I'll Stand By And Watch You Drown, chapter 3
~*~*Still Veronica's POV~*~*
Even though I was a little bit scared to look, I brought myself to face the mirror. There was a cut above my left eye, brusies covering my face, and my lip was cut pretty bad. "Holy, shit!" I cried out, after seeing the state I was in. Billie Joe came bursting through my door, still shirtless, and said," What the fuck?! Are you OK, Veronica?" I looked down at the ground and mumbled some vauge reply. He came up to me and lightly touched the side of my face, where a small bruise was, and I cringed with pain. "I'm sorry," he said, pulling me into a tight hug. I began crying again, not only because of pain, but because I didn't want to end up alone.
After every brake up, I found someone new, hoping that they would turn out different from the last. I should've just quit. Then I wouldn't have to be in the same spot 6 fucking times! Then I thought about Billie Joe. We hade been friends ever since we were 6 and met in kindergarten (I don't know if I spelled it right!). Now we went to high school together, and Billie Joe had changed.
He used to be such a good student, untill the day his dad died. I stayed with him for the whole weekend, just to make sure he would feel better. I don't think he ever got over it. He began drinking under the legal age, almost getting caught by his mom numerous times. One day, when he was 14, I caught him smoking pot with Mike. Mike! The one who told me that he would always be there for me and Billie Joe. Bullshit....
*FLASHBACK*
"Where is he?" I wondered right out loud. Mrs. Armstrong was gone, I don't know where, and I was looking around the house for Billie Joe. His room? No. My room? No. Kitchen? No. I looked everywhere exept downstairs, so I thougt," It's worth a shot." I went down the stairs and called out for Billie Joe. "I'm over here!" he called, sounding as if he were stoned out of his mind. Then I heard Mike slap his arm and call him a 'fucking retard'. I turned the corner and there they were. Billie Joe with a joint halfway to his mouth and Mike just avoiding my eye contact.
"Billie Joe!"
"Wha?"
"Why are you smoking that shit? You know it's bad for you!"
"No it's not! It relaxes me!"
He sounded very mad at me.
"Why are you mad at me?"
"I'm not! Just fuck off!"
I could feel tears forming in my eyes. He had never told me anything that harsh before. He then looked up and realized what he said. Then he seemed to snap out of some trance he was under. Some weird, stoned trance.
"Veronica? I'm sorry," he said as he put out his joint and got up to hug me. I sighed a deep sigh and then said," I think I should tell your mom."
"No! Veronica, please don't!"
"Billie-"
"Please?"
*END FLASHBACK*
So I had kept the secret to this day. If he was still doing drugs, I didn't know. What else I didn't know was how soon I was going to find out....
~*~*Billie Joe's POV~*~*
I pulled away from Veronica after hearing the doorbell ring.
"It must be Mike and Tre," I said.
"Can you stall them?"
"While you do what?"
"Cover up and change?"
"Oh. Yeah, of course."
"Thanks, Billie."
I nodded to her and went to my room to grab my shirt before answering the door. Last time Tre saw me without a shirt, his perverted side kind of kicked in. I don't think I would've made out with Tre if I hadn't been wasted and semi stoned. I tugged on my shirt before going to answer the door.
I pulled it open, and there were Mike and Tre, a little bit early. "Hey, guys!" I said and stepped aside as they walked in. Tre turned around and pouted. "Aw, man! You're wearing a shirt!" I picked up one of the pillows on the couch, threw it at him, and said," Will you shut up, you pervert?! It was one fucking time! I swear, you are so gay!"
"Maybe I am just a little...."
"Fine! You're bi, then."
"Maybe...."
"What do you mean 'maybe'?"
"Maybe...."
"Screw you!"
"Shhhh.... Not in front of Mike, Billie. Geezz.... Let's at least get a room!"
I rolled my eyes and sighed at defeat. Tre had won again. No one could beat him in being. So. Fucking. ANNOYING! Mike looked around, obviously searching for Veronica. "She's in her room, dude." "Oh, thanks.," he said, walking torwards Veronica's room. "I mean she's getting DRESSED, you retard!" I called after him. I heard him sigh and come back. "Why do you wanna talk to her?" I asked him, very curious now. "Huh? Oh, nothing important...." he said, looking around the room at everything exept me.
"Can I get you guys anything?" I asked them.
"BEER!" they both said at the same time.
"God, shut up you guys! Veronica will hear! Beer it is!"
"YAY!" God, Tre was annoying!
I went to the fridge and pulled out 3 beers. I walked back to the living room and we began disscusing our last band practice while downing the beer. What was taking Veronica so long?
~*~*Veronica's POV~*~*
Last bit of makeup and.... DONE! I sat back in my chair and studied my reflection in the mirror. It looked like nothing happend. Just what I was going for. I got up and heard talking in the living room. I walked into the hallway and stood behind the guys without them even noticing. The air smelled of beer, which makes me kind of sick. Their words were all slurring. *Oh, no.* I thought. Did I really take long enough for them to get wasted? That's when I saw Mike betray me. Again. In the same way he did when we were 14 and he had Billie Joe have his first drug experience.
Mike took out a joint and lit it with his lighter (DUH!). By the way, here is how they were sitting on the couch from Veronica's point of view: *Mike*, *Tre*, *Billie Joe*. He took a long drag on it then passed it to Tre. Tre took it and got his share then he passed it to Billie Joe. Billie Joe took it and it was halfway to his mouth when I got enough courage to go up and stop him. I ran ahead and took it out of his hands, setting it in on the ash tray. I don't know why I didn't put it out. I turned my attention away from Billie Joe's confused face to Mike's.
"AGAIN?!" I yelled, making them all a jump a little.
"Again what?" asked Mike.
"You promised that you would never hurt me or Billie Joe! You broke that promise that day when we were 14. You had Billie Joe smoke! I couldn't believe you! I thought you cared about him! I thought you guys had been best friends for 4 years! But I forgave you! I don't know how many other times you've done this but I am madder than I was 2 years ago! This shit can kill you! Did you know tha-"
" Veronica?" It was Tre.
"Ugg.... What now?!"
"I was gonna see you if you were ever gonna shut up but now I'm kinda scared to ask...."
I glared at him and he shifted slightly in his seat.
"Do you get my point, Mike?" I asked him.
"Yeah, sure."
"How long have you been doing this?"
"Who?" they all asked.
"All 3 of you." I replied.
Mike went first. "I've been doing it since.... I was 14. But not the day you caught me." Tre was next. "Ummmm.... since.... since.... I was.... 13 and 3 4ths," he said proudly. "That's nothing to be proud of," I told him. "Billie Joe?" He looked away and said," Since I was 14. Before the day you caught me," he said. "And who gave it to you?" I asked him. I wanted an answer.
He wouldn't answer. "Billie Joe?" I said.
"Yeah?"
"Come to my room."
"Fine."
I took his hand and led him to my room, which he was obviously unhappy about. "You're making a big deal out of nothing!" he yelled. "You on drugs is a big deal!" He looked away from me untill I put my hand on his chin and forced him to turn his head.
"Who gave it to you?"
"Ummmm...."
"WHO?!"
"Mike...."
I glanced over at Mike, who was still in the living room, talking to Tre. "He broke his promise," I muttered over and over again.
"Don't hate him," Billie Joe said to me.
"How can I not? He just broke a serious promise. A promise to never hurt me or you. And he hurt both of us."
I could feel the tears in my eyes. They stung. Billie Joe seemed to be crying too, because his eyes seemed to be an even darker green than before.
"Baby, don't cry," he said, and pulled me close.
"Why did you just call me 'baby'?" I asked, curious by now.
Billie Joe sighed deeply, and then said," Because I love you."
"You wha-"
I couldn't finish. Billie Joe's mouth against mine stopped me from talking. His hands cupped my face passonitly and let his tounge enter my mouth. I didn't object and kissed him back. He then tore away and bit his lower lip.
"Did you feel anything?" he asked me.
I smiled and said," Yeah. I did."
He pulled me in for another kiss and this time took it deeped by pinning me against the wall. His hip were grinding into mine, and it felt so good. I guess I was moaning to loudly, because Tre walked in and stared. I pulled away and told Tre to take a picture. Then he said," I don't have a camera with me right now." I laughed slightly and stepped away from Billie Joe. I went back into the living room to disscus things with Mike and heard Tre say to Billie Joe," I can't believe that you're cheating on me! After all I've done for you!"
Heh. What a joker!
Even though I was a little bit scared to look, I brought myself to face the mirror. There was a cut above my left eye, brusies covering my face, and my lip was cut pretty bad. "Holy, shit!" I cried out, after seeing the state I was in. Billie Joe came bursting through my door, still shirtless, and said," What the fuck?! Are you OK, Veronica?" I looked down at the ground and mumbled some vauge reply. He came up to me and lightly touched the side of my face, where a small bruise was, and I cringed with pain. "I'm sorry," he said, pulling me into a tight hug. I began crying again, not only because of pain, but because I didn't want to end up alone.
After every brake up, I found someone new, hoping that they would turn out different from the last. I should've just quit. Then I wouldn't have to be in the same spot 6 fucking times! Then I thought about Billie Joe. We hade been friends ever since we were 6 and met in kindergarten (I don't know if I spelled it right!). Now we went to high school together, and Billie Joe had changed.
He used to be such a good student, untill the day his dad died. I stayed with him for the whole weekend, just to make sure he would feel better. I don't think he ever got over it. He began drinking under the legal age, almost getting caught by his mom numerous times. One day, when he was 14, I caught him smoking pot with Mike. Mike! The one who told me that he would always be there for me and Billie Joe. Bullshit....
*FLASHBACK*
"Where is he?" I wondered right out loud. Mrs. Armstrong was gone, I don't know where, and I was looking around the house for Billie Joe. His room? No. My room? No. Kitchen? No. I looked everywhere exept downstairs, so I thougt," It's worth a shot." I went down the stairs and called out for Billie Joe. "I'm over here!" he called, sounding as if he were stoned out of his mind. Then I heard Mike slap his arm and call him a 'fucking retard'. I turned the corner and there they were. Billie Joe with a joint halfway to his mouth and Mike just avoiding my eye contact.
"Billie Joe!"
"Wha?"
"Why are you smoking that shit? You know it's bad for you!"
"No it's not! It relaxes me!"
He sounded very mad at me.
"Why are you mad at me?"
"I'm not! Just fuck off!"
I could feel tears forming in my eyes. He had never told me anything that harsh before. He then looked up and realized what he said. Then he seemed to snap out of some trance he was under. Some weird, stoned trance.
"Veronica? I'm sorry," he said as he put out his joint and got up to hug me. I sighed a deep sigh and then said," I think I should tell your mom."
"No! Veronica, please don't!"
"Billie-"
"Please?"
*END FLASHBACK*
So I had kept the secret to this day. If he was still doing drugs, I didn't know. What else I didn't know was how soon I was going to find out....
~*~*Billie Joe's POV~*~*
I pulled away from Veronica after hearing the doorbell ring.
"It must be Mike and Tre," I said.
"Can you stall them?"
"While you do what?"
"Cover up and change?"
"Oh. Yeah, of course."
"Thanks, Billie."
I nodded to her and went to my room to grab my shirt before answering the door. Last time Tre saw me without a shirt, his perverted side kind of kicked in. I don't think I would've made out with Tre if I hadn't been wasted and semi stoned. I tugged on my shirt before going to answer the door.
I pulled it open, and there were Mike and Tre, a little bit early. "Hey, guys!" I said and stepped aside as they walked in. Tre turned around and pouted. "Aw, man! You're wearing a shirt!" I picked up one of the pillows on the couch, threw it at him, and said," Will you shut up, you pervert?! It was one fucking time! I swear, you are so gay!"
"Maybe I am just a little...."
"Fine! You're bi, then."
"Maybe...."
"What do you mean 'maybe'?"
"Maybe...."
"Screw you!"
"Shhhh.... Not in front of Mike, Billie. Geezz.... Let's at least get a room!"
I rolled my eyes and sighed at defeat. Tre had won again. No one could beat him in being. So. Fucking. ANNOYING! Mike looked around, obviously searching for Veronica. "She's in her room, dude." "Oh, thanks.," he said, walking torwards Veronica's room. "I mean she's getting DRESSED, you retard!" I called after him. I heard him sigh and come back. "Why do you wanna talk to her?" I asked him, very curious now. "Huh? Oh, nothing important...." he said, looking around the room at everything exept me.
"Can I get you guys anything?" I asked them.
"BEER!" they both said at the same time.
"God, shut up you guys! Veronica will hear! Beer it is!"
"YAY!" God, Tre was annoying!
I went to the fridge and pulled out 3 beers. I walked back to the living room and we began disscusing our last band practice while downing the beer. What was taking Veronica so long?
~*~*Veronica's POV~*~*
Last bit of makeup and.... DONE! I sat back in my chair and studied my reflection in the mirror. It looked like nothing happend. Just what I was going for. I got up and heard talking in the living room. I walked into the hallway and stood behind the guys without them even noticing. The air smelled of beer, which makes me kind of sick. Their words were all slurring. *Oh, no.* I thought. Did I really take long enough for them to get wasted? That's when I saw Mike betray me. Again. In the same way he did when we were 14 and he had Billie Joe have his first drug experience.
Mike took out a joint and lit it with his lighter (DUH!). By the way, here is how they were sitting on the couch from Veronica's point of view: *Mike*, *Tre*, *Billie Joe*. He took a long drag on it then passed it to Tre. Tre took it and got his share then he passed it to Billie Joe. Billie Joe took it and it was halfway to his mouth when I got enough courage to go up and stop him. I ran ahead and took it out of his hands, setting it in on the ash tray. I don't know why I didn't put it out. I turned my attention away from Billie Joe's confused face to Mike's.
"AGAIN?!" I yelled, making them all a jump a little.
"Again what?" asked Mike.
"You promised that you would never hurt me or Billie Joe! You broke that promise that day when we were 14. You had Billie Joe smoke! I couldn't believe you! I thought you cared about him! I thought you guys had been best friends for 4 years! But I forgave you! I don't know how many other times you've done this but I am madder than I was 2 years ago! This shit can kill you! Did you know tha-"
" Veronica?" It was Tre.
"Ugg.... What now?!"
"I was gonna see you if you were ever gonna shut up but now I'm kinda scared to ask...."
I glared at him and he shifted slightly in his seat.
"Do you get my point, Mike?" I asked him.
"Yeah, sure."
"How long have you been doing this?"
"Who?" they all asked.
"All 3 of you." I replied.
Mike went first. "I've been doing it since.... I was 14. But not the day you caught me." Tre was next. "Ummmm.... since.... since.... I was.... 13 and 3 4ths," he said proudly. "That's nothing to be proud of," I told him. "Billie Joe?" He looked away and said," Since I was 14. Before the day you caught me," he said. "And who gave it to you?" I asked him. I wanted an answer.
He wouldn't answer. "Billie Joe?" I said.
"Yeah?"
"Come to my room."
"Fine."
I took his hand and led him to my room, which he was obviously unhappy about. "You're making a big deal out of nothing!" he yelled. "You on drugs is a big deal!" He looked away from me untill I put my hand on his chin and forced him to turn his head.
"Who gave it to you?"
"Ummmm...."
"WHO?!"
"Mike...."
I glanced over at Mike, who was still in the living room, talking to Tre. "He broke his promise," I muttered over and over again.
"Don't hate him," Billie Joe said to me.
"How can I not? He just broke a serious promise. A promise to never hurt me or you. And he hurt both of us."
I could feel the tears in my eyes. They stung. Billie Joe seemed to be crying too, because his eyes seemed to be an even darker green than before.
"Baby, don't cry," he said, and pulled me close.
"Why did you just call me 'baby'?" I asked, curious by now.
Billie Joe sighed deeply, and then said," Because I love you."
"You wha-"
I couldn't finish. Billie Joe's mouth against mine stopped me from talking. His hands cupped my face passonitly and let his tounge enter my mouth. I didn't object and kissed him back. He then tore away and bit his lower lip.
"Did you feel anything?" he asked me.
I smiled and said," Yeah. I did."
He pulled me in for another kiss and this time took it deeped by pinning me against the wall. His hip were grinding into mine, and it felt so good. I guess I was moaning to loudly, because Tre walked in and stared. I pulled away and told Tre to take a picture. Then he said," I don't have a camera with me right now." I laughed slightly and stepped away from Billie Joe. I went back into the living room to disscus things with Mike and heard Tre say to Billie Joe," I can't believe that you're cheating on me! After all I've done for you!"
Heh. What a joker!
