Adeline Street, chapter 9
Going home was hard. I had to go back to the school that claimed the life of my friends, but I made new friends, though none would ever compare. I met a new guy as well- the foreign exchange student, Luca, from Italy. We hit it off right away and started dating on the weekends. I anticipated going back to Oakland. I could hardly stand the 102 degree weather AND the humidity all at one time. Months slowly dragged by when I finally announced I was headed back in the studio. I promised Luca I would fly him over in the next few days. I boarded the plane yet again and headed back to my home away from home.
I got a rental car and drove from the LA airport to the house on the hill in luscious Oakland. It was dark by this time and was starting to rain. Mike and Tre were here. I was shaking with anxiousness. I got my luggage and walked over to the door and knocked. Adrienne opened the door and squeed.
"Oh my god! We weren't expecting you till tomorrow night!" She flung her arms around me.
"I got an earlier flight. That okay?"
"Duh! Come on in, Mike's the only one awake. Tre and Billie are snoozing in the living room."
I walked in and walked through to the living room. Mike saw me and came and gave me a hug.
"Man you look great!" he whispered, trying not to wake Billie and Tre.
"Thanks! Why are they sleeping?"
"Well, Billie's been up for 2 days straight. Not really sure why. Probably another anxiety attack coming on. And Tre's just sleepy."
"Well, they need to get up," I said putting my stuff down. I walked over to the couch, where Billie was lying on his back with his arm draped across his forehead. I sat on his stomach and he sputtered.
"Holy shit!" He said, still half asleep.
"Fine greeting for a friend you haven't seen for months." I smiled.
He smiled and sat up and gave me a hug and kiss on the forehead. "I wasn't expecting you."
"No one was," I said. I threw my Adeline hat at Tre's head and he woke up.
"Woah! Bitch is back!" He came over and joined me on Billie's stomach.
"Get off!" Billie laughed and pushed us both on the floor.
"Where are the boys?" I asked. Before I could get an answer, a bleached blonde haired boy around 9 years old came running downstairs.
"Dad! Stella locked herself in the closet!" He stopped in his tracks when he saw me and I him. It was Jakob. I looked at Billie. "You bleached his hair?"
"He wanted to. And he's not alone."
As he said this, another boy around 13 stood at the top.
"She's freaking out, Dad, hurry up. Hey Kayla's back!" he cried. He too had bleached blond hair in a fauxhawk. I looked back over at Billie, and he shrugged. He got up and we all followed the boys up the stairs to Billie and Adie's bedroom. Little fists were pounding on the door next to the bathroom.
"Stella, what were you doing in my bedroom?" Billie asked, trying not to laugh.
"We were playing hide and seek." She said pitifully.
"Okay, hold on." Billie kicked the door frame a couple of times then opened the door.
"I gotta fix that. Jakob does it all the time. You'd think he'd learn, but he's stubborn like his mom."
"I'm telling her you said that!" Jakob said, taking off down the stairs. Billie rolled his eyes.
Mike, Tre, Stella and Joey all went downstairs, leaving me and Billie standing in the bedroom.
"So, did you have a nice break?" He asked.
"Oh yeah. I met a new guy, made new friends, it's was tough at first but it was ok." I looked down, noticing my eyes were starting to blur with tears. Billie noticed.
"You wanna talk?" he asked.
I gulped hard and straightened up. "No, it's nothing."
He didn't believe me.
I sighed. "I didn't really realize Casey was dead until I spent 1 week at school and he wasn't there. And not having my old friends there just made it worse. He and I had been dating since 6th grade-5 years! I had always planned on him being my first, you know-" he nodded. He knew what I meant.
"But he's gone now. And I love Luca, but it's just so weird." I rubbed my eyes. He hugged me into his chest. I hadn't cried in so long it was almost painful. He sat me down on the bed and wiped the tears off my face.
"It's gonna be okay. You have been through a lot and it may take years, but everything will get better, I promise." He smiled softly. I couldn't help but smile.
"Thank you."
And there it was again. The magnetic force that pulled our eyes to meet each others. He leaned in and kissed me, and I returned it. This kiss was different- it was more passionate and heated. He laid me on my back and I ran my hands through the back of his hair, feeling his hand travel up my thigh and hip. He pulled away, but not quickly.
"Oh god," He said. He got up and paced in front of the bed. I was in slight shock. I was only 16. He was 34. That was no peck on the forehead. That was the real deal.
"Why do I keep doing this!?" He asked himself, almost as if he were scorning a child.
I still couldn't say anything. I rubbed the back of my neck where the feeling of his hand still lingered.
"Billie, it's okay," I finally assured him, seeing as he was about to have a panic attack. "It never leaves this room."
"I can't just do that. You saw what happened last time. I don't ever want that to happen again."
"I'm okay now, Billie, I promise. Whatever that was that just happened will never be thought of again." I was lying of course. I knew that this was gonna eat me alive, but he wasn't as vulnerable as me.
He sighed and reluctantly nodded. I smiled and took his hand. "Don't worry about it anymore. Neither will I." He smiled and nodded.
"I'm gonna go for a drive, just to catch up," I said as we walked back down the stairs. I told Adie what I was doing and headed for the door, not making eye contact the entire time. I got in the car and drove down Adeline Street to the old side road I was on after Billie kissed me the first time. I still didn't understand it. Why? Why a 16 year old girl? Why THIS 16 year old girl? If only I were a few more years older, I probably would have enjoyed it more. Not that I didn't already, but that was sick! He's older than my uncle! And only 5 years younger than my dad!
I had to talk to Luca. Just to get my mind off of it. I dialed his number and it rang twice before I heard his high-pitched Italian accented voice.
"Yes?" he said.
"Hey, baby how are you?" I asked.
"Missing you. How was the flight?"
"Long. It's already been a weird day."
"It will be better. I know this," I laughed. It was so funny to hear him talk. He didn't know English that well.
"You still coming Thursday?" I asked.
"Of course. If it is ok with the Green Day man."
I laughed. "His name is Billie. It's ok. I asked before I came."
"Good. I'm sorry, I must go. Michael wants the phone. I will call you when I reach the airport. I love you."
"Love you too, Luca." I smiled and we hung up. I just loved hearing his voice. I felt a lot better, but I never saw the other car coming until it was too late.
I swerved to the right, which was stupid on my part because the other driver slammed into the driver's side. I felt the car spin and a sharp pain on the side of my head. I couldn't feel my left arm. It was pinned. My head was killing me. I could barely keep my eyes open because of the pain. I saw the other driver stumble out of the car, but I lost consciousness shortly after.
I got a rental car and drove from the LA airport to the house on the hill in luscious Oakland. It was dark by this time and was starting to rain. Mike and Tre were here. I was shaking with anxiousness. I got my luggage and walked over to the door and knocked. Adrienne opened the door and squeed.
"Oh my god! We weren't expecting you till tomorrow night!" She flung her arms around me.
"I got an earlier flight. That okay?"
"Duh! Come on in, Mike's the only one awake. Tre and Billie are snoozing in the living room."
I walked in and walked through to the living room. Mike saw me and came and gave me a hug.
"Man you look great!" he whispered, trying not to wake Billie and Tre.
"Thanks! Why are they sleeping?"
"Well, Billie's been up for 2 days straight. Not really sure why. Probably another anxiety attack coming on. And Tre's just sleepy."
"Well, they need to get up," I said putting my stuff down. I walked over to the couch, where Billie was lying on his back with his arm draped across his forehead. I sat on his stomach and he sputtered.
"Holy shit!" He said, still half asleep.
"Fine greeting for a friend you haven't seen for months." I smiled.
He smiled and sat up and gave me a hug and kiss on the forehead. "I wasn't expecting you."
"No one was," I said. I threw my Adeline hat at Tre's head and he woke up.
"Woah! Bitch is back!" He came over and joined me on Billie's stomach.
"Get off!" Billie laughed and pushed us both on the floor.
"Where are the boys?" I asked. Before I could get an answer, a bleached blonde haired boy around 9 years old came running downstairs.
"Dad! Stella locked herself in the closet!" He stopped in his tracks when he saw me and I him. It was Jakob. I looked at Billie. "You bleached his hair?"
"He wanted to. And he's not alone."
As he said this, another boy around 13 stood at the top.
"She's freaking out, Dad, hurry up. Hey Kayla's back!" he cried. He too had bleached blond hair in a fauxhawk. I looked back over at Billie, and he shrugged. He got up and we all followed the boys up the stairs to Billie and Adie's bedroom. Little fists were pounding on the door next to the bathroom.
"Stella, what were you doing in my bedroom?" Billie asked, trying not to laugh.
"We were playing hide and seek." She said pitifully.
"Okay, hold on." Billie kicked the door frame a couple of times then opened the door.
"I gotta fix that. Jakob does it all the time. You'd think he'd learn, but he's stubborn like his mom."
"I'm telling her you said that!" Jakob said, taking off down the stairs. Billie rolled his eyes.
Mike, Tre, Stella and Joey all went downstairs, leaving me and Billie standing in the bedroom.
"So, did you have a nice break?" He asked.
"Oh yeah. I met a new guy, made new friends, it's was tough at first but it was ok." I looked down, noticing my eyes were starting to blur with tears. Billie noticed.
"You wanna talk?" he asked.
I gulped hard and straightened up. "No, it's nothing."
He didn't believe me.
I sighed. "I didn't really realize Casey was dead until I spent 1 week at school and he wasn't there. And not having my old friends there just made it worse. He and I had been dating since 6th grade-5 years! I had always planned on him being my first, you know-" he nodded. He knew what I meant.
"But he's gone now. And I love Luca, but it's just so weird." I rubbed my eyes. He hugged me into his chest. I hadn't cried in so long it was almost painful. He sat me down on the bed and wiped the tears off my face.
"It's gonna be okay. You have been through a lot and it may take years, but everything will get better, I promise." He smiled softly. I couldn't help but smile.
"Thank you."
And there it was again. The magnetic force that pulled our eyes to meet each others. He leaned in and kissed me, and I returned it. This kiss was different- it was more passionate and heated. He laid me on my back and I ran my hands through the back of his hair, feeling his hand travel up my thigh and hip. He pulled away, but not quickly.
"Oh god," He said. He got up and paced in front of the bed. I was in slight shock. I was only 16. He was 34. That was no peck on the forehead. That was the real deal.
"Why do I keep doing this!?" He asked himself, almost as if he were scorning a child.
I still couldn't say anything. I rubbed the back of my neck where the feeling of his hand still lingered.
"Billie, it's okay," I finally assured him, seeing as he was about to have a panic attack. "It never leaves this room."
"I can't just do that. You saw what happened last time. I don't ever want that to happen again."
"I'm okay now, Billie, I promise. Whatever that was that just happened will never be thought of again." I was lying of course. I knew that this was gonna eat me alive, but he wasn't as vulnerable as me.
He sighed and reluctantly nodded. I smiled and took his hand. "Don't worry about it anymore. Neither will I." He smiled and nodded.
"I'm gonna go for a drive, just to catch up," I said as we walked back down the stairs. I told Adie what I was doing and headed for the door, not making eye contact the entire time. I got in the car and drove down Adeline Street to the old side road I was on after Billie kissed me the first time. I still didn't understand it. Why? Why a 16 year old girl? Why THIS 16 year old girl? If only I were a few more years older, I probably would have enjoyed it more. Not that I didn't already, but that was sick! He's older than my uncle! And only 5 years younger than my dad!
I had to talk to Luca. Just to get my mind off of it. I dialed his number and it rang twice before I heard his high-pitched Italian accented voice.
"Yes?" he said.
"Hey, baby how are you?" I asked.
"Missing you. How was the flight?"
"Long. It's already been a weird day."
"It will be better. I know this," I laughed. It was so funny to hear him talk. He didn't know English that well.
"You still coming Thursday?" I asked.
"Of course. If it is ok with the Green Day man."
I laughed. "His name is Billie. It's ok. I asked before I came."
"Good. I'm sorry, I must go. Michael wants the phone. I will call you when I reach the airport. I love you."
"Love you too, Luca." I smiled and we hung up. I just loved hearing his voice. I felt a lot better, but I never saw the other car coming until it was too late.
I swerved to the right, which was stupid on my part because the other driver slammed into the driver's side. I felt the car spin and a sharp pain on the side of my head. I couldn't feel my left arm. It was pinned. My head was killing me. I could barely keep my eyes open because of the pain. I saw the other driver stumble out of the car, but I lost consciousness shortly after.
