Beautiful
The Operation
"Richards, Blane?" the nurse called out into the waiting room.
Three people, one of which was shaking violently, got up and followed the nurse down the hall to the examination room where they would wait another two hours to see the doctor.
"Blane, stop shaking." Kacie said.
Blane took out a pack of gum and popped a piece in her mouth, "I can't help it."
"It's actually kind of amusing to watch, though." Blake grinned. Blane hit him, but she was smiling.
There was a knock on the door and the doctor came in.
"Miss Richards, if you would please follow me, we'll run you through a quick CAT scan to check on everything. Then we'll discuss further action."
Blane and her support group followed Dr. Lang down the halls of the hospital. She lay down on the table like she had many times before, and squeezed her eyes shut when it started moving into what she referred to as the tunnel from hell.
---
"So miss Richards, I'll see you and hopefully your company on Wednesday then."
"Ok, thank you."
"Bye."
---o---
Billie was busy packing. He and the guys were going back to Oklahoma for the rest of this week and the next. The following weekend, they were taking the kids and flying out to Miami for an awards show.
It had been four years since they had released American Idiot, and they were still getting awards for it. Now that's an album, he thought.
A lopsided grin fell across his face as he threw another pair of black pants into his suitcase.
---o---
Blane was shaking uncontrollably.
"Miss Richards," she heard the doctor's voice come over the intercom, "you have to stop shaking, or we won't be able to do the procedure."
Procedure. That made it sound so routine. She attempted to steady herself, but failed. "I can't." she said, almost whining. She hated the sound of her voice when she was scared.
"Blane?" it was Blake's voice on the intercom now, "can you hear me?"
She nodded.
"Think about the rain."
She smiled, and automatically, she relaxed and closed her eyes.
---o---
Blane sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her black boots.
"You know, if you stare at those long enough, they might change colors." Blake stood in the doorway, grinning like crazy. His hair was wet and he was clad in nothing but a bath towel. She got up and crossed his room to stand in front of him.
"Oh yeah?" she smiled mischievously, "well if you hadn't taken so long in the shower," she fiddled with the bath towel wrapped around his waist, "I wouldn't have to sit and stare at my shoes." She jerked the towel off of him and took off running down the hall. She stopped at the other end as he scrambled to pull the towel back on. She laughed at him.
"Well," he said childishly, "if you hadn't come here so early, I would have been ready."
"Early?" she gawked at him, coming back up the hall, "its three o' clock and you were still asleep when I got here."
"So," he pouted while pulling on a pair of JNCOs. She couldn't get over how cute he looked, all pouty with his hair falling slightly into his eyes.
"You know," she said fiddling with his blue locks, "you should leave it like that."
"What?" he pulled her into his arms.
She looked into his smiling eyes, "I mean no gel. I like it better when I could run my fingers through it."
He crossed the room to pull on a shirt, "what are you my girlfriend now?"
She giggled, "You wish, Blake Masters. You wish." She crossed to the doorway and left the room.
Blake looked at the wall sadly,
"Yeah, I do."
---o---
"What are you doing out here, man?" Mike came over to the table to sit with Billie.
"I don't know Mike," he sighed, jokingly, "I guess laser tag just isn't my thing."
Mike chuckled, "I hear that. But Tre sure is havin a blast."
"Yeah, he loves hangin with these kids. It's like he's with his own kind."
They both laughed for a good measure.
---
"Gotcha biatch!" Tre yelled as he tagged Derek.
Blane came up and tagged him from behind, "ha! Got you!" she turned and disappeared into the darkness, laughing evilly as she went.
She found a corner and pulled out her secret weapon: a 12-sided crystal. She pointed the gun at it and pulled the trigger. The laser multiplied and shot out in every direction. Groans and swears went up all over the room.
"That's cheating, little girl." She turned to see Blake standing there.
"Oh no." she said mockingly, "you won't tell on me, will you?"
They both smiled, moving closer and wrapping into each other. She felt his breath on her lips, and she didn't know why; it all just seemed right; but she kissed him. Moving closer as he pulled her in. She twisted her hands into his shirt.
"It's about damn time!" Chris's voice hooted behind them, but they ignored it, backing away into the corner.
Derek grabbed Chris and pulled him back into the darkened maze.
"Was that real?" Blake whispered into her ear.
She looked up at him, confused, "what do you mean?"
"I mean, Blane," his voice rising, "every time something like this happens between us, you run away and leave me standing here!"
"Yeah?" she said; hurt overcoming her voice, "well then here I go again."
She pushed past him and disappeared.
"Blane!" he yelled, chasing after her.
"Damn, Blake, are you that bad of a kisser?"
"Fuck you, Chris." Blake brushed by him and out the door.
"Blane!"
But it was too late, she was gone.
"Girl trouble?"
Blake turned to see Mike and Billie sitting at a table over in the corner of the game room.
"Nah, she's not my girl." He said, slumping into a chair next to Mike, "I keep askin her and she keeps sayin no."
He smiled, sadly at the table; his mind flashing back to a scene from a Johnny Cash movie.
---o---
Blane was at the playground across the street from the laser tag place. She was sitting quietly on a swing, watching two squirrels fight over an acorn.
"Hey." A voice came from behind her. She turned to see josh standing there, a sympathetic smile on his face. "I told Blake I would give you a ride home."
She nodded and turned around. The squirrels were gone now.
"I know you probably think it's weird cause I'm older and all," he said, dropping into the swing next to hers, "but if you ever wanna talk-"
"You're not that old." She said, cutting him off. It was true, he had just graduated from Everview the year before, "you're only nineteen."
Josh laughed, "Yeah I guess you're right." He sighed, "But you can still talk to me."
Blane shook her head, "no, and not because you're 'old'," she held up her fingers in quotation at the word, old, "just that there's only one person I can talk to."
"I understand." He nodded, "well we better get going. It getting late and I wanna stop and buy ice cream."
She giggled, "You're such a dork."
---o---
"What'll ya have, hon?"
"Jack Daniels."
Billie was at a bar somewhere in downtown OKC. He didn't exactly know how he had gotten there, but it was good to escape. Good to be alone.
This moment of solitude didn't last long, though, because his cell phone rang. When he saw Adie in the ID, he automatically felt guilty about his whereabouts. He left a tip for the bartender and walked out onto the street.
"Hey babe," he said, picking up the phone, "yeah I miss you too."
---o---
Blane woke up with a pair of leather jacketed arms wrapped around her. She looked around to find herself in Kacie's living room, but Kacie left for a fashion show in London yesterday morning. So whose arms were around her?
She sat up and turned to see josh laying there on the couch. His black hair falling into his eyes, his clothes wrinkled severely, and his shoes still on.
What happened last night? She wracked her brain, trying to make sense of it all.
She saw the empty cartons of ice cream on the coffee table and the TV set to DVD mode. It all came flooding back.
Stopping for ice cream, watching a movie on Kacie's couch, and... The kiss.
They had kissed last night and it wasn't a friendly little peck either.
Blane started shaking, more out of panic than anything else. She got up and went into the kitchen. Her caffeine headache was killing her so she made herself a mug of hot tea and sat down at the counter with it. It was amazing how much just one sip could calm her nerves.
She was busy making swirls in the froth when she heard movement behind her.
"Listen, Blane," he said sliding into the seat next to her at the counter, "I really like you, but I don't want to get in between whatever is going on between you and Blake, so-"
She cut him off, "there's nothing going on." She refused to look at him.
"What?"
"Between me and Blake," she said, staring into her tea, "there's nothing going on."
"Oh." She felt his eyes on her, "but still, I don't think this is a good idea."
She nodded.
They sat for a moment, in silence, and then he reached over and kissed her again. And she kissed back, letting him pull her into his arms, neither of them wanting out of it.
He pulled away, whispering an apology and staring at the floor.
After a few more moments of silence, he got up, "I should go."
He turned to leave, and Blane grabbed his arm, "No... Stay."
Three people, one of which was shaking violently, got up and followed the nurse down the hall to the examination room where they would wait another two hours to see the doctor.
"Blane, stop shaking." Kacie said.
Blane took out a pack of gum and popped a piece in her mouth, "I can't help it."
"It's actually kind of amusing to watch, though." Blake grinned. Blane hit him, but she was smiling.
There was a knock on the door and the doctor came in.
"Miss Richards, if you would please follow me, we'll run you through a quick CAT scan to check on everything. Then we'll discuss further action."
Blane and her support group followed Dr. Lang down the halls of the hospital. She lay down on the table like she had many times before, and squeezed her eyes shut when it started moving into what she referred to as the tunnel from hell.
---
"So miss Richards, I'll see you and hopefully your company on Wednesday then."
"Ok, thank you."
"Bye."
---o---
Billie was busy packing. He and the guys were going back to Oklahoma for the rest of this week and the next. The following weekend, they were taking the kids and flying out to Miami for an awards show.
It had been four years since they had released American Idiot, and they were still getting awards for it. Now that's an album, he thought.
A lopsided grin fell across his face as he threw another pair of black pants into his suitcase.
---o---
Blane was shaking uncontrollably.
"Miss Richards," she heard the doctor's voice come over the intercom, "you have to stop shaking, or we won't be able to do the procedure."
Procedure. That made it sound so routine. She attempted to steady herself, but failed. "I can't." she said, almost whining. She hated the sound of her voice when she was scared.
"Blane?" it was Blake's voice on the intercom now, "can you hear me?"
She nodded.
"Think about the rain."
She smiled, and automatically, she relaxed and closed her eyes.
---o---
Blane sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her black boots.
"You know, if you stare at those long enough, they might change colors." Blake stood in the doorway, grinning like crazy. His hair was wet and he was clad in nothing but a bath towel. She got up and crossed his room to stand in front of him.
"Oh yeah?" she smiled mischievously, "well if you hadn't taken so long in the shower," she fiddled with the bath towel wrapped around his waist, "I wouldn't have to sit and stare at my shoes." She jerked the towel off of him and took off running down the hall. She stopped at the other end as he scrambled to pull the towel back on. She laughed at him.
"Well," he said childishly, "if you hadn't come here so early, I would have been ready."
"Early?" she gawked at him, coming back up the hall, "its three o' clock and you were still asleep when I got here."
"So," he pouted while pulling on a pair of JNCOs. She couldn't get over how cute he looked, all pouty with his hair falling slightly into his eyes.
"You know," she said fiddling with his blue locks, "you should leave it like that."
"What?" he pulled her into his arms.
She looked into his smiling eyes, "I mean no gel. I like it better when I could run my fingers through it."
He crossed the room to pull on a shirt, "what are you my girlfriend now?"
She giggled, "You wish, Blake Masters. You wish." She crossed to the doorway and left the room.
Blake looked at the wall sadly,
"Yeah, I do."
---o---
"What are you doing out here, man?" Mike came over to the table to sit with Billie.
"I don't know Mike," he sighed, jokingly, "I guess laser tag just isn't my thing."
Mike chuckled, "I hear that. But Tre sure is havin a blast."
"Yeah, he loves hangin with these kids. It's like he's with his own kind."
They both laughed for a good measure.
---
"Gotcha biatch!" Tre yelled as he tagged Derek.
Blane came up and tagged him from behind, "ha! Got you!" she turned and disappeared into the darkness, laughing evilly as she went.
She found a corner and pulled out her secret weapon: a 12-sided crystal. She pointed the gun at it and pulled the trigger. The laser multiplied and shot out in every direction. Groans and swears went up all over the room.
"That's cheating, little girl." She turned to see Blake standing there.
"Oh no." she said mockingly, "you won't tell on me, will you?"
They both smiled, moving closer and wrapping into each other. She felt his breath on her lips, and she didn't know why; it all just seemed right; but she kissed him. Moving closer as he pulled her in. She twisted her hands into his shirt.
"It's about damn time!" Chris's voice hooted behind them, but they ignored it, backing away into the corner.
Derek grabbed Chris and pulled him back into the darkened maze.
"Was that real?" Blake whispered into her ear.
She looked up at him, confused, "what do you mean?"
"I mean, Blane," his voice rising, "every time something like this happens between us, you run away and leave me standing here!"
"Yeah?" she said; hurt overcoming her voice, "well then here I go again."
She pushed past him and disappeared.
"Blane!" he yelled, chasing after her.
"Damn, Blake, are you that bad of a kisser?"
"Fuck you, Chris." Blake brushed by him and out the door.
"Blane!"
But it was too late, she was gone.
"Girl trouble?"
Blake turned to see Mike and Billie sitting at a table over in the corner of the game room.
"Nah, she's not my girl." He said, slumping into a chair next to Mike, "I keep askin her and she keeps sayin no."
He smiled, sadly at the table; his mind flashing back to a scene from a Johnny Cash movie.
---o---
Blane was at the playground across the street from the laser tag place. She was sitting quietly on a swing, watching two squirrels fight over an acorn.
"Hey." A voice came from behind her. She turned to see josh standing there, a sympathetic smile on his face. "I told Blake I would give you a ride home."
She nodded and turned around. The squirrels were gone now.
"I know you probably think it's weird cause I'm older and all," he said, dropping into the swing next to hers, "but if you ever wanna talk-"
"You're not that old." She said, cutting him off. It was true, he had just graduated from Everview the year before, "you're only nineteen."
Josh laughed, "Yeah I guess you're right." He sighed, "But you can still talk to me."
Blane shook her head, "no, and not because you're 'old'," she held up her fingers in quotation at the word, old, "just that there's only one person I can talk to."
"I understand." He nodded, "well we better get going. It getting late and I wanna stop and buy ice cream."
She giggled, "You're such a dork."
---o---
"What'll ya have, hon?"
"Jack Daniels."
Billie was at a bar somewhere in downtown OKC. He didn't exactly know how he had gotten there, but it was good to escape. Good to be alone.
This moment of solitude didn't last long, though, because his cell phone rang. When he saw Adie in the ID, he automatically felt guilty about his whereabouts. He left a tip for the bartender and walked out onto the street.
"Hey babe," he said, picking up the phone, "yeah I miss you too."
---o---
Blane woke up with a pair of leather jacketed arms wrapped around her. She looked around to find herself in Kacie's living room, but Kacie left for a fashion show in London yesterday morning. So whose arms were around her?
She sat up and turned to see josh laying there on the couch. His black hair falling into his eyes, his clothes wrinkled severely, and his shoes still on.
What happened last night? She wracked her brain, trying to make sense of it all.
She saw the empty cartons of ice cream on the coffee table and the TV set to DVD mode. It all came flooding back.
Stopping for ice cream, watching a movie on Kacie's couch, and... The kiss.
They had kissed last night and it wasn't a friendly little peck either.
Blane started shaking, more out of panic than anything else. She got up and went into the kitchen. Her caffeine headache was killing her so she made herself a mug of hot tea and sat down at the counter with it. It was amazing how much just one sip could calm her nerves.
She was busy making swirls in the froth when she heard movement behind her.
"Listen, Blane," he said sliding into the seat next to her at the counter, "I really like you, but I don't want to get in between whatever is going on between you and Blake, so-"
She cut him off, "there's nothing going on." She refused to look at him.
"What?"
"Between me and Blake," she said, staring into her tea, "there's nothing going on."
"Oh." She felt his eyes on her, "but still, I don't think this is a good idea."
She nodded.
They sat for a moment, in silence, and then he reached over and kissed her again. And she kissed back, letting him pull her into his arms, neither of them wanting out of it.
He pulled away, whispering an apology and staring at the floor.
After a few more moments of silence, he got up, "I should go."
He turned to leave, and Blane grabbed his arm, "No... Stay."