Another Beginning, chapter 5
My alarm went off at 6:00 with the new White Stripes song on the radio.
"Today is going to be the best day of my life," I said to myself, still half asleep, pushing the covers off. I took my shower, dried my hair and got all my stuff together. I brought it downstairs and ate a bowl of cereal. My Dad came in the kitchen and started to pour some cereal too. I wasn't exactly sure what to say to him, I knew he was happy for me, but hated the fact I was going off to California to hang out with three 30-something punk rockers. After I finished I went upstairs and told my sister goodbye and watched TV with her for about 5 minutes. I couldn't sit still much, and I had no idea how I was going to make it on a four hour plane trip.
They finally called our section over the intercom at the airport. We went through the jetway and I smiled at the pilot as he said hello to me. We went back to our seats, 27 E and F, on the left side of the plane. I took the window seat so I could see everything. It had been almost 4 years since I had been out west. I remembered when I used to live in Nevada. We'd take plane rides out to South Carolina, where we live now, and I loved to see all the farmland across the Midwest, the Rocky Mountains, and the Grand Canyon. But this time we were going past McCarran Intl. and onto LAX.
When the engines started up on the plane was when I got nervous. I always hated when the plane took off. I was fine with when we were up in the air, or landing, but never take off. I held on to the armrests as hard as I could for the first 2 or 3 minutes, and when we were at cruising altitude I took out my CD player. I was asleep by She on Dookie, and slept almost the entire flight. My dad woke me up when we were passing the Grand Canyon. There was still about an hour left in the flight so I watched the cartoons on after the movie for 45 minutes.
The plane was about to land, the American Idiot album was almost finished, and I was getting nervous. I wasn't sure what I was going to say to Mike or Tre, or if they'd even be there to pick me up. I felt the plane move down beneath my feet, I couldn't wait until it go on the ground. I started tracing over the display screen of my CD player and thinking about Mike and Tre. Before I knew it I was on the ground again with the plane going hundreds of miles per hour. I got my stuff out from under the seat and waited for the rows in front of us to leave. I almost fell over when I stood up because I'd been sitting for so long. We walked out of the terminal, my Dad knew exactly where he was going because he'd been here many times.
*Billie Joe's POV in the car*
"Well, I think that was her plane guys, who's gonna be the lucky one and go in?" I said.
"I'll do it." Tre smirked as he tried to leave the car.
"I don't think so Tre, remember her Dad is with her." Said Mike.
"And she didn't make him out to sound like the most enthusiastic guy about her moving out here on her own," I said. "We will go."
Mike and I jumped out of the car and I told the driver to keep an eye on Tre. We walked to the baggage claim and waited. We tried to keep it inconspicuous, wearing hats and sitting with our heads in our hand. We were almost sure someone would spot us, but no one did. At last Mike sees her and we walk over. Mike was practically staring her down, I laughed at him thinking that he must be glad we chose her and not that Veronica chick.
*Sheena's POV*
"Hi" I said, that's all I could say still being a little nervous about what they'd think.
"Hey Sheena!" Billie Joe hugged me while Mike shook hands with my Dad, then Mike hugged me and Billie Joe shook hands with my Dad. They both were so nice to my Dad, and I could tell my Dad was trying to be nice. Mike took my suitcase for me and my Dad got his own. On the way to the car my Dad talked to Billie Joe and Mike about 'taking care of me' over this 'period of time'. I tried to stay out of this conversation, just letting my Dad ramble on.
"Hey, is Tre here too?" I asked Billie Joe trying not to interrupt.
"Yea, we just weren't sure about bringing him in, it is an airport ya know."
"Yea," I smiled as he opened the door for me. "Thanks."
I got in and sat next to Tre, who said hello and shook my hand, then hugged me for the hell of it. I hugged back and noticed he smelled really good. Probably not the way you'd expect Tre Cool to smell. I was talking to Mike and Tre in the back when I heard my Dad and Billie Joe start talking about music. I was thinking this could get nasty.
"So John," They were on a first name basis already, strange under circumstances, "this might be a weird question but what do you think about or little band?" This was he part I'd been worrying about.
"You know what, you guys are good for new stuff, got a couple of great songs, I don't listen to you or anything, but your ok."
"Ah, I see, that's ok, I wasn't expecting you to be a fan or anything, just wanted to know if you hated us or anything like that." He said jokingly.
"No, I don't completely hate any kind of music, well except rap. It really degrades women and is totally turning our country into some gross... wasteland."
"Yea, but they do have the right to express themselves, I mean I can't really be against them or tell them to stop, all we can do is not listen to it."
"Well, they should be stopped." My Dad said.
"Well, no I don't think--"
"Can we change the subject?" I said cutting Billie Joe off. They both looked back at me in surprise. I knew what kind of argument this would turn into, it had happened many times before and I hated it because my Dad would just push Billie Joe to the limit and take me back home, or leave me.
"Ok, so--"
"You wanna see the set Sheena?" Tre suggested.
"Yea sure!" I said enthusiastically.
"You guys can go ahead, I've got to go to the apartment and call your Mom." My Dad said.
"Are you sure Dad?"
"Yea, of course, you could probably get to know each other better without me around."
"Ok... " I said confused, but happy to have my Dad gone.
It took us about thirty minutes to get to the apartment, we got lost twice, I guess none of us are good navigators. We dropped my Dad off and helped him take the stuff inside.
"You don't seem every excited." Mike said walking past me with my suitcase. I followed him into my bedroom.
"About the apartment?"
"Yea, most high school kids would be ecstatic to get to live in their own place."
"I am, but I've been to a lot of apartments so its nothing special."
"Oh. Well, if its not special enough you can always call one of us and we'll show you a good time."
"Thanks, it's going to weird being away from my friends, and I don't know anyone here but I am having my friends Jules and Rud--"
"Ready to go?" Billie Joe asked. He looked at us weird, sitting on the edge of the bed smiling at each other.
"Yea, let me tell my Dad."
*Mike's POV*
Wow, I know I shouldn't be hitting on an 18 year old, but I can't stop myself. I haven't felt this comfortable with anyone for all my life, not even Billie or Tre. I shouldn't take it any further than a crush though. But her eyes, they're green but softer than Billie Joes, and more brown they're so—
"Oww. Shit."
I ran into the doorframe. This girl was really driving me crazy and I'd know her for an hour.
"You ok man?" Billie Joe asked.
"Yea I was just, err, side tracked."
"Mhhm, ok."
We walked down the stairs I looked back at Sheena locking the door, she looked over her shoulder at me and smiled. I smiled back.
*Sheena's POV*
Damn I love his smile.
We got in the car and I sat up front with Billie Joe.
"Sorry my Dad is being such an ass."
"No, he's not bad, just being Dad-like." Billie Joe said.
"Well if you don't want to piss him off, don't cuss, do anything crazy, basically don't be yourself around him."
"I remember that feeling. Being a completely different person at home. But you just gotta say fuck it and go hang with your friends sometimes." Billie Joe said.
"Exactly." I said, in awe of how much he knew about how I felt.
"Can we get something to eat?" Tre asked.
"Tre, we ate right before we went to the airport." Billie Joe said.
"Yea, but I'm hungry."
"I am too, I haven't eaten since 10" I said.
"That was only 2 hours ago" Tre said.
"Time difference." Mike and I said at the same time.
"How did you know that so quickly?" Mike asked.
"My Dad travels out to McCarran a lot." I said.
"Isn't that the Las Vegas airport?" Billie Joe said.
"Yea, I used to, umm, live there." It was always awkward telling people about that. You never knew how they were going to react.
"No way!" Tre said. "I love that place."
"Im sure you do, and I bet you enjoyed it a lot more that a 13 year old could."
"Wait, so your parents moved you out to Las Vegas as a kid?" Billie Joe said.
"Yea, they owned a business out there."
"A casino?" Tre asked.
"No. A golf kinda place. It was in North Las Vegas actually."
"Naples Golf Center?" Mike said.
"Yea. How'd you know?"
"I've been there before! Big yellow building next to a U-Haul right?"
"Yea! I know its not a great place but hey, that's why we sold it."
"Yea, I was pissed when they tore it down to build some apartments. It was never crowed with tons of people, I went there whenever we had spare time in Vegas."
"Wow, you probably saw my Dad there once or twice then."
"Probably did. Gosh that's the weirdest thing." Mike said with a big smile on his face. I was smiling too, probably blushing. He had the greatest icy blue eyes, and he bleached his hair again but the roots were showing through, I always did love his hair like that. I already felt like I knew him. There was something between us and—
"Sheena?" Billie Joe almost screamed in my ear. "What do you want to eat?"
"Today is going to be the best day of my life," I said to myself, still half asleep, pushing the covers off. I took my shower, dried my hair and got all my stuff together. I brought it downstairs and ate a bowl of cereal. My Dad came in the kitchen and started to pour some cereal too. I wasn't exactly sure what to say to him, I knew he was happy for me, but hated the fact I was going off to California to hang out with three 30-something punk rockers. After I finished I went upstairs and told my sister goodbye and watched TV with her for about 5 minutes. I couldn't sit still much, and I had no idea how I was going to make it on a four hour plane trip.
They finally called our section over the intercom at the airport. We went through the jetway and I smiled at the pilot as he said hello to me. We went back to our seats, 27 E and F, on the left side of the plane. I took the window seat so I could see everything. It had been almost 4 years since I had been out west. I remembered when I used to live in Nevada. We'd take plane rides out to South Carolina, where we live now, and I loved to see all the farmland across the Midwest, the Rocky Mountains, and the Grand Canyon. But this time we were going past McCarran Intl. and onto LAX.
When the engines started up on the plane was when I got nervous. I always hated when the plane took off. I was fine with when we were up in the air, or landing, but never take off. I held on to the armrests as hard as I could for the first 2 or 3 minutes, and when we were at cruising altitude I took out my CD player. I was asleep by She on Dookie, and slept almost the entire flight. My dad woke me up when we were passing the Grand Canyon. There was still about an hour left in the flight so I watched the cartoons on after the movie for 45 minutes.
The plane was about to land, the American Idiot album was almost finished, and I was getting nervous. I wasn't sure what I was going to say to Mike or Tre, or if they'd even be there to pick me up. I felt the plane move down beneath my feet, I couldn't wait until it go on the ground. I started tracing over the display screen of my CD player and thinking about Mike and Tre. Before I knew it I was on the ground again with the plane going hundreds of miles per hour. I got my stuff out from under the seat and waited for the rows in front of us to leave. I almost fell over when I stood up because I'd been sitting for so long. We walked out of the terminal, my Dad knew exactly where he was going because he'd been here many times.
*Billie Joe's POV in the car*
"Well, I think that was her plane guys, who's gonna be the lucky one and go in?" I said.
"I'll do it." Tre smirked as he tried to leave the car.
"I don't think so Tre, remember her Dad is with her." Said Mike.
"And she didn't make him out to sound like the most enthusiastic guy about her moving out here on her own," I said. "We will go."
Mike and I jumped out of the car and I told the driver to keep an eye on Tre. We walked to the baggage claim and waited. We tried to keep it inconspicuous, wearing hats and sitting with our heads in our hand. We were almost sure someone would spot us, but no one did. At last Mike sees her and we walk over. Mike was practically staring her down, I laughed at him thinking that he must be glad we chose her and not that Veronica chick.
*Sheena's POV*
"Hi" I said, that's all I could say still being a little nervous about what they'd think.
"Hey Sheena!" Billie Joe hugged me while Mike shook hands with my Dad, then Mike hugged me and Billie Joe shook hands with my Dad. They both were so nice to my Dad, and I could tell my Dad was trying to be nice. Mike took my suitcase for me and my Dad got his own. On the way to the car my Dad talked to Billie Joe and Mike about 'taking care of me' over this 'period of time'. I tried to stay out of this conversation, just letting my Dad ramble on.
"Hey, is Tre here too?" I asked Billie Joe trying not to interrupt.
"Yea, we just weren't sure about bringing him in, it is an airport ya know."
"Yea," I smiled as he opened the door for me. "Thanks."
I got in and sat next to Tre, who said hello and shook my hand, then hugged me for the hell of it. I hugged back and noticed he smelled really good. Probably not the way you'd expect Tre Cool to smell. I was talking to Mike and Tre in the back when I heard my Dad and Billie Joe start talking about music. I was thinking this could get nasty.
"So John," They were on a first name basis already, strange under circumstances, "this might be a weird question but what do you think about or little band?" This was he part I'd been worrying about.
"You know what, you guys are good for new stuff, got a couple of great songs, I don't listen to you or anything, but your ok."
"Ah, I see, that's ok, I wasn't expecting you to be a fan or anything, just wanted to know if you hated us or anything like that." He said jokingly.
"No, I don't completely hate any kind of music, well except rap. It really degrades women and is totally turning our country into some gross... wasteland."
"Yea, but they do have the right to express themselves, I mean I can't really be against them or tell them to stop, all we can do is not listen to it."
"Well, they should be stopped." My Dad said.
"Well, no I don't think--"
"Can we change the subject?" I said cutting Billie Joe off. They both looked back at me in surprise. I knew what kind of argument this would turn into, it had happened many times before and I hated it because my Dad would just push Billie Joe to the limit and take me back home, or leave me.
"Ok, so--"
"You wanna see the set Sheena?" Tre suggested.
"Yea sure!" I said enthusiastically.
"You guys can go ahead, I've got to go to the apartment and call your Mom." My Dad said.
"Are you sure Dad?"
"Yea, of course, you could probably get to know each other better without me around."
"Ok... " I said confused, but happy to have my Dad gone.
It took us about thirty minutes to get to the apartment, we got lost twice, I guess none of us are good navigators. We dropped my Dad off and helped him take the stuff inside.
"You don't seem every excited." Mike said walking past me with my suitcase. I followed him into my bedroom.
"About the apartment?"
"Yea, most high school kids would be ecstatic to get to live in their own place."
"I am, but I've been to a lot of apartments so its nothing special."
"Oh. Well, if its not special enough you can always call one of us and we'll show you a good time."
"Thanks, it's going to weird being away from my friends, and I don't know anyone here but I am having my friends Jules and Rud--"
"Ready to go?" Billie Joe asked. He looked at us weird, sitting on the edge of the bed smiling at each other.
"Yea, let me tell my Dad."
*Mike's POV*
Wow, I know I shouldn't be hitting on an 18 year old, but I can't stop myself. I haven't felt this comfortable with anyone for all my life, not even Billie or Tre. I shouldn't take it any further than a crush though. But her eyes, they're green but softer than Billie Joes, and more brown they're so—
"Oww. Shit."
I ran into the doorframe. This girl was really driving me crazy and I'd know her for an hour.
"You ok man?" Billie Joe asked.
"Yea I was just, err, side tracked."
"Mhhm, ok."
We walked down the stairs I looked back at Sheena locking the door, she looked over her shoulder at me and smiled. I smiled back.
*Sheena's POV*
Damn I love his smile.
We got in the car and I sat up front with Billie Joe.
"Sorry my Dad is being such an ass."
"No, he's not bad, just being Dad-like." Billie Joe said.
"Well if you don't want to piss him off, don't cuss, do anything crazy, basically don't be yourself around him."
"I remember that feeling. Being a completely different person at home. But you just gotta say fuck it and go hang with your friends sometimes." Billie Joe said.
"Exactly." I said, in awe of how much he knew about how I felt.
"Can we get something to eat?" Tre asked.
"Tre, we ate right before we went to the airport." Billie Joe said.
"Yea, but I'm hungry."
"I am too, I haven't eaten since 10" I said.
"That was only 2 hours ago" Tre said.
"Time difference." Mike and I said at the same time.
"How did you know that so quickly?" Mike asked.
"My Dad travels out to McCarran a lot." I said.
"Isn't that the Las Vegas airport?" Billie Joe said.
"Yea, I used to, umm, live there." It was always awkward telling people about that. You never knew how they were going to react.
"No way!" Tre said. "I love that place."
"Im sure you do, and I bet you enjoyed it a lot more that a 13 year old could."
"Wait, so your parents moved you out to Las Vegas as a kid?" Billie Joe said.
"Yea, they owned a business out there."
"A casino?" Tre asked.
"No. A golf kinda place. It was in North Las Vegas actually."
"Naples Golf Center?" Mike said.
"Yea. How'd you know?"
"I've been there before! Big yellow building next to a U-Haul right?"
"Yea! I know its not a great place but hey, that's why we sold it."
"Yea, I was pissed when they tore it down to build some apartments. It was never crowed with tons of people, I went there whenever we had spare time in Vegas."
"Wow, you probably saw my Dad there once or twice then."
"Probably did. Gosh that's the weirdest thing." Mike said with a big smile on his face. I was smiling too, probably blushing. He had the greatest icy blue eyes, and he bleached his hair again but the roots were showing through, I always did love his hair like that. I already felt like I knew him. There was something between us and—
"Sheena?" Billie Joe almost screamed in my ear. "What do you want to eat?"
