Hail and Farewell to Paris
La Cloche fêlée
“You’ll call me then yeah?”
“No, I never want to see you again.”
“What?” Billie squeaked.
I burst out laughing as I wrapped my arms around his neck,
He giggled nervously, “Don’t do that”
I snorted, moving myself away from his strong arms sadly. Billie had been nothing but apologetic ever since the dinner and the Port argument. It was sweet of him to have the best intentions but he had been suffocating me the past few days, I couldn't go anywhere without him asking me if I was okay or if I wanted a drink. However, now I was leaving, I desperately wanted to stay and be suffocated and annoyed further.
I turned to Joey and Jacob who were waiting patiently next to their father in the departures section of Sacramento airport.
“Bye guys, I’ll see you soon.”
“Bye” Jacob answered in a shy whisper; I smiled at him warmly before looking at Joe whose cheeks tinged pink.
“Bye” I chuckled placing a hand on his shoulder awkwardly, my reactions towards Joey now were nothing but awkward, especially since he has now starting asking me for help with his English Homework as well as French.
After a moment of inhaling and taking in the sight of the three Californian males once more, I finally turned to walk through the security check when a hand came down strongly on my shoulder. Whipping me around, Billie’s lips met mine hard and warm, his hands pulling me closer to him as my palms made for his hair, these perfect past two weeks seemed to flash before my eyes as those flawless lips of his sent me soaring through the air like they always did.
“You can go now” He gasped pulling away softly a cheeky grin spreading underneath his nose.
I chuckled, just as breathless as he was and giggling at the cringing Joey and Jakob.
“Thanks, goodb- see you later” I corrected, he smiled, letting his hands fall from my hips disappointedly.
I returned that smile once more, taking in his beautiful features and mind-blowing green eyes for the last time until the next good few months. I sighed, my pace quickening up to the security queue, I didn’t trust myself, I so badly wanted to run back into his arms and stay there, but I couldn’t. I frowned and told my heart that the bruise of leaving him will eventually fade, after all, the next time I set foot in this country it will be to call it home.
“So how are you?” I smiled, leaning across the counter of the vintage store one lazy Parisan afternoon.
“I’m good” he sighed, “missing you, but I’m okay.”
“You sound tired.”
He made a snort down the phone, “I can’t sleep properly lately I don’t know what it is.”
I frowned at his words, watching two teenage girls flick through the 80s rack of clothes near the front of the store.
“You should go and visit the doctor if you’re not well”
“I am well, I just can’t sleep, don’t worry about it, it’s normal for me.”
I sighed, running a black curl of hair around my index finger, I hated the fact he was so stubborn about important things like his health.
“Where are you?”
“New York, I’m here for some TRL stupid fucking show.”
I chuckled down the phone, “What is the weather like?”
“It’s fuckin freezing, snowing like shit.”
“Billie.” I shook my head, “It sounds like you need to stop taking those bitterness pills.”
“I’m fine, I’m just a little pissed off, the only thing keeping me going right now is the fact that you’re moving in next month.”
I smiled as the girl’s shifted along the rail to the 70s attire.
“How…sweet” I chuckled.
“Joey’s French test scores have dropped dramatically since you left.”
“Oh so someone else is missing me then apart from the dog and yourself.”
“Yeah but Joey’s missing you for other things too…much like his father.”
I gasped down the phone as he chuckled.
“I am changing the subject, anymore of that and I’m not flying over to see you ever again…”
“I’m expected to believe that?” He snorted, “You can’t live without me baby.”
“Don’t push me into trying” I teased.
“You sound more French” Billie stated quite loudly, sponteanously changing the subject like he always did.
“Well I am in Paris”
“It’s hot when you sound more French.”
I rolled my eyes, “How is Mike doing?”
Billie inhaled a sharp breath of air. Mike and Brittany’s wedding hadn’t happened yet, it kept getting put back another month and then another, it was now scheduled for January.
“He’s gone all gay, I caught him reading a book of poems by that guy that you bum.”
I chuckled quite excitedly, “Really? Baudelaire? I’m glad he got himself a copy.”
Billie sighed, “If my hot ass bassist turns pussy poetry boy because of you I will kill you. Be warned. Tre and I have already planned how we are going to murder Brittany and dissolve her in acid.”
I chuckled, “How delightful of you Billie. But you should leave Mike alone with his poetry; you should try reading it sometime.”
Billie made a ‘pfft’ noise, “Yeah coz I haven’t got a ton of other things to do…I’m worried about him though. I wish he’d just break up with her.”
“He loves her” I sighed as one of the girls held up a blue dress and nodded in the direction of the changing room. I flapped my hand in a consenting manner as Billie groaned.
“Oh God, I know, but it’s so depressing. Tre has already bought the baseball bat to club Brittany to death with; I’m starting to get the urge to buy one myself, with her out of the way I get my sexy bassist back”
I chuckled, “sounds like you only need me back for my cooking.”
Billie chuckled, “Don’t be silly, I just need you for those dresses, heels, the French accent and the ‘Lady Ava thing’”
I rolled my eyes, “I’ll remind you of that the next time you ask me to cook.”
He laughed, “Anyway Ava I have to go babe, ring you tomorrow, Dan is currently on my ass about this fuckin show.”
I laughed as I heard a protest in the background and Billie chuckling.
“Love you” I smiled.
“Love you too” he whispered back before hanging up.
I rose from the counter and walked slowly around the shop, stopping and staring through the window at the airy streets of Paris outside.
I hated the fact that everything here reminded me of him so terribly, the rain lashed down on the grey streets and I thought of us standing together just down the road in torrential rain much like this. I folded my arms across my torso and wished those strong tattooed arms were holding me tightly. Absence sure makes the heart grow fonder.
“No, I never want to see you again.”
“What?” Billie squeaked.
I burst out laughing as I wrapped my arms around his neck,
He giggled nervously, “Don’t do that”
I snorted, moving myself away from his strong arms sadly. Billie had been nothing but apologetic ever since the dinner and the Port argument. It was sweet of him to have the best intentions but he had been suffocating me the past few days, I couldn't go anywhere without him asking me if I was okay or if I wanted a drink. However, now I was leaving, I desperately wanted to stay and be suffocated and annoyed further.
I turned to Joey and Jacob who were waiting patiently next to their father in the departures section of Sacramento airport.
“Bye guys, I’ll see you soon.”
“Bye” Jacob answered in a shy whisper; I smiled at him warmly before looking at Joe whose cheeks tinged pink.
“Bye” I chuckled placing a hand on his shoulder awkwardly, my reactions towards Joey now were nothing but awkward, especially since he has now starting asking me for help with his English Homework as well as French.
After a moment of inhaling and taking in the sight of the three Californian males once more, I finally turned to walk through the security check when a hand came down strongly on my shoulder. Whipping me around, Billie’s lips met mine hard and warm, his hands pulling me closer to him as my palms made for his hair, these perfect past two weeks seemed to flash before my eyes as those flawless lips of his sent me soaring through the air like they always did.
“You can go now” He gasped pulling away softly a cheeky grin spreading underneath his nose.
I chuckled, just as breathless as he was and giggling at the cringing Joey and Jakob.
“Thanks, goodb- see you later” I corrected, he smiled, letting his hands fall from my hips disappointedly.
I returned that smile once more, taking in his beautiful features and mind-blowing green eyes for the last time until the next good few months. I sighed, my pace quickening up to the security queue, I didn’t trust myself, I so badly wanted to run back into his arms and stay there, but I couldn’t. I frowned and told my heart that the bruise of leaving him will eventually fade, after all, the next time I set foot in this country it will be to call it home.
“So how are you?” I smiled, leaning across the counter of the vintage store one lazy Parisan afternoon.
“I’m good” he sighed, “missing you, but I’m okay.”
“You sound tired.”
He made a snort down the phone, “I can’t sleep properly lately I don’t know what it is.”
I frowned at his words, watching two teenage girls flick through the 80s rack of clothes near the front of the store.
“You should go and visit the doctor if you’re not well”
“I am well, I just can’t sleep, don’t worry about it, it’s normal for me.”
I sighed, running a black curl of hair around my index finger, I hated the fact he was so stubborn about important things like his health.
“Where are you?”
“New York, I’m here for some TRL stupid fucking show.”
I chuckled down the phone, “What is the weather like?”
“It’s fuckin freezing, snowing like shit.”
“Billie.” I shook my head, “It sounds like you need to stop taking those bitterness pills.”
“I’m fine, I’m just a little pissed off, the only thing keeping me going right now is the fact that you’re moving in next month.”
I smiled as the girl’s shifted along the rail to the 70s attire.
“How…sweet” I chuckled.
“Joey’s French test scores have dropped dramatically since you left.”
“Oh so someone else is missing me then apart from the dog and yourself.”
“Yeah but Joey’s missing you for other things too…much like his father.”
I gasped down the phone as he chuckled.
“I am changing the subject, anymore of that and I’m not flying over to see you ever again…”
“I’m expected to believe that?” He snorted, “You can’t live without me baby.”
“Don’t push me into trying” I teased.
“You sound more French” Billie stated quite loudly, sponteanously changing the subject like he always did.
“Well I am in Paris”
“It’s hot when you sound more French.”
I rolled my eyes, “How is Mike doing?”
Billie inhaled a sharp breath of air. Mike and Brittany’s wedding hadn’t happened yet, it kept getting put back another month and then another, it was now scheduled for January.
“He’s gone all gay, I caught him reading a book of poems by that guy that you bum.”
I chuckled quite excitedly, “Really? Baudelaire? I’m glad he got himself a copy.”
Billie sighed, “If my hot ass bassist turns pussy poetry boy because of you I will kill you. Be warned. Tre and I have already planned how we are going to murder Brittany and dissolve her in acid.”
I chuckled, “How delightful of you Billie. But you should leave Mike alone with his poetry; you should try reading it sometime.”
Billie made a ‘pfft’ noise, “Yeah coz I haven’t got a ton of other things to do…I’m worried about him though. I wish he’d just break up with her.”
“He loves her” I sighed as one of the girls held up a blue dress and nodded in the direction of the changing room. I flapped my hand in a consenting manner as Billie groaned.
“Oh God, I know, but it’s so depressing. Tre has already bought the baseball bat to club Brittany to death with; I’m starting to get the urge to buy one myself, with her out of the way I get my sexy bassist back”
I chuckled, “sounds like you only need me back for my cooking.”
Billie chuckled, “Don’t be silly, I just need you for those dresses, heels, the French accent and the ‘Lady Ava thing’”
I rolled my eyes, “I’ll remind you of that the next time you ask me to cook.”
He laughed, “Anyway Ava I have to go babe, ring you tomorrow, Dan is currently on my ass about this fuckin show.”
I laughed as I heard a protest in the background and Billie chuckling.
“Love you” I smiled.
“Love you too” he whispered back before hanging up.
I rose from the counter and walked slowly around the shop, stopping and staring through the window at the airy streets of Paris outside.
I hated the fact that everything here reminded me of him so terribly, the rain lashed down on the grey streets and I thought of us standing together just down the road in torrential rain much like this. I folded my arms across my torso and wished those strong tattooed arms were holding me tightly. Absence sure makes the heart grow fonder.