Sweet Things ~ (Billy the Kid - Tom Blyth)

4

     "Billy? What is it?" I place a hand on his arm but he's still looking at Jesse. Who is this Barbara that is making Billy react this way?

     "Seriously, Jesse?" He says accusingly, still not acknowledging me. "That's not what you told me you were doing these past few days."

     "Billy, I was gonna tell ya.. just not.. you know.." Jesse trails off, and I get the hint. He wasn't going to tell Billy about his meeting with Barbara in front of me.

     Suddenly I'm filled with anger and jealousy. I stand up, pushing off Billy, and announce I'm going to take a walk to look for firewood. Billy starts to protest, saying we have plenty, but I shake him away and walk away from the camp towards the woods. I need to be alone right now. I can hear Billy and Jesse arguing as I walk farther and farther away.

     Tears threaten to fall down my cheeks, and I wipe them away. Pull yourself together Cassidy Jones. I try and reassure myself as I pace back and forth. Finally I sit down on a log, my head in my hands. I know I have to go back and face Billy and Jesse. I decide then and there to act unbothered. If Billy wants to explain who this Barbara woman is, he will. He better.

     I make my way back towards the campsite. Billy is nowhere in sight, but Jesse still sits in the same place. When he sees me, he sits up straighter.

     "You wanna know who Barbara is?" He starts, "She used to be my girl. Long time ago." He takes a moment, smoking.

     "Why aren't you two together anymore?" I ask as I sit down.

     "Just had different ideas for the future, I guess." Jesse breathes out slowly, lost in thought.

     "That doesn't explain-" I'm cut off by Billy returning to the camp. He looks pissed off, but I don't acknowledge him. I'm still pissed off too.

     "We should get moving." He starts to pick up our camp. Jesse agrees and soon we are back on our horses, riding through the trails and across the horizon, headed for Texas. As we ride, I wonder why Billy was so pissed. Surely it had nothing to do with my actions? I ponder this and finally decide that he was still mad about whatever argument he had with Jesse.

     We ride for a few more hours before the sun starts to set, painting the sky and clouds beautiful colors of yellow and orange. I get caught staring at it multiple times and both Jesse and Billy have to keep looking back to make sure I'm still behind them. I find myself missing the days where things were simple, where all I had to worry about was what color the sky was going to be that night.

     Eventually we loose all our natural light and start setting up camp for the night. Jesse keeps watch while I help Billy divide out our food. He wasn't able to shoot anything so we only have crackers and dried fruit tonight. We sit around a small fire, eating in comfortable silence.

     "Well today's been shitty, huh?" Jesse says, and Billy and I look at him in surprise. "What?! Everyone's pissed off for no good reason." I look from Billy to Jesse, unsure how to respond to that.

     "Yeah we're pissed off, Jesse. Thanks to you." Billy says coldly. "You lied to me."

     "And I told you, I'm sorry. If I had told you where I was really going, you never would've let me go. You would've done everything in your power to stop me." Jesse says matter-of-factly. I'm stunned, a million questions racing through my mind. I stay quiet as Jesse and Billy go back and forth.

     "Jesse, I don't give a shit. Not anymore." He glances at me. "I don't need to. My priorities have changed."

     "I know that." Jesse replies.