This Is The Dawning Of The Rest Of Our Lives
Chapter IX - A Jobless Locker Bully
When I told Billie and Mike what had happened, Billie had kicked his locker door so hard it came flying out. Then he had muttered: “Fuck, now there’s nothing left to bully…” before pulling me into a warm, comforting hug as Mike had done.
TRÉ’S POV
There she was. Sitting at our spot in the schoolyard with Mike and Billie. I’d missed her, and I was glad to see her again. Glad I’d managed to convince my parents that I was well enough to go to school. Not that it had been subtle, as I’d welcomed any opportunity to stay home with open arms before I met Jessica. Man, she was something. I hoped she hadn’t got into any trouble with her mother…
I sneaked up behind her, wanting to surprise her. I gestured Billie and Mike to shut up when they noticed me.
“What?” she asked when Billie smirked sheepishly at the sight of me. Moron. I expected her to turn around any second to see what Billie had been grinning at.
Surprisingly, she didn’t. Billie made up some lame excuse, and she bought it. He can be a genius sometimes, when he wants to.
I raised my arms, ready to wrap them around her shoulders, when I suddenly had to sneeze. Fuck, there goes my ingenious plan…way to go Tré!
She spun around, startled by my sneeze. Maybe I’d managed to get at least a bit of the surprise effect I had wanted anyway. Billie was laughing his ass off and Mike shook his head at my failed attempt to surprise her. Jessica, on the other hand, looked at me with those beautiful eyes of hers and smiled widely.
“Tré!” she grinned happily before throwing her arms around me.
“Heyy,” I smiled, holding her tight for a moment.
“I thought you were sick!” Billie said, looking at me.
“Nice to see you too, Bill,” I said sarcastically, placing my hand on Jessie’s hip. “And for your information, I was sick, yes, but I’m better. Mom’s fussing way too much over me anyway.”
JESSICA’S POV
“You know you love it,” I chuckled, pushing Tré playfully. He looked at me with a smirk.
“Nah…I prefer you fussing over me,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.
Yep, he was better.
I giggled and hugged him again. I loved how he always hugged me back by either pressing me close against him, or rubbing my back or something. It made me feel funny inside, but it was a nice funny feeling. He placed his chin on my shoulder and I smiled.
Billie waved his hand in front of my face, and I was guessing he did the same to Tré, for the weight of his chin on my shoulder disappeared again.
“Earth to Tré and Jessica!” he said grinning. He loved annoying us. But oh well, what else could you expect from a locker bully who lost his job because he broke the door of the locker that feared him most?
The weeks after that passed without many events worth mentioning. I eventually got used to life without my father, and so did my mother and Tessie. The guys had been great, offering help when needed, and I think my mother’s opinion of them has changed, after seeing how sweet and helpful they can be when they want to.
I had been spending a lot of time in Billie’s basement, listening to Green Day’s band practise and sometimes bringing Jingle to play with them. I loved watching the guys play. Especially Tré. His face always seemed to light up whenever he took place behind his drum kit. He was amazing. He was permanently sugar high, yet somehow calm and serious when he needed to be, and he was with me. Sometimes he could be so sweet, like a few days ago. I was bored, playing my guitar and wondering whether I should call Tré to ask him to come over, when the doorbell rang. I didn’t bother to get up, thinking it was probably some stupid salesman. I was focused on my music and played whatever chords passed through my head. I turned up the volume of the amp a little, facing the window, sitting on my bed with my back towards the door. Suddenly, I felt the mattress sink, as if there was weight put upon it. In a reflex, I stopped playing and looked aside. I jumped a bit and gasped loudly, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Creep! You fucking scared me!” I giggled, pushing Tré’s shoulder playfully. He smirked.
“Sorry…That was awesome!” he grinned, nodding to Jingle.
“Thanks,” I smiled “it wasn’t anything special though, I was just fooling around a bit,” I added chuckling.
He wrapped his arms around me and placed a kiss on my cheek.
“To me it was,” he said softly.
TRÉ’S POV
There she was. Sitting at our spot in the schoolyard with Mike and Billie. I’d missed her, and I was glad to see her again. Glad I’d managed to convince my parents that I was well enough to go to school. Not that it had been subtle, as I’d welcomed any opportunity to stay home with open arms before I met Jessica. Man, she was something. I hoped she hadn’t got into any trouble with her mother…
I sneaked up behind her, wanting to surprise her. I gestured Billie and Mike to shut up when they noticed me.
“What?” she asked when Billie smirked sheepishly at the sight of me. Moron. I expected her to turn around any second to see what Billie had been grinning at.
Surprisingly, she didn’t. Billie made up some lame excuse, and she bought it. He can be a genius sometimes, when he wants to.
I raised my arms, ready to wrap them around her shoulders, when I suddenly had to sneeze. Fuck, there goes my ingenious plan…way to go Tré!
She spun around, startled by my sneeze. Maybe I’d managed to get at least a bit of the surprise effect I had wanted anyway. Billie was laughing his ass off and Mike shook his head at my failed attempt to surprise her. Jessica, on the other hand, looked at me with those beautiful eyes of hers and smiled widely.
“Tré!” she grinned happily before throwing her arms around me.
“Heyy,” I smiled, holding her tight for a moment.
“I thought you were sick!” Billie said, looking at me.
“Nice to see you too, Bill,” I said sarcastically, placing my hand on Jessie’s hip. “And for your information, I was sick, yes, but I’m better. Mom’s fussing way too much over me anyway.”
JESSICA’S POV
“You know you love it,” I chuckled, pushing Tré playfully. He looked at me with a smirk.
“Nah…I prefer you fussing over me,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows.
Yep, he was better.
I giggled and hugged him again. I loved how he always hugged me back by either pressing me close against him, or rubbing my back or something. It made me feel funny inside, but it was a nice funny feeling. He placed his chin on my shoulder and I smiled.
Billie waved his hand in front of my face, and I was guessing he did the same to Tré, for the weight of his chin on my shoulder disappeared again.
“Earth to Tré and Jessica!” he said grinning. He loved annoying us. But oh well, what else could you expect from a locker bully who lost his job because he broke the door of the locker that feared him most?
The weeks after that passed without many events worth mentioning. I eventually got used to life without my father, and so did my mother and Tessie. The guys had been great, offering help when needed, and I think my mother’s opinion of them has changed, after seeing how sweet and helpful they can be when they want to.
I had been spending a lot of time in Billie’s basement, listening to Green Day’s band practise and sometimes bringing Jingle to play with them. I loved watching the guys play. Especially Tré. His face always seemed to light up whenever he took place behind his drum kit. He was amazing. He was permanently sugar high, yet somehow calm and serious when he needed to be, and he was with me. Sometimes he could be so sweet, like a few days ago. I was bored, playing my guitar and wondering whether I should call Tré to ask him to come over, when the doorbell rang. I didn’t bother to get up, thinking it was probably some stupid salesman. I was focused on my music and played whatever chords passed through my head. I turned up the volume of the amp a little, facing the window, sitting on my bed with my back towards the door. Suddenly, I felt the mattress sink, as if there was weight put upon it. In a reflex, I stopped playing and looked aside. I jumped a bit and gasped loudly, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Creep! You fucking scared me!” I giggled, pushing Tré’s shoulder playfully. He smirked.
“Sorry…That was awesome!” he grinned, nodding to Jingle.
“Thanks,” I smiled “it wasn’t anything special though, I was just fooling around a bit,” I added chuckling.
He wrapped his arms around me and placed a kiss on my cheek.
“To me it was,” he said softly.