Youngblood
Chapter 9
They did the rest of the three hour drive to the place where they were staying in LA. Billie and Lucy went to find a bar for a quick drink before they went to bed – tired after the long travel.
Lucy was leaning against the bar as Billie ordered two beers and they handed over fake ID's.
"Not sure if you two know, but we're starting an open mic night in about five minutes," the bar tender told them. Lucy grinned and nudged Billie.
"We didn't..thank you," she answered. "You should do it," she murmured as they sat down. Billie hummed and shrugged. "Are you ever going to tell me what's going on? And why you're all covered in bruises?" She asked bluntly after a moment "because I think you and I both know Rob isn't behind all of them," she added, looking at Billie and maintaining eye contact briefly before he looked away and shrugged.
"I told you it's nothing," he muttered.
"It clearly isn't though," Lucy countered, taking a drink from her beer and looking at him again. Billie sighed
"Can you just fucking drop it?" He snapped. She raised an eyebrow and he muttered a quick 'sorry'. He sighed again
"I'm sorry," he told her a little louder "I'm tired," he added, looking up as some cocky rich kid got on stage.
Lucy rolled her eyes as he started singing some shitty song about his 'struggles'.
"Please go up there," she chuckled, figuring it would be best to drop the subject and distract Billie "I want to hear real music," she added. He chuckled
"M'kay..I'll sing one I wrote about Lauren..it's kind of a working progress," he smiled, standing up and getting on the stage when the rich kid was done. Lucy clapped politely for the other guy, cheering loudly when Billie got onstage and grinning.
"I'm in a band called Sweet Children, we're playing the festival tomorrow so check us out," he spoke into the mic "this one is called 'Pulling Teeth'," he finished before starting to play.
Lucy watched with an excited smile. Her face fell as she listened closely to the lyrics. As soon as he was done, she hugged him
"You were great..but we need to talk," she murmured, grabbed his arm and pulling him outside into an alley down the side of the bar.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked with a frown. He shrugged and sighed softly
"Didn't want you or anyone else to worry," he admitted, Lucy lightly pushed his shoulder
"You're a dick," she answered "it's our job as your friends to worry if something bad is going on," she told him, taking his hand and squeezing a little. He looked down
"I know but you all have your own shit going on," he answered.
"And we talk about it Billie, that's how we manage it all," Lucy answered, closing her eyes for a moment and sighing "promise you'll break it off with her," she pleaded. He shook his head
"I really think I love her though," he mumbled "she's coming down in two days," he added. Lucy sighed and shook her head
"You're a fucking basket case," she mumbled, tapping his forehead. "We should go find the others," she changed the subject - figuring there was no point trying to talk sense into him yet.
They sat in the hotel room, slowly making their way through the beers they'd bought on the way
"I never asked, why does George call you Jem?" Billie asked suddenly, breaking what had been a peaceful silence. Lucy chuckled
"Same reason I have a diamond tattooed on my wrist - my dad named me after Lucy in the sky with diamonds," she answered "it's what my dad used to call me when I was little," she added, taking another swing of beer and smiling.
Lucy was leaning against the bar as Billie ordered two beers and they handed over fake ID's.
"Not sure if you two know, but we're starting an open mic night in about five minutes," the bar tender told them. Lucy grinned and nudged Billie.
"We didn't..thank you," she answered. "You should do it," she murmured as they sat down. Billie hummed and shrugged. "Are you ever going to tell me what's going on? And why you're all covered in bruises?" She asked bluntly after a moment "because I think you and I both know Rob isn't behind all of them," she added, looking at Billie and maintaining eye contact briefly before he looked away and shrugged.
"I told you it's nothing," he muttered.
"It clearly isn't though," Lucy countered, taking a drink from her beer and looking at him again. Billie sighed
"Can you just fucking drop it?" He snapped. She raised an eyebrow and he muttered a quick 'sorry'. He sighed again
"I'm sorry," he told her a little louder "I'm tired," he added, looking up as some cocky rich kid got on stage.
Lucy rolled her eyes as he started singing some shitty song about his 'struggles'.
"Please go up there," she chuckled, figuring it would be best to drop the subject and distract Billie "I want to hear real music," she added. He chuckled
"M'kay..I'll sing one I wrote about Lauren..it's kind of a working progress," he smiled, standing up and getting on the stage when the rich kid was done. Lucy clapped politely for the other guy, cheering loudly when Billie got onstage and grinning.
"I'm in a band called Sweet Children, we're playing the festival tomorrow so check us out," he spoke into the mic "this one is called 'Pulling Teeth'," he finished before starting to play.
Lucy watched with an excited smile. Her face fell as she listened closely to the lyrics. As soon as he was done, she hugged him
"You were great..but we need to talk," she murmured, grabbed his arm and pulling him outside into an alley down the side of the bar.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked with a frown. He shrugged and sighed softly
"Didn't want you or anyone else to worry," he admitted, Lucy lightly pushed his shoulder
"You're a dick," she answered "it's our job as your friends to worry if something bad is going on," she told him, taking his hand and squeezing a little. He looked down
"I know but you all have your own shit going on," he answered.
"And we talk about it Billie, that's how we manage it all," Lucy answered, closing her eyes for a moment and sighing "promise you'll break it off with her," she pleaded. He shook his head
"I really think I love her though," he mumbled "she's coming down in two days," he added. Lucy sighed and shook her head
"You're a fucking basket case," she mumbled, tapping his forehead. "We should go find the others," she changed the subject - figuring there was no point trying to talk sense into him yet.
They sat in the hotel room, slowly making their way through the beers they'd bought on the way
"I never asked, why does George call you Jem?" Billie asked suddenly, breaking what had been a peaceful silence. Lucy chuckled
"Same reason I have a diamond tattooed on my wrist - my dad named me after Lucy in the sky with diamonds," she answered "it's what my dad used to call me when I was little," she added, taking another swing of beer and smiling.