*Meanwhile Back at Rylann's Apartment* VBilly quick scribbled a note to `Whoever Cares', saying that he took Amy to show her around the city, and left it on the kitchen counter. He grabbed a spare key to the apartment and his wallet before hollering to Amy who was in his room. V"You about ready Am?" V"Yep! I'll be right out…" Amy shouted from the room. Seconds later, Amy walked back out into the living room a changed person. V"WOOOOW!" Billy exclaimed, looking Amy up and down. "You look… different." He had to hold his tongue to keep from telling her how gorgeous he thought she was.
"What?" She grinned. "You didn't really thought I wore the kind of clothes I showed up in all the time…." She walked past him to get something from her bag near the door.
"Yea, I did actually. I mean, why would you wear those other clothes then?" He wondered as he stared at her lip ring.
"Because, Mother's only let their youngest daughters leave the house looking `respectable'," she said mocking a proper tone. "Basically, if you want to leave my house, you put on jeans and some frilly shirt to avoid "looking like the freaks that have already claimed one of her children" and you're good to go. Once you're out, you ditch the frills and pull on the fish nets!" She concluded.
"I see…Well, enough said for me, let's get out of here." He smiled at Amy. He definitely liked her better this way. Though he thought she was very pretty before, standing there in her cut off dickies, "Neon Ballroom" tee shirt, and chucks…she was perfect to him. Amy smiled back and linked his arm and then skipped off down the hallway, dragging Billy along with her.
* About 4 hours later *
"Where to next Captain?" Amy grinned.
"Captain?!? I don't think so!" Billy protested. "Ummm…I dunno where else to take you, we have already been uptown and through Times Square…" He racked his brain for more destination ideas.
"That can't be it! I thought New York was sooooo big! Aren't there any good bars or clubs or anything?" She whined disappointed.
"Wait a second, how old are you?" Billy asked curiously.
"18…why?"
"Because, considering I am 19…that makes us both underage, so I doubt we'd have much fun at a bar!"
" I thought you were older than 19…" She said surprised.
"Nope, well…I will be 20 in June."
"No fair! I only turned 18 in January…"
"How come it took you so long to leave your house if it's as bad as you say it was?" They continued walking as she pondered his question.
"I guess because, well Lennon, who also goes by `mom' though she isn't much of one, was paranoid I would walk out the day I turned 18 like Ry did. So I stuck around long enough for her to stop spazing every time I left the house and long enough for me to find someone willing to take me in. Or in Ry's case, someone feeling guilty enough to let me stay once I showed up…" she kept her eyes lowly on her feet.
"Ry didn't take you in because she felt guilty, you're her sister…" Billy began.
"That doesn't matter. I am a shitty sister, I stop talking to her for two years for no reason, then show up on her doorstep begging to stay…I never should have let her slip away from me, she is the only one who understands any of the shit I have been through, and I pushed her away…there was no one to turn to." Amy whispered the last few words. Granted, she was much more open about her home life than Rylann, but still never said so much to someone she had only known a few hours. She quickly changed the subject. "So, how about some of the clubs around here. Ry said you guys were in a band right? So can't you take me to somewhere you've played before? Maybe someone will remember you and let us in for free or something…" Amy eyes met Billy's, sparkling with possibilities.
"Woo there tiger! I'm no one special. We've only played these places a dozen times…"
"That's good enough…C'mon, we can at least try!!" She said tugging at his arm.
"Fine, you win! Let's go…"
Amy kept her grip around Billy's arm as they walked through the streets of New York City. They ended up at CBGB's, a NYC tour necessity, and waited in line. After only a few moments of waiting, someone walked up to the two.
"Billy?" A man asked, not positive of Billy's identity.
"ROB! Dude, what are you doing here…" Billy's face lit up at the recognition of this person.
"After the Blink tour, I moved out here and got a job bartending here…What are you doing here?"
"Well, the short version is Benji got engaged and his fiancé, Rylann, lives here, so we are staying at her place for a while, this is Rylann's sister Amy…" Billy motioned toward Amy still clinging to his arm.
"Nice to meet you," He smiled at Amy. "So, want to come in, or do you like standing in this long ass line…" Rob smirked. Billy and Amy smiled and followed Rob into the loud club. While walking in, Amy whispered to Billy…
"See, I told you someone would remember you, you rock star you!" She teased.
"Never EVER call me a rock star again!" He teased. They hung out at the bar with Rob who snuck them drinks whenever possible. Amy at one point was off crowd surfing in the small pit that formed in front of the stage. She and Billy stayed for several more hours until Rob got off work.
"So, you two want me to give you a lift back to your place?" Rob asked noticing that both were a bit tipsy.
"Sure, thanks man." Billy said while leaning against the car for balance.
"No problem…Get in." Rob instructed as he opened the doors to the small car. Billy did his best to direct Rob to the apartment, and after nearly forty minutes of a drive that should have taken ten, they arrived.
"Thanks again man…you should stop by sometime, the guys would like to see you again.." Billy said clearer, as he sobered up a bit.
"I will man. Tell the guys `hey' and congratulate Benji for me. I'll see you soon Bill. Nice meeting you Amy." Rob ended and pulled away. Billy, now supporting himself as well as Amy who had drank much more than him, attempted to open the door to the apartment. He wrapped his arm around Amy to help her walk into the pitch-black room. He set the key and his wallet down and switched on a lamp. He watched as Amy attempted to take a few steps away from him before she tripped and fell on her face. He rushed over and picked her up, deciding it's better to carry her to their room. He carefully walked over to the bed in the room, making sure to turn only one light on, low. He set her down and pulled her wore out chucks from her feet and slid her under the covers. He turned to walk back toward the pullout sofa when Amy whispered…
"Billy?" When he turned back to face her, she continued. "Don't leave, please. Just sit with me?"
"I wasn't leaving, I was just going to sleep on the couch…" he spoke comfortingly, as her neared her.
"Don't bother with that now. Just, please sit here with me." She said, still barely audible.
"Ok. I'm not going anywhere." Billy said as he took a seat on the large bed, beside Amy.
"Thank you for tonight. I had a great time…" She mumbled as she moved closer to his, resting her head in his lap. This gesture surprised Billy a little, but she was drunk and in an unfamiliar place, so he understood her not wanting to be alone. He ran his finger through her hair as he listened to her breath's become more rhythmic. Before he knew it, he too fell asleep…