Paper Lanterns

[Grace]

Before I could be released, the doctor wanted to keep me for a few more hours, just to be careful. God, when we get home.. Billie's gonna bubble wrap anything remotely dangerous or life threatening.. I just know it.

Speaking of Billie Joe, he'd just stepped out of my room to grab us some lunch from downstairs, and I was now very bored. The door slowly opened, and in stepped the one person I both feared and hated the most.

"Hey Grace," my brother half smiled.

"Get out Jeffry," I told him in a stern voice. He deserves to be treated like the dog he is.

"Not until I know how you're doing. It's lonely without my big sis at home."

"I can't say the same about you," I kept my calm, though I knew my expression gave away my terror.

"I figured you're living with that screw up, Billie, huh? You know.. He was my dealer a long time ago. Before you guys stopped fighting."

"What?" my mind went blank.

"They don't call him Two Dollar Bill for nothin' Grace."

"No. You're the fuck up, Jeff. I can't believe what you've done, and have tried to do. I don't ever want to see or hear from you again. You understand?" I shook my head as I spoke.

He came over to me, and spoke in a soft voice, "I just came to tell you that I'm sorry, and I love you."

"Hey Gray, sorry I took forev--" Billie stopped dead in his tracks.

"Jeff, like I said. Now, leave me alone." My brother nodded, and walked out of the room, past a fuming Billie.

"Why was he here?" he asked after closing the door.

"He wanted to scare me.." I continued, and recapped the situation. Billie nodded.

"Oh, and he did mention you, Two Dollar Bill," I glared slightly. He quickly perked up, and stared at me with a blank expression.

"What'd he say?"

"That you'd sold him shit! That's what. I cannot believe you'd sell a fifteen-year-old pot!"

"I only sold it to him because he said it was for you.." Billie replied quietly, glancing down at his feet guiltily, "I didn't know he and his friends smoked it instead.. And he only bought off me twice, I swear."

"You'd better be glad we're in a hospital." He looked up, "because if you come near me right now, you'll end up in the room down the hall."

"But Grace.. All I can say is that I'm sorry, and what's done is done. I'll be outside if you need me. Just yell."

With that, he exited the room, leaving me to mentally beat myself up.

'I'm an idiot.. I love Billie.. Jeff doesn't matter to me,' I told myself, knowing it was true. 'But he's my brother.. Oh fuck him. He's dead to me after what he's tried to pull.'

All of my thoughts collided with one another, and my head began to throb, both from the concussion and over analyzing, so I decided to take a nap.

I woke up not long after falling asleep and saw a blurry figure sitting near the bed.

"Billie?" The person shook their head.

"It's Tre. Bill's outside, you want me to get him?"

"No, no," I rubbed my eyes, and he came into focus.

"We kinda had a fight," I told him.

"What happened?" he asked, and without hesitating like I would with anyone else, I flat out said it. I didn't leave out details, or any of that. I was completely honest; and I've only trusted one other person like I do Tre, and that was my mother.

Once I'd finished, he questioned, "Do you love him?"

"Love who?"

"Billie," he specified.

[Billie Joe]

I listened to Grace tell Tre everything about our fight.. Though it was very one-sided, and I didn't try and make it worse like usual.

But how could she be so open with him like that, and not me? I don't even tell Mike anything this in depth.

From my spot on the floor, leaning against the wall of her room, I heard Tre ask, "Do you love him?"

I strained to hear her respond, "Love who?"

"Billie," Tre answered.

"Of course I do! How could you doubt that?" she shot without thinking, and I sighed.

'Thank god for that.'

"But are you in love with him?"

"I'm.. I'm not really sure if I can answer that."

I think I gasped, and my jaw dropped from the shock. This was worse than any slap to the face. Feeling dejected, I got up, and went down to the cafeteria.

[Grace]

"I really think I'm in love with Billie.. I don't know if I'm ready to admit it to myself or anyone else yet."

"I get what you mean." Tre nodded thoughtfully.

"How are you so good with advice and all this stuff?"

He shrugged, "I watch a lot of daytime TV and soaps."

A nurse came in a while later, saying I checked out, and was free to be signed out.

"Uh, Tre? Could you get Billie while I go sign out?"

He nodded and went to find him.

Tre went to his place, and Billie was driving me back to the apartment, until I realized we were heading the opposite direction.

"Uh.. Where are we going?"

"The bay," he answered in a quiet tone, and parked.

He got out, and started walking, so I followed.

"I need to tell you something," we said simultaneously.

I bit my lip, "You go first."

"Grace, I think we should break up."

'WHAT?!?' my mind screamed, but I couldn't speak. I just stared at him.

"I love you so much Gray, I really do. But is that enough? I don't know."

I shook my head, trying not to cry, have a panic attack, or both.

"Please, don't cry," he tried to hug me, but I pulled away from him.

"Want to know what I had to say?" I tried to shout, but my voice cracked instead, and he nodded.

"Just that I'd admitted to myself that I'm in love.. Want to know with whom?"

He didn't respond.

"Yeah. You. But if you don't want to be with me," he opened his mouth, but I kept talking, "that's fine. I'll be gone before you get back."

I began to walk to the car, and I heard Billie follow me. He grabbed me around the waist, and pulled me into him.

"I've been waiting to hear you say that for so long, because I'm in love with you too. More than anyone could ever imagine."

"Then why do you want to break it off?"

"I heard you tell Tre that you couldn't answer the question."

I turned around, and saw a dejected looking Billie, then said, "You should have stayed for the entire conversation then, huh?"