, I told you he sat at the same lunch table," I answered quickly.
"Oh right, you did tell me that," he said slowly. He studied me before going on to talk about something else.
I was glad. I didn't want to tell him the truth about that. What he didn't know couldn't hurt him. And I wasn't so sure how I felt about Tim anymore, so it was easier just not to think about him.
"Chris, are you listening?"
"Oh yeah, sorry. I spaced out for a moment. Go on."
"Ok so anyways, she walked out and I never heard from her again."
"Oh."
"You weren't really listening to any of that were you?"
I smiled weakly. "No, sorry."
He smiled back at me. "That's ok. Want any dessert?"
"No, I'm so full. I couldn't eat anything else!"
He laughed and paid. He had insisted to the owner that he pay, it was him who had started the whole thing he had explained that to him. They settled on half price.
We walked out into the cool evening. Tonight had been fun and I didn't want it to end. Apparently, he didn't either.
"It's still early. Want to go do something else?"
"Sure," I told him.
"What do you want to do?"
"Hm... Movie?"
"Dinner and a movie... It's so cliché! I love it!" he yelled, slapping his hands together and putting them against his cheek.
We both laughed and got into his car.
***
"Nothing good out right now," Billie Joe said to me as we stood outside the theatre looking at the movie list.
"Well, we can go see a bad one and make fun of it the whole time," I suggested.
"Good idea."
He ordered two tickets to some cheesy romantic comedy and we went inside.
***
"But I love you mon amour! I would do anything for you!" I said very dramatically in a high pitched, valley girl voice.
Billie Joe laughed and replied back, "It's already our two hour anniversary! This is getting too serious!"
We both burst out laughing and tried to smother it. We were sitting in the back row of the theatre and were on the receiving end of some pretty nasty looks.
"But my love, we belong together!" I started up again.
"I need some room to grow! Can't you see that?! I would think you would understand me after two whole hours together!"
"I gave you the best two hours of my life and your dumping me?!"
At this point we weren't even attempting to stifle our laughter. That's when the kid in the row in front of us finally turned around.
"Would you shut up?! My girlfriend and I are trying to watch this movie!"
Billie Joe looked at me and raised his eyebrows.
Oh shit, this wasn't looking too good. First off, this kid and his girlfriend were clearly preps which Billie Joe hated with a passion. Second, the kid had just insulted a rock star. Not smart.
"Shut the fuck up faggot!" Billie Joe replied angrily.
"You got something to say to me?!" he yelled back.
"Why don't you just go back to sucking the face of your... Girlfriend," Billie Joe told him, his face distorted in disgust.
"Hey, you leave her out of this! She's ten times prettier than... That," he spat, nodding in my direction.
I popped right up out of my seat but was promptly sat back down by Billie Joe.
"You don't wanna go there kid," he told him, his voice serious.
"You wanna settle this outside?!" the kid shot back.
"You have a death wish?" Billie Joe hissed, his temper clearly rising beyond boiling point.
"Bring it!" the kid yelled and got up, headed towards the door.
"Billie Joe, don't," I pleaded, grabbing his arm and trying pulling him back down into the seat.
"You really think I'm gonna let that jackass get away with that?!" he told me while, shaking me off and heading towards the door the kid went out.
"Shit." I grabbed my stuff and ran after him.
I burst out the door and saw Billie Joe walking towards the kid with his fists clenched. The kid was clearly regretting making him angry; people look different in a dark movie theatre and he had though he could take Billie Joe.
"Billie Joe Armstrong!" I shouted angrily.
He he'sitated.
"Quit it. He doesn't even look 17!" I scolded.
He stood there for a moment and then came over to me.
"Thank you... " he whispered, looking calmer but still breathing heavily.
I walked over to the kid and his girlfriend, hoping to de-escalate the situation.
"Sorry about all that," I told them both.
"What, did he chicken out?" he asked me.
My mouth dropped open. Dude, you shouldn't have said that.
"Cocky little shit! I probably just saved your miserable little life!"
His girlfriend pushed me. "Hey, nobody talks to MY boyfriend like that!"
"Nobody pushes me! Especially some preppy shit head like you!" I yelled pushing her back, my temper rising. I could hear the blood pounding in my ears.
"Don't touch me!" She squealed, pushing me back.
"Deal with it!" I screamed and, not even thinking about what I was doing, hit her right in the face.
Oh shit.
"Hey! You bitch! Get away from her!" The kid screamed.
He ran at me and hit me, hard, right in the face before I could even try to defend myself. Pain shot through my head and I became disoriented. I heard a scream and I wasn't sure whether it was me or not.
I became somewhat more clear-headed and looked around at the sight before me. I was on the ground, the kid's girlfriend was clutching her face, crying, and the kid was lying flat on the ground, one eye swollen shut and blood running down from his nose. He sat up and spat more blood out, clutching his side.
Billie Joe was standing over him, breathing hard and clenching and unclenching his fists.
"Leave. Now. Before. I. Fucking. Kill. You."
Wow. Billie Joe even scared me. The kid lying on the ground looked like he had just seen the devil himself. He jumped up and ran. His girlfriend ran after him.
With that he came over to me and sat beside me. I felt completely shrouded in pain. My hand was throbbing from punching that girl and my face killed me from the blow I had taken. He took my head into his lap and cradled it, softly brushing the hair out of my face. I looked up into his eyes. I could still see fury and hatred in those jade orbs, but it was subsiding.
"I should get you home," he whispered.
"I'm afraid to let them see me like this," I whimpered.
He sighed and was silent.
I began to cry, I just couldn't help myself. I could barely move, let alone think. My head felt like it was on fire. I hated him seeing me cry.
"Don't cry, please don't cry," he cooed, gently rocking me back and forth.
He got up and cradled me in his arms. I then blacked out.
I rolled over to look at the poster above my closet. Billie Joe Armstrong had KISSED ME.
I changed into pajamas and turned out the light. I could still feel where his lips had been on mine and where his arms were wrapped around me as I drifted off to sleep.
***
I woke up to the sound of hard objects striking glass. I shut my eyes tighter trying to hold on to the dream that was slowly fading. The sounds finally stopped.
A few minutes later there was a knock at the door. I buried my head under my pillow as Pete let himself in.
"Whaddya want?" I groaned into the pillow.
He laughed and took a running start before leaping onto the bed and grabbed a pillow at the end of the bed. We faced each other, both lying on our sides, content to just be in the other's company.
"So how's your dad?" I asked after a while.
"You know him," he told me.
"And his wife?"
"Don't bring that damn gold digger bitch up," he spat.
"Sorry. I know how you hate her."
He was silent for a minute before asking, "So what did you do last night?"
"Oh ya know... Watched TV, ate. Just hung out around here."
"Really... That car in your driveway must have had the wrong place."
He shoved me playfully as I blushed.
"You were watching me?!"
"You had a date and didn't even tell me. I'm offended!"
"Don't change the subject! What did you see?"
"I'm not changing the subject, you are! So who was your date?"
"I'm not telling you nothin."
"It was Tim wasn't it?"
"No actually. I told you it wouldn't be right to go out with him."
"So who was it? Come on, who am I gonna tell?" he asked teasingly
I didn't say anything.
"Chris... Please? Pleeeeease?"
"I don't think I should. It's complicated enough. I... I just can't."
"Alright fine! I guess I'll have to respect that." He said as he crossed his arms and pretended to pout.
"Thank you," I told him chuckling.
With that I got up and opened the closet, stretched, and pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.
"Holy shit! Chris, what did you do?!"
Oh shit, I forgot about the bruise. It must look ten times worse today and when I had stretched, my shirt had come up just enough for him to be able to see it..
"Um... It's from last night. We... Uh... We went paintballing."
"You went PAINTBALLING?" he asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, I was actually pretty good. I shot some guy right in the ass!"
He burst out in laughter and took the opportunity to finish getting dressed.
***
"... I want to be the minority; I don't need your authority... " Travis was singing as he walked into the studio a few days later.
"Good morning Trav," I greeted him. "Seems like you're in a good mood today."
"Yup, it is a fucking beautiful morning," he replied with a big smile on his face.
"Seems like somebody got laid last night," Pete whispered in my ear.
I exploded in laughter and Travis shot Pete a dirty look.
"You're just jealous you're still a virgin," he retorted.
Brandon walked in the door with McMillan at that very moment, which saved me from being in the middle of a fight.
"Wow, I so came in at the wrong part of that conversation," Brandon said shaking his head.
We all sat down around the table and got down to business. McMillan began discussing artists that he could get to do the album cover and showed us some samples when my phone vibrated.
I discreetly slipped it out of my pocket and read the text message on the screen. It was from Billie Joe: I'm outside the door. I need to talk to you.
"Man I have to pee really badly. Can we take a break or something?" I asked McMillan in the sweetest voice I had.
"Fine... Five minutes," he barked, clearly annoyed.
I rushed out the door and found Billie Joe leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. He looked up and saw me come out.
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me down the hall into the recess where the vending machines were.
"Chris... I... I feel really bad about what happened last night. I moved really fast."
I looked at him but he couldn't meet my eyes.
Man the guy really looked like he'd beat himself up over this. I don't see why, I had been disappointed when I thought he wasn't going to kiss me. Why did he worry so much about every thing?
I went over to him and planted my mouth over his. "Now we're even I guess."
He looked at me with wide eyes. I think he was shocked.
"You didn't mind?" he asked me, astounded.
"Billie Joe, I was disappointed when I thought you weren't going to." I admitted.
He sighed in relief, then smiled and pulled me close.
"How about dinner tonight then?"
"Pick me up?"
"I'll be there. Say seven thirty?"
"Alright then."
He kissed me again and I felt on top of the world.
"I have to go; I was only given five minutes to go to the bathroom."
"Okay. I guess I'll see you tonight."
I walked out of the recess and headed back towards the meeting room, beaming all the way back.
***
"Get out of the bathroom Amy! I need to get in there!" I yelled through the closed door.
She opened the door with an annoyed look on her face.
"Why, you got a hot date or something?" she shot sarcastically.
"Yeah actually, I do. Got a problem with that?"
"Oh... I was kidding. But you do? Really? Who?"
"Huh, like I'd tell you."
"Bitch... "
I laughed and pushed past her into the bathroom.
"Ok so you won't tell me who he is. But you're gonna tell me about him right?" she asked me while brushing out her hair.
"Huh?"
"You know, is he cute, how old he is, how you know him... "
"No."
"Please? I tell you everything about the guys I go out with! Every last detail!"
I sighed and looked at her through the mirror. "That's your choice."
She gave me a hurt look.
"Ok fine. Yes, he's hot, he's older than me and we met... No wait, I'm not telling that part."
"Older huh? Where's he taking you?"
I shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know. Dinner somewhere."
"You won't even tell me where you guys are EATING?!"
I laughed incredulously, "Hell no! I know you better than that. You'd get whoever it is your going with tonight to go there to just to see who it was I was there with."
"I would not!"
"Remember the night I went out with Brian and would only tell you where we were going?"
She was silent for a moment.
"Ok I would," she admitted shrugging her shoulders.
***
The restaurant was pretty crowded when we got there. Billie Joe, being the famous rock star that he was, grabbed my hand and went up to talk to the guy at the counter.
The kid looked up and his eyes got really big.
"Oh shit! Are you really him?"
"Really who?" Billie Joe asked casually.
"You know... Billie Joe Armstrong, from Green Day?" he whispered.
Billie Joe smiled and looked at me, an amused look on his face. The kid then turned to me.
"Well is he?" he asked me.
I smiled. "Yeah."
"Wow, I'm a huge fan Mr. Armstrong. I love Green Day!"
"Uh... Thanks," Billie Joe replied. "Ya know, I'm really hungry. Do you think...?"
"Oh right, of course! No need to wait any longer, we have a table opening right now. Two people right?"
"Yup."
"Wait just a minute young man, we have been waiting half an hour already! We should be next!" demanded a man standing behind us with his wife and daughter.
"Dad, do you even know who that is?!" the girl asked, clearly embarrassed by her father's actions.
"Not now Amanda, don't you see I'm busy?" he said, gesturing towards us.
"No Dad, you don't understand! That's Billie Joe! Lead singer of Green Day?"
"That guy on all those posters in your room?" he asked her.
"Yeah," she said quietly, reddening slightly and looking down.
"Ah, I see how it is. Famous people get treated above everyone else now?" he asked the kid at the counter.
Finally the owner came out to see what all the commotion was. Upon his arrival, the man started yelling about equal service to all customers and something about the constitution. The kid was cowering behind the menus he was holding, the man's daughter was hiding her face, obviously horrified by her father, and her mother was trying to comfort her and silence her husband at the same time.
Finally the owner took the kid aside to get the story. They came back a minute later and the owner took Billie Joe and me aside.
"I am so sorry about this misunderstanding Mr. Armstrong. I sincerely hope this will not keep you from dining here tonight or any other night. We would like to make it up to you so tonight's meal will be free of charge."
"Thank you, but that won't be necessary," Billie Joe responded.
With that the owner motioned to the kid, still cowering behind the menus, to seat us as the man continued to chew him out.
***
We were seated in a back corner booth, a very intimate setting. We were sucked up to the entire night, which, I'll admit that I enjoyed. They promptly took our order and brought it out faster than you can say "kiss ass".
"Wow, I had no idea you liked to start riots at restaurants," I teased him.
He laughed. "I've gotten pretty used to that happening. One day it will probably happen to you too."
"Great," I replied sarcastically.
He laughed. "So how's everything going with the album?"
"Why is it every time we talk it's about work?" I asked him giggling.
He shrugged. "Ok, no work. Tell me something about yourself then."
"Um... Well I grew up here, same house and everything. That's how I know Pete. He's always lived next door to me."
"I noticed how much closer to him you are than Brandon or Travis. Ok so... Family?"
"I have a sister, Amy. She's sixteen. We get along pretty well. My parents are surprisingly supportive about this whole thing. I think my dad's a little disappointed about it though. He wanted me to be an archeologist!"
He laughed skeptically. "An archeologist?! I can't even imagine that!"
I laughed too. "I know right?"
Once he finally got over his fits of laughter, he asked more about Amy. "So your sister's sixteen. Is she anything like you?"
"Well, kinda personality wise I guess. She's a prep though and always brings home football players and shit. And I can't stand being around any of her friends."
"Man I hate those kinda guys; they think they're hot shit. How do you get along with her then?"
"Oh I dunno. We just do. I've always thought that you can't hate your family or make them hate you. If your family leaves you, you have nothing."
He was silent. He began tracing the pattern on the tablecloth. The word 'divorce' quickly flashed in my mind, causing me to quickly change the subject.
"So how long have you been going to that paintball place?"
He shrugged. "I dunno, a while. That reminds me; you never really told me how you know Tim."
"Yeah I did, I told you he sat at the same lunch table," I answered quickly.
"Oh right, you did tell me that," he said slowly. He studied me before going on to talk about something else.
I was glad. I didn't want to tell him the truth about that. What he didn't know couldn't hurt him. And I wasn't so sure how I felt about Tim anymore, so it was easier just not to think about him.
"Chris, are you listening?"
"Oh yeah, sorry. I spaced out for a moment. Go on."
"Ok so anyways, she walked out and I never heard from her again."
"Oh."
"You weren't really listening to any of that were you?"
I smiled weakly. "No, sorry."
He smiled back at me. "That's ok. Want any dessert?"
"No, I'm so full. I couldn't eat anything else!"
He laughed and paid. He had insisted to the owner that he pay, it was him who had started the whole thing he had explained that to him. They settled on half price.
We walked out into the cool evening. Tonight had been fun and I didn't want it to end. Apparently, he didn't either.
"It's still early. Want to go do something else?"
"Sure," I told him.
"What do you want to do?"
"Hm... Movie?"
"Dinner and a movie... It's so cliché! I love it!" he yelled, slapping his hands together and putting them against his cheek.
We both laughed and got into his car.
***
"Nothing good out right now," Billie Joe said to me as we stood outside the theatre looking at the movie list.
"Well, we can go see a bad one and make fun of it the whole time," I suggested.
"Good idea."
He ordered two tickets to some cheesy romantic comedy and we went inside.
***
"But I love you mon amour! I would do anything for you!" I said very dramatically in a high pitched, valley girl voice.
Billie Joe laughed and replied back, "It's already our two hour anniversary! This is getting too serious!"
We both burst out laughing and tried to smother it. We were sitting in the back row of the theatre and were on the receiving end of some pretty nasty looks.
"But my love, we belong together!" I started up again.
"I need some room to grow! Can't you see that?! I would think you would understand me after two whole hours together!"
"I gave you the best two hours of my life and your dumping me?!"
At this point we weren't even attempting to stifle our laughter. That's when the kid in the row in front of us finally turned around.
"Would you shut up?! My girlfriend and I are trying to watch this movie!"
Billie Joe looked at me and raised his eyebrows.
Oh shit, this wasn't looking too good. First off, this kid and his girlfriend were clearly preps which Billie Joe hated with a passion. Second, the kid had just insulted a rock star. Not smart.
"Shut the fuck up faggot!" Billie Joe replied angrily.
"You got something to say to me?!" he yelled back.
"Why don't you just go back to sucking the face of your... Girlfriend," Billie Joe told him, his face distorted in disgust.
"Hey, you leave her out of this! She's ten times prettier than... That," he spat, nodding in my direction.
I popped right up out of my seat but was promptly sat back down by Billie Joe.
"You don't wanna go there kid," he told him, his voice serious.
"You wanna settle this outside?!" the kid shot back.
"You have a death wish?" Billie Joe hissed, his temper clearly rising beyond boiling point.
"Bring it!" the kid yelled and got up, headed towards the door.
"Billie Joe, don't," I pleaded, grabbing his arm and trying pulling him back down into the seat.
"You really think I'm gonna let that jackass get away with that?!" he told me while, shaking me off and heading towards the door the kid went out.
"Shit." I grabbed my stuff and ran after him.
I burst out the door and saw Billie Joe walking towards the kid with his fists clenched. The kid was clearly regretting making him angry; people look different in a dark movie theatre and he had though he could take Billie Joe.
"Billie Joe Armstrong!" I shouted angrily.
He he'sitated.
"Quit it. He doesn't even look 17!" I scolded.
He stood there for a moment and then came over to me.
"Thank you... " he whispered, looking calmer but still breathing heavily.
I walked over to the kid and his girlfriend, hoping to de-escalate the situation.
"Sorry about all that," I told them both.
"What, did he chicken out?" he asked me.
My mouth dropped open. Dude, you shouldn't have said that.
"Cocky little shit! I probably just saved your miserable little life!"
His girlfriend pushed me. "Hey, nobody talks to MY boyfriend like that!"
"Nobody pushes me! Especially some preppy shit head like you!" I yelled pushing her back, my temper rising. I could hear the blood pounding in my ears.
"Don't touch me!" She squealed, pushing me back.
"Deal with it!" I screamed and, not even thinking about what I was doing, hit her right in the face.
Oh shit.
"Hey! You bitch! Get away from her!" The kid screamed.
He ran at me and hit me, hard, right in the face before I could even try to defend myself. Pain shot through my head and I became disoriented. I heard a scream and I wasn't sure whether it was me or not.
I became somewhat more clear-headed and looked around at the sight before me. I was on the ground, the kid's girlfriend was clutching her face, crying, and the kid was lying flat on the ground, one eye swollen shut and blood running down from his nose. He sat up and spat more blood out, clutching his side.
Billie Joe was standing over him, breathing hard and clenching and unclenching his fists.
"Leave. Now. Before. I. Fucking. Kill. You."
Wow. Billie Joe even scared me. The kid lying on the ground looked like he had just seen the devil himself. He jumped up and ran. His girlfriend ran after him.
With that he came over to me and sat beside me. I felt completely shrouded in pain. My hand was throbbing from punching that girl and my face killed me from the blow I had taken. He took my head into his lap and cradled it, softly brushing the hair out of my face. I looked up into his eyes. I could still see fury and hatred in those jade orbs, but it was subsiding.
"I should get you home," he whispered.
"I'm afraid to let them see me like this," I whimpered.
He sighed and was silent.
I began to cry, I just couldn't help myself. I could barely move, let alone think. My head felt like it was on fire. I hated him seeing me cry.
"Don't cry, please don't cry," he cooed, gently rocking me back and forth.
He got up and cradled me in his arms. I then blacked out.
