Backstage

“Come on, pick up!” Billie mumbled into the phone. He was calling Sami. It had been a week since Billie had seen her at the motel and a week to build up the courage to call her so he could tell her about Adrienne. But Sami never seemed to be there. On the fifth ring Billie hung the phone up, his insides feeling like jelly.

“Why are you so freaked out about this? Just let her off easy and tell her you were a complete jerk,” Tre said. Billie shot him a dirty look.

“It’s not that easy! I like her BUT I love Adrienne. What am I supposed to do? Say ‘Yeah, I was already dating a girl before I met you so I can’t talk to you anymore?’” Billie asked irritably.

“No,” Tre said.

“Ok, then unless you’re going to help me, get off of my back!” Billie snapped.

“I never said I couldn’t help you. I just said that you’re too stressed out about this. Oh, and are you really going to tell her like that? Don’t. Just tell her that you cheated on her. That way, you won’t have to spend all of the time making up some huge sentence,” Tre said. Billie groaned and put his head in his hands.

“Oh, and just because you’re breaking up with her doesn’t mean you can never talk to her again,” Tre said as he got up to leave the room. They were staying in a hotel somewhere in Pennsylvania. Sami was all the way in California. Billie couldn’t do anything except wait and call again.

*In California*

RIIIIING……

“Crap, can someone get that!?” Sami screamed from the bedroom. There were mumbles from the other room. Nikky and Katie were out on the hotel balcony looking out onto the bay. Sami, the last one up, was in her room changing. By the third ring, Sami was pretty sure that Nikky and Katie weren’t going to get the phone. By the fourth ring Sami sprinted out of her room in attempt to get the phone, but tripped on her untied shoelace. On the fifth ring, the phone stopped ringing. Sami glared at her band mates as she blew a strand of hair away from her face. “Thanks guys, big help you are,” Sami said sarcastically.

*In a hotel in Pennsylvania*

Billie picked the phone up at around 6:00. He looked out into the setting night sky and dialed Sami’s number. He looked around the empty hotel room. Mike was out getting food and Tre had met some girl in the lobby. They had been talking out there for about three hours. Billie walked aimlessly over to the bed and fell onto his back, listening to the phone ring. Finally, after what seemed like hours, there was a click. Billie’s stomach flipped. Someone had answered.

“Hello?” a girl said. It wasn’t Sami.

“Uh…is Sami there?” Billie asked.

“Yeah, just a second,” the girl said. It was Nikky, Billie thought. On the other side of the line, he heard the phone being moved.

“Hello?” It was Sami.

“Hey,” Billie said.

“Hey, Billie. How are you?” Sami asked. Billie closed his eyes tight and said the words he never wanted to say again.

“We need to talk.” There was silence for a second on the other end. Hopefully she knows what’s coming, Billie thought. That would make this so much easier.

“Yeah…um…ok. What’s up?” he heard Sami say in a strained voice. Billie took a deep breath.

“I…well…Icantseeyouanymore,” he said as fast as he could.

“What? Sorry, I couldn’t understand you,” Sami said. Crap, Billie thought.

“I can’t see you anymore,” Billie said slowly and clearly. Again there was silence.

“Um…ok…Can I ask why though?” Sami asked. At least she doesn’t sound upset, Billie thought. But when I tell her why she will be. Billie took another deep breath.

“Well, it’s a long story,” Billie said trying to get his way out of it.

“I have all night.”
She didn’t miss a beat. 'Crap,' Billie thought again.

“I…I…I was…Actually…”
Another breath.
'Just get it over with,' he told himself. 'It’s better than doing this for another hour.'

“I was actually seeing someone before I met you, and I really love her and I’m really REALLY sorry for leading you on but I had to get the truth out,” Billie said in all one breath. He braced himself for the worst. And the worst happened.

“WHAT!?” Sami screamed. Here we go, Billie thought.