A story about Mike, chapter 2
It was two weeks later, and the press hadn't stopped speculating. Rumours of a payoff had started to circulate, and Mike wasn't getting an easy time. He was jostled and pushed as he made his way to the recording studio.
"Mike! Mike!" A microphone was shoved in his face. "Is it true that you sent the girl to a mental hospital for telling the truth?"
"For the last time NO!" He screamed and pushed the man roughly. He got inside and shut the doors quickly. Jeff, his security man, stood next to him. He had never needed security before. He had started to get hate mail from people, and occasionally a death threat. They made their way to the room where Tré and Billie Joe would be. They always had to arrive earlier than usual to stop getting bombarded. Tré and Billie Joe were sitting on a couch when Mike came in.
"How was it today?" Billie Joe asked.
"Not too bad." Mike lied as he poured himself some coffee.
"Hey, do you think a jetpack would work?" Tré asked.
"What?" Mike said.
"You know, to get rid of the press. You could fly onto the roof and say I am invincible you assholes! And fly through the window. Watch out for pigeons though. They hate jetpacks."
Mike started to laugh. Tré grinned broadly. Mike hadn't smiled for a while.
"The pigeons would be like AAH! Fucking jetpack! They'd probably peck your eyes out ya know."
"Tré, where the fuck do you get this shit from?" Billie Joe asked.
"Well, you know. I'm full of shit!" He beamed. Mike was cheered up for a while. They were working on a new album, and it was hard to concentrate during Mike's press invasion. They tried thinking of cool tunes and rehearsed for a few hours, but by 3pm they realised that they weren't getting anywhere. They left. There was much less paparazzi later on in the day, so Mike, Billie Joe, Tré and Jeff the security man got out fairly hassle free.
It was three hours later when Mike got the call.
"Hey daddy."
"Stella! Hey! How are you!" He missed her voice. She hadn't been to visit since the start of all of this.
"I'm good daddy. Mummy wants to speak to you."
"Okay. Cant she wait for a minute?"
There was a pause. He heard her ask.
"Sorry daddy. Mummy wants to talk now."
"Okay then. I love you."
"Love you to daddy."
There was a shuffling sound.
"Mike?"
"Hey Annie. What is it? I was wondering if Stella could come over-"
"I don't think that's such a good idea."
"Ok. Maybe when the press dies down-"
"Um. I'm not sure. Stella's been getting a hard time at school lately. I was phoning to say that maybe Stella shouldn't come to visit anymore."
Mike couldn't speak.
"I'll let you see her and everything." She replied quickly. "But just not now. We could meet up somewhere else, like at the mall or something."
"Uh. Ok." He replied.
"You didn't do it though did you?"
"What! Annie, I don't believe this-"
"Its just that the press-"
"Fuck the press! You know me! I would never do that. How could you-"
"I'm sorry. It's just, you know, the newspapers say... " Her voice trailed off. She didn't sound convinced.
"Yeah I know. Can you put Stella on the phone again?"
"Um... She's gone out to play."
"Oh. Ok. Bye."
"Bye."
She hung up. Mike put the phone down slowly. Tears started to trickle down his cheeks, and he buried his face in his hands. Annie thought that he did it. He could tell by her voice. How could she? After all the years that he had known her. She's going to take Stella away from me, he thought. She'll do it gradually. First, she wont let her visit, then she'll ban meeting up with her in public, and then she'll cut him out of Stella's life completely. He couldn't bear that. He walked to the fridge and got out a beer. He then dialled Billie Joe's number.
"Hello?" It was Adrienne.
"Oh hi, its Mike. Is Billie in?"
"Yeah, I'll just get him. How are you?"
"Good." He lied.
"Here he is."
"Hello?"
"Billie, its me."
"What's up?"
Mike told him the whole story. After a whole hour of gut spilling, Billie Joe had a proposition.
"Why don't we go out tomorrow? You know, You me and Tré? We can just go for a drive and see where we end up."
"That sounds good."
"Great. I'll pick you up at ten okay?"
"Sure. Bye."
"Bye!"
Billie Joe hung up. He frowned. Mike hadn't been that depressed for a long time.
"What's up with Mike?" Adrienne asked him.
"I think I better keep an eye on him. He sounds really down."
"I'm sure he'll be fine. Mike's tough."
Billie Joe nodded.
"Mike! Mike!" A microphone was shoved in his face. "Is it true that you sent the girl to a mental hospital for telling the truth?"
"For the last time NO!" He screamed and pushed the man roughly. He got inside and shut the doors quickly. Jeff, his security man, stood next to him. He had never needed security before. He had started to get hate mail from people, and occasionally a death threat. They made their way to the room where Tré and Billie Joe would be. They always had to arrive earlier than usual to stop getting bombarded. Tré and Billie Joe were sitting on a couch when Mike came in.
"How was it today?" Billie Joe asked.
"Not too bad." Mike lied as he poured himself some coffee.
"Hey, do you think a jetpack would work?" Tré asked.
"What?" Mike said.
"You know, to get rid of the press. You could fly onto the roof and say I am invincible you assholes! And fly through the window. Watch out for pigeons though. They hate jetpacks."
Mike started to laugh. Tré grinned broadly. Mike hadn't smiled for a while.
"The pigeons would be like AAH! Fucking jetpack! They'd probably peck your eyes out ya know."
"Tré, where the fuck do you get this shit from?" Billie Joe asked.
"Well, you know. I'm full of shit!" He beamed. Mike was cheered up for a while. They were working on a new album, and it was hard to concentrate during Mike's press invasion. They tried thinking of cool tunes and rehearsed for a few hours, but by 3pm they realised that they weren't getting anywhere. They left. There was much less paparazzi later on in the day, so Mike, Billie Joe, Tré and Jeff the security man got out fairly hassle free.
It was three hours later when Mike got the call.
"Hey daddy."
"Stella! Hey! How are you!" He missed her voice. She hadn't been to visit since the start of all of this.
"I'm good daddy. Mummy wants to speak to you."
"Okay. Cant she wait for a minute?"
There was a pause. He heard her ask.
"Sorry daddy. Mummy wants to talk now."
"Okay then. I love you."
"Love you to daddy."
There was a shuffling sound.
"Mike?"
"Hey Annie. What is it? I was wondering if Stella could come over-"
"I don't think that's such a good idea."
"Ok. Maybe when the press dies down-"
"Um. I'm not sure. Stella's been getting a hard time at school lately. I was phoning to say that maybe Stella shouldn't come to visit anymore."
Mike couldn't speak.
"I'll let you see her and everything." She replied quickly. "But just not now. We could meet up somewhere else, like at the mall or something."
"Uh. Ok." He replied.
"You didn't do it though did you?"
"What! Annie, I don't believe this-"
"Its just that the press-"
"Fuck the press! You know me! I would never do that. How could you-"
"I'm sorry. It's just, you know, the newspapers say... " Her voice trailed off. She didn't sound convinced.
"Yeah I know. Can you put Stella on the phone again?"
"Um... She's gone out to play."
"Oh. Ok. Bye."
"Bye."
She hung up. Mike put the phone down slowly. Tears started to trickle down his cheeks, and he buried his face in his hands. Annie thought that he did it. He could tell by her voice. How could she? After all the years that he had known her. She's going to take Stella away from me, he thought. She'll do it gradually. First, she wont let her visit, then she'll ban meeting up with her in public, and then she'll cut him out of Stella's life completely. He couldn't bear that. He walked to the fridge and got out a beer. He then dialled Billie Joe's number.
"Hello?" It was Adrienne.
"Oh hi, its Mike. Is Billie in?"
"Yeah, I'll just get him. How are you?"
"Good." He lied.
"Here he is."
"Hello?"
"Billie, its me."
"What's up?"
Mike told him the whole story. After a whole hour of gut spilling, Billie Joe had a proposition.
"Why don't we go out tomorrow? You know, You me and Tré? We can just go for a drive and see where we end up."
"That sounds good."
"Great. I'll pick you up at ten okay?"
"Sure. Bye."
"Bye!"
Billie Joe hung up. He frowned. Mike hadn't been that depressed for a long time.
"What's up with Mike?" Adrienne asked him.
"I think I better keep an eye on him. He sounds really down."
"I'm sure he'll be fine. Mike's tough."
Billie Joe nodded.
