Paper Lanterns

"I can't believe you!"

"Hey, it's not like I jumped out of bed and shouted, 'Haha, gotcha!'''

I could tell it hurt when he spoke.

"Billie Joe?"

"Hmm?"

We had done that ever since we were younger- Billie had given up trying to tell me that I didn't always have to preface a question or sentence with his name, but I still did it.

"Shut up and go to sleep."

"Only if you'll be here when I wake up."

"Of course," I smiled softly and kissed his unbruised cheek before standing up.

"I'll be right back. I need to make a call."

"To who?" he quietly asked.

"My dad," I answered, then went into the hall, closing the door behind me, momentarily
leaning against it.

After calling my dad's office and leaving a message, I called Drew's house.

"Hello?"

"Hey there Drew. I'm sorry I couldn't.."
"Yeah, yeah. Family emergency, I understand. So is your dad okay?"

"Huh?" I asked, twirling the phone chord by the assistants' desk.

"Well, I saw your brother earlier at baseball, so I figured something happened to your dad."

"Oh. No. No, he's at work. A close friend of the family. Well, yeah. But he was in an accident, and I don't think I'll be leaving anytime soon."

"Can I come see you?"

"I don't think this is the best time. It'd be too much. I've got to go now.. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, love you."

"Bye," I hung up quickly.

'What the hell have I gotten into? How can he just say that,' I thought, and went to the
cafeteria after getting Mike.

He got a cup of coffee, while I had a Coke and baked potato. Sitting at the table with him, I sighed, "I feel terrible."

"Grace, he'll be fine," he reassured me with a smile.

"No. You see, we had coffee earlier today. I think around elevenish. I asked about what had been bothering him, and he made up some excuse that was somewhat believable."

"But.."

"But, he wouldn't look me in the eyes, because he was lying. So I called his bluff, and told him he could talk to me when he was ready, and left. Now he's here.. Almost five hours later."

"It's not your fault that Billie lied, or that he's an idiot. He doesn't like getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar, and isn't one to open up and 'talk about it.'"

"I know," I muttered, and shoved a sporkfull of potato into my mouth.

An hour had passed, and I was sitting in Billie's room, in a chair near the corner, with my knees pulled up to my chest, silently crying. I felt so weak and powerless that I could only wait, and had no control whatsoever.

The door opened, and I looked up to see Drew. A look of jealousy immediately hit his face, and it wasn't a very pretty sight.

"Grace?" he asked softly. I got up, rubbing my eyes, before glancing to see if Billie was sleeping, which he still was.

"Hi Drew," I managed to lightly smile.

"Let's go somewhere we can talk," he went to grab my hand, but I stopped him.

"We're fine here. He's pretty sedated," I motioned to Billie.

"So, I heard from Jeff that he's the 'family friend'?" he blurted, and I nodded.

"We've known each other since first grade.." I was about to continue, but Drew cut me off.

"And you've been going and fucking around with him behind my back?"

"What the hell gave you that idea?"

"Oh, just the fact that there is no fucking Latin project due Monday. You just used it as an excuse to go and screw him!"

Appalled by his accusations, I slapped him across the face, and spat, "Then you're a lot dumber than I thought, Drew. I've basically hated Billie Joe for the past five years. Anybody with eyes could tell you that. A few weeks ago, we called a truce, and now we're just hanging out now and then, trying to be friends!"

[Billie Joe]

I heard the whole thing. Grace is actually standing up for me.. So far, she's slapped Drew for thinking she's been cheating with me, and now, she's giving him a piece of her mind.

"Are you seriously so insecure, that you have to come and check up on me to see that I'm being good? I'm not a dog that you can just control!"

Then it happened.
"Shut up you fucking skank," Drew said in a low voice, and it was shortly followed by a loud smacking sound. It wasn't like when Grace had done it.. No. It was Drew's hand, coming into contact with Grace's face.

I slowly reached for the button that called the nurse, and pressed it. When nothing instantly happened, I pressed it again, and again, wanting nothing more than to jump up and beat the shit out of that bastard.

[Grace]

When Drew slapped me, it was like reliving the night Jeff.. Well. Yeah. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Billie's hand press the nurse call button. I turned to Drew, and mumbled, "We're over."

"What?!"

"You heard me. We're fucking over," I was about to spell it out, when a nurse came in.

"Yes Mr. Armstrong?" Billie opened his eyes, and smirked at Drew, then looked to the nurse.

"Yeah, could you please escort this guy to the curb outside? He's disrupting my sleep." I simply stared as she nodded, and had security take Drew.

I sat in the chair near his bed once more, and gently held onto his hand.

"Thanks again, Billie Joe."

"Hey, it's one of the perks of being my best friend," he attempted to grin.

"Yeah.. I bet," I rolled my eyes.

"Now, tell me child, why were you crying earlier?" he asked, sounding like an old Southern woman, making me laugh.

"Because.. I let my mind run wild. I thought of what would happen if you weren't okay.. and how I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I caused you so much pain." Billie gave my hand a squeeze.

"I've lived through worse," he muttered more to himself. "Gray, it's not your fault. I've been meaning to tell you, but I couldn't figure out how to say it.. So I did what I do best.. and wrote a song. Well.. more like a whole lot of songs."

"Really? When did you..?"

"I've been working on them for a while now.. But none of them are quite finished."

"Can I hear one?"

He shook his head, "Not until have some music. I've got ideas. But nothing solid."

"Well, that's okay, I can wait."

A few minutes passed in a comfortable silence.

"I.. I'm sorry for lying to you," he admitted, making sure he didn't break eye contact, "I shouldn't have.. 'Specially since you didn't lie when I asked about the you know.. cutting."

"Beej, I understand. You didn't want to talk about it. Unlike you, I have patience."

"Really now? When did you acquire this so called patience?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Okay. So I have very little. But you don't have any, so ha!" I stuck my tongue out at him, grinning like a kid.