A Patchwork Life, chapter 4
(KIM)
I let myself be dragged through the window. I fall face first on the ground.
“Urgh…� I groan, sitting up to rub my nose.
“What were you doing?� asks Billie Joe, staring down at me. I shrug my shoulders. “Don’t fuckin shrug..." He raises his voice. “Ok, I don’t mean to yell, I’m sorry…I just…� he grabs his hair like he’s gonna pull it out and paces around the room. I shake my head.
“Billie, look. I don’t wanna talk about it here. I...� I start.
“And you…� Billie Joe rounds on Tre. “What were you thinking letting her stay?! Don’t you think I’d be worried? Or her mom?� he points a finger as Tre backs into a corner. I quietly slip out of the room.
(BILLIE JOE, DOWNSTAIRS, KITCHEN)
I bash around Tre’s kitchen and pull a bottle of beer out of the refrigerator.
“Billie, it’s uh, eleven a…� Tre starts, before Billie Joe gives him some kind of death stare. Tre looks away. “Hey…� he says, pointing at the kitchen table, where two notes lay side by side. One’s addressed to Billie Joe, one to Tre. Tre looks at Billie. Billie shrugs and reaches for his note. So does Tre. Tre’s reads:
Tre,
Thanks for being a kick ass friend. I owe you so much. We’ve had great times together, I’ll never forget any of them. Tell Mike he’s awesome too, and I’ll never forget him. Keep drumming, I know you guys’ll get there sooner or later, I just wish I’d be there to see it.
Anyway, love you forever,
Kim xxx
And Billies goes like this:
Billie,
God, where do I start? I love you, always have, always will. I’m not running away because I hate you, don’t think that. I need space. A lot of it. And I just don’t think I can get it here in California, in our town. I’ll love you forever, I’ll miss you. I’ll never forget you. Keep up your guitar, I know it means a lot to you. You have a gift, don’t waste it.
Kim xxx
Billie Joe and Tre look at each other. Tre shrugs.
(MIKE AND KIM, ON THE HIGHWAY IN MIKE’S CAR)
“So, that’s why.� Kim giggles hysterically and rolls around in her seat. Mike reaches over and takes the joint from between her lips.
“Hey…� she says, then slumps in her seat.
“I think you’ve had enough.� Says Mike, smiling. Kim shrugs.
“I…just…don’t…care…� she replies, yawning. She settles into her saet and falls asleep. Mike pulls over at a gas station.
(A POCKET FULL OF QUARTERS LATER)
“What?�
“Billie? It’s Mike.�
“Where are you?�
“Shut up for a second. I’m on the highway with Kim. Stay quiet. She’s fucked off her face and won’t wake up for a while. I’m bringing her back into town.�
“That’s great! How long will you…�
“Shut the fuck up for a minute! We’ll be there in half an hour. When we get back, don’t ask questions, coz she’ll be coming down. And Billie, I think she’s suicidal, so don’t upset her.�
“WHAT?! How?! Did she say something?!�
“No. All I know is she’s a cutter and she takes stupid unneccisary risks. See you in a bit.�
I let myself be dragged through the window. I fall face first on the ground.
“Urgh…� I groan, sitting up to rub my nose.
“What were you doing?� asks Billie Joe, staring down at me. I shrug my shoulders. “Don’t fuckin shrug..." He raises his voice. “Ok, I don’t mean to yell, I’m sorry…I just…� he grabs his hair like he’s gonna pull it out and paces around the room. I shake my head.
“Billie, look. I don’t wanna talk about it here. I...� I start.
“And you…� Billie Joe rounds on Tre. “What were you thinking letting her stay?! Don’t you think I’d be worried? Or her mom?� he points a finger as Tre backs into a corner. I quietly slip out of the room.
(BILLIE JOE, DOWNSTAIRS, KITCHEN)
I bash around Tre’s kitchen and pull a bottle of beer out of the refrigerator.
“Billie, it’s uh, eleven a…� Tre starts, before Billie Joe gives him some kind of death stare. Tre looks away. “Hey…� he says, pointing at the kitchen table, where two notes lay side by side. One’s addressed to Billie Joe, one to Tre. Tre looks at Billie. Billie shrugs and reaches for his note. So does Tre. Tre’s reads:
Tre,
Thanks for being a kick ass friend. I owe you so much. We’ve had great times together, I’ll never forget any of them. Tell Mike he’s awesome too, and I’ll never forget him. Keep drumming, I know you guys’ll get there sooner or later, I just wish I’d be there to see it.
Anyway, love you forever,
Kim xxx
And Billies goes like this:
Billie,
God, where do I start? I love you, always have, always will. I’m not running away because I hate you, don’t think that. I need space. A lot of it. And I just don’t think I can get it here in California, in our town. I’ll love you forever, I’ll miss you. I’ll never forget you. Keep up your guitar, I know it means a lot to you. You have a gift, don’t waste it.
Kim xxx
Billie Joe and Tre look at each other. Tre shrugs.
(MIKE AND KIM, ON THE HIGHWAY IN MIKE’S CAR)
“So, that’s why.� Kim giggles hysterically and rolls around in her seat. Mike reaches over and takes the joint from between her lips.
“Hey…� she says, then slumps in her seat.
“I think you’ve had enough.� Says Mike, smiling. Kim shrugs.
“I…just…don’t…care…� she replies, yawning. She settles into her saet and falls asleep. Mike pulls over at a gas station.
(A POCKET FULL OF QUARTERS LATER)
“What?�
“Billie? It’s Mike.�
“Where are you?�
“Shut up for a second. I’m on the highway with Kim. Stay quiet. She’s fucked off her face and won’t wake up for a while. I’m bringing her back into town.�
“That’s great! How long will you…�
“Shut the fuck up for a minute! We’ll be there in half an hour. When we get back, don’t ask questions, coz she’ll be coming down. And Billie, I think she’s suicidal, so don’t upset her.�
“WHAT?! How?! Did she say something?!�
“No. All I know is she’s a cutter and she takes stupid unneccisary risks. See you in a bit.�
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