Armatage Shanks, chapter 1
Billie Joe leaned back against the beaten, old friend of a couch and stared aimlessly out the window. He saw trees rush by in a movie-like fashion as the sun slowly rose. 11 am on a gorgeous Saturday morning in the middle of May. He had just gotten up and his slightly long grown out blond hair was a mess. He held a mug of instant coffee in his hand and blinked several times before sighing. He looked at his watch and counted down from 10. When he hit zero a stereo blared and he heard Tre yelp from his bunk and Mike groan angrily.
"Stupid fuck! Why do you always set that friggin' thing!" Mike yelled to Tre, "Geeeez," Mike said as he walked down the narrow hallway of the tour bus rubbing the back of his head.
"Morning," Billie Joe said quietly, focusing on his coffee mug as Mike sat down beside him. He grunted in the return and rested his head back and apparently fell back asleep.
Tre ran in and slid, as he always did, across the linoleum. "Sup Billay?!" he cried. Billie Joe couldn't help but laugh at him. Tre was such a friggin' card all the time…
Green Day had gone on tour for their debut album Dookie. They had done the west coast and had since moved to the east coast. They were playing in Boston at a little shindig called the Avalon that night.
Billie Joe leaned back again and played with thoughts of all the hot chicks he would inevitably meet the coming night, but was oddly not pleased with the thoughts. Bemused by this, he shook his head and tried to concentrate on the play list for the show. They usually didn't have one, but he still liked to run through a sample list that he might use as guidelines.
The bus rambled down the road gently and he caught a glimpse of Boston finally coming into view. It was one of the few cities he liked on the east coast. He found this side of the US to be too cold during the spring and winter.
He changed quietly into a pair of black Dickies that cut off slightly below the knee and a red Riverdales shirt. He unconsciously put his black on black chucks on before returning to the couch. Mike had since gone to his bunk to get changed and Tre was sitting Indian style in the floor sipping a mug of coffee. Luckily the Avalon wasn't a huge place, so not many people would be there. He had heard that the show had sold out in 10 minutes though and almost felt impressed with himself, but was quick to dash his own spirits with a simple thought of how awful he was.
Around 12ish the bus pulled up in front of a small black nightclub. It was directly across the street from the infamous Fenway Park. He waved his hand to Tre and Mike and told them that he was going to walk to the nearest variety to buy some cigarettes. They nodded and he stepped off the bus and stared up at the sky; pure blue. It was relatively warm, too. He looked around saw that no one was in line yet, slightly to his dismay.
He ran across the street to the sidewalk and began his small hike to the variety store that lay on the opposite side of the club. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at his feet as he walked, humming a song to the beat of his chucks hitting the cement. He got very much into his humming and walking and was barely aware of the world around him when he walked straight into a person. He lifted his head up and met a pair of gorgeous blue eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~first person
"Sorry," I said shaking my head as I looked over the girl's face. She must have been at least 18 and she had a beautiful smile. Her face was curved into a look of surprise.
"Don't be," she said and I lowered my head to look at my feet in embarrassment, but she lifted my chin with her index finger, "Oh my gosh! Billie Joe! Wow…I can't believe I ran into you! I'm going to the show tonight. I can't wait!" she said excitedly. A fan…I was always impressed by how I had fans now. It was so weird. "Where are you headed?" she asked quietly.
"The store to buy some smokes…wanna come? I could use someone to chat with," I said smiling. She seemed surprised but nodded her head.
We walked side-by-side talking and laughing like old friends. I felt so comfortable with her. She told me about how she had grown up in Boston and known about Green Day since the 1000 Hours and Slappy eps. She was really cute, too, in her little Nirvana beater, acid washed jeans, and blue tipped hair. She was perfect. Her name was Melissa.
We were walking back to the bus and I noticed a flyer for the concert hanging on the side of the building. Some one had written "sellouts" over Green Day. I laughed quietly and shook my head at the sign. Mel pulled the flyer down and ripped it up.
"Friggin' idiots…" she said under her breath.
When we reached the bus I noticed that a line had started up. I tried not to get noticed since I wanted to be with Mel for a bit. I opened the door and Mel stepped back. "I guess I'll see you tonight," she said smiling brightly.
I smiled back and thought quickly for something to say, "You know what…let's get you a backstage pass so we can hang out after the show," I said trying to sound smooth.
"Are you serious! Oh my gosh! Thanks!" she said and hugged me tightly. It felt so good. When she pulled away I took her hand in mine and we walked to the entrance.
Some girls in line came after me, wanting autographs and asking who Mel was. I smiled and told them that I'd be back in a little while, trying to be pleasant. The guard at the door let us in and I went to talk to my manager, taking Mel with me, to see about that pass.
I found him, "Hey Dylon. I can I get a pass for this lovely girl?" I asked and Mel giggled.
Dylon eyed Mel carefully and then looked at me, "V.I.P. or just backstage?" he asked.
I hadn't even known that we were going to start giving out V.I.P.s., "VIP and she's going to hang with us on the bus before the show, alright?" I asked and I looked at Mel. She was in utter disbelief and smiling so widely it exposed every one of her white teeth.
"Alright then," Dylon said and he pulled a laminate out of his back pocket and handed it to Mel. She held it carefully then laughed and hugged me again.
We ran back out into the sunlit and slowly crowding street. I pulled the door open and held it for Mel before going in myself.
I led her into the "living room". Mike and Tre were there looking out the windows at all the fans.
"Stupid fuck! Why do you always set that friggin' thing!" Mike yelled to Tre, "Geeeez," Mike said as he walked down the narrow hallway of the tour bus rubbing the back of his head.
"Morning," Billie Joe said quietly, focusing on his coffee mug as Mike sat down beside him. He grunted in the return and rested his head back and apparently fell back asleep.
Tre ran in and slid, as he always did, across the linoleum. "Sup Billay?!" he cried. Billie Joe couldn't help but laugh at him. Tre was such a friggin' card all the time…
Green Day had gone on tour for their debut album Dookie. They had done the west coast and had since moved to the east coast. They were playing in Boston at a little shindig called the Avalon that night.
Billie Joe leaned back again and played with thoughts of all the hot chicks he would inevitably meet the coming night, but was oddly not pleased with the thoughts. Bemused by this, he shook his head and tried to concentrate on the play list for the show. They usually didn't have one, but he still liked to run through a sample list that he might use as guidelines.
The bus rambled down the road gently and he caught a glimpse of Boston finally coming into view. It was one of the few cities he liked on the east coast. He found this side of the US to be too cold during the spring and winter.
He changed quietly into a pair of black Dickies that cut off slightly below the knee and a red Riverdales shirt. He unconsciously put his black on black chucks on before returning to the couch. Mike had since gone to his bunk to get changed and Tre was sitting Indian style in the floor sipping a mug of coffee. Luckily the Avalon wasn't a huge place, so not many people would be there. He had heard that the show had sold out in 10 minutes though and almost felt impressed with himself, but was quick to dash his own spirits with a simple thought of how awful he was.
Around 12ish the bus pulled up in front of a small black nightclub. It was directly across the street from the infamous Fenway Park. He waved his hand to Tre and Mike and told them that he was going to walk to the nearest variety to buy some cigarettes. They nodded and he stepped off the bus and stared up at the sky; pure blue. It was relatively warm, too. He looked around saw that no one was in line yet, slightly to his dismay.
He ran across the street to the sidewalk and began his small hike to the variety store that lay on the opposite side of the club. He shoved his hands in his pockets and stared at his feet as he walked, humming a song to the beat of his chucks hitting the cement. He got very much into his humming and walking and was barely aware of the world around him when he walked straight into a person. He lifted his head up and met a pair of gorgeous blue eyes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~first person
"Sorry," I said shaking my head as I looked over the girl's face. She must have been at least 18 and she had a beautiful smile. Her face was curved into a look of surprise.
"Don't be," she said and I lowered my head to look at my feet in embarrassment, but she lifted my chin with her index finger, "Oh my gosh! Billie Joe! Wow…I can't believe I ran into you! I'm going to the show tonight. I can't wait!" she said excitedly. A fan…I was always impressed by how I had fans now. It was so weird. "Where are you headed?" she asked quietly.
"The store to buy some smokes…wanna come? I could use someone to chat with," I said smiling. She seemed surprised but nodded her head.
We walked side-by-side talking and laughing like old friends. I felt so comfortable with her. She told me about how she had grown up in Boston and known about Green Day since the 1000 Hours and Slappy eps. She was really cute, too, in her little Nirvana beater, acid washed jeans, and blue tipped hair. She was perfect. Her name was Melissa.
We were walking back to the bus and I noticed a flyer for the concert hanging on the side of the building. Some one had written "sellouts" over Green Day. I laughed quietly and shook my head at the sign. Mel pulled the flyer down and ripped it up.
"Friggin' idiots…" she said under her breath.
When we reached the bus I noticed that a line had started up. I tried not to get noticed since I wanted to be with Mel for a bit. I opened the door and Mel stepped back. "I guess I'll see you tonight," she said smiling brightly.
I smiled back and thought quickly for something to say, "You know what…let's get you a backstage pass so we can hang out after the show," I said trying to sound smooth.
"Are you serious! Oh my gosh! Thanks!" she said and hugged me tightly. It felt so good. When she pulled away I took her hand in mine and we walked to the entrance.
Some girls in line came after me, wanting autographs and asking who Mel was. I smiled and told them that I'd be back in a little while, trying to be pleasant. The guard at the door let us in and I went to talk to my manager, taking Mel with me, to see about that pass.
I found him, "Hey Dylon. I can I get a pass for this lovely girl?" I asked and Mel giggled.
Dylon eyed Mel carefully and then looked at me, "V.I.P. or just backstage?" he asked.
I hadn't even known that we were going to start giving out V.I.P.s., "VIP and she's going to hang with us on the bus before the show, alright?" I asked and I looked at Mel. She was in utter disbelief and smiling so widely it exposed every one of her white teeth.
"Alright then," Dylon said and he pulled a laminate out of his back pocket and handed it to Mel. She held it carefully then laughed and hugged me again.
We ran back out into the sunlit and slowly crowding street. I pulled the door open and held it for Mel before going in myself.
I led her into the "living room". Mike and Tre were there looking out the windows at all the fans.
