I Liked it Better When They Were Young
"You LIKE him!"
I grabbed my school bag and ran as fast as I could from Tight Wad Hill. Tre saw I was leaving and ran after me. We reached the road when we realsied we were the only ones running. Mike and Al were still eating and Billie was looking at us with raised eyebrows.
"Where the fuck are you guys going?" Al yelled, his mouth full.
"School, we're already fifteen minutes late, let's go!" I said impaitenly.
"What, you never skived off school before?" Billie said, smirking. He seemed to have brightened up a bit!
"Oooh, you'd better not skive off school, Mr Armstrong!" drawled Mike, "Maybe they'll call your mom up to the school!" Al sniggered and they went back to eating. It was clear they weren't going anywhere. Billie, however, grabbed his bag and ran after us, while being heckled by Mike and Al ("Oooh, you one of the good guys now, Billie?") and so on.
"Looks like we've started a trend." I whispered to Tre. He laughed. He is the only one who laughs at all my jokes.
2:21pm
Mrs Mowatt yelled at us for about an hour. Billie didn't look to bothered. Tre was shaking.
"I can expect this from you, Miss Meade." She raged, "Was it last year you set the science lab on fire?"
"No, that was the year before last year. Last year I flooded the toilets" Billie pursed his lips together and stared at the ground, but it was no good. He got redder and redder until he collapsed, laughing his gorgeous little head off. His eyes were watering, his eyeliner was getting smudged. Mrs Mowatt tutted.
"I don't know what you're laughing at, Mr Armstrong. This is your first day." Billie stood up straight and wiped his eyes, suddenly serious.
"Hey, I'm only here coz I got chucked out of my two last schools! So don't make it seem like I want to make a good impression, ok?" Mrs Mowatt looked livid.
"How dare you!" She boomed, spraying us with spit. "All three of you will miss your trip to the Metropolitan Musuem of Art next month in New York!"
"You make it sound like a punishment." Billie sneered. She ignored him. Tre looked like he would cry.
"Now, all of you go off to history and continue with your work." Said Mowatt. She opened the door. As we left, Billie muttered, "Now there's a punishment!" but we were down the hall before she could spray us again.
3:23pm
Soon we'll be out of this hellhole. I'm in French with Billie. Tre isn't in my French class, so we're alone together. Billie looked bored as hell. He'd got his confidence back, his bad guy spark. He didn't rat on Mike and Al for skiving, which I thought he might have done. But he wasn't vunerable any more. He was Billie Joe. Gorgeous and street wise, reckless and tough.Smooth and charming, rude and dangerously smart. He could be a really good student. If he wanted to be.
"Le Francies de merde, that's all I know in French." He drawled, chewing on a split nail.
"French is shit?" I translated unsurely. He nodded and we both laughed. He smiled at me.
"You're really cool, you know that?" He still really liked me. Even when he was messing around. It suddenly hit me that I wanted him to be impressed by me. Like he was when he'd found out I'd set the science lab on fire or flooded the toilets. I wanted to be a girl worthy of such a bad guy. So I flashed him a winning smile and said "Thanks Billie." in my sexiest voice. He raised his eyebrows a bit, then he went back to chewing his nails. Bad guys don't say, "You're welcome."
3:49pm
On the bus. Billie gets the same bus as me (Hallelujah!). The guy driving the bus was old and a little short sighted, so Billie gave him less than what we should have payed. We sat down together. I was in stitches.
"You shouldn't have payed for me!" I said, giving him a little nudge. He scoffed.
"Why not? It cost the same as one bus fare!" I laughed and looked behind me at the back of the bus at Renee, Frazer and Megan (Elliot was working at Safeways). Renee and Frazer were listening to music and Megan was watching me curoiusly. I smiled at her and she sort of half smiled back, then she looked out of the window, a satisfied expression on her face. Like she'd solved a maths puzzle she couldn't crack.
I turned my attention back to Billie. I leaned in close.
"Did you really get expelled from two schools."
"Yup."
"Wow." I said, looking at him alluringly. "You musta done something real bad." He kind of shrugged me off, becoming all shy and nice again. Like at Tight Wad Hill.
"Hmm, I guess." He said, looking out of the window. We didn't speak again until his stop.
"This is my stop." He said, picking up his school bag and swinging it over his shoulder and onto his back. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"I guess." I said, looking up at him. He smiled at me.
"Thanks for showing me 'round, and for being my friend. I had a real great first day. I'm really glad I picked you to sit next to in registration." He walked towards the front of the bus. Just before he got off, he turned to face me. "You know what they say though. The second day's always better than the first." I laughed. He turned around, said to the bus driver, "See you man.", gave me a cheeky smile, then he got off and started walking home. I watched him until he was an ant person, shrinking into the distance. Megan laughed.
"NOW I see what's going on!"
"What are you talking about?" I said. She laughed again.
"You LIKE him!"
"What?!"
"Oh don't be coy with me! There's nothing to be embarrassed about Peaches, he's a good looking guy." I was annoyed. Who was SHE to say who I liked? She was dead right of course, but that wasn't the point.
"Ok, so maybe I like him...." She whooped triumphantly. "I didn't say I fancied him!" I said desperately. Renee took out his headphones.
"What's going on?"
"Peaches has a little crush on that kid with the eyeliner!" Cheers Megs.
"Reeeaaallly?" Renee said, smiling at me.
"Yes really, ok? I like him, LIKE him, like him. Y' happy now!" They just laughed like idiots.
"A white wedding, where's my hat?" Renee drawled. He dug in his school bag, got out his beenie and rammed it on his head. "There we are!" Megan was shaking with laughter. I thought she was going to wet herself. I hoped she would, which sounds terrible but there you go. Then Frazer joined in.
"What's everyone laughing about?"
"Peaches LIKES someone Frazer!" I ignored them and stared out the window. I'd only have to put up with them for another five miuntes. I didn't need them as friends anymore. I had Billie. And he was worth ten of every single on of them. Twenty.
4:32pm
At home, watching TV. Bored out of my mind. Dad's response to "I'm home!" was "Oh. Are you?" That's all I've got to say at the moment really.
6:30pm
Coming home from Pizza hut. We got a take away tea. I saw Billie as we drove home. He was standing by the bus stop, smoking. I almost screamed, "Stop the car! I have to say hi!" But I didn't.
9:30pm
Watching Friends. I really want to see him. Hear him laugh, watch him smile.
11:32pm
I can't stop thinking about him. I think he likes me, I just know it.
Tuesday 24th August 12:22am
What if he doesn't?
1:03am
Why else would he tell me I'm pretty? No, he definately likes me. Night night Billie, wherever you are. I wonder if he's a good kisser? NO! Sleep! Zzzz
"Where the fuck are you guys going?" Al yelled, his mouth full.
"School, we're already fifteen minutes late, let's go!" I said impaitenly.
"What, you never skived off school before?" Billie said, smirking. He seemed to have brightened up a bit!
"Oooh, you'd better not skive off school, Mr Armstrong!" drawled Mike, "Maybe they'll call your mom up to the school!" Al sniggered and they went back to eating. It was clear they weren't going anywhere. Billie, however, grabbed his bag and ran after us, while being heckled by Mike and Al ("Oooh, you one of the good guys now, Billie?") and so on.
"Looks like we've started a trend." I whispered to Tre. He laughed. He is the only one who laughs at all my jokes.
2:21pm
Mrs Mowatt yelled at us for about an hour. Billie didn't look to bothered. Tre was shaking.
"I can expect this from you, Miss Meade." She raged, "Was it last year you set the science lab on fire?"
"No, that was the year before last year. Last year I flooded the toilets" Billie pursed his lips together and stared at the ground, but it was no good. He got redder and redder until he collapsed, laughing his gorgeous little head off. His eyes were watering, his eyeliner was getting smudged. Mrs Mowatt tutted.
"I don't know what you're laughing at, Mr Armstrong. This is your first day." Billie stood up straight and wiped his eyes, suddenly serious.
"Hey, I'm only here coz I got chucked out of my two last schools! So don't make it seem like I want to make a good impression, ok?" Mrs Mowatt looked livid.
"How dare you!" She boomed, spraying us with spit. "All three of you will miss your trip to the Metropolitan Musuem of Art next month in New York!"
"You make it sound like a punishment." Billie sneered. She ignored him. Tre looked like he would cry.
"Now, all of you go off to history and continue with your work." Said Mowatt. She opened the door. As we left, Billie muttered, "Now there's a punishment!" but we were down the hall before she could spray us again.
3:23pm
Soon we'll be out of this hellhole. I'm in French with Billie. Tre isn't in my French class, so we're alone together. Billie looked bored as hell. He'd got his confidence back, his bad guy spark. He didn't rat on Mike and Al for skiving, which I thought he might have done. But he wasn't vunerable any more. He was Billie Joe. Gorgeous and street wise, reckless and tough.Smooth and charming, rude and dangerously smart. He could be a really good student. If he wanted to be.
"Le Francies de merde, that's all I know in French." He drawled, chewing on a split nail.
"French is shit?" I translated unsurely. He nodded and we both laughed. He smiled at me.
"You're really cool, you know that?" He still really liked me. Even when he was messing around. It suddenly hit me that I wanted him to be impressed by me. Like he was when he'd found out I'd set the science lab on fire or flooded the toilets. I wanted to be a girl worthy of such a bad guy. So I flashed him a winning smile and said "Thanks Billie." in my sexiest voice. He raised his eyebrows a bit, then he went back to chewing his nails. Bad guys don't say, "You're welcome."
3:49pm
On the bus. Billie gets the same bus as me (Hallelujah!). The guy driving the bus was old and a little short sighted, so Billie gave him less than what we should have payed. We sat down together. I was in stitches.
"You shouldn't have payed for me!" I said, giving him a little nudge. He scoffed.
"Why not? It cost the same as one bus fare!" I laughed and looked behind me at the back of the bus at Renee, Frazer and Megan (Elliot was working at Safeways). Renee and Frazer were listening to music and Megan was watching me curoiusly. I smiled at her and she sort of half smiled back, then she looked out of the window, a satisfied expression on her face. Like she'd solved a maths puzzle she couldn't crack.
I turned my attention back to Billie. I leaned in close.
"Did you really get expelled from two schools."
"Yup."
"Wow." I said, looking at him alluringly. "You musta done something real bad." He kind of shrugged me off, becoming all shy and nice again. Like at Tight Wad Hill.
"Hmm, I guess." He said, looking out of the window. We didn't speak again until his stop.
"This is my stop." He said, picking up his school bag and swinging it over his shoulder and onto his back. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"I guess." I said, looking up at him. He smiled at me.
"Thanks for showing me 'round, and for being my friend. I had a real great first day. I'm really glad I picked you to sit next to in registration." He walked towards the front of the bus. Just before he got off, he turned to face me. "You know what they say though. The second day's always better than the first." I laughed. He turned around, said to the bus driver, "See you man.", gave me a cheeky smile, then he got off and started walking home. I watched him until he was an ant person, shrinking into the distance. Megan laughed.
"NOW I see what's going on!"
"What are you talking about?" I said. She laughed again.
"You LIKE him!"
"What?!"
"Oh don't be coy with me! There's nothing to be embarrassed about Peaches, he's a good looking guy." I was annoyed. Who was SHE to say who I liked? She was dead right of course, but that wasn't the point.
"Ok, so maybe I like him...." She whooped triumphantly. "I didn't say I fancied him!" I said desperately. Renee took out his headphones.
"What's going on?"
"Peaches has a little crush on that kid with the eyeliner!" Cheers Megs.
"Reeeaaallly?" Renee said, smiling at me.
"Yes really, ok? I like him, LIKE him, like him. Y' happy now!" They just laughed like idiots.
"A white wedding, where's my hat?" Renee drawled. He dug in his school bag, got out his beenie and rammed it on his head. "There we are!" Megan was shaking with laughter. I thought she was going to wet herself. I hoped she would, which sounds terrible but there you go. Then Frazer joined in.
"What's everyone laughing about?"
"Peaches LIKES someone Frazer!" I ignored them and stared out the window. I'd only have to put up with them for another five miuntes. I didn't need them as friends anymore. I had Billie. And he was worth ten of every single on of them. Twenty.
4:32pm
At home, watching TV. Bored out of my mind. Dad's response to "I'm home!" was "Oh. Are you?" That's all I've got to say at the moment really.
6:30pm
Coming home from Pizza hut. We got a take away tea. I saw Billie as we drove home. He was standing by the bus stop, smoking. I almost screamed, "Stop the car! I have to say hi!" But I didn't.
9:30pm
Watching Friends. I really want to see him. Hear him laugh, watch him smile.
11:32pm
I can't stop thinking about him. I think he likes me, I just know it.
Tuesday 24th August 12:22am
What if he doesn't?
1:03am
Why else would he tell me I'm pretty? No, he definately likes me. Night night Billie, wherever you are. I wonder if he's a good kisser? NO! Sleep! Zzzz