1988, chapter 22
"Uh hey Billie... Long time no see aye?" smiled Tre
"Yeah... I guess so...." Billie Joe glared. "So ah what brings you here?"
"Umm... It's Maria's birthday and I just came to visit and wish her a good one."
"Okay... " and Tre walked past him still heading to the bathroom.
Maria quickly packed up the makeshift bed Tre didn't sleep on and stuffed it under her bed. She sat down and was startled by someone knocking on the door
"Huh?"
"Maria? You there?"
"Yup... Billie?"
"Yes, you decent?", she giggled
"Yes" and he walked in, placed 'Blue' on her bed and pecked her cheek.
"Happy birthday, birthday girl." He smiled. "I gotcha something." He handed her the small brown package
"Oh! Thank you so much BJ!", she slowly ripped off the brown paper and exposing a Green Day record "You're the first person with one now and it's autographed by all of us." He smiled. "You like?"
"I love it!" and she jumped off her bed and Billie pulled her into a hug. The door creaked open and Tre entered with a towel around his body.
"Oh sorry... Gotta get my clothes", The hugging pair watched the blonde drummer search for his backpack and walk out. "Sorry for disturbing you again... " And he closed the door.
"He slept here? In your room!" Billie let her go and stepped back.
"Just on the floor"
"HE SLEPT IN YOUR ROOM?!?!"
"YES BILLIE JOE HE SLEPT IN MY FUCKING ROOM!" Her tone raising to meet his.
"YOU KNOW HE FUCKING LIKES YOU MARIA AND GOD KNOWS WHAT HE COULD HAVE DONE TO YA!"
"WHAT? TRE IS NOT LIKE THAT!"
"How do you know? HUH?!"
"Cause I've known him for many years Billie Joe, MANY years". Their breathing slowed down to normal rate as they stared at each other "Maybe you should go." She hissed
"Yeah, maybe I will then." He spat and picked up 'Blue' off her bed "and have a fucking fantastic birthday too Maria, cause sure as hell I'm not coming back over!" And he stormed out, slamming the door behind himself. Maria stood still in the middle of her room, her legs still shaking and her knuckles slowly turning her skin color again after turning a pale white. A tear fell down her now puffy cheek
"Yeah.... Happy fucking birthday to me...."
Later that night Billie Joe instead of going over to Gilman he decided to sneak into a bar. He surprising passed as a 21 year old and entered. Soon with the amount of angry still circling in his head he quickly drank his weight in beer. After his little escapea to the bar he soon found himself strangely in a low budget strip joint called "The Black Cat Club". He slumped into a table near a dancing pole as a obvious high school dropout swang herself around the metal pole. Billie Joe layed his head down onto the table and was disturbed after almost falling asleep by a busty blonde barmaid who introduced herself as 'Candy'. She was older than the dancer before, about 25 possibly.
"Hey... Little guy? You awake?"
"Huh?" he sat up in a small trail of drool now down his shirt.
"You okay? You don't look well"
"Yeah... Bad night... Don't wanna talk.... Bring back that dancer... The one with the blue bra thing.... I wanna another fucking beer...."
"I think you've had enough."
"Wha? How dare ya tell me I've had enough!" he slurred, slowly slipping off his chair. He hit the ground with a bump and the barmaid quickly picked him up.
"How old did you say you were again?" she asked after helping the teenage punk from off the obviously dirty floor.
"Huh? Umm... I think I said 21, yep 21."
"So.. Can I see your ID then Mr. 21 year old?" her head titled to the side, as she tried to hold back giggles at this teenagers obvious lie. He searched his pockets and came up with nothing.
"Oh whoops... Seems I left it at home damn 'ey?"
"Yeah... " she said sarcastically "Ff ya want I can get Becky to drive you home?"
"Who the fuck is Mecky?"
"Becky, she was the dancer from before."
"Oh.... Sure." He drunkenly grinned. Candy helped him to Becky's car and put him in.
"Take care of him okay Beck? I don't know actually how old he is... "
"Sure" smiled the young dancer.
"So... What brings you out here to Oakland?"
"Huh?"
"Well you said you were from Rodeo, that's not exactly around the corner ya know?" she smiled as they turned the corner.
"Hey, Mecky - "
"Becky"
"Becky, can ya put some half decent music on? I mean silence is great in small doses and all... "
"Or sure! What? I have Black Flag, Dead Kennedy's, New York Dolls...."
"So the stripper is a punk, huh?"
"I'm not a 'stripper' - whats your name again?"
"Billie Joe" he smirked proudly
"William?"
"No, Billie Joe - not William Joseph just plain and simple Billie Joe."
"Okay 'Billie Joe' you like punk, huh?"
"Yep, I even have a goddam band" he grinned proudly.
"Cool" Becky agreed as she entered 'Live, Dead Kennedy's' tape into the slot, she started moving her head to the music as Billie Joe watched her and smiled
"You're really pretty Becky."
"Aw thanks and you got my name right" she blushed. Sure she'd been hit on millions of times, well it did come with the job, but Billie Joe even in his drunken state sounded sincere. But maybe it was the fact her 5 year relationship had fallen apart a week prior and she at this stage was looking for anyone to make her feel special in any way possible and she figured Billie Joe could do that right now. They stopped at the next lights and Billie Joe leaned over and kissed her - very sloppily but nevertheless he had kissed her. Becky kissed back and pretty soon they had missed 3 sets of lights and surprisingly, Becky's car hadn't been mugged being in the part of Oakland they were in now.
Maria sat back down on her bed and cried, she didn't want to fight with Billie, especially on her birthday on all days. After half an hour her siblings and mom and step father had all came in and wished her a happy birthday all handing her presents as well. Even Mike and Al had come around during the day and had given her a card, and from Al a mixed tape and from Mike a voucher for the record store in Berkeley. They both admitted they hadn't heard anything from their front man. Tre had also stuck around all day trying to make the dark haired, now seventeen year old, smile and had even accomplished in making her laugh once but she was still upset over Billie Joe. That night after her families special birthday dinner for her - Tre was invited also, Maria decided to go and wait for Billie to come home. She went over there at 9pm and Ollie had set her up on their sofa and explained to Maria 'he was upset and at other times he hasn't come back all night so don't keep your hopes up' Maria had nodded but decided to wait anyway.
The dancer and punk were now making out at every stoplight and Becky had decided she would now spend the night - wink wink, nudge, nudge and Billie had of course accepted. She parked her car in the Armstrong's driveway and the pair made their way up to the front porch kissing all the way. Billie needed help getting his keys out, his vision now blurry and he couldn't really stand up straight without support from either Becky or a wall. The pair entered with Becky giggling. Billie heard a muffled noise from the sofa but decided to ignore it for now because he had his hands full at the moment.
Maria stirred and slowly fluttered her green eyes open. The room was still dark but no longer silent. She sat up and looked around and saw two silhouettes near the door. She stood up and crept over to the light switch. She flicked it on and standing near the door was Billie Joe with his tongue halfway down some sluts throat.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!?!?!" she shouted, stunned
"Ahhhhh light." Billie groaned and saw his girlfriend staring at him "Hey Maria, this is Mecky."
"No Billie, Becky" she gigged.
"Well I don't care who the fuck you are, what I wanna know is why the fuck are you making out with my boyfriend?" She clenched her fists again and walked closer to the pair. Billie Joe was now supporting himself on the doorframe and Becky staring at the girl who's face was starting to turn a pale pink.
"Ah... You have a girlfriend Bill?" Becky asked.
"Well... I don't know.... We had a fight earlier or something... " He trailed off and slowing slid down the wall and hit the floor with a slight thud.
"Or something?" Maria sobbed, she bit down on her quivering bottom lip. "Well if I was just 'something' Billie Joe I wouldn't have come back over and forgave you.... I don't think I can fucking do that now!" She pushed past the confused stripper and kicked her now ex-boyfriends leg, getting a slight groan from him and ran out the house and to her own with the door behind her slamming against the doorframe making Billie jump a little
"Who was that Billie? Your girlfriend?"
"I told you- I DON'T KNOW! Now can we get this over with? Cause I might not be able to soon ya know?" he slurred, sliding himself up off the floor
"No, you - you jerk" spat Becky and walked out of the Armstrong house also leaving a very drunk Billie Joe standing alone in the Armstrong lounge room wondering what the fuck just happened.
"Yeah... I guess so...." Billie Joe glared. "So ah what brings you here?"
"Umm... It's Maria's birthday and I just came to visit and wish her a good one."
"Okay... " and Tre walked past him still heading to the bathroom.
Maria quickly packed up the makeshift bed Tre didn't sleep on and stuffed it under her bed. She sat down and was startled by someone knocking on the door
"Huh?"
"Maria? You there?"
"Yup... Billie?"
"Yes, you decent?", she giggled
"Yes" and he walked in, placed 'Blue' on her bed and pecked her cheek.
"Happy birthday, birthday girl." He smiled. "I gotcha something." He handed her the small brown package
"Oh! Thank you so much BJ!", she slowly ripped off the brown paper and exposing a Green Day record "You're the first person with one now and it's autographed by all of us." He smiled. "You like?"
"I love it!" and she jumped off her bed and Billie pulled her into a hug. The door creaked open and Tre entered with a towel around his body.
"Oh sorry... Gotta get my clothes", The hugging pair watched the blonde drummer search for his backpack and walk out. "Sorry for disturbing you again... " And he closed the door.
"He slept here? In your room!" Billie let her go and stepped back.
"Just on the floor"
"HE SLEPT IN YOUR ROOM?!?!"
"YES BILLIE JOE HE SLEPT IN MY FUCKING ROOM!" Her tone raising to meet his.
"YOU KNOW HE FUCKING LIKES YOU MARIA AND GOD KNOWS WHAT HE COULD HAVE DONE TO YA!"
"WHAT? TRE IS NOT LIKE THAT!"
"How do you know? HUH?!"
"Cause I've known him for many years Billie Joe, MANY years". Their breathing slowed down to normal rate as they stared at each other "Maybe you should go." She hissed
"Yeah, maybe I will then." He spat and picked up 'Blue' off her bed "and have a fucking fantastic birthday too Maria, cause sure as hell I'm not coming back over!" And he stormed out, slamming the door behind himself. Maria stood still in the middle of her room, her legs still shaking and her knuckles slowly turning her skin color again after turning a pale white. A tear fell down her now puffy cheek
"Yeah.... Happy fucking birthday to me...."
Later that night Billie Joe instead of going over to Gilman he decided to sneak into a bar. He surprising passed as a 21 year old and entered. Soon with the amount of angry still circling in his head he quickly drank his weight in beer. After his little escapea to the bar he soon found himself strangely in a low budget strip joint called "The Black Cat Club". He slumped into a table near a dancing pole as a obvious high school dropout swang herself around the metal pole. Billie Joe layed his head down onto the table and was disturbed after almost falling asleep by a busty blonde barmaid who introduced herself as 'Candy'. She was older than the dancer before, about 25 possibly.
"Hey... Little guy? You awake?"
"Huh?" he sat up in a small trail of drool now down his shirt.
"You okay? You don't look well"
"Yeah... Bad night... Don't wanna talk.... Bring back that dancer... The one with the blue bra thing.... I wanna another fucking beer...."
"I think you've had enough."
"Wha? How dare ya tell me I've had enough!" he slurred, slowly slipping off his chair. He hit the ground with a bump and the barmaid quickly picked him up.
"How old did you say you were again?" she asked after helping the teenage punk from off the obviously dirty floor.
"Huh? Umm... I think I said 21, yep 21."
"So.. Can I see your ID then Mr. 21 year old?" her head titled to the side, as she tried to hold back giggles at this teenagers obvious lie. He searched his pockets and came up with nothing.
"Oh whoops... Seems I left it at home damn 'ey?"
"Yeah... " she said sarcastically "Ff ya want I can get Becky to drive you home?"
"Who the fuck is Mecky?"
"Becky, she was the dancer from before."
"Oh.... Sure." He drunkenly grinned. Candy helped him to Becky's car and put him in.
"Take care of him okay Beck? I don't know actually how old he is... "
"Sure" smiled the young dancer.
"So... What brings you out here to Oakland?"
"Huh?"
"Well you said you were from Rodeo, that's not exactly around the corner ya know?" she smiled as they turned the corner.
"Hey, Mecky - "
"Becky"
"Becky, can ya put some half decent music on? I mean silence is great in small doses and all... "
"Or sure! What? I have Black Flag, Dead Kennedy's, New York Dolls...."
"So the stripper is a punk, huh?"
"I'm not a 'stripper' - whats your name again?"
"Billie Joe" he smirked proudly
"William?"
"No, Billie Joe - not William Joseph just plain and simple Billie Joe."
"Okay 'Billie Joe' you like punk, huh?"
"Yep, I even have a goddam band" he grinned proudly.
"Cool" Becky agreed as she entered 'Live, Dead Kennedy's' tape into the slot, she started moving her head to the music as Billie Joe watched her and smiled
"You're really pretty Becky."
"Aw thanks and you got my name right" she blushed. Sure she'd been hit on millions of times, well it did come with the job, but Billie Joe even in his drunken state sounded sincere. But maybe it was the fact her 5 year relationship had fallen apart a week prior and she at this stage was looking for anyone to make her feel special in any way possible and she figured Billie Joe could do that right now. They stopped at the next lights and Billie Joe leaned over and kissed her - very sloppily but nevertheless he had kissed her. Becky kissed back and pretty soon they had missed 3 sets of lights and surprisingly, Becky's car hadn't been mugged being in the part of Oakland they were in now.
Maria sat back down on her bed and cried, she didn't want to fight with Billie, especially on her birthday on all days. After half an hour her siblings and mom and step father had all came in and wished her a happy birthday all handing her presents as well. Even Mike and Al had come around during the day and had given her a card, and from Al a mixed tape and from Mike a voucher for the record store in Berkeley. They both admitted they hadn't heard anything from their front man. Tre had also stuck around all day trying to make the dark haired, now seventeen year old, smile and had even accomplished in making her laugh once but she was still upset over Billie Joe. That night after her families special birthday dinner for her - Tre was invited also, Maria decided to go and wait for Billie to come home. She went over there at 9pm and Ollie had set her up on their sofa and explained to Maria 'he was upset and at other times he hasn't come back all night so don't keep your hopes up' Maria had nodded but decided to wait anyway.
The dancer and punk were now making out at every stoplight and Becky had decided she would now spend the night - wink wink, nudge, nudge and Billie had of course accepted. She parked her car in the Armstrong's driveway and the pair made their way up to the front porch kissing all the way. Billie needed help getting his keys out, his vision now blurry and he couldn't really stand up straight without support from either Becky or a wall. The pair entered with Becky giggling. Billie heard a muffled noise from the sofa but decided to ignore it for now because he had his hands full at the moment.
Maria stirred and slowly fluttered her green eyes open. The room was still dark but no longer silent. She sat up and looked around and saw two silhouettes near the door. She stood up and crept over to the light switch. She flicked it on and standing near the door was Billie Joe with his tongue halfway down some sluts throat.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!?!?!" she shouted, stunned
"Ahhhhh light." Billie groaned and saw his girlfriend staring at him "Hey Maria, this is Mecky."
"No Billie, Becky" she gigged.
"Well I don't care who the fuck you are, what I wanna know is why the fuck are you making out with my boyfriend?" She clenched her fists again and walked closer to the pair. Billie Joe was now supporting himself on the doorframe and Becky staring at the girl who's face was starting to turn a pale pink.
"Ah... You have a girlfriend Bill?" Becky asked.
"Well... I don't know.... We had a fight earlier or something... " He trailed off and slowing slid down the wall and hit the floor with a slight thud.
"Or something?" Maria sobbed, she bit down on her quivering bottom lip. "Well if I was just 'something' Billie Joe I wouldn't have come back over and forgave you.... I don't think I can fucking do that now!" She pushed past the confused stripper and kicked her now ex-boyfriends leg, getting a slight groan from him and ran out the house and to her own with the door behind her slamming against the doorframe making Billie jump a little
"Who was that Billie? Your girlfriend?"
"I told you- I DON'T KNOW! Now can we get this over with? Cause I might not be able to soon ya know?" he slurred, sliding himself up off the floor
"No, you - you jerk" spat Becky and walked out of the Armstrong house also leaving a very drunk Billie Joe standing alone in the Armstrong lounge room wondering what the fuck just happened.
