Backstage

“Ok, just tell me what happened,” Billie said as he led Sami to the couch and sat her down. This had been the tenth time he had tried to convince her to stop crying and tell him what had happened. Finally, she had calmed down enough to tell him. She told him about the phone call, what she had heard on the other side of the line, and how he said he was coming over. Billie looked troubled. Then he smiled.

“Where does in hurt?” he asked. Sami looked tearfully up at him.

“What?” she said confused.

“Show me where it hurts,” Billie said simply. Then she got it.

“That’s not going to work,” she said.

“Come one, just show me,” he said. Sami didn’t want to argue with him so she put her hand over her heart, her head still buried in her knees. Billie took her hand and kissed the palm. Sami put it back over her heart.

“Any better?” Billie asked. Sami looked up at him tears still streaming down her face.

“What is this, our first date?” she asked.

“No, just bringing back old memories,” Billie said.

Sami had calmed down enough so it was just a few sharp breaths and falling tears but not so many sobs. Billie gave her a quick hug and got up.

“Where are you going?” Sami asked between breaths as he walked towards the kitchen.

“Well, I’ve been dragged to enough chick-flicks to know that when girls are sad...“ he said as he opened up the freezer, “you eat ice cream.” He pulled out a tub of Dreyers Rocky Road. Sami gave a weak smile. Billie rummaged through the drawers trying to find spoons. Billie walked over to Sami with the ice cream and spoons. He fell down onto the couch and placed the tub between them. “And I don’t even need to see any chick-flicks to know that I like ice cream,” Billie said as he gave Sami a spoon. She gave another small smile but the tears kept coming. “Here, where do you keep the tissues?” Billie asked.

“Closet before you get to the stairs,” She mumbled as she stuck her spoon into the ice cream. Billie walked over to the closet and dug around for a box of tissue. He walked back a few second later with a box in his hand.

“Isn’t this something I should have my girlfriends do?” Sami asked Billie.

“Girl, just call me Billietta,” he said in a girly voice. Sami gave a small laugh and took another spoon full of ice cream. Billie sat down and gave her the box of tissue.

“Thanks,” she said as she wiped her eyes with one of the tissues.

“Hey, just showing my gay side,” Billie said as he took a huge spoonful of Rocky road and shoved it in his mouth.

“Don’t you mean your bi side?” Sami asked as a joke. Billie’s eyes grew wide and he swallowed his whole mouthful at one time.

Big mistake.

In a few seconds, he was rubbing his forehead with his hands and stomping his feet. Sami sat there and laughed. Finally he breathed a deep breath and rested his head against the back of the couch.

“Brain freeze?” Sami asked.

“Yeah,” he said. Sami laughed again. “How did you know I was bi?” Billie asked.

“Internet,” she said. Billie gave a small smile.

“So, you're stalking me?” Billie asked, keeping that charming smile on his face. Sami shook her head.

“No, just wanted to make sure you weren’t a crazed lunatic that did drugs or anything,” she said. Billie shook his head.

“Naw, stopped that stuff a few years ago. You know, for the kids.” Sami nodded.

Billie popped in a DVD and they watched it together. About ten minutes into it, Sami fell asleep. Billie turned off the TV and carried Sami upstairs. He tripped on the first step and Sami stirred awake. Billie laughed.

“This is turning out to be our first date,” he said. Sami nodded. Billie put her down and she walked upstairs.

“Thanks for staying with me,” Sami said as she gave Billie a hug.

“You’ll be ok, call me if you need me,” Billie said as he walked downstairs.

Sami closed the door and was starting to get changed, until she heard Billie talking to someone.
'Probably calling Adrienne,' Sami thought.

Then she heard yelling…and someone yelling back. Sami ran to the bedroom door and opened it. She saw Billie standing in the middle of the room.

And across from him was Max.

“I swear to God, there is nothing going on!” Billie said as he backed away from Max’s rage. Then, Sami saw it in slow motion.

Max’s fist pulled back and sprang forward right across Billie’s jaw.