Paper Lanterns

You woke up the next morning before the alarm went off. You walked into the kitchen and poured some cereal. Mike walked out of his room and walked into the kitchen. "You're up early." You said sitting down and eating your cereal.

"Well, I couldn't sleep." Mike replied pouring himself a cup of coffee.

"That whole 'earplugs tonight' thing never happened just to let you know." You said put another spoonful of cereal in your mouth.

Mike just stared at you. "You mean, I had those blasted orange ear plugs that make me look like frankenstein because they look like bolts, in my ears the entire night and it NEVER HAPPENED?!?"

"Mike." You said calmly. "I think you've had a little too much to drink." It is true, he had about four cups of coffee.

Billie Joe walked into the kitchen scratching his head. "What's all the noise about?"

"Apparently you lied to Mike and he had a little too much to drink." You told him.

Billie shook his head and poured himseld some cereal. "Mike, man, you need to lay off the coffee just a little bit. You're gonna wake up the whole fucking complex and get us evicted." He turned to you. "What time is it?"

Just then, the alarm went off in yours and Billie Joe's room. "Time to get up." You said smiling. You got up and went back into the bedroom to turn the alarm off. Just as you were going to leave, Billie Joe came in and pounced on you, making you fall back into the bed.

"Where, do you think you're going?" He asked mischievously.

You looked at him blankly. "I need to get ready, Billie. You have to get off me."

"No, that's okay." Billie Joe answered. "I think I'm comfortable right here."

"Does this have to do with last night?" You inquired.

Billie Joe answered sheepishly. "Maybeee."

"Fuck you." You glared at him, not realizing what you said.

"Fuck me. I want you to fuck me." Billie smirked.

You pushed him off, finally. "Nah, that's okay." You got up, grabbed some clothes, and walked out of the room and into the bathroom, locking the door behind you.

Five minutes into your shower, you hear Billie Joe knocking on the door. "Maria, I need to take a shower too and there's obviously not enough time for all of us to take separate showers, so let me in!!"

"Then take one with Mike!" You yelled back while putting the conditioner in your hair. You didn't hear Billie respond so you continued on with your shower. You turned off the water and went to reach for a dry towel before opening the shower curtain.

"Here you go." Billie Joe said handing you a towel.

It took you a minute to realize that Billie Joe was in the bathroom with you, even though you locked the door. You just grabbed the towel and wrapped it around you. "Thanks...BILLIE JOE! Get the hell out of here right now!"

"But, I was waiting and I couldn't wait any longer and I needed to take a shower and yeah." Billie tried to explain, but failed miserably. "Okay, fine I'll go." Billie Joe shut the door behind him. You poked your head out from behind the shower curtain just to make sure he was gone before stepping out. You looked around and noticed that your clothes were missing.

How immature. Luckily, your robe was hanging on the back of the door so you covered yourself in that and emerged from the bathroom. You saw Mike sitting on the couch staring at a blank tv screen, but Billie Joe was no where in sight. "Hey, Mike. Where's Billie Joe?"

"I don't know. You try your room?"

"No. Thanks, Mike." You said as you walked to your room, but the door was locked. "Damnit." You noticed by the bathroom door there was a bobby pin on the floor. This must be what he used to open the door. You fumbled with the bobby pin before finally getting the door open.

Inside the room, Billie Joe had emptied out all the drawers that had your clothes in. You glanced at the clock, a half hour until you needed to leave. Billie saw you and held up a provocative piece of clothing that Dani and Lisea had dared you to get during one of your trips to the mall. "Why don't you ever wear this for me?" You didn't answer and he threw it over his shoulder. "You should wear it, every night."

"Do you know how not to be a pervert?" You questioned grabbing the clothes you originally were going to wear, since they were on the bed.

"Nope."

You didn't say anything. You just walked out of the room and back into the bathroom to change. When you came out Mike ran was waiting outside to take his shower.

"Now, Mr. Armstrong." You pointed at Billie Joe.

He looked around the room and then pointed at himself. "Who? Me?"

"Don't be such a smartass, Billie Joe." You were beginning to get impatient. "You are going to put everything back into the drawers, as if they were never emptied out by you in the first place."

"Or what?" Billie asked.

You thought for a minute. "You'll see, and no it's not what you're thinking. You know what, on second thought I'll just put them away myself. I can't trust you with my clothes."

"Fine." Billie ran into the bathroom seeing as Mike had just walked out already showered and dressed.

How do guys take such quick showers?

You sighed and walked into your room. You began to put everything away. Finally finished, you fell back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. You looked over at the alarm clock.

Ten minutes left.

You got up a few minutes later and walked out to the living room. Billie Joe was still in the shower. With two minutes left before you had to leave, Billie came out of the bathroom with just a towel wrapped around him.

"You take really long showers." You stated.

"Yeah and?" Billie asked as if there was more you wanted to say.

You raised an eyebrow. "Are you like, secretly a girl or something?"

Billie Joe's eyes widened. "You know my secret?!"

You nearly fell onto the floor laughing. Mike had left already since he has his own means of transportation, and he had to pick up Dani. "Thirty seconds! Twenty-nine...twenty-eight..." You actually didn't want to be late for once in your life.

"Okay, okay. I'm ready. Let's go." Billie Joe came rushing out of the bedroom. with two different colored socks on.

"Yes, ma'am!" You saluted him, smiling. "Hey, did you get dressed in the dark, cause you have two different colored socks on."

"Yeah, well you have two different colored converse on." He retorted.

"Yeah, well I planned it." You mocked him. You watched him run back into the room and change his socks so they matched.

"Happy, sir?" He glared at you.

You just shook your head and followed him out the door. "You're losing points, Armstrong. In fact, you owe me points."

The whole ride to school was silent. It seems a certain boyfriend of yours was a little agitated.

What is he up to now?

In his mind he was saying, I wonder what she's up to now.

You got to school and quickly found Lisea and Dani.

"Mike told me about this morning." Dani stated once you reached them. "So Billie Joe broke into the bathroom while you were in the shower. Interesting.."

"You don't know the other half." I sighed.

"What would that be?" Lisea asked. You told them about how he took your clothes and then emptied all your drawers and found that article of clothing that they dared you to buy.

Dani laughed. "He found that? You still have that?"

"It gets worse. He wants me to wear it for him ...every night." You gagged.

"But that's because I think you'd look sexy in it." Billie Joe said from behind you.

"I thought you were mad at me considering you didn't say two words in the car." You turned around to face him.

Billie thought for a minute. "Well, I heard you three talking about me so I decided not to be mad at you anymore."

"Oh so you were mad at me?" You questioned knowing you were right.

"I never said that." Billie Joe argued.

"Yeah you did." You said matter-of-factly.

Lisea stepped into the conversation. "Billie Joe, it's no use arguing with Maria. She'll just win."

"Fine." Billie said defeated.

The rest of the day was normal, except Billie Joe seemed to have disappeared sometime after lunch because he wasn't in science class.

Where could he be...

At the end of the day, you went to your locker and put your things away and walked outside. Still no Billie Joe. You waited and waited. His car wasn't where he parked it this morning. In replace of it was an empty space. You were this close to walking home when you saw his ford fairlane pull up in front of you.

"Need a ride?" Billie asked innocently as you opened the door to get in.

You just looked at him. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Getting this." Billie Joe picked up the kitten that was resting in his lap which you hadn't noticed. "I told you we'd get a kitten once we got our own place."

You smiled. "Aw, Billie. It's so adorable. What's its name?"

"Hmmm...I don't know." Billie Joe thought for a moment. "How about 'Zero'?"

"Zero?" You questioned skeptically. "Okay."

You guys got home and you walked inside carrying the kitten. You put him down and walked around his new home. Mike wasn't there so you figured he was at Dani's or something.

"So..." Billie Joe collapsed onto the couch and picking up the remote control. You took it out of his hand. "Hey, what was that for?"

You shrugged. "I don't know. You watch too much tv."

"You want to be punish, don't you?" Billie Joe said slyly. Before you could object, he pulled you into his lap and began kissing you. Things began to get just a tad bit intense.

"I'm ho..." Mike cut himself off seeing the display in front of him. You pulled away from a disappointed Billie and looked at Mike.

"Jeez, Mike. Why is it always when I am kissing Maria or whatever you show up out of no where?" Billie Joe asked.

Mike shrugged. "I don't know. Bad luck, I guess. Hey look, a kittie cat!" Mike picked up Zero and pet him while having the expression of a six-year old on his face. "Oh, what's its name?"

"Zero." Billie said while you tried to contain your laughter.

Mike put Zero down and went into his room. A few minutes later, he emerged with a bag. "Well, I'm going to go now. Um..."

"Staying at Dani's?" I inquired knowing he was.

Mike blushed. "Um, yeah. Bye." He ran out the door. You and Billie laughed and you ended up falling back into his lap.

Billie Joe stopped laughing and looked at you, with hunger in his eyes. "I'm hungry."

You laughed. "Then make yourself something."

"Okay." He pushed you off him, with you just missing the coffee table, and got up to make something to eat.

You got up and brushed yourself off. "That was real gentleman-like of you."

"No problem, babe." He replied taking a bite out of his sandwich. You shook your head and worked on your homework. You didn't have much.

"Oh Mariaaaaa." Billie called from the kitchen.

"What now?" You asked getting up and walking into the kitchen.

Billie Joe had a smirk on his face. "We have the apartment to ourselves tonight."

"Yeah and...?" You knew where he was getting at and it started to annoy you.

"I want you...to wear this!" He pulled out the provocative article of clothing out from behind his back.

"No." You said angrily

Billie thought for a moment. "Okay, fine. I'll wear it then!"

"You're a sick boy. A sick boy." You said shaking your head and went to make something to eat since it was almost dinner.

"Fine. I won't wear it." Billie Joe went into the bedroom to put it away. You stirred the pasta and went turned the burner for the sauce on. "What ya making?"

"Pasta." You answered.

"I love pasta." Billie said licking his lips.

Ten minutes later, the pasta and the sauce was ready. "This, Billie Joe, is when you say 'bon appetito'."

"Oh, okay." Billie nodded tasting the pasta. "Mmmm. Yummy."

You laughed. "I'm glad you like it."

"You know what I'd like even more?" Billie questioned.

"Billie..." You said sternly.

"A lit candle or two to make this seem romantic." He answered and got up, retrieved two candles, and lit them. Billie Joe then dimmed the light.

"Aw..you have romantic side. I mean, really romantic." You smiled. "What's the catch?"

Billie Joe looked innocent. "Catch? There's no catch."

"Sure there isn't.." You said skeptically.