Catastrophic Hymns
New Genesis
"I mean..." She sighed. "I don't know..." She could feel tears burning at the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over.
"Just tell me, Cesca," Mike said, a hint of pleading in his voice.
"I... I can't..." she faltered.
She couldn't tell him. It would hurt both of them too much...
"Cesca, please," he whispered. She stared at the white carpet in his lounge.
"Yes... I mean... It's been so long since he left... we're different people now... And for Christ's sakes I was eighteen."
"But..." Mike prompted.
"But I still... dream about him... and the memories won't fade..."
"Do you love me? Mike's voice was barely audible. She turned to him, and those threatening tears fell.
"Of course I love you." She gently caressed his cheek.
He turned and pulled her close to him. He buried his face in the crook of her neck. "Do you love me as much as him?" She cried into his shoulder. "I can't do this, Cesca... and I can't do this to you."
"Do what to me?"
"I can't be with you if you still love him! I can't keep you from someone you really love."
"No... Mike, I love you so much-"
"I don't want to be in second place." He stood up.
"No... nonono..." She sobbed into her hands. Mike sighed and ran his fingers through her long black hair. "I will always love you, Cesca. Don't forget that."
"Mike, please... Don't leave me like he did..." He paused and sighed again.
"We go on tour in two days... You could come... if you want..." Cesca looked up. He knelt down and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Does this mean you're not leaving?" He smiled faintly.
"Yeah." She grinned.
"Are you coming or not? Because I already packed your stuff..." She kissed him.
"Thank you..." she whispered.
"For what?"
"For staying, for taking me on tour, and for being amazing."
"You are most welcome."
Cesca looked at an old photo... It was of her and Bill, his arms around her. They were both grinning, and she had tilted her head back in laughter. Below that, Bill had written "Frankie and Bill" in a heart.
"Come on, Cesca! We're gonna be late!" Mike called. She hurriedly stuffed the photo in her purse and ran to the taxi.
"Have everything?" She asked him.
"Yeah. Yeah, just go. We have to meet the guys." Mike and Cesca climbed in the backseat.
"So where are we going?" Cesca asked.
"Um... France, Italy, and China, I think... Billie has the schedule..." She nodded.
"So... um... Tell me about the guys?"
"Billie is messy, confused, and usually drunk. He talks in his sleep. Tré is insane... Don't worry, they'll love you." She smiled.
"It's weird that you've never met them..." Mike murmured.
"Why?"
"We've been together for almost a year now... It's just strange... And most of my previous girlfriends had at least heard of us..." Mike teased, poking her side.
"Hey!" She grinned. He laughed and kissed her.
"I love you anyway."
***
"Wait here, babe... I'll get some drinks," Mike said. Cesca nodded and sat in one of those airport chairs. She pulled out the picture of her and Bill... God he was gorgeous... Of course she still loved him... She still loved the person he used to be... It killed her when he left... She missed him so much...
She put the picture back and slid her sunglasses on. She closed her eyes and slouched in the seat, attempting to sleep for a while, but someone pushed a soda bottle into her hand.
She opened her eyes to reveal Mike and two other guys.
"Hey, Mikey... thanks..." She stood up to get a better look.
One had curly dark hair dyed blonde, and the other had spiked blonde hair. Both were wearing sunglasses.
"This is Billie Hoe Joe," Mike gestured to the curly haired one. "And this is Tré Cool. Guys, this is Cesca." She shook hands with both of them.
"Mikey hooked himself a hottie!" Tré said and whistled softly.
"You look familiar," Billie murmured.
Cesca paused. "You do too..." Her thoughts were interrupted by the other blonde man.
"So, is Cesca your real name?" Tré asked, wiggling his eyebrows. She laughed.
"Well... my full name is Francesca Michelle Artolli, but I go by Cesca." Billie gaped at her.
"Frankie?" he said, taking off his sunglasses. She dropped her soda.
"Bill."
"Just tell me, Cesca," Mike said, a hint of pleading in his voice.
"I... I can't..." she faltered.
She couldn't tell him. It would hurt both of them too much...
"Cesca, please," he whispered. She stared at the white carpet in his lounge.
"Yes... I mean... It's been so long since he left... we're different people now... And for Christ's sakes I was eighteen."
"But..." Mike prompted.
"But I still... dream about him... and the memories won't fade..."
"Do you love me? Mike's voice was barely audible. She turned to him, and those threatening tears fell.
"Of course I love you." She gently caressed his cheek.
He turned and pulled her close to him. He buried his face in the crook of her neck. "Do you love me as much as him?" She cried into his shoulder. "I can't do this, Cesca... and I can't do this to you."
"Do what to me?"
"I can't be with you if you still love him! I can't keep you from someone you really love."
"No... Mike, I love you so much-"
"I don't want to be in second place." He stood up.
"No... nonono..." She sobbed into her hands. Mike sighed and ran his fingers through her long black hair. "I will always love you, Cesca. Don't forget that."
"Mike, please... Don't leave me like he did..." He paused and sighed again.
"We go on tour in two days... You could come... if you want..." Cesca looked up. He knelt down and gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Does this mean you're not leaving?" He smiled faintly.
"Yeah." She grinned.
"Are you coming or not? Because I already packed your stuff..." She kissed him.
"Thank you..." she whispered.
"For what?"
"For staying, for taking me on tour, and for being amazing."
"You are most welcome."
Cesca looked at an old photo... It was of her and Bill, his arms around her. They were both grinning, and she had tilted her head back in laughter. Below that, Bill had written "Frankie and Bill" in a heart.
"Come on, Cesca! We're gonna be late!" Mike called. She hurriedly stuffed the photo in her purse and ran to the taxi.
"Have everything?" She asked him.
"Yeah. Yeah, just go. We have to meet the guys." Mike and Cesca climbed in the backseat.
"So where are we going?" Cesca asked.
"Um... France, Italy, and China, I think... Billie has the schedule..." She nodded.
"So... um... Tell me about the guys?"
"Billie is messy, confused, and usually drunk. He talks in his sleep. Tré is insane... Don't worry, they'll love you." She smiled.
"It's weird that you've never met them..." Mike murmured.
"Why?"
"We've been together for almost a year now... It's just strange... And most of my previous girlfriends had at least heard of us..." Mike teased, poking her side.
"Hey!" She grinned. He laughed and kissed her.
"I love you anyway."
***
"Wait here, babe... I'll get some drinks," Mike said. Cesca nodded and sat in one of those airport chairs. She pulled out the picture of her and Bill... God he was gorgeous... Of course she still loved him... She still loved the person he used to be... It killed her when he left... She missed him so much...
She put the picture back and slid her sunglasses on. She closed her eyes and slouched in the seat, attempting to sleep for a while, but someone pushed a soda bottle into her hand.
She opened her eyes to reveal Mike and two other guys.
"Hey, Mikey... thanks..." She stood up to get a better look.
One had curly dark hair dyed blonde, and the other had spiked blonde hair. Both were wearing sunglasses.
"This is Billie Hoe Joe," Mike gestured to the curly haired one. "And this is Tré Cool. Guys, this is Cesca." She shook hands with both of them.
"Mikey hooked himself a hottie!" Tré said and whistled softly.
"You look familiar," Billie murmured.
Cesca paused. "You do too..." Her thoughts were interrupted by the other blonde man.
"So, is Cesca your real name?" Tré asked, wiggling his eyebrows. She laughed.
"Well... my full name is Francesca Michelle Artolli, but I go by Cesca." Billie gaped at her.
"Frankie?" he said, taking off his sunglasses. She dropped her soda.
"Bill."