Senior Slumps

After we were completely spent, Billie Joe wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to him, kissing my temple lovingly. I carelessly twirled one of his dreadlocks between my fingers as we slowly but surely caught our breath.
"That was..." he started breathily.

"I know," I finished for him, letting him take some deep breaths.

Billie Joe smiled, "You're amazing, you know that? I mean, you're just, God, I don't know..."

I laughed, and kissed his cheek, "Well you're not so bad yourself there, Will," I said, purposely calling him by a name he hated.

He let out a deep growl and leaned in to bite my neck, "Don't call me that, you know that's not my name." he said as his lips met mine.

"Mmmm, Yeah but I like to call you that," I said, wrapping my arms around his neck "because you don't let anyone else do it."

"I guess its ok," he said rolling off to my side and reaching under the bed to find a cigarette, "As long as it doesn't leave the bedroom. Because enough people think that my real name is William already."

"Fine, I can live with that... Will." I added with a laugh, diving under the covers before he could strike me with a pillow. By the time I uncovered myself he had lit his cigarette and was sitting against the wooden headboard, taking a drag as he watched me.

"You want one?" he asked, pushing the Marlboro box across the mattress.

"Nah," I said, shaking my head. "I don't smoke anymore."

He raised his eyebrows, "What?"

I shrugged, "I just figured it was pointless. I mean, it never really did anything for me and..."

"Oh God," he groaned, inturrupting me, "You didn't turn into one of those 'High off Life' people did you?"

"No," I straddled his waist as he stubbed out the cigarette and placed his hands on my waist, a large grin lighting up his face. "I just don't want to kill myself anymore."

Billie Joe rolled his eyes, "Well don't think you're going to stop me, I'll do what I want Thank you very much!"

I decided not to reply. I pressed my forehead against Billie Joe's and wrapped my arms around his shoulders. "You know I have to go back on Tuesday right?" I asked quietly, hoping he wouldn't take it the way he did 4 years back.

"Yeah," he replied, tucking a lock of hair behind my ears, his hands lingering there for a second "But you're going to come back, right?" he asked, worry clouding his green eyes.

"I suppose so," I said, getting of off him and sitting on the edge of the bed, "I mean, I have a reason to now. Don't I?"

He came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me again, kissing my temple "Fuck yeah you do."

We sat there for a moment. I closed my eyes, feeling completely relaxed in his arms.

"Jess?"

"Yeah?" I answered, opening my eyes as I breathed in his smoky breath.

"Do you remember what I said to you before you left?" he asked, his grip tightening as if he was afraid I would run away.

Of course I remembered. They were the words, the stupid, angry words that haunted me everyday since they were spoken. They were the words that I had come back to California to see if they still held their meaning.
"What I don't understand why you can't just be happy for me Billie Joe!!"

"Be happy for you Jess?! Because you're making the biggest fucking mistake of your life that's why!!" He yelled, his voice echoing off the sides of my bedroom.

"Because I'm following my dreams? Because I'm doing the one thing I've wanted to do since I was a kid?!" I was still waving my acceptance letter in my right hand. I had invited Billie Joe over to my house, something I rarely did, to tell him the news that I had been accepted to the college of my dreams. I never expected him to react like this, I thought he would be happy.

"No, you know why? Because you're going to go over there, halfway across the goddamned world... "
"IT'S NEW ENGLAND BILL!" I shouted over him.
"Who gives a shit." He growled, "You're going to go there, and when you come back, you're not going to be the same."
"That's bullshit!" I yelled, shaking my head in disbelief.
"No it's not, THIS is bullshit." he shouted, walking toward my bedroom door, "You know what, go, go there," he pointed to the envelope in my hand "And fucking forget about everything! I know I will!" and with that he turned and stormed out of my room and down the stairs. I heard the front door slam loudly behind him.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Yeah... " I said.

"I'm sorry I was such an asshole about that." He began to ramble "I just, I thought I knew what was best for you. And I regretted saying it everyday since and I don't blame you if you don't ever forgive me for that."

"Don't worry about it," I said as I felt a weight being lifted off of my heart, and my mind. "You ever notice when you really care about someone," I laced my fingers in his, "That you always think you know what's best for them?"

"Yeah," he said, resting his chin on my shoulder, "But I was so, so wrong."

"Yeah well," I smiled, "At least you cared."

"I'll always care," he said softly, playing with the ends of my hair.

Silence fell over us, both of us suddenly noticing the increasing noise of the party downstairs, "I should probably go, my Mom will be worrying." I said as I got up off the bed and began to search for my clothes.

Billie Joe let out a short laugh, "How old are you, 16?"

"Shut up," I whipped him with my shirt; he let out a pleasured scream. "You remember how my Mom is."

"Yeah, does she still hate me?" he asked as he began to get off the bed

"Most likely," I replied with a laugh "You aren't her 'type'." I said, using my fingers for quotes.

"Whatever" he replied "She isn't my 'type'" he said mocking my finger-quotes.

I smiled and pressed up against him, silencing any further words about my mother with a kiss. When we broke apart he smiled and bit his lip. "What are you doing tomorrow night my lady?"

"You tell me."

"How about you come to our gig? You can meet Tré." he suggested with a shrug.

"You know, I heard you talk about that guy earlier, and the whole time I was like 'Who the fuck is Tré Cool?'" I said laughing as I buttoned my jeans.

He laughed "He's our drummer, John bailed so we replaced him" he said matter-of-factly "Haven't you listened to Kerplunk?"

"No," I shook my head, "I heard about it, but you guys never toured close to where I was so I never got a chance to get a 7 inch."

"Oh I'll get you one, no problem." He said, "So what do you say about tomorrow?"

"Of course I'm going, my old friend Ana sort of hooked up with Mike a few nights ago so she's probably going to want to go anyway."

"Seriously?" he asked, wide eyed.

"Yes, I'm going." I clarified.

"No, no, I mean, Mike has a girlfriend? It's about fucking time!" He laughed, "Guy hasn't gotten laid in like, forever!"

I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"And you know why else it's good," he continued, pulling me into another hug. "I'm pretty sure Mike used to have the hots for you. And I can't have that; I want you all to myself."

"Well," I said, my voice muffled by Billie Joe's shirt "You do."

"And that," he said, pulling apart from me, "Makes me a very, very lucky man."