Paper Lanterns

Chapter 7

Grace's POV

Jeff came down from his room, glaring at Billie.

"I'm going out."

"Uh, Okay? Where ya goin?" I asked my younger brother.

Hey, just because he's like.. seven inches taller than me, doesn't mean he's older.

"Out with Greg and Kyle." Two sophomores from baseball.

"Okay, don't be too late."

"I'll try," he rolled his eyes.

"Bye Jeffy! I love you!" I grinned, only to be answered with a, "Whatever."

With that, he was out the door.

"What crawled up his ass and died?" Billie joked.

"I dunno. But he'd better get it out soon. He's not the same Jeffy he was before he switched baseball teams. I think the kids are influencing him to do pot and shit. Not that I don't enjoy a good joint, but he's 15."

"Talk to your dad or something."

I sighed, "He's already had a few talks with the kid, after he started coming home from practice hours late, and high."

"If he knows that I do that shit all the time, he'll probably stop cold turkey. Now, let's go find that sound." Billie pulled me up to my room.

"How do you even know I have a guitar?"

"I saw it when I came in your window. It's pretty cool looking."

He grabbed it off the stand, throwing the strap over his shoulder and tuning it quickly.

"Please be careful," I glanced at the old, sticker covered Fender, "I love that guitar more than anything."

"Then, I'll be extra careful," he assured me while tuning.

It didn't take Billie that long to find a rhythm, and come up with a bass line to go with the music he'd composed in that Einstein-like, musical genius head of his.

"Hey, does this thing have a name?" Billie motioned to my guitar.

"Yes. His name is Dave."

"Dave? What the fuck?"

My soft raspberry colored Fender Strat, which was covered by many random stickers, was named Dave.

"No idea. It just fit." Billie rolled his eyes, and I threw a pick at him, hitting his forehead.

"What was that for?" he rubbed the spot.

"Oh, you're such a sissy!" I laughed.

"Nobody calls Billie Joe Armstrong a sissy and gets away with it!" He set Dave on the stand, and lunged at me.

Shrieking, I dodged as he lunged again, this time successful. He picked me up, tossed me onto my bed, and straddled my waist, beginning to tickle my sides.

"Do you surrender?"

"N-never!" I gasped out between laughs. I knew it was hopeless, he had me pinned.

"Fine. I give. I give!"

Billie stopped, and stared down at me. After I calmed down, I noticed his gaze.

"Billie Joe?" I whispered, and saw him shiver slightly, then he noticed he was still on top of me, and shot me a devious smirk.

'Wow.. He's pretty good looking..' I thought to myself for probably the first time in several years. Oh god, what's wrong with me?