I Liked it Better When They Were Young

3:30pm
We arrived at my house. Mike got out and thumped the car.

"Billie! Up!" Billie grunted in responce. Mike sighed and opened the car door. He then slammed it shut. Billie's eyes snapped open.

"Wh-what?"

"Up." Mike helped him out of Dave's car. Dave's car! Crap, he doesn't know we borrowed his car!

"Should we let Dave know, you know about the car?" I asked. Mike shook his head, holding Billie up.

"He let me borrow it to get to school, he knows I have it." He looked expectantly at the door. "Do you mind? I'm holding up the fort by myself here!" I quickly opened the door.

"Down Tarra!" I said firmly, as my black labrador jumped on top of Billie and Mike. Mike gave her a quick pet and hauled Billie up the stairs. I shooed Tarra away and opened the door to my bedroom. Billie was now pretty much out of it. Mike dumped him on my bed and looked at me.

"Where are you gonna sleep?" I shrugged.

"I'll put some pillows on the floor." Mike sighed.

"I'm sorry I'm putting you through this...."

"Hey! It's not your fault." He nodded.

"I know. But I'm still sorry. And so is Billie, he just doesn't know it yet." I giggled.

"So, I guess that's that." He nodded.

"I'll be back early tomorrow to pick him up. What time is everybody usually up?" I sighed.

"Umm, my dad usually patrols the premises at about.... half six at the earliest."

"So if I come round about six? Just as a precation?" I nodded.

"Ok." He watched me, his brow slightly creased. I laughed. "I can handle Billie!" He smiled with his eyes.

"I know you can." I smiled and sat down on my bean bag chair. Mike stood up."I'm gonna get him some water and call his sister, let her know what's going on..." I frowned.

"Can we trust her?"

"Oh yeah, she'll cover for him at home." He tilted his head to one side. "Could you maybe get him out of those clothes?"

"Huh?" I heard him right, I just wanted him to repeat it.

"His clothes." Mike paused, "Is that gonna be a problem?"

"No, no, no problem." I said, bundling him out of the room. "Yeah, you go call his sister, I'll..." I gestured towards the bedroom. Mike nodded as he went down the stairs. "...take off his clothes." I finished dreamily. I walked back into my room and looked at Billie, lying on my bed, completely dead to the world. I edged my way up to him and carefully levered off his vans.

"Ooh, nice vans!" I said, more to myself than to Billie, "Wonder if they'd fit me..." I put them on the floor. I then attempted to take off his socks. Billie giggled adorably and kicked softly in his sleep. I laughed quietly. "OK, tickly feet. Got it." I left his socks on. I then wavered my hands over his trouser pocket. I bit my lip.

"Ok, bite the bullet Soph..." I undid the button, "Here we go, alrightly, now, don't look at that, just take off these..." I manovered him out of his trousers and threw them to one side. "There we go, ok. We are doing good." Next, I undid his shirt buttons.

"We're just friends, aren't we?" I said to him, unbuttoning away, "Just friends..." I looked down at his body. I sighed. Then I blinked a few times to focus myself and tried to pull off his shirt. I squatted down on my bed, my left leg on one side of his body, the right one on the other. As I was pulling off his shirt, his eyes flickered open slowly. I froze. He looked up at me for a second and smiled blissfully. Then he closed his eyes again. I sighed with relief and threw his shirt in the direction of the rest of his clothes. I dismounted him and pulled the covers over him. I sat next to him and pushed his hair to one side so it was framing his face. Just like I wanted it to. Then Mike came back in to find me sitting on the bed, stroking Billie's hair. I looked behind me and quickly stopped. Mike raised his eyebrows, then he put the glass of water on my bedside table.

"I'll stay as long as I can." He said, "We can just make it seem like I'm over at your house. Just hanging out." I nodded. Suddenly, I heard the front door open and my dad shouting up the stairs, "Sophie, are you home? Who's car is that outside?"

"Shit." I muttered, running down the stairs with Mike, "Dad! Hi!" I gave him a big hug. He raised his eyebrows slightly, then he noticed Mike.

"Oh, hi Mike." He said, pulling away from me and shaking Mike's hand. "Is that your car outside?"

"Yes." Mike said quickly, "Yes it is. It's a great car. You know, nothing gets my blood up more than going for a drive. It's a real rush. Y'know?"

"You done?" I whispered in his ear. Dad looked at us both.

"So, where's Billie? He's normally with you." I heard myself say "He's at home" and at exactly the same time, I heard Mike say, "At Al's." Dad raised his eyebrows. I faked a fit of laughter.

"We never know where he is! He's so secretive, isn't he Mike?" I nudged him and he nodded gravely. Dad laughed.

"So Mike, you staying for tea?" He nodded.

"If that's ok?"

"Oh yes, do you like lasagne?" Mike nodded.

"Er, we'll be in my room." I said quickly and I dragged Mike up the stairs. We went back into my bedroom. I leant on the door. "Close one, huh?" He nodded. I looked at Billie, passed out in my bed. "Does he always drink like that?" I asked quietly. Mike looked uneasy.

"Not always...."

"But he does sometimes?" Mike bit his lip.

"Well..." There was silence. Mike sighed. I persisted.

"Well...?" Mike was really red.

"I... erm, he..."

"Mike..."

"Ok, put it this way; he doesn't drink all the time, but when he drinks, he DRINKS. You know?"

"No." I said simply, "I don't." Mike inhaled through his nose. I sighed.

"What do you wanna do?" Mike asked awkwardly.

"Nothing. I don't wanna do anything." I lay back on my bed, forgetting Billie was there for a second. I quickly sat up.