Love and Conspiracy
I Figured Out What You're All About.
It had to be at least ten by the time I heard a door open again. Once more, I made the mistake of assuming it was Mike. I was shocked to look over and see Billie plopping on the couch next to me.
“What are you watching?” he said with a glazed-over look in his eyes as he stared at the screen. He was obviously high.
“Oh, so now you decide to treat me like a normal person?” I questioned. He slowly looked over at me. The TV’s flickering brightness reflected off the ring in his nose. He let out a laugh and turned his attention back to the screen.
“I was not in a good mood earlier,” he said.
“Clearly,” I mumbled. He laughed a little more.
“Not cause of you, princess,” his smile dropped, “My girlfriend broke up with me yesterday.” I was surprised he would share that after he just openly showed hate towards me.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. He shook his head.
“No need for that. It’s not your fault.”
“I know. I just know what it feels like to go through that,” I said. That caused him to look over at me again.
“You? Never,” he said with extreme amounts of sarcasm.
“Funny,” I said, mocking him, “If you don’t want me to relate, fine, I’ll butt out.” He stared at me, expressionless.
“When was the last time it happened to you?” he asked sincerely. I looked away from him.
“Beginning of the summer,” I answered. He nodded before looking at the TV again.
“Guess we’re just a couple of broken hearts then,” he said. After a few moments of not saying a word, he piped up again, “Billie Joe.”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“My name. It’s Billie Joe,” he said blankly.
“Oh. Mine’s Lucy,” I replied. He looked over and gave me a weak smile. He then let out another groan.
“I need to smoke more. I’ll be back,” he said as he got up. He was back in less than a minute with a half smoked joint in his hand. After lighting it and taking a long drag, he held it out to me.
“Want some?” he asked before slowly blowing all the smoke out of his lungs. I bit my lip. Mike was surely going to be asleep for the night and I had nothing better to do.
“Sure, why not,” I said, taking it from him. His mouth crept into a smile.
~~~
We continued to pass it back and forth until there was nothing left. I could definitely feel it as everything on the TV screen blurred together. I squinted, trying to figure out what we were watching. I heard Billie laugh next to me.
“You okay there?” I laughed along with him.
“Yeah,” I said before closing my eyes completely. When I opened my eyes again, his hand was on my shoulder.
“Hey, I’m going to bed. Want me to leave the TV on?” he asked. I shook my head, starting to stand up. He waited until I walked to Mike’s room before he turned it off, leaving it pitch black throughout the apartment.
“Goodnight,” I said.
“Night,” I heard him say back from the darkness. I gently closed the door and crawled into bed next to Mike, falling asleep immediately.
~~~
By the time I woke up again, the sun was shining throughout the room and Mike wasn’t next to me anymore. I walked out into the living room and no one was to be seen. However, the bathroom door was closed and I could hear the shower on. Realizing I was a little hungry, I walked over to the fridge to see what looked appetizing. The easiest thing I could find was toast. After toasting two pieces of bread, I sat at the small kitchen table to eat. Just then, Mike walked out of the bathroom.
“Hey, you’re up!” Mike said, stating the obvious. “Did you sleep well?” he asked. I nodded with a smile.
“Probably one of my best nights of sleep,” I answered truthfully.
“Great,” he said. He came over and kissed the top of my head before walking over to the couch to watch TV. The slight commotion caused Billie to come out of his room. He looked like hell.
After, grabbing a box of Captain Crunch from the top of the fridge—along with a bowl, spoon, and milk—he sat down at the table with me. He didn’t look up at either of us as he fixed himself a bowl of cereal.
“Morning,” I said to him quietly. He remained focused on his food.
“Good morning,” Mike repeated me loudly to get Billie’s attention. He finally looked up at him with anger apparent in his eyes.
“I heard,” he said flatly, before looking at me and then back at his food again. I assumed his nice guy attitude was only for short moments at a time. Mike shook his head and went back to watching TV. Without looking away, he changed the subject.
“I figured we’d just take it easy today since we had a long day yesterday,” he directed towards me. Although, he couldn’t see, I nodded in agreement. “You should invite Izzy over, Bill,” Mike continued. Assuming that was his (ex) girlfriend, my heart stopped. I looked up to see him frozen with the spoon in his mouth. After slowly taking it out, he stood up and put the bowl in the sink without a word.
“We broke up,” he said before storming off to his room and slamming the door shut. Mike closed his eyes.
“Shit,” he said to himself. It was silent for a minute. “I’m gonna go talk to him,” he said with a sigh, “Make yourself at home.” He got up and knocked on the door before disappearing into the room.
“What are you watching?” he said with a glazed-over look in his eyes as he stared at the screen. He was obviously high.
“Oh, so now you decide to treat me like a normal person?” I questioned. He slowly looked over at me. The TV’s flickering brightness reflected off the ring in his nose. He let out a laugh and turned his attention back to the screen.
“I was not in a good mood earlier,” he said.
“Clearly,” I mumbled. He laughed a little more.
“Not cause of you, princess,” his smile dropped, “My girlfriend broke up with me yesterday.” I was surprised he would share that after he just openly showed hate towards me.
“I’m sorry,” I said quietly. He shook his head.
“No need for that. It’s not your fault.”
“I know. I just know what it feels like to go through that,” I said. That caused him to look over at me again.
“You? Never,” he said with extreme amounts of sarcasm.
“Funny,” I said, mocking him, “If you don’t want me to relate, fine, I’ll butt out.” He stared at me, expressionless.
“When was the last time it happened to you?” he asked sincerely. I looked away from him.
“Beginning of the summer,” I answered. He nodded before looking at the TV again.
“Guess we’re just a couple of broken hearts then,” he said. After a few moments of not saying a word, he piped up again, “Billie Joe.”
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“My name. It’s Billie Joe,” he said blankly.
“Oh. Mine’s Lucy,” I replied. He looked over and gave me a weak smile. He then let out another groan.
“I need to smoke more. I’ll be back,” he said as he got up. He was back in less than a minute with a half smoked joint in his hand. After lighting it and taking a long drag, he held it out to me.
“Want some?” he asked before slowly blowing all the smoke out of his lungs. I bit my lip. Mike was surely going to be asleep for the night and I had nothing better to do.
“Sure, why not,” I said, taking it from him. His mouth crept into a smile.
~~~
We continued to pass it back and forth until there was nothing left. I could definitely feel it as everything on the TV screen blurred together. I squinted, trying to figure out what we were watching. I heard Billie laugh next to me.
“You okay there?” I laughed along with him.
“Yeah,” I said before closing my eyes completely. When I opened my eyes again, his hand was on my shoulder.
“Hey, I’m going to bed. Want me to leave the TV on?” he asked. I shook my head, starting to stand up. He waited until I walked to Mike’s room before he turned it off, leaving it pitch black throughout the apartment.
“Goodnight,” I said.
“Night,” I heard him say back from the darkness. I gently closed the door and crawled into bed next to Mike, falling asleep immediately.
~~~
By the time I woke up again, the sun was shining throughout the room and Mike wasn’t next to me anymore. I walked out into the living room and no one was to be seen. However, the bathroom door was closed and I could hear the shower on. Realizing I was a little hungry, I walked over to the fridge to see what looked appetizing. The easiest thing I could find was toast. After toasting two pieces of bread, I sat at the small kitchen table to eat. Just then, Mike walked out of the bathroom.
“Hey, you’re up!” Mike said, stating the obvious. “Did you sleep well?” he asked. I nodded with a smile.
“Probably one of my best nights of sleep,” I answered truthfully.
“Great,” he said. He came over and kissed the top of my head before walking over to the couch to watch TV. The slight commotion caused Billie to come out of his room. He looked like hell.
After, grabbing a box of Captain Crunch from the top of the fridge—along with a bowl, spoon, and milk—he sat down at the table with me. He didn’t look up at either of us as he fixed himself a bowl of cereal.
“Morning,” I said to him quietly. He remained focused on his food.
“Good morning,” Mike repeated me loudly to get Billie’s attention. He finally looked up at him with anger apparent in his eyes.
“I heard,” he said flatly, before looking at me and then back at his food again. I assumed his nice guy attitude was only for short moments at a time. Mike shook his head and went back to watching TV. Without looking away, he changed the subject.
“I figured we’d just take it easy today since we had a long day yesterday,” he directed towards me. Although, he couldn’t see, I nodded in agreement. “You should invite Izzy over, Bill,” Mike continued. Assuming that was his (ex) girlfriend, my heart stopped. I looked up to see him frozen with the spoon in his mouth. After slowly taking it out, he stood up and put the bowl in the sink without a word.
“We broke up,” he said before storming off to his room and slamming the door shut. Mike closed his eyes.
“Shit,” he said to himself. It was silent for a minute. “I’m gonna go talk to him,” he said with a sigh, “Make yourself at home.” He got up and knocked on the door before disappearing into the room.