What do you mean?, chapter 3
When Luke hung up, I automatically felt depressed. I felt alone. Nobody was ever there for me but him. When I came into the living room, my mom was still talking to the neighbors, who looked really scared. I guess they were a bit weirded out by her "postcard" personality. When they saw me, they brightened, hoping I could help them out of this sticky situation.
"Uh, mom, your... cake is burning," I said, pointing to the kitchen.
"My double layered, chocolate crust, lemon whipped cream filling supreme!" she rambled, and ran off to the kitchen.
"Thank you!" Billie Joe said.
"Billie!" Adie hissed, slapping his arm.
"What?" he said, rubbing the spot where she had hit him.
I cracked a faint smile, it was the best I could do. It was more like the corners of my mouth twitching. But it was still something. I was bored out of my mind, and after Billie and Adie asked me a few questions I just stood up and went to my room. I was still upset about school, I didn't want to go, now I wouldn't have any friends at all. Just as I was falling asleep, my eyes drooping and my breathing growing heavier, I heard a knock at my door.
"Come in!" I called as loud as I could.
The door opened and there stood my mom, fuming.
"Celia, next time we have company, I expect you to be on perfect behavior. None of this running off to your room and wearing old dirty clothes. When guests come over, you will wear what I want you to wear. Do you hear me?"
I blinked twice. "Excuse me?"
"Don't you take me in that tone!"
"You can't force me to do anything."
"I'm your mother."
"Yeah, you are, so you should encourage me to be myself. Not try and cover me up with your postcard bullshit. Mom- I'm not perfect. And neither are you. So stop FUCKING PRETENDING!"
I threw my lamp at her. It crashed to the ground, and my mother opened her mouth to say something. But instead she burst into tears and ran into the hall. Probably to go bang my dad, who just got home from finding his way around. I slammed my door and locked it, opened my window and slid onto the roof.
The roof was wet, I guess from the sprinklers or something. I grabbed hold of the tree branch, and attempted to climb across. I slipped and fell, but landed on my feet. I guess a bit too hard, because I couldn't move for about ten seconds.
When I could feel my ankles again, I pulled my black Green Day hoodie up, and covered my eyes. My jeans were held onto my waist by a black belt that Luke and I had put our names on with white out.
I had no clue where to go. I mean usually I would just go to Luke's house and climb in his window. Sometimes if he was asleep I would just crawl in next to him, and when he woke up he would put his arm around me and ask me what I wanted to do that day.
But now I didn't have Luke. Now I had no clue where to go. So I did what I would have to do sometime anyways.
I took a walk.
I came to a place with fast upbeat music pounding out of the walls. It was the only interesting thing I had seen in the last ten minutes. I knew it was a bar, but I couldn't really do anything else. Besides, I would get kicked out anyways, right?
I pulled myself inside and found myself surrounded with smoke and the heavy scent of beer and wine and other alcoholic drinks. It was mostly older men, but there were a few younger women too.
I walked into the bar further, and found that there was a free seat at the bar. The circular kind. And that made my day.
As soon as my ass hit the seat, the greasy looking bar tender came over to me and asked me if I wanted a drink. I shook my head.
"Well you can't sit here if you don't buy a drink, sweetheart."
I hated it when people called me sweetheart.
"Okay, do you have water, or pop?" I asked.
The man laughed and shook his head, but called over a waitress in a skimpy skirt and hoop earrings. "Hey Mia, get the kid a glass of soda with ice in it."
The girl laughed and went to get me my drink. I didn't know what was so funny. The guy next to me turned his head and took off his sunglasses.
"Have I met you before?"
I shook my head. My hood was covering my eyes.
"I see you like Green Day. Aren't you a bit young for a bar though?"
I looked up at him and nearly fell off my seat.
"Oh hey, Celia! What are you doing here? Isn't your mom worried? I thought you went to bed!" Billie Joe exclaimed.
"No, she's probably adopting another kid to be her poster child right now actually. I couldn't sleep, and mom and I had a fight. I didn't know where else to go. I usually go to my friend Luke's but... he's far away now... "
The bartender came back to me, grinning. Billie Joe's eyes were basically drilling into the side of my head.
"Hey sweetie, here's that pop you ordered."
"Could you please not call me that?" I snapped.
He backed off, needless to say. I grabbed my Pepsi and chugged it down, walking made me thirsty. I thought back to when Luke and I had chugging contests, while the girls at the other lunch tables pointed and laughed. I shook my head.
"Look, you shouldn't be here," Billie Joe said, stating the obvious. "Let me drive you home."
"No it's okay. I'll walk."
I stood up and left, while he stared after me. Yeah, it was rude to just leave, but I didn't really like it there. I needed to find somewhere where I could go when I needed too. I knew nothing would fill in Luke's place but...
That's right.
Nothing would.
I turned around and walked back home. The door was locked, and I didn't feel like climbing. I sat down on my doorstep and fell asleep.
But that was gone now.
"Uh, mom, your... cake is burning," I said, pointing to the kitchen.
"My double layered, chocolate crust, lemon whipped cream filling supreme!" she rambled, and ran off to the kitchen.
"Thank you!" Billie Joe said.
"Billie!" Adie hissed, slapping his arm.
"What?" he said, rubbing the spot where she had hit him.
I cracked a faint smile, it was the best I could do. It was more like the corners of my mouth twitching. But it was still something. I was bored out of my mind, and after Billie and Adie asked me a few questions I just stood up and went to my room. I was still upset about school, I didn't want to go, now I wouldn't have any friends at all. Just as I was falling asleep, my eyes drooping and my breathing growing heavier, I heard a knock at my door.
"Come in!" I called as loud as I could.
The door opened and there stood my mom, fuming.
"Celia, next time we have company, I expect you to be on perfect behavior. None of this running off to your room and wearing old dirty clothes. When guests come over, you will wear what I want you to wear. Do you hear me?"
I blinked twice. "Excuse me?"
"Don't you take me in that tone!"
"You can't force me to do anything."
"I'm your mother."
"Yeah, you are, so you should encourage me to be myself. Not try and cover me up with your postcard bullshit. Mom- I'm not perfect. And neither are you. So stop FUCKING PRETENDING!"
I threw my lamp at her. It crashed to the ground, and my mother opened her mouth to say something. But instead she burst into tears and ran into the hall. Probably to go bang my dad, who just got home from finding his way around. I slammed my door and locked it, opened my window and slid onto the roof.
The roof was wet, I guess from the sprinklers or something. I grabbed hold of the tree branch, and attempted to climb across. I slipped and fell, but landed on my feet. I guess a bit too hard, because I couldn't move for about ten seconds.
When I could feel my ankles again, I pulled my black Green Day hoodie up, and covered my eyes. My jeans were held onto my waist by a black belt that Luke and I had put our names on with white out.
I had no clue where to go. I mean usually I would just go to Luke's house and climb in his window. Sometimes if he was asleep I would just crawl in next to him, and when he woke up he would put his arm around me and ask me what I wanted to do that day.
But now I didn't have Luke. Now I had no clue where to go. So I did what I would have to do sometime anyways.
I took a walk.
I came to a place with fast upbeat music pounding out of the walls. It was the only interesting thing I had seen in the last ten minutes. I knew it was a bar, but I couldn't really do anything else. Besides, I would get kicked out anyways, right?
I pulled myself inside and found myself surrounded with smoke and the heavy scent of beer and wine and other alcoholic drinks. It was mostly older men, but there were a few younger women too.
I walked into the bar further, and found that there was a free seat at the bar. The circular kind. And that made my day.
As soon as my ass hit the seat, the greasy looking bar tender came over to me and asked me if I wanted a drink. I shook my head.
"Well you can't sit here if you don't buy a drink, sweetheart."
I hated it when people called me sweetheart.
"Okay, do you have water, or pop?" I asked.
The man laughed and shook his head, but called over a waitress in a skimpy skirt and hoop earrings. "Hey Mia, get the kid a glass of soda with ice in it."
The girl laughed and went to get me my drink. I didn't know what was so funny. The guy next to me turned his head and took off his sunglasses.
"Have I met you before?"
I shook my head. My hood was covering my eyes.
"I see you like Green Day. Aren't you a bit young for a bar though?"
I looked up at him and nearly fell off my seat.
"Oh hey, Celia! What are you doing here? Isn't your mom worried? I thought you went to bed!" Billie Joe exclaimed.
"No, she's probably adopting another kid to be her poster child right now actually. I couldn't sleep, and mom and I had a fight. I didn't know where else to go. I usually go to my friend Luke's but... he's far away now... "
The bartender came back to me, grinning. Billie Joe's eyes were basically drilling into the side of my head.
"Hey sweetie, here's that pop you ordered."
"Could you please not call me that?" I snapped.
He backed off, needless to say. I grabbed my Pepsi and chugged it down, walking made me thirsty. I thought back to when Luke and I had chugging contests, while the girls at the other lunch tables pointed and laughed. I shook my head.
"Look, you shouldn't be here," Billie Joe said, stating the obvious. "Let me drive you home."
"No it's okay. I'll walk."
I stood up and left, while he stared after me. Yeah, it was rude to just leave, but I didn't really like it there. I needed to find somewhere where I could go when I needed too. I knew nothing would fill in Luke's place but...
That's right.
Nothing would.
I turned around and walked back home. The door was locked, and I didn't feel like climbing. I sat down on my doorstep and fell asleep.
But that was gone now.
