Dumpster Love, chapter 2
We stared at each other for what seemed like forever until Jessie suddenly pushed her friend out of the way and stormed up to me. I flinched a little because I'd seen plenty of angry women coming at me from different relationships and this didn't seem that different.
"What are you staring at?" she said angrily, getting at least five inches away from me. "There is nothing here to see, so leave."
"Sorry, I just-"
"Sorry, I just," she mimicked, rolling her eyes. "Well, don't just! Now leave!"
"You look pretty, uh, worn down," I said. "How about the two of you joining me and my friends for some coffee?"
"Sure," Val said at the same time Jessie said, "Hell no!"
"Val, shut up," Jessie scolded, not taking her eyes off me. I stared straight back, only with a sympathetic look in my eyes.
"Come on, Jessie," Val said. "We're broke and living on the streets. I've had these clothes on my back for a month already and I haven't had anything decent to eat since you made us run away two months ago. Please? Just once and then he'll leave us alone, right?" She looked pointedly at me and I nodded.
"You look like you need it," I suggested to Jessie. She glared at me for another five seconds and then sighed.
"Fine, half an hour and that's it," she said, pointing to Val. "But after that-" Her gaze fell on me again. "You're gone, okay? You forget you ever saw us."
"All right," I said, grinning. "Let's get some coffee." Val squealed and they followed me into the coffee shop. Mike and Billie Joe sat at a table next to the front window and stared at me with wide eyes as we sat next to them. "Hey guys." Jessie and Val sat next to me and I heard Val gasp.
"You're Green Day," she shrieked. "I knew I'd seen you before!" She looked at me and then back at Billie Joe and Mike.
"You know us?" Billie Joe asked.
"Yeah, I had all of your CDs," Val said, nodding.
"Had?" Mike asked.
"Well, since Jessie and I ran away, we'd had to sell all of our stuff just to get some money," Val said. Jessie nudged her in the ribs and shook her head. "And I sold my CDs for about a hundred bucks."
"Wow," Billie Joe said, looking impressed. I didn't see the impressive thing about having to sell everything you owned just to get a day's worth of food. Sighing, I stood up and went to the counter to order some coffee. Jessie followed me and gave me a hard look.
"Look, we don't need your sympathy," she said.
"Who said it was sympathy," I asked, looking down at her.
"I can see it in your eyes," she said, putting her hands on her hips.
"Oh, so you do pay attention to little things like that," I said, grinning. "Wow, I'm impressed." Her eyes grew wide with anger and her face turned red.
"You're an ass," she hissed, slapping my face. I reared back, surprised, as she ran past the tables and outside. Shaking my head, I ran after her, ignoring the looks I was getting from Val, Mike, and Billie Joe.
"Jessie, wait," I yelled after her as she ran down the street. I ran faster and finally caught up with her at the park. "Jessie, I'm sorry."
"What are you trying to do?" she said, turning to me. "Why are you doing this for us? You're a filthy rich guy who sees the homeless on the street and tries to pick them up? Jesus, what's wrong with you?"
"I do it because it's me," I said. "That's just the way I am. But I'm not trying to pick you up or anything. I want to help!"
"Well, I don't need your help," she spat. "I'm doing fine on my own."
"Yeah, and that's why you're on the streets with worn down clothes on without any money," I shot back. Now that was low and I regretted it the minute the words left my mouth. But instead of slapping me again, she turned on her heel and walked away. I didn't follow her because I know women need time to settle down after they get really pissed off.
"What are you staring at?" she said angrily, getting at least five inches away from me. "There is nothing here to see, so leave."
"Sorry, I just-"
"Sorry, I just," she mimicked, rolling her eyes. "Well, don't just! Now leave!"
"You look pretty, uh, worn down," I said. "How about the two of you joining me and my friends for some coffee?"
"Sure," Val said at the same time Jessie said, "Hell no!"
"Val, shut up," Jessie scolded, not taking her eyes off me. I stared straight back, only with a sympathetic look in my eyes.
"Come on, Jessie," Val said. "We're broke and living on the streets. I've had these clothes on my back for a month already and I haven't had anything decent to eat since you made us run away two months ago. Please? Just once and then he'll leave us alone, right?" She looked pointedly at me and I nodded.
"You look like you need it," I suggested to Jessie. She glared at me for another five seconds and then sighed.
"Fine, half an hour and that's it," she said, pointing to Val. "But after that-" Her gaze fell on me again. "You're gone, okay? You forget you ever saw us."
"All right," I said, grinning. "Let's get some coffee." Val squealed and they followed me into the coffee shop. Mike and Billie Joe sat at a table next to the front window and stared at me with wide eyes as we sat next to them. "Hey guys." Jessie and Val sat next to me and I heard Val gasp.
"You're Green Day," she shrieked. "I knew I'd seen you before!" She looked at me and then back at Billie Joe and Mike.
"You know us?" Billie Joe asked.
"Yeah, I had all of your CDs," Val said, nodding.
"Had?" Mike asked.
"Well, since Jessie and I ran away, we'd had to sell all of our stuff just to get some money," Val said. Jessie nudged her in the ribs and shook her head. "And I sold my CDs for about a hundred bucks."
"Wow," Billie Joe said, looking impressed. I didn't see the impressive thing about having to sell everything you owned just to get a day's worth of food. Sighing, I stood up and went to the counter to order some coffee. Jessie followed me and gave me a hard look.
"Look, we don't need your sympathy," she said.
"Who said it was sympathy," I asked, looking down at her.
"I can see it in your eyes," she said, putting her hands on her hips.
"Oh, so you do pay attention to little things like that," I said, grinning. "Wow, I'm impressed." Her eyes grew wide with anger and her face turned red.
"You're an ass," she hissed, slapping my face. I reared back, surprised, as she ran past the tables and outside. Shaking my head, I ran after her, ignoring the looks I was getting from Val, Mike, and Billie Joe.
"Jessie, wait," I yelled after her as she ran down the street. I ran faster and finally caught up with her at the park. "Jessie, I'm sorry."
"What are you trying to do?" she said, turning to me. "Why are you doing this for us? You're a filthy rich guy who sees the homeless on the street and tries to pick them up? Jesus, what's wrong with you?"
"I do it because it's me," I said. "That's just the way I am. But I'm not trying to pick you up or anything. I want to help!"
"Well, I don't need your help," she spat. "I'm doing fine on my own."
"Yeah, and that's why you're on the streets with worn down clothes on without any money," I shot back. Now that was low and I regretted it the minute the words left my mouth. But instead of slapping me again, she turned on her heel and walked away. I didn't follow her because I know women need time to settle down after they get really pissed off.
