Chapter Six

“There’s something I need you to realize,” Billie turns to me as he’s trying to collect his cool.

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“I can’t do this without you.”

We both pause for a moment, taking in the heavy material that was just blasting its way out second by second. He chuckles nervously.

“I never fucking thought I would say that to anyone. Maybe Mike and Tre, and definitely my wife... but I never fucking thought I would say those words to someone I just met.”

“You’re not alone,” I say under my breath. He looks me in the eye with a little spark of confusion. “I’ve never been they type of person to rely on anyone. I’m the one that does the favors for others. I’m the one everyone goes to for help. I’m the one who’s got “everything figured out.”” I mimic. “That’s just the way it’s always been. Why rely on someone else to make you feel complete when you can be that person for someone else? Be that person that someone can’t live without, doesn’t it sound…special?”

I don’t usually open up to people, and I guess this can barely pass for expressing emotion, but the situation felt right. I needed to tell him something about me, right? Maybe it could help somehow, if we understand each other on a deeper level.

Billie let out a half smile. He reached into his pocket to pull out a duchess and a little bag of dope.

“I know the feeling, Layla,” he agrees. “I’d apologize, but I can tell that even if it was something you could change, you would keep everything the way it is right now.”

I grin impressively at that last statement while I notice Billie begins to roll a blunt.

“I don’t know much, but I do know that the only way we are going to figure things out are if we believe each other are real, and we keep seeing each other to gather answers. I don’t think this is a matter of dreams and reality, I think it’s a matter of society and what the system wants us to see.”

I giggle, what a typical Billie Joe line right there. It made me think things through in a bit more depth. What if there was nothing to figure out?

“Billie, maybe this is a gift. Maybe it’s a blessing? Maybe we don’t need to look for answers because this whole situation is one?”

“Elaborate, won’t you dear?” He insists.

“Well, the way we make this thing sound, it seems dangerous and extreme. But what’s so bad about it? I’m with one of my favorite people in the world, and you actually seem to be somewhat interested in me as a person. Maybe to you, I’m a charity case, but to me…you’re a gift from above.”

I could sense my voice sounding higher and more angelic. I really hoped for some acceptance on the matter.

“Don’t get me wrong darling,” Billie began while finishing up his masterpiece. “I think you’re a real special girl, but don’t you want to know what’s going on here? Don’t you want to know why yesterday was real to you but imaginary to everyone else? Even if you don’t want to know anything, I want to know why I can’t remember anything besides the few moments before I see you. Do I wake up into a world of reality? You did, and you fell straight back into this different realm or something.”

“I thought you said this wasn’t a dream!” I begin to panic again.

“It’s not, but I’ll tell yah something…it sure as fuck ain’t the real world either. We are messing with something bigger than ourselves. Nah, take that back. Something bigger than ourselves is messing with us. And I don’t know why.”

“Everytime I think about it, I get a headache. I don’t want to think about it, I want to just…enjoy it. Do you want to go get a coffee or something?”

“You reek of coffee, Layla. Try this instead,” he hands me his blunt. I shrug and take a whiff. “It’ll calm you right down, I promise,” he winks.

“So…you don’t remember what happened after the human race pretty much disappeared yesterday?” I pass the blunt back to him.

“No fucking idea. Next thing I knew, I was here, walking amongst people I had never seen before. Ten minutes went by and I tried to ask for directions, but these idiots here are so fucking ballsy and told me shit. Right before I lost hope, I saw you. That was the first moment I knew that I was in deep shit…and that I was taking you right down with me. I’m sorry Layla. I don’t mean to drag you down, but I think we’re the chosen ones, for whatever this trap is, yah know?”

“Hey, if I needed to be dragged down with anyone, I’m glad it’s with you.”

We both smiled a bit and passed the blunt back a few times, trying to enjoy our company.

“I bet you miss Adrienne,” I slip out.

“Of course I do. I love her so fucking much. And my kids, I miss my kids. It seems like weeks since I’ve last seen them.”

“What’s your furthest memory, Billie? How far back can you remember? Maybe if we clear the air up, we’ll learn things about us that could solve this problem.”

He began scratching his head and squinting his eyes. He finished up the blunt and took in a deep breath. All of the sudden his head flung up and his whole body jumped.

“Are you okay?”

“What the fuck was that?”

“Billie? What did you see?”

He quickly stood up like a dog on alert and began staring at the entrance to the park on the opposite side of the field.

“Someone is watching us.”

“Who? Oh my God, Who?” I freak out.

“Layla,” he says my head, still focusing on that one spot. “Do you still have heightened senses?”

My whole body was shaking and I couldn’t give a straight answer. I began stuttering and sweating and I can honestly say I have never felt this out of control in my life.

“Layla!” He yells. He faces me and puts his arms on my shoulders, looking me straight into the eyes. “I need you to try to hear this person. If we are in this fucking twilight zone of sorts, you haven’t lost your senses. I can feel things, and you can sense them. So tell me right fucking now if you can hear a person breathing behind that motherfucking school.”

His touch cooled me down and helped bring me to focus. I closed my eyes and tried so hard to hear something. Close my eyes tighter, and tighter….and tighter. Block out the wind, block out my heartbeat, block out the birds…block it all out. Think, try Lay, try…suddenly I began breathing to the pattern of a different breath. At first I thought it was Billie’s, but when I opened my eyes and looked at the building, I swear I saw someone too.

“We’re being watched,” I confirmed.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here!” Billie yells.

“Follow me!”

I grab his hand and lead him towards the back of the school. I could hear distant footsteps from far away, we were most definitely being chased.

“They’re after us!” I yell while jumping over some planted flowers through the path in the back. “Faster!”

The quicker we ran, the faster the crazy person charged. I was too scared to look back, - I knew he was there. I knew it was there.

“Layla!” Billie yells while we’re nearly sprinting now, both of us out of breath.

I quickly look up to him while heaving.

“Don’t forget me,” he calls out.

“Billie, where are you going?!” I scream.

“I can feel that we will be separated, so please, don’t fucking forget me. You need to have faith that I am real, that’s the only way things will get better, okay? Promise me, Layla!” He demands.

“Don’t leave me Billie!” I begin to sob in fright.

“PROMISE ME LAYLA!”

“I promise, Billie. I believe in you.”

Moments later I tripped over some fucking piece of nature and began to stumble. I noticed Billie tried to catch me as he yelled out random things like “Stay still! Don’t lose hope. Stay with me Layla! Don’t leave me with him!”

But I couldn’t stand straight. I fell again and hit the ground harder than a sack of bricks. Lights out baby.