Paper Lanterns

"I'm bored." John stated. "This is boring."

"I agree." Mike, Billie Joe, and you said at the same time. You were stuck in the middle of health class watching a stupid movie.

"Mr. Kiffmeyer, Mr. Pritchard, Mr. Armstrong, and Ms. Piacentini..." Mrs. Rusciano warned. "Do you all want detention?"

"But, ma'am this is a sucky movie." John whined. "Can we just not watch it and say we did?"

"Would you like to leave class?" Mrs. Rusciano asked knowing she asked a stupid question.

"Yes." You, Billie, John, and Mike said simultaneously. Realizing what you all did, you started laughing causing the whole class giving you all weird looks. You all got up and walked out of the class. Simple as that.

"Well..that was easier than I thought it'd be." Mike said as you all just started walking aimlessly through the school. "She just gave us an open invitation to leave."

"So...now what?" You say walking next to Billie Joe seeing as his arm is around your waist. "No, Billie..not that."

"I hate you." He says laughing.

"Not very nice, Armstrong." John says walking backwards and shaking his finger at Billie Joe. "She could use her psychic powers and turn you into microdust!"

"Dude, that's magical powers." You say shaking your head, trying to contain your laughter.

"Whatever." John says shrugging his shoulders. "Same thing."

"Nah-uh."

"Uh-huh."

"Nah-uh."

"Uh-huh."

"Nah-uh."

"Uh-huh."

"Nah-uh."

"Uh-huh."

"Nah-uh."

"Uh-huh."

"Nah-uh."

"Shut it." Mike finally says. "It's getting pretty annoying." Hm, Mr. Pritchard is getting a bit flustered. I think it's a great time to ask him about him and Dani.

"So, Mike. Exactly how are things going with Dani?" You say unable to stifle a laugh. John and Billie Joe look at the two of you with "what the fuck" looks.

Mike blushed deeply. "Shut it."

"Nah, I think I'd like to know. Don't you John?" Billie says figuring out what's going on.

John pauses and then it's like a light bulb went off in his brain. "Yeah. Spill it, Dirnt."

"Thanks Maria." Mike says crossly.

"No problem." You say beaming.

"Hey, what's going on?" Dani asks as she comes up to you guys.

"Did the bell ring?" John asks really confused.

You roll your eyes. "Yes Mr. Kiffmeyer. The bell has wrung and I made everyone invisible with my NOT magical powers."

"Oh okay." John says. What an idiot. And that there was NOT a thought from you.

Who said that? State your name and what are you doing in my brain!!

Um, I'm Fr---Tre`. And I'm not in your brain. You're in mine.

No I'm not. So Tre`, what's your location?

My what? Oh. Wilits. It's in the Mendocino mountains. You?

Oh. That's nice. Rodeo. How the hell are you talking to me from fucking Wilits..in my brain?!?!

Dunno. Well, bye

"Maria." You heard being said over and over. "Maria wake up."

"Huh?" You say. You aren't at school anymore...you're in the living room on the couch. You sat up rubbing your head. "What the hell happened?"

"You passed out in the hallway." Lisea said. "Billie Joe carried you to his car and brought you home and Dani got me and we all came here to make sure you were alright."

"Oh." was all you could say. Is that how I was talking to this Tre character? I passed out and he was talking to me?

"Billie, she's awake!" Mike yells as he's walking towards you. He hands you your meds. "Time to take these, kiddo."

"Don't call me kiddo." You say. "Only Uncle Mike can call me that. And last time I checked you weren't him." You take your medicine anyway.

"Maria, you alright?" Billie said as he entered the living room. He hugged you a little bit too tightly.

"Uh, Billie Joe?" You say. "I can't breathe."

"Oh sorry." Billie says pulling away from you. "It's just when you passed out.."

"If you even thought about thinking about thinking I was gonna die..." You cut him off but then trailed off realizing that you just say a completely fucked up sentence. "You....I'm Maria. I'm indestructable, remember?" You both started laughing.

"Okay. I don't mean to interrupt this little love fest, but where's Dani?" Mike spoke up.

"Oh Dani!" You screamed. "You're fuck buddy wants you!" Everyone started laughing except for Mike who turned red, yet again.

"Maria, I'm gonna kill you." Mike said jokingly.

"No you won't." You say. "You're too afraid that Uncle Mike's goons'll bust a cap in your ass." You add whilst smiling. Dani came downstairs looking very flustered at what you said. But it's true..

After a while everyone left and you finally looked at the clock that was sitting on the mantel to see what time it was. 1:30. You left school during 1st period, you're guessing, because health is 1st period and that's when you all left and you passed out.

"What happened when you passed out?" Billie asked you as you sat back down on the couch.

"What do you mean?" You ask. Should I tell him about hearing that guy's voice. I mean, I'm sure it was a guy. He sure had a high pitched voice though..

"You just...you've never done that before." Billie Joe said.

You sighed. "You're probably gonna think I'm crazy but.."

"But what?" Billie inquired.

"I heard a voice in my head." You said. Billie Joe chuckled.

"That's your conscience, Maria."

"No I'm serious. I heard a voice. It was named Tre`." You say. "And I don't think my conscience would be named Tre`. Wouldn't it be named Maria?"

"I don't know." Billie says. "I think John knows someone named Tre`. Hold on I'll call him and ask." And with that, Billie Joe got up off the couch and went to go call John. A few minutes later he came back and sat down. "Yeah. Tre` Cool as he calls him. He's John's drum tutor or whatever. Lives in the Mendocino mountains somewhere. It begins with a W.."

"Wilits?!" You said wide-eyed. Billie Joe nodded his head in confusion. "That's the motherfucker who was talking to me...telepathically."

"What'd he say?" Billie asked getting all defensive. You decided against prying into his thoughts. You didn't have to.
"Off the record, I didn't
have to pry into your thoughts for this one." You say before taking a breath. "No, he wasn't saying anything to me, like what you're thinking he said, considering I don't know him. He called John an idiot though."

"Oh, okay. Strange." Billie said.

"Hey Billie?" You say looking at him.

"Since we got time to kill before we're actually supposed to be home, can you take me somewhere?" You ask. Billie smirks. "Nooooo, Billie. Not that." His face drops. "Can you take me to where my mom is so I can give her her christmas present?"

"Sure. Definitely." Billie says. "You mind if I come in to see your mom, too?"

"Sure. Why would I mind?" You ask questioningly.

"I don't know." Billie Joe says. "Maybe you want to talk to her alone?"

"No..but I'd better warn you." You begin to say. "She might be a little distant towards you because when I talked to her I told her what happened."

"Oh. Okay.." Billie trailed off. "Well, you better go up and get her present so we can go."

You kissed him and ran upstairs to your room to get her present. You walked over to your closet and searched hastily through it until you found it buried underneath clothes and notebooks and stuff Billie Joe had left laying on the floor of your closet. You ran back downstairs and out to the car, locking the door behind you. You climbed into Billie's car and you both drove off (Me: into the sunset...where the hell'd that come from?) to see your mom.

"You know, when you went into my closet the other day?" You said looking at Billie. "You could've cleaned up my closet when you were done tearing through it."

"Sorry, but that's how it was when I opened it." Billie Joe defended himself.

"Riiiight." You say with disbelief.

You finally got there and walked inside. Billie Joe seemed rather nervous seeing as he's never been inside the rehabilitation center before. You walked up to the front desk and saw the lady from the last time you were here.

"Ah, Ms. Piacentini. Nice to see you." She greeted you. You noticed she had a nametag thingy. It said Anna. "Who's the gentleman who seems extremely nervous?"

"My boyfriend." You say. Billie snaps out of his nervous daze. "And childhood best friend, Billie Joe."

"I see." Anna says. "I see you have something for your mother?"

"Yes. Her christmas present. A photo album filled with tons of pictures from when I was younger, since she wasn't able to watch me grow up and all." You say. You feel emptiness in the pit of your stomach. 'She wasn't able to watch me grow up' rang through your head.

"Come this way and you two can see her okay?" Anna finally says leading you and Billie to where your mom was.

"Lorena." Anna called to my mom. "Maria and Billie Joe are here to see you." And with that Anna shut the door behind her and returned to the front desk.

"Maria! It's been a while since I last saw you." Your mom said standing up and hugging you. She then whispered in your ear, "What's he doing here?"

Billie Joe, who had been silent since stepping foot in the rehab, decided to speak up. "Eh, Hi Ms. Piacentini."

"It's always been Lorena, Billie Joe." She said letting go of you and giving him a hug. "It's nice to see you."

"Yeah, you too." Billie Joe said.

"My, have you grown." Your mom says to Billie Joe. "Last time I saw you, you were five years old."

"Mom." You whine. "Laying it on a bit thick aren't we?"

"Oh hush, Maria." Your mom says smiling. "What brings you here, anyway?"

"Well, it's almost christmas and.." You trailed off. "We just wanted to give you your present."

"We?" Your mom and Billie Joe say at the same time which causes you all to laugh.

"Ah, tension has been broken. Let's go to the scoreboard." You say laughing. "Maria, 1. Billie Joe, 0. And Sorry Mom but you have a zero as well." You all laugh once more and then you hand your mom the photo album, which you decorated yourself. She opens it and gasps.

"Oh Maria, Billie. It's the best present I could've ever gotten." Your mom says with tears in her eyes. "Thank you so much." She then procedes to hug you and Billie Joe.

You all talk for a bit and then Anna comes in to say you and Billie Joe have to go. You say your good-byes, which consists of your mother telling Billie Joe something, and leave. On your way out, you turn to Anna. "Thank you so much for allowing me to see my mother. It means so much to me."

"Not a problem, dear." Anna says warmly. "I know what it's like to grow up without a mother so I can relate."

You thank her again and walk out, meeting Billie Joe outside. "Why'd you say it was from both of us?"

"Good question." You say. "I think it was because a note in your handwriting that said 'Lorena' on it fell out when I went to get it."

"Oh." Billie Joe said.

"What'd my mom say to you?" You just had to ask.

"She told me not to hurt you or hell'd be coming my way." Billie said.

"That's my mother for ya." You say laughing.