I Liked it Better When They Were Young
Sunday morning, rain is falling
Sunday 28th August 9:45am
In bed. I heard a knock at the door. Dad was out and Mom was still asleep, so I answered it in my silk nightdress. It was probably just the postie. I opened the door. Was it hell! It was Mike.
"Fuck!" I squealed, running ip the stairs to get my dressing gown.
"Sorry." He said when I came back down, "I thought you'd be up."
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Nothing." He said, coming in. "Just wanted to see how you were."
"How did you find out where I lived?"
"Billie knows your address, he told me to come 'round. He said you wouldn't want to see him."
"Wow. You know, he's quite smart when he's not all doped up." Mike sighed.
"How could he do this Mike?" I asked him. He shrugged.
"He... isn't happy. I guess he takes drugs to unwind, disconnect from everything. Plus it's getting near September..."
"What's wrong with September?"
"His dad died on the 1st of September."
"Oh." I sat down on the stairs. He sat with me. I looked at him. "Well, can you tell him from me that I'm sorry for overreacting. And that I'll see him at school." Mike frowned.
"Don't you guys get the same bus?" I was surprised. And a bit freaked out.
"How did you know that?"
"Billie told me. He talks about you a lot." He stood up, "I'll go then."
"Wait!" He turned around. I sighed. "Would you mind staying with me for a while? You know, keep me company?" He shrugged.
"No."
"We can play plastation!" I suggested. He laughed.
"Ok then!" We ran up the stairs and I turned on my playstation.
"CTR or Crash 2, Cortex Strikes Back?" He laughed.
"CTR, definately." I smiled and put in the disk. Mike looked around my room.
"Your room's... nice." He said awkwardly.
"Er, thanks." I said, just as awkwardly. I got out a second controller. "I hope you're good at this game. I like a worthy opponent." He took the controller off me.
"Oh, I'm pretty damn good!" I smirked at him and moved the analog stick so that "Versus" was highlighted.
"Who do you race as?" I asked.
"Tiny."
"TINY?! Ha!" He tutted at me.
"Whatever! Who do you race as?"
"Polar." He raised his eyebrows. I shot daggers at him. "What?"
"Nothing!" He said in a sing song voice.
1:30pm
In my room. Mike's still over. We played on the playstation for a bit and then we got to talking. You have to draw him out a bit, he's quite a private guy. But when you do, he turns out to be really sweet. Knock knock on the door. Mom poked her head in.
"May I come in?"
"No." I said, but she came in anyway. She must be going deaf in her old age.
"Sophie, is your gentleman friend staying for lunch?" MY GENTLEMAN FRIEND???
"That'd be nice, if it's ok with you?" Mike said, treating my mother like a normal human being. She was about to answer, but I cut across her.
"That's fine Mike. Mom, can we have lunch in my room?"
"Alright then!" She said, giggling. She though we were going out. She actually thought we were going out. She closed the door. I turned to Mike.
"Sorry about that." I sighed. "My mother is an alien." I lay back on my bed. He leaned over, looking down at me.
"Just be glad you have a mother." I stared up at him for a beat.
"Yeah. Billie told me about that..."
"He did, huh?"
"Yeah and I'm sorry." He shrugged me off.
"It's ok. It's not your fault." He looked out of the window. "Raining again! That's all it ever does in Berkeley!" I grinned. It was sweet. He was uncomfortable, so he was changing the subject. Then mom came through with some Doritos and dips.
"Thanks mom." I said to her as she put them on my table.
"That's ok. I'll leave you pair, you know, alone." I turned scarlet.
"You can stay if you want." Mike said, casually letting her know there was nothing going on between us.
"What are you talking about? No she can't! Mom, out."
"Don't be so cheeky Sophie!" She snapped. "That's five dollars off your allowance." I groaned and lay back on the bed. Mom left the room. Mike sighed.
"Sorry I got you in trouble."
"Oh, please. You know that word? You're so polite!" He laughed.
"It's called civilised conversation!" I rolled my eyes and dipped on of the doritos in the cheese and chive dip.
Monday 29th August 8:00am
Straightening my hair. I have decided to ignore Billie today. See how the day pans out first. I should be able to handle that. Fuck! My hair won't go straight and I've burned myself with the straighteners. I'll have to put it back. Megan taught me how to do a loose bun and when she did it, it looked really cool. Also, a high bun won't cover the burn.
8:43am
On the bus. Frazer's off school and I'm the coolest after him, so I got to sit at the back, joys of joys. (!) Billie got on the bus. I looked out of the window. Renee added a cool point. Billie sighed and took a seat two away from the back. Renne looked shocked.
"Oi! You! You're not cool enough to sit there!" Billie turned around.
"And you're not strong enough to stop me." He said smoothly and he settled back in his new found seat. Renee opened his mouth to say something, but then he stopped. It was true. He was the tallest boy ever, but also the thinnest and built like a twig. I watched Billie light up a fag. Just a normal fag. Clouds of smoke wafted in the driver's direction. The bus screetched to a halt and the driver got out of his little ticket booth.
"There's none of that on this bus." He said, "Either put it out or walk." Billie glared at him, but he put out the fag. Renee smirked at Billie, looking his usual cocky self once again. Billie's hands cleched into fists, then he unclenched them slowly and got out his lyric book. He hummed slightly, scribbling madly. He was writing. I remembered in full Technecolor detail when he showed me what he was writing. That was it. The ignoring thing had to stop if I was going to make it to lunch without popping pills.
"Billie?" He looked up.
"What?"
"Can I sit with you?" He looked very surprised, but he nodded and moved his bag so there was room. I looked back at Renee, who was staring at me in disbelief. I smiled at him.
"Sorry Ren. But, cool points aren't cool points if you earn 'em from a dork." And I sat down with Billie.
9:08am
In registration with Billie and Tre. Mike's in a different reggie class from us. Ok, so I didn't keep up my ignoring stategy, but how could I? The bell rang and we all left the classroom. Tre took me to one side.
"I thought you weren't talking to him anymore." He said, glaring at Billie.
"I know, I wasn't. Then, I changed my mind." He sighed exasperatedly. "Come on guys, let's go, we'll be late for maths." I said.
"Maths?" Said Billie, smirking, "You really wanna hurry?" I smiled.
"Stay here if you want. But it means you'll get caught, and then you'll be stuck in detention with Mofatt all lunchtime." He raised his eyebrows. "
"Good point." Tre was already away to class. He doesn't have to be told. He loves Maths. Freak.
4:30pm
Ok day at school. Although I did sit down where there wasn't a chair. I just misjudged it. My ass really hurts! I'm fully friends with Billie again, no more ignoring. It's impossible! I know he's troubled, but I like that about him.
Wednesday 31st August 12:03pm
In history. Billie's been strangly quiet lately, not playing the fool or being the bad boy. Just getting his head down and doing his work. When I ask him, he puts it down to tiredness, but why would you want to do work if you were tired? I think it's coz September 1st is on the horizon. All the teachers must love it when September comes!
In bed. I heard a knock at the door. Dad was out and Mom was still asleep, so I answered it in my silk nightdress. It was probably just the postie. I opened the door. Was it hell! It was Mike.
"Fuck!" I squealed, running ip the stairs to get my dressing gown.
"Sorry." He said when I came back down, "I thought you'd be up."
"What do you want?" I asked.
"Nothing." He said, coming in. "Just wanted to see how you were."
"How did you find out where I lived?"
"Billie knows your address, he told me to come 'round. He said you wouldn't want to see him."
"Wow. You know, he's quite smart when he's not all doped up." Mike sighed.
"How could he do this Mike?" I asked him. He shrugged.
"He... isn't happy. I guess he takes drugs to unwind, disconnect from everything. Plus it's getting near September..."
"What's wrong with September?"
"His dad died on the 1st of September."
"Oh." I sat down on the stairs. He sat with me. I looked at him. "Well, can you tell him from me that I'm sorry for overreacting. And that I'll see him at school." Mike frowned.
"Don't you guys get the same bus?" I was surprised. And a bit freaked out.
"How did you know that?"
"Billie told me. He talks about you a lot." He stood up, "I'll go then."
"Wait!" He turned around. I sighed. "Would you mind staying with me for a while? You know, keep me company?" He shrugged.
"No."
"We can play plastation!" I suggested. He laughed.
"Ok then!" We ran up the stairs and I turned on my playstation.
"CTR or Crash 2, Cortex Strikes Back?" He laughed.
"CTR, definately." I smiled and put in the disk. Mike looked around my room.
"Your room's... nice." He said awkwardly.
"Er, thanks." I said, just as awkwardly. I got out a second controller. "I hope you're good at this game. I like a worthy opponent." He took the controller off me.
"Oh, I'm pretty damn good!" I smirked at him and moved the analog stick so that "Versus" was highlighted.
"Who do you race as?" I asked.
"Tiny."
"TINY?! Ha!" He tutted at me.
"Whatever! Who do you race as?"
"Polar." He raised his eyebrows. I shot daggers at him. "What?"
"Nothing!" He said in a sing song voice.
1:30pm
In my room. Mike's still over. We played on the playstation for a bit and then we got to talking. You have to draw him out a bit, he's quite a private guy. But when you do, he turns out to be really sweet. Knock knock on the door. Mom poked her head in.
"May I come in?"
"No." I said, but she came in anyway. She must be going deaf in her old age.
"Sophie, is your gentleman friend staying for lunch?" MY GENTLEMAN FRIEND???
"That'd be nice, if it's ok with you?" Mike said, treating my mother like a normal human being. She was about to answer, but I cut across her.
"That's fine Mike. Mom, can we have lunch in my room?"
"Alright then!" She said, giggling. She though we were going out. She actually thought we were going out. She closed the door. I turned to Mike.
"Sorry about that." I sighed. "My mother is an alien." I lay back on my bed. He leaned over, looking down at me.
"Just be glad you have a mother." I stared up at him for a beat.
"Yeah. Billie told me about that..."
"He did, huh?"
"Yeah and I'm sorry." He shrugged me off.
"It's ok. It's not your fault." He looked out of the window. "Raining again! That's all it ever does in Berkeley!" I grinned. It was sweet. He was uncomfortable, so he was changing the subject. Then mom came through with some Doritos and dips.
"Thanks mom." I said to her as she put them on my table.
"That's ok. I'll leave you pair, you know, alone." I turned scarlet.
"You can stay if you want." Mike said, casually letting her know there was nothing going on between us.
"What are you talking about? No she can't! Mom, out."
"Don't be so cheeky Sophie!" She snapped. "That's five dollars off your allowance." I groaned and lay back on the bed. Mom left the room. Mike sighed.
"Sorry I got you in trouble."
"Oh, please. You know that word? You're so polite!" He laughed.
"It's called civilised conversation!" I rolled my eyes and dipped on of the doritos in the cheese and chive dip.
Monday 29th August 8:00am
Straightening my hair. I have decided to ignore Billie today. See how the day pans out first. I should be able to handle that. Fuck! My hair won't go straight and I've burned myself with the straighteners. I'll have to put it back. Megan taught me how to do a loose bun and when she did it, it looked really cool. Also, a high bun won't cover the burn.
8:43am
On the bus. Frazer's off school and I'm the coolest after him, so I got to sit at the back, joys of joys. (!) Billie got on the bus. I looked out of the window. Renee added a cool point. Billie sighed and took a seat two away from the back. Renne looked shocked.
"Oi! You! You're not cool enough to sit there!" Billie turned around.
"And you're not strong enough to stop me." He said smoothly and he settled back in his new found seat. Renee opened his mouth to say something, but then he stopped. It was true. He was the tallest boy ever, but also the thinnest and built like a twig. I watched Billie light up a fag. Just a normal fag. Clouds of smoke wafted in the driver's direction. The bus screetched to a halt and the driver got out of his little ticket booth.
"There's none of that on this bus." He said, "Either put it out or walk." Billie glared at him, but he put out the fag. Renee smirked at Billie, looking his usual cocky self once again. Billie's hands cleched into fists, then he unclenched them slowly and got out his lyric book. He hummed slightly, scribbling madly. He was writing. I remembered in full Technecolor detail when he showed me what he was writing. That was it. The ignoring thing had to stop if I was going to make it to lunch without popping pills.
"Billie?" He looked up.
"What?"
"Can I sit with you?" He looked very surprised, but he nodded and moved his bag so there was room. I looked back at Renee, who was staring at me in disbelief. I smiled at him.
"Sorry Ren. But, cool points aren't cool points if you earn 'em from a dork." And I sat down with Billie.
9:08am
In registration with Billie and Tre. Mike's in a different reggie class from us. Ok, so I didn't keep up my ignoring stategy, but how could I? The bell rang and we all left the classroom. Tre took me to one side.
"I thought you weren't talking to him anymore." He said, glaring at Billie.
"I know, I wasn't. Then, I changed my mind." He sighed exasperatedly. "Come on guys, let's go, we'll be late for maths." I said.
"Maths?" Said Billie, smirking, "You really wanna hurry?" I smiled.
"Stay here if you want. But it means you'll get caught, and then you'll be stuck in detention with Mofatt all lunchtime." He raised his eyebrows. "
"Good point." Tre was already away to class. He doesn't have to be told. He loves Maths. Freak.
4:30pm
Ok day at school. Although I did sit down where there wasn't a chair. I just misjudged it. My ass really hurts! I'm fully friends with Billie again, no more ignoring. It's impossible! I know he's troubled, but I like that about him.
Wednesday 31st August 12:03pm
In history. Billie's been strangly quiet lately, not playing the fool or being the bad boy. Just getting his head down and doing his work. When I ask him, he puts it down to tiredness, but why would you want to do work if you were tired? I think it's coz September 1st is on the horizon. All the teachers must love it when September comes!