False Pretense

Tre and I were sitting on the front porch, he had come outside to console me. Tre was a very sweet guy, but something felt off. Maybe it was that he didn't drive me insane and I had quickly become used to that being around Billie Joe.

"I just don't understand him! Sometimes I just want to strangle him." I confessed while Tre rubbed my back to soothe me. It'd been about a half hour since Billie and I yelled at each other, and I couldn't bring myself to be mad at him any longer. I, once again, just wanted to know what his damn problem was.

"Forget about Billie, he's inside and not worth being upset about." Tre pushed my hair behind my ear and I looked up at him sheepishly. I'd never had a boy show me such affection.

"Tre, should we be doing this?" He scooted closer to me and placed his hands on top of mine in my lap.

"We can do whatever we feel like, Kat. Billie isn't the boss of us." The more I stared into his bright blue eyes, the more I lost touch with reality.

I saw him coming closer. I could have stopped it, but I didn't. When our lips met it was so hard to care about Billie Joe when I was losing myself in his touch.

I pulled away from Tre when I ran out of air and looked up at his smiling face.

"That was nice." I smiled.

"It really was." I saw him leaning in but the slamming of a car door caused us both to jump. I looked up and saw Traci stomping toward us; fuming.

"Traci, what's wrong?' I asked, standing up and hoping she didn't see Tre and I.

"I hate college! My last teacher made a sexist comment and I'm still so angry about it." She disappeared into the house, probably to get comforted by Mike. I looked back from the door to Tre.

"I'm going to go talk to Billie, all right?" He stood up and smiled slightly.

"Don't tell him about us, that'll just blow another gasket." I laughed and kissed him quickly.

"I won't, I know better than that."

* * *

I found Billie Joe in the basement smoking a cigarette. He was alone, which I was just hoping for.

"Oh, it's you. What do you want?" I watched him replace the cigarette with a bottle of Corona and felt compassion towards the sight.

"I think it's time for another confide session." I took a seat next to him on the couch, crossing my legs and facing him. I stole his cigarette from him and placed it between my lips; coughing as I blew the smoke out.

"I'm not in the mood." He grabbed the cigarette back and placed it between his own. I took the Corona out of his hand and took a swig.

"You know how you came to my dorm this morning and said you felt the need to see me?" I took another sip of his drink before he stole it back; causing me to steal the cigarette.

"Yeah."

"Well, I feel the need to see you now." He took the cigarette back and placed the drink between his legs. He looked at me and for a second, I saw the slutty look on him and something suddenly clicked. I cocked my head to the side as I thought about what was suddenly making sense. He raised an eyebrow and took a drag of his cigarette.

"Okay?" I smirked and grabbed the bottle from between his legs, not caring it was close to his region.

"Let me tell you how I think it is. I'm obviously not like anybody you've ever met, and that makes you angry because it's scares you a bit. Because, you know, here you are," I used the bottle to point between us. "With a girl that actually fucking cares about you and you lash out because, for once in your life, you don't know how to deal with that."

I chugged the rest of the Corona without breaking my eye-contact with Billie. He chuckled and grabbed the empty bottle from my hand, placing the cigarette butt in there. He tossed it behind him and I watched as he leaned to his left and fished out another bottle of beer.

He lit up another cigarette and I stood up from the couch, expecting no response from him. I walked toward the stairs and before I could place my foot on the bottom step, he spoke.

"Wait." I turned and looked at Billie, who lifted the bottle up.

"What?"

"Wanna get drunk?"

I felt a smile spread across my lips and couldn't help but let out small laugh.

* * *

Six beers, four cigarettes, and one inside joke later, Billie Joe and I were lounging on the floor of their basement.

"I have school tomorrow." I spoke slowly, making sure I wasn't going to slur my words. Billie laughed and passed me the newly opened Corona.

"When iss your firss class?" He slurred, tipping his head as he drank.

"10:00 AM. I guess tha gives me time to..to deflate!" Billie laughed and spit out some beer into his hands. I laughed and stole the bottle from his hands.

"Deflate? You mean sober up?" He pushed me a little, causing me to spit out some beer as well. I laughed and wiped it on his arm.

"Ass!" I yelled, laughing as he stared at me after I wiped the beer on him.

The door of the basement opened and multiple footsteps were heard as Mike, Traci and Tre descended down the stairs.

"Is this where you two have disappeared to?" Mike asked, amusement clear in his voice. Billie and I were hip-to-hip and laughing with beer spilled on each of us.

"Mikey! I think I spilledd myy beerrr!" Mike stood over Billie and helped him up, while Tre came and cradled me up into his arms.

"Tre, hello." I smiled as he plopped down on the couch and set me down next to him. He laughed and stole the beer from me.

"I think you've had enough for tonight. You're going to hate yourself in the morning." He set the beer down on the side table and Billie sat down on the other side of me.

"I had fun, Sassy. Sassafras!" He laughed and laid his head on my shoulder. Mike and Traci stood in front of us, obviously trying to contain themselves from laughing.

"I did too, Roots." Tre raised an eyebrow and leaned forward to look at me.

"Roots?"

"Yes! He has his roots showing through his hair! I told him I'd dye it for him again! We just have to set the date! Right, Roots?"

"Right, Sassafras!" Billie lolled his head back onto my shoulder and looked into my eyes. He looked worn out and excited all at the same time. Tre scooted his arm around my side and pulled me up into his lap, causing Billie to fall over.

"What the fuck, man?" Billie slurred, pushing himself up.

"It looked like you were about to drool on her, man." Even if my mind was spinning and I'd lost all common sense, I knew that was a lame excuse.

"Drool? What?" Mike coughed and stole Billie's attention.

"I think it's time that we took Kat home." I jumped out of Tre's lap and stumbled forward, having Traci grab a hold of my shoulders to hold me up.

"Whoa, Kat. You okay there?" She laughed and balanced me back on my feet.

"I don't want to go back to the dorm! I want to sleep here!"

Billie stood up and threw his arm around my shoulders.

"Yeah, she can stay here! I'll drive her back in the morning." Mike raised an eyebrow and looked at Traci; who was just as confused.

"I think it's the alcohol that's making you get along. But, Kat, if you want to sleep here, we aren't going to stay no." Mike said, getting Traci to nod along.

"Yeah, I'll stay here as well. Billie, you won't have to drive her."

* * *

It was around three in the morning that I found myself kneeling at the toilet bowl in the upstairs bathroom. My head was pounding and I had woken up suddenly when my stomach decided it was time to regurgitate the beer.

A light knock startled me, but I sat back on my heels and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

"Come in." I looked up and watched a groggy Billie come into view.

"Hey, are you all right?" He shut the door lightly behind him and knelt down by my side.

"I feel like shit." I smiled slightly and wiped my hair out of my face.

Billie stood up and opened the medicine cabinet and grabbed a bottle of aspirin.

"I'm going to go downstairs and grab you a glass of water, okay?"

"Yeah, thanks." After he disappeared out the door I reached up and flushed the toilet. I put the lid down and pulled myself up to sit down.

Billie returned shortly with a cold glass of water and poured out two pills. I smiled in return as he handed me the glass and sipped on the water before downing the pills.

"Where have you been sleeping? I passed out in my bed." He asked as I placed the pills on my tongue and took a sip of water.

"I've been bunking with you." I set the glass on the counter and stood up.

"Are you sure you're good enough to leave?"

"Positive. I don't feel sick anymore." He chuckled and pulled me into a hug.

"You know what you said before we began to drink?"

"Yeah."

"I think you may be right."