Wasting Love

So, you ready to go?" Bill asked after what seemed like a few minutes but in reality was probably half an hour or so.

"Hmm, what?" I asked, looking up from my book.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked again with a sigh.

"Yeah almost, I just have to change." I said then put my book down and stood up.

"Well lets go then, go change." He told me with a laugh, I didn't answer instead opened the door quietly, walked across the hallway and into my room. I closed the door then quickly stripped and the put in a pair of hot pants and then just a loose form fitting shirt. Then without a word walked back into Bill's room. "You ready?" He asked and in return I nodded my head.

"Let's go then. He said sliding the window open then turning to me. "Ladies first." He offered stepping back from the window towards me.

"Fine" I said with a sigh and without any difficultly clambered out of the window onto the tree and then down the tree limbs. A few of the branches snagged my hair and brushed against my legs but nothing serious. The distance from the window to the I'm guessing was probably about fifteen feet so I guess if you wanted to you could jump but you wouldn't want to. Or at least I wouldn't want to, Bill of course was a completely different story he didn't just jump out the window he flew and landed on his feet as a matter of fact.

"Oh damn I've gotta pick up Cindy at six but I told Duff I'd be at his place at six, what am I gonna do?" He mused to himself then looked at me.

"I'm going by Duff's place so if you want I can stop by and tell him to meet you at the party at 6:30." I suggested, Bill nodded his head encouragingly.

"Yeah, if you could do that it'd be great, thanks." Bill said then waved and started walking away. "Bye see you later." He called to me as he turned the corner and disappeared, I didn't answer instead I waved briefly until I couldn't see him anymore then I turned and began walking towards Michael's house. We both lived in the slums, the shitty part of the city if you will. It wasn't because we were poor, actually scratch that yes Bill & I were poor but that must've been because we had only one parent who had a drinking problem. Michael on the other hand wasn't poor at all, living in the slums must've had something to do though having eight older brothers and sisters. He wasn't really in the slums either, more of on the edge of the slums next to the typical American household. Even though there house was small it looked threatening. Outside on the porch was Michael's father having a smoke. He was an older man, older then the man who I was forced to call my father, but was always in a cheery mood smiling, laughing and cracking jokes.

"Hello Mr. McKagan." I said politely as I walked up the drive towards the porch.

"Hello Roxanne, I take it your going to that beach party with Duff tonight." He replied politely, putting out his cigarette and standing up.

"Thats right I am." I said gingerly watching his fathers every move, it was that I was afraid of him, I was just wary.

"Well I'll go get him." He said, pulling open the screen door. "Duff get down here now! Haven't I told you before never keep a lady waiting!" His father roared then shut the door gently. From upstairs I heard a chorus of "oohs" and "Duff's got a girlfriend."

"Coming." He replied in a muffled voice, his dad let out a chuckle and shook his head. We waited a few more minutes before Mr. McKagan finally lost it.

"Michael Andrew McKagan you get down here right now!" His dad roared, this time making the walls shake.

"Coming!" Michael shouted back and ran down the stairs. He was wearing a black Ramones t-shirt and a pair of flared jeans. "Sorry, dozed off." He said sheepishly running his hand through his hair.

"It's ok." I said, shrugging it off. "No harm done." I smiled at him.

"Well kids have fun." Mr McKagan said gruffly as he shut the screen door but still watched us cautiously.

"Thanks Dad." Michael muttered before directing his attention to me. "Where's Bill?" He asked looking around like he might appear out of the darkness at a moments notice.

"He said that he'll meet us at the party at around six-thirty." I replied quietly, Michael nodded his head thoughtfully.

"Speakin' of party we should probably get going." He said softly, smiling at me then walking up to me.

"Yeah, let's go." I agreed quickly taking a step forward, nearly running into him and then having my face turn an unattractive shade of red.

"C'mon." He said quietly then started to walk down the steps. Then he turned around and gestured for me to hurry. "C'mon slowpoke!" He called to me with a laugh. A smile appeared on my face, this was the side of Michael I understood. Sticking out my tongue I walked down the steps then walked past Michael.

"Whose the slowpoke now?" I told him with a laugh as he caught up to me quickly and stuck his tongue out at me.

"Hey Rox you look great." Michael told me as we began to walk down the path to the beach,

"Thanks." I replied shyly as he took my hand. That shocked me plenty just how he didn't hesitate to grab it. He had said we would go as friends, well from what had just happened it sure didn't seem like we were going as friends. Not thinking I pulled my hand away from his, he let go then gave me a confused look.

"Sorry I should've--" He started quickly but never had a chance to finish as I cut him off,

"No, my fault," I told him then grabbed his hand, from beside me I though I heard him give a sigh of relief but that must've been my imagination.

"You didn't tell Bill did you?" Michael asked after a moment of silence.

"Nah, I didn't want to give him a chance to freak out at us." I answered, Michael nodded his head in agreement.

"Well this is basically it." He told me when we got to the beach, it wasn't my first party, but it was my first beach party. It was like the ones they show on the TV now days where they had the huge bonfire. They're weren't alot of people there yet but most of the people that we're there I did recognize them, most from school. I looked around for Bill but I didn't spot him, which meant that he would be there soon. With his free hand Michael waved to a few of the boys that we're sitting by the fire, they waved back and shouted their hello's then gestured for him to come and sit with them. He chewed his lip nervously then glanced from me to his buddies.

"C'mon let's go sit by you're friends." I said deciding for him.

"Thanks." He murmured in return then started walking towards them, I followed him without any hesitation. He sat down on one of the tree stumps that was sitting by the fire and let go of my hand, I sat on the stump next to him.

"Your Bill's sister aren't you?" One of the guys asked I didn't see his face but I did recognize his voice, he was in our grade and had been to our house once or twice.

"Yeah I'm Bill's sister." I answered quietly, watching the fire lick and consume a piece of wood. The guy didn't reply he just nodded his head slowly. They then chatted amongst themselves for a few minutes longer until Bill's unmistakable voice reached our ears.

"Hey everybody! Let's get this party started." Bil shouted as he appeared behind Michael, I bit my lip nervously then looked at the ground. That's when Bull noticed that I was there. "So you did get a girl who is it?" He asked then took a step closer. "Hey that looks a lot like Rox." He added after a moment then realization struck him as he let out a whistle. "Duff McKagan, I cannot believe you asked out MY baby sister without asking me." He told Michael in a stern voice. "And Rox, nice catch." He added and winked at me. The guys all let out a snicker and Michael just shrugged it off. Bill's arms snaked around a blond girl's waist, presumably Cindy. She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder but her eyes never left Michael. Like a cat hungrily eying a mouse for supper, to tell you the truth it pissed me right off not only was she using Bill but it was to get to his best friend Michael. The guys mostly talked while both Cindy and I put our two bits in every now and then, other then that I watched the fire hungrily eat away piece after piece of wood.

"Hey come with me, I have to show you something." Michael whispered to me then quietly stood up. Following his lead I stood up and took a few steps back to where Bill was standing. Bill said something that I didn't hear, Michael replied and Bill let out a chuckle and shooed him off.

"Bye Duff." Cindy said flirtatiously then brushed a piece of hair out of his face, Right then and there I was ready to rip off her head and judging by the look on Bill's face he was ready to as well.

"Uh, yeah bye." He replied quickly and flatly then turned around and walked over to me. Bill wrapped his arms around her and whispered something to her, like nothing had happened but from the expression on his face they were done.

"So?" I asked as he reached me and took my hand, we started to walk away from the fire and into the creeping darkness of the night.