lördag 27 december 2008

And the Stars up Above - Chapter 6

April 8th, 1986
Jason

As they walked down the hall towards Jason’s locker. All the sudden, Mike spun around and quickly walked behind a corner. He did this so fast that Jason didn’t even notice that he was gone, until he saw Billie Joe ahead of him and turned to were Mike had been a second before to see how he’d react. There was no Mike there to react. Jason scanned the hall quickly but did not see him anywhere. Jason turned his head to where Billie had been the second before, only to realise that he wasn’t were he’d been. He was now right in front of Jason.
“Hey Jas.” Jason hated that Billie called him Jas, it reminded him of Jassy-boy, but he had never gathered the courage to tell him.
“Have you seen Mike around?” Billie asked. His voice didn’t give anything away of what he really felt, but his eyes did. They shone more green than ever, full of sadness and something more that Jason couldn’t figure out, and they were all red and puffy, as if he hadn’t slept much that night.
“I - well… no. No, I haven’t.” Jason said, figuring that Mike probably didn’t want to speak to him seeing as he was avoiding him right now.
“Oh, okay. If you see him, can you please tell him that I want to talk to him?” Billie said and walked away.
“Okay, I’ll do that.” Jason said straight out to the air, Billie was long gone before Jason had got these words out. Before Jason could move a muscle Mike was back by his side again.
“What did he say?” Mike said, straight on as if Jason was on a trail and Mike was the layer.
“He just wondered where you were, he wanted to speak to you.” Mike snorted and continued walking in the same direction they had before Billie appeared and Mike disappeared. Jason was confused and did not move. Mike didn’t seem to notice that he was walking by himself. After a few seconds of thinking Jason rushed after him and started walking beside him again, only this time he was panting. Jason quickly decided to start exercising more often, but that was a promise he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep.
“How did you know he was there? I mean, all the sudden you were gone and then he was there but he was not there when you were gone at first, but you were all gone and I do not have bad eye sight, as far as I know, and you know…” Jason blurted out, speaking a bit to fast. A second later Jason realised how stupid he must have seemed. This just wasn’t his day. A tiny smile appeared on Mike’s lips but it disappeared all too fast.
“I just knew he was there.” He said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
“You mean you saw him?”
“No, I mean that I knew he was there.”
“You didn’t see him?”
“I didn’t see him” Mike repeated, as if he was talking to a child.
“But then how did you know he was there?” Jason just couldn’t get this into his head; there was no way that that had been a lucky guess.
“I just knew, okay? I can always tell when Billie is nearby, or when he comes into the room. I don’t know how or why, but that’s just how it is.” Mike shrugged. Jason stared. Mike shrugged again. Jason walked past his locker and didn’t realise that he had walked too far until he realised that Mike had stopped. Jason decided that this day had not happened and that he was lying in his bed right now, dreaming one of the weirdest dreams ever. Soon he would wake up, go to school alone and have lunch with Mike and Billie who would talk about their band while Jason didn’t say a word. Yes, that was how it was. Jason relaxed.

onsdag 17 december 2008

And the Stars up Above - Chapter 5

April 8th, 1986
Jason

The phone rang while Jason was eating his breakfast that morning. He slowly got up and walked the three steps that were needed to get to the phone. He chewed like horse on the cereals to be able to talk.
“Hello” he said quietly; he hadn’t really got his voice back since the night.
“Hi, it’s me, Mike. Wanna walk to school with me today?” Mike’s voice said. Jason had known who it was from the very first word.
“Yeah sure, but what about Billie?” Jason said, this time in his usual voice.
“Great, see you in an hour.” Mike said and hung up, not answering Jason’s question. Jason hung up and walked the three steps back to the chair which this time took him four steps. Jason was puzzled; why would Mike all the sudden want to walk to school with Jason instead of Billie? Jason thought about this long and hard but didn’t come to any conclusions other than that he now wouldn’t have time to take a shower. So much for thinking. Jason decided to think less and do more, like Mike.
Oh, and ask Mike when he showed up. Boy, was Jason tired right now.

Mike showed up by Jason’s door ten minutes early, and Jason was still in the middle of brushing his teeth. Mike didn’t say anything when he was invited to wait in Jason’s room while he finished, neither did he say anything when it was time to go. The first half of the way to school all Mike did was looking down in the ground, kicking pebbles, only muttering short answers to whatever Jason said. After a while Jason decided to shut up and leave Mike alone since he obviously didn’t want to talk. When the first half of the way was completed Jason’s curiosity and concern about Mike won over his decision.
“Mike… What’s the matter? You’ve been quiet and grumpy all morning. And why are you walking with me instead of Billie?” At last Mike looked up, not on Jason though, just straight out in the air, but at least he wasn’t looking at the ground anymore.
“Billie and I had a fight.” He said, as if he was talking about the weather. “He told me to leave him alone. Or actually he didn’t tell me, he screamed at me to leave him alone.” He laughed, as if he just said something very funny. He then went back to staring at the ground. Jason was even more puzzled than before; why on earth would Billie and Mike fight?
“Why did he… say that?” several seconds passed before Mike answered and when he did he seemed to be minding his choice of words carefully.
“I… did something that he thought was mean. Which it probably was too… but in the end I think it was good for both of us, or at least that was what I thought it would be when I did it. But maybe not.” He said slowly, not looking up from the ground, apparently he thought the ground was very interesting.
“What did you do?” Jason asked carefully, making sure that he didn’t upset Mike. Mike shrugged, as if to say ‘nothing’.
“Oh come on, what did you do? Maybe I can help?” Jason continued.
“I don’t really think it’s any of your business, and I do not think you can help, thank-you-very-much.” Mike said and for the first time he looked at Jason. Jason wished he hadn’t, because somehow, Mike made him feel guilty. This time it was Jason’s turn to study the ground and kick pebbles. They didn’t say anything more for the rest of the walk.

måndag 8 december 2008

And the Stars up Above - Rest

Hey can you hear me?
I'm calling your name
Hello? Or is this goodbye?
The gleam in your eyes
It troubles my brain
Will I see it again?
So I can rest my head

Angel, angel - Dancing away
As all of my thoughts
get rearranged
Angel, angel -Turning away
Just when things seem
to have changed
So I can rest my head

Hey can you hear me?
I'm calling your name
Hello? Or is this goodbye?
The gleam in your eyes
It troubles my brain
Will I see it again?
So I can rest my head

And the Stars up Above - Chapter 4

April 7th, 1986
Billie Joe

They sat down by the table and Billie Joe immediately picked up the fork. He held it for a while, looking at it, as if he was considering doing something with it, he then looked at Brad and his eyes hardened and he raised the fork a little bit higher. He turned his eyes to his mum and they turned soft again, he then caught Mike slowly shaking his head in the corner of his eye. Billie was certain that nobody but him could see Mike’s headshaking. He put down the fork again. He’d disappoint his mother if he would scratch his back with it.

April 7th, 1986
Mike

“So how are things going with your band, boys?” Ollie asked when they all had got some of her delicious lasagne. Mike saw Billie chewing faster, so that he could answer. Mike saw the chance and took it.
“Things are going great actually!” he said. “Billie has finally come to his senses and is going to sing!” All the sudden Billie started coughing, Mike rubbed his back.
“How are you pal? Anyways…” he said, while Billie’s eyes got teary. Billie grabbed his glass of water and emptied it in a couple of seconds. “I’m going to play the bass as well, so all we need now is a drummer.” Billie finally looked like he was able to speak again but only opened his mouth to hear his mothers hands clasp together.
“But that’s just wonderful! I’m sure that will be fantastic! With Billie Joe’s beautiful voice… and I’m sure that you will master the bass very well, Mike. Oh Billie, I’m so happy! I knew that you would realise how good you are one day!” Ollie said with one of the biggest smiles Mike had ever seen. One almost as big appeared on Mike’s face. Try to get out of this now… he thought pleased, and turned to Billie to see his reaction. Billie did not look happy. He shot Mike a look that Mike knew meant ‘you’re dead’ and then turned to his mum and managed to master something that with a little imagination could be a smile.
“Yeah well, it’s all thanks to Mike.” He said and shot Mike another ugly look. Mike just smiled and winked at him.
Mike knew that Billie never could disappoint his mother. It had been a cheap trick, but it had been worth it. Billie would forgive him… eventually.

Billie did not speak as they walked down the stairs to get back to band practise after dinner.
“Hey Bill?” Mike said, cautious. No answer.
“Billie…?” Still no answer. Billie walked trough the door and slammed it shut behind him before Mike could get in. Mike opened the door quickly and shut it tight behind him; now he was mad.
“Okay, so that was mean, what I did up there, but refusing to talk and slamming a fucking door in my face is not going to solve anything.” He said while trying to get eye contact with Billie Joe. Billie was staring at his guitar that he had just picked up. He started strumming it, without answering Mike.
“Fine, don’t talk!” Mike said sitting down on the floor and crossing his arms and legs.
“You need to leave.” Billie Joe said quietly.
“What?” Mike said, pretending like he hadn’t heard what Billie just said.
“Can you please leave?” Billie said, still not looking at Mike. “Go home. Or play with Jason; you seem to have such a fucking great time together. I don’t care what the fuck you do. Just get out of here, okay?”
“But…”
“GO AWAY! Are you fucking deaf or something!? Just leave me the fuck alone, for once in your life!” Mike felt numb. Sure they had had fights before, but Billie had never told him to leave him alone. Not like this at least. He felt tears form in his eyes and without uttering one single word he rose.

April 7th, 1986
Billie Joe

Billie Joe heard the door close. He waited a couple of seconds before looking up, concentrating on his breath to calm down. He raised his head and looked around. Mike was gone. And despite the fact that Billie had wanted him to go he now felt sad that he had. He felt his cheeks turn wet but he didn’t realise that he was crying until several seconds later. He picked up a paper of the floor, just a plain white sheet. He stared at it while wondering how it got there. He then remembered; a few days ago Mike had made an attempt to write a song. He had been lying right there on the floor, with the paper in front of him, chewing on the pen. He hadn’t got a single word down.
Billie grabbed the pen that Mike had used, or rather hadn’t used, and placed the tip on the paper. His hand formed letters with the pen. Letters that became words. Words that became a song.
Rest the title said.

Why was it that the only person who always could read his mind and thoughts couldn’t when Billie needed him to?

onsdag 3 december 2008

And the Stars up Above - Chapter 3

April 7th, 1986
Billie Joe

“Hey Bill?” Mike said while strumming his guitar. Billie Joe stopped strumming his and turned his head to Mike. “I’ve been thinking about what you said.” Billie continued to stare; he had no idea what Mike was talking about. Billie had said a lot of things to Mike, how was he supposed to know what he meant?
“You know, about… about me switching to the bass?” Mike said, a bit uncertain. Billie Joe nodded and hoped that Mike had changed his mind.
“Well, I think it’s a pretty good idea. I mean, we probably won’t find a bassist and you’re way better than me with the guitar. And it’s only four strings, how hard can it be?” Mike said. Billie’s heart started to beat faster.
“But…” Mike continued and Billie’s heart started to beat at normal pace again, there was always a ‘but’ with Mike. How could Billie actually believe that it would have been that easy?
“you have to sing.” This time, Billie’s heart almost stopped completely. Sing? Billie couldn’t sing, he never sang in the presence of anybody but Mike and his mum. Nobody else could ever hear him sing, he didn’t like to sing, and he sings like crap! Or at least, that’s what Billie thought he did.
“No” he simply said and started strumming his guitar again, not looking at Mike anymore.
“Come on Billie, you wanted a bassist right? Well you’ve got one right here. And you wanted a singer too, didn’t you? Believe it or not but you’ve got one of that too. Right over there, where you’re sitting.” Mike looked at him, stared at him and made Billie Joe feel uneasy. Too much blue, too much blue, too much blue…
Billie looked away; he thought that if he continued to look Mike in the eyes for much longer he would disappear. And while staring at the floor, Billie opened his mouth to answer, but was cut of before he could say anything. Brad, Billie Joe’s dreadful stepfather, popped his head in through the door opening.
“Dinner’s ready.” he said and left again, not wasting any more of “his precious time” on these “worthless boys”. Billie stood up, put down his guitar and left the room with a “come on”. Mike followed, with a sigh. Billie knew that sigh very well; he had heard it many times during the last four years since Mike had obtained the place as Billie Joe’s best friend. It meant that Billie Joe hadn’t done what Mike wanted him to. But it also meant that Billie sooner or later would do what ever Mike meant, though Billie didn’t think that Mike knew about the last effect of it himself.
Billie didn’t know why, but that sigh affected him, just like the disappointed and sad look that came with it did.

Billie Joe was quite certain that Mike’s eyes possessed some kind of magical power.