Paper Lanterns

Nearly four months went by since that night and just to refresh your memory, nothing happened other than dinner. And a movie, in which you both fell asleep on the couch. Of course you figured Billie Joe wanted more than that. Hell, you knew he wanted more than that but respected your wishes and fought off his wants. Well, he tried. But he got no where. Mike came home the next morning and wrote stuff in magic marker all over yours and Billie Joe's faces. And you had to go to school, with the stuff written on your faces. However, you learned how to hide it with foundation you never knew you had. Billie, on the other hand, had to suffer and ended up getting suspended until it came off. He was a bit mad at Mike after that.

It was now summer vacation. No more school until September, which meant longer nights and shorter mornings. Or something of that nature. Today you just happened to be at the mall by yourself, just trying to escape the immense heat of summer. It wasn't long after being in the mall that you were spotted.

John and Mike waved and walked up to you. Mike was the first to speak. "Hey. Billie Joe's been looking for you since you weren't home this morning."

"Dude's real worried." John added for effect. You weren't really sure what effect he was looking for.

"He didn't see the note that I left on the table in the kitchen?" You asked. They shook their heads. Typical male. "Okay, well I want to shop a bit so tell him I'll be home soon." They nodded and walked away, leaving you to shop in peace.

After you didn't find what you were looking for, you came home. You found Billie Joe playing with Zero. He kept teasing Zero with the little stuffed mouse that he loves so much. "You better watch out or he'll scratch your face." Indeed this was a likely event to occur. See, Billie's face was very close to the stuffed mouse that Zero was trying to grab.

"Oh hey, you're back." Billie threw the stuffed mouse on the floor and Zero went pouncing after it. "Where were you?"

You shook your head. "How could you not see this note?" You held up the brightly colored piece of paper with black-inked writing scribbled on it.

"I don't know." Billie Joe shrugged. "So where were you?"

"I don't know either. Try reading the note." You said bitterly and walked into the bedroom, slamming the door. Why the hell you were acting like this, you didn't know. You collapsed onto the bed and sighed.

Billie walked in a few minutes later. "Maria, is everything okay? You seem a bit, distraught."

Oh my God, he knows big words. Oh well, this day had to come sometime.. You sighed again, but this time at that thought. "I don't know. I've just been thinking lately."

"About what?"

"About the future." Billie Joe looked at you oddly, but then motioned for you to continue. "You'll obviously work on your band, probably end up getting famous, and I don't know what I'm going to do." You paused for a moment. "Oh my God, I think I'm actually jealous ...of you."

"Hey! I resent that." Billie crossed his arms.

"Have you been reading the dictionary?" You asked randomly.

Billie Joe smiled. "Why yes. Yes I have. I figured I could woo you over with my smartness."

"Did you just say 'woo'?" You questioned before breaking out into a laugh. "Where the hell'd you come up with that?"

"I don't know, come to think of it." Billie Joe pondered at that for a few moments.

"Are you sure you're alright?" You inquired.

Billie thought for a moment. "Nope."

"That's good to know."

"Hello? Where are you?" You heard a voice that was clearly John's, say.

"Uh-oh. The bedroom door is shut. That's not good." You heard Mike respond. "Why me?!"

You laughed and continued to listen to the conversation outside the room. "You live here, dude." John stated.

"Oh." Mike solemnly said. "Hey Billie Joe! Maria! Are you two decent?"

"Depends." You yelled back.

"How about some beer?" Mike asked. You looked at Billie Joe who ran out of the room, grabbing your hand and therefore taking you with him. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."

"Wait a minute." You commanded, all authority-like. "I have a few things to say. One, you will not be staying here ...John. Two, I don't want anything broken, destroyed, etc. And three..." For this one you turned to Billie Joe. "You will keep your hands to yourself. Understood?" They all nodded and you smiled. You liked being in control, but you are not a control freak.

"Okay, can we drink now?" John impatiently asked. You nodded. You didn't drink. You figured for your sake you'd be the sober one between you and Billie Joe.

John had gone home a few hours later a little tipsy. You called his house to make sure he got home in one piece, and sure enough, he did. Mike disappeared to his room a little while later, so that left you and a drunk Billie. Oh how fun.

Billie Joe began poking you in the head copiously. "Stop it."

"Why?" Billie looked stunned.

"Because, you're drunk and it's annoying me." You glared at him. You didn't really like it when he drank but it's his life. You two had a long talk about the whole smoking pot thing the other day and you two came to an agreement on that too.

"I am not drunk." Billie Joe stated a bit angrily.

Not wanting to get into an argument, you just got up and went to bed. You just stared at the alarm clock. Billie came in a few hours later and pulled you close to him.

"I'm sorry." He said, not so drunk anymore. "I didn't mean to snap."

"Alright." You closed your eyes and went to sleep.

The next morning, you woke up and Billie Joe wasn't there. You got up and walked out into the living room. Not there either. You fed Zero and walked into the kitchen where, sure enough, Mike was sitting drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper, which was odd since he undoubtedly had a hangover, while Billie Joe was fumbling with the bottle of advil.

"Here, let me help." You said taking the bottle and opening it and then handing it back to him.

"Thanks." Billie took two advil out and put the bottle away.

"No problem." It was just then you realized that it was rather dark in the house for 9AM. You turned to Mike. "You do realize that one, it's dark as hell in here and two you're reading a newspaper when you should be having a hangover, right?"

"Yup." Mike took another sip of his coffee and answered you without looking up from the newspaper. "Hangovers don't effect me like your boyfriend over there...and I can see just fine in the dark."

"Whatever." You said. "So I take it you guys won't be practicing today?"

"Oi. Just thinking about playing and the loudness is making my hangover worse." Billie Joe whined in agony.

"I'm surprised you can form complete sentences." Mike stated.

You laughed. Billie winced in pain. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Billie Joe said. "I'm gonna go lay down."

"Okay." You grabbed the coffee cup out of Mike's hand just as he was going to take another sip out of it. "No more coffee for you, mister."

"Why?" He argued.

"Because, you're worse when you have high levels of coffee in your system than when you have high levels of alcohol in your system."

"Oh." Mike went back to reading his newspaper. It was then that I realized it was upside down. "Hey, how come the news paper's in a different language?"

"It's upside down dipshit." You flipped it over for him so it was right-side up.

"I knew that."

"I'm sure you did, Mike." You rolled my eyes and walked out of the kitchen. You opened the door to your room and found Billie in curled up under the blankets. All of them consumed his body. It resembled a cacoon.

You went over to the bed and poked him to see what would happen. Nothing. You poked harder. "Ouch!"

"Oops." You tried to stifle a laugh. "Sorry."

Billie Joe's head emerged from under the blankets. "Oh, hey."

"Want company? I'll be quiet. Promise." Billie Joe nodded and removed some of the covers so you could have some. "You looked like you were in a cacoon before."

"Oh?" You nodded. Billie laughed. "Ow. Laughing is painful."

"Then don't laugh." Billie held you and you both fell asleep.

"Guy seems nice. Hey, it's Tre`."
"You again?"
"Don't seem too happy to hear from me."
"Not when I'm uberly tired."
"Oh. Anyway, your boyfriend seems nice."
"He is."
"So...."
"So."
"You like N.W.A.?"
"Haha.. they're okay."
"And you like rock too, right?"
"Yes."
"Oh my God! Finally someone who likes rock AND N.W.A"
"This must be your lucky day."
"Guess so. Well, gotta go. Later."
"Um ...yeah. Bye."

You woke up and Billie Joe wasn't there. You got up and walked out to the living room. Billie Joe was playing with Zero and Mike was now reading the TV Guide. He sure reads an awful lot ...at least he's reading it right-side up this time.

"Hey, I was gonna wake you up but you musta been real tired." Billie said looking up at you.

You nodded. "I guess so." You sat down on the couch and Zero jumped into your lap. "Hello there."

"Hey, I was playing with him! No fair." Billie Joe complained like a three-year old.

"Well I'm guessing your hangover has subsided?" Billie nodded. "Look, Mike. You're actually reading the TV Guide the right way."

"Yeah, Billie Joe pointed out that it was upside down." Mike stated. "I wonder why I keep reading things upside down today." You left him to ponder that thought and played with Zero.

"Hey, wanna go to the beach?" Billie asked. You looked at the clock. 11:45.

"Sure, why not."

"Mike you coming?" Billie Joe asked as you went off to your room to change into your bathing suit. You came out and Billie Joe went into the room and you waited while the two of them changed into their bathing suits. "Off we go!"

"Where?" Mike asked.

"Into the wild blue yonder!" Billie Joe exclaimed.

"Okay mister, I'm driving. You don't seem normal." You commanded skeptically. Something was up.

"Fine miss angry pants." Billie said handing over the keys.