Front Porch Story
Front porch
I walk into my dad's apartment to listen to any messages he left, because he still didn't know I moved out. I press the button on the answering machine. "Adie, I'm coming for business next week so I'll see you then," his voice says bluntly. Shit! I think to myself. He'll find out about how I moved out.
***
"Oh umm hey Dad, I need to tell you something," I say as my father gets settled in his apartment.
"Yeah, make it quick, I have to get to a meeting."
"I moved out," I blurt.
"Moved out? Where?" he asks in an accusing voice.
"Near Gilman street," I mutter.
"What alone?"
"No, with the guys," I say sheepishly.
"As in the Billie Bob guy and the green haired guy."
"Yeah, with Billie JOE," I say in a correcting tone.
"So you just decide to move in with this guy?" my father says in disbelief.
"Uh yeah, I kind of spent all my time there anyway, it was only a matter of time."
"I can't handle this right now! I'm going to my meeting, we'll talk later," my father says as he leaves the apartment in a bustle.
Two hours later, my father returns slightly calmer. "You can't keep living with him," he says bluntly.
"What? Why not?" I demand.
"Because, it's what's best for you. You can't just throw your life away."
"Throw my life away?!" I ask infuriated.
"Yes, have you even started your classes at community college?" he asks testing me.
"Well no," I mutter.
"Exactly! See what being with those guys have done!" he yells.
"No!" I yell. "You've never even talked to Billie Joe, how can you judge him?"
"Fine, I'll talk to him is that what you want?!" my father yells. I storm towards the door. "Where are you going?"
"To my apartment!" I yell back.
"Oh no you don't, you're staying here tonight," he says angrily as he pulls me back in.
Lunch, that's what we agreed on. Me, my father and Billie Joe were to have lunch at my dad's apartment. KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! "Hey Billie," I say letting him in.
"Hey, time for the awkwardness to beginm" he mutters as my father glares at him. "Hello Mr. Nesser." My father doesn't respond but sits at the table motioning us to join him.
"What are your intentions for my daughter?"
"Frankly sir, I'm crazy about Adie...Adrienne," Billie stutters.
"Well I'm crazy about a good frappacino but it doesn't mean I'll marry one," my father mutters.
"Excuse me? Marry her? We're kind of young to be getting married, don't you think?"
"Well I don't know you see yourselves fit to live together."
"DAD!" I interrupt.
"So what are your plans in life?" he asks bluntly.
"Well, I'm in a band as you know, we've recorded our first album and we're working on a second," Billie says overly-prepared. My father shakes his head in disapproval.
"What about your schooling?"
"I...urgh...sort of dropped out," Billie says awkwardly, knowing he's not helping our case.
"Dropped out of what? College?" my father asks a little ticked off.
"High school," Billie mutters.
"Well Adrienne, you really picked a winner," my father says getting up from the table. I put my head in my hands.
"I'm sorry Adie," Billie says putting his arm over my shoulders.
"It's not your fault," I mutter.
"So I guess you're leaving," he says awkwardly.
"Guess so," I say depressed as hell.
"When?"
"Tomorrow," I say pissed off. "I should pack my stuff."
At Billie's apartment I shove all my stuff in duffle bags while Billie stands silently at the doorway slightly afraid to move or say anything. I knew what I had to do; once I finished packing tears started to roll down my face. "Adie?"
"Billie," I say as more tears rush down my face. "When I leave, just move on, there's no way we'll ever be together."
"Adrienne, don't be ridiculous," Billie says putting his hands on my arms.
"No Billie, that's how it has to be," I say regretting every word, "Don't make this harder than it has to be." He doesn't say anything for a while.
"If that's what you want," he mutters.
"It's not what I want; it's what has to be. How'd you expect us to stay together when we're 2000 miles away?"
"There are phones Adrienne! And I don't know, letters!" Billie yells in frustration.
"Still, you know this is what has to happen Billie. Even though we hate it to happen, we can't stop it," I say as I pick up my bags and walk out of Billie's room.
"ARRGH!" I hear Billie yell followed by a smashing sound. Mike is sitting on the sofa pretending not to have heard what happened. I slip him some money.
"In a week or two, you and Tre take Billie on a wild night."
"What?" Mike asks confused.
"Set him up with some big-boobed blond or get him a stripper," I say rushing out of the apartment.
"Adie!" Mike calls after me but I ignore him.
***
"Oh umm hey Dad, I need to tell you something," I say as my father gets settled in his apartment.
"Yeah, make it quick, I have to get to a meeting."
"I moved out," I blurt.
"Moved out? Where?" he asks in an accusing voice.
"Near Gilman street," I mutter.
"What alone?"
"No, with the guys," I say sheepishly.
"As in the Billie Bob guy and the green haired guy."
"Yeah, with Billie JOE," I say in a correcting tone.
"So you just decide to move in with this guy?" my father says in disbelief.
"Uh yeah, I kind of spent all my time there anyway, it was only a matter of time."
"I can't handle this right now! I'm going to my meeting, we'll talk later," my father says as he leaves the apartment in a bustle.
Two hours later, my father returns slightly calmer. "You can't keep living with him," he says bluntly.
"What? Why not?" I demand.
"Because, it's what's best for you. You can't just throw your life away."
"Throw my life away?!" I ask infuriated.
"Yes, have you even started your classes at community college?" he asks testing me.
"Well no," I mutter.
"Exactly! See what being with those guys have done!" he yells.
"No!" I yell. "You've never even talked to Billie Joe, how can you judge him?"
"Fine, I'll talk to him is that what you want?!" my father yells. I storm towards the door. "Where are you going?"
"To my apartment!" I yell back.
"Oh no you don't, you're staying here tonight," he says angrily as he pulls me back in.
Lunch, that's what we agreed on. Me, my father and Billie Joe were to have lunch at my dad's apartment. KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! "Hey Billie," I say letting him in.
"Hey, time for the awkwardness to beginm" he mutters as my father glares at him. "Hello Mr. Nesser." My father doesn't respond but sits at the table motioning us to join him.
"What are your intentions for my daughter?"
"Frankly sir, I'm crazy about Adie...Adrienne," Billie stutters.
"Well I'm crazy about a good frappacino but it doesn't mean I'll marry one," my father mutters.
"Excuse me? Marry her? We're kind of young to be getting married, don't you think?"
"Well I don't know you see yourselves fit to live together."
"DAD!" I interrupt.
"So what are your plans in life?" he asks bluntly.
"Well, I'm in a band as you know, we've recorded our first album and we're working on a second," Billie says overly-prepared. My father shakes his head in disapproval.
"What about your schooling?"
"I...urgh...sort of dropped out," Billie says awkwardly, knowing he's not helping our case.
"Dropped out of what? College?" my father asks a little ticked off.
"High school," Billie mutters.
"Well Adrienne, you really picked a winner," my father says getting up from the table. I put my head in my hands.
"I'm sorry Adie," Billie says putting his arm over my shoulders.
"It's not your fault," I mutter.
"So I guess you're leaving," he says awkwardly.
"Guess so," I say depressed as hell.
"When?"
"Tomorrow," I say pissed off. "I should pack my stuff."
At Billie's apartment I shove all my stuff in duffle bags while Billie stands silently at the doorway slightly afraid to move or say anything. I knew what I had to do; once I finished packing tears started to roll down my face. "Adie?"
"Billie," I say as more tears rush down my face. "When I leave, just move on, there's no way we'll ever be together."
"Adrienne, don't be ridiculous," Billie says putting his hands on my arms.
"No Billie, that's how it has to be," I say regretting every word, "Don't make this harder than it has to be." He doesn't say anything for a while.
"If that's what you want," he mutters.
"It's not what I want; it's what has to be. How'd you expect us to stay together when we're 2000 miles away?"
"There are phones Adrienne! And I don't know, letters!" Billie yells in frustration.
"Still, you know this is what has to happen Billie. Even though we hate it to happen, we can't stop it," I say as I pick up my bags and walk out of Billie's room.
"ARRGH!" I hear Billie yell followed by a smashing sound. Mike is sitting on the sofa pretending not to have heard what happened. I slip him some money.
"In a week or two, you and Tre take Billie on a wild night."
"What?" Mike asks confused.
"Set him up with some big-boobed blond or get him a stripper," I say rushing out of the apartment.
"Adie!" Mike calls after me but I ignore him.