This Is The Dawning Of The Rest Of Our Lives
Chapter VII - Deal?
I was stuffing my books into my locker, which hadn’t developed the same fear for me as it had for Billie yet. I sighed. I hadn’t seen Tré anywhere, and I hoped he wasn’t skipping. I know he didn’t like history, and the teacher even less, but I really wanted to see him.
“Hey Jess, what’s up?’ I heard. I tried to close my locker, but the door kept opening again as soon as I did.
“Hi Mike.” I said, before slamming the locker door closed as hard as I could.
“Easy girl. What’s wrong?” Billie asked as he kicked his locker, which was located near mine. I snorted. “Speak for yourself!”
“Yeah, but that’s different. I’ve got a reputation to keep up youknow. You’re a locker bully or you’re not, and I know you’re not, so unless you want to become one and want to ask me for advice…spill.”
I sighed. “Where’s Tré?”
“I dunno…dude?” Mike asked, looking at Billie. He shrugged. “Probably skipping.”
I banged my head against my locker.
“Jess… are you okay?” Mike asked worriedly as I felt him grab my shoulder to stop me from banging my head against the locker again.
“I’m fine Mikey. Just fine,” I mumbled.
“Come on…” Billie said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me towards a quiet corner, Mike following us.
“Jess, I’m worried about you,” he said softly, looking at me. I bit my lip and looked away, leaning against the wall. After a few moments of silence, I decided to tell them.
“My parents keep fighting…” I mumbled.
“Aw, Jess…” Billie said, pulling me into a warm hug.
“Dude…that sucks.” Mike said sympathetically.
A while later, Mike and Billie had decided to go get a drink and offered me one, but I said I’d rather stay on my own for a while.
“Hey you.” I heard, and I felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around me, pulling me close against the person they belonged to.
“Hey.” I smiled weakly, happy that Tré was there. I hadn’t seen him the day before either, because neither one of us had dared to call, me being grounded and my mother having caught us before.
“How are you?” he asked, and I noticed he was a little hoarse.
“I’m okay…glad to see you.” I added, turning around to hug him. I enjoyed the soft movement of his hand over my back as we stood there, holding onto one another.
“How about you?” I asked. He coughed a little, turning his head away as he did, before placing his chin on my shoulder again.
“I’m fine.” He croaked.
“You sound hoarse.” I stated, looking at him. He shrugged.
“I’m fine.” He repeated.
BILLIE’S POV
“Dude!” Mike exclaimed as we walked around the corner.
“What?” I asked, looking at him. He smirked and nodded towards the lockers, where Tré and Jessica stood, glued against each other. I grinned.
“Well spotted, Mike.”
“Yeah, well, kinda hard to miss right?” he chuckled.
“Good point,” I laughed.
JESSICA’S POV
It felt good to hug Tré again. It made me forget my worries for a while.
After a moment, I heard Billie and Mike’s voices coming nearer. I released Tré, who looked at me puzzled.
“Your oh so admirable band mates have returned,” I said darkly. Tré chuckled and grabbed my hand.
“You sure?” I asked.
“Why not?” he smirked.
“Hey there, you lovebirds.” Billie grinned, hitting Tré on the shoulder, causing him to start coughing. Mike chuckled, but, like me and Billie, looked at him worriedly when he didn’t stop coughing. When his face started turning red, Billie ran off to get some water.
“Hey dude, are you okay??” Mike asked. Tré had finally stopped coughing, just at the moment that Billie returned with the water. He rolled his eyes and chuckled.
“You made me move for nothing!” he whined.
“Fuck you!” Tré croaked.
“Are you okay?” I asked, softly stroking his back.
“I’m fine.” He mumbled, but he grabbed my arm and blinked, looking as though he was about to fall over.
“Tré, dude, maybe you should go home…” Mike said.
“Yeah…maybe you should.” Billie and I agreed.
“But Jessie…” Tré said, looking at me.
“Listen, I have a free at the end of the day, I’ll come see you okay? That way my mom won’t have anything to say since she doesn’t know I have a free, but we’ll see each other anyway. Deal?”
Tré sighed, and finally gave in, blinking again and rubbing his forehead.
“Deal.”
“Hey Jess, what’s up?’ I heard. I tried to close my locker, but the door kept opening again as soon as I did.
“Hi Mike.” I said, before slamming the locker door closed as hard as I could.
“Easy girl. What’s wrong?” Billie asked as he kicked his locker, which was located near mine. I snorted. “Speak for yourself!”
“Yeah, but that’s different. I’ve got a reputation to keep up youknow. You’re a locker bully or you’re not, and I know you’re not, so unless you want to become one and want to ask me for advice…spill.”
I sighed. “Where’s Tré?”
“I dunno…dude?” Mike asked, looking at Billie. He shrugged. “Probably skipping.”
I banged my head against my locker.
“Jess… are you okay?” Mike asked worriedly as I felt him grab my shoulder to stop me from banging my head against the locker again.
“I’m fine Mikey. Just fine,” I mumbled.
“Come on…” Billie said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me towards a quiet corner, Mike following us.
“Jess, I’m worried about you,” he said softly, looking at me. I bit my lip and looked away, leaning against the wall. After a few moments of silence, I decided to tell them.
“My parents keep fighting…” I mumbled.
“Aw, Jess…” Billie said, pulling me into a warm hug.
“Dude…that sucks.” Mike said sympathetically.
A while later, Mike and Billie had decided to go get a drink and offered me one, but I said I’d rather stay on my own for a while.
“Hey you.” I heard, and I felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around me, pulling me close against the person they belonged to.
“Hey.” I smiled weakly, happy that Tré was there. I hadn’t seen him the day before either, because neither one of us had dared to call, me being grounded and my mother having caught us before.
“How are you?” he asked, and I noticed he was a little hoarse.
“I’m okay…glad to see you.” I added, turning around to hug him. I enjoyed the soft movement of his hand over my back as we stood there, holding onto one another.
“How about you?” I asked. He coughed a little, turning his head away as he did, before placing his chin on my shoulder again.
“I’m fine.” He croaked.
“You sound hoarse.” I stated, looking at him. He shrugged.
“I’m fine.” He repeated.
BILLIE’S POV
“Dude!” Mike exclaimed as we walked around the corner.
“What?” I asked, looking at him. He smirked and nodded towards the lockers, where Tré and Jessica stood, glued against each other. I grinned.
“Well spotted, Mike.”
“Yeah, well, kinda hard to miss right?” he chuckled.
“Good point,” I laughed.
JESSICA’S POV
It felt good to hug Tré again. It made me forget my worries for a while.
After a moment, I heard Billie and Mike’s voices coming nearer. I released Tré, who looked at me puzzled.
“Your oh so admirable band mates have returned,” I said darkly. Tré chuckled and grabbed my hand.
“You sure?” I asked.
“Why not?” he smirked.
“Hey there, you lovebirds.” Billie grinned, hitting Tré on the shoulder, causing him to start coughing. Mike chuckled, but, like me and Billie, looked at him worriedly when he didn’t stop coughing. When his face started turning red, Billie ran off to get some water.
“Hey dude, are you okay??” Mike asked. Tré had finally stopped coughing, just at the moment that Billie returned with the water. He rolled his eyes and chuckled.
“You made me move for nothing!” he whined.
“Fuck you!” Tré croaked.
“Are you okay?” I asked, softly stroking his back.
“I’m fine.” He mumbled, but he grabbed my arm and blinked, looking as though he was about to fall over.
“Tré, dude, maybe you should go home…” Mike said.
“Yeah…maybe you should.” Billie and I agreed.
“But Jessie…” Tré said, looking at me.
“Listen, I have a free at the end of the day, I’ll come see you okay? That way my mom won’t have anything to say since she doesn’t know I have a free, but we’ll see each other anyway. Deal?”
Tré sighed, and finally gave in, blinking again and rubbing his forehead.
“Deal.”