There Were Places We Would Go At Midnight..., chapter 1
Mike was cruising along the highway in the middle of Oklahoma, at about 2 in the morning, when Billie joined him up front.
"Couldn't sleep?" Mike asked him, as Billie plopped into the passenger seat.
"Nope," Billie answered, staring idly out the window as corn field after cornfield flew by.
"That thing Adie said still bothering you?" Mike judged by his silence that this was precisely the problem. "Look, man, she just misses you. I don't think she was trying to upset you. Don't let it shake you up."
"She's right though. I am gone too much. I mean, when Adie married me she didn't sign up for a part-time husband. Sure, there was a chance Green Day was going somewhere, but it was a pretty slim chance at the time. And then with Joey being born... I can't help feeling like my family should have come first."
"It's not like you can't put them first while you are away. But come on, man, you're living your dream, and sharing it with your best friends AND your family. No one can be mad at you for that!" Mike stared at the back of Billie's head for a moment, and then stared back out the window. The silence was only interrupted by Tre's incessant snoring coming from the back.
"Bill. You're a good husband, and a great dad. Stop beating yourself up. I mean, I'm divorced and hardly see my kid at all any more, but I have stopped beating myself up because I realized it just isn't worth it." Billie still didn't say anything. Then he turned to Mike, his eyes red and glazed. "I miss them," he almost whispered.
"I know, bud. I know." Mike extended his hand and put it on Billie's shoulder. After a few minutes Billie went in the back to call Adie, and Mike was once again left to his thoughts.
~~~
The next morning the trio joined up in Tre's suite for room service breakfast. Billie sat on one bed, flipping channels, while Tre played a game of "Snood" on his Apple notebook. Mike sat in a chair by the window, watching the girls down at the pool.
"Mike, you sick fuck, go get the door for the room service guy," Billie called to him.
Mike groaned and got the door, then tipped the guy and they all scarfed their food down, before heading downstairs to get some information on things to do nearby. Turns out there wasn't much.
"Our show isn't until tomorrow," Billie groaned.
"What are we going to do for-" Billie cut off, as he noticed the most gorgeous creature he had ever seen cut her way through the lobby. She was carrying three bags at once, and having some trouble pressing the elevator button. She had on an Misfits t-shirt, and black tight pants, her black hair streaked with red, and pulled back into a messy ponytail. She looked about 24.
Billie rushed over to push the button for her, and grabbed one of her bags.
"Oh, thank you!" she replied, as he stepped into the elevator with her. As the doors closed, Mike turned to Tre, who was smiling after them dazidly.
"Fuck," Mike muttered.
"What," Tre questioned him.
"Did you see the way he looked at that girl? He hasn't looked at anyone like that since he met-"
"Adie" Tre cut in, realizing.
"Oh, fuck. And they've been having problems lately. And Billie does really stupid things when he's upset."
"Now you're catching on," Mike replied.
"We have to stop him before he does something stupid." And with that the two caught another elevator and went back to their room to wait for Billie to return.
"Couldn't sleep?" Mike asked him, as Billie plopped into the passenger seat.
"Nope," Billie answered, staring idly out the window as corn field after cornfield flew by.
"That thing Adie said still bothering you?" Mike judged by his silence that this was precisely the problem. "Look, man, she just misses you. I don't think she was trying to upset you. Don't let it shake you up."
"She's right though. I am gone too much. I mean, when Adie married me she didn't sign up for a part-time husband. Sure, there was a chance Green Day was going somewhere, but it was a pretty slim chance at the time. And then with Joey being born... I can't help feeling like my family should have come first."
"It's not like you can't put them first while you are away. But come on, man, you're living your dream, and sharing it with your best friends AND your family. No one can be mad at you for that!" Mike stared at the back of Billie's head for a moment, and then stared back out the window. The silence was only interrupted by Tre's incessant snoring coming from the back.
"Bill. You're a good husband, and a great dad. Stop beating yourself up. I mean, I'm divorced and hardly see my kid at all any more, but I have stopped beating myself up because I realized it just isn't worth it." Billie still didn't say anything. Then he turned to Mike, his eyes red and glazed. "I miss them," he almost whispered.
"I know, bud. I know." Mike extended his hand and put it on Billie's shoulder. After a few minutes Billie went in the back to call Adie, and Mike was once again left to his thoughts.
~~~
The next morning the trio joined up in Tre's suite for room service breakfast. Billie sat on one bed, flipping channels, while Tre played a game of "Snood" on his Apple notebook. Mike sat in a chair by the window, watching the girls down at the pool.
"Mike, you sick fuck, go get the door for the room service guy," Billie called to him.
Mike groaned and got the door, then tipped the guy and they all scarfed their food down, before heading downstairs to get some information on things to do nearby. Turns out there wasn't much.
"Our show isn't until tomorrow," Billie groaned.
"What are we going to do for-" Billie cut off, as he noticed the most gorgeous creature he had ever seen cut her way through the lobby. She was carrying three bags at once, and having some trouble pressing the elevator button. She had on an Misfits t-shirt, and black tight pants, her black hair streaked with red, and pulled back into a messy ponytail. She looked about 24.
Billie rushed over to push the button for her, and grabbed one of her bags.
"Oh, thank you!" she replied, as he stepped into the elevator with her. As the doors closed, Mike turned to Tre, who was smiling after them dazidly.
"Fuck," Mike muttered.
"What," Tre questioned him.
"Did you see the way he looked at that girl? He hasn't looked at anyone like that since he met-"
"Adie" Tre cut in, realizing.
"Oh, fuck. And they've been having problems lately. And Billie does really stupid things when he's upset."
"Now you're catching on," Mike replied.
"We have to stop him before he does something stupid." And with that the two caught another elevator and went back to their room to wait for Billie to return.
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