My encounter with Green Day, chapter 5
The next day Pam, Jessie, and I were up early and sitting at the table when Mike woke up.
"Woah. Hey, I'm not used to people being awake before eleven." He laughed, "Do you guys drink coffee?"
"Yay, coffee!" Pam laughed.
"Yeah, we all drink coffee."
"Do you want some?"
"Sure. Why not?"
He made some and sat down at the table beside Pam.
"So, you guys goin' home today?"
"Yup." I answered.
"You guys got a ride?"
"Ish."
"Ish? What do you mean ish?"
"We are hoping they will accept our passes from yesterday."
"What if they don't?"
"Then we will call our mom."
"That'll mean you guys stay here another night and she will have to drive twelve hours straight."
"Well, that's just what's gonna have to happen."
"Uhu. Hold on here for a minute, I'll be right back."
He stood up and walked into the back.
"Ok, then."
"So, what to do today. We have the whole day to waste." Jessie asked,
"We should find a place to stay." Pam replied.
"Yeah. And maybe we can do something to earn a bit of cash." I added.
We all sat in silence for a minute before Mike came back out.
"We have all come to an agreement. We will drive you home."
"What?"
"Well, I talked to the others and they decided that we can't just let you guys hang around for twenty-four hours. So we are gonna drive you."
"But you have to be in Seattle-"
"Tomorrow night."
"But-"
"Why are you arguing if Green Day drives us home?"
"Yeah, dude?"
"Yeah, why am I?" I laughed. I got up and hugged Mike "Thanks."
We sat and chatted for a while before Billie woke up.
"Billie!" Pam shrieked.
I stood up and hugged him too.
"Well, I see you like the idea of driving back with us."
"Thank you."
"It was Mike's idea."
"I already said thanks to him."
"I see."
He walked over to the counter and pulled out lucky charms from the cupboard.
"Oh, I don't get lucky charms." I joked.
"Nope. Only god gets Lucky Charms."
"Well then you better put them down before he smites you."
"Oh, BURN." Jessie laughed.
He snuck out his tongue and continued pouring the cereal.
"You are almost as juvenile as them." Mike laughed.
I stood up and walked back to the small room to put my shirt over my undershirt. I grabbed my eyeliner and went to put it on.
"Shit, Jess. I am out of eyeliner, can I borrow yours?"
"That was mine too." She replied flatly.
"Oh, yeah, Pam?"
"I don't wear makeup."
"You can borrow mine." Billie said, walking down the hall.
He went into his room and came out with a small tube of eyeliner.
"Thanks." I said grabbing for the eyeliner.
"Ah, who is god?"
I sighed, "I can go without eyeliner for one day, I am sure."
"Oh, fine take it." He tossed it to me and left.
I applied it and put on some cover-up. I looked at my reflection, "Fuck, I'm fat."
I turned and left the room. "So, who's ready to start this?"
"Well, I figured you guys would want to do a bit more shopping as you don't leave home very often." Billie answered.
"Well, incase you have a bad memory, we were robbed last night."
"I know, but... "
"NO." I stopped him from finishing.
"Why not?"
"No, you are not gonna pay for shit we don't even need."
"What do you mean? Maybe just some small stuff."
"No."
"Fine then."
Jessie and Pam looked at me like I was insane.
"I am gonna go get changed." Billie said, getting up and going back to his room.
"Yeah, me too." Mike also left.
When they were gone Jessie and Pam were still staring at me.
"What?"
"You were flirting." Jessie burst out.
"What?"
"You were." Pam agreed.
"Was I that obvious?"
They both nodded.
"Well, how am I supposed to help it? It is Billie Joe we are talking about."
"But that wasn't it. He was flirting back." Jessie noted.
"Dude. No, that's just... No."
She nodded.
"Dude, he is thirty-four and has a wife and two kids. I am fourteen. He wouldn't."
She opened her mouth to object when he walked back out.
"Ready then?" I asked him.
"Yeah." I looked at what he had put on. He was wearing a black 'Ramones' Tee with a pair of black pants and some sunglasses. His hair was un-gelled and curly.
"Nice shirt." I commented.
"Yours ain't bad either." He laughed.
"Meh."
"So as soon as Mike is ready we will go."
"What about Tré?" Asked Jessie.
"Oh, yeah. TRÉ, Wake the fuck up and get dressed."
A minute later we heard grumbling and he stumbled out in some jeans.
"We are going now, go get dressed."
Within thirty minutes they were all ready. Tré was wearing some blue jeans with a white tee, a hat and some brown contacts. Mike had a green shirt with a black jacket over it and some black jeans with a pair of sunglasses.
I was sitting in the front seat beside Billie who was driving.
"Ok. Finally going home." Jessie laughed.
"Home, we're coming home, again!" I laughed.
Billie rolled his eyes and smirked.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Right. Any ways, isn't the way out of Vancouver the other way?"
"Yeah but I said you are going shopping."
"Billie, I said no. I don't want you spending your money on us."
"Why not? I have too much of it any ways."
I sighed, "You're not letting up then?"
"Nope."
"Fine." I smiled. He smiled back. I was thinking of how cute he was when I remembered what Jessie and Pam had told me.
"So, you're in high school right?"
"Yeah."
"Grade ten?"
"Nine."
"Oh, yeah. You were a December baby. Got it."
"Yeah... So we are going to like that big mall right?"
"Yeah. So, Jessie is your sister. Do you have any other siblings?"
"My sister Aliesha and my half-brother T. J."
"That's it?"
"Yes."
"Cool. So any other friends besides Pam?"
'Enough questions there, kid? '
"Jessie um, Bradley."
"Bradley? Is he your boyfriend?"
"No... He is my friend, friend."
"So, do you have a boyfriend?"
"Nope."
Thankfully Tré came up at that moment, "How are you two doing?" He asked.
I knew exactly what he meant.
"We are fine, Tré. Here, do you want to sit up here? I am gonna go hang out with the others." I got out of the seat and walked to the back.
"How you doin'?" I asked Pam.
"Meh."
"We're here." I heard Billie call from the front.
Pam, Jessie, Mike and I hopped out the back door.
We went in and somehow through the walking process, Billie and I had ended up walking about two meters ahead of everyone else.
"So, what was that all about earlier?"
"Hmm?"
"You kind of just, left."
"I thought we were done talking."
"Oh."
"So, after Seattle where to?"
"Well, we have a short Vacation. I am gonna go home for a while and visit my family, then I figured me and the guys would go somewhere small and out of the way. Maybe, Williams Lake."
"Billie. Dude, seriously. What the fuck?"
"What?"
"Dude. You are all like 'Oh, we're friends now. ' Why?"
"Because, I figured we were friends... "
"We have met each other like, twice."
"So?"
"Dude. You can't be friends after meeting each other twice."
"Well then maybe we should hang out more."
"Ok, I am really cool with having you as a friend but seriously. I don't think Adi would be cool with it... Or the rest of the world. A thirty-four year old man hanging out with a bunch of Fourteen year-old girls isn't really a good publicity thing."
He stayed silent and I dropped back to walk with the others.
"Pam, Jessie. Drop back a minute, please."
They did and I explained everything that Billie had said.
"Dudes, I think you were right. I mean I hate being vein but... I just don't think we should be friends with them. They might be cool beyond everything in the world but dude their careers would be like, flush. Down the toilet."
"Yeah."
"But how are we going to tell them that?"
"I don't know but we can't let them buy anything for us either."
"Ok." We agreed and caught up with them.
"What did you talk about?" Mike asked.
"Nothing."
"Ok, then. So where do you want to go first."
"You guys can pick."
"Hey, do you know what's wrong with Billie? After you talked to him he kind of stayed up there and looks a bit mopey."
"I dunno."
"Can you go see, please?"
"Sure."
I sped up a bit and slowed down by Billie Joe.
"Hi," I said softly. "What's up?"
"Nothing."
"Then why are you so mopey?"
"I'm not."
"You are walking ahead of everyone and being all, anti-social, and you expect me to believe that there is nothing wrong? I may be fourteen but I am not stupid." I laughed.
"Nothing is wrong. I am just, thinking."
"I see. Does it have something to do with the conversation a minute ago?"
"Ish."
"Ish?"
"Well, I don't see why anyone would care if we are friends as long as we are not, you know, more than that."
"I don't know. I'm not saying we can't be friends... I am saying we can't be close friends."
"Well, what do you mean close friends?"
"I mean. We can be... Acquaintances; we know each other but we don't hang out unless you are in town on business and we happen to run into each other. Not going out of our way on our vacations to go to the others town when we should be spending it with our families."
He sighed and looked down. I looked at him for a minute before I fell.
I tripped on some stupid-ass crack in the floor and fell flat on my face, my wrist underneath me.
"Fuck, ow."
"Are you ok?" He asked, helping me up.
"Fine. Ouch."
I winced as I tried to move my wrist.
"Fuck, let me see."
The others caught up a second later, "What happened?" Pam asked.
"I fell on the... OUCH, that fucking hurt," I yelled as Billie moved my wrist to the side, "Floor."
"I think it may be broken." He told Mike.
"Fuck, no it ain't. My wrist can't be broken."
"Well, it is. We are gonna have to go to the hospital."
"I am not, going to a hospital."
"You are gonna have to."
"Oh, well fuck. Ain't that great." I yelled. People started looking so I flipped them off and headed back the way we had just came.
"We will take you to the hospital. Mike and Tré will take the other two back to the mall after and I will stay."
"Why would you have to stay? I am fourteen, I'm sure I can sit in a waiting room by myself. I am a big girl."
"You might need a cast too."
"Lovely." I sighed.
They helped me onto the bus and grabbed some ice out of the freezer.
"Here, put this on it." Mike said handing me the bag of ice.
"Thanks. Shit, fucking shoes. But I love my shoes."
They looked at me like I was insane.
When we got to the hospital I was forced to sit in the waiting room. Billie stayed with me.
"You should've gone with them." I told him.
"Why? You need someone to be here with you."
"And, why would I need someone here with me?"
"You do because you are too young to be waiting in a hospital all alone."
"How do you figure?"
"Well, I just thought. I don't know." He scratched his head.
"Listen, it's really nice of you, but I am not your problem. You aren't my dad or even a relative of mine. You are my rock star idol I was never supposed to meet and if I did it was to be brief and exciting. You're not supposed to take me and my friends shopping and on a six to seven hour drive and let us stay in your tour bus over night. You should be on your way to Seattle."
"Well, you didn't have anywhere to go and we weren't just going to leave you on the streets defenseless."
"I know. But dude. You shouldn't be in here with me. It should be Pam or Jessie or my mom... Or a boyfriend. Not you. Not that I don't appreciate it, it's just weird and it is bad, for you."
"Well, I can't just leave you here. Whether it is me or someone else, you need someone here."
We fell silent for a minute before the nurse came out, "Trista. We are ready to see you now."
I stood up and saw Billie doing the same, "You don't have to come in. I'll be fine."
He sat back down as I followed the nurse to a tiny room where a doctor sat.
A while later I came out with a cast on. I walked right past the waiting room and out into the parking lot. I flicked out my Zippo and felt around. Shit, I didn't have any smokes on me. I walked back in the main entrance instead of the emergency so I could avoid Billie. I didn't want him to see me smoking. I felt around for money, any money. Maybe, just a dollar to buy a smoke. Luckily I had a Looney on me. I walked over to a young man sitting on a bench inside the doors. "Excuse me. Do you have a smoke I could buy?"
He shook his head, "But you can have one for free." He smiled and passed me one.
"Thanks." I smiled. He was really cute but he was probably like twenty or something.
I walked out and lit up. With the nicotine seeping into my lungs, I exhaled. Damn this felt good. I sat down on the outside bench and thought about what Jessie and Pam had said. "It can't be true." I told myself, taking another drag.
"What can't be true?" I nearly jumped out of my skin.
Billie sat beside me on the bench, looked at my cigarette and sighed.
"You could have at least come and gotten me. I made a fool of myself by asking if you were done yet."
"Sorry." I stared down at my shoes.
He held out his hand and took the cigarette. Bringing it to his lips, he took a long, deep drag, "This shit isn't good for you."
"Yeah, I know."
"Woah. Hey, I'm not used to people being awake before eleven." He laughed, "Do you guys drink coffee?"
"Yay, coffee!" Pam laughed.
"Yeah, we all drink coffee."
"Do you want some?"
"Sure. Why not?"
He made some and sat down at the table beside Pam.
"So, you guys goin' home today?"
"Yup." I answered.
"You guys got a ride?"
"Ish."
"Ish? What do you mean ish?"
"We are hoping they will accept our passes from yesterday."
"What if they don't?"
"Then we will call our mom."
"That'll mean you guys stay here another night and she will have to drive twelve hours straight."
"Well, that's just what's gonna have to happen."
"Uhu. Hold on here for a minute, I'll be right back."
He stood up and walked into the back.
"Ok, then."
"So, what to do today. We have the whole day to waste." Jessie asked,
"We should find a place to stay." Pam replied.
"Yeah. And maybe we can do something to earn a bit of cash." I added.
We all sat in silence for a minute before Mike came back out.
"We have all come to an agreement. We will drive you home."
"What?"
"Well, I talked to the others and they decided that we can't just let you guys hang around for twenty-four hours. So we are gonna drive you."
"But you have to be in Seattle-"
"Tomorrow night."
"But-"
"Why are you arguing if Green Day drives us home?"
"Yeah, dude?"
"Yeah, why am I?" I laughed. I got up and hugged Mike "Thanks."
We sat and chatted for a while before Billie woke up.
"Billie!" Pam shrieked.
I stood up and hugged him too.
"Well, I see you like the idea of driving back with us."
"Thank you."
"It was Mike's idea."
"I already said thanks to him."
"I see."
He walked over to the counter and pulled out lucky charms from the cupboard.
"Oh, I don't get lucky charms." I joked.
"Nope. Only god gets Lucky Charms."
"Well then you better put them down before he smites you."
"Oh, BURN." Jessie laughed.
He snuck out his tongue and continued pouring the cereal.
"You are almost as juvenile as them." Mike laughed.
I stood up and walked back to the small room to put my shirt over my undershirt. I grabbed my eyeliner and went to put it on.
"Shit, Jess. I am out of eyeliner, can I borrow yours?"
"That was mine too." She replied flatly.
"Oh, yeah, Pam?"
"I don't wear makeup."
"You can borrow mine." Billie said, walking down the hall.
He went into his room and came out with a small tube of eyeliner.
"Thanks." I said grabbing for the eyeliner.
"Ah, who is god?"
I sighed, "I can go without eyeliner for one day, I am sure."
"Oh, fine take it." He tossed it to me and left.
I applied it and put on some cover-up. I looked at my reflection, "Fuck, I'm fat."
I turned and left the room. "So, who's ready to start this?"
"Well, I figured you guys would want to do a bit more shopping as you don't leave home very often." Billie answered.
"Well, incase you have a bad memory, we were robbed last night."
"I know, but... "
"NO." I stopped him from finishing.
"Why not?"
"No, you are not gonna pay for shit we don't even need."
"What do you mean? Maybe just some small stuff."
"No."
"Fine then."
Jessie and Pam looked at me like I was insane.
"I am gonna go get changed." Billie said, getting up and going back to his room.
"Yeah, me too." Mike also left.
When they were gone Jessie and Pam were still staring at me.
"What?"
"You were flirting." Jessie burst out.
"What?"
"You were." Pam agreed.
"Was I that obvious?"
They both nodded.
"Well, how am I supposed to help it? It is Billie Joe we are talking about."
"But that wasn't it. He was flirting back." Jessie noted.
"Dude. No, that's just... No."
She nodded.
"Dude, he is thirty-four and has a wife and two kids. I am fourteen. He wouldn't."
She opened her mouth to object when he walked back out.
"Ready then?" I asked him.
"Yeah." I looked at what he had put on. He was wearing a black 'Ramones' Tee with a pair of black pants and some sunglasses. His hair was un-gelled and curly.
"Nice shirt." I commented.
"Yours ain't bad either." He laughed.
"Meh."
"So as soon as Mike is ready we will go."
"What about Tré?" Asked Jessie.
"Oh, yeah. TRÉ, Wake the fuck up and get dressed."
A minute later we heard grumbling and he stumbled out in some jeans.
"We are going now, go get dressed."
Within thirty minutes they were all ready. Tré was wearing some blue jeans with a white tee, a hat and some brown contacts. Mike had a green shirt with a black jacket over it and some black jeans with a pair of sunglasses.
I was sitting in the front seat beside Billie who was driving.
"Ok. Finally going home." Jessie laughed.
"Home, we're coming home, again!" I laughed.
Billie rolled his eyes and smirked.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"Right. Any ways, isn't the way out of Vancouver the other way?"
"Yeah but I said you are going shopping."
"Billie, I said no. I don't want you spending your money on us."
"Why not? I have too much of it any ways."
I sighed, "You're not letting up then?"
"Nope."
"Fine." I smiled. He smiled back. I was thinking of how cute he was when I remembered what Jessie and Pam had told me.
"So, you're in high school right?"
"Yeah."
"Grade ten?"
"Nine."
"Oh, yeah. You were a December baby. Got it."
"Yeah... So we are going to like that big mall right?"
"Yeah. So, Jessie is your sister. Do you have any other siblings?"
"My sister Aliesha and my half-brother T. J."
"That's it?"
"Yes."
"Cool. So any other friends besides Pam?"
'Enough questions there, kid? '
"Jessie um, Bradley."
"Bradley? Is he your boyfriend?"
"No... He is my friend, friend."
"So, do you have a boyfriend?"
"Nope."
Thankfully Tré came up at that moment, "How are you two doing?" He asked.
I knew exactly what he meant.
"We are fine, Tré. Here, do you want to sit up here? I am gonna go hang out with the others." I got out of the seat and walked to the back.
"How you doin'?" I asked Pam.
"Meh."
"We're here." I heard Billie call from the front.
Pam, Jessie, Mike and I hopped out the back door.
We went in and somehow through the walking process, Billie and I had ended up walking about two meters ahead of everyone else.
"So, what was that all about earlier?"
"Hmm?"
"You kind of just, left."
"I thought we were done talking."
"Oh."
"So, after Seattle where to?"
"Well, we have a short Vacation. I am gonna go home for a while and visit my family, then I figured me and the guys would go somewhere small and out of the way. Maybe, Williams Lake."
"Billie. Dude, seriously. What the fuck?"
"What?"
"Dude. You are all like 'Oh, we're friends now. ' Why?"
"Because, I figured we were friends... "
"We have met each other like, twice."
"So?"
"Dude. You can't be friends after meeting each other twice."
"Well then maybe we should hang out more."
"Ok, I am really cool with having you as a friend but seriously. I don't think Adi would be cool with it... Or the rest of the world. A thirty-four year old man hanging out with a bunch of Fourteen year-old girls isn't really a good publicity thing."
He stayed silent and I dropped back to walk with the others.
"Pam, Jessie. Drop back a minute, please."
They did and I explained everything that Billie had said.
"Dudes, I think you were right. I mean I hate being vein but... I just don't think we should be friends with them. They might be cool beyond everything in the world but dude their careers would be like, flush. Down the toilet."
"Yeah."
"But how are we going to tell them that?"
"I don't know but we can't let them buy anything for us either."
"Ok." We agreed and caught up with them.
"What did you talk about?" Mike asked.
"Nothing."
"Ok, then. So where do you want to go first."
"You guys can pick."
"Hey, do you know what's wrong with Billie? After you talked to him he kind of stayed up there and looks a bit mopey."
"I dunno."
"Can you go see, please?"
"Sure."
I sped up a bit and slowed down by Billie Joe.
"Hi," I said softly. "What's up?"
"Nothing."
"Then why are you so mopey?"
"I'm not."
"You are walking ahead of everyone and being all, anti-social, and you expect me to believe that there is nothing wrong? I may be fourteen but I am not stupid." I laughed.
"Nothing is wrong. I am just, thinking."
"I see. Does it have something to do with the conversation a minute ago?"
"Ish."
"Ish?"
"Well, I don't see why anyone would care if we are friends as long as we are not, you know, more than that."
"I don't know. I'm not saying we can't be friends... I am saying we can't be close friends."
"Well, what do you mean close friends?"
"I mean. We can be... Acquaintances; we know each other but we don't hang out unless you are in town on business and we happen to run into each other. Not going out of our way on our vacations to go to the others town when we should be spending it with our families."
He sighed and looked down. I looked at him for a minute before I fell.
I tripped on some stupid-ass crack in the floor and fell flat on my face, my wrist underneath me.
"Fuck, ow."
"Are you ok?" He asked, helping me up.
"Fine. Ouch."
I winced as I tried to move my wrist.
"Fuck, let me see."
The others caught up a second later, "What happened?" Pam asked.
"I fell on the... OUCH, that fucking hurt," I yelled as Billie moved my wrist to the side, "Floor."
"I think it may be broken." He told Mike.
"Fuck, no it ain't. My wrist can't be broken."
"Well, it is. We are gonna have to go to the hospital."
"I am not, going to a hospital."
"You are gonna have to."
"Oh, well fuck. Ain't that great." I yelled. People started looking so I flipped them off and headed back the way we had just came.
"We will take you to the hospital. Mike and Tré will take the other two back to the mall after and I will stay."
"Why would you have to stay? I am fourteen, I'm sure I can sit in a waiting room by myself. I am a big girl."
"You might need a cast too."
"Lovely." I sighed.
They helped me onto the bus and grabbed some ice out of the freezer.
"Here, put this on it." Mike said handing me the bag of ice.
"Thanks. Shit, fucking shoes. But I love my shoes."
They looked at me like I was insane.
When we got to the hospital I was forced to sit in the waiting room. Billie stayed with me.
"You should've gone with them." I told him.
"Why? You need someone to be here with you."
"And, why would I need someone here with me?"
"You do because you are too young to be waiting in a hospital all alone."
"How do you figure?"
"Well, I just thought. I don't know." He scratched his head.
"Listen, it's really nice of you, but I am not your problem. You aren't my dad or even a relative of mine. You are my rock star idol I was never supposed to meet and if I did it was to be brief and exciting. You're not supposed to take me and my friends shopping and on a six to seven hour drive and let us stay in your tour bus over night. You should be on your way to Seattle."
"Well, you didn't have anywhere to go and we weren't just going to leave you on the streets defenseless."
"I know. But dude. You shouldn't be in here with me. It should be Pam or Jessie or my mom... Or a boyfriend. Not you. Not that I don't appreciate it, it's just weird and it is bad, for you."
"Well, I can't just leave you here. Whether it is me or someone else, you need someone here."
We fell silent for a minute before the nurse came out, "Trista. We are ready to see you now."
I stood up and saw Billie doing the same, "You don't have to come in. I'll be fine."
He sat back down as I followed the nurse to a tiny room where a doctor sat.
A while later I came out with a cast on. I walked right past the waiting room and out into the parking lot. I flicked out my Zippo and felt around. Shit, I didn't have any smokes on me. I walked back in the main entrance instead of the emergency so I could avoid Billie. I didn't want him to see me smoking. I felt around for money, any money. Maybe, just a dollar to buy a smoke. Luckily I had a Looney on me. I walked over to a young man sitting on a bench inside the doors. "Excuse me. Do you have a smoke I could buy?"
He shook his head, "But you can have one for free." He smiled and passed me one.
"Thanks." I smiled. He was really cute but he was probably like twenty or something.
I walked out and lit up. With the nicotine seeping into my lungs, I exhaled. Damn this felt good. I sat down on the outside bench and thought about what Jessie and Pam had said. "It can't be true." I told myself, taking another drag.
"What can't be true?" I nearly jumped out of my skin.
Billie sat beside me on the bench, looked at my cigarette and sighed.
"You could have at least come and gotten me. I made a fool of myself by asking if you were done yet."
"Sorry." I stared down at my shoes.
He held out his hand and took the cigarette. Bringing it to his lips, he took a long, deep drag, "This shit isn't good for you."
"Yeah, I know."
