Horseshoes and Handgrenades

"Hey, Mike!" I called from the end of the foyer hallway.

"Hey, Emilie," Mike said, pulling me into a hug. "How are you?"

"Great. You?" I asked.

"I'm good. Tired, but good," he answered, shrugging off his coat and throwing it over the chair with mine.

"Why are you so tired?" I asked him, opening the door and starting down the basement stairs.

"Billie, Tre, and I have been staying up later lately," he answered.

"Why?" I asked, flipping on the lights.

"We've just been hammering out practices. I really think we're on to something," Mike replied, a smile coming across his face.

"That's awesome, Mike," I said, turning on the tube. "Ready to get your ass kicked again?"

Mike laughed, eying the Wii. "You know, I really think that I'm not the person to be playing you at this game," he said.

"Yeah?" I asked. "You're just embarrassed that you keep getting beaten by a girl."

Mike smiled. "No, I'm embarrassed that I suck so badly at that game. Being beaten by a girl just makes it worse," he said.

I laughed, patting the seat on the couch next to me. "Come on and sit down! Maybe if you sit on your ass, it won't hurt so much when I kick it again," I joked.

Mike just shook his head, walking over to sit down next to me. Smiling, he picked up the Wii controller. "Let's just get this over with," he said.

I laughed again, starting the game.

About two hours later, when I finished kicking Mike's ass, and we composed ourselves from laughing so hard, I asked Mike a serious question. "Hey, Mike?"

"Hey, Emilie?"

"How come I've never met Tre?"

Mike shrugged. "I dunno. Why, do you want to meet him?"

I nodded vigorously. "Uh, YEAH. It's kinda necessary. It'll make the complete set," I reasoned.

Mike chuckled a little. "Okay, but now isn't the best time," he said.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because we're having our us time," Mike said.

"Us time?" I questioned.

"Or time away from my girlfriend," Mike corrected himself.

"Time away from your girlfriend?"

"Every guy needs time away from his girlfriend," Mike said. "Being around his girlfriend twenty-four-seven would drive any guy crazy."

"And does Christy know that when you're not with the band or with her, you're with me?" I asked.

Mike gave me a look. "Yes, Emilie, she knows. It's not like she thinks I'm cheating on her or anything. I wouldn't do that right under her nose," he said.

I smiled. "Well, that's good. How is Christy, anyway?"

"She's fine. She complains that she never sees you anymore," Mike said.

I laughed. "I know! I don't see her or Sara, like, ever!" I exclaimed.

"That's because you come to all the wrong practices," Mike said.

I sighed. "Well, we'll all just have to plan more accordingly next time," I said.

"Definitely," Mike said, hooking an arm around my neck and giving me a small noogie.

"Ow," I muttered, rubbing my head, but smiling. I punched Mike in the shoulder, shutting off the Wii.

"Are you abusing girls again, Mike?" Billie called, hopping down the basement stairs.

"Billie!" I said, getting up and running over to him for a hug.

He smiled and squeezed me. "Hey, Emilie, having fun?"

I rolled my eyes. "Shut up, Billie, you know Mike and I are just friends."

"Besides, man, I wouldn't cheat on Christy," Mike said, getting up as well. He shook Billie's hand, smiling. "Did you bring Sara with you?"

"Hi!" Sara squeaked, popping out from behind the staircase, a huge smile on her face.

"Hey, Sara," Mike called, smiling and waving at her. Sara waved back, looking back at Billie and me.

"Billie? You can let me go now," I said, trying to escape Billie's grip.

Billie's arms just tightened around my back jokingly. "Noooooo!" he said. I slipped out from under Billie's arms and ran over to glomp Sara.

"Sara!" I squeaked, pulling her into a rib-cracking hug.

When I released her, she was smiling. "Hi, Emilie! Long time, no see!"

"I knoooow! It's 'cause I never come to the right practices. Or, at least that's what Mike says," I said, looking over at him. He just smiled, giving us a funny look. "So! Did you know I've never met Tre?"

Sara and Billie gasped, looking at me. "You haven't?" they asked incredulously.

"Jinx!" Sara said, pointing at Billie. "You owe me a make-out!"

I laughed at them and their strange cuteness. "You two are so cute. In a really weird way..."

"But we just love that weirdness about each other," Billie said, coming up the stairs and stopping behind me to give Sara a kiss on the lips. I watched from underneath, seeing the connection of their lips, and how I longed for that myself.

When they broke apart, I sighed. "Ugh, I wish I had that!" I whined.

"I bet you could," Billie commented.

I gave Billie a confused look. "Are you talking about Tre?" I asked.

He nodded. "You have to meet him. I swear you're just his type," Billie said.

"Um, okay?" I confirmed, raising an eyebrow.

"Come on," Sara said, grabbing my arm and starting to drag me up the basement stairs.

"Oh, um, okay!" I asked, stumbling up the stairs, trying to fix my hair on the way up. So I finally get to meet this guy..., I thought.