There and Back Again, chapter 4
The rest of the week was boring. Billie, Mike, Megan, and me would hang out after school everyday... Doing nothing... Megan and I would stay over and listen to the boys have band practice. Apparently, they had a pretty big show coming up, I forgot when... I just couldn't wait until Saturday, when I would go to the movies with Billie Joe. He said that he would come to my house around four to pick me up.
*** (That Saturday)
It took me a long time to get ready, about an hour. I thought it would take longer though. I dressed casually, but I still wanted to look really nice. It took me half the day to pick what I was wearing. This was the first date I would ever be on. Or was it even a date? I was extremely nervous. Just as I was walking down the steps someone knocked on the front door. I smiled and walked toward the door to answer it.
"Hello."
"Hi? " It wasn't Billie, I didn't know who it was. She asked for my mom. I just told her she wasn't home and she left. My parents were rarely home. Now, because of the new house, my dad got two jobs and mom got a job with long hours. I closed the door, disappointed, and sat down on the couch. It was 4:06. Someone knocked again.
"Hey." Billie said casually as I opened the door. That's all he said, then he started walking to the car.
"Hey... Where did you get that car?" I said, confused. There was a car in front of my house that he stood in front of.
"Its my step-dad's car."
"Cool... Does he know you took it?" I said laughing.
".... Eh .... No." He said, opening the door so I could climb in.
"Thanks." I couldn't help but wonder how well he could drive. As we drove off, Billie drove the car across the curb. I looked over at him. He looked embarrassed and very nervous.
It took a little while to get to the movies, and Billie's driving skills didn't help us get there any faster. I stood in a line to get a huge bucket of popcorn for a long time, while he got tickets. We went into the theatre, and the movie already started. Oh Well... We sat at the last row, and began to watch the movie. Billie Joe had the huge bucket on his lap.
About thirty minutes later:
"OH FU -" he started to yell, but looked to see every single head turned looking at him. He leaned toward me, and I could barely see him in the dark.
"Want time is it?!?" he tried to whisper.
"I don't have a watch on. What's wrong?" I said concerned. He asked the man next to him, and he didn't know either. Someone in front of us got stood up.
"Man, its around 6 o'clock, now will you shut the fuck up so I can watch the movie?" the man in the row in front of us screamed.
"I gotta go, I forgot.." he got up, grabbing my hand, spilling the popcorn everywhere, but mostly on the guy yelling. We ran out to the car. I wondered why this was happening. Suddenly I remembered that the band he was in had a show at the Gilman Street club. I had never been there before, but I knew what it was. A lot of teenagers and whoever else came to hang out there.
"I am so sorry, but I completely forgot about my show. Um. Well, I'm in a band called Green Day, we used to be Sweet Children, and we have a gig at Gilman and I was supposed to be there at six, and now I forgot so I have to go get my guitar and go there and -"
"Its alright, no problem." I cut him off mid-sentence. God knows how long he would be rambling, and besides, I already knew what he was talking about. He stopped in front of my house.
"Do you wanna go or stay?"
"Go." I said without hesitation.
"Sweet." he said as he drove on to his house to pick up the guitar.
***
There it was. Gilman. It had a lot of graffiti on the walls. He held my hand, guiding me past the mass of people moshing to a band. We eventually found the others, getting ready.
"When do we go on? I'm sorry I'm late, it's a long story." he said, out of breath.
"Well, that's alright, they pushed our performance back anyway." Mike said.
Billie sighed.
"Okay."
A bit later they all ran up on stage. I stood near the side of the stage, enjoying the music. They played At the Library, then 'Disappearing Boy', Going to Pasalacqua . Eventually they played Only of You, my favorite song at the moment. They played this song a lot during band practice, so I knew the lyrics, and loved the music. Billie Joe looked out into the crowd looking for someone. I think it was me. He saw me and smiled. I smiled too, singing the song along with him.
They played a couple more songs, and got off stage. Everyone talked backstage for a while, then Billie said," Anybody else want a ride home with me and Ash?" They looked at each other, and eventually everyone said no.
We rode home along, and he kept on apologizing about having to leave the movie theatre, but I said it was alright.
"Here we are." He said, and got out to walk me to the door. We sat down on the porch.
"I loved the concert, you guys are awesome." I said. He smiled.
"Thanks."
*Billie's point of view*
I was glad she liked the concert. I still sort of felt bad for pulling her out of the movies like that though. I looked up, and saw her thinking about something.
"What?" I said.
".... . Wait, I'll be right back, I want to show you something." Ash said, then ran inside the house. I just sat on the porch waiting for her to get back, and soon she did. She had something behind her back, I had no clue what it was. She sat down next to me, still trying to hide the item behind her.
"Look. I kept it. Do you remember it?" she said smiling. She showed me it, it said 'Look for Love' on the front, and I saw my handwriting. It was the record I signed for her when I was little. I couldn't believe it. It was still in good condition and everything. I couldn't help but smile.
"Oh my God. Yeah, I remember it. How could I forget Wait, give me a marker." She went inside her house, and came back a couple seconds later with a black marker.
"Turn around." I said. I thought for a minute. In the opposite corner from where I wrote my name many years ago, I wrote:
I'll never forget you. Love, Billie Joe.
When I handed it back, she looked the happiest I ever seen her. She looked up at me, her eyes sparkling, and gave me a kiss. I smiled, and kissed her back.
*** (Ash's point of view)
After we kissed, I went inside. I was so happy. Today, although it didn't start out too well, it ended wonderfully.
*** (That Saturday)
It took me a long time to get ready, about an hour. I thought it would take longer though. I dressed casually, but I still wanted to look really nice. It took me half the day to pick what I was wearing. This was the first date I would ever be on. Or was it even a date? I was extremely nervous. Just as I was walking down the steps someone knocked on the front door. I smiled and walked toward the door to answer it.
"Hello."
"Hi? " It wasn't Billie, I didn't know who it was. She asked for my mom. I just told her she wasn't home and she left. My parents were rarely home. Now, because of the new house, my dad got two jobs and mom got a job with long hours. I closed the door, disappointed, and sat down on the couch. It was 4:06. Someone knocked again.
"Hey." Billie said casually as I opened the door. That's all he said, then he started walking to the car.
"Hey... Where did you get that car?" I said, confused. There was a car in front of my house that he stood in front of.
"Its my step-dad's car."
"Cool... Does he know you took it?" I said laughing.
".... Eh .... No." He said, opening the door so I could climb in.
"Thanks." I couldn't help but wonder how well he could drive. As we drove off, Billie drove the car across the curb. I looked over at him. He looked embarrassed and very nervous.
It took a little while to get to the movies, and Billie's driving skills didn't help us get there any faster. I stood in a line to get a huge bucket of popcorn for a long time, while he got tickets. We went into the theatre, and the movie already started. Oh Well... We sat at the last row, and began to watch the movie. Billie Joe had the huge bucket on his lap.
About thirty minutes later:
"OH FU -" he started to yell, but looked to see every single head turned looking at him. He leaned toward me, and I could barely see him in the dark.
"Want time is it?!?" he tried to whisper.
"I don't have a watch on. What's wrong?" I said concerned. He asked the man next to him, and he didn't know either. Someone in front of us got stood up.
"Man, its around 6 o'clock, now will you shut the fuck up so I can watch the movie?" the man in the row in front of us screamed.
"I gotta go, I forgot.." he got up, grabbing my hand, spilling the popcorn everywhere, but mostly on the guy yelling. We ran out to the car. I wondered why this was happening. Suddenly I remembered that the band he was in had a show at the Gilman Street club. I had never been there before, but I knew what it was. A lot of teenagers and whoever else came to hang out there.
"I am so sorry, but I completely forgot about my show. Um. Well, I'm in a band called Green Day, we used to be Sweet Children, and we have a gig at Gilman and I was supposed to be there at six, and now I forgot so I have to go get my guitar and go there and -"
"Its alright, no problem." I cut him off mid-sentence. God knows how long he would be rambling, and besides, I already knew what he was talking about. He stopped in front of my house.
"Do you wanna go or stay?"
"Go." I said without hesitation.
"Sweet." he said as he drove on to his house to pick up the guitar.
***
There it was. Gilman. It had a lot of graffiti on the walls. He held my hand, guiding me past the mass of people moshing to a band. We eventually found the others, getting ready.
"When do we go on? I'm sorry I'm late, it's a long story." he said, out of breath.
"Well, that's alright, they pushed our performance back anyway." Mike said.
Billie sighed.
"Okay."
A bit later they all ran up on stage. I stood near the side of the stage, enjoying the music. They played At the Library, then 'Disappearing Boy', Going to Pasalacqua . Eventually they played Only of You, my favorite song at the moment. They played this song a lot during band practice, so I knew the lyrics, and loved the music. Billie Joe looked out into the crowd looking for someone. I think it was me. He saw me and smiled. I smiled too, singing the song along with him.
They played a couple more songs, and got off stage. Everyone talked backstage for a while, then Billie said," Anybody else want a ride home with me and Ash?" They looked at each other, and eventually everyone said no.
We rode home along, and he kept on apologizing about having to leave the movie theatre, but I said it was alright.
"Here we are." He said, and got out to walk me to the door. We sat down on the porch.
"I loved the concert, you guys are awesome." I said. He smiled.
"Thanks."
*Billie's point of view*
I was glad she liked the concert. I still sort of felt bad for pulling her out of the movies like that though. I looked up, and saw her thinking about something.
"What?" I said.
".... . Wait, I'll be right back, I want to show you something." Ash said, then ran inside the house. I just sat on the porch waiting for her to get back, and soon she did. She had something behind her back, I had no clue what it was. She sat down next to me, still trying to hide the item behind her.
"Look. I kept it. Do you remember it?" she said smiling. She showed me it, it said 'Look for Love' on the front, and I saw my handwriting. It was the record I signed for her when I was little. I couldn't believe it. It was still in good condition and everything. I couldn't help but smile.
"Oh my God. Yeah, I remember it. How could I forget Wait, give me a marker." She went inside her house, and came back a couple seconds later with a black marker.
"Turn around." I said. I thought for a minute. In the opposite corner from where I wrote my name many years ago, I wrote:
I'll never forget you. Love, Billie Joe.
When I handed it back, she looked the happiest I ever seen her. She looked up at me, her eyes sparkling, and gave me a kiss. I smiled, and kissed her back.
*** (Ash's point of view)
After we kissed, I went inside. I was so happy. Today, although it didn't start out too well, it ended wonderfully.
Previous | Page 4/4
