Another kind of Idiot. (Sequel to Loser. Weirdo. Faggot.), chapter 3
Tre sat quietly in his dining room, staring out of the window. His hands fiddled around with the towel on the edge of the table. He groaned. He was tired, but he couldn't sleep. It was around midnight, pretty early, but he was exhausted nevertheless. He heard his sister come down the stairs. Tre tried to hide behind the table.
Tre's sister was the opposite of him. Tall, thin, and shy. The only thing that they both shared was the shock of brownish hair that came from their heads. That and they had the same parents. She yawned, pulling over her pink robe. She wound herself to the fridge.
Tre saw his moment. He jumped out quietly, and snuck behind her. He slammed his hand onto her shoulder, and screamed. She just about jumped out of her skin. "What the hell, Frank?!" She snarled, swinging around to hit him. Tre laughed, falling onto the ground. "Wait until mom and dad hear about this!" She looked furious as she stalked back up to her room. Tre flipped her off. He couldn't help but giggle.
He felt he had a right to bother his sister. She was older. And she was a better student than Tre ever dreamed of being. She was the favorite. But Tre hardly minded. He could always get her back. A fake spider in her bed, a rap on her windows right before she fell asleep- she would be up all night, Tre taking joy in it the entire time.
* * *
Billie rolled his eyes. Drummer tryouts were horrible. Out of the five people who showed up, only about one of them actually knew what a cymbal was, let alone how to play with a band. When the last person walked out the door, after Mike gently rejected them, Billie let out a burst of anger.
"This is a waste of my god damn time! If it wasn't for that fucking idiot, we wouldn't be here! We would be playing a gig in... fucking Santa Monaco!" Billie slid his chair back, not wanting to be comforted by anyone. He slunk over to the couch on the opposite side of the room, and began to sulk. "Dammit..." he muttered.
Mike put his arm around Casey. "You know any drummers?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. Billie interrupted. "Of course she doesn't know any drummers, Mike, or she'd have given us a clue by now!" Mike narrowed his eyes, but refrained from saying anything. He knew Billie was having a rough time.
"We could try Tre again..." He offered, trailing off. They all knew that was hopeless. Tre was a great drummer, sure, but he refused to play with them. His excuses were always along the lines of, "We're friends, we're not a band." Or "It's fine. Get someone better." But now there was no one better. The needed to have Tre. For Billie's sake.
Mike was the one who decided to make the call. He did it in secret, while Billie and Casey were out getting lunch to bring back. He had volunteered to stay at Billie's, where the tryouts were, to make sure to give them an interview if someone came. Billie had agreed, but with a little bit of question in his voice. Now Mike was free to call.
* * *
Billie was bitter. He felt it the entire way through his body. He dragged his feet across the ground. He was out getting food for Mike. Along with Mike's girlfriend.
He almost heard the awkwardness screaming from her. She was there when it happened. She knew what a loser Billie was. A beggar. A coward. She knew that he hadn't had a date since Adrienne left.
He felt responsible. It was his fault the love of his life was gone, no matter that he was beginning to get over her. He was responsible for his family's condition. His father's death. Everything that had ever happened bad to him, or others around him. And it was a horrible feeling to have.
Casey noticed Billie's lack of talking. She decided to try to cheer him up. She grinned when he talked, she made jokes, she helped pay for the food. And slowly she saw his mood start to rise. When he was on the verge of laughing so hard his drink almost came out of his nose, Casey slipped in the question.
"Bill, if you and Mike go on tour, can I bring a friend?" It had already been arranged that as long as Casey knew them, she would go on tour with them. Mike needed some kind of support. And his family sure wasn't giving him that.
Billie looked up at her, getting his drink down with a few laughs. "Sure," he coughed, "What friend?" The plan was already in Casey's head. Billie needed a girl. She knew the perfect one. She was- just what Billie needed. And she played guitar. What a bonus.
"Uh, you know her," She stumbled with her words, "Natalie. You've met her before," She grinned at Billie, who seemed thoughtful.
"Natalie... Natalie..." He said quietly, running the name across his mouth. "Hey, that sounds good." He scooted back from the table he was leaning on. "Let's get back to Mike. That boys probably eating his own arms off by now."
Tre's sister was the opposite of him. Tall, thin, and shy. The only thing that they both shared was the shock of brownish hair that came from their heads. That and they had the same parents. She yawned, pulling over her pink robe. She wound herself to the fridge.
Tre saw his moment. He jumped out quietly, and snuck behind her. He slammed his hand onto her shoulder, and screamed. She just about jumped out of her skin. "What the hell, Frank?!" She snarled, swinging around to hit him. Tre laughed, falling onto the ground. "Wait until mom and dad hear about this!" She looked furious as she stalked back up to her room. Tre flipped her off. He couldn't help but giggle.
He felt he had a right to bother his sister. She was older. And she was a better student than Tre ever dreamed of being. She was the favorite. But Tre hardly minded. He could always get her back. A fake spider in her bed, a rap on her windows right before she fell asleep- she would be up all night, Tre taking joy in it the entire time.
* * *
Billie rolled his eyes. Drummer tryouts were horrible. Out of the five people who showed up, only about one of them actually knew what a cymbal was, let alone how to play with a band. When the last person walked out the door, after Mike gently rejected them, Billie let out a burst of anger.
"This is a waste of my god damn time! If it wasn't for that fucking idiot, we wouldn't be here! We would be playing a gig in... fucking Santa Monaco!" Billie slid his chair back, not wanting to be comforted by anyone. He slunk over to the couch on the opposite side of the room, and began to sulk. "Dammit..." he muttered.
Mike put his arm around Casey. "You know any drummers?" He asked, cocking his head to the side. Billie interrupted. "Of course she doesn't know any drummers, Mike, or she'd have given us a clue by now!" Mike narrowed his eyes, but refrained from saying anything. He knew Billie was having a rough time.
"We could try Tre again..." He offered, trailing off. They all knew that was hopeless. Tre was a great drummer, sure, but he refused to play with them. His excuses were always along the lines of, "We're friends, we're not a band." Or "It's fine. Get someone better." But now there was no one better. The needed to have Tre. For Billie's sake.
Mike was the one who decided to make the call. He did it in secret, while Billie and Casey were out getting lunch to bring back. He had volunteered to stay at Billie's, where the tryouts were, to make sure to give them an interview if someone came. Billie had agreed, but with a little bit of question in his voice. Now Mike was free to call.
* * *
Billie was bitter. He felt it the entire way through his body. He dragged his feet across the ground. He was out getting food for Mike. Along with Mike's girlfriend.
He almost heard the awkwardness screaming from her. She was there when it happened. She knew what a loser Billie was. A beggar. A coward. She knew that he hadn't had a date since Adrienne left.
He felt responsible. It was his fault the love of his life was gone, no matter that he was beginning to get over her. He was responsible for his family's condition. His father's death. Everything that had ever happened bad to him, or others around him. And it was a horrible feeling to have.
Casey noticed Billie's lack of talking. She decided to try to cheer him up. She grinned when he talked, she made jokes, she helped pay for the food. And slowly she saw his mood start to rise. When he was on the verge of laughing so hard his drink almost came out of his nose, Casey slipped in the question.
"Bill, if you and Mike go on tour, can I bring a friend?" It had already been arranged that as long as Casey knew them, she would go on tour with them. Mike needed some kind of support. And his family sure wasn't giving him that.
Billie looked up at her, getting his drink down with a few laughs. "Sure," he coughed, "What friend?" The plan was already in Casey's head. Billie needed a girl. She knew the perfect one. She was- just what Billie needed. And she played guitar. What a bonus.
"Uh, you know her," She stumbled with her words, "Natalie. You've met her before," She grinned at Billie, who seemed thoughtful.
"Natalie... Natalie..." He said quietly, running the name across his mouth. "Hey, that sounds good." He scooted back from the table he was leaning on. "Let's get back to Mike. That boys probably eating his own arms off by now."
