Finding Light
Part 11
A small sound escaped Ramona's throat, causing her father to turn his attention in her direction. Tré smiled when he saw that she was still sound asleep, snuggled comfortably into the leather seat. Grabbing his coat from his carry-on, Tré gently threw it over his daughter's sleeping form, hoping to give her just a little extra comfort on the long flight home.
Placing his head against the plexi-glass window, Tré stared down at the clouds beneath the plane, watching as they slowly evaporated, revealing the ground thousands of feet below. They were flying somewhere over the Corn Belt, Tré figured, judging by the miles and miles of farmland and prairie that covered the central United States. New York was still a few hours away, and Tré still had a few hours to think about what he was going to do when he got there.
The first thing that he had to do was get Ramona home to Lisea. But other than that he really didn't have anything else planned for that particular weekend in the Big Apple. He told Eliot he wanted to meet up with some friends, old chums from the music business who owed him drinks from as far back as when 'Insomniac' was released.
But there was another reason why Tré decided to stick around New York, and it was a reason he hadn't divulged to anyone. It was that for the first time in years, Tré Cool had a premonition.
"Adrienne," Billie Joe said quietly as he stepped through the kitchen threshold. When she didn't respond he swiftly made his way over to her and wrapped her in a close embrace. "Go," He instructed from where his head rested on her shoulder.
Adrienne continued to stare out the kitchen window at the still-life of the backyard. It had been 2 days since her father's heart attack and his condition wasn't improving too much. And as much as she hated to admit it, she was scared, and Billie Joe knew that despite her taciturn behavior.
The dark haired woman stared down at the mug of coffee in her hands before shaking her head, first slowly and then more violently. "I can't," she murmured "I can't."
Billie Joe let out a soft sigh and kissed her temple gently "Adie, you have to. Your family needs you." He drummed his fingers along her abdomen "Your Parents need you and Amelia can't do it all on her own." he kissed her again while she remained silent and further urged his point "Go."
"And leave you in charge?" Adrienne finally asked, turned slightly so that she was facing her husband.
Billie Joe gave an assuring smile "I can handle it."
A sigh escaped from deep within as Adrienne gently placed her mug on counter. She was debating whether or not Billie Joe was right. Of course she trusted him with their children, but could he handle a few days in her shoes?
The answer didn't matter. The thought of her father lying helpless in a hospital bed, her mother at his side, and Amelia trying to manage the situation, was enough to make up Adrienne's now bustling mind.
Pulling off a smile, Adrienne wrapped her arms around her husband's waist and laid her head against his collarbone. "Ok," she answered in a voice so small that she didn't even recognize it herself.
**
"Damn it Ramona," Tré said, a little exasperated with a side of frustration. "I'm not, I'm not good at this." He rubbed his eyes. Eliot had told him not to go too hard on his daughter, but the thing is Tré didn't know the difference. He never actually had to reprimand one of his children before, but then again, he was never the only parent in his children's lives.
"I'm sorry," Ramona offered in a small voice. Part of her was being honest, but she couldn't help but feel a little bit of a rush. Ramona had never really been a rebel, despite the image her father had built over the years. Although, getting in trouble for the night before, even though she felt slightly guilty made her heart race in a way she had rarely experienced.
"I'm not mad at you," Tré admitted when he noticed her staring deep into the oak that made up their kitchen table. "Just," he stammered a little bit, damn, he needed a drink "Just promise me nothing happened."
Ramona looked up at him and lied with a reassuring smile "Nothing happened, Dad, I promise."
Tré walked over and kissed the top of his daughter's head. She was a good kid. "Don't do it again though, Ok?"
"Let's get out of here," Conner whispered to her after just ten minutes. The party was already in full swing, the old white house flooded with strangers and a handful of people that Ramona had seen around school.
"Ok," Ramona replied, twisting her ring around her finger. It was a ring that her mother had bought her for her fifteenth birthday and Ramona had developed a habit of twisting it around when she was nervous.
"C'mon," Conner smiled as he stood up, stumbling a bit. He had one drunken one beer and Ramona had seen her father have up to five without becoming impaired so his slight swaggering as they exited the party wasn't the source of her anxiety.
The couple drove in silence to a remote part of town. The rodeo refineries could be seen looming on the horizon and reminded Ramona of all the stories Billie Joe had told about his youth.
"Conner," Ramona finally whispered when the car came to a halt, "Where are we?"
Conner turned to her and softly touched the side of her delicate face. "No where," he murmured softly before nodding toward the backseat.
An hour later, the pair was driving back toward the city. The nerves coiled in Ramona's stomach were enough to burn through the skin. Conner on the other hand, seemed perfectly calm; a devious smile lingering on his lips.
They didn't have sex. Thankfully, Ramona thought. The last thing she needed was for some rumor to start that she was easier to score with on the first date. Plus, she didn't want to lose her precious virginity to Conner with him half drunken and lying in the backseat of his Jetta. She let his hand wander up the back of her shirt, and although she felt slightly rushed, she just figured this was something that people did so she didn't object.
And it was one in a series of many, many mistakes.
Placing his head against the plexi-glass window, Tré stared down at the clouds beneath the plane, watching as they slowly evaporated, revealing the ground thousands of feet below. They were flying somewhere over the Corn Belt, Tré figured, judging by the miles and miles of farmland and prairie that covered the central United States. New York was still a few hours away, and Tré still had a few hours to think about what he was going to do when he got there.
The first thing that he had to do was get Ramona home to Lisea. But other than that he really didn't have anything else planned for that particular weekend in the Big Apple. He told Eliot he wanted to meet up with some friends, old chums from the music business who owed him drinks from as far back as when 'Insomniac' was released.
But there was another reason why Tré decided to stick around New York, and it was a reason he hadn't divulged to anyone. It was that for the first time in years, Tré Cool had a premonition.
"Adrienne," Billie Joe said quietly as he stepped through the kitchen threshold. When she didn't respond he swiftly made his way over to her and wrapped her in a close embrace. "Go," He instructed from where his head rested on her shoulder.
Adrienne continued to stare out the kitchen window at the still-life of the backyard. It had been 2 days since her father's heart attack and his condition wasn't improving too much. And as much as she hated to admit it, she was scared, and Billie Joe knew that despite her taciturn behavior.
The dark haired woman stared down at the mug of coffee in her hands before shaking her head, first slowly and then more violently. "I can't," she murmured "I can't."
Billie Joe let out a soft sigh and kissed her temple gently "Adie, you have to. Your family needs you." He drummed his fingers along her abdomen "Your Parents need you and Amelia can't do it all on her own." he kissed her again while she remained silent and further urged his point "Go."
"And leave you in charge?" Adrienne finally asked, turned slightly so that she was facing her husband.
Billie Joe gave an assuring smile "I can handle it."
A sigh escaped from deep within as Adrienne gently placed her mug on counter. She was debating whether or not Billie Joe was right. Of course she trusted him with their children, but could he handle a few days in her shoes?
The answer didn't matter. The thought of her father lying helpless in a hospital bed, her mother at his side, and Amelia trying to manage the situation, was enough to make up Adrienne's now bustling mind.
Pulling off a smile, Adrienne wrapped her arms around her husband's waist and laid her head against his collarbone. "Ok," she answered in a voice so small that she didn't even recognize it herself.
**
"Damn it Ramona," Tré said, a little exasperated with a side of frustration. "I'm not, I'm not good at this." He rubbed his eyes. Eliot had told him not to go too hard on his daughter, but the thing is Tré didn't know the difference. He never actually had to reprimand one of his children before, but then again, he was never the only parent in his children's lives.
"I'm sorry," Ramona offered in a small voice. Part of her was being honest, but she couldn't help but feel a little bit of a rush. Ramona had never really been a rebel, despite the image her father had built over the years. Although, getting in trouble for the night before, even though she felt slightly guilty made her heart race in a way she had rarely experienced.
"I'm not mad at you," Tré admitted when he noticed her staring deep into the oak that made up their kitchen table. "Just," he stammered a little bit, damn, he needed a drink "Just promise me nothing happened."
Ramona looked up at him and lied with a reassuring smile "Nothing happened, Dad, I promise."
Tré walked over and kissed the top of his daughter's head. She was a good kid. "Don't do it again though, Ok?"
"Let's get out of here," Conner whispered to her after just ten minutes. The party was already in full swing, the old white house flooded with strangers and a handful of people that Ramona had seen around school.
"Ok," Ramona replied, twisting her ring around her finger. It was a ring that her mother had bought her for her fifteenth birthday and Ramona had developed a habit of twisting it around when she was nervous.
"C'mon," Conner smiled as he stood up, stumbling a bit. He had one drunken one beer and Ramona had seen her father have up to five without becoming impaired so his slight swaggering as they exited the party wasn't the source of her anxiety.
The couple drove in silence to a remote part of town. The rodeo refineries could be seen looming on the horizon and reminded Ramona of all the stories Billie Joe had told about his youth.
"Conner," Ramona finally whispered when the car came to a halt, "Where are we?"
Conner turned to her and softly touched the side of her delicate face. "No where," he murmured softly before nodding toward the backseat.
An hour later, the pair was driving back toward the city. The nerves coiled in Ramona's stomach were enough to burn through the skin. Conner on the other hand, seemed perfectly calm; a devious smile lingering on his lips.
They didn't have sex. Thankfully, Ramona thought. The last thing she needed was for some rumor to start that she was easier to score with on the first date. Plus, she didn't want to lose her precious virginity to Conner with him half drunken and lying in the backseat of his Jetta. She let his hand wander up the back of her shirt, and although she felt slightly rushed, she just figured this was something that people did so she didn't object.
And it was one in a series of many, many mistakes.