Backstage

Sami watched as Billie fell to the ground, his bright green eyes seemed to lose their shimmer as he passed out onto the floor.

“MAX! NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! ARE YOU CARZY?!” Sami screamed from the top of the stairs. She sprinted down as Max kicked Billie in the side. Sami saw his face contort in pain as he did. “MAX STOP!” She shoved him in the chest. Max stared daggers at her.

“Who is this and why is he here,” Max said angrily.

“JUST BECAUSE YOU’RE CHEATING DOESN’T MEAN I AM!” Sami screamed in his face. Max was obviously a little overwhelmed by Sami finding out about it for he began to raise his hand to hit her.
But Sami was too fast for him. She kneed him in the crotch. Hard. He doubled over in pain. Sami shoved him as hard as she could so he rolled backwards in between the door and the jam. Max looked up at her Sami stared down at him and grabbed the door handle. She slammed the door in his face, literally. He staggered backwards clutching his nose, his eyes watering. When he was far enough away from the door, Sami closed it and bolted it so he couldn’t get back in. Sami slid down the door holding her head in her hands. Max began pounding on the door, desperate to break it down.
Sami began to cry again, then something in the back of her mind clicked.

“Billie,” she whispered. She looked over at the floor, ignoring the pounding and cursing behind her. She grabbed the phone and knelt down next to Billie’s head. She could already see the bruise forming on his face. 'Oh God, I never should have called him. This never would have happened,' Sami thought.
Sami quickly dialed 9-1-1 and told them everything. They told her that they would be there as soon as possible. Max was no longer pounding on the door, but running to all of the other doors to see if they were open. Thank God I locked all of them, Sami thought. She knew what she had to do next. She dialed Billie’s home phone and waited for someone to answer. After a few rings, she heard the voice of Adrienne.

“Hello?” she said. Sami breathed to steady her voice.

“Adrienne? Its Sami,” Sami said.

“Oh hi! Billie’s over at your house right now, right?” Adienne asked. Sami nodded.

“Yeah…He-He is.” She looked down on his already bruising face and closed eyes.

“Sami? Are you ok?” Adrienne asked. Sami shook her head, then, remembering that
Adrienne couldn’t see her she began to spill everything that had happened. How Max had been at that strange lady’s house, how she had called Billie, and what Max did to Billie until Sami felt as if she had no breath or tears left at all.
“Oh my God! Where’s Billie right now. Is he ok? Oh no…” Adrienne sounded as if she were on the verge of tears as well.

“Right now he’s unconscious on the floor next to me. He’s breathing and everything, but all I know is that he’s going to have a bruise on his face…Oh know, his side,” Sami said quietly.

“His side? What happened to his side?” Adrienne asked sounding exasperated.

“Max…he kicked Billie in the side before I kicked him back,” Sami said. She got up and walked over to Billie’s side and lifted up his shirt. Sami grimaced. His whole left side was already black and blue. She touched it and Billie yelped in his unconscious state.

“Is it ok?” Adrienne asked. She was crying now.

“Yeah I think he’ll be fine,” Sami said as she walked back over and knelt next to Billie’s head.

“Did you call the police?” Adrienne asked.

“Yeah…yeah I did,” Sami said as she wiped a tear away from her eye.

“Ok, I’m going to come over,” Adrienne said. Sami nodded.

“Ok, hurry.”
She hung up.

Sami looked down on Billie, wondering if there was anything she could do to wake him up. She thought hard.
'Ok, music is a huge part of his life,' Sami thought. 'Maybe if I play one of his songs he’ll wake up.' It was worth a shot. She got up and walked over to her computer. She clicked on her music folder and clicked on her favorite song, Wake Me Up When September Ends. She turned the volume up and walked back over to Billie. She sat there for only a few seconds until Billie began to stir.

“Billie?” Sami breathed.

“Dad?” he mumbled.

“No…no Billie it’s me.”

“Adrienne?” he asked a little more clearly.

“No, it’s Sami,” she said. Billie opened his eyes. He tried to sit up but yelped again at the unexpected stab of pain in his side.

“What’s wrong with my side?” Billie said as he clutched it.

“Max kicked you after he knocked you out,” Sami said, worried that in Max’s rage, he had broken something.

“Nice first impression,” Billie grumbled. He tried again to sit up. He got himself upright with a little of Sami’s help. “God, it hurts,” Billie said.

“Where does it hurt?” she asked. Billie looked over at her.

“No,” he said.

“You did it to me. And it worked,” she said. Billie cocked an eyebrow.

“Really?” he asked not able to hide the sense of pride in his voice.

'No,' Sami thought. 'But anything to make him feel better.'
"Sure."

Billie huffed, “Fine,” and held out his hand. Sami kissed the palm and he put it to his side, then to his face.

“Better?” Sami asked. Billie looked at her.

“You lied,” he said with a slight grin. How could he smile after what had happened? Sami thought. It was all her fault.

Sami could have sworn Billie could read her mind.
“It’s not you fault. Its no one’s fault except Max’s,” he said, trying to keep her from crying. Sami shook her head.

“I called you and-” Billie cut her off.

“And I was the one who offered to come over, you didn’t ask me. But it neither of out faults, it was all Max’s,” Billie said firmly.

“But-” Sami tried.

“No more,” Billie said to her. He just wanted it to drop.

“I called Adrienne, she’s coming over,” Sami said. Billie smiled. Sami knew that he really loved her.

Outside, the sound of sirens wailing was heard and the pounding on the door stopped.

“Thank God,” Billie said. After a few seconds of sitting in silence, there was a quiet knock on the door. Sami stood up and walked over to the door, unbolted it and opened it. A police officer stood there.

“We got him. You’re safe now,” he said with a smile.

“Thank you,” Sami said quietly.

“An ambulance is on its way for your friend,” he said before turning and walking back to the car. Sami looked over and saw Max pinned to the trunk, his hands behind his back while he was being handcuffed by another officer. He looked over and saw Sami standing in the doorway. He quickly looked away, a scowl on his face. And for a second, Sami felt bad.