Letter To A Soldier, part 8
By: Hotaru
Notes: Um...I've run thru this chapter in my head a dozen times when trying to sleep. Taisetsu no hito eto negai yo habataite uke! Shinjiteitei. Sorry, j-rock has claimed me.
Luckie: Excellent. We bought a single serve thing of popcorn today for thirty three sense! Isn't that crazy?
Pinquicha: REFan is back. Can you tell my fans to come back? Only two people read the last chapter. :( Go buy the "hello" single by hyde.
--October 20th, 9:00 p.m.--
"Please, Carlos, calm down. I can't understand what you're saying." Rebecca said to the frantic man on the phone.
"Where the hell are you!? Do you have _any_ idea how worried I've been?!" Carlos exclaimed.
"I'm at a friend's. I just need some time away from everything. I'm sorry that I worried you, but just...relax."
"I can't relax. You're the one who said you've been antsy, thinking everything's gonna start up again. Then you up and disappear? What the hell am I supposed to think?"
"Carlos, I'm _sorry_. Really. I'll..come by and get some of my things in a little while so I'll talk to you then."
"Becky...why don't you stay? Who are you staying with anyway?"
"A friend, I told you. Look..I gotta go, I'll be home in a little while ok?"
"...ok. You better show up."
"I will."
Hanging up the phone, Rebecca sighed and rested her head against the wall. "Everything okay?" Billy asked, stepping into the room. "Yeah. He's just over reacting." She replied, running her fingers through her hair.
"I guess you mean a lot to him. You wanna get going?"
"Yeah, sure."
It had started to rain lightly as they headed outside to the apartment complex's parking lot. "A motorcycle, huh? Nice." Rebecca remarked as Billy handed her a helmet.
"Doesn't come in handy when it's raining, but...I didn't want to deal with a car." Billy replied, climbing on. "Wrap your arms around me, and hold on tight, got it?"
"Yeah." Rebecca said, climbing on behind him, and clutching his waist tightly.
"Here we go." Billy warned, before revving the engine and speeding to the street.
The scenery rushed past them in quick flashes. Lightning flickered in the distance, and the rain began to fall harder, and more quickly. "You know the way?" Rebecca shouted over the wind.
"Yeah. We'll be there soon." Billy called back.
Soon, Billy pulled his bike to a halt under the tree in front of Carlos's house. He pulled off his helmet and put the kick stand down. "I take it you want to go in alone." He remarked.
"Yeah. Carlos'd probably kill you for stealing me." Rebecca replied, handing him the helmet.
"Kidnapping you? So I'd be considered a mass murderer *and* a kidnapper...if you can be called a kid."
"No, not anymore. I'll be back."
Rebecca slowly walked towards the house, sensing that Carlos would be looking through the living room windows waiting for her arrival. The front door opened while she was ascending the steps. "Becky! Oh thank God." Carlos exclaimed, pulling her into a hug.
"Carlos..I'm fine. Relax." She said, trying to get out of his clutches. Anastacia stood inside, with her arms crossed, not liking the closeness of the two.
"God I was so worried! I was running around looking for you with nothing but a towel on. Where the hell did you go?"
"I just...felt like going out for awhile and ran into someone I knew. I fell asleep at their place, and called you soon after I woke up."
"You broke a bowl. Was that on purpose?" Anastacia asked when they two came in from outside.
"Yes and no." Rebecca replied, feeling the other woman's aggrivation.
"I'll get you a towel." Carlos said, running upstairs.
Rebecca followed after him, and went into her room to get some clothes. Pulling a square suit case from the closet, she pulled some shirts from the closet and tossed them in, along with a couple of pairs of pants. "Becky, you should dry off. It's getting cold out, and you'll get sick if you don't dry off." Carlos said, walking into her room.
"Don't you ever knock?" She asked, draping the towel over her shoulder.
"Sorry. Look, why don't you stay here? There's no reason for you to go anywhere."
"I'm not happy here, at the moment. I just want to leave for awhile, what's so hard to understand about that?"
"Why? What's making you unhappy?" Carlos asked sincerely. She couldn't tell him. Not that she had had a crush on him since they were introduced all those years ago, or that she secretely rejoiced everytime he and his girlfriend broke up. No, she couldn't say any of that. She wasn't a spiteful person, she wanted everyone to be happy.
"I want everyone to be happy, so I'm going to stay with a friend for a little while. I'll bring my cell phone, so you can call me if you need to. Be with Annie, be happy. I'll try to do the same."
"Is that it? You don't like her?"
"No, she's great. I like her better than all the other women you've dated. I just can't..I can't deal with your monogamy anymore."
Tossing a few more things into the suit case, Rebecca zipped it up and brushed past the man who stood dumbfounded in her room. She wasn't suprised to find Anastacia hiding in the hallway either. "You have feelings for him?" She asked. Rebecca's lips quivered as she nodded, before going down the stairs. "I'm leaving so everyone can be happy." She repeated, before going out the door and into the rain.
Lightning flashed in the sky, and rain mixed with salty tears. /What's so great about him? His just your average playboy with an accent. He's nothing special. So why do you like him so much? He's only nice to you because he feels obligated to. You're both survivors, have one thing in common: Umbrella. If it wasn't for them, he wouldn't know you, and wouldn't give a shit about you. Get over him./
Stalking to the street, Rebecca paused and stared at Billy. He was leaning against his bike, staring at the floor. "You okay?" His smoky voice asked.
"Not really." She replied, pulling the helmet back on.
"We can talk when we get back to my place. I don't know how bad this storm is gonna be, but we should go before it gets worse."
Nodding, she held on tight, while they headed back "home".
--10:00 p.m.--
"It's kind of nice...the darkness."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because...it's like everyone isn't pretending that life is full of sunshine and rainbows."
"You feel like talking, Becky?"
"I guess...how should I start?"
"Start with that guy. Who is he?"
"Carlos Oliviera. South American playboy and Raccoon City survivor. For as long as I've lived with him...he's always been..romantically involved. Every week it was a new woman. Sometimes I wondered if he was really lonely inside...or was just *always* horny."
"Could be both."
"Right. I tried not to let it bother me. I'd cook and clean and do the typical house wife stuff but...it was like I was a widow with two children. It was always 'I love you Jessie, Caitlin, Chrissy' or who ever. He doesn't understand love. If he did, he would take every pretty woman he saw to his bedroom."
"That sounds more like lust than love, to me." Billy remarked, shifting a little. The floor wasn't exactly a comfortable place to sit, but they had both chosen it. Rebecca had a blanket wrapped tightly around her, and she stared at the coffee table.
"He only thinks about his wants. What he needs is someone he actually loves."
"What he needs is a good kick in the ass."
"What?"
"I'm sick of guys who live like that. What's he gonna do when he gets one of these women pregnant? Then what? Is he going to take responsibility?"
"I'd think so. He's not an asshole."
Shaking his head, Billy sighed. "Anyway, keep going." He said.
"Right...I think I just got fed up with it all. I'm just lonely, I guess. And I was tired of no one knowing, or caring." Rebecca said, putting her head on her arms.
"I care."
"Do you?"
"Yeah. Why else would I invite you over to my rat hole of an apartment?"
"Martha Stewart would have a heart attack if she saw this place." The two laughed lightly, and thunder boomed loudly. "When's the last time you did your laundry?" Rebecca asked.
"Ah..."
"Oh, gross. Do you have any laundry baskets?" She continued, standing up and walking down the hallway.
"Ah I think so."
Billy went into his closet, and indeed there was a basket filled with clothes. "That's pretty much all I have..and the stuff on the floor. You offering to do my laundry?" He asked.
"Yes. I do it so damn often I seem to enjoy it now. Where are the clothes from today?" She replied.
"Kitchen sink."
"Such a slob you are."
"We'd make a good pair, neatnick."
Rebecca eyed him briefly, before balancing the basket on her hip and going to retrieve the wet clothes from the sink. "Where's the laundry room? In the basement?" She asked, putting on a pair of slippers.
"Yeah, I think so. You want me to go with you?" Billy replied.
"No, I'll be okay."
"Don't forget, I'm in three a."
"Okay. Be right back."
The apartment building was plain. Dull, faded yellow wall paper lined the walls, and a dark brown carpet laid on the floor. Pressing the elevator button, Rebecca sighed. /3A/ She reminded herself. A light ding rang out and the elevator doors opened. Stepping inside, she pushed the 'B' button and leaned against the wall. Looking up at the ceiling, she thought about Carlos, and how pathetic it was. Then again, you can't help who you love, can you? Try as hard as you can, but the 'id' rules all. Desire. The "I want it now" mentality. /Why can't my ego tell the id to go shove it?/ Taking a course in sociology helps when trying to figure out why people do what they do. Studying people's behavior can be pretty interesting.*
Stepping off the elevator, Rebecca shuffled down a dim hallway. She could hear machines running as she neared a doorway without a door. Glancing into the room, she saw a man sitting ontop of a machine, reading a magazine. He glanced up and smiled at her. "Hi." He greeted.
"Hey." She replied, putting the laundry basket on the floor.
"You just move in?" He continued, much to her dismay.
"Nope, just visiting a friend." She answered, pulling detergent from a shelf and tossing clothes into a machine.
"Oh yeah? Not exactly the Marriot is it?"
"It's fine."
/You're being cross again. The guy is just trying to be friendly./ She told herself, trying to lighten up a little. "So who are you visiting?" The guy continued, looking back at his magazine. Rebecca was about to tell him Billy Coen, but realized he may have given a fake name to the rest of the tenants.
"The guy in 3A. You know him?" She asked, hoping that didn't sound too suspicious.
"3A...nah, don't think so. I'm more of a fifth floor guy."
"Oh."
"I'm Jake, by the way. 5F if you ever need anything." The guy continued, extending his hand.
"Rebecca, and thanks. I don't know how long I'll be here. Just taking a vacation from home, really."
"Oh yeah? So you live around here?"
"Mm-hm. With a friend..who I'm having some personal problems with, so I just wanted a break."
"Boyfriend?"
"No."
"Ah..it usually takes like a half-hour for the load to finishing, if you want to get back to your apartment."
"Oh, yeah? Alright, I guess I will. Thanks."
"Nice meeting you."
"You too."
Turning around, and rolling her eyes, Rebecca headed back towards the elevator. Why did people always have to be so friendly when she was in a bad mood?
Returning to Billy's apartment, she sat on the couch and sighed. "Here, I found this." A voice said from the darkness. Jumping slightly, Rebecca looked around. Billy was standing to her right, with a paper in his hand.
"What is it?" She asked, taking it from him.
"A directory of all doctors with the last name of Chambers in the mid-west. Thought it might be helpful." He replied, sitting beside her. She scanned the list carefully, and frowned when she couldn't see her father's name.
"Shit. He's not on here." She moaned.
"Damn..well, maybe they moved somewhere. I can look again, if you want."
"I don't want to burden you with my troubles, Billy."
Snorting, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. "What are you--" She said softly, and he acted like he didn't hear.
"If that was true, you wouldn't be here. You'd be at your place..sitting in your room feeling sad, and sorry for yourself. Wondering about your family, and whether or not that jackass is going to notice you. You're better off here." He said.
"Hey. He isn't a jackass." She said defensively.
"Then why can't he notice you? I'm sure on some level he's a nice guy...but if you're so in love with him, then why the hell doesn't he notice?"
"Cause I don't make it obvious. I want him to be happy so I just let him be."
"You're too considerate of other people." Billy said, ruffling her hair.
"No I'm not. I'm really self-centered." Rebecca replied, elbowing him in the side.
"Oh really? Is that why you've broken up all of his relationships and have claimed him to be yours?"
"Shut up."
"Make me."
Glancing up at him with a scowl, Rebecca closed her mouth and pouted slightly. "You know, when you do that, you almost look cute." Billy remarked, one of his eyebrows twitching upwards.
"How long are you going to insist that I have feelings for you?" She asked irritatedly.
"Until you prove me wrong." He smirked, placing a kiss on her nose, before standing up and stretching. "Well I better get to sleep. Work tomorrow."
Grabbing the television remote, Rebecca turned on the news. More depressing stories about people dying, the weather, corruption. But, the only other thing on was a re-run of Friends. Eyes burning, Rebecca closed them and tears fell down her cheeks. She fell to her side, and sobbed silently, the t.v. becoming nothing more than a blurry image. /Why am I crying again? Not because of carlos. can I really miss my parents this much? I hated living with them, all they did was nag me. But they cared about me. They genuinely loved me, and looked forward to hearing about my day or "the job hunt" or whatever. My mom enjoyed cooking meals for me, and my dad really wanted me to work with him. God, why was I such an ass to them?/
Taking a few deep breaths, she closed her eyes again and just rested, and breathed deeply to calm down. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
--10:45 p.m.--
Stepping out of the bathroom, Billy toweled his hair, and glanced down the hall. There was light from the t.v. flickering against the walls and a faint voice. Walking down the hallway, he glanced into the living room. Rebecca was asleep on the couch, and a news program was on t.v. Walking over, he grabbed the remote, and glanced at her face. "She's been crying." He remarked, seeing her wet eyelashes sticking together. Wiping her cheeks, he sighed. "Why do you torture yourself just to make other people happy? It really makes no sense to me." He whispered, turning the t.v. off. He was about to head to his room, when he remembered the laundry.
Sighing grabbed a bag and headed down to the laundry room. He had been especially careful not to talk to neighbors much, not to give out his name, and not to show his tattoo. It was unique enough that if the MP's were after him, they'd know it was him with that tattoo. Narrowing his eyes, Billy entered the laundry room, ignoring the man sitting on a washer, reading a magazine. Opening a washing machine, Billy started pulling his clothes out and tossing them in the dryer behind him. "Ah, I think those are someone else's." The man on the machine said.
"Yeah, she was doing them for me." Billy replied curtly.
"Oh. So you're...God, what'd she say your name was..." /Fuck./ Billy thought silently.
"Something..B..Bill..Billy? Yeah, Billy, that's right. The man exclaimed.
"You must have heard wrong." Billy replied. "My names James." It was the first thing that came to mind.
"No...no, I'm pretty sure she said Billy."
"Maybe she called me Jimmy, and you misheard, but that's not my name." Billy insisted, glaring at the man before heading upstairs quickly. /Fuck. That guy knows my name, and he seemed a little too interested in me./ He thought, riding the slow elevator up to his floor. Throwing the door to his apartment open, he went into the living room and shook Rebecca awake.
"What! What?" She exclaimed.
"Why did you talk to the prick in the laundry room?!" Billy exclaimed.
"I...I didn't. He talked to me, I just answered so I wouldn't be rude or suspicious!" Rebecca replied.
"Why the hell did you tell him my name?!"
"I..I didn't! I almost did, but I just said 'the guy in 3A'."
"He knows my fucking apartment number? We have to go."
Rebecca jumped up and followed Billy who speed walked to his room. "What? Why?" She asked, as he tossed what little clothes he had into a suit case.
"Because! That asshole down there could be working with the Marines to find me. No one in their right mind is _that_ friendly. And, he called me Billy even though you said you didn't tell him.
"I didn't, I swear."
"That's why we have to leave." Billy said, going into the kitchen. He put what little utensils in between clothes to prevent the plates from breaking.
"I guess this is why you only have one plate, cup, fork, knife, spoon and bowl huh?" Rebecca remarked. Billy glanced up at her. "Yeah, that, and I never have company." He replied.
"I'm sorry. I guess you can't really make friends huh?"
"Don't make it sound like I'm emotionally handicapped. It's not safe to have friends. Go in the living room and get the batteries from the t.v. remote." He ordered.
Despite the oddness of the request, Rebecca did as she was told. Somehow, Billy managed to put all of his belongings into a medium sized suitcase. Clothing, kitchen items, and even a pillow and small blanket. "Where are we going to go?" Rebecca asked, once everything was packed.
"Your place. For now, at least." Billy replied, pulling on his jacket.
"How will we fit your and my suitcases on your bike?" Rebecca asked.
"Bungee cords. I don't know. We'll worry about it when we get to it." Billy said, grabbing an envelope. He tossed the key to his apartment in it and tossed it in front of the door. "Fire escape." He said, pointing.
Going into the bathroom, Billy opened the window and glanced down. "Shit, it's gonna be a bit difficult since it's been raining. I'll go first, and you can pass me the suitcases, then you can go. We'll do it floor by floor, okay?" He said. Rebecca nodded and Billy climbed out the window. "I don't see any new cars or anything around here, but it's not 100% safe to go out the front door." He said, as he slowly walked down the rain slicked stairs.
"That's ok. What are we going to do about the laundry?" Rebecca asked, moving the suitcases out onto the landing.
"Anything important you'll miss?" Billy asked, grabbing one suit case.
"I guess not." Rebecca said, climbing next to the suit case. She handed it down to Billy and slowly walked down the steps but still managed to slip and fall into him.
"Careful." Billy said, smirking a bit. It took them about fifteen minutes to get to the last landing. "We'll have to jump about ten feet. Can you handle that?" Billy asked.
"Yeah, sure." Rebecca replied. Billy jumped first, silently. He must have practiced this once before.
"Slowly lower the suitcase and I'll catch it." Billy whispered. They were right near the window in the laundry room, so if the guy inside heard voices, he'd most likely come out and catch the great escape. Catching the first suit case, Billy reached for the second one. "Jesus, what do you have in this thing?" He questioned when the canvas bag slipped right from his fingers, burning them slightly.
"Stuff! Ok, watch out." Rebecca whispered.
"I'll catch you." Billy replied.
"Why?"
"Just jump!"
Sighing, she sat on the wet landing and slowly moved her butt forward before pushing off and landing in Billy's arms. "You okay?" He asked. Rebecca nodded, and swallowed deeply. Truthfully, she'd never been that close to a man before, and it was kind of enthralling. "Ok, follow me." Billy said, walking around the building to where his bike was parked. They were completely soaked by the time the bags were secured.
"I'm going to get sick, I know it." Rebecca shivered, as Billy climbed on his bike.
"We'll be at your place soon. You can take a shower or whatever. Have some chicken soup." Billy said, as she wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm not hungry."
"Then take vitamins, or something. Hang on."
Revving the engine, he turned into the slick street and headed back to Rebecca's place once more. /Poor Billy. He's been on the run for so many years. Five, to be exact./ Soon, she would learn a lot more about Billy Coen than ever before.
*I scoured my sociology notes trying to find the little thing about the id, ego, and superego, just so you know.
By: Hotaru
Notes: Um...I've run thru this chapter in my head a dozen times when trying to sleep. Taisetsu no hito eto negai yo habataite uke! Shinjiteitei. Sorry, j-rock has claimed me.
Luckie: Excellent. We bought a single serve thing of popcorn today for thirty three sense! Isn't that crazy?
Pinquicha: REFan is back. Can you tell my fans to come back? Only two people read the last chapter. :( Go buy the "hello" single by hyde.
--October 20th, 9:00 p.m.--
"Please, Carlos, calm down. I can't understand what you're saying." Rebecca said to the frantic man on the phone.
"Where the hell are you!? Do you have _any_ idea how worried I've been?!" Carlos exclaimed.
"I'm at a friend's. I just need some time away from everything. I'm sorry that I worried you, but just...relax."
"I can't relax. You're the one who said you've been antsy, thinking everything's gonna start up again. Then you up and disappear? What the hell am I supposed to think?"
"Carlos, I'm _sorry_. Really. I'll..come by and get some of my things in a little while so I'll talk to you then."
"Becky...why don't you stay? Who are you staying with anyway?"
"A friend, I told you. Look..I gotta go, I'll be home in a little while ok?"
"...ok. You better show up."
"I will."
Hanging up the phone, Rebecca sighed and rested her head against the wall. "Everything okay?" Billy asked, stepping into the room. "Yeah. He's just over reacting." She replied, running her fingers through her hair.
"I guess you mean a lot to him. You wanna get going?"
"Yeah, sure."
It had started to rain lightly as they headed outside to the apartment complex's parking lot. "A motorcycle, huh? Nice." Rebecca remarked as Billy handed her a helmet.
"Doesn't come in handy when it's raining, but...I didn't want to deal with a car." Billy replied, climbing on. "Wrap your arms around me, and hold on tight, got it?"
"Yeah." Rebecca said, climbing on behind him, and clutching his waist tightly.
"Here we go." Billy warned, before revving the engine and speeding to the street.
The scenery rushed past them in quick flashes. Lightning flickered in the distance, and the rain began to fall harder, and more quickly. "You know the way?" Rebecca shouted over the wind.
"Yeah. We'll be there soon." Billy called back.
Soon, Billy pulled his bike to a halt under the tree in front of Carlos's house. He pulled off his helmet and put the kick stand down. "I take it you want to go in alone." He remarked.
"Yeah. Carlos'd probably kill you for stealing me." Rebecca replied, handing him the helmet.
"Kidnapping you? So I'd be considered a mass murderer *and* a kidnapper...if you can be called a kid."
"No, not anymore. I'll be back."
Rebecca slowly walked towards the house, sensing that Carlos would be looking through the living room windows waiting for her arrival. The front door opened while she was ascending the steps. "Becky! Oh thank God." Carlos exclaimed, pulling her into a hug.
"Carlos..I'm fine. Relax." She said, trying to get out of his clutches. Anastacia stood inside, with her arms crossed, not liking the closeness of the two.
"God I was so worried! I was running around looking for you with nothing but a towel on. Where the hell did you go?"
"I just...felt like going out for awhile and ran into someone I knew. I fell asleep at their place, and called you soon after I woke up."
"You broke a bowl. Was that on purpose?" Anastacia asked when they two came in from outside.
"Yes and no." Rebecca replied, feeling the other woman's aggrivation.
"I'll get you a towel." Carlos said, running upstairs.
Rebecca followed after him, and went into her room to get some clothes. Pulling a square suit case from the closet, she pulled some shirts from the closet and tossed them in, along with a couple of pairs of pants. "Becky, you should dry off. It's getting cold out, and you'll get sick if you don't dry off." Carlos said, walking into her room.
"Don't you ever knock?" She asked, draping the towel over her shoulder.
"Sorry. Look, why don't you stay here? There's no reason for you to go anywhere."
"I'm not happy here, at the moment. I just want to leave for awhile, what's so hard to understand about that?"
"Why? What's making you unhappy?" Carlos asked sincerely. She couldn't tell him. Not that she had had a crush on him since they were introduced all those years ago, or that she secretely rejoiced everytime he and his girlfriend broke up. No, she couldn't say any of that. She wasn't a spiteful person, she wanted everyone to be happy.
"I want everyone to be happy, so I'm going to stay with a friend for a little while. I'll bring my cell phone, so you can call me if you need to. Be with Annie, be happy. I'll try to do the same."
"Is that it? You don't like her?"
"No, she's great. I like her better than all the other women you've dated. I just can't..I can't deal with your monogamy anymore."
Tossing a few more things into the suit case, Rebecca zipped it up and brushed past the man who stood dumbfounded in her room. She wasn't suprised to find Anastacia hiding in the hallway either. "You have feelings for him?" She asked. Rebecca's lips quivered as she nodded, before going down the stairs. "I'm leaving so everyone can be happy." She repeated, before going out the door and into the rain.
Lightning flashed in the sky, and rain mixed with salty tears. /What's so great about him? His just your average playboy with an accent. He's nothing special. So why do you like him so much? He's only nice to you because he feels obligated to. You're both survivors, have one thing in common: Umbrella. If it wasn't for them, he wouldn't know you, and wouldn't give a shit about you. Get over him./
Stalking to the street, Rebecca paused and stared at Billy. He was leaning against his bike, staring at the floor. "You okay?" His smoky voice asked.
"Not really." She replied, pulling the helmet back on.
"We can talk when we get back to my place. I don't know how bad this storm is gonna be, but we should go before it gets worse."
Nodding, she held on tight, while they headed back "home".
--10:00 p.m.--
"It's kind of nice...the darkness."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because...it's like everyone isn't pretending that life is full of sunshine and rainbows."
"You feel like talking, Becky?"
"I guess...how should I start?"
"Start with that guy. Who is he?"
"Carlos Oliviera. South American playboy and Raccoon City survivor. For as long as I've lived with him...he's always been..romantically involved. Every week it was a new woman. Sometimes I wondered if he was really lonely inside...or was just *always* horny."
"Could be both."
"Right. I tried not to let it bother me. I'd cook and clean and do the typical house wife stuff but...it was like I was a widow with two children. It was always 'I love you Jessie, Caitlin, Chrissy' or who ever. He doesn't understand love. If he did, he would take every pretty woman he saw to his bedroom."
"That sounds more like lust than love, to me." Billy remarked, shifting a little. The floor wasn't exactly a comfortable place to sit, but they had both chosen it. Rebecca had a blanket wrapped tightly around her, and she stared at the coffee table.
"He only thinks about his wants. What he needs is someone he actually loves."
"What he needs is a good kick in the ass."
"What?"
"I'm sick of guys who live like that. What's he gonna do when he gets one of these women pregnant? Then what? Is he going to take responsibility?"
"I'd think so. He's not an asshole."
Shaking his head, Billy sighed. "Anyway, keep going." He said.
"Right...I think I just got fed up with it all. I'm just lonely, I guess. And I was tired of no one knowing, or caring." Rebecca said, putting her head on her arms.
"I care."
"Do you?"
"Yeah. Why else would I invite you over to my rat hole of an apartment?"
"Martha Stewart would have a heart attack if she saw this place." The two laughed lightly, and thunder boomed loudly. "When's the last time you did your laundry?" Rebecca asked.
"Ah..."
"Oh, gross. Do you have any laundry baskets?" She continued, standing up and walking down the hallway.
"Ah I think so."
Billy went into his closet, and indeed there was a basket filled with clothes. "That's pretty much all I have..and the stuff on the floor. You offering to do my laundry?" He asked.
"Yes. I do it so damn often I seem to enjoy it now. Where are the clothes from today?" She replied.
"Kitchen sink."
"Such a slob you are."
"We'd make a good pair, neatnick."
Rebecca eyed him briefly, before balancing the basket on her hip and going to retrieve the wet clothes from the sink. "Where's the laundry room? In the basement?" She asked, putting on a pair of slippers.
"Yeah, I think so. You want me to go with you?" Billy replied.
"No, I'll be okay."
"Don't forget, I'm in three a."
"Okay. Be right back."
The apartment building was plain. Dull, faded yellow wall paper lined the walls, and a dark brown carpet laid on the floor. Pressing the elevator button, Rebecca sighed. /3A/ She reminded herself. A light ding rang out and the elevator doors opened. Stepping inside, she pushed the 'B' button and leaned against the wall. Looking up at the ceiling, she thought about Carlos, and how pathetic it was. Then again, you can't help who you love, can you? Try as hard as you can, but the 'id' rules all. Desire. The "I want it now" mentality. /Why can't my ego tell the id to go shove it?/ Taking a course in sociology helps when trying to figure out why people do what they do. Studying people's behavior can be pretty interesting.*
Stepping off the elevator, Rebecca shuffled down a dim hallway. She could hear machines running as she neared a doorway without a door. Glancing into the room, she saw a man sitting ontop of a machine, reading a magazine. He glanced up and smiled at her. "Hi." He greeted.
"Hey." She replied, putting the laundry basket on the floor.
"You just move in?" He continued, much to her dismay.
"Nope, just visiting a friend." She answered, pulling detergent from a shelf and tossing clothes into a machine.
"Oh yeah? Not exactly the Marriot is it?"
"It's fine."
/You're being cross again. The guy is just trying to be friendly./ She told herself, trying to lighten up a little. "So who are you visiting?" The guy continued, looking back at his magazine. Rebecca was about to tell him Billy Coen, but realized he may have given a fake name to the rest of the tenants.
"The guy in 3A. You know him?" She asked, hoping that didn't sound too suspicious.
"3A...nah, don't think so. I'm more of a fifth floor guy."
"Oh."
"I'm Jake, by the way. 5F if you ever need anything." The guy continued, extending his hand.
"Rebecca, and thanks. I don't know how long I'll be here. Just taking a vacation from home, really."
"Oh yeah? So you live around here?"
"Mm-hm. With a friend..who I'm having some personal problems with, so I just wanted a break."
"Boyfriend?"
"No."
"Ah..it usually takes like a half-hour for the load to finishing, if you want to get back to your apartment."
"Oh, yeah? Alright, I guess I will. Thanks."
"Nice meeting you."
"You too."
Turning around, and rolling her eyes, Rebecca headed back towards the elevator. Why did people always have to be so friendly when she was in a bad mood?
Returning to Billy's apartment, she sat on the couch and sighed. "Here, I found this." A voice said from the darkness. Jumping slightly, Rebecca looked around. Billy was standing to her right, with a paper in his hand.
"What is it?" She asked, taking it from him.
"A directory of all doctors with the last name of Chambers in the mid-west. Thought it might be helpful." He replied, sitting beside her. She scanned the list carefully, and frowned when she couldn't see her father's name.
"Shit. He's not on here." She moaned.
"Damn..well, maybe they moved somewhere. I can look again, if you want."
"I don't want to burden you with my troubles, Billy."
Snorting, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. "What are you--" She said softly, and he acted like he didn't hear.
"If that was true, you wouldn't be here. You'd be at your place..sitting in your room feeling sad, and sorry for yourself. Wondering about your family, and whether or not that jackass is going to notice you. You're better off here." He said.
"Hey. He isn't a jackass." She said defensively.
"Then why can't he notice you? I'm sure on some level he's a nice guy...but if you're so in love with him, then why the hell doesn't he notice?"
"Cause I don't make it obvious. I want him to be happy so I just let him be."
"You're too considerate of other people." Billy said, ruffling her hair.
"No I'm not. I'm really self-centered." Rebecca replied, elbowing him in the side.
"Oh really? Is that why you've broken up all of his relationships and have claimed him to be yours?"
"Shut up."
"Make me."
Glancing up at him with a scowl, Rebecca closed her mouth and pouted slightly. "You know, when you do that, you almost look cute." Billy remarked, one of his eyebrows twitching upwards.
"How long are you going to insist that I have feelings for you?" She asked irritatedly.
"Until you prove me wrong." He smirked, placing a kiss on her nose, before standing up and stretching. "Well I better get to sleep. Work tomorrow."
Grabbing the television remote, Rebecca turned on the news. More depressing stories about people dying, the weather, corruption. But, the only other thing on was a re-run of Friends. Eyes burning, Rebecca closed them and tears fell down her cheeks. She fell to her side, and sobbed silently, the t.v. becoming nothing more than a blurry image. /Why am I crying again? Not because of carlos. can I really miss my parents this much? I hated living with them, all they did was nag me. But they cared about me. They genuinely loved me, and looked forward to hearing about my day or "the job hunt" or whatever. My mom enjoyed cooking meals for me, and my dad really wanted me to work with him. God, why was I such an ass to them?/
Taking a few deep breaths, she closed her eyes again and just rested, and breathed deeply to calm down. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
--10:45 p.m.--
Stepping out of the bathroom, Billy toweled his hair, and glanced down the hall. There was light from the t.v. flickering against the walls and a faint voice. Walking down the hallway, he glanced into the living room. Rebecca was asleep on the couch, and a news program was on t.v. Walking over, he grabbed the remote, and glanced at her face. "She's been crying." He remarked, seeing her wet eyelashes sticking together. Wiping her cheeks, he sighed. "Why do you torture yourself just to make other people happy? It really makes no sense to me." He whispered, turning the t.v. off. He was about to head to his room, when he remembered the laundry.
Sighing grabbed a bag and headed down to the laundry room. He had been especially careful not to talk to neighbors much, not to give out his name, and not to show his tattoo. It was unique enough that if the MP's were after him, they'd know it was him with that tattoo. Narrowing his eyes, Billy entered the laundry room, ignoring the man sitting on a washer, reading a magazine. Opening a washing machine, Billy started pulling his clothes out and tossing them in the dryer behind him. "Ah, I think those are someone else's." The man on the machine said.
"Yeah, she was doing them for me." Billy replied curtly.
"Oh. So you're...God, what'd she say your name was..." /Fuck./ Billy thought silently.
"Something..B..Bill..Billy? Yeah, Billy, that's right. The man exclaimed.
"You must have heard wrong." Billy replied. "My names James." It was the first thing that came to mind.
"No...no, I'm pretty sure she said Billy."
"Maybe she called me Jimmy, and you misheard, but that's not my name." Billy insisted, glaring at the man before heading upstairs quickly. /Fuck. That guy knows my name, and he seemed a little too interested in me./ He thought, riding the slow elevator up to his floor. Throwing the door to his apartment open, he went into the living room and shook Rebecca awake.
"What! What?" She exclaimed.
"Why did you talk to the prick in the laundry room?!" Billy exclaimed.
"I...I didn't. He talked to me, I just answered so I wouldn't be rude or suspicious!" Rebecca replied.
"Why the hell did you tell him my name?!"
"I..I didn't! I almost did, but I just said 'the guy in 3A'."
"He knows my fucking apartment number? We have to go."
Rebecca jumped up and followed Billy who speed walked to his room. "What? Why?" She asked, as he tossed what little clothes he had into a suit case.
"Because! That asshole down there could be working with the Marines to find me. No one in their right mind is _that_ friendly. And, he called me Billy even though you said you didn't tell him.
"I didn't, I swear."
"That's why we have to leave." Billy said, going into the kitchen. He put what little utensils in between clothes to prevent the plates from breaking.
"I guess this is why you only have one plate, cup, fork, knife, spoon and bowl huh?" Rebecca remarked. Billy glanced up at her. "Yeah, that, and I never have company." He replied.
"I'm sorry. I guess you can't really make friends huh?"
"Don't make it sound like I'm emotionally handicapped. It's not safe to have friends. Go in the living room and get the batteries from the t.v. remote." He ordered.
Despite the oddness of the request, Rebecca did as she was told. Somehow, Billy managed to put all of his belongings into a medium sized suitcase. Clothing, kitchen items, and even a pillow and small blanket. "Where are we going to go?" Rebecca asked, once everything was packed.
"Your place. For now, at least." Billy replied, pulling on his jacket.
"How will we fit your and my suitcases on your bike?" Rebecca asked.
"Bungee cords. I don't know. We'll worry about it when we get to it." Billy said, grabbing an envelope. He tossed the key to his apartment in it and tossed it in front of the door. "Fire escape." He said, pointing.
Going into the bathroom, Billy opened the window and glanced down. "Shit, it's gonna be a bit difficult since it's been raining. I'll go first, and you can pass me the suitcases, then you can go. We'll do it floor by floor, okay?" He said. Rebecca nodded and Billy climbed out the window. "I don't see any new cars or anything around here, but it's not 100% safe to go out the front door." He said, as he slowly walked down the rain slicked stairs.
"That's ok. What are we going to do about the laundry?" Rebecca asked, moving the suitcases out onto the landing.
"Anything important you'll miss?" Billy asked, grabbing one suit case.
"I guess not." Rebecca said, climbing next to the suit case. She handed it down to Billy and slowly walked down the steps but still managed to slip and fall into him.
"Careful." Billy said, smirking a bit. It took them about fifteen minutes to get to the last landing. "We'll have to jump about ten feet. Can you handle that?" Billy asked.
"Yeah, sure." Rebecca replied. Billy jumped first, silently. He must have practiced this once before.
"Slowly lower the suitcase and I'll catch it." Billy whispered. They were right near the window in the laundry room, so if the guy inside heard voices, he'd most likely come out and catch the great escape. Catching the first suit case, Billy reached for the second one. "Jesus, what do you have in this thing?" He questioned when the canvas bag slipped right from his fingers, burning them slightly.
"Stuff! Ok, watch out." Rebecca whispered.
"I'll catch you." Billy replied.
"Why?"
"Just jump!"
Sighing, she sat on the wet landing and slowly moved her butt forward before pushing off and landing in Billy's arms. "You okay?" He asked. Rebecca nodded, and swallowed deeply. Truthfully, she'd never been that close to a man before, and it was kind of enthralling. "Ok, follow me." Billy said, walking around the building to where his bike was parked. They were completely soaked by the time the bags were secured.
"I'm going to get sick, I know it." Rebecca shivered, as Billy climbed on his bike.
"We'll be at your place soon. You can take a shower or whatever. Have some chicken soup." Billy said, as she wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm not hungry."
"Then take vitamins, or something. Hang on."
Revving the engine, he turned into the slick street and headed back to Rebecca's place once more. /Poor Billy. He's been on the run for so many years. Five, to be exact./ Soon, she would learn a lot more about Billy Coen than ever before.
*I scoured my sociology notes trying to find the little thing about the id, ego, and superego, just so you know.
