Serendipity Girl, chapter 15
Well we returned from the snowboarding trip, and considering I got in shit, it wasn't half bad. When we got back Billie Joe told my parents about what happened, they were pissed and well I had to plead my case we didn't do anything. Eventually they trusted me again.
I find myself going over to Joey's house straight after school. Rebel Tuesdays has band practice today so that should be fun. Joey and I snuggle up on the basement sofa, I hear his heart beating, I'm so exhausted from school. He's toying with a loose strand of my hair, I think he's tired too, it's the end of a stressful week.
Jay and Mark stumble into the room, in the middle of an arm slap war.
"Hey guys, Joey says as I lift my head from his chest.
"Hi baby!" Mark squeals as he jumps into my boyfriend's lap.
"My territory!" I joke as he reluctantly gets up and goes over to his drum set. Joey picks up his guitar, Jay his bass. They start playing a MCR cover. They finish up.
"I'll get us some drinks," I say heading to the door. They nod and Jay starts up another song. I head down the hallway to the back room where a second fridge is. I open the fridge to find only beer, we're already under super supervision so I decide not to risk it.
I head up the stairs listening to the music that's pulsating through the walls. On my way to the kitchen I catch a glimpse of Billie Joe and some strange man sitting in the dining room.
"I love him, that's why I think I have to do this," the strange man says.
"But he's your son."
"Billie, we've known each other quite a while, you know I'm not who I used to be and Jay is almost a man now." He must be Jay's father, "And you've been the one who's been there for him in his crucial teenage years."
"He's never turned his back on you."
"Billie, listen to me!" Jay's father says raising his voice, "I can't keep dragging him back into my life and then letting him down. You're more of a father figure, hell you got him his bass!"
"I'll do it if it's what Jay wants," Billie says calmly. "Anna, if you're done eaves dropping can you go get Jay?"
I blush red and turn in spot and head back down the stairs.
"Are we out of soda?" Joey asks at the sight of me.
"Jay, uhh Billie Joe and your-your father want to speak with you," I stutter. Jay's eyes bulge.
"My father's here?" I nod and he puts down his bass and walks past me.
"Anna, what's going on?" Joey whispers as he steps close to me.
"I think your dad's going to adopt Jay." I whisper back. Joey clears his throat nervously and turns around.
"Hey Mark, band practice is over." Mark nods silently and gets up.
I can't help but feel sorry for Jay, I know he hates people feeling sorry for him but he's my age. Sixteen and already had to deal with more shit than most adults. Joey and I sit on the sofa and wait for Jay to return.
"How did you meet Jay?" I ask realizing Joey's a year older than him.
"When I was in fourth grade I was put in a grade three four split class and he needed help in math so the teacher paired us up."
"Cool." I say stupidly.
We sit in silence, counting the seconds till Jay came back down. He bursts through the door and picks up his bass and starts playing angrily. Joey stands up and walks up to him. Jay slows down I can sense a break down. Joey hugs his band mate and I hear him whisper the word brother.
It's almost like in slow motion as I watch Jay start to cry.
"He doesn't want me anymore," he mumbles as he pulls out of Joey's arms and falls to the floor. He pounds his fist against the floor angrily, "fucking bastard!"
"He said it was for your own good," I say softly.
"Yeah! Sugar coating the truth!" Jay yells, I don't blame him but I see Joey clench his fist.
"Jay, he figured since you lived here more and-"
"Anna shut up." I do as commanded of me as I watch him pound at the floor some more.
"It'll work out for the best." Joey says after a couple of moments.
"Can you leave me alone?" Jay whispers, his eyes red and puffy. I stand up, so does Joey.
"Don't do anything you'll regret," my boyfriend says as Jay retakes control of his bass.
We get out of the room and hear an unfamiliar bass line.
I find myself going over to Joey's house straight after school. Rebel Tuesdays has band practice today so that should be fun. Joey and I snuggle up on the basement sofa, I hear his heart beating, I'm so exhausted from school. He's toying with a loose strand of my hair, I think he's tired too, it's the end of a stressful week.
Jay and Mark stumble into the room, in the middle of an arm slap war.
"Hey guys, Joey says as I lift my head from his chest.
"Hi baby!" Mark squeals as he jumps into my boyfriend's lap.
"My territory!" I joke as he reluctantly gets up and goes over to his drum set. Joey picks up his guitar, Jay his bass. They start playing a MCR cover. They finish up.
"I'll get us some drinks," I say heading to the door. They nod and Jay starts up another song. I head down the hallway to the back room where a second fridge is. I open the fridge to find only beer, we're already under super supervision so I decide not to risk it.
I head up the stairs listening to the music that's pulsating through the walls. On my way to the kitchen I catch a glimpse of Billie Joe and some strange man sitting in the dining room.
"I love him, that's why I think I have to do this," the strange man says.
"But he's your son."
"Billie, we've known each other quite a while, you know I'm not who I used to be and Jay is almost a man now." He must be Jay's father, "And you've been the one who's been there for him in his crucial teenage years."
"He's never turned his back on you."
"Billie, listen to me!" Jay's father says raising his voice, "I can't keep dragging him back into my life and then letting him down. You're more of a father figure, hell you got him his bass!"
"I'll do it if it's what Jay wants," Billie says calmly. "Anna, if you're done eaves dropping can you go get Jay?"
I blush red and turn in spot and head back down the stairs.
"Are we out of soda?" Joey asks at the sight of me.
"Jay, uhh Billie Joe and your-your father want to speak with you," I stutter. Jay's eyes bulge.
"My father's here?" I nod and he puts down his bass and walks past me.
"Anna, what's going on?" Joey whispers as he steps close to me.
"I think your dad's going to adopt Jay." I whisper back. Joey clears his throat nervously and turns around.
"Hey Mark, band practice is over." Mark nods silently and gets up.
I can't help but feel sorry for Jay, I know he hates people feeling sorry for him but he's my age. Sixteen and already had to deal with more shit than most adults. Joey and I sit on the sofa and wait for Jay to return.
"How did you meet Jay?" I ask realizing Joey's a year older than him.
"When I was in fourth grade I was put in a grade three four split class and he needed help in math so the teacher paired us up."
"Cool." I say stupidly.
We sit in silence, counting the seconds till Jay came back down. He bursts through the door and picks up his bass and starts playing angrily. Joey stands up and walks up to him. Jay slows down I can sense a break down. Joey hugs his band mate and I hear him whisper the word brother.
It's almost like in slow motion as I watch Jay start to cry.
"He doesn't want me anymore," he mumbles as he pulls out of Joey's arms and falls to the floor. He pounds his fist against the floor angrily, "fucking bastard!"
"He said it was for your own good," I say softly.
"Yeah! Sugar coating the truth!" Jay yells, I don't blame him but I see Joey clench his fist.
"Jay, he figured since you lived here more and-"
"Anna shut up." I do as commanded of me as I watch him pound at the floor some more.
"It'll work out for the best." Joey says after a couple of moments.
"Can you leave me alone?" Jay whispers, his eyes red and puffy. I stand up, so does Joey.
"Don't do anything you'll regret," my boyfriend says as Jay retakes control of his bass.
We get out of the room and hear an unfamiliar bass line.
