Halley's Comet

Two

August 23
San Diego, California

I'm stupid. I'm completely and utterly an idiot.

How could I have not known that she was Billie? The Billie that Iris is always raving about non stop. I should've fucking known.

I'm so stupid.

After I stupidly fell on the ground, Zoe—I hope that's her name because I suck with names—had someone carry me to what I'm guessing is the green room.

When I woke up, Billie was sitting on the couch next to me, by my feet seeing how I'm laying down. God I hoped that it was all a dream and I didn't actually embarrass myself like that.

She must have noticed that I was awake because she sent me a warm smile and continued to eat her bag of takis. Her mouth started moving but I continued hear her making me wave my hand to get her attention. She stopped talking and waited as I moved to turn my hearing aid on, only to realize that my hearing aids were gone.

No no no

I quickly sat up in panic and began looking around for my hearing aids only to find Billie waving her hand around. I think to get my attention. I turn to her and she looks conflicted.

She got up and went to a table before grabbing a piece of paper. She wrote something down and then gave me the paper.

Your hearing aids are in your pocket. Zoe said they fell off when you fell so she put them in your pocket for when you woke up is what she wrote in some cute yet a little messy handwriting.

I reach into my shorts pockets and pull out my hearing aids before quickly putting them on. I sigh in relief once they turn on and I can finally hear. I may not like having hearing aids but I hate having to deal with people who don't know sign language and have to figure out ways to talk to me.

It makes me feel like they have to sacrifice for me and I don't like that. It gives me more anxiety I don't need.

"What were you saying beforehand?" I ask her and she immediately sits back down on the couch and picks up her bag of chips.

"I was just asking if you were alright" She tells me and shifts to sit indian style.

"I'm fine but I need to find Iris" I say and pull my phone out of my pocket immediately texting her. She calls me instead and I answer the phone quickly.

"Halley! Where are you! I been looking for you for the past fucking hour" She screams into the phone making me groan as my hearing aids start to ring from how loud she is.

"Can you stop yelling? You know I don't like yelling" I say as I shut my eyes trying to stop a headache that was definitely trying to come.

"Oh right I'm sorry. Where are you?"

"I'm with" I pause and look back at Billie to see her now on her phone. She looks up when she hears me stop talking and finds me looking at her. "What room am I in?"

"The green room why?"

"I'm in the green room which is a weird name because the room is definitely not green" I mumble to Iris who laughs at my words.