"I Did It Billie. I Killed Him.", chapter 2
She could barely make out the figure of the man. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to scare you." The man stepped closer and the streetlight revealed him as the guitarist from the punk band at the Gilman. "I'm Billie Joe." Ashlee's face softened into a smile as she looked into his piercing green eyes that seemed to look into her soul.
"I'm Ashlee." She stuck out her hand and he shook it. "You guys were really great. You'll have to come back every Saturday, so I can hear you play." Billie Joe smiled.
"Thanks. I saw you inside and I was looking for you after the show, but you had already left before I got to talk to you." Ashlee was taken back.
"You wanted to talk to me?" she asked.
"Yeah, why? Is that something people don't normally do? Should I back off?" He asked with a grin.
"No," she laughed. "It's just I don't usually have lead singers from punk bands follow me down the street just to talk to me."
"Well, I wasn't stalking you. I was just wondering if you wanted to go for some coffee. I know this great little coffee shop... that is, if you even like coffee. If not, we could go somewhere else."
"Are you asking me out?"
"Yes. Is that another thing people don't normally do?" She laughed and shook her head.
"I would love to have coffee with you." He smiled and they began walking down the dark street as she mentally kicked herself in the head for sounding so stupid.
"So you come to the Gilman every Saturday night?" Billie Joe asked as he sipped his espresso.
"Pretty much. I mean, I can't stand it at home, because of things I won't bore you with now, and the Gilman is the only place I feel I really belong. I hate school and I just want to drop out. Of course, I don't think my parents would even care if I did. They just," she trailed off. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling." She took a sip of her espresso and looked at him, waiting for him to say something.
"It's okay. I'm interested. Go ahead."
"Well," Ashlee took a deep breath and wondered where to begin. "My dad is an alcoholic and smokes a lot and my mom is a heroin addict and they could care less about what's going on in my life. I mean, all they do is argue and I have to sneak out of my bedroom window to get away from it all. I just feel like I can't breathe there. I come to the Gilman and I have a beer and smoke some weed, hoping it will all go away someday. I always dread going home because my dad, being drunk, will hit me every so often and my mom just sits there. So, that's my life." Billie gave Ashlee a sympathetic look.
"Well, I can't say I know what you're going through, but I've had my share of crap." She looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "See, when my dad was alive we were really close, and we were a pretty happy family. But then we found out he had cancer and everything just went downhill from there. When I was eight years old he gave me a guitar, that I named Blue. I still have it today. It's my favourite. I remember the day my mom told me he died."
"I'm so sorry." Ashlee cut in.
"I was ten years old and I didn't know what to do. I just locked myself in my room and cried. A few years later, my mom re-married, to a man that all my brothers and sisters and I hated. I was mad at my dad for leaving us with him and mad at my mom for ever thinking there was someone who could replace him. Green Day's like a drug for me. It's what keeps me going." She nodded and smiled.
"Well, I guess we have one thing in common." He shot her a questioning look. "Both our lives suck." They both laughed. "Well, I better get home. Or at least to my park bench." She stood up and grabbed her purse.
"Wait, you sleep on a park bench?"
"Well, that was my plan for tonight. I don't want to go home." Ashlee looked at the floor.
"Well, I'm not letting you sleep on a park bench. You can stay with me. I'm sure my mom won't mind."
"I don't know, Billie Joe. I don't want to cause you guys any trouble. I mean, it's almost eleven o' clock."
"It's no trouble at all."
"Really?" He nodded. "Okay." She smiled and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Thanks, Billie Joe."
"You can call me Billie." He said, as he paid for their coffees. She smiled and slung her purse over her shoulder. "But first, I want you to meet Mike and Tre."
"Okay." They walked out of the coffee shop and began walking down the street. When Ashlee felt Billie's hand slip into hers, she smiled at him and began to think things might turn around for her.
"I'm Ashlee." She stuck out her hand and he shook it. "You guys were really great. You'll have to come back every Saturday, so I can hear you play." Billie Joe smiled.
"Thanks. I saw you inside and I was looking for you after the show, but you had already left before I got to talk to you." Ashlee was taken back.
"You wanted to talk to me?" she asked.
"Yeah, why? Is that something people don't normally do? Should I back off?" He asked with a grin.
"No," she laughed. "It's just I don't usually have lead singers from punk bands follow me down the street just to talk to me."
"Well, I wasn't stalking you. I was just wondering if you wanted to go for some coffee. I know this great little coffee shop... that is, if you even like coffee. If not, we could go somewhere else."
"Are you asking me out?"
"Yes. Is that another thing people don't normally do?" She laughed and shook her head.
"I would love to have coffee with you." He smiled and they began walking down the dark street as she mentally kicked herself in the head for sounding so stupid.
"So you come to the Gilman every Saturday night?" Billie Joe asked as he sipped his espresso.
"Pretty much. I mean, I can't stand it at home, because of things I won't bore you with now, and the Gilman is the only place I feel I really belong. I hate school and I just want to drop out. Of course, I don't think my parents would even care if I did. They just," she trailed off. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling." She took a sip of her espresso and looked at him, waiting for him to say something.
"It's okay. I'm interested. Go ahead."
"Well," Ashlee took a deep breath and wondered where to begin. "My dad is an alcoholic and smokes a lot and my mom is a heroin addict and they could care less about what's going on in my life. I mean, all they do is argue and I have to sneak out of my bedroom window to get away from it all. I just feel like I can't breathe there. I come to the Gilman and I have a beer and smoke some weed, hoping it will all go away someday. I always dread going home because my dad, being drunk, will hit me every so often and my mom just sits there. So, that's my life." Billie gave Ashlee a sympathetic look.
"Well, I can't say I know what you're going through, but I've had my share of crap." She looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "See, when my dad was alive we were really close, and we were a pretty happy family. But then we found out he had cancer and everything just went downhill from there. When I was eight years old he gave me a guitar, that I named Blue. I still have it today. It's my favourite. I remember the day my mom told me he died."
"I'm so sorry." Ashlee cut in.
"I was ten years old and I didn't know what to do. I just locked myself in my room and cried. A few years later, my mom re-married, to a man that all my brothers and sisters and I hated. I was mad at my dad for leaving us with him and mad at my mom for ever thinking there was someone who could replace him. Green Day's like a drug for me. It's what keeps me going." She nodded and smiled.
"Well, I guess we have one thing in common." He shot her a questioning look. "Both our lives suck." They both laughed. "Well, I better get home. Or at least to my park bench." She stood up and grabbed her purse.
"Wait, you sleep on a park bench?"
"Well, that was my plan for tonight. I don't want to go home." Ashlee looked at the floor.
"Well, I'm not letting you sleep on a park bench. You can stay with me. I'm sure my mom won't mind."
"I don't know, Billie Joe. I don't want to cause you guys any trouble. I mean, it's almost eleven o' clock."
"It's no trouble at all."
"Really?" He nodded. "Okay." She smiled and gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Thanks, Billie Joe."
"You can call me Billie." He said, as he paid for their coffees. She smiled and slung her purse over her shoulder. "But first, I want you to meet Mike and Tre."
"Okay." They walked out of the coffee shop and began walking down the street. When Ashlee felt Billie's hand slip into hers, she smiled at him and began to think things might turn around for her.
