Pieces of Truth

As we walked into Rod's Hickory Pit, I mentally prepared myself to see Ollie Armstrong for the first time in over a year and a half. Sarah greeted me and Kelsey when we entered.

"You'd better keep on the DL or Ollie will attack you," Sarah said as she led us to a table far away from the woman's view of the restaurant.

"Ollie has a sixth sense. She'll probably be over here as soon as you leave," I smiled and Kelsey was silent until Sarah walked away.

"Ollie?" she asked curiously.

"Billie Joe's mother," I nodded, then saw her heading my way.

"Elanore Grace! How dare you disappear for two years without calling me once." Ollie looked as if she was going to slap me, but she suddenly hugged me instead and cooed, "I've missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Ollie," I smiled genuinely.

"Where on Earth have you been? Billie Joe has been searching high and low for you," Ollie said in a firm tone, her hands set on her hips.

"I've been living in an apartment on 27th Avenue and going to UC Berkeley."

"Ahh. You were right under his nose and he never knew it.. Very smart. And good for you! I always knew you'd go to college. What are you studying?"

"Well, I'm undeclared at the moment. I'm taking classes in communication and design and stuff though."

"I've always had a feeling you would be into things like that. Good job..."

"Oh, Mike, Billie, Tre! Here, let's have you guys sit over here," Sarah's voice rang out and I looked up to see the backs of the three boys as Sarah led them to the opposite side of the building.

"I can make your meals to go if you'd like," Ollie told me, but I shook my head.

"It's fine. We'll eat here," I smiled, earning an odd look from Kelsey.

Ollie left to go take care of her other tables and Kelsey just watched me.

"What?" I asked, fiddling with my straw.

"You're not going to hide under the table until they leave?" my best friend teased.

"No. He and I are working on coexisting. Friends first," I said as I looked across the restaurant.

Billie looked up at the same time and we made eye contact. He nodded slightly, sending me a smile and a wink. I smiled back, feeling my cheeks go red as he looked back to Mike and Tre.

"What was that?" Kelsey asked and I shrugged.

"Coexistence?"

"You still have feelings for him, don't you?"

"I think I always will. He was my first love, you know? As cheesy as that sounds.."

"I guess I haven't found that yet," Kelsey sighed.

"You will, trust me!" Suddenly I got an idea.

"Hey, would you mind if we went and sat with them?" Kels shook her head and I let Ollie know about our plans. The two of us got up and walked over to the boys.

"Hey there. Mind if we join you?" I asked politely.

The guys looked at each other, then nodded. They were in a round booth, so they all scooted towards the middle and I sat beside Billie while Kelsey sat next to Tre.

"Hey Beej," I smiled, poking his side and he cracked a grin, nearly giggling.

"Did you giggle, man?" Tre laughed.

"Psh, no," Billie shot a fake glare at Tre.

The five of us sat around eating dinner and having a good night. It seemed a lot like old times, actually. After we all told Ollie goodbye, we got Sarah off her shift and went out into the parking lot.

"Hey, let's go back to my house and hang," Billie suggested.

Kelsey, Sarah and Tre glanced at me as Mike stared at Billie.

"Why not? Let's go," I nodded.

I drove Sarah and Kelsey, and we followed the boy's to Billie's. Soon after, someone broke out the alcohol and illegal substances and the drinking games commenced.

"Billie, you are the worst beer pong partner everrrr," I slurred after chugging yet another drink thanks to Kelsey and Tre, our opponents.

"Heyy, don't blame me! They're just more sober," Billie pouted.

"I wanna play a different game," I whined, and Mike pulled out a few bottles of tequila and shot glasses.
We all sat in front of the TV and turned on Animal House.

Every time someone on screen took a swig of an alcoholic beverage, we had to do a shot, we decided. I don't even remember getting through half of the movie. But I do recall passing out on the couch.

I woke up and groaned, rolling over and off of the couch onto the floor with a thud.

"God damn," I winced, covering my face with my arms.

"Grace, hurry and get up! We have to leave before Billie wakes up," Sarah hissed, helping me off of the ground.

I grabbed my shoes and followed the girls out to my car. Once I was driving and we were on the way to Sarah's, I started with my questions.

"Why did we have to leave so fast? It's ten am."

"Dude, don't you remember what happened last night?" Kelsey asked.

"No?" I shook my head.

"You and Billie were all over each other.. Acting like you did when you were together. Mike and I weren't sure what do do," Sarah told me.

"You should have stopped me! Now he probably thinks that we're back together."

"Grace, he was so happy last night. Don't take that away from him," Sarah said in an apathetic voice.

"I'm not going to go out with him just because we made out when I was drunk," I yelped, pulling up to Sarah's house.

"Just think about it," she said as she got out and I drove off.

"Don't you even say anything," I told Kelsey when we got to our apartment.

"Wasn't planning on it," she answered with wide eyes, "Just that you seem really yourself when you're with Billie, and it has nothing to do with how you were hammered last night."

I went into my room, sat at my desk and started to work on some homework I was nearly done with. Granted, I didn't have class for a few days, but I needed something to do.

"Grace, the phone's for you," Kelsey called from the living room.

"Who is it?" I asked, peeking out from my room.

When she said it was Tre I nodded, then took the phone and closed my door.

"Hey, what's up?"

"You guys disappeared this morning."

"Yeah. Sarah and Kelsey wanted me out of there before Billie got up."

"Ohh, because of last night?"

"I guess," I shrugged.

"Truth be told, I don't think BJ remembers what happened either."

I loved how Billie despised when people called him BJ, but we referred to him by it when he wasn't around.

"But everyone else does," I sighed. We talked for a bit longer, then Tre had to go to band practice.
I finished my homework then went in to work for my shift.

Three weeks passed; my first year of college was over and I was bored out of my mind.

"Hey Gray!" I heard Billie chime as I sat behind the counter at Amoeba.

"Hey there, Beej," I smiled.

Things were going well between us. Tre had been right; Billie never mentioned the night we all got wasted, so I didn't either. We were talking like best friends should, trying our best not to get intimate too quickly.

"Come hang out with me when you get off," Billie pleaded, his eyes begging me as he wore a smile.

"What's in it for me?" I asked, knowing I'd just say yes anyways, but it was fun to play along.

"Well, I might just have a little surprise for you," he smirked.

"Oh really now? Well then. I'm off in twenty. So I'll meet you at your house?" Now I wanted to know what he was planning.

"Good. I'll see you soon then," he flashed me a grin, winking before turning and walking out the door. I rolled my eyes, trying to figure out what was going on.

After quickly restocking all of the vinyls I could in twenty minutes, then clocked out and locked up at ten before driving to Billie's house that I so adored.