It Seems I'm Too Far Gone

Billie Joe hung up his vest, grabbed his sweatshirt, and yelled to his mom that he was taking off. He couldn’t believe this was happening. Here he was, hating her one second, and now he was taking her to Gilman. He didn’t even know her name. Her name… what was her name? And why did she need him to take her to Gilman?
Adrienne was waiting for him when he came out of the kitchen. Neither of them said anything, but just walked out together. Once outside, Billie Joe kept walking, not realizing Adie was nowhere near following him.
“Hey, wait up!” she said when she noticed. He turned around. She was sitting on the ground pulling her high-heels off.
“What are you doing?”
“What’s it look like? You don’t think I’m going to a punk rock show in 3-inch heels do you?”
He shrugged.
“I hadn’t really thought about it.” Now that he looked at her, he REALLY couldn’t believe she was going. She sat there in a long black skirt, a lacey shirt tied in the front, and her hair pinned up all nice. It just didn’t seem to add up.
Adrienne finished pulling of her heels and pulled a pair of blue “Chuck Taylors’ out of her green bag. Realizing she forgot to pack socks, she sighed, but pulled them on her bare feet anyway.
“You do realize you’re in a skirt, right?” Billie asked as she started to pull her pink and blue lacey shirt off of her arms.
“Gotta be careful with this,” she said as she then unhooked her necklace and wrapped it in her shirt, ignoring him. “And yes, I realize. But oh well.”
Billie smirked. He liked how she was so excited to go see a show. It reminded him of himself before he played. But she was just watching. She must not have gotten out much.
Finally, she stood back up and slung her bag back over her shoulder.
“Ok, I’m ready.”
Billie couldn’t help but stare at her. She was almost completely transformed, standing here in front of him with a fitting- very fitting, he commented to himself with a grin- blue tank top, a sweeping black skirt, blue chucks, and an old purse. Now, she just seemed like every other girl Billie Joe hung out with- not a fancy rich priss. Everything except the hair still fixed on the top of her head.
They hadn’t gotten two steps when she seemed to read his mind.
“Oh wait-” and she reached up and clicked the clip out of her hair. In one fluid motion, she tossed it a little and then fluffed it with her hands. Billie Joe couldn’t help but hold his mouth open. Even in this darkness, her red hair was so bright it knocked him off of his feet. That, and it did the unthinkable- it made her eyes even bluer than they already were.
“Ok, let’s go,” she said without noticing Billie staring at her, taking in every move she made as if his life depended on it.
“So do you get a lot of local bands playing here?” she asked, anxious.
“Yeah. Most of ‘em are good, but every now and then you get a dud.”
“Ever get a band called Green Day?” she asked. Billie smirked, but didn’t say anything.
“They used to be Sweet Children until they changed it like a year ago or something.”
Billie nodded.
“Yeah, I know who they are. They play… every once in awhile. Why? You a fan?”
“Definitely. I’ve never seen them live though. I’ve only got a lame cassette tape my friend’s sister mailed to her back in New Jersey. I knew they were from here and like no one knows who they are back home. They’ve gotta be my favorite band.”
“Hmm… I’ll tell you next time they’re scheduled. I’ve got… connections, you could say.”
Adie smiled.
“Sweet.”
Billie walked beside Adrienne with his hands stuck in his jacket pocket. It was quiet and he was afraid of it getting awkward. He didn’t know if he should talk or if he should. When he glanced over at her, she didn’t seem to notice the silence. She was looking all around her in every direction taking in all of the old buildings and street lights.
“So, are you knew here?” he asked her, the question he’d come to when he realized she was amazed by everything it seemed.
She looked at him like she forgot she was there. In a way, she kind of had.
“Yeah. My family and I just moved here from New Jersey. They’re why I was there tonight.”
“Whoa. That’s quite a change. So what exactly was that little ‘party’ you were partaking in?”
“Well…” she said, pushing her hair out of her face, a gesture that made Billie Joe go weak at the knees, even if he denied it to himself. “I don’t think you can really call it ‘partaking’ when I didn’t even look at half of the people there.”
“What, not your scene?”
“Not exactly. It was a bunch of big business guys and they’re ‘Home Shopping Channel’ wives. And then my parents and my sister. She was the reason for the whole occasion. She’s trying to get a scholarship and a job from some stiff.”
Billie looked surprise.
“Yeah, I know,” Adrienne replied to the confused- yet entirely adorable- look on his face. “You can tell she obviously doesn’t need a free ride, but try telling her that. I certainly can’t get through to her,” she shook her head.
“What, you don’t like her?”
Adie looked taken aback.
“Well of course I like her- she’s my sister. It’s just she’s a real… I don’t know, freak show, sometimes.”
Billie chuckled.
“Well if she was one of the people in that room, I highly doubt she was a freak show. And I know freak shows- I AM one.”
They both giggled and Billie couldn’t help but swell at the thought of him making her laugh.
“True, true,” she smiled. “But you get what I mean. Sometimes I just wish I could… fix her or something.”
“Well is she broken?”
Adie wondered if he was joking. When she looked deep into his green eyes, she couldn’t tell for herself and smiled.
When he didn’t smile back she asked, “What do you mean?”
Billie looked away into the night and shrugged.
“I don’t know. I’m just saying you shouldn’t try to fix a person if they’re not broken,” and he was quiet again.
This time it was Adrienne who didn’t know who should talk. When she finally realized they were enjoying the silence she turned and stared at him. Along with is poofy brown hair- which still made her smile- he was wearing that jacket and black jeans. Old black jeans. Black jeans with a lot of wear. She couldn’t help but want to feel him. Want to have him hold her and put her arms around her so she could lace her fingers into his hair. She had to literally shake herself in order to shake the thoughts from her mind so she could return to the real world. The fact that she had to, made her frown a little.

***

To say that Adrienne was enjoying herself would be an understatement in the least. Being in the smokey air- although she refused to smoke ANYTHING- the drunken atmosphere, and around the chord filled speakers was like a Heaven on earth to her. Being practically locked up for the past month she’d lived in California was really drilling on her mind. Especially the fact that she didn’t know where to find any good bands playing.
She jumped in the pit a couple of times, a hard thing to do in a skirt, and mainly just jumped around releasing the pent up rocker that had been locked inside her for far too long.
When 12 o’clock rolled around, she realized that she was going to be late getting home. And she also realized that she had no idea how to get back to her house. Unfortunately, she had to go hunt down Billie Joe.
Earlier in the day this wouldn’t have been unfortunate at all, but as soon as they entered the club a short girl with black hair around Billie’s age practically leaped onto him and started to kiss him. As much as she hated to admit it, Adrienne knew that it bothered her. That another girl’s fingers in his hair practically drover her insane with fury and jealousy. The only way she could get away from it, though was to basically ignore him all night. But now, she knew he was her way home, so she had to find him. And soon.
When she finally found him, he wasn’t in the mash pit or throwing people in the air like the band on stage was encouraging, but sitting in the back on a stool across from the stool that the short girl was on. They were saying things to each other really close to each other’s face, stopping every now and then to smile or kiss, or both. Adrienne didn’t really want to but in, so she just stood there half waiting for him to notice her, half not.
Finally he looked up.
“I have to go,” she said and pointed at her wrist where a watch might be. He nodded like he understood, even though he really didn’t know why this had anything to do with him. He whispered something into his ‘girl’s’ ear and she looked over to Adie, who could feel her face growing read.
They then began their whole ‘whisper-kiss-whisper’ thing over again and Adrienne started to get way too annoyed.
Eventually, after about a minute had passed and he hadn’t looked over at her again, she got frustrated- mostly out of her own jealousy- and pushed her way to the door, determined to find her own way home.
As soon as she walked out of the door she was hit with a gust of air that was surprisingly cool for California. The temperature had dropped dramatically and Adie started to get goose-bumps. She hugged herself tightly to try to keep in any body heat she had left.
Billie Joe had finally gotten away from Baily, his ‘girlfriend’- he wasn’t quite sure on what exactly they were- he stormed out, realizing that Adrienne wasn’t standing there anymore and that she had absolutely no idea where she was going, being new and all.
When he saw her walking, holding herself, obviously cold, he frowned. He couldn’t believe he’d been so rude to someone who’d actually been very nice to him. He unzipped his jacket and ran after her.
She almost jumped out of her skin and started doing karate when she felt someone put their hands on her shoulders. She calmed down when she saw Billie Joe, simply placing his sweatshirt on her shoulders.
“Chill,” he tried to calm her down. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. You just looked cold.”
“Well, it is 12 o’clock in the middle of some dark street,” she said, but then once seeing the hurt look in his eyes regretted it. “But thank you,” and she hugged the jacket around her shoulders.
“No problem. Sorry about that, Baily wouldn’t let me get away.”
“Are you sure she’s ok with you walking some other girl home?”
“Well I couldn’t just let you wander around all night, could I?” he said, with a faux-caring look on his face that actually wasn’t all that faux…
“Not like it matters- I’m already late.”
“What time were you supposed to be home?”
“12.”
“Cripes. You could’ve said something.”
She laughed.
“It’s not that- I was having too much fun.” He looked at her and smiled. They held eyes for a short moment.
“You know,” he started, “I don’t even know your name. I’m Billie Joe,” and he held out his hand. She took it and shook back.
“Nice to meet you, Billie Joe, I’m Adrienne. So… is that a nickname?”
“Heh. No. I get that a lot though. Nope… just a bad hick name.”
She smiled.
“It’s not that bad.”
“So, speaking of nicknames, do you have one?”
“Well… everyone who knows me calls me Adie, but, I mean, that’s mostly just my real name. No one calls me Adrienne but my sister and my mom when she’s mad at me.”
“Well then,” he quirked an eyebrow at her, “I should give you one.”
Minutes past as he racked his brain for something to call her. He actually came across quite a few, but he couldn’t really use them: Beautiful, Gorgeous, Weak Knee- Maker.
“Hmm… Adie, Adie, Adie… Hey! Say your name really fast,” he told her.
She looked confused, but did so anyway.
“AdieAdieAdie… What?”
“What does that sound like?” he was really excited, but when she just shrugged he sighed.
“80. Duh.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Billie Joe, that’s lame.”
“Hey, it’s better than you could do.”
They met each other’s eyes again and laughed.
After she told him her address and he told her he knew exactly where that was, they walked there, talking about random things they were both interested in, him letting her know he played in a band, etc.
When she was finally in her driveway, she turned to him and just stared into his green eyes, unsure, yet complete positive of what to do next.
“Well…” he said a bit awkwardly. “Goodbye. I’ll look you up again sometime. I don’t live real far,” and he was about to leave and Adie couldn’t believe it.
Right before he turned away, Adie almost screamed out, “Well?!”
He looked shocked. It was kind of a funny look for him.
“Uh… well what?”
“Oh, please, Billie Joe. Are you going to kiss me or what?”
When he looked really confused yet on the inside he was buzzing with delight and nerves he never knew he had, Adie wasted no time and leaned in and kissed him for only a couple seconds. But still, the kiss between the two had such electricity they were surprised it didn’t blow them into pieces.
She pulled off, Billie Joe still pretty shocked.
Adie bit her bottom lip, muttered a small, “Bye.” And turned to start walking to her front door.
All of a sudden Billie- regaining consciousness- grabbed her wrist that had swung behind her and pulled her against him, not ready to have her make a fool out of him. If they thought the first kiss was intense, then this kiss was utterly mind blowing. They parted, said goodbye, yet again, and went swimming inside their brains