She Wouldn't Say Goodbye. (Guns N' Roses)

Eight

-continued-

(Some how my chapter got messed up, so here is the rest of chapter seven.)

I threw my empty Coca-cola can in a near by trash bin and set off towards Bill's location. I went outside through a small door, leading to the alley way outback, located near the back of the stage. I found him out there.  He was laughing, beer in one hand,  joint in the other. He was so handsome, compared to everyone else my eyes met. I couldn't stop myself from being so amazed by his honest and odd nature, it was so infatuating. The stage equipment sitting half in a van, half out in the alley, the guys in the band doing the job half assed to load it up, they drank on tall cans of cheap beer. Kevin jumped out of the van and gave a glance my way. "Hi, Kat." Bill turned his head to look at me, a certain sparkle inlightened in his soft eyes for a moment as his eyes met mine. He looked away after a second or so, like he felt it way down inside and it hurt him somehow. "Hey, guys. Great show." Chuck drank the rest of his beer down, crushing the aluminum can onto it's self. "Thanks, K. It's gonna suck not seeing you anymore." His eyes had an almost bloodshot look as he looked me up. "We didn't really hangout before, but I guess it will." Bill started laughing at my sarcasm, and came over to join my side. Bill loomed over my shoulder, watching from behind me."Where's Jeff?" Kevin questioned, seeing as I was usaully with one of the two. "He's inside talking to some guy named Chris." Bill puffed away on his burned out joint, then stomped it ou, before grabbing my cold hand. "I'll see you guys around." Bill waved at his former band mates, cutting the chat short. "See you around, Rose." With his hand still tight around mine, he lead us back inside the small smokey building and headed straight towards the bar. "Thanks for getting us outta there, Bill." "You're welcome, Girl." He squeezed my hand a little tighter, "How does going out tonight sound? Just me an' you?" With a puzzled expression my eyes traveled to look up at the strawberry blond. "What about Jeff?" Bill looked down at me. "He'll be okay. But I want to spend some time- just the two of us, you know? Like old times." I nodded, "I would really love that." The two of us arrived at the bar area. I took Bill back to the spot were Jeff and I sat, he wasn't anywhere to be found. "Well, looks like Jeffrey's done disappeared." I craned my neck to try to spot his black cap in the crowd, coming up with nothing. The bar tender walked over to our side of the bar, "You two looking for Jeff?" Bill and I both nodded our heads. "Yeah, do you know were he is?" "He told me to tell you two, If I saw you. He left with Chris. I don't know if that means anything to you two." "It does, thank you." I turned back around to face my friend. He grinned at me. "Looks like we can do what ever we want too." "Looks like it, Sunshine." I grabbed Bill's hand once again and the two of us walked out of the bar and onto the brightly lit, packed streets of Hollywood. "Where too now?" I questioned, Bill didn't answer me, but instead started walking along the street scooping out bars, eatery's and anything else that caught our eyes. We passed by tons of cool places, everything stayed open all the time here. Nothing like Indiana, were they rolled the fuckin' sidewalks up at night. It was actually lively here. "Are you hungry or anything?" Pondering the question was something I didn't have to do, since I had been starving for the past few hours now. "Yes, but I'm pretty sure we're both flat broke." Bill showed his signature grin and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, he knelled down and pulled a small wad of cash out of his cowboy boot. I opened my mouth, probably looking rather dumb. "Where did you get that?" He stood up, brushing himself off. "Rapidfire." I cocked my eyebrow. "You got a lot of cash for one show?" He laughed, briskly at my naive nature. "I got all the cash up front, see this is supposed to be split four ways. The guys were to stoned to realize they didn't get payed." "Bill, that so wrong!" He shrugged his shoulders. "I wanted to take you out. We're fuckin' broke, I'm not gonna justify it, Kitty Kat. I've done bad shit in the past but you know I'm not a bad person." He wasn't bad that was surely true. I'm not sure if Bill started out rotten, or if he was ever bad at all. I could picture him when I just didn't know him, all the terrible things that may or may not have even happened. And when I saw him singing in Church, he looked so sweet, young and uncorrupted but he already was corrupt, whether I thought it or not. I saw you walking through the hall that same day. And my mother, grabbed my hand rough, knelled down to me and put her fingers under my chin I looked into her shiny grey eyes. She reprimanded me for not following her and getting lost in the crowd. We were so small then and I had no clue of the terrible things that can happen as time passes by. "You aren't a bad person, you never were." I held his hand and glanced at his shining eyes, so glassy, piercing, just staring ahead, he looked like he could cry. My voice low in whisper, I brushed my thumb over his ring and middle finger, "Don't cry, please, Bill. I still love you." He swallowed a lump in his throat and looked at my face, neon flashing light, burning my eyes. "You have your mothers eyes, Kat." Tears rose to my own eyes, from staring at the lights or his kind reminding words 'how things change'. A soft chill rising across my skin. He brushed his rough fingers across my face. "You're beautiful, Kitty Kat. I'm so sorry." I didn't know what he was apologizing for, but I knew for sure he didn't have too. For whatever it may be. "You have nothing to be sorry for." He grabbed my hand as before, saying not another word. He started walking once again, I followed him. "How about this place?" He pointed to the L.A. Rose cafe. "Sure, sounds great." We hurried across the bustling street. "Bill?" "Yes, Kat." "Are you alright?" He pulled the cafe door open, holding it for us both. "I'm fine, really. Things just.. Get hard sometimes." We walked across the restaurant, sitting in the back corner. The place was full of couples and young people, like Bill and I. Plastic menus and silverware were already placed on the table. I slid into the booth, half expecting my saddened friend to share a booth with me, instead he sat across. I put my feet on either side of his legs. "Bill, sweetheart."  "Kitty Kat, I'm fine really, don't worry about me girl." "Alright then." Shrugging my shoulder while the words left my mouth, then turning attention to the menu. A petite grey headed waitress strolled to our place in the cafe. "Hi, what can I get you two?" Bill looked at me, knowing what I would want already. "Two black coffee's." She nodded her head. "Do you want water as well?" Bill nodded 'yes'. "Okay, you two need time to decide on the food?" "Yes, please." And with that she walked back towards the back to retrieve our drinks. Bill ran his hand the length of my leg, slipping the sandal off my right foot, resting his hand around my ankle. "What are you getting?" I asked him, reading and re-reading my own menu. "Breakfast." He replied,  I giggled at him. "What breakfast is great at eleven at night." The red head smiled genuinely, despite what happened  just minutes before. "Should I get pancakes or something else?" Bill briefed over the menu, "You love pancakes, get that." "I always get that though, maybe I want to try something new?" "You always end up eating half of mine anyways, so does it really matter what you order?" I made a face, looking down over the menu once again. "I guess you're right." The waitress cam strolling back over to us with two mugs and a pitcher of coffee in her hands. "Here you two go, you decided what you want?" Bill nodded. "I think so." He tipped his head in my direction, signaling me to go first. "I want pancakes and a side of fruit." Bill laughed quietly. "And I'll have the two eggs, sunny side up. With home fries, fruit and wheat toast." "Alright, will that be everything?" "Yes, Ma'ma." The waitress grabbed our menus and trotted off once more. Bill resumed playing with my feet, taking my other sandal off as well. "Where do you wanna go now?" I questioned, taking a careful drink of my coffee, as to not burn my tongue. "We could just go back to our place and watch movies?" He suggested, also sipping at his extra black beverage. "Sounds like a plan."