(✍ authors note: hi! i wrote this lil story with a few songs running through my head. I thought i'd name them here to set the scene lil. 1. Fat Segal - Lake, 2. Fat Segal - Moonchild, and Fat Segal - Vessel.. okay, bye! ✍)
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"Hi, you've reached Rose. I can't come to the phone right now - leave a message and I'll get back to you!"
..
"Hi, you've reached Rose. I can't come to the phone right now - leave a message and I'll get back to you!"
..
It was 2:15 AM.
Billy stood by the house phone, slumped up against the wall it was mounted upon in the hallway, debating whether or not to dial the same number for the 9th time in the past 10 minutes.
His fingers hovered over the first digit momentarily before retracting and slamming the phone back onto the hook in defeat, running a frustrated hand through his curly mop of hair.
A weak sigh escaped his lips as he turned on his heels and headed back into his bedroom that was highlighted by the silver moonlight peering in from his window.
Springs squeaked as Billy's tired body was thrown onto the mattress, slowly curling itself into foetal position.
Heavy blue eyes studied the lonesome crescent in the night sky; the stars dotted around like spilled glitter against the skies black canvas.
"Why are you still calling me, Billy?"
The sudden familiar softly spoken voice immediately broke his stare, whipping his head around to meet the gaze of the girl perched at the end of his bed.
"Rose.." He breathed, dumbfounded, blinking a few times to check he wasn't dreaming as he lifted himself up to sitting.
"Stop torturing yourself, Bill. I hate seeing you like this"
Billy's eyebrows furrowed, his hazy head shaking slightly in refusal as the girls words repeated over in his mind.
"W-what? No. I can't just fucking forget. How can you even say that, like.. like it's nothing?"
The girl shuffled forward towards Billy, allowing her face to be illuminated by the pale moonlight. Billy's heart aching at the sight.
"Billy.." She started, holding a hand up to stroke his stubbled cheek. "You've got to let go now, you're forever living in the past"
Billy's eyes shut tight as Rose's words washed over him, tears threatening to spill over.
This was the part of Billy no-one saw, or probably ever will see.
This was what was left when the girls he'd bring back had returned to their homes, satisfied after sharing an evening with the "Keg King".
This is what was hidden under the hard exterior of the i-don't-give-a-shit party boy. A reason for his relentless chain-smoking.
When the thread in his smile unravelled, and the spark in his eyes began to sting, the guy who was once so cocky, seemed to wither and lose his grin.
"I ca-" Billy stuttered, his voice cracking. "I can't forget, Rose. I'm trying, I-".
"I know". Rose whispered, bringing his forehead to rest against hers. "I do".
His hand was encased by Rose's, slotting together like the piece he'd been missing for almost a year. Occasional salty droplets falling like rain from above.
Silence hovered in the air. Only the music of crickets chirping and Billy's breathing.
"It looks good on you" Rose interrupted the quiet, motioning to the gold pendant hanging around Billy's neck. He just smiled, weakly.
"Remember that time, when we jumped the fence to get into the Stones concert?" Rose continued, moving to accompany Billy's empty bedside.
The dusty blonde boy sniffled, smirking whilst searching through his memories like a treasure chest of stories.
"Yeah" He began. "And we got chased by security but just caught the end of them playing 'Sympathy for the Devil'.."
Rose giggled as the image replayed in her mind, "Did you really think trying to bribe them with a half pack of cigarettes was going to win them over?"
"It didn't really go to plan, did it?" Billy laughed, shaking his locks of waves at the memory.
"Remember how we met?" Billy added.
He smiled, widely. "I caught you drawing my fine ass in your little sketchbook during lunch periods. Creep!"
"Erm, I was actually admiring the double denim combo" Rose defended as they laughed in unison, "although, the ass underneath it wasn't too bad either, I suppose."
"Hm.. you 'suppose' huh. Well, you weren't saying it was 'too bad' when we-"
"Okay!" Rose stopped Billy's reminiscence of certain other times in it's tracks. "It's like Gods gift to women, alright - is that better?"
Billy grinned proudly, swiping a pack of Marlboro's off his bed side counter whilst nodding in approval of his backsides notorious reputation.
"I've still got that book, you know" He stated, toying with a cigarette between his fingers. "I look at it every night before bed. Like, all the drawings.. of people on the bus or couples in the park and stuff.."
"I don't just keep it to stare at my own ass or anything" Billy laughed lightly, "that's what mirrors are for" he winked.
Rose smiled in response. Rose was fascinated with people. What they were thinking, who they were going home to at the end of the day, where they were going, etc. She would draw the backs of their heads or try to catch certain expressions that particularly piqued her interest.
"Remember, when we left Amy's party early that night and drove to the Quarry and just laid on your car roof, counting the stars?"
A bittersweet expression graced Billy's face as he nodded.
"That, uh, was the last time we ever got to do that.. huh"
Rose placed her hand lightly on his, "It was my time, Billy. Can we not talk about that right now-"
"You know" Billy interrupted. "I think- I think I drive so damn fast now, in hopes that it might happen to me, too".
"Don't say that" Rose ordered.
"If I weren't speeding down that lane, Rose, If- If I had seen the other car in time, you-"
"Please, Billy, Stop-"
"You'd still fucking be here, and its my fault. And we both know it. It's my fucking fault. It's my fault.."
Billy's eyes fused shut as he continued repeating the last three words over and over and over. Spitting them out like venom as Rose wrapped herself around his quivering shoulders, waves of regret and tears shaking through his muscular physique.
Soft cries echoed throughout the room.
"Wake up.." Rose's voice whispered in his ear.
Billy's eyes shot open with wild, heavy breathing.
His gaze firmly upon the onlooking moon in the sky again, laid down in foetal position in his bed - alone.
Pulling himself up, Billy b-lined for the house phone in a slightly dazed and confused state.
Fingers fumbling as they tapped the same sequence of Rose's number, like they had done every night for 352 days, begging to hear her voice.
..
"Hi, you've reached Rose. I can't come to the phone right now - leave a message and I'll get back to you!"
..
"I can't forget" Billy breathed heavily into the mouthpiece.
"I'll see you again soon"
YOU ARE READING
~ forget ~ billy
Fanfiction~ When the thread in his smile unravelled, and the spark in his eyes began to sting - the guy who was once so cocky, seemed to wither and lose his grin..
