Girl With Five Colors In Her Hair, chapter 2
And I did call...in fact, I called every single morning and every single night. For two weeks I did this until Jessie stopped answering the phone. I had no idea why and it was starting to worry me. Harry and the blokes even tried a few times, but no one answered. For five months I had no idea what Jessie was doing or if she was okay, so I called one of my friends in California.
"Tré, I need to ask you a really big favor," I said into the phone one night in the fifth going on sixth month I had been gone.
"Talk to me," Tré said. I sighed and rubbed my forehead with my hand.
"Jessie...she hasn't called and I haven't talked to her in months," I said. "I really need to know what's going on, so...could you go to her house and see what she's doing? I'm really worried about her."
"We are too, mate!" Danny yelled from the other side of the tour bus.
"Yeah, and the others are worried as well," I said, smiling a little.
"Sure, I'll go over there right now in fact," Tré said. "But you owe me a big sloppy kiss when you get back."
"Whatever, Tré," I said, rolling my eyes.
"I'll call you when I find out," Tré said and hung up. I pulled my phone away from my ear and looked at the phone. Whatever happened to goodbye, I thought. Danny, Harry, Dougie, and I all waited for a call back for two hours. Nothing came...until later that night. But instead of Tré, it was Mike who called us. Apparently, Tré couldn't remember the address so he made Mike go instead to see what was happening. I didn't get any good news whatsoever.
"What's the verdict, mate?" Dougie asked. We were sitting in a circle in our hotel room with the speaker phone on.
"Guys, uh, I don't know what to say," Mike sighed. My face instantly fell from a smile to a frown. "Um, Billie Joe and I...we went to Jessie's house like we said we would and, uh, well, there was a sold sign in the front lawn. Jessie moved and an old couple live there now."
"So, she...left, without telling us," Harry said slowly. I wasn't paying any attention to what Mike was explaining anymore. My mind was racing and I didn't know how to handle it. The colors around me started to blend in and the voices just kept going faster and faster until I couldn't understand them. Jessie was gone...for good and she hadn't even bothered to call me about it.
"How long ago did she move out?" I asked slowly, gulping a bunch of air.
"Well, the couple said that she moved out in the first week of August," Mike said. That was a month after we left for tour. "And they said that the house was abandoned, the furniture and clothes and everything left there. It's like she disappeared out of nowhere."
"She left without a trace," we heard Billie Joe say in the background.
"So...we packed as much as we could from the garage and brought it back to my place," Mike continued. "Since you only have two weeks left of the tour, why don't you guys make a stop at my place first and take the things you want of hers...you know, for memories."
"Yeah, we'll do that," Danny said quietly, before he stood up and went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Dougie, Harry, and I sat in silence before Mike spoke again.
"Guys, I'm really sorry about this," he said softly. "I have to go. Estelle's starting to fall asleep on me."
"Yeah, we should go too," Dougie said. "Bye Mike..."
"Bye," Mike said and hung up. I stared at the phone for a few minutes before blindly standing up and heading towards my own suite. This was too much for me. The one girl I had ever loved in my life had left without saying goodbye, without even saying anything to me. My life would never be the same again.
I stood in the doorway to Mike's basement, looking at the boxes of the things they had retrieved from Jessie's house. Harry, Dougie, and Danny began to rummage through the boxes while I stayed where I was, watching them search. Mike came up behind me and rested his hand on my shoulder.
"I'm really sorry, Tom," Mike said. He handed me a white envelope that had my name scrawled on it in Jessie's handwriting. "The couple gave us this. They told me that they found it on her bed when they first got there." I nodded and he walked back up the stairs. Danny looked up at me and I smiled a little before turning the envelope over and opening the letter.
'Tom, I'm really sorry that I had to do this...that I had to do this without telling you. But there was nothing for me here when you left. And I knew that you'd change over the months that you were gone and you know I don't like change. So instead of waiting for you, I left. But I left a part of me with you, most of me, in fact. And I left my stuff with you too because I knew you'd want it. So pick out what you want and you can throw the rest of it away.' I started to tear up and I looked up at the ceiling, trying to back the tears up that were beginning to fall.
"You okay, dude," Harry asked, sitting next to me. I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. Everything was silent before Dougie grabbed the letter from me to continue reading out loud.
"'And I think that this is right. The main reason I left was because, well, friends drift apart,'" Dougie continued. "You and me, I knew it wouldn't last. You guys were getting famous and Billie Joe lost his friends when he got famous. What do you think would have happened between us? You would have forgotten about me anyways.'" Dougie put the letter down and looked at me. "Man, she is really twisted."
"Just read the bloody letter," I said bitterly. Dougie sighed and continued.
"'I want you to know though, Tom, I will be there,'" Dougie read. "'In fact, I'll be there every step of the way, just not in person. I'll always be your number one fan, no matter what. I could never leave you, not completely, not until you knew this...I love you, Tom. I love you so much that it's completely impossible and possible at the same time. You remember that one day in the park when we were around thirteen or fourteen and we made that promise to each other? That if we weren't married by the age of 20, we'd marry each other and be together forever? Well, we're not that age anymore, Tom, and I knew that it wouldn't ever happen. I knew one day that you'd figure that out and forget about that promise, so I left. But I did want to marry you, Tom. I truly did. I still do, but what chance do we have together? Rock stars like you don't get married at a young age and still have a band. It just can't be done. And don't even think about proving me wrong with Billie Joe and Adrienne. They were different because they hadn't been inseparable for years upon years like you and me. You'll find enclosed two things that I want you to keep close to you. And yes, I kept my promise. I kept my promise through and through and I'm going to forever. I still have the pick necklace you gave me and I'm never taking it off, not now, not ever. Goodbye Tom...with all my heart and my love, Jessie.'" I looked down at the envelope in my hand and sighed.
"What's in it?" Harry asked. I shrugged and tipped the envelope into my hand. Out came two precious things that I would always keep close to me. One was a necklace made of seashells with a locket dangling from it and the second was a ring. It was the ring I had given her the night we had made that promise of marrying each other. The ring I spent two hundred fifty dollars on just to make that promise.
"A ring," Dougie said, totally confused. Tears silently crept down my face as I stared at the two objects in my hands.
"The one he gave her the night he asked her to marry him," Danny explained quietly, staring at the ring as well. Yes, I had proposed to her when we were thirteen because I truly thought that we would get married and she had said yes. But I didn't answer. Instead, I stood up and started to rummage through the boxes myself, looking for that one item Jessie and I had created before I left for tour.
"Wait, there's a note in the envelope," Harry said, holding up a small folded paper. He unfolded it and read it aloud. "Tom, sorry, I couldn't help myself. I took the photo album that you and I made together. But I did leave you one important picture that might give you clues to where I am. Notice the keyword might in that sentence. It will take you a few months, maybe years to figure it out. love u all, Jessie..." I finally found the picture she left. It was in a small box in the corner. I lifted it out of the box and stared at it. It was a picture of us a few years back at a concert with all the guys. But Jessie and I had traveled in numerous states with the blokes to see concerts. It was going to take a while, like she said.
"I'm...going home now, guys," Danny said, shaking his head. "I'll see you later, mates." I nodded and he left.
"Yeah, we're going to go too," Dougie and Harry said. "We already got the stuff we wanted." They hugged me and left the house. I sighed and started searching through the boxes again.
"Tré, I need to ask you a really big favor," I said into the phone one night in the fifth going on sixth month I had been gone.
"Talk to me," Tré said. I sighed and rubbed my forehead with my hand.
"Jessie...she hasn't called and I haven't talked to her in months," I said. "I really need to know what's going on, so...could you go to her house and see what she's doing? I'm really worried about her."
"We are too, mate!" Danny yelled from the other side of the tour bus.
"Yeah, and the others are worried as well," I said, smiling a little.
"Sure, I'll go over there right now in fact," Tré said. "But you owe me a big sloppy kiss when you get back."
"Whatever, Tré," I said, rolling my eyes.
"I'll call you when I find out," Tré said and hung up. I pulled my phone away from my ear and looked at the phone. Whatever happened to goodbye, I thought. Danny, Harry, Dougie, and I all waited for a call back for two hours. Nothing came...until later that night. But instead of Tré, it was Mike who called us. Apparently, Tré couldn't remember the address so he made Mike go instead to see what was happening. I didn't get any good news whatsoever.
"What's the verdict, mate?" Dougie asked. We were sitting in a circle in our hotel room with the speaker phone on.
"Guys, uh, I don't know what to say," Mike sighed. My face instantly fell from a smile to a frown. "Um, Billie Joe and I...we went to Jessie's house like we said we would and, uh, well, there was a sold sign in the front lawn. Jessie moved and an old couple live there now."
"So, she...left, without telling us," Harry said slowly. I wasn't paying any attention to what Mike was explaining anymore. My mind was racing and I didn't know how to handle it. The colors around me started to blend in and the voices just kept going faster and faster until I couldn't understand them. Jessie was gone...for good and she hadn't even bothered to call me about it.
"How long ago did she move out?" I asked slowly, gulping a bunch of air.
"Well, the couple said that she moved out in the first week of August," Mike said. That was a month after we left for tour. "And they said that the house was abandoned, the furniture and clothes and everything left there. It's like she disappeared out of nowhere."
"She left without a trace," we heard Billie Joe say in the background.
"So...we packed as much as we could from the garage and brought it back to my place," Mike continued. "Since you only have two weeks left of the tour, why don't you guys make a stop at my place first and take the things you want of hers...you know, for memories."
"Yeah, we'll do that," Danny said quietly, before he stood up and went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Dougie, Harry, and I sat in silence before Mike spoke again.
"Guys, I'm really sorry about this," he said softly. "I have to go. Estelle's starting to fall asleep on me."
"Yeah, we should go too," Dougie said. "Bye Mike..."
"Bye," Mike said and hung up. I stared at the phone for a few minutes before blindly standing up and heading towards my own suite. This was too much for me. The one girl I had ever loved in my life had left without saying goodbye, without even saying anything to me. My life would never be the same again.
I stood in the doorway to Mike's basement, looking at the boxes of the things they had retrieved from Jessie's house. Harry, Dougie, and Danny began to rummage through the boxes while I stayed where I was, watching them search. Mike came up behind me and rested his hand on my shoulder.
"I'm really sorry, Tom," Mike said. He handed me a white envelope that had my name scrawled on it in Jessie's handwriting. "The couple gave us this. They told me that they found it on her bed when they first got there." I nodded and he walked back up the stairs. Danny looked up at me and I smiled a little before turning the envelope over and opening the letter.
'Tom, I'm really sorry that I had to do this...that I had to do this without telling you. But there was nothing for me here when you left. And I knew that you'd change over the months that you were gone and you know I don't like change. So instead of waiting for you, I left. But I left a part of me with you, most of me, in fact. And I left my stuff with you too because I knew you'd want it. So pick out what you want and you can throw the rest of it away.' I started to tear up and I looked up at the ceiling, trying to back the tears up that were beginning to fall.
"You okay, dude," Harry asked, sitting next to me. I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. Everything was silent before Dougie grabbed the letter from me to continue reading out loud.
"'And I think that this is right. The main reason I left was because, well, friends drift apart,'" Dougie continued. "You and me, I knew it wouldn't last. You guys were getting famous and Billie Joe lost his friends when he got famous. What do you think would have happened between us? You would have forgotten about me anyways.'" Dougie put the letter down and looked at me. "Man, she is really twisted."
"Just read the bloody letter," I said bitterly. Dougie sighed and continued.
"'I want you to know though, Tom, I will be there,'" Dougie read. "'In fact, I'll be there every step of the way, just not in person. I'll always be your number one fan, no matter what. I could never leave you, not completely, not until you knew this...I love you, Tom. I love you so much that it's completely impossible and possible at the same time. You remember that one day in the park when we were around thirteen or fourteen and we made that promise to each other? That if we weren't married by the age of 20, we'd marry each other and be together forever? Well, we're not that age anymore, Tom, and I knew that it wouldn't ever happen. I knew one day that you'd figure that out and forget about that promise, so I left. But I did want to marry you, Tom. I truly did. I still do, but what chance do we have together? Rock stars like you don't get married at a young age and still have a band. It just can't be done. And don't even think about proving me wrong with Billie Joe and Adrienne. They were different because they hadn't been inseparable for years upon years like you and me. You'll find enclosed two things that I want you to keep close to you. And yes, I kept my promise. I kept my promise through and through and I'm going to forever. I still have the pick necklace you gave me and I'm never taking it off, not now, not ever. Goodbye Tom...with all my heart and my love, Jessie.'" I looked down at the envelope in my hand and sighed.
"What's in it?" Harry asked. I shrugged and tipped the envelope into my hand. Out came two precious things that I would always keep close to me. One was a necklace made of seashells with a locket dangling from it and the second was a ring. It was the ring I had given her the night we had made that promise of marrying each other. The ring I spent two hundred fifty dollars on just to make that promise.
"A ring," Dougie said, totally confused. Tears silently crept down my face as I stared at the two objects in my hands.
"The one he gave her the night he asked her to marry him," Danny explained quietly, staring at the ring as well. Yes, I had proposed to her when we were thirteen because I truly thought that we would get married and she had said yes. But I didn't answer. Instead, I stood up and started to rummage through the boxes myself, looking for that one item Jessie and I had created before I left for tour.
"Wait, there's a note in the envelope," Harry said, holding up a small folded paper. He unfolded it and read it aloud. "Tom, sorry, I couldn't help myself. I took the photo album that you and I made together. But I did leave you one important picture that might give you clues to where I am. Notice the keyword might in that sentence. It will take you a few months, maybe years to figure it out. love u all, Jessie..." I finally found the picture she left. It was in a small box in the corner. I lifted it out of the box and stared at it. It was a picture of us a few years back at a concert with all the guys. But Jessie and I had traveled in numerous states with the blokes to see concerts. It was going to take a while, like she said.
"I'm...going home now, guys," Danny said, shaking his head. "I'll see you later, mates." I nodded and he left.
"Yeah, we're going to go too," Dougie and Harry said. "We already got the stuff we wanted." They hugged me and left the house. I sighed and started searching through the boxes again.
