A Note Don't Come Easy, chapter 10
“You were fucking amazing!� Billie Joe cried, running up towards me, his arms wide open.
I ran into his open arms, and hugged him tight as he flung me around.
“Well done Stef.� Mike said, patting me on the shoulder when Billie Joe had put my feet back firmly onto the ground.
“Yeah, you totally rocked.� Tre added, playfully punching my arm.
“Thanks guys.� I said shyly, too happy to stop smiling.
“You were lucky with the judges though.� Mike said, with a tone of voice that gave the impression that they-were-so-dam-fucking-out-of-order.
“Yeah, what was up with that crazy woman at the end with her chewing gum?� Billie Joe laughed, his arm still around my waist.
“She looked like something from The Muppets.� Tre grunted.
We all laughed in unison at Tre’s impression of the woman chewing on her gum in a Miss Piggy style.
“She so badly pissed me off.� Mike sighed, after laughing.
“And what was with the dude Igor?� I asked, trying not to laugh.
They all burst out laughing once again.
“Here’s our ride.� Mike pointed out to the limo that was turning into the car park behind the studios.
It wasn’t really a car park, just a big space with litterbins, boxes and equipment. We jumped into the limo, still laughing about Igor and his ‘charming lady friend.’
“I say we celebrate!� Billie Joe cried, with a big smile on his face, and squeezing me tight with his hand that was wrapped around the back of me.
“Does that mean we can have a party?!?� Tre asked excitedly, pronouncing it, P-A-R-T-A-Y.
“No, it means we can binge drinking and trash the hotel.� Mike said, looking at Tre from the corner of his eye.
Tre’s eyes seemed to flicker widely with excitement and mischief.
“Even better!� He screamed, looking naughtily.
* * * * * * * *
We all wandered up to the floor with our rooms on, after it had taken us nearly 20 minutes to walk the stairs. Mike headed to open the door to their suite, whilst I attempted to open mine.
“You not coming to celebrate with us?� Billie Joe asked, looking at me with desperate eyes.
“Yeah, sure.� I assured him, realising how desperate he was for me to come. “I just need to do a few things before that’s all. A change of clothes and stuff. You don’t want me smelling of BO do you?� I jokingly asked, looking back at Billie Joe and Tre.
“No we don’t!� Tre sternly said, a bit more hyperactive as usual. “Go and wash before you suffocate us all!�
“Whatever Tre!� I laughed before closing the door behind me to my suite.
Fucking hell. What a day. I was living a dream. I heard the door close to their suite through the wall. What the hell was I going to wear? Oh god. I had nothing, shall we say, ‘presentable’ to wear in my wardrobe. I put my guitar down in the corner and went into my room. I opened up my suitcase and turfed through my clothes to try and find something suitable to wear. I pulled out my ripped jeans, and my dark green t-shirt that said ‘EAGLE ROCK SCHOOL’ with a white print of an eagle carrying a guitar on. That had to be one of my favourite tops. I rummaged around a bit more to find my black blazer. I heard the guys next door laughing. Shit, I was going to look weird. I wasn’t like Adrienne of anything. And I certainly wasn’t pretty. I scribbled on some more eyeliner and tried some more to cover up my spots with the little foundation I had left. I quickly pushed my hair up into a ponytail and spiked the end of it using some hair gel stuff I had brought ages ago. I slipped on my black converse’ and took one final look in the mirror. I walked into the kitchen and found a bottle of champagne in the fridge. The maid had obviously stocked it up again since Billie Joe had last looked; otherwise he would of taken it. I picked up my card key to my suite and closed the door behind me. I knocked on Green Day’s door and stood there, waiting for an answer. Finally, Billie Joe came and answered to my continuous knocking. He opened the door, and just stood there, almost transfixed.
“What?� I asked, feeling a little awkward that he was staring at me.
Was a wearing something weird? Maybe I had put too much eyeliner on. I always had been a sucker for putting too much on. He probably was thinking that I looked like a total freak. Still he stood there, unable to say the words that were swirling around his mind. Mike came along from behind Billie Joe and pushed him to one side to see who it was.
“Stef,� he cried, welcoming me into their suite for the first time. “Come on in.�
They had always been in my suite, drinking my drinks, eating my food, and now it was my turn. I followed Mike through to the main part of their suite, Billie Joe closing the door behind us.
“Kewl outfit.� Mike commented, as he walked past to turn the stereo on that they had fixed up in the corner.
“Thanks.� I replied, turning to see where Billie Joe was.
He wasn’t there. What was the matter with him?
“What the fuck is wrong with this thing?� Mike grunted, trying desperately to get the stereo working. “Tre!�
“What do you want now Mike?� Tre screamed from another room somewhere behind me.
“The stereo’s not working again!� Mike screamed back at Tre, pressing various buttons on the remote.
Tre wandered through to the ‘lounge’ part of the suite, sighing that he had to depart from whatever he was doing.
“Oh, hi Stef.� Tre called to me as he walked past. “Mike, what have you done to it now?�
“I haven’t done anything! The bloody thing just won’t work! It never fucking works for me.�
I stood in the middle of the suite, watching the pair debate over the stereo. I have to admit, it was quite funny to watch!
“Look, all you got to do is this.� Tre sighed, before kicking in the side of the stereo.
It looked like Tre had done this before by the many dents punched into the sides of the stereo. All of a sudden, music blared from the speakers, causing Mike to wince.
“You alright Stef?� Tre asked, walking past to go back to his room.
“Yeah� I replied, my eyes following him. “Do you know where Billie Joe is?�
“Nope. Probably having a wank.� He called as he walked into his room.
Oh right. Thanks for that Tre. I stood awkwardly in the middle of the suite, Mike trying to turn the volume down on the stereo, and Tre humming a tune somewhere in another room. Billie Joe nowhere to be seen.
“Let’s put that in the fridge before it goes flat.� Someone said into my ear from behind.
It made me jump as it tickled my ear. I felt the champagne bottle slip from my hand and into another’s. I twisted my neck around to see Billie Joe behind me. God, he looked gorgeous. I turned around fully, to see that he had changed his clothes. He was wearing his black pants and shirt, with a white skinny tie and his black tennis shoes. Just like in the Boulevard of Broken Dreams video. I stood for minutes just staring at him. His eyeliner had been re-applied and his hair had been spiked into place. God his eyes were so GORGEOUS! I can’t express how fantastic they looked. They seemed to hypnotise me and swallow me up.
“Erm….why did you….ignore me….at the door?� I managed to splurt, trying to hide my constant staring.
“The same reason as to why you are staring at me now.� Billie Joe answered before grabbing my hand and leading me to the sofa. “And don’t try and change the subject like you always do when you get embarrassed!�
For someone who had only known me for a couple of days, he knew me inside out.
“Who wants a pizza?� Tre asked, coming from out of his room again.
“Tre, you can’t order pizza to a fucking hotel you freak.� Billie Joe sniggered sitting next to me.
“I’m Tre Cool! I can do anything I want!� Tre screamed, gesturing at himself.
“And nothing’s going to stop him.� Mike added, joining the rest of us on the sofa.
* * * * * * * *
We sat spread out across the sofa and floor of the suite, munching on the pizza and cheesy mozzarella sticks that Tre had managed to smuggle into the hotel without anyone noticing. I shared a stuffed crust with Billie Joe, while Tre had a large pizza to himself and Mike had a small cheese and tomato. I loved stuffed crust. It was my favourite type of pizza. Me and Emma had it all the time. No one else liked it.
“I’m stuffed.� Billie Joe groaned after eating another slice of pizza.
“That’s what STUFFED CRUST does to you.� Tre giggled.
“Can I have the rest?� I asked Billie Joe, looking at him with pleading eyes.
“Sure. I’m not stopping you.� He replied, offering me a piece and taking another swig of his beer.
“The rest?!? You think you can eat all of that?� Tre scoffed in between mouthfuls of pizza.
“I can eat all of that easily.� I said, pointing to the remains of mine and Billie Joe’s pizza.
“Sure you can.� Tre said sarcastically.
I looked at him with my arms crossed, frowning. Billie Joe laughed as he watched Tre waffle his pizza.
“Alright then.� Tre said, swivelling his body around so he could face me. “Lets do a dare.�
“Fuck Stef. You never want to do a dare with Tre.� Mike warned. “You never know what crazy shit he’ll make you do.�
“Come on. How hard can it be?� I asked, still quite calm about it.
“Very hard when it comes to Tre.� Billie Joe answered, holding my hand.
What was I letting myself in for? Must have been that beer working it’s magic through my mind. But I never gave up a dare. I wasn’t going to now either just because it was Tre Cool, the drummer of Green Day.
“You’re not a pussy are you Stef?� Tre asked, looking smug.
“No I’m not.� I said, trying to hold eye contact with him.
I was determined to prove him wrong. I wanted to prove to him that I could do this, and besides, it would be fun. Well, at least I thought it would be anyway.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.� Mike groaned before sitting back, ready to watch.
“For every piece of pizza I eat, you have to eat.� Tre told me, a big smile slapped across his face.
“That’s it? That’s fucking easy.� I laughed, picking up a piece of pizza, ready to eat.
“Don’t think it’ll be an easy ride Stef.� Tre reminded me, him too picking up a slice of pizza.
* * * * * * * *
I scoffed in quickly the last piece of pizza. I felt so full, but I hadn’t given in to Tre. Billie Joe looked at me in shock, as I swallowed the last chunk of our pizza.
“Fucking hell.� He gasped in surprise that I had actually finished the pizza and best of all, beaten Tre in a dare.
“Now there’s something you don’t see everyday.� Mike gasped. “Tre being beaten in a dare!�
“She may have won the battle, but she hasn’t won the war!� Tre screamed, hyperactive in his own little world and rolling around on the floor.
“What’s that supposed to mean?� I asked, before belching.
Billie Joe looked at me, trying not to laugh.
“You may be the champ in pizza eating, but you are talking to the master of all champs in shots.� Tre boasted, pointing to himself.
“No way are you playing shots with Tre.� Billie Joe told me, tightening his grip on my hand. “He’ll get you pissed and then probably shag you.�
“Now you’ve spoiled it for me Billie Joe.� Tre laughed, sitting up and facing him.
“You always do that! Please can we play?�
“No.�
“Just one game?� Tre pleaded.
“No Tre. You’re a bad influence on Stef.�
“She chose to do the dare! I didn’t force her to!� Tre snorted. “Please don’t make me beg.�
“Yeah Billie Joe.� Mike said. “Don’t make him beg. Now that is a sorry sight!�
“Please Billie Joe. Come on. It will be fun. We’ll all have a game. We are supposed to be celebrating aren’t we? We need to liven it up a bit! At the moment it feels like a funeral gone really wrong.�
Billie Joe looked into Tre’s pleading eyes for a few seconds, before pulling away.
“Alright! Alright!� He cried, waving his arms about. “But just a few games. I don’t want shit happening tonight.�
Tre jumped around the room madly, running to the fridge in the process. He pulled out a big bottle of vodka and collected 4 shot glasses from the cupboard.
“Ok, so I’ll play Billie Joe and you can play Stef, Mike.�
“Who said I was playing?� Mike cried, stunned.
“No-one.� Billie Joe said. “We didn’t ask you because we knew you’d say no.�
Mike grunted in protest as he moved to sit opposite me. Billie Joe departed slightly from my side to sit nearer Tre, who by now was pouring out the shots like a psychotic freak. God, I couldn’t believe I was sitting in Green Day’s suite, playing shots with them. Thing is though, I wasn’t scared or anything. I should have been, because I had never played shots before. Another secret I’ve let you in on, but I have my reasons.
“Ok, I think Billie Joe and Tre should go first.� Mike sighed, leaning back into the black leather sofa and crossing his arms.
“Just because you’re scared Mike.� Billie Joe teased, raising his eyebrow.
“No I’m not. I just think Tre should go first since HE’S the one who wants to play.� Mike replied, becoming a little annoyed.
“Are we going to play or what?� I cried, tired of hearing them argue.
I wanted to taste my first shot. I was excited and nervous at the same time. You’re probably thinking, “It’s only a shot for fuck’s sake!� But the thing is, I had never been allowed out when I lived at home, so I had never been allowed to try shots. Sure, when I had gone out occasionally I had drank, but never enough to get hammered. I always stopped myself so I wouldn’t get into shit with my mum.
“Ok, let’s start already!� Billie Joe cried, making a grasp on his shot glass. “It’s kinda boring just sitting here looking at the vodka for fuck’s sake.�
“Let get ready to rumble!� Tre cried, almost howling.
They both clutched onto their glasses like it was their lifeline. Billie Joe’s eyes were fixed on Tre’s like a hawk’s.
“GO!� Mike screamed, making me jump out of my skin.
I watched as both Billie Joe and Tre rushed the glasses to their mouths, gulping down the vodka as fast as they could. Billie Joe winched as he tried to desperately down the substance, Tre’s eyes bulging from their sockets. They both slammed down their glasses in unison. I thought the coffee table would smash from the force.
“I won!� Tre screamed, waving his hand in the air.
“I think you’ll find it was me!� Billie Joe gasped, wiping his mouth.
“You both won.� I told them, trying to calm them down.
I turned to look at Mike, as I grasped my hand around my shot glass. My pulse racing.
“You ready Mike?� I asked confidently, when really I was shitting myself senseless.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.� Mike replied, now too clutching hold of the 4th and final glass.
“GO!� Tre screamed, slamming his fist down onto the coffee table that was identical to the one in my suite.
I rushed the glass to my mouth, opening my throat to let the vodka flow through. I saw Billie Joe and Tre watching from the corner of my eye. I thought my eyes were going to bleed. A rush of blood ran to my head, as I took the last gulps and slammed the glass down. Mike had already finished. Shit.
“God Stef, haven’t you ever had shots before?� Tre asked, a little confused at my performance.
“Sure I have,� I lied. “I’m just warming up that’s all.�
* * * * * * * *
We spent the next 3 hours playing many different drinking games, and by now you can guess that we were all pretty out of it. Through this amount of time we had gone through the bottle of champagne, 20 beer bottles, and 3 big bottles of vodka. The most I had drunk in one night. Tre wanted to play strip poker, but the rest of us refused to participate! (Why not?) Tre and Billie Joe played another round of shots, whilst Mike and I sat and watched in fits of laughter. Tre was wailing like a baby because Billie Joe was winning most of the rounds, as Tre always spat his everywhere in his drunken state. Well, Billie Joe WAS winning until I moved my hand up his leg, making him spray the vodka everywhere in sudden surprise, Tre obviously winning that round! I was having such a good time; I never wanted it to end. Soon enough, the suite was absolutely trashed, beer bottles, pizza boxes and various other things littering the floor.
“Fuck, we’ve run out of drink.� Tre managed to say without messing up his words.
“Fuck-a-duck. Nows..what..are..we…goin…to dos?� Billie Joe slurred, his arm slumped over my shoulder.
“You’re cute when you’re drunk.� I giggled to Billie Joe, as I fiddled with his white tie.
“You saying I’m not when I’m sober?� He asked suggestively, looking down on me.
“No. It’s just that the booze makes you even sweeter.� I whispered, smiling.
“Wants, me to shows you some more thens?� He babbled, none of it making much sense.
“We need some drink!� Tre yelled, jumping around hyperactive. “Now!!!�
“Go and get some then!� Mike called back, pointing to the door. “I feel like trashing the place.�
He was so pissed. I could tell.
“Maybe I should do a shit off the balcony again!� He laughed hoarsely.
Billie Joe giggled, pointing to him and making a constipated face. Mike collapsed into an un-controlable fit of laughter.
“Fine, I will go get some drink.� Tre grinned. “Want to come Stef?�
“Tre, you fucking dumb ass. The shops will be shut. As you probably do not know it’s fucking midnight.� Billie Joe groaned, rubbing his eyes.
“When there’s a will, there’s a way.� Tre giggled naughtily, still grinning. “Stef, are you coming?�
“Yeah why not.� I sighed getting up from the sofa and Billie Joe.
“Don’t let Tre take advantage of you!� Billie screamed after me.
“I wont.�
Tre and I walked down the flights of stairs, Tre singing his Rock ‘n’ Roll Girlfriend solo in Homecoming off the American Idiot Album. Well, I walked whilst Tre bounced like a lunatic. We walked out onto the boulevard, past the many shops that were closed. We tried every bar in town, but the bouncers wouldn’t let Tre in to get booze because of the state he was in. No shops were open either, so it looked like we would be going back empty handed. We walked down the boulevard back to the hotel, when Tre stopped and stared at the row of the shops.
“Now, I wonder which one of these bastards doesn’t have an alarm?� Tre asked, scratching his head, looking at the shops.
It took me a moment to figure out what he was going on about.
“Tre, you’re not fucking serious are you?� I asked, my head pounding like a drum.
“I need booze Stef.� Tre groaned, pleading with me.
“Well there’s nowhere to get some. So come on, before I puke everywhere.�
“Please. It will be really quick. No one will even notice. I’ll just break a window, slip in quietly and grab us a couple of bottles. Please, I’ll be quick I promise!�
I looked into his pleading eyes, wondering what the hell to do. His eyes were all bloodshot, and filled up to the brim. I tried to imagine what it would be like if we didn’t get any booze. Tre would get irritable, pissing off Billie Joe and Mike, the whole night being ruined. I didn’t want that.
“Alright.� I sighed. “But if anyone asks, this has nothing to do with me!� I squealed, walking up to Tre, who had already picked a shop to be his victim.
“It will be as if you weren’t here.� Tre sighed, examining the window.
He walked up to a litterbin by an alley and searched through it to pull out a big empty Smirnoff bottle. One of the X-Large ones.
“This should do it. Stand back.� He called to me, as I took a few steps back and shielded my upper body.
He lobbed the bottle ahead of him, which smashed through the shop window. Glass shattered all over the boulevard, reflecting the little light off of it. Tre ran towards the window and beckoned me to follow. I timidly looked around to see if anyone was watching, and then ran after Tre. What the fuck was I doing? I would never do anything like this back at home. But I was with THE Tre Cool! This was too good to miss. Tre climbed through the window, minding his legs on the sharp glass.
“You done this before?� I whispered to him, poking my head through the hole after he’d climbed through.
“Can you tell?� Tre laughed, randomly picking out bottles of booze for us to take back to the hotel. “Here take these.�
He handed me the bottles of drink, before climbing through the hole in the glass again. He stood up and brushed himself down, taking some of the bottles off of me.
“Nice work.� He told me, lifting the bottles up in his hands to see what they were.
Suddenly, the sound of sirens filled the boulevard, blue lights flashing off the side of our faces. Shit!!! The fucking cops had caught us. We were screwed. We both looked in their direction in horror, me shitting myself again. Tre stood there, his eyes as wide as saucers, the reality hitting him smack in the face. No one will even notice! Tre you are such a bull shitter!
“Let’s get out of here!� Tre screamed before sprinting off down the alleyway franticly.
I followed him, still clutching the bottles in my hand. Good thing I had liked running when studying sport at school. Tre was a pretty good runner too for someone who was smashed out of their brain. We dashed down the alleyway, dodging bins and lampposts as we went. Everything was a blur around me. I didn’t have a fucking clue where I was going. I just kept close behind Tre. I was crapping my pants!!! My heart was in my throat. I had never been in trouble with the police before. We ducked behind a recycling bin, crouching down low. I squatted close near to Tre, the sound of his breathing colliding with mine. Both of our chests heaved from the chase.
“Are they gone?� I whispered, barely breathing.
“Don’t know. Think so.� Tre gasped, inhaling fresh air.
We crouched there in silence for what seemed like ages, waiting for them to return. But nothing happened. We moved from our hiding spot and stumbled back out into the alleyway. Running when you’re drunk ISN’T a good idea. Believe me. My legs gave way and I collapsed into the side of the recycle bin. Tre grabbed me around my waist and held me up.
“Are you ok?� He asked, supporting me.
“Yeah, I’m fine. My legs just feel like jelly.� I laughed, clutching my other side. “I’ve never drunk this much before in one night.�
“There’s a first for everything.� He laughed.
For someone who had spent the evening downing shots and drinking beer and champagne, he could talk really well. There was a pause as I inhaled the air around me that was toxined from the litter in the alley. I tried to stand up on my stick like legs. They felt like they were going to snap in half, making me crumble to the ground again.
“Stef,� Tre asked quietly, hesitating.
I turned to face him.
“Yeah?� I sighed, spitting out my flem.
“You know when I joked about having sex with you when we first met?�
“Yeah,� I asked, my senses returning again.
“Well…�
“What?� I asked, a little confused.
I leaned forward and placed my hands on my knees. I looked up at him, and saw that he was looking down at the ground and biting his lip. What was Tre trying to say? I was anxious.
“Tre?� I asked, hating the waiting.
“I ….erm…I…well, I kinda….erm, well……�
I ran into his open arms, and hugged him tight as he flung me around.
“Well done Stef.� Mike said, patting me on the shoulder when Billie Joe had put my feet back firmly onto the ground.
“Yeah, you totally rocked.� Tre added, playfully punching my arm.
“Thanks guys.� I said shyly, too happy to stop smiling.
“You were lucky with the judges though.� Mike said, with a tone of voice that gave the impression that they-were-so-dam-fucking-out-of-order.
“Yeah, what was up with that crazy woman at the end with her chewing gum?� Billie Joe laughed, his arm still around my waist.
“She looked like something from The Muppets.� Tre grunted.
We all laughed in unison at Tre’s impression of the woman chewing on her gum in a Miss Piggy style.
“She so badly pissed me off.� Mike sighed, after laughing.
“And what was with the dude Igor?� I asked, trying not to laugh.
They all burst out laughing once again.
“Here’s our ride.� Mike pointed out to the limo that was turning into the car park behind the studios.
It wasn’t really a car park, just a big space with litterbins, boxes and equipment. We jumped into the limo, still laughing about Igor and his ‘charming lady friend.’
“I say we celebrate!� Billie Joe cried, with a big smile on his face, and squeezing me tight with his hand that was wrapped around the back of me.
“Does that mean we can have a party?!?� Tre asked excitedly, pronouncing it, P-A-R-T-A-Y.
“No, it means we can binge drinking and trash the hotel.� Mike said, looking at Tre from the corner of his eye.
Tre’s eyes seemed to flicker widely with excitement and mischief.
“Even better!� He screamed, looking naughtily.
* * * * * * * *
We all wandered up to the floor with our rooms on, after it had taken us nearly 20 minutes to walk the stairs. Mike headed to open the door to their suite, whilst I attempted to open mine.
“You not coming to celebrate with us?� Billie Joe asked, looking at me with desperate eyes.
“Yeah, sure.� I assured him, realising how desperate he was for me to come. “I just need to do a few things before that’s all. A change of clothes and stuff. You don’t want me smelling of BO do you?� I jokingly asked, looking back at Billie Joe and Tre.
“No we don’t!� Tre sternly said, a bit more hyperactive as usual. “Go and wash before you suffocate us all!�
“Whatever Tre!� I laughed before closing the door behind me to my suite.
Fucking hell. What a day. I was living a dream. I heard the door close to their suite through the wall. What the hell was I going to wear? Oh god. I had nothing, shall we say, ‘presentable’ to wear in my wardrobe. I put my guitar down in the corner and went into my room. I opened up my suitcase and turfed through my clothes to try and find something suitable to wear. I pulled out my ripped jeans, and my dark green t-shirt that said ‘EAGLE ROCK SCHOOL’ with a white print of an eagle carrying a guitar on. That had to be one of my favourite tops. I rummaged around a bit more to find my black blazer. I heard the guys next door laughing. Shit, I was going to look weird. I wasn’t like Adrienne of anything. And I certainly wasn’t pretty. I scribbled on some more eyeliner and tried some more to cover up my spots with the little foundation I had left. I quickly pushed my hair up into a ponytail and spiked the end of it using some hair gel stuff I had brought ages ago. I slipped on my black converse’ and took one final look in the mirror. I walked into the kitchen and found a bottle of champagne in the fridge. The maid had obviously stocked it up again since Billie Joe had last looked; otherwise he would of taken it. I picked up my card key to my suite and closed the door behind me. I knocked on Green Day’s door and stood there, waiting for an answer. Finally, Billie Joe came and answered to my continuous knocking. He opened the door, and just stood there, almost transfixed.
“What?� I asked, feeling a little awkward that he was staring at me.
Was a wearing something weird? Maybe I had put too much eyeliner on. I always had been a sucker for putting too much on. He probably was thinking that I looked like a total freak. Still he stood there, unable to say the words that were swirling around his mind. Mike came along from behind Billie Joe and pushed him to one side to see who it was.
“Stef,� he cried, welcoming me into their suite for the first time. “Come on in.�
They had always been in my suite, drinking my drinks, eating my food, and now it was my turn. I followed Mike through to the main part of their suite, Billie Joe closing the door behind us.
“Kewl outfit.� Mike commented, as he walked past to turn the stereo on that they had fixed up in the corner.
“Thanks.� I replied, turning to see where Billie Joe was.
He wasn’t there. What was the matter with him?
“What the fuck is wrong with this thing?� Mike grunted, trying desperately to get the stereo working. “Tre!�
“What do you want now Mike?� Tre screamed from another room somewhere behind me.
“The stereo’s not working again!� Mike screamed back at Tre, pressing various buttons on the remote.
Tre wandered through to the ‘lounge’ part of the suite, sighing that he had to depart from whatever he was doing.
“Oh, hi Stef.� Tre called to me as he walked past. “Mike, what have you done to it now?�
“I haven’t done anything! The bloody thing just won’t work! It never fucking works for me.�
I stood in the middle of the suite, watching the pair debate over the stereo. I have to admit, it was quite funny to watch!
“Look, all you got to do is this.� Tre sighed, before kicking in the side of the stereo.
It looked like Tre had done this before by the many dents punched into the sides of the stereo. All of a sudden, music blared from the speakers, causing Mike to wince.
“You alright Stef?� Tre asked, walking past to go back to his room.
“Yeah� I replied, my eyes following him. “Do you know where Billie Joe is?�
“Nope. Probably having a wank.� He called as he walked into his room.
Oh right. Thanks for that Tre. I stood awkwardly in the middle of the suite, Mike trying to turn the volume down on the stereo, and Tre humming a tune somewhere in another room. Billie Joe nowhere to be seen.
“Let’s put that in the fridge before it goes flat.� Someone said into my ear from behind.
It made me jump as it tickled my ear. I felt the champagne bottle slip from my hand and into another’s. I twisted my neck around to see Billie Joe behind me. God, he looked gorgeous. I turned around fully, to see that he had changed his clothes. He was wearing his black pants and shirt, with a white skinny tie and his black tennis shoes. Just like in the Boulevard of Broken Dreams video. I stood for minutes just staring at him. His eyeliner had been re-applied and his hair had been spiked into place. God his eyes were so GORGEOUS! I can’t express how fantastic they looked. They seemed to hypnotise me and swallow me up.
“Erm….why did you….ignore me….at the door?� I managed to splurt, trying to hide my constant staring.
“The same reason as to why you are staring at me now.� Billie Joe answered before grabbing my hand and leading me to the sofa. “And don’t try and change the subject like you always do when you get embarrassed!�
For someone who had only known me for a couple of days, he knew me inside out.
“Who wants a pizza?� Tre asked, coming from out of his room again.
“Tre, you can’t order pizza to a fucking hotel you freak.� Billie Joe sniggered sitting next to me.
“I’m Tre Cool! I can do anything I want!� Tre screamed, gesturing at himself.
“And nothing’s going to stop him.� Mike added, joining the rest of us on the sofa.
* * * * * * * *
We sat spread out across the sofa and floor of the suite, munching on the pizza and cheesy mozzarella sticks that Tre had managed to smuggle into the hotel without anyone noticing. I shared a stuffed crust with Billie Joe, while Tre had a large pizza to himself and Mike had a small cheese and tomato. I loved stuffed crust. It was my favourite type of pizza. Me and Emma had it all the time. No one else liked it.
“I’m stuffed.� Billie Joe groaned after eating another slice of pizza.
“That’s what STUFFED CRUST does to you.� Tre giggled.
“Can I have the rest?� I asked Billie Joe, looking at him with pleading eyes.
“Sure. I’m not stopping you.� He replied, offering me a piece and taking another swig of his beer.
“The rest?!? You think you can eat all of that?� Tre scoffed in between mouthfuls of pizza.
“I can eat all of that easily.� I said, pointing to the remains of mine and Billie Joe’s pizza.
“Sure you can.� Tre said sarcastically.
I looked at him with my arms crossed, frowning. Billie Joe laughed as he watched Tre waffle his pizza.
“Alright then.� Tre said, swivelling his body around so he could face me. “Lets do a dare.�
“Fuck Stef. You never want to do a dare with Tre.� Mike warned. “You never know what crazy shit he’ll make you do.�
“Come on. How hard can it be?� I asked, still quite calm about it.
“Very hard when it comes to Tre.� Billie Joe answered, holding my hand.
What was I letting myself in for? Must have been that beer working it’s magic through my mind. But I never gave up a dare. I wasn’t going to now either just because it was Tre Cool, the drummer of Green Day.
“You’re not a pussy are you Stef?� Tre asked, looking smug.
“No I’m not.� I said, trying to hold eye contact with him.
I was determined to prove him wrong. I wanted to prove to him that I could do this, and besides, it would be fun. Well, at least I thought it would be anyway.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.� Mike groaned before sitting back, ready to watch.
“For every piece of pizza I eat, you have to eat.� Tre told me, a big smile slapped across his face.
“That’s it? That’s fucking easy.� I laughed, picking up a piece of pizza, ready to eat.
“Don’t think it’ll be an easy ride Stef.� Tre reminded me, him too picking up a slice of pizza.
* * * * * * * *
I scoffed in quickly the last piece of pizza. I felt so full, but I hadn’t given in to Tre. Billie Joe looked at me in shock, as I swallowed the last chunk of our pizza.
“Fucking hell.� He gasped in surprise that I had actually finished the pizza and best of all, beaten Tre in a dare.
“Now there’s something you don’t see everyday.� Mike gasped. “Tre being beaten in a dare!�
“She may have won the battle, but she hasn’t won the war!� Tre screamed, hyperactive in his own little world and rolling around on the floor.
“What’s that supposed to mean?� I asked, before belching.
Billie Joe looked at me, trying not to laugh.
“You may be the champ in pizza eating, but you are talking to the master of all champs in shots.� Tre boasted, pointing to himself.
“No way are you playing shots with Tre.� Billie Joe told me, tightening his grip on my hand. “He’ll get you pissed and then probably shag you.�
“Now you’ve spoiled it for me Billie Joe.� Tre laughed, sitting up and facing him.
“You always do that! Please can we play?�
“No.�
“Just one game?� Tre pleaded.
“No Tre. You’re a bad influence on Stef.�
“She chose to do the dare! I didn’t force her to!� Tre snorted. “Please don’t make me beg.�
“Yeah Billie Joe.� Mike said. “Don’t make him beg. Now that is a sorry sight!�
“Please Billie Joe. Come on. It will be fun. We’ll all have a game. We are supposed to be celebrating aren’t we? We need to liven it up a bit! At the moment it feels like a funeral gone really wrong.�
Billie Joe looked into Tre’s pleading eyes for a few seconds, before pulling away.
“Alright! Alright!� He cried, waving his arms about. “But just a few games. I don’t want shit happening tonight.�
Tre jumped around the room madly, running to the fridge in the process. He pulled out a big bottle of vodka and collected 4 shot glasses from the cupboard.
“Ok, so I’ll play Billie Joe and you can play Stef, Mike.�
“Who said I was playing?� Mike cried, stunned.
“No-one.� Billie Joe said. “We didn’t ask you because we knew you’d say no.�
Mike grunted in protest as he moved to sit opposite me. Billie Joe departed slightly from my side to sit nearer Tre, who by now was pouring out the shots like a psychotic freak. God, I couldn’t believe I was sitting in Green Day’s suite, playing shots with them. Thing is though, I wasn’t scared or anything. I should have been, because I had never played shots before. Another secret I’ve let you in on, but I have my reasons.
“Ok, I think Billie Joe and Tre should go first.� Mike sighed, leaning back into the black leather sofa and crossing his arms.
“Just because you’re scared Mike.� Billie Joe teased, raising his eyebrow.
“No I’m not. I just think Tre should go first since HE’S the one who wants to play.� Mike replied, becoming a little annoyed.
“Are we going to play or what?� I cried, tired of hearing them argue.
I wanted to taste my first shot. I was excited and nervous at the same time. You’re probably thinking, “It’s only a shot for fuck’s sake!� But the thing is, I had never been allowed out when I lived at home, so I had never been allowed to try shots. Sure, when I had gone out occasionally I had drank, but never enough to get hammered. I always stopped myself so I wouldn’t get into shit with my mum.
“Ok, let’s start already!� Billie Joe cried, making a grasp on his shot glass. “It’s kinda boring just sitting here looking at the vodka for fuck’s sake.�
“Let get ready to rumble!� Tre cried, almost howling.
They both clutched onto their glasses like it was their lifeline. Billie Joe’s eyes were fixed on Tre’s like a hawk’s.
“GO!� Mike screamed, making me jump out of my skin.
I watched as both Billie Joe and Tre rushed the glasses to their mouths, gulping down the vodka as fast as they could. Billie Joe winched as he tried to desperately down the substance, Tre’s eyes bulging from their sockets. They both slammed down their glasses in unison. I thought the coffee table would smash from the force.
“I won!� Tre screamed, waving his hand in the air.
“I think you’ll find it was me!� Billie Joe gasped, wiping his mouth.
“You both won.� I told them, trying to calm them down.
I turned to look at Mike, as I grasped my hand around my shot glass. My pulse racing.
“You ready Mike?� I asked confidently, when really I was shitting myself senseless.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.� Mike replied, now too clutching hold of the 4th and final glass.
“GO!� Tre screamed, slamming his fist down onto the coffee table that was identical to the one in my suite.
I rushed the glass to my mouth, opening my throat to let the vodka flow through. I saw Billie Joe and Tre watching from the corner of my eye. I thought my eyes were going to bleed. A rush of blood ran to my head, as I took the last gulps and slammed the glass down. Mike had already finished. Shit.
“God Stef, haven’t you ever had shots before?� Tre asked, a little confused at my performance.
“Sure I have,� I lied. “I’m just warming up that’s all.�
* * * * * * * *
We spent the next 3 hours playing many different drinking games, and by now you can guess that we were all pretty out of it. Through this amount of time we had gone through the bottle of champagne, 20 beer bottles, and 3 big bottles of vodka. The most I had drunk in one night. Tre wanted to play strip poker, but the rest of us refused to participate! (Why not?) Tre and Billie Joe played another round of shots, whilst Mike and I sat and watched in fits of laughter. Tre was wailing like a baby because Billie Joe was winning most of the rounds, as Tre always spat his everywhere in his drunken state. Well, Billie Joe WAS winning until I moved my hand up his leg, making him spray the vodka everywhere in sudden surprise, Tre obviously winning that round! I was having such a good time; I never wanted it to end. Soon enough, the suite was absolutely trashed, beer bottles, pizza boxes and various other things littering the floor.
“Fuck, we’ve run out of drink.� Tre managed to say without messing up his words.
“Fuck-a-duck. Nows..what..are..we…goin…to dos?� Billie Joe slurred, his arm slumped over my shoulder.
“You’re cute when you’re drunk.� I giggled to Billie Joe, as I fiddled with his white tie.
“You saying I’m not when I’m sober?� He asked suggestively, looking down on me.
“No. It’s just that the booze makes you even sweeter.� I whispered, smiling.
“Wants, me to shows you some more thens?� He babbled, none of it making much sense.
“We need some drink!� Tre yelled, jumping around hyperactive. “Now!!!�
“Go and get some then!� Mike called back, pointing to the door. “I feel like trashing the place.�
He was so pissed. I could tell.
“Maybe I should do a shit off the balcony again!� He laughed hoarsely.
Billie Joe giggled, pointing to him and making a constipated face. Mike collapsed into an un-controlable fit of laughter.
“Fine, I will go get some drink.� Tre grinned. “Want to come Stef?�
“Tre, you fucking dumb ass. The shops will be shut. As you probably do not know it’s fucking midnight.� Billie Joe groaned, rubbing his eyes.
“When there’s a will, there’s a way.� Tre giggled naughtily, still grinning. “Stef, are you coming?�
“Yeah why not.� I sighed getting up from the sofa and Billie Joe.
“Don’t let Tre take advantage of you!� Billie screamed after me.
“I wont.�
Tre and I walked down the flights of stairs, Tre singing his Rock ‘n’ Roll Girlfriend solo in Homecoming off the American Idiot Album. Well, I walked whilst Tre bounced like a lunatic. We walked out onto the boulevard, past the many shops that were closed. We tried every bar in town, but the bouncers wouldn’t let Tre in to get booze because of the state he was in. No shops were open either, so it looked like we would be going back empty handed. We walked down the boulevard back to the hotel, when Tre stopped and stared at the row of the shops.
“Now, I wonder which one of these bastards doesn’t have an alarm?� Tre asked, scratching his head, looking at the shops.
It took me a moment to figure out what he was going on about.
“Tre, you’re not fucking serious are you?� I asked, my head pounding like a drum.
“I need booze Stef.� Tre groaned, pleading with me.
“Well there’s nowhere to get some. So come on, before I puke everywhere.�
“Please. It will be really quick. No one will even notice. I’ll just break a window, slip in quietly and grab us a couple of bottles. Please, I’ll be quick I promise!�
I looked into his pleading eyes, wondering what the hell to do. His eyes were all bloodshot, and filled up to the brim. I tried to imagine what it would be like if we didn’t get any booze. Tre would get irritable, pissing off Billie Joe and Mike, the whole night being ruined. I didn’t want that.
“Alright.� I sighed. “But if anyone asks, this has nothing to do with me!� I squealed, walking up to Tre, who had already picked a shop to be his victim.
“It will be as if you weren’t here.� Tre sighed, examining the window.
He walked up to a litterbin by an alley and searched through it to pull out a big empty Smirnoff bottle. One of the X-Large ones.
“This should do it. Stand back.� He called to me, as I took a few steps back and shielded my upper body.
He lobbed the bottle ahead of him, which smashed through the shop window. Glass shattered all over the boulevard, reflecting the little light off of it. Tre ran towards the window and beckoned me to follow. I timidly looked around to see if anyone was watching, and then ran after Tre. What the fuck was I doing? I would never do anything like this back at home. But I was with THE Tre Cool! This was too good to miss. Tre climbed through the window, minding his legs on the sharp glass.
“You done this before?� I whispered to him, poking my head through the hole after he’d climbed through.
“Can you tell?� Tre laughed, randomly picking out bottles of booze for us to take back to the hotel. “Here take these.�
He handed me the bottles of drink, before climbing through the hole in the glass again. He stood up and brushed himself down, taking some of the bottles off of me.
“Nice work.� He told me, lifting the bottles up in his hands to see what they were.
Suddenly, the sound of sirens filled the boulevard, blue lights flashing off the side of our faces. Shit!!! The fucking cops had caught us. We were screwed. We both looked in their direction in horror, me shitting myself again. Tre stood there, his eyes as wide as saucers, the reality hitting him smack in the face. No one will even notice! Tre you are such a bull shitter!
“Let’s get out of here!� Tre screamed before sprinting off down the alleyway franticly.
I followed him, still clutching the bottles in my hand. Good thing I had liked running when studying sport at school. Tre was a pretty good runner too for someone who was smashed out of their brain. We dashed down the alleyway, dodging bins and lampposts as we went. Everything was a blur around me. I didn’t have a fucking clue where I was going. I just kept close behind Tre. I was crapping my pants!!! My heart was in my throat. I had never been in trouble with the police before. We ducked behind a recycling bin, crouching down low. I squatted close near to Tre, the sound of his breathing colliding with mine. Both of our chests heaved from the chase.
“Are they gone?� I whispered, barely breathing.
“Don’t know. Think so.� Tre gasped, inhaling fresh air.
We crouched there in silence for what seemed like ages, waiting for them to return. But nothing happened. We moved from our hiding spot and stumbled back out into the alleyway. Running when you’re drunk ISN’T a good idea. Believe me. My legs gave way and I collapsed into the side of the recycle bin. Tre grabbed me around my waist and held me up.
“Are you ok?� He asked, supporting me.
“Yeah, I’m fine. My legs just feel like jelly.� I laughed, clutching my other side. “I’ve never drunk this much before in one night.�
“There’s a first for everything.� He laughed.
For someone who had spent the evening downing shots and drinking beer and champagne, he could talk really well. There was a pause as I inhaled the air around me that was toxined from the litter in the alley. I tried to stand up on my stick like legs. They felt like they were going to snap in half, making me crumble to the ground again.
“Stef,� Tre asked quietly, hesitating.
I turned to face him.
“Yeah?� I sighed, spitting out my flem.
“You know when I joked about having sex with you when we first met?�
“Yeah,� I asked, my senses returning again.
“Well…�
“What?� I asked, a little confused.
I leaned forward and placed my hands on my knees. I looked up at him, and saw that he was looking down at the ground and biting his lip. What was Tre trying to say? I was anxious.
“Tre?� I asked, hating the waiting.
“I ….erm…I…well, I kinda….erm, well……�
