It Seems I'm Too Far Gone
Light years away...
When Adie walked through her front door the last thing on her mind were the 3 sets of eyes staring back at her. Her head was buzzing and she clutched the dark blue jacket in her hands harder than ever. She wanted to hold it forever- to breathe in every last scent of him and then fall asleep with it on her cheek, letting her eyelashes brush against the soft fabric while they fluttered in her dreams- dreams that would undoubtedly be about Billie Joe.
But finally, she opened her eyes and looked at her mother who was standing in the doorway and her sister and father were sitting at the table.
“Where have you been?” her mother asked, clearly incredibly angry.
“Calm down, I’m sorry. I was at a concert and just… lost track of time.”
“How did you get home? And whose jacket is that?”
Adrienne suddenly wanted to disappear and burn the sweatshirt. The last thing she wanted was to share her night with- of all people- her mother, father, and sister. Even at that statement, the Raleigh’s housekeeper, Missy, peeked her head around the kitchen doorway and threw Adie a questioning glance. Though, it was also filled with anxiousness. Missy, being only 21, was very close to Adrienne and she knew that she’d been up to something. In fact, Adrienne even thought of her as more of a sister than a maid.
“I walked with this guy. He lives around here so he showed me the way home. It’s his jacket. He gave it to me ‘cuz all I had was my tank top,” and she started to go upstairs, hoping that that would be enough of an excuse to her mother. It wasn’t.
“Wait, wait, wait. Come back here. What guy? Do you not even know his name?”
“Of course I know his name. It’s Billie Joe. He was a waiter at the party tonight. That’s how I met him.”
Adie’s mother had a look on her face like she had said that she’d spent the night with a rapist. It was pure disgust as she recalled the waiter with long shaggy hair, cocky smile, and who knows how old pants and shoes.
“Oh really,” was all she could muster.
“Yes, really. Now can I please go to my room now?” she asked impatiently as she was about to burst inside if she had to sit through any more interrogations when she could be screaming into a pillow from pent up joy.
“No. How old is he?” she asked, not yet done.
Adrienne felt like she’d been shot in the heart. This was the one question she completely feared her mother from asking. Anything she was going to imagine that contained Billie Joe was basically done for after this.
“18.”
Her mother shook her head and blinked slowly.
“No. I can’t believe you. Don’t bother seeing him again. Give him his jacket tomorrow and then you’re done with him.”
Though she saw this coming, Adie wasn’t about to take it lying down.
“Who says I was even ‘with him’ at all? It’s freaking freezing out there- of course he gave me his jacket!”
“Then it won’t be a problem never seeing him again, will it?” her mother said simply and turned around back into the kitchen. Adie followed her in.
“But, mom- why the heck can’t I?”
“Because, Adrienne, you’re 16. A) it’s illegal, and B) even if it wasn’t, it’s most certainly not ok with your father and I.”
“That’s ridiculous. You know I’m a lot more mature and smart than you give me any credit for. You know I won’t do something stupid!”
“How do I know, Adie? How do I know?”
“Because I’m your daughter- you know me better than that. Or wait- at least you SHOULD,” she said, clearly ending it, no matter what her mother said next. She stormed up the stairs, now wanting to scream into her pillow for the sheer fact that she felt like murdering someone, not embracing someone.
Although, she didn’t have much time to think about it because as soon as she walked into her room and flicked the light switch, she heard a tap on her window. She raised her eyebrow, but didn’t move. She heard another, quickly followed by one more. She smiled, knowing exactly what it was.
She stood on her bed and opened the window above it. She smirked as she looked down below her. Mainly because of who was standing there, but also because it was just like out of those cheesy TV shows.
“Well, hello there,” she said smartly as Billie Joe stared up at her. His brown hair fell out of his eyes as he looked skyward.
All he could do was smile, not realizing how much he’d wanted to see her, even if he’d only been waiting out here for ten minutes.
“I hate to cut you short, but you’re gonna have to hurry, ‘cuz you have no idea how much trouble I’m in for staying out past curfew with you.”
“Well, I- wait. What do you mean with ME?”
“Heh… well… They’re not too crazy about you being 18,” she was uneasy telling him for some reason. Not to mention incredibly upset and angry.
When he looked confused and didn’t reply, she added, “And me being 16.”
“Oh, you mean that. Well who cares, I mean we-” He stopped as he saw her eyes get huge and turn the other way.
Someone knocked on Adie’s door and before she could answer it was open. She only let out a sigh of relief when she saw that it was only Missy. Missy was about to say something, when she saw what Adie was up to.
“Adie, don’t tell me he’s out there,” she pleaded.
Adrienne rolled her eyes.
“Oh please, Miss. Mom and Dad never come in my room. And I’ll be done in a little, just give me a sec.”
“Adie, you’re already on major lock down. The first night your parents let you out on your own here, you run off with some 18 year old guy, and then you stay out…” and she rambled on, now acting more like a third parent than Adrienne’s sister.
Adrienne looked back to the window, both because she wanted to block Missy out, and because Billie had said something.
“Who are you talking to? Should I go?”
“No, Billie, just tell me why you’re here. And, again, hurry, because she’s freaking out over here.”
Billie Joe wondered who the ‘she’ was, but realized that Adie was serious, and he didn’t want to be arrested, so he continued what he was saying.
“Well, I was wondering if you’d like to come see my band play at the Gilman,” he asked her.
Adrienne’s face lit up at the thought of seeing him on stage, performing. Seeing him at all would be fine to her. And then she realized that she wasn’t allowed to SEE him ever again.
“I’d love to, but we’d have to work it out. I mean, I’m only supposed to give you your jacket back and then forget all about you. But, I’m sure I could find a way,” she smiled as she said it, knowing fully well that nothing on the face of this earth was going to stop her.
Billie Joe’s mouth fell open after she finished speaking.
“Hey! You still have my sweatshirt,” he said, not realizing she’d gone inside without it until she had said something.
Adie smiled, coyly.
“I might. But what are you going to do about it?”
“Oh,” and he raised his eyebrows a few times. “You don’t want to know,” and they both laughed at how ridiculous he sounded.
He loved making Adie laugh (or 80 as he’d decided to call her.) When she laughed it was literally like it’s own form of music. He couldn’t help but adore the tiny lines that formed around her eyes and, more importantly, he couldn’t help but want to kiss them. And he hoped he would one day.
Eventually, the two said goodnight and Adie hopped into her bed. That’s not saying she slept, though. She laid awake the entire time, just thinking, just repeating everything she’d been through tonight and how she would’ve paid to live through it again. She still had yet to run her fingers through that hair…
Billie Joe walked back to his own home, which was not far from Adrienne’s but in a completely different neighborhood. He was sweating, but it wasn’t hot in the least bit. He couldn’t believe her effect on him, and he didn’t really want get rid of it. He just wanted to be with her.
But finally, she opened her eyes and looked at her mother who was standing in the doorway and her sister and father were sitting at the table.
“Where have you been?” her mother asked, clearly incredibly angry.
“Calm down, I’m sorry. I was at a concert and just… lost track of time.”
“How did you get home? And whose jacket is that?”
Adrienne suddenly wanted to disappear and burn the sweatshirt. The last thing she wanted was to share her night with- of all people- her mother, father, and sister. Even at that statement, the Raleigh’s housekeeper, Missy, peeked her head around the kitchen doorway and threw Adie a questioning glance. Though, it was also filled with anxiousness. Missy, being only 21, was very close to Adrienne and she knew that she’d been up to something. In fact, Adrienne even thought of her as more of a sister than a maid.
“I walked with this guy. He lives around here so he showed me the way home. It’s his jacket. He gave it to me ‘cuz all I had was my tank top,” and she started to go upstairs, hoping that that would be enough of an excuse to her mother. It wasn’t.
“Wait, wait, wait. Come back here. What guy? Do you not even know his name?”
“Of course I know his name. It’s Billie Joe. He was a waiter at the party tonight. That’s how I met him.”
Adie’s mother had a look on her face like she had said that she’d spent the night with a rapist. It was pure disgust as she recalled the waiter with long shaggy hair, cocky smile, and who knows how old pants and shoes.
“Oh really,” was all she could muster.
“Yes, really. Now can I please go to my room now?” she asked impatiently as she was about to burst inside if she had to sit through any more interrogations when she could be screaming into a pillow from pent up joy.
“No. How old is he?” she asked, not yet done.
Adrienne felt like she’d been shot in the heart. This was the one question she completely feared her mother from asking. Anything she was going to imagine that contained Billie Joe was basically done for after this.
“18.”
Her mother shook her head and blinked slowly.
“No. I can’t believe you. Don’t bother seeing him again. Give him his jacket tomorrow and then you’re done with him.”
Though she saw this coming, Adie wasn’t about to take it lying down.
“Who says I was even ‘with him’ at all? It’s freaking freezing out there- of course he gave me his jacket!”
“Then it won’t be a problem never seeing him again, will it?” her mother said simply and turned around back into the kitchen. Adie followed her in.
“But, mom- why the heck can’t I?”
“Because, Adrienne, you’re 16. A) it’s illegal, and B) even if it wasn’t, it’s most certainly not ok with your father and I.”
“That’s ridiculous. You know I’m a lot more mature and smart than you give me any credit for. You know I won’t do something stupid!”
“How do I know, Adie? How do I know?”
“Because I’m your daughter- you know me better than that. Or wait- at least you SHOULD,” she said, clearly ending it, no matter what her mother said next. She stormed up the stairs, now wanting to scream into her pillow for the sheer fact that she felt like murdering someone, not embracing someone.
Although, she didn’t have much time to think about it because as soon as she walked into her room and flicked the light switch, she heard a tap on her window. She raised her eyebrow, but didn’t move. She heard another, quickly followed by one more. She smiled, knowing exactly what it was.
She stood on her bed and opened the window above it. She smirked as she looked down below her. Mainly because of who was standing there, but also because it was just like out of those cheesy TV shows.
“Well, hello there,” she said smartly as Billie Joe stared up at her. His brown hair fell out of his eyes as he looked skyward.
All he could do was smile, not realizing how much he’d wanted to see her, even if he’d only been waiting out here for ten minutes.
“I hate to cut you short, but you’re gonna have to hurry, ‘cuz you have no idea how much trouble I’m in for staying out past curfew with you.”
“Well, I- wait. What do you mean with ME?”
“Heh… well… They’re not too crazy about you being 18,” she was uneasy telling him for some reason. Not to mention incredibly upset and angry.
When he looked confused and didn’t reply, she added, “And me being 16.”
“Oh, you mean that. Well who cares, I mean we-” He stopped as he saw her eyes get huge and turn the other way.
Someone knocked on Adie’s door and before she could answer it was open. She only let out a sigh of relief when she saw that it was only Missy. Missy was about to say something, when she saw what Adie was up to.
“Adie, don’t tell me he’s out there,” she pleaded.
Adrienne rolled her eyes.
“Oh please, Miss. Mom and Dad never come in my room. And I’ll be done in a little, just give me a sec.”
“Adie, you’re already on major lock down. The first night your parents let you out on your own here, you run off with some 18 year old guy, and then you stay out…” and she rambled on, now acting more like a third parent than Adrienne’s sister.
Adrienne looked back to the window, both because she wanted to block Missy out, and because Billie had said something.
“Who are you talking to? Should I go?”
“No, Billie, just tell me why you’re here. And, again, hurry, because she’s freaking out over here.”
Billie Joe wondered who the ‘she’ was, but realized that Adie was serious, and he didn’t want to be arrested, so he continued what he was saying.
“Well, I was wondering if you’d like to come see my band play at the Gilman,” he asked her.
Adrienne’s face lit up at the thought of seeing him on stage, performing. Seeing him at all would be fine to her. And then she realized that she wasn’t allowed to SEE him ever again.
“I’d love to, but we’d have to work it out. I mean, I’m only supposed to give you your jacket back and then forget all about you. But, I’m sure I could find a way,” she smiled as she said it, knowing fully well that nothing on the face of this earth was going to stop her.
Billie Joe’s mouth fell open after she finished speaking.
“Hey! You still have my sweatshirt,” he said, not realizing she’d gone inside without it until she had said something.
Adie smiled, coyly.
“I might. But what are you going to do about it?”
“Oh,” and he raised his eyebrows a few times. “You don’t want to know,” and they both laughed at how ridiculous he sounded.
He loved making Adie laugh (or 80 as he’d decided to call her.) When she laughed it was literally like it’s own form of music. He couldn’t help but adore the tiny lines that formed around her eyes and, more importantly, he couldn’t help but want to kiss them. And he hoped he would one day.
Eventually, the two said goodnight and Adie hopped into her bed. That’s not saying she slept, though. She laid awake the entire time, just thinking, just repeating everything she’d been through tonight and how she would’ve paid to live through it again. She still had yet to run her fingers through that hair…
Billie Joe walked back to his own home, which was not far from Adrienne’s but in a completely different neighborhood. He was sweating, but it wasn’t hot in the least bit. He couldn’t believe her effect on him, and he didn’t really want get rid of it. He just wanted to be with her.