Photographs And Still Frames In Your Mind, chapter 6
Mike had been waiting for him to return and was interested to know where his friend had been, since school had finished almost two hours before.
"I found Kate," said Billie.
"Oh, I saw what happened," said Mike. "How was she?"
"Very upset. Staci set her up," explained Billie.
"I thought as much."
"That's why I invited her to the Gilman tonight," said Billie with a grin.
"Is that all?" said Mike with a knowing smile.
"Shut up," said Billie. "We need to get everything ready."
***
He was feeling happier than he had in ages, standing on the small stage of Gilman Street, ready to play their set. But as he started to play he looked around the crowded room and there was a face missing. Where was Kate? She must be running late or something, he thought as he began to sing, "I saw you standing alone, with that sad look on your face... " But as he progressed through the songs he began to worry. Where was she?
If only he had known, he thought to himself as he sat on the large deserted stage. That had been the worst thing. The not knowing. What if something had happened to her on the way to the Gilman. If only he had known how right he was.
He had finished the final song and had left the stage, ignoring the crowd screaming for more, and gone to pack things away in the back. Mike was still to join him when Georgia, one of Staci's "friends", rushed through the door. One of Staci's gang in the Gilman! That was a shock in itself, but she was in a bad state. She looked scared and was out of breath from running.
"Billie, thank god I found you!" she panted.
He knew there was something wrong.
"What's happened?" asked Billie urgently.
"It's Kate. She's been taken to hospital," managed Georgia.
"What!" exclaimed Billie. "Why, what's happened? I need to get there!"
"I've called for a taxi, I'll explain on the way," she said and disappeared back out into the crowd. Billie abandoned what he was doing and followed her.
On his way out he found Mike. "Something's happened," he said quickly. "Kate's in hospital, tell mom I've gone to see her and make sure Blue gets home safely!" he added ad he ran out of the door not even waiting for a reply.
The taxi had arrived and on the way to the hospital Georgia explained what had happened. Staci and her gang had seen Billie walking Kate home and Staci had suggested following them. She's seen what had happened and had lost it. Later she had gone beck and found Kate leaving for Gilman Street. "She walked right up to her and said, 'Stay away from her,'" explained Georgia. "Kate simply asked why. Staci told her that you were hers and Kate said that you were no one's, you were your own person, and when Staci told her to stay away from you again and she refused, she flipped," said Georgia, scared that he would blame her for doing nothing. "Staci went for her. Well it was a proper fight and everyone was cheering Staci on. We didn't see the car, none of us did. Staci pushed Kate and she tripped on the curb right as a car drove past." Georgia began to cry. "It hit her really badly."
Billie wished the car would go faster. He was so worried.
When they reached the hospital it was no better. Kate was in intensive care and was drifting in and out of consciousness. The doctors were being optimistic but it was clear that they weren't getting their hopes up.
He went and sat by her bed. She was a mess. The doctors had tried to clean her up as best they could, but her face and clothes still bore traces of blood. Her left arm was broken and they had told him so were several of her ribs. They had set the bone's they could, but feared the damage was done. He sat there for hours, listening to the faint sound of her breathing punctuated by the beeping of the monitors, thinking. It was all his fault. How could he have ever let something like this happen to someone that he cared so much about?
"Billie?" said a faint voice from beside him. "You're here," it managed.
"Course I'm here," said Billie taking her hand.
"Sorry I missed the gig," she said.
"That's not you're fault," he said.
She was silent for a long time.
"My note book," she finally said. "It's in my bag."
He looked around and saw her bag lying at the foot of the bed. She must have wearing it when it happened because it too was stained with blood. He opened it, found book and took it out.
Kate saw this and said, "Keep it safe for me."
"What?" asked Billie. Was she giving up?
"Just 'till I get out of here."
Now that he could do. "OK," he said. "But 'just 'till you're out of here'," he repeated. Then she sank, once again, into unconsciousness.
The doctor came in and started checking the monitors; he was followed by Kate's mum who had just gone to get a coffee. She was really nice and hadn't minded him being there.
"You should take a brake," she said to him. "You've been sat here for hours."
"No, I'm fine," he said.
"I'll keep an eye on her," she insisted. "And besides," she added. "There's someone here to see you.
He took his eyes of Kate and saw Mike stood in the doorway.
"Thought you might want some company," he said.
"Go on," said Kate's mum. "Go get a drink."
Finally he got up and went, with Mike, to the canteen. Mike got a coffee, but he wasn't thirsty. They just sat there in silence, Billie staring at the tattered book in front of him on the table. He couldn't believe what had happened and it was all his fault. Before hi knew it he was crying. He rested his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands. This had all happened because of him.
He stayed there all night with Mike. He wanted to go see Kate again, but he couldn't bring himself to see her, lying there, so helpless. He didn't want to see the pain he had caused.
The news came when it was still the early hours of the morning. The doctor found them sitting alone in the canteen. He sat down opposite them. "I'm very sorry," he began and Billie's heart sank. "We did everything we could... " His words hung in the air suspended by disbelief. No. That couldn't be true. But he knew deep down that it was.
"I found Kate," said Billie.
"Oh, I saw what happened," said Mike. "How was she?"
"Very upset. Staci set her up," explained Billie.
"I thought as much."
"That's why I invited her to the Gilman tonight," said Billie with a grin.
"Is that all?" said Mike with a knowing smile.
"Shut up," said Billie. "We need to get everything ready."
***
He was feeling happier than he had in ages, standing on the small stage of Gilman Street, ready to play their set. But as he started to play he looked around the crowded room and there was a face missing. Where was Kate? She must be running late or something, he thought as he began to sing, "I saw you standing alone, with that sad look on your face... " But as he progressed through the songs he began to worry. Where was she?
If only he had known, he thought to himself as he sat on the large deserted stage. That had been the worst thing. The not knowing. What if something had happened to her on the way to the Gilman. If only he had known how right he was.
He had finished the final song and had left the stage, ignoring the crowd screaming for more, and gone to pack things away in the back. Mike was still to join him when Georgia, one of Staci's "friends", rushed through the door. One of Staci's gang in the Gilman! That was a shock in itself, but she was in a bad state. She looked scared and was out of breath from running.
"Billie, thank god I found you!" she panted.
He knew there was something wrong.
"What's happened?" asked Billie urgently.
"It's Kate. She's been taken to hospital," managed Georgia.
"What!" exclaimed Billie. "Why, what's happened? I need to get there!"
"I've called for a taxi, I'll explain on the way," she said and disappeared back out into the crowd. Billie abandoned what he was doing and followed her.
On his way out he found Mike. "Something's happened," he said quickly. "Kate's in hospital, tell mom I've gone to see her and make sure Blue gets home safely!" he added ad he ran out of the door not even waiting for a reply.
The taxi had arrived and on the way to the hospital Georgia explained what had happened. Staci and her gang had seen Billie walking Kate home and Staci had suggested following them. She's seen what had happened and had lost it. Later she had gone beck and found Kate leaving for Gilman Street. "She walked right up to her and said, 'Stay away from her,'" explained Georgia. "Kate simply asked why. Staci told her that you were hers and Kate said that you were no one's, you were your own person, and when Staci told her to stay away from you again and she refused, she flipped," said Georgia, scared that he would blame her for doing nothing. "Staci went for her. Well it was a proper fight and everyone was cheering Staci on. We didn't see the car, none of us did. Staci pushed Kate and she tripped on the curb right as a car drove past." Georgia began to cry. "It hit her really badly."
Billie wished the car would go faster. He was so worried.
When they reached the hospital it was no better. Kate was in intensive care and was drifting in and out of consciousness. The doctors were being optimistic but it was clear that they weren't getting their hopes up.
He went and sat by her bed. She was a mess. The doctors had tried to clean her up as best they could, but her face and clothes still bore traces of blood. Her left arm was broken and they had told him so were several of her ribs. They had set the bone's they could, but feared the damage was done. He sat there for hours, listening to the faint sound of her breathing punctuated by the beeping of the monitors, thinking. It was all his fault. How could he have ever let something like this happen to someone that he cared so much about?
"Billie?" said a faint voice from beside him. "You're here," it managed.
"Course I'm here," said Billie taking her hand.
"Sorry I missed the gig," she said.
"That's not you're fault," he said.
She was silent for a long time.
"My note book," she finally said. "It's in my bag."
He looked around and saw her bag lying at the foot of the bed. She must have wearing it when it happened because it too was stained with blood. He opened it, found book and took it out.
Kate saw this and said, "Keep it safe for me."
"What?" asked Billie. Was she giving up?
"Just 'till I get out of here."
Now that he could do. "OK," he said. "But 'just 'till you're out of here'," he repeated. Then she sank, once again, into unconsciousness.
The doctor came in and started checking the monitors; he was followed by Kate's mum who had just gone to get a coffee. She was really nice and hadn't minded him being there.
"You should take a brake," she said to him. "You've been sat here for hours."
"No, I'm fine," he said.
"I'll keep an eye on her," she insisted. "And besides," she added. "There's someone here to see you.
He took his eyes of Kate and saw Mike stood in the doorway.
"Thought you might want some company," he said.
"Go on," said Kate's mum. "Go get a drink."
Finally he got up and went, with Mike, to the canteen. Mike got a coffee, but he wasn't thirsty. They just sat there in silence, Billie staring at the tattered book in front of him on the table. He couldn't believe what had happened and it was all his fault. Before hi knew it he was crying. He rested his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands. This had all happened because of him.
He stayed there all night with Mike. He wanted to go see Kate again, but he couldn't bring himself to see her, lying there, so helpless. He didn't want to see the pain he had caused.
The news came when it was still the early hours of the morning. The doctor found them sitting alone in the canteen. He sat down opposite them. "I'm very sorry," he began and Billie's heart sank. "We did everything we could... " His words hung in the air suspended by disbelief. No. That couldn't be true. But he knew deep down that it was.
