Front Porch Story
Front porch
Lying in bed with stomach flu I acquired a week after going to the recording studio.
"You okay?" Billie asks from the doorway of the bedroom.
"I guess." I say as I struggle to sit up.
"Here, drink this." Billie says handing me a mug.
"What is it?" I ask smelling it.
"Tea." Billie says shrugging, "Ana says it'll make you feel better."
"She better be right because it tastes like shit." I say sipping the hot tea.
"Let me taste." Billie says sniffing the tea first.
"What so you'll get my germs, then you won't be able to record stuff." Billie shrugs and takes a sip anyway.
"I've had worse." He says as he hands it back. He lies next to me silently for a while as I drink the tea.
"Mike told me what happened when you heard When I Come Around." He says quietly.
"Oh, I overreacted." I mutter. "But what did you mean when you said go do what you like? Are you saying that you don't care if I leave?"
"No! I wrote it when you slept at your dad's. I don't want you to leave. I want you here, with me." Billie says as a look of worry crosses it.
"I believe you, but I'm sorry." I say getting up.
"What?" Billie asked in a state of panic as I run out of the room. "Adie come back."
"No!" I yell as I lock myself in the washroom.
"Adie, just open the door." Billie says gently.
"Why, do you want to see me puke?" I ask as I hold my head over the toilette seat.
"Oh, I thought you were pissed." Billie mutters, "But if you need someone to hold your hair back don't be afraid to ask."
"S'okay." I say flushing the toilette. I open the bathroom door to see Billie standing only a few inches away from the doorway.
"Are you okay?" he asks with his eyes gleaming.
"Yeah." I say rubbing my stomach.
"You aren't late are you?" Billie asks cautiously.
"What?"
"I mean your period."
"No." I say rolling my eyes, "This is not morning sickness, it's just the flu."
"Just making sure." Billie says as I lie back down on the bed, "after the prank you pulled I'm just a little on edge."
"Don't worry, I'm not pregnant." I say as pull a blanket over me.
"You cold?" he asks worriedly.
"Just a bit." I say as shrugging. "Doesn't matter anyway, thermostat's broken."
"Uh yeah." Billie says as he fumbles with the awkward machine under the window. He walks over to where I'm lying and lays next to me and puts his arms around me.
"My favorite blanket." I mumble as he snuggles closer to me.
***
"Bill! We have to get going!" Tre yells early in the morning a few days later.
"What? Why?" I mumble in Billie's ear as I tighten my grasp around him.
"We're planning out which songs we'll make into music videos and brainstorming ideas and stuff." Billie says shrugging.
"They can handle it, I want you to stay with me." I say jokingly.
"Wish I could." Billie says laughing as he slips out of my grip. "Come with us then, I think Ana is coming too."
"Alright, I'll come and mind-fuck you." I say laughing.
"That's my girl." Billie says cheesily as we get dressed.
"So what are you done recording?" I ask as we make our way out of the room.
"One more song, F.O.D." Billie says shrugging.
"And my song!" Tre says abruptly.
"Your song?" I ask slightly worried.
"Yeah, you wanna hear it?" Tre asks with big eyes.
"Umm okay." I say as Tre snatches Billie's guitar of it's stand. Tre starts playing the guitar with a basic rhythm.
"I was alone, I was all by myself, No one was looking, I was thinking of you, Oh yeah did I mention, I was all by myself, All by myself.
I went to your house, But no one was there, I went to your room, I was all by myself. You and me, had such wonderful times, When I was all by myself, All by myself."
"I don't know how Lisea puts up with you." I say laughing.
"It's a song of adoration, you fell for 2000 Light Years Away and all those sappy songs Billie writes for you." Tre teases.
"Yeah well those are slightly less disturbing." I say rolling my eyes as Billie just laughs.
"What about Longview, that's a true song of adoration, guess who he was thinking of." Tre says evilly.
"Shut-up." I mutter as Mike comes out of his room with Ana.
"You're late." Neil says a little pissed off.
"We'd say sorry but that would be a lie." Tre says as he pushes past Neil to speak to the other producers in the conference room.
"Hope you don't mind, we brought our inspirations." Billie says as Neil leads the rest of us into the conference room.
"Yeah, whatever gets your imagination flowing." Neil mutters as I hear Ana snicker to Mike.
"So we were thinking about four music videos should be enough for media attention and considering the number of songs on this album." One of the producers say casually, "Do you have any songs in particular that you'd like to make a music video out of?"
"Longview." Billie says eagerly.
"You do realize we can't show you masturbating on public television." Another producer in a blue shirt says.
"Yeah, I know but the song emphasizes a lot on boredom too so I was thinking we can show how."
"Oh there should be a monkey!" Tre interrupts excitedly, "It can sit on the T.V. and watch Billie's every move."
"I think we should shoot it in our apartment, because that's where all the longviewing happens." Mike suggests.
"Sounds interesting." Neil says taking everything into consideration.
"Can we do Basket Case too?" Tre asks randomly.
"What did you have in mind?" the producer in the black shirt asks, not really sure whether to take Tre seriously.
"The whole video takes place in a nut house, and we're mental patients and everything should be neon coloured." Tre says nodding furiously.
"What do you mean neon coloured?" the blue shirt producer asks.
"I mean like when you edit the video make the colours more extreme." Tre says waving his arms about.
"We can always shoot it in black and white then add in the colour later." Neil says casually.
"Yeah. I want to be a violent nut." Mike says laughing.
"Oh I want to be all cowering in a corner sort of keeping to myself, a loner." Billie says taking his roll as a mental patient into consideration.
"I'll be in a wheelchair since I'll be playing the drums." Tre says hoping for everyone's approval.
"Sounds great guys, but we'd really like to make a video of When I Come Around." The producer in the blue shirt says seriously. "Maybe we can show the story behind the song."
"I rather not." Billie mutters as his enthusiasm fades away.
"I know what we can do!" Tre says excitedly, "It'll take place in the city with us just walking around like in that Stayin' Alive video and then we have people in the building all spying on each other."
"What do you mean spying on each other?" Neil asks.
"I mean like we start off with some creepy guy and he's spying on a ballet class across the street and one of the dancers spies out the window and watches some little girl play dress-up and it just continues from there." Tre says excitedly.
"Yeah, I like that idea." Mike says nodding.
After more idea-full discussions the guys time were up and the producers had to deal with other clients.
"Tre where are you going?" I ask as he runs past us.
"Lisea, I have to tell her everything!" he says happily.
"Tre? You're going to run five miles? Why don't you just get a lift with us?" Mike asks casually.
"Umm okay." Tre says slowing down.
"You okay?" Billie asks from the doorway of the bedroom.
"I guess." I say as I struggle to sit up.
"Here, drink this." Billie says handing me a mug.
"What is it?" I ask smelling it.
"Tea." Billie says shrugging, "Ana says it'll make you feel better."
"She better be right because it tastes like shit." I say sipping the hot tea.
"Let me taste." Billie says sniffing the tea first.
"What so you'll get my germs, then you won't be able to record stuff." Billie shrugs and takes a sip anyway.
"I've had worse." He says as he hands it back. He lies next to me silently for a while as I drink the tea.
"Mike told me what happened when you heard When I Come Around." He says quietly.
"Oh, I overreacted." I mutter. "But what did you mean when you said go do what you like? Are you saying that you don't care if I leave?"
"No! I wrote it when you slept at your dad's. I don't want you to leave. I want you here, with me." Billie says as a look of worry crosses it.
"I believe you, but I'm sorry." I say getting up.
"What?" Billie asked in a state of panic as I run out of the room. "Adie come back."
"No!" I yell as I lock myself in the washroom.
"Adie, just open the door." Billie says gently.
"Why, do you want to see me puke?" I ask as I hold my head over the toilette seat.
"Oh, I thought you were pissed." Billie mutters, "But if you need someone to hold your hair back don't be afraid to ask."
"S'okay." I say flushing the toilette. I open the bathroom door to see Billie standing only a few inches away from the doorway.
"Are you okay?" he asks with his eyes gleaming.
"Yeah." I say rubbing my stomach.
"You aren't late are you?" Billie asks cautiously.
"What?"
"I mean your period."
"No." I say rolling my eyes, "This is not morning sickness, it's just the flu."
"Just making sure." Billie says as I lie back down on the bed, "after the prank you pulled I'm just a little on edge."
"Don't worry, I'm not pregnant." I say as pull a blanket over me.
"You cold?" he asks worriedly.
"Just a bit." I say as shrugging. "Doesn't matter anyway, thermostat's broken."
"Uh yeah." Billie says as he fumbles with the awkward machine under the window. He walks over to where I'm lying and lays next to me and puts his arms around me.
"My favorite blanket." I mumble as he snuggles closer to me.
***
"Bill! We have to get going!" Tre yells early in the morning a few days later.
"What? Why?" I mumble in Billie's ear as I tighten my grasp around him.
"We're planning out which songs we'll make into music videos and brainstorming ideas and stuff." Billie says shrugging.
"They can handle it, I want you to stay with me." I say jokingly.
"Wish I could." Billie says laughing as he slips out of my grip. "Come with us then, I think Ana is coming too."
"Alright, I'll come and mind-fuck you." I say laughing.
"That's my girl." Billie says cheesily as we get dressed.
"So what are you done recording?" I ask as we make our way out of the room.
"One more song, F.O.D." Billie says shrugging.
"And my song!" Tre says abruptly.
"Your song?" I ask slightly worried.
"Yeah, you wanna hear it?" Tre asks with big eyes.
"Umm okay." I say as Tre snatches Billie's guitar of it's stand. Tre starts playing the guitar with a basic rhythm.
"I was alone, I was all by myself, No one was looking, I was thinking of you, Oh yeah did I mention, I was all by myself, All by myself.
I went to your house, But no one was there, I went to your room, I was all by myself. You and me, had such wonderful times, When I was all by myself, All by myself."
"I don't know how Lisea puts up with you." I say laughing.
"It's a song of adoration, you fell for 2000 Light Years Away and all those sappy songs Billie writes for you." Tre teases.
"Yeah well those are slightly less disturbing." I say rolling my eyes as Billie just laughs.
"What about Longview, that's a true song of adoration, guess who he was thinking of." Tre says evilly.
"Shut-up." I mutter as Mike comes out of his room with Ana.
"You're late." Neil says a little pissed off.
"We'd say sorry but that would be a lie." Tre says as he pushes past Neil to speak to the other producers in the conference room.
"Hope you don't mind, we brought our inspirations." Billie says as Neil leads the rest of us into the conference room.
"Yeah, whatever gets your imagination flowing." Neil mutters as I hear Ana snicker to Mike.
"So we were thinking about four music videos should be enough for media attention and considering the number of songs on this album." One of the producers say casually, "Do you have any songs in particular that you'd like to make a music video out of?"
"Longview." Billie says eagerly.
"You do realize we can't show you masturbating on public television." Another producer in a blue shirt says.
"Yeah, I know but the song emphasizes a lot on boredom too so I was thinking we can show how."
"Oh there should be a monkey!" Tre interrupts excitedly, "It can sit on the T.V. and watch Billie's every move."
"I think we should shoot it in our apartment, because that's where all the longviewing happens." Mike suggests.
"Sounds interesting." Neil says taking everything into consideration.
"Can we do Basket Case too?" Tre asks randomly.
"What did you have in mind?" the producer in the black shirt asks, not really sure whether to take Tre seriously.
"The whole video takes place in a nut house, and we're mental patients and everything should be neon coloured." Tre says nodding furiously.
"What do you mean neon coloured?" the blue shirt producer asks.
"I mean like when you edit the video make the colours more extreme." Tre says waving his arms about.
"We can always shoot it in black and white then add in the colour later." Neil says casually.
"Yeah. I want to be a violent nut." Mike says laughing.
"Oh I want to be all cowering in a corner sort of keeping to myself, a loner." Billie says taking his roll as a mental patient into consideration.
"I'll be in a wheelchair since I'll be playing the drums." Tre says hoping for everyone's approval.
"Sounds great guys, but we'd really like to make a video of When I Come Around." The producer in the blue shirt says seriously. "Maybe we can show the story behind the song."
"I rather not." Billie mutters as his enthusiasm fades away.
"I know what we can do!" Tre says excitedly, "It'll take place in the city with us just walking around like in that Stayin' Alive video and then we have people in the building all spying on each other."
"What do you mean spying on each other?" Neil asks.
"I mean like we start off with some creepy guy and he's spying on a ballet class across the street and one of the dancers spies out the window and watches some little girl play dress-up and it just continues from there." Tre says excitedly.
"Yeah, I like that idea." Mike says nodding.
After more idea-full discussions the guys time were up and the producers had to deal with other clients.
"Tre where are you going?" I ask as he runs past us.
"Lisea, I have to tell her everything!" he says happily.
"Tre? You're going to run five miles? Why don't you just get a lift with us?" Mike asks casually.
"Umm okay." Tre says slowing down.