Know Your Enemy

Part 23

*BILLIE'S POV*

Today was the day of Mike's graduation. Fuck, it seems like we were just in the 5th grade, riding our bikes around town, and ditching school to go hang out by the river during P.E. We'd throw rocks at the ducks and talk about the one teacher we both hated, Mr. Harbinger. At the time, everything was different. My dad had just passed, and it was getting to be pretty hard on my family. Mom was working two jobs. My brothers and sisters helped around as much as they could, as well as getting through high school. They all graduated. I guess it made me feel a little shame about not graduating.
  Mike had gotten his senior portraits done, and showed Tre, Mom, Scar and I. It was mainly just a picture of him with his bass. He bought about a hundred copies that he's gonna take on tour with us and hand out to girls. What a player.

*SCAR'S POV*

Today Mike was graduating. As I started writing Mike his graduation card, I started to think. It was weird. that I would be in the same position as him next year. I wondered if I'd be any different. After the tour, we'd come back home, of course. The way Billie's talking, he may move out of his mom's house. Then a scary thought found its way into my brain.
What if Billie and I aren't together by then? What if while we're on tour, he meets some beautiful girl that would absolutely blow him away, and leave me stranded on my own, with no place to live...
I shook the dirty thought out of my head, and signed my name in the card, shoving it into the envelope and leaving out the front door. Billie was waiting for me in his car, and I kissed him on the cheek as we started for the school.

***

The graduation was supposed to start at 7, and as Billie pulled into the parking lot, it was 7:08.
"Shit!" He exclaimed. "We're late!" He said, getting out of the car quickly as I opened my door.
"Well, if you didn't drive like such an old lady, we would've been here on time!" I laughed. He gave me a look.
"Oh please, Miss 'I Didn't Pass My Driving Test The First Time Because I Was Driving So Slow It Was Dangerous'!"
"Hey! The test lady was a joke! Plus, she never passes anyone on the first try - I was driving safely, not dangerously!"
Our little argument lasted all the way to the gymnasium door, and ended with Billie calling me a spaz, and me hitting him on the shoulder.
We walked through the doors and saw Tre standing in the annex. He ran up to us, all nervous-like.
"Man, now I know why I fucking hated high school. Look at all these dumb jocks. The only reason they're even graduating is because the teachers pass em along. It's fuckin BS, man. Glad I got my GED." He sighs as Billie chuckles and pats him on the shoulder.
"But hey! I hear afterwards they're having a keg party at Jason McCreeny's house. I heard his dad ordered about 5 kegs for him, whaddaya say, Billie-boy? Wanna attend?" Tre wiggled his eyebrows at Billie in the most seductive way, and I'll have to admit, it was pretty hard to resist his offer when he had eyes like those.
"Nah, Tre, we hit the road tomorrow. And I'd rather not be hungover and have to drive at the same time." Billie smiled.
"OH SHIT!" Tre exclaimed, "I totally forgot!! Tell Mike I said congrats, I gotta go pack my sticks!!"
And with that, Tre ran out of the gymnasium, and the graduation music started.
Billie and I found some seats in the bleachers, while Ollie was going to take pictures of Mike down on the floor. Then, the graduating students started to make their way into the gym in a long, single file line. Mike was near the back, considering his last name started with a P.  By the time he got to the front of the line, Billie was snoring next to me. I hit him in the chest, and he snorted, then started to clap. I laughed, and he rubbed his eyes.
Mike stood in the center of the stage, and received his diploma from the Superintendent, took a few pictures, and sat in the graduates row.
"Damn." Billie said. "He did it."

***

After the closing ceremony, I gave Mike the card from Billie, Tre, and I. He hugged and thanked the both of us.
Ollie came up from behind me, and hugged Mike as well. Then she did something. She pulled an envelope out of her purse, and handed it to Mike.
"Open this tomorrow morning, when you guys leave, but not until then, okay?" She asked, firmly, but calmly.
"Of course," Mike smiled and hugged her again. "Thank you Ms. Armstrong. For everything." Ollie started to get teary eyed, and kissed Mike on the forehead, nodding.
After she left, Blake came up behind Mike.
Shit. I had totally forgotten to talk to her about her and Mike.
"Hey..." she said in a shaky breath.
Mike turned around "Hey! What's wrong? Is... is everything okay?" He asked carefully.
Blake took a deep breath, and then spoke.
"Mike, I know we had been planning this tour for months, and what we would do, what I would say to my parents... but... they won't let me go. They've got me on house arrest. I was supposed to tell you on Wednesday, but I couldn't do it. I'm sorry."
She looked at him with tears in her eyes. Mike pulled her into a hug.
"It's okay." He said. "I'll be thinking of you every night when I'm on stage. I promise." He looked at her. But she pulled away.
"I don't want you to have to make promises you may not be able to keep." She said. "I love you, and I know you're going to do great." She kissed him once on the cheek, then turned around, and walked away.
Mike turned to Billie and I. I felt instant guilt. I should've talked to her, to let Mike know... fuck.
"Well... shit." Mike sighed, rubbing his cheek.
"Hey, man," Billie started, "forget about her, we get to go on fucking your tomorrow! How exciting is that? And just think of all the babes you get to meet!"
To this Mike perked up. "Yeah man, you're right! Now I won't have any shame handing out my portraits to girls! I still love her, but you know, maybe she'll be here when I get back!"
Mike and Billie both laughed as we walked out of the gym and started a conversation about heading out to the river and smoking some weed.
As we got into Billie's car, I looked back at my school, and tried to picture my senior year after the summer tour, but there was no way I could concentrate, I was too excited.