Bastards of Young

As my eyes fluttered open panic was my first feeling of the day. The little scroll in my clock on the bedside table rolled lazily up to read 11:17. “Shit,” I hissed through gritted teeth, throwing the covers off of me. Billie was rolled away from me, breathing deeply and steadily. Carefully, but quickly I grabbed my clothes for the day and raced to the bathroom.

After undressing and dressing in record time, I started to put on some quick eyeliner as the door creak open and a horribly bed headed Billie poked his head in. “So, I guess sex is out this morning?”

“Sorry,” I said taking a break from make-up to look at him apologetically. “The alarm didn’t go off.”

“Its okay, but I do think this means I get a ‘Do Whatever I Want’ pass when you get home,” he started to walk across the room and I gave him a playful smack on the back side as he passed that caused him to jump and look back at me smiling broadly.

“How about we say you get five points towards a Do Whatever I Want pass,” I said going back to my make-up.

“How many points equal a pass,” he put down the toilet lid and took a seat facing me.

“Fifty?”

He frowned and shook his head. “Well, I definitely think this earns at least forty-nine… and then another point for you hogging the covers last night.”

“I did not!”

“You so did,” he said dramatically up in mock accusation. “I froze my damn ass off!”

“Well then, why didn’t you say anything,” I closed up the eye shadow case and chucked it back into the bag before picking up my toothbrush and spreading paste on it.

“You always get mad when I wake you up in the middle of the night.”

I paused just before putting the brush under the faucet and shook my head in exasperation, looking at him in the mirror, “That was one time and it was because you came bounding into the room screaming fire at three in the morning! When else have I even been annoyed?”

“Okay, fine,” he said throwing his hands up in defeat. He sat in silence, waiting until I had the toothbrush in my mouth to say, “But, I still get the pass.” Still scrubbing my teeth I merely stood up straight and stared at his grinning face unamused before spitting into the sink.

“Dork,” was all I said as I wiped my mouth off and walked out. I smiled to myself as I heard him scramble to get up and walking quickly behind me. Just as I grabbed my bag and opened the front door he grabbed my wrist and turned me around. Before I could say anything he had his lips pressed to mine gently.

“Have fun,” he said pulling back slightly and then leaning forward again for another kiss.

“Thanks, I will,” I said turning to open the storm door. “Oh and hey,” I looked back at him, grinning mischievously. “Be thinking about how you want to use that pass.” Without waiting for a reply I walked out the door only hear it being flung open just as I started down the steps.

Billie was hanging out the door pointing at me and as he opened his mouth I prayed that Rosa and Dan weren’t within earshot. “You’re wonderful.

I laughed and shook my head. “Go get some rest, stud,” I said continuing down the stairs. Before turning to go down the street to the bus stop I looked back to the apartment where Billie was still hanging out the door. Slowly he raised his hand and waved. I bit at my lip as I returned the wave and wondered if it was possible to keep things like this forever.

I was ten minutes late getting to the coffee shop we had agreed to meet at, but no one seemed to notice as a Hispanic guy I hadn’t seen before shared his design for the issue’s lay out.

“I like it, Ray,” Ashley said from where she was sitting off to the side. “But, could you make the reviews area a little less cluttered?”

“You’d have to cut a few of them out,” he said looking at the layout as he thoughtfully scratched the back of his neck. Ashley and Ray started to debate and rearrange as I took a seat next to the Kevin guy from last time.

“What’s up,” I mumbled in greeting as he looked at me with a tired smile.

“Not much,” he rubbed his hands over his face. “I wasn’t expecting this to be such a big deal.”

I smiled and shrugged. “I kind of like how professional she is with all of it. Maybe we’ll get somewhere with all of it.”

Kevin scoffed. “Who knows?”

“Jean,” Ashley was suddenly in front of me. “Did you get anything?” She was smiling, but in an unsettling way that made me really happy I could reply yes.

“Uh, here,” I said digging into my bag and handing her my notes. Ashley took the note pad and read over it carefully, laughing at some spots and frowning at others.

“I like it,” she said handing it back. “And you’re going to talk to the rest of the band soon, right?”

“Yeah,” I said taking the pad with a smile of relief. “They actually got back early, so it’ll be no problem.”

“Great,” Ashley’s smile was genuine this time. “Can you have a first draft by next Friday?”

“Uh, sure…yeah, no problem.”

“I’m sorry,” started Megan, the girl who had suggested the queercore piece last time. “But, I don’t like them being in our zine.” I frowned in confusion and waited for her to continue.

“Why,” Ashley asked, verbalizing my thoughts.

“They’re not punk. They’re poppy , love struck hippies and worse than that they’re fucking sell outs.”

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck bristle, but I tried to keep cool as I asked, “How are they sell outs?”

“You of all people should know that the second some major label wiped out their cock and a contract they’d start sucking and signing away,” she looked at me, daring me to get mad as everyone else in the room looked like they were trying to decide whether or not to hit the deck.

“What the fuck does it matter if they sign to a major label? The Sex Pistols did it. The Clash did it. Fuck, they all did it,” I pointed to her shirt and said a little louder than I meant, “But, you’re still rocking a Hot Topic Ramones shirt. So, don’t give them any bullshit about selling out.”

Next to me, Kevin started clapping and whistling loudly, but stopped when the girl gave him a very pointed eat shit and die look. “Fucking right, man,” he mumbled, still smiling.

“I still think we should focus more on the smaller bands in the area,” was all Megan said as she crossed her arms.

“Okay,” said Ashley. “All who side with Megan raise your hands.” A few hands shot up, but definitely not the majority. “What about with Jean?” A few more hands shot up, including Kevin’s and Alex’s, but the majority of the people still hadn’t voted. “Alright, who doesn’t really give a shit and just wants to make the best fucking zine possible?” At that the rest of the people’s hands shot into the air as Ashley smirked and looked at the both of us. “Let’s shut the fuck up about it now, okay?”

“Sorry, Alex,” I said in reply to his invitation that I join him and Ray for lunch. “I’ve got my little old man waiting at home.”

Alex laughed and gave me a high five, “That’s cool. I’ll call you next week.”

“Sounds good, man,” I turned to walk away as Ray shouted that we be sure to use protection, causing everyone in the parking lot to look my way. “Asshole,” I mumbled as I flicked him off and blushed.

As I continued to walk away a black blur pushed past me and I was left standing dumbfounded, looking at the back of Megan as she stormed away.

“She a fucking bitch,” said Kevin echoing my thoughts from behind me.

“Tell me about it.”

“Well, she had a huge crush on Billie Joe for most of our high school years and he knew better than to tango with that,” Kevin shrugged as my jaw dropped.

“You’re saying she fucking jealous?”

“I’m saying she’s a bitch and a sore loser,” he smirked.

“Damn,” I shook my head in disbelief. “That’s fucking ridiculous.”

“Where are you headed,” Kevin asked as we started to walk towards my stop a couple of blocks away.

“Back home,” I grinned looking ahead. “Billie’s waiting up for me there.”

“Oooh,” Kevin laughed. “So, it’s going down in a few then?”

“Why does everyone assume we’re going to screw each other senseless?”

Kevin raised an eyebrow on his still smirking face, “Are you?” I shook my head and bit my lip shyly. “See,” he chuckled as we came to a stop on the corner of two streets. “I knew it!”

“Fuck off,” I felt heat burning my cheeks as I grinned and looked away.

“Hey, don’t be ashamed,” he said adjusting the back pack on his shoulder. “If I had some one like you to come home to I’d do the same thing. But, I gotta go this way. See ya.” With that he turned on his heel and left me looking dumbfounded at the back of some one for the second time in ten minutes.

Billie was sitting on the first couple of steps outside the apartment smoking a cigarette in a freshly laundered flannel shirt with the GBH shirt he had worn the first night we met underneath it. He looked nice except for the fact that he only had boxers on for pants.

“Well,” I said approaching him with a matching grin, “You’re way more clothed than I expected, I’ll give you that.” I ran a hand through his hair and then brought it down under his chin. Pushing it up gently, I leaned in and kissed him.

“I heard you fought the good fight today,” he said with a smirk as I stood up straight again.

I frowned, “How?”

“That Ashley girl called to leave you message about some band coming to town and she told me then,” he reached out and grabbed my hand, stroking it with his thumb. “She made you sound pretty bad ass.”

I shrugged, “Maybe. I just couldn’t let her get away with trashing something so important to you, you know?”

Billie stood and pulled me up the stairs without a word. Once inside, I shut the door and turned around to find him just looking at me happily. “Did you decide what you wanted to do,” I leaned against the door as I waited for a reply.

“Thanks for taking care of me,” he said stepping forward.

“You’re welcome?” I smirked wondering what he was up to. “It’s what I signed up for, right?”

“You didn’t have to,” he took another step forward that caused our chests to touch lightly. Cupping my face in his hands he started to kiss me at first gently, but as I pulled his hips to mine things started to get more passionate. I roughly removed the flannel shirt and tossed it to the side as he started doing some quick work on my pants while giving me a hickey on the crook of my neck. “Son of a bitch,” he said pulling back to look down at me jeans. “What is it with you and impenetrable pants?”

“Hang on,” I quickly undid the button and zipper before raising my hands in a ta-da fashion. “Good now?”

“Very,” he said reaching out tenderly to grab the bottom of my shirt. Slowly, he lifted it up and over my head. As the shirt came off and he came back into view I found him looking at me oddly with a dazed grin.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” he said picking me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed him deeply as he walked us to my room. “Forget about my pass,” he said laying me on my back in the bed and standing up, untying my shoe as he continued. “Today, I’m taking care of you.” He chucked my shoe to the side and started on the other.

“Really now?”

He smirked, “Mmhm, anything you want I’ll do.” I lifted up a little bit so he could successfully remove my jeans.

“Okay,” I said laughing as he crawled over me once again; planting small kisses on me as he did. “Let’s go out for some lunch?” His weight on me got noticeably heavier, but he started to get up mumbling consent as he did. “I was joking,” I said grabbing his arm and pulling him back.

He paused for a second before grinning, “Oh.”

“Yeah,” I pushed his head down so that our lips came together again. I could tell Billie was holding back in order to keep things slow and tender, but after two weeks of nothing I was ready to let lose too. “Just go for it,” I breathed between kisses.

“Huh?”

“Tender’s great, but not right now.”

I could feel him grinning as he continued to work on my neck, but with some suddenly added roughness that cause me to make my own little weird noise. “You,” he kept kissing, “are the best girlfriend,” he started to work his way up to my jaw line, “in the whole world.”

“Let’s not ruin this with you talking,” I quoted in frustration as I pulled his laughing form to me. Things then got a lot better for both of us.