I Liked it Better When They Were Young
"The second day's always better than the first."
6:54am
Had a dream about Billie feeding me strawberries and cream. Why did I have to wake up?
8:45am
On the bus. Megan came up to me.
"Hey Peaches." She said quietly.
"Hi Megan." I said coolly, pretending to look for something in my bag.
"Look, I'm sorry we teased you yesterday. I'm actually really glad you've found someone you like. I was worried that if you didn't, Renee might ask you out. Or that idiot Tre..." OK, so she had apolidgised. I decided to accept.
"Ok, fine." She sat down next to me. She offered me one of her chocolate chip cookies. I took one.
"So." She said, shrugging her shoulders contentedly, "He kissed you yet?" I KNEW something like that was coming!
"I met him yesterday!"
"So no?"
"No, not yet. But he's told me I'm pretty."
"Good, what else?"
"Mmm. Oh, I know! He was feeling sad because his dad died when he was ten..."
"Aww!"
"I know! Anyway, he said there was nothing in his life worth sticking around for. Then he kind of leaned on my shoulder and said, "Except you of course!"
"That's so sweet!"
"I know."
Just then Billie came on the bus. My legs went jelloed. Good thing I was sittng down. Billie looked slightly disapointed when he noticed Megan was sitting with me, but he shrugged it off and took a seat two away from the back. Megan gave me a subtle wink and went to sit at the back with Renee. Billie watched her go and then came over and sat beside me.
"Hey Soph." Ohh. He was even more gorgeous than yesterday, if that was possible.
"Hey, Billie." I said, looking away shyly. Billie leaned back in his seat.
"So, dreading this?" He said, reffering to going off to school.
"Believe me, I always dread this!" He laughed. I love him, I love him. He closed his eyes and rubbed his face, supporting his head with his arm.
"Are you ok?" I asked.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Just didn't get much sleep last night. I find it hard to unwind." He looked very scared for a moment. "When I was a kid I used to think that I wouldn't wake up the next day." He laughed. "Kinda stupid, huh?" I smiled.
"I don't think so."
12:41pm
In Maths. Billie's up to his old tricks again. It's weird how he does that. One minute he's like Mr Sensitive, the next he's the rebel. I really don't get it. I don't care though, he's still the most amazing guy in the universe. Anyway, just now he's painting his jotter with tipex. He isn't at all interested in triangles or quadrilaterals.
"Finished!" He said triumphantly. I looked over. His whole maths jotter was covered in tipex graffiti. He looked down at it, admiring his handiwork. "Well, whad'ya think?"
"Yeah, that's uh, that's great Billie."
"We still on for lunch?"
"Yeah, you bet."
"Cool." He shook his tipex and started to paint the desk.
1:05pm
In the cafeteria with Billie, Mike and Tre, coz nobody could be bothered to walk anywhere. It's so cool to be part of my own little group. Even Tre looks a bit more comfortable. I leaned in close so only he could hear.
"Bet this beats sitting on your own, huh?" I said, smiling. He shrugged.
"Yeah it's cool. It was nice when it was just you and me as well though." What a moper. All his life he's been worried he doesn't fit in and now he finally has some cool people to hang out with. And it's not bloody good enough. I don't know.
"Where's Al?" I asked, remembering him for a second. Billie shook his head.
"He doesn't go to school." He scoffed. "Lucky Bastard!"
"Oh, is he at Uni now?" Billie and Mike nodded. Mike laughed.
"I dunno. He finally escapes Pinole Hellhole and where does he go? Berkeley University." We all laughed.
2:55pm
In history. Billie is drawing. He doesn't care about what somebody did ages ago. He lives in the moment. I sit next to Tre in history, which I'm kind of glad about. Sometimes, I've found, you can get too much of Billie. What am I talking about? I don't get enough! Sometimes, though, I feel a bit wary around him. Like I don't know him that well, which I don't. It's nice to be around someone familiar.
"How's the band going?" I asked Tre. He shook his head.
"Not good. We're not getting very far." I patted him on the back.
"Hey, it's early days yet, I have really high hopes for you guys. Trust me, you'll work it out." Tre nodded slightly, almost like he was blinded by what I was saying. I watched Billie. He keeps looking over at me. I guess he misses it when I don't sit next to him.
3:45pm
On the bus home. Billie is sitting on his own. He has a notebook and pencil out. I looked over.
"What are you drawing?" He looked up.
"I'm not drawing, I'm writing."
"Oh." He smiled.
"Bet you wanna know what I'm writing about." I giggled.
"A little bit." He laughed.
"Come over here." I came over and sat next to him. He looked my up and down, sizing me up. Then he opened his notebook.
"Just this page." He said, flipping through his notebook rapidly until he found what he was looking for. He passed me his notebook. There was scruffy writing in sections and on the opposite page, there was music.
"Why Do You Want Him?" I read out quietly, so only me and Billie could hear. "I saw you standing alone With a sad Look on your face You call him on the phone Looks like he left without a trace." I read the rest silently. Once I was finished, I passed him his notebook back. "That's really good." He looked pleased.
"You think?"
"Yeah! Is it a song?" He nodded.
"That's one of my older ones. I wrote it when my mom got together with my stepdad." I nodded.
"Yeah, that makes sense. With the lyrics." He smiled. He traced the opposite page with his finger.
"That part there, that's the guitar part."
"Oh, you play guitar?" He nodded.
"Yeah. Do you?" I giggled shyly, which sounds cute on paper, but trust me, it's not.
"Kind of. I don't think I'm as serious about it as you though." He smiled and looked away, as if to say, "Nobody is, my dear!"
"What do you play?" He asked.
"A blue Fernandes Stratocaster." He frowned.
"Really? That's so weird, so do I! Same model, same colour!" I grinned.
"Really?"
"Yeah, my mom bought it off my old guitar teacher, coz I'd always loved it. Now you know why she works in a diner!" He said laughing. Then he looked scared. "Oh god, don't tell her I said that!" I smiled.
"Don't worry, I won't." He grinned. "So when did you start writing your own songs?" He thought.
"Well, Why Do You Want Him was the first song I wrote and I wrote that when I was... twelve." He finished.
"Twelve?" He nodded. Then he bit his lip.
"It's weird, I never got the chance to play my songs for my dad." He laughed. "They all started coming to me after he died." I smiled at him.
"Well, I'd love to hear you play sometime." It was out before I thought better of it. God, it sounded so corny! Luckily, he smiled.
"Really? Coz that'd be great, I could use, a critic, I guess!" He looked out of the window, smiling to himself. His eyes widened.
"No...." He murmered.
"What?"
"I've missed my stop!"
9:30pm
Billie got off at the next stop and walked home from there. I'm watching Friends again.
Wednesday 25th August 9:43am
In assembly. It's kind of a "Welcome back to Pinole Hellhole" and "Isn't this going to be the BEST year?" kind of thing. I was almost cryng with the overwhelming emotion. Of boredom. The bell rang. Honestly, I have never been so ludicrously happy about going to maths. Billie, Mike and Tre caught up with me outside in the corridor, because we're all sat in alphabetical order. Billie was talking to Tre, who was laughing his head off.
"So she's honestly not in a fat suit?"
"No!" Tre spluttered. I laughed.
"Is this Mowatt you're talking about?"
"She's hu..." Billie began. I raised my eyebrows. "She's big boned, to put it kindly." I laughed. Mike sneered.
"Since when do YOU put things kindly?" Billie laughed.
"Well, according to someone, this year is..." He cleared his throat, "A new beginning, a chance for you all to reinvent yourselves..."
Had a dream about Billie feeding me strawberries and cream. Why did I have to wake up?
8:45am
On the bus. Megan came up to me.
"Hey Peaches." She said quietly.
"Hi Megan." I said coolly, pretending to look for something in my bag.
"Look, I'm sorry we teased you yesterday. I'm actually really glad you've found someone you like. I was worried that if you didn't, Renee might ask you out. Or that idiot Tre..." OK, so she had apolidgised. I decided to accept.
"Ok, fine." She sat down next to me. She offered me one of her chocolate chip cookies. I took one.
"So." She said, shrugging her shoulders contentedly, "He kissed you yet?" I KNEW something like that was coming!
"I met him yesterday!"
"So no?"
"No, not yet. But he's told me I'm pretty."
"Good, what else?"
"Mmm. Oh, I know! He was feeling sad because his dad died when he was ten..."
"Aww!"
"I know! Anyway, he said there was nothing in his life worth sticking around for. Then he kind of leaned on my shoulder and said, "Except you of course!"
"That's so sweet!"
"I know."
Just then Billie came on the bus. My legs went jelloed. Good thing I was sittng down. Billie looked slightly disapointed when he noticed Megan was sitting with me, but he shrugged it off and took a seat two away from the back. Megan gave me a subtle wink and went to sit at the back with Renee. Billie watched her go and then came over and sat beside me.
"Hey Soph." Ohh. He was even more gorgeous than yesterday, if that was possible.
"Hey, Billie." I said, looking away shyly. Billie leaned back in his seat.
"So, dreading this?" He said, reffering to going off to school.
"Believe me, I always dread this!" He laughed. I love him, I love him. He closed his eyes and rubbed his face, supporting his head with his arm.
"Are you ok?" I asked.
"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Just didn't get much sleep last night. I find it hard to unwind." He looked very scared for a moment. "When I was a kid I used to think that I wouldn't wake up the next day." He laughed. "Kinda stupid, huh?" I smiled.
"I don't think so."
12:41pm
In Maths. Billie's up to his old tricks again. It's weird how he does that. One minute he's like Mr Sensitive, the next he's the rebel. I really don't get it. I don't care though, he's still the most amazing guy in the universe. Anyway, just now he's painting his jotter with tipex. He isn't at all interested in triangles or quadrilaterals.
"Finished!" He said triumphantly. I looked over. His whole maths jotter was covered in tipex graffiti. He looked down at it, admiring his handiwork. "Well, whad'ya think?"
"Yeah, that's uh, that's great Billie."
"We still on for lunch?"
"Yeah, you bet."
"Cool." He shook his tipex and started to paint the desk.
1:05pm
In the cafeteria with Billie, Mike and Tre, coz nobody could be bothered to walk anywhere. It's so cool to be part of my own little group. Even Tre looks a bit more comfortable. I leaned in close so only he could hear.
"Bet this beats sitting on your own, huh?" I said, smiling. He shrugged.
"Yeah it's cool. It was nice when it was just you and me as well though." What a moper. All his life he's been worried he doesn't fit in and now he finally has some cool people to hang out with. And it's not bloody good enough. I don't know.
"Where's Al?" I asked, remembering him for a second. Billie shook his head.
"He doesn't go to school." He scoffed. "Lucky Bastard!"
"Oh, is he at Uni now?" Billie and Mike nodded. Mike laughed.
"I dunno. He finally escapes Pinole Hellhole and where does he go? Berkeley University." We all laughed.
2:55pm
In history. Billie is drawing. He doesn't care about what somebody did ages ago. He lives in the moment. I sit next to Tre in history, which I'm kind of glad about. Sometimes, I've found, you can get too much of Billie. What am I talking about? I don't get enough! Sometimes, though, I feel a bit wary around him. Like I don't know him that well, which I don't. It's nice to be around someone familiar.
"How's the band going?" I asked Tre. He shook his head.
"Not good. We're not getting very far." I patted him on the back.
"Hey, it's early days yet, I have really high hopes for you guys. Trust me, you'll work it out." Tre nodded slightly, almost like he was blinded by what I was saying. I watched Billie. He keeps looking over at me. I guess he misses it when I don't sit next to him.
3:45pm
On the bus home. Billie is sitting on his own. He has a notebook and pencil out. I looked over.
"What are you drawing?" He looked up.
"I'm not drawing, I'm writing."
"Oh." He smiled.
"Bet you wanna know what I'm writing about." I giggled.
"A little bit." He laughed.
"Come over here." I came over and sat next to him. He looked my up and down, sizing me up. Then he opened his notebook.
"Just this page." He said, flipping through his notebook rapidly until he found what he was looking for. He passed me his notebook. There was scruffy writing in sections and on the opposite page, there was music.
"Why Do You Want Him?" I read out quietly, so only me and Billie could hear. "I saw you standing alone With a sad Look on your face You call him on the phone Looks like he left without a trace." I read the rest silently. Once I was finished, I passed him his notebook back. "That's really good." He looked pleased.
"You think?"
"Yeah! Is it a song?" He nodded.
"That's one of my older ones. I wrote it when my mom got together with my stepdad." I nodded.
"Yeah, that makes sense. With the lyrics." He smiled. He traced the opposite page with his finger.
"That part there, that's the guitar part."
"Oh, you play guitar?" He nodded.
"Yeah. Do you?" I giggled shyly, which sounds cute on paper, but trust me, it's not.
"Kind of. I don't think I'm as serious about it as you though." He smiled and looked away, as if to say, "Nobody is, my dear!"
"What do you play?" He asked.
"A blue Fernandes Stratocaster." He frowned.
"Really? That's so weird, so do I! Same model, same colour!" I grinned.
"Really?"
"Yeah, my mom bought it off my old guitar teacher, coz I'd always loved it. Now you know why she works in a diner!" He said laughing. Then he looked scared. "Oh god, don't tell her I said that!" I smiled.
"Don't worry, I won't." He grinned. "So when did you start writing your own songs?" He thought.
"Well, Why Do You Want Him was the first song I wrote and I wrote that when I was... twelve." He finished.
"Twelve?" He nodded. Then he bit his lip.
"It's weird, I never got the chance to play my songs for my dad." He laughed. "They all started coming to me after he died." I smiled at him.
"Well, I'd love to hear you play sometime." It was out before I thought better of it. God, it sounded so corny! Luckily, he smiled.
"Really? Coz that'd be great, I could use, a critic, I guess!" He looked out of the window, smiling to himself. His eyes widened.
"No...." He murmered.
"What?"
"I've missed my stop!"
9:30pm
Billie got off at the next stop and walked home from there. I'm watching Friends again.
Wednesday 25th August 9:43am
In assembly. It's kind of a "Welcome back to Pinole Hellhole" and "Isn't this going to be the BEST year?" kind of thing. I was almost cryng with the overwhelming emotion. Of boredom. The bell rang. Honestly, I have never been so ludicrously happy about going to maths. Billie, Mike and Tre caught up with me outside in the corridor, because we're all sat in alphabetical order. Billie was talking to Tre, who was laughing his head off.
"So she's honestly not in a fat suit?"
"No!" Tre spluttered. I laughed.
"Is this Mowatt you're talking about?"
"She's hu..." Billie began. I raised my eyebrows. "She's big boned, to put it kindly." I laughed. Mike sneered.
"Since when do YOU put things kindly?" Billie laughed.
"Well, according to someone, this year is..." He cleared his throat, "A new beginning, a chance for you all to reinvent yourselves..."