Killing Me Softly

“Billie! This is so exciting!” Sadie gasped as the plane landed roughly onto the Icelandic tarmac.

“I know, I can’t wait to meet everyone.”

“Oh, they’ll love you.” She said, unbuckling her seat belt as the plane came to a halt. I did the same, and stood up to get her bags out of the overhead locker for her. We made our way slowly to the front of the plane, and proceeded down the steps.

“It’s cold this time of year. Snows all the time.” Sadie said, taking my hand, leading me inside the airport.

“It’s really cool.” I replied, taking in the scenery. “I’ve never been out of America…”

Sadie dropped my hand and stood back from me, one eyebrow raised. She looked me up and down in a mixture of fake disgust and shock.

“Are you serious, Billie Joe?” She asked quietly, her mouth hanging open. “That’s… That’s weird… I… Every boyfriend I’ve ever had has been to at least three different countries… I… I like men with experience.” I would have laughed, but she looked so serious.

“Um… Sorry?” I said, silently worried. Would she break up with me? And because I haven’t been out of America?

She couldn’t keep her little charade going any longer and her serious, pinched face turned into a twisted grin. She laughed hysterically, and ran over to me, kissing and hugging me so tight, it was as if she thought she’d never see me again.

“Oh Billie Joe! You’re impossible.” I hugged and kissed her back, just as hard.

“I’m sorry.” I laughed. “You looked so serious.”

She smiled, and we walked toward the baggage carousel. At that exact moment, I heard her name being called.

“Sadie!”

Sadie turned around quickly, knowing the voice that had called her. A short, medium sized girl with short, sharp blonde hair and big baby blue eyes ran over to her, engulfing her in a hug. Sadie hugged back but with more force, and both of them crashed onto the ground, laughing. The girl was so overwhelmingly pretty I couldn’t take my eyes off her. My stomach fluttered as the girl looked up and smiled at me as she got off the ground, and Sadie. There was only one way to describe her, cute, like a pixie.

“Sara! I missed you so much!” Sadie cried, tears forming in her eyes as she hugged her best friend.

“Sadie! I missed you!” Sara shouted, embracing Sadie a second time. “Everyone misses you! It’s so different with out you! I’m sorry about Jonas… Are you okay with… You know? What he did?” Sara asked, and I watched Sadie tense in her friend’s arms.

“Yeah, I’m getting over it… Billie, Mike, Tré, Jason, Al… They’re all helping me. Mom’s changed so much, as I told you… everything’s changing… Does my father know I’m here?”

“Um… About that, I sort of need to talk to you. He knows, and he really, really wants to see you ‘set things straight’ as he says. I told him to leave you alone, because he hurt you, right? But I… I don’t think he will. The Icelandic Police are going to arrest him in a few weeks for what he did to you. They want you to testify next week in court.”

“Oh. Alright. Yeah, I will.” Sadie said, gasping when she saw me. “Oh my God! I forgot!” She cried, grasping my hand tightly.

“Sara, this is my boyfriend, and best friend from California, Billie Joe.”

Sara smiled at me again, her eyes wondering all over me, never once dropping the massive smile plastered on her face. She had big dimples when she smiled, and her mouth and eyes crinkled slightly, even though you couldn’t really tell with her eyes, as they were so big.

“Hey, Billie Joe. I’m Sara.” Her voice was like… Sweet caramel and sugar to my ears.

“Hey, Sara, call me Billie.” I said, smiling back. “It’s great to finally meet you, Sadie talks about you and her friends all the time.”

“Ha! And straight back to you, I’ve been dying to meet you, finally! You’re friends with Tré, right? The weird American / German / Icelandic guy who’s always being an idiot?”

“Yep. That’s Tré alright.”

Sara laughed and continued on.

“I also really want to meet Mike. He seems really nice.”

“He is, always has been to me, and now to Sadie. It’s weird because he’s been through so much, and yet gives himself up for everyone else.” Sara was hanging on my every word, still with that adorable smile on her face.

“I really want to meet him.” She repeated once I had finished. “You have cool friends, Sade.”

Sadie was standing there, smiling at how well Sara and I were getting on together.

“Thanks.” She said finally. “What’s with Claire and Jonas now? What’s happened?”

“Um… See this is another thing. He denies what he did to you, and Claire backs him up completely. She doesn’t hang with us anymore. In fact, her and Jonas are in their own world together. Jonas moved in with Claire, because her mom has moved away for a while, so she’s all by herself. And, I’m really sorry but… Um…”

“What is it? You know you can tell me.” Sadie pressed. Sara took a breath and exhaled.

“Claire’s pregnant, Sadie, I’m sorry.”

I watched Sadie’s face as Sara said those words, seeing what a reaction she may have. Sadie’s eyes filled with tears once again, but this time with pain rather than happiness.

“Well, he moved on quickly.” She said finally, wiping the tears away that were falling. “What did I mean to him?” She asked herself aloud. “Just a piece of meat.”

Sara and I exchanged glances worriedly and I grasped Sadie’s hand, a second too late. Sadie fell backwards, letting go of my hand.

“…Not again…” Sara and I mumbled at the same time, rushing to her side. Sara giggled.

“She faints in California, too, huh?” She asked.

“All the time.” I replied, laughing quietly with Sara while we attempted to get her back.

About ten minutes later, Sadie’s eyes fluttered open and she stood up slowly. I took her hand in mine, and, with my free hand I grabbed our cases. Sara helped, as did Sadie, and within a few minutes a taxi came past and took us to Sara’s house. Sadie fell into a light sleep on the way there, and Sara leaned over her, whispering in my ear.

“Billie? A whole bunch of Sade’s friends are at my place, for a welcome back surprise party. They’ll go later on, but we’re surprising her, alright? So don’t have a heart attack, too, act cool.”

I nodded and Sadie stirred as Sara sat back down in her seat. Sadie woke and looked out the taxi window. She smiled, and tears fell out of her eyes again.

“I miss Iceland.” She said, watching the snow fall lightly onto the roads and under the glows from the streetlights. I had to admit it was beautiful. “It’s so pretty at night in the winter.” Sadie pressed her head to the glass of the window, continuing to look at the scenery around her.

Five minutes later the cab pulled up in front of a thin, long, block of houses. All of the houses looked identical. Sadie saw her own house, and through the window saw her father watching T.V. Her forehead wrinkled, and then unwrinkled at the sight of Sara’s house. The lights were off, it was dark and deserted inside.

“No one’s home.” Sara said. “I’m glad you two are here with me, you know how much I hate being alone. I would prefer being with Saderah more!”

“Saderah?” I asked.

“My younger sister. She’s eleven, enough said?”

I laughed and helped Sadie with our bags. Sara took her sweet time getting out of the car, trying to keep her excitement from bubbling over. She shakily inserted the key into the door lock once both Sadie and I were in front of her.

The door creaked open, and in one second, everything changed…