False Pretense

"Billie, wake up." A groggy, yet familiar, voice whispered in my ear. I rolled over and opened my sleepy eyes but felt fully awake once I saw who was there. I sat up quickly and pulled my sheet around my hips more securely.

"Ashley? What are you--"

"Doing here?" Damn smart-ass, get out of my bed! How did she get here anyway?

"Yeah." I said, eventually, causing her to smirk at me.

"I ran into you at Gilman last night and you invited me back. Said you missed me." An evil smile played on her lips and I put my head in my hands and groaned in frustration.

"Get out of my bed." I growled, growing angry at her and myself.

"What?" She looked at me like I was speaking another language. I crawled over her with the sheet still wrapped around my waist and planted my feet firmly on the ground before attempting to walk.

"I said, get out of my bed! I don't miss you, I don't want you here, I don't even want to know what happened last night! I was drunk out of my fucking mind...and now, you here? God, how desperate was I?" I was starting to forget she was even there as I rambled, mostly to myself.

"Hey!" She furrowed her eyebrows and stuck her hands up in the air.

"Hey?! You cheated on me, you tramp! Now. Get out of my FUCKING BED!" I yelled as I pointed toward the door and my breathing had become irregular. She pushed passed me as she stood up, already completely dressed, and disappeared from the room.

I sat down where she had been moment prior and put my head back into my hands. I grabbed at my hair, hard, and groaned in disgust.

"What the hell is wrong with me!" I cried, feeling a tear escape from between my fingers.

* * *

"Billie Hoe! We're throwing a party here tonight, care to play?" Traci yelled as I passed through the living room. She was lucky I was just showered and feeling calm, because otherwise I'd be yelling right now.

"A house party? Okay." I was never going to pass up a chance to play a show.

"Uh, Bill?" Mike asked, coming from the kitchen, holding a cup of coffee.

"What?" Don't mention Ashley. Do not mention Ashley, Mike, if you know what's good for you.

"We don't have a drummer." Thank god. I had completely forgotten about John leaving the band. Damn alcohol.

"We'll get that one kid, Tre Cool, to play." Mike looked skeptical and I couldn't blame him. We'd only spoken to Tre a few times before.

"Are you sure?"

"Booze, girls, drums. He'll come." Mike laughed at my confidence, but I was almost sure he would play. And if he liked us, maybe he'd make us whole again.

"All right. But, Bill, about last night..."

"Don't even worry about it. We're cool." I saw Traci shoot Mike a confused look and I rolled my eyes. Nosy, annoying girl.

~ ~ ~

I had been placed in Bowles Hall, which was this medieval mansion built in 1929. Just approaching the building was rather intimidating, my heart started beating quicker with each step I took up the stairs to the main door.

Arriving to the room, I took a deep breath before taking another step. This was it. No turning back now.

"Hi!" A girl opened the door before I could even reach for the handle.

"Hi." I smiled, the girl moved out of the way and I walked into the room. I walked over to the the bed on the right side of the room, seeing as how everything I figured was hers was on the left.

"Sorry if I scared you by opening the door, I just thought I heard footsteps." I set my boxes down and turned to face her. She was smiling sheepishly and I couldn't help but smile.

"No, I'm actually grateful. I was sure I was going to have to knock on it anyway." She laughed and studied my bed.

"Is that all your stuff?" I knew she would ask that, I only brought three boxes with myself.

"No, my mom hired movers who should be here shortly. She was just paranoid I couldn't do this by myself." And of course I didn't protest because that would've made her unhappy.

"Well, all right. Oh, where are my manners? I'm Traci Roberts." She smiled as she picked up some clothes out of one of her boxes and laid them out on her bed.

"Katryne Turner, but feel free to call me Kat. Everybody does." I laughed, mostly to myself, and she smiled.

"Well, Kat, how do you feel like going to a party later on tonight?"

"A party? Well, okay!" I hadn't been away from my mother for more than an hour and I was already doing something that she wouldn't have liked. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

The movers arrived twenty minutes after I had, which gave me plenty of time to get the awkward introductions out of the way with Traci. Her boyfriend, Mike, was the bassist of the band who was playing at the party we were going to later. She said she met him at some Gilman Street and they've been dating for ten months. She was a bit taller than I was, with blond wavy hair and an eyebrow piercing. She was friendly, and very open. Just what I needed.

~ ~ ~

Traci parked her car on the side of the road, in front of a light blue Ford Fairlane that looked familiar, but beautiful nonetheless.

"Wow, what a beauty!" I admired, walking toward the car. I ran my hand over the front and Traci pulled me away by my left arm.

"Don't touch the car." She smiled sheepishly when she realized she had just pulled me away. I shook it off, she was probably just protecting me from getting an ass kicking.

"Why?" Even if she were protecting me, I wanted to know why.

"Just trust me on this one, if you wanna live to see tomorrow, you will not touch the car." She smiled as she linked arms with mine and we walked up the the sidewalk.

I could hear the music before even arriving to the front door, which was opened, and I could see a mass amount of people all throughout the house already.

"Wow, a lot of people showed up to this impromptu party." Traci laughed, steering us in the direction of the kitchen. The back slider door was also open, and I saw coolers of alcoholic drinks sitting in them. I had never had a drop of alcohol in my life.

Traci pulled her arm away from mine and turned to me.

"Want a drink?"

"Sure! It doesn't matter what, I've never drank before." Traci's eyes grew wide and I felt my cheeks blush.

"You've never drank? Well, you're going to have one hell of a night! You'll be such a light-weight." She instructed me to stay where I was, which was backed up against a stove.

"Well, I've never seen you before." A deep voice came from behind me. I turned and saw a tall, but friendly-looking boy in front of me.

"Never been here before." I agreed, smiling up at the boy with the most innocent blue eyes.

"I'm Mike," he stuck out his hand, which I shook. "What's your name?"

"Katryne. But, please, feel free to call me Kat." He smiled as he took a look at my empty hands.

"No drink? Want me to go get one?" He smiled, his blue eyes stared back into my own. Fuck, you just met him! Get a grip.

"Well, my friend was supposed to be back by now...but, I think she got misplaced."

"Who's your friend?"

"Traci."

"Oh, that's my girlfriend! She probably got pulled away by somebody she knew, but she's probably upstairs in my room. We have kind of a....Green Day going up there right now." A Green Day? What the hell did that mean?

"Oh, well, care to take me to her?" He laughed as my question, but smiled.

"Sure, but lemme go get you a drink first. And, I promise, I'll be right back."

So far, so friendly.

* * *

Mike had gotten me Mike's Hard Lemonade, which was tasting pretty nice for an alcoholic drink. We were on our way up the stairs, his hand on the small of my back, and I couldn't help but wonder why he was being so touchy when he had a girlfriend. My roommate, of all people.

We walked to the last door on the right and he stopped before opening the door.

"Now, look, some of the guys in here may be a little testy to your presence. But don't worry, once I tell them you're with me, and Traci, you'll be all good." I nodded, having a sudden rush run through me. Something told me I wasn't going to be welcomed, no matter who I was with.

He opened the door and I immediately saw why they called it 'Green Day'. Three guys and Traci were sitting around in a circle, taking hits out of a bong! I've never smoked any weed before, either.

We walked into the room and didn't capture anybody's attention until Mike slammed the door shut. Traci shot her head up and smiled, patting a spot next to her.

"I'm sorry I ditched you, Tre pulled me up here." She leaned forward and smacked a boy with spiky green hair. He was obviously taken by surprise, since he had the bong and was currently coughing out smoke.

"Bitch!" Mike sat down on one side of Traci while I sat down on the other.

"Who the hell are you?" I looked up and saw a blond haired boy with the bong in his hands. Who the hell did he think he was?

"Kat." I said simply, noting that he was going to be the one to make me uncomfortable.

"What were you doing with Mike? He has a girlfriend, trollop." He hissed, placing his mouth inside the chamber and inhaling the smoke as he pulled the stem up. Looked simple enough.

"Relax, blow job, she's my new roommate. Mike probably saw her standing in the kitchen where I left her until Tre snatched me away." She smiled sympathetically at me and I smiled.

I felt Blondie's eyes on me once the bong was handed to me. I tried to ignore his gaze, but it soon felt like he was trying to make me implode with his mind. I looked up quickly and furrowed my eyebrows.

"What the hell are you staring at, blow job?" Him, along with everyone else in the circle, looked up at me in surprise.

"Oh, she's sassy, Mike. Nice pick." He took a swig of the Corona he had between his legs.

This guy was unbelievable.