Fragments Of Yesterday, chapter 1
The rain poured in blinding sheets as the thunder roared its triumphant voice across Berkeley. It had been a long time since he had seen it storm like this in California, and Billie found it almost impossible to navigate his BMW through the rain. Even going twenty miles an hour under the speed limit he could barely see his way through.
All he could think about was getting home to see his boys. And Adie. He smiled faintly as he could make out a clear image of his wife in his head. Closing in on the age of 40, she still looked as beautiful as the day he married her. He had been away from home way too long this time, the tour for their album after American Idiot having taken its toll. He just wanted to get home and kick back with the family for a while.
Billie turned up the radio as he rounded a corner, The Ramones blaring 'I Wanna Be Sedated' from the speakers. When he glanced up, he slammed on his brakes, the car fishtailing a bit and barely missing the girl by mere feet. She stared at him, deer-in-the-headlights, helpless and drenched.
"Holy shit," Billie muttered, breathing heavily, his heart refusing to quit trying to thud out of his chest. He could have killed her. Frowning, he wondered why a girl so young was out at 2 AM on a stormy night. He surveyed her drenched form. She couldn't be much older than Joey. Her red hair clung to her soaked face, as did her clothes to her thin body. On her shoulder was a completely ruined suede backpack, appearing to be stuffed past capacity.
Deciding quickly, he got out of the car, feeling the need to help this kid. "Are you okay?" he shouted more than asked over the rain. There was a slow nod. He looked off down the road--a long way to anywhere. "Do you need a ride?"
"Are you some kind of pervert?" she asked, her voice much less high pitched than he would have expected. She was tough, he could tell that much.
"I've been called one, but I don't think I am," he answered with what he hoped to be a reassuring and friendly smile.
She looked around for a brief second, probably going through whatever situation was in her head. "Alright. As long as you don't care." She walked over to the car, and they both got in.
"I wouldn't have offered if I cared," he replied, turning the heater on high. He was freezing from being out in the rain for five minutes; there was no telling how long she had been out there.
Silence except for the radio filled the BMW. He glanced over to see her staring vaguely out of the window. Her mascara and eyeliner were running down her colorless face. She had been through something extreme, and Billie really wanted to ask. He just didn't want to upset her--especially when she clearly wasn't in the best of shape.
"Where are you headed?" he asked finally. She started but stopped before letting out a small, exasperated and overwhelmed laugh.
"I don't even know," she breathed, making the words come out in a half sob. She was lost, afraid and alone, but at least she wasn't home. Or the place she was forced to call home, only without the warm definition.
Billie pulled the car over in a parking lot. It was going on 2:30, and he should have been home by now. Adrienne was probably waiting up for him, wondering where he was at. But right now, this girl was important. Something inside him told him that this was important. "I need to know at least a general place to drop you off at. I can't do that if I don't know where you're--"
"I don't fucking know, okay!" she sobbed, turning to look back out the window. Way to go, dumbass, Billie thought.
"I'm sorry," he said calmly. "But I need to know something. Do you have relatives or parents that can--" The look on her face told him to stop immediately. He had obviously brought up a very tender subject.
"Just drop me off at a hotel," she said, sniffing and wiping her face, smudging her make-up further.
"Do you have money?" he asked quietly, trying hard not to sound patronizing, already sensing the answer.
"No," she responded in just as small a tone.
Billie thought for a moment, evaluating the situation. "How old are you?" she stared at him apprehensively for a moment.
"Fourteen." Shit, he had been right. She was the exact same age as Joey. He couldn't get over the fact that a 14 year old girl had been wandering Berkeley at 2 AM by herself. He also knew that whatever the reason, it was serious.
"If you need a place to stay--" he started, realizing immediately that that probably didn't come out sounding too good. She moved closer to the door, all the more defensive and suspicious.
"If you're some creep who just wants to entertain his sick fantasies on a kid--" she trailed off accusingly.
"I'm not!" Billie cried indignantly. He was irritated now, having been accused of being a pedophile for the second time. He forced himself to relax a little, knowing that she was only looking out for herself. He thought of a better way to approach it. "We've got a spare bedroom, and if you need a place to get your shit together, I can help. You don't need to be wandering the streets this late."
"Who's 'we'?" she questioned after a pause.
"Me and my wife and kids," he answered. The clock now turned to 2:45, and he knew he should call Adie. In fact, he would do it right then.
He pulled out his cell and called home (his having the warm definition), smiling when he heard Adie's concerned voice. He briefed her on the situation, and she had no problem with letting the girl stay. She was just glad that he was okay and hadn't been in some kind of freak accident. He smartly left out the part where he had almost slid off the road to avoid hitting the girl. Finally, he hung up and looked back over to her.
"The offer still stands," he said, looking at her. She analyzed things once more before sighing and nodding.
"Okay," she agreed. "Just as long as you aren't some freak who wants a blow job." He blinked, wondering what kind of shit this kid had been through before starting the car.
"That's why I have a wife," he commented, getting an ever so faint smile. It was tired and a little forced, but there was sincerity in her green eyes. "What's your name?"
"Katie," she replied, actually sticking out her small, pale hand. Billie smiled and shook it.
"Billie Joe." With that, he put the car in gear and headed towards home, happy the rain had let up and he could actually see out three feet in front of him.
Katie let out a small sigh of relief, glad that she hadn't been picked up by some pervert. She felt bad for having accused him, but this was California, and she had to be careful. This guy was really nice (even though he wore more eyeliner than she did), and besides, she was too exhausted to argue. And it would be nice to sleep in a place where she didn't have to worry about Jake...
All he could think about was getting home to see his boys. And Adie. He smiled faintly as he could make out a clear image of his wife in his head. Closing in on the age of 40, she still looked as beautiful as the day he married her. He had been away from home way too long this time, the tour for their album after American Idiot having taken its toll. He just wanted to get home and kick back with the family for a while.
Billie turned up the radio as he rounded a corner, The Ramones blaring 'I Wanna Be Sedated' from the speakers. When he glanced up, he slammed on his brakes, the car fishtailing a bit and barely missing the girl by mere feet. She stared at him, deer-in-the-headlights, helpless and drenched.
"Holy shit," Billie muttered, breathing heavily, his heart refusing to quit trying to thud out of his chest. He could have killed her. Frowning, he wondered why a girl so young was out at 2 AM on a stormy night. He surveyed her drenched form. She couldn't be much older than Joey. Her red hair clung to her soaked face, as did her clothes to her thin body. On her shoulder was a completely ruined suede backpack, appearing to be stuffed past capacity.
Deciding quickly, he got out of the car, feeling the need to help this kid. "Are you okay?" he shouted more than asked over the rain. There was a slow nod. He looked off down the road--a long way to anywhere. "Do you need a ride?"
"Are you some kind of pervert?" she asked, her voice much less high pitched than he would have expected. She was tough, he could tell that much.
"I've been called one, but I don't think I am," he answered with what he hoped to be a reassuring and friendly smile.
She looked around for a brief second, probably going through whatever situation was in her head. "Alright. As long as you don't care." She walked over to the car, and they both got in.
"I wouldn't have offered if I cared," he replied, turning the heater on high. He was freezing from being out in the rain for five minutes; there was no telling how long she had been out there.
Silence except for the radio filled the BMW. He glanced over to see her staring vaguely out of the window. Her mascara and eyeliner were running down her colorless face. She had been through something extreme, and Billie really wanted to ask. He just didn't want to upset her--especially when she clearly wasn't in the best of shape.
"Where are you headed?" he asked finally. She started but stopped before letting out a small, exasperated and overwhelmed laugh.
"I don't even know," she breathed, making the words come out in a half sob. She was lost, afraid and alone, but at least she wasn't home. Or the place she was forced to call home, only without the warm definition.
Billie pulled the car over in a parking lot. It was going on 2:30, and he should have been home by now. Adrienne was probably waiting up for him, wondering where he was at. But right now, this girl was important. Something inside him told him that this was important. "I need to know at least a general place to drop you off at. I can't do that if I don't know where you're--"
"I don't fucking know, okay!" she sobbed, turning to look back out the window. Way to go, dumbass, Billie thought.
"I'm sorry," he said calmly. "But I need to know something. Do you have relatives or parents that can--" The look on her face told him to stop immediately. He had obviously brought up a very tender subject.
"Just drop me off at a hotel," she said, sniffing and wiping her face, smudging her make-up further.
"Do you have money?" he asked quietly, trying hard not to sound patronizing, already sensing the answer.
"No," she responded in just as small a tone.
Billie thought for a moment, evaluating the situation. "How old are you?" she stared at him apprehensively for a moment.
"Fourteen." Shit, he had been right. She was the exact same age as Joey. He couldn't get over the fact that a 14 year old girl had been wandering Berkeley at 2 AM by herself. He also knew that whatever the reason, it was serious.
"If you need a place to stay--" he started, realizing immediately that that probably didn't come out sounding too good. She moved closer to the door, all the more defensive and suspicious.
"If you're some creep who just wants to entertain his sick fantasies on a kid--" she trailed off accusingly.
"I'm not!" Billie cried indignantly. He was irritated now, having been accused of being a pedophile for the second time. He forced himself to relax a little, knowing that she was only looking out for herself. He thought of a better way to approach it. "We've got a spare bedroom, and if you need a place to get your shit together, I can help. You don't need to be wandering the streets this late."
"Who's 'we'?" she questioned after a pause.
"Me and my wife and kids," he answered. The clock now turned to 2:45, and he knew he should call Adie. In fact, he would do it right then.
He pulled out his cell and called home (his having the warm definition), smiling when he heard Adie's concerned voice. He briefed her on the situation, and she had no problem with letting the girl stay. She was just glad that he was okay and hadn't been in some kind of freak accident. He smartly left out the part where he had almost slid off the road to avoid hitting the girl. Finally, he hung up and looked back over to her.
"The offer still stands," he said, looking at her. She analyzed things once more before sighing and nodding.
"Okay," she agreed. "Just as long as you aren't some freak who wants a blow job." He blinked, wondering what kind of shit this kid had been through before starting the car.
"That's why I have a wife," he commented, getting an ever so faint smile. It was tired and a little forced, but there was sincerity in her green eyes. "What's your name?"
"Katie," she replied, actually sticking out her small, pale hand. Billie smiled and shook it.
"Billie Joe." With that, he put the car in gear and headed towards home, happy the rain had let up and he could actually see out three feet in front of him.
Katie let out a small sigh of relief, glad that she hadn't been picked up by some pervert. She felt bad for having accused him, but this was California, and she had to be careful. This guy was really nice (even though he wore more eyeliner than she did), and besides, she was too exhausted to argue. And it would be nice to sleep in a place where she didn't have to worry about Jake...
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