It Wasn't
Chapter 4
Alice paced around her dorm, wringing her hands with confusion as she read the note for what seemed to be the billionth time.
Call me.
Why would Billie Joe want Alice to call him? What did he mean when he said they should get to know each other? Did this have anything to do with that random, spur of the moment kiss they shared?
A million and one questions buzzed around inside her head. "Call him," a voice inside her head kept saying. "Just do it. He didn't give you his private number so you could stare stupidly at it for a week."
And at the same time, another voice argued, "What if you end up in the same position or worse? He's married you know. Besides, you have other things to worry. You're already obsessed with him. What if you fall in love? Throw it away."
In the end, Alice flicked the reasonable voice out of her mind and decided to call. She picked up her cell phone, dialed, and waited as it rang, her fear growing with every moment. "Hello?" answered a familiar voice. Alice hung up in panic. She mentally slapped herself for being so stupid. What if he thought it was a prank caller? What if he thought it was the stalker? Oh my God. He might call the police! Frantically, she picked up her phone to call again and explain when it rang. Oh Lord. It was his number. She had to answer.
"Hello? Did someone from this number just call me?" he asked. She held her breath. "Hello?" he asked again. She finally got herself to answer.
"Yeah, um, its me. Alice, Alice James."
"From the party?"
"Yes. You gave me this number and told me to call. So I did and I hope I didn't disturb you," she rambled.
Billie cut her off before she could go on. "It's all right. I was beginning to wonder if you would call or not." He laughed. He was waiting for her call? Alice felt her cheeks grow warm. Good thing no one was here to see her blush.
"What?"
"I was hoping you would call soon. Actually, I was giving up hope on whether you would call at all." He clarified. But she was still a bit thrown off.
"W-why?"
"I told you," he dropped his voice a little, "I think we should get to know each other. Maybe we could grab some lunch, have a friendly conversation. You go to school?"
"Yeah, I do, but we have the day off. There was a fire in the chemistry lab and we won't have any classes until they find out who started it. Everyone is sure that it was Joe Cramer, but he keeps... ," she trailed off. "I'm sorry. I'm rambling."
"Don't worry. It happens to even the best of us. By which I mean, it happens to even me." Billie was smirking now, even if Alice couldn't see it. Alice laughed. "Anyway, you go to UC Berkeley don't you?"
"Yeah. I live in the dorm."
"Great. I'll pick you up around 12:30. I'll be waiting outside."
"So will I" she replied in an extremely flirtatious voice, she was horrified to realize one second too late.
"Bye"
12:00 rolled around, and Alice still wasn't sure what to wear. She was going on a date with her rock idol, for crissakes. Well, okay, it wasn't exactly a date, but she was still going somewhere with him. In public. She couldn't screw this up. Finally, around 12:25, she pulled on a t-shirt and a swishy black skirt and went outside to find Billie Joe in a black convertible, grinning like he just won the lottery. "Hey," he greeted her in a relaxed voice. Well, at least one of them wasn't nervous.
"Can I sit... ?" she asked, opening the passenger side door.
"I don't see why not? You don't have the `roids do you?"
"What? Are you drunk?"
"Not this early in the day. And definitely not on a weekday. Why?"
"You're acting a bit... " She searched for the right word, "Odd." She sat down and closed the door. "Anyway, where are we going?"
"You'll see." Ooh, it was a surprise. But something clicked in Alice's brain and momentarily pushed the surprise out of her thoughts.
"How come you're not calling me 'kid'?" she asked
"Huh?"
"When I first met you called me 'kid'. Every time we met since then, you addressed me as 'kid'. You haven't once called me 'kid' this time. I didn't even notice until now."
"Ah. Well, you were, shall we say, upset at the party. Calling an upset twenty-year-old 'kid' would just upset her, in this case, you more. I would know. I would call you kid now, but my brain inhibits me from doing so."
"Why?"
"I can't exactly call you 'kid' after the, uh, incident at the party." He blushed. She blushed too.
"Can we not mention that incident? To anyone? Ever?" Her face was turning red as she spoke.
"Why not? It was a pretty good kiss." He noticed Alice staring at him like he was insane. "I know, I know. I'm married. Does that mean I'm not allowed to be just a little childish at times?"
"Billie, there's a difference between being childish, and being a lecherous old man."
"It's a very fine line. And I'm not that old. Ah, whatever. We're here."
"Where?" she asked, and then didn't even wait for a reply. She just stared back and forth between a dying neon sign and Billie Joe who did nothing but grin at her.
"Surprise," he said laughingly as she stared stupidly at the old brick wall with flickering letters that read 'Gilman Street'.
Call me.
Why would Billie Joe want Alice to call him? What did he mean when he said they should get to know each other? Did this have anything to do with that random, spur of the moment kiss they shared?
A million and one questions buzzed around inside her head. "Call him," a voice inside her head kept saying. "Just do it. He didn't give you his private number so you could stare stupidly at it for a week."
And at the same time, another voice argued, "What if you end up in the same position or worse? He's married you know. Besides, you have other things to worry. You're already obsessed with him. What if you fall in love? Throw it away."
In the end, Alice flicked the reasonable voice out of her mind and decided to call. She picked up her cell phone, dialed, and waited as it rang, her fear growing with every moment. "Hello?" answered a familiar voice. Alice hung up in panic. She mentally slapped herself for being so stupid. What if he thought it was a prank caller? What if he thought it was the stalker? Oh my God. He might call the police! Frantically, she picked up her phone to call again and explain when it rang. Oh Lord. It was his number. She had to answer.
"Hello? Did someone from this number just call me?" he asked. She held her breath. "Hello?" he asked again. She finally got herself to answer.
"Yeah, um, its me. Alice, Alice James."
"From the party?"
"Yes. You gave me this number and told me to call. So I did and I hope I didn't disturb you," she rambled.
Billie cut her off before she could go on. "It's all right. I was beginning to wonder if you would call or not." He laughed. He was waiting for her call? Alice felt her cheeks grow warm. Good thing no one was here to see her blush.
"What?"
"I was hoping you would call soon. Actually, I was giving up hope on whether you would call at all." He clarified. But she was still a bit thrown off.
"W-why?"
"I told you," he dropped his voice a little, "I think we should get to know each other. Maybe we could grab some lunch, have a friendly conversation. You go to school?"
"Yeah, I do, but we have the day off. There was a fire in the chemistry lab and we won't have any classes until they find out who started it. Everyone is sure that it was Joe Cramer, but he keeps... ," she trailed off. "I'm sorry. I'm rambling."
"Don't worry. It happens to even the best of us. By which I mean, it happens to even me." Billie was smirking now, even if Alice couldn't see it. Alice laughed. "Anyway, you go to UC Berkeley don't you?"
"Yeah. I live in the dorm."
"Great. I'll pick you up around 12:30. I'll be waiting outside."
"So will I" she replied in an extremely flirtatious voice, she was horrified to realize one second too late.
"Bye"
12:00 rolled around, and Alice still wasn't sure what to wear. She was going on a date with her rock idol, for crissakes. Well, okay, it wasn't exactly a date, but she was still going somewhere with him. In public. She couldn't screw this up. Finally, around 12:25, she pulled on a t-shirt and a swishy black skirt and went outside to find Billie Joe in a black convertible, grinning like he just won the lottery. "Hey," he greeted her in a relaxed voice. Well, at least one of them wasn't nervous.
"Can I sit... ?" she asked, opening the passenger side door.
"I don't see why not? You don't have the `roids do you?"
"What? Are you drunk?"
"Not this early in the day. And definitely not on a weekday. Why?"
"You're acting a bit... " She searched for the right word, "Odd." She sat down and closed the door. "Anyway, where are we going?"
"You'll see." Ooh, it was a surprise. But something clicked in Alice's brain and momentarily pushed the surprise out of her thoughts.
"How come you're not calling me 'kid'?" she asked
"Huh?"
"When I first met you called me 'kid'. Every time we met since then, you addressed me as 'kid'. You haven't once called me 'kid' this time. I didn't even notice until now."
"Ah. Well, you were, shall we say, upset at the party. Calling an upset twenty-year-old 'kid' would just upset her, in this case, you more. I would know. I would call you kid now, but my brain inhibits me from doing so."
"Why?"
"I can't exactly call you 'kid' after the, uh, incident at the party." He blushed. She blushed too.
"Can we not mention that incident? To anyone? Ever?" Her face was turning red as she spoke.
"Why not? It was a pretty good kiss." He noticed Alice staring at him like he was insane. "I know, I know. I'm married. Does that mean I'm not allowed to be just a little childish at times?"
"Billie, there's a difference between being childish, and being a lecherous old man."
"It's a very fine line. And I'm not that old. Ah, whatever. We're here."
"Where?" she asked, and then didn't even wait for a reply. She just stared back and forth between a dying neon sign and Billie Joe who did nothing but grin at her.
"Surprise," he said laughingly as she stared stupidly at the old brick wall with flickering letters that read 'Gilman Street'.