Cause She's 2,000 Light Years Away (A Mike Dirnt Story), chapter 17
Eleanor danced to the beats of the music as the band played. Everyone was happy, Tre practically went wild whilst Billie wasn't far behind as he screamed into the microphone and made random jokes. Mike was just looking at her direction most of the night, the light and excitement back in his eyes. He constantly jumped while playing his bass and made crazy faces.
Eleanor wished she had her camera with her but she was satisfied that she was able to be here. At the end of the concert, it was a success. The guys earned about 200 dollars including the sales of the self-made t-shirts. They went home and celebrated with cans after cans of beer. Now, Tre was on the floor, sleeping and smiling as he dreamt. Billie was on the couch with Adrienne at his side, they both hiccupped drunkenly, faces red. Mike swayed to his bedroom, closed the door and lied down on his bed. Eleanor took the blanket and covered him gently. She went back to the living room to find Billie and Adrienne missing and Tre was still on the floor. She got a blanket from the spared room and covered him.
She looked around; beer cans everywhere, peanut shells on the coffee table and floor-practically the room was a mess. She sighed and went to take a garbage bag and started cleaning the room.
**
Around ten in the morning, Mike woke up and yawned. He got out of his bed and stretched. "Damn! Another hangover," he said to himself. He opened the door and immediately a wave of hot coffee greeted him. He squinted at the kitchen; Eleanor was sitting at the dining table. "Morning, Mike," she greeted.
"Morning," he mumbled back and sat next to her.
"Hangover?"
"Yep, and this time it's nasty."
"Well, here's a cup of coffee for you then, Mr. Pritchard and some pancakes."
He smiled. "Thanks." Then Billie's door room opened and a tired, red-rimmed eyed Billie came out. He was in his shorts only and made his way to the table and sat down.
"Morning, Beej," Mike said and took a sip from his coffee. Billie grunted and grabbed a cup and poured some coffee for himself. "Busy night?" Mike teased.
"Shut up, Mike!" Billie said. As they enjoyed the coffee and pancakes, a series of bangs and swearing came from the living room and an angry looking Tre stumbled into the kitchen. "Fucking table," he mumbled and took the seat next to Billie. "My back is damn stiff," Tre complained and took a piece of pancake, stuffing it into his mouth. "Mmm... delicious. Who made 'em?"
Billie pointed at Mike. "How do you do it, Mike? Being drunk last night and probably a nasty hangover today, yet you managed to make pancakes and coffee. I really don't get you at times," Tre said as he took another pancake from the plate.
"Yeah, Mike," Billie joined in. Mike looked at Eleanor then his band mates and shrugged. Billie's bedroom door opened and a sleepy and messy hair Adrienne walked out. "Morning," she greeted and sat down next to Mike which nearly sat on Eleanor. Fortunately, Eleanor got up on the nick of time which nearly caused Mike to yell at Adrienne. "What's wrong with you Mike?" Billie asked. "It's only Adie."
"Oh... erm... nothing," Mike mumbled. Billie shook his head and continued on with his breakfast. "What's your plan for today, Billie?" Tre asked.
"Let's see, I got work at 2 until 7. Then, I probably slack around. Why?"
"Nothing, just asking."
An idea popped into Mike's head. "How about you Tre?"
"Me. I have to help my dad to fix the bookmobile then I got a date," Tre said, turning excited suddenly.
"I see," Mike said.
**
"Bye!" Mike said as Billie ran out of the house. Mike looked through the window to make sure that Billie is leaving. As the blue 67 Ford Fairlane drove off into the street, Mike turned around and smiled at Eleanor. "We got the whole house to ourselves until 7."
"Uh-huh." Eleanor sat on the lumpy couch. "What do you want to do?" she asked. He pretended to think for a while. "How about a movie?"
"Okay." He walked over to the video player and browsed through the videos that Billie rented from the shop. "Which one do you prefer, Austin Powers or Die Hard?"
"Erm... Austin Powers." He nodded and took out the tape and inserted it into the machine. He sat on the couch and for the next few hours the couple sat side by side, one movie after the other. They laughed, they cried, they felt scared but most of all it felt like it was back to the way it used to be.
After two movies, Mike switched off the television and went into the kitchen to find some food. "Doughnuts!" he said excitedly and took a bite. "Mmm... sugar." Eleanor walked in whilst yawning and shook her head at Mike's expression. "What?" he said.
They stared at each other for as long as they could. It was a game they used to play, whoever blinked first loses. Those ocean blues and the chocolate brown throwing daggers at one another, never moved, and never leaving each other a chance to flinch. Minutes passed, Mike's eyes were getting tired and stinging, he gave up and blinked.
"Woohoo, I win!" Eleanor cried in triumph, jumping up and down.
"That's not fair. There's a bug flying around me," Mike lied.
"No there wasn't."
"Yes, there was."
"Want a re-match?" she dared.
"Yes. Like I'm afraid." They walked toward each other and stopped at 2 inches apart. The game began. Mike looked directly into her eyes, as time ticked by, he saw something in it that he never saw before; sorrow, emptiness and fear, the dark brown fading away into a lighter brown. He blinked. "Yes! I win again!" Eleanor said, smiling happily. Mike frowned and took a seat in one of the chairs. His head covered by his hands. The smile disappeared and worried tool over Eleanor's face. "What's wrong, Mike?"
He looked up. "Eleanor, why are you leaving again?"
"Huh?" She was confused. She did not plan to leave. 'What was he saying?' she thought. "I don't understand. I didn't say I was leaving."
"But look at you. You are fading away," Mike said. Eleanor's heart raced. She glanced at her clothes, the black shirt was turning grey, the dark blue jean was turning to a shade of light blue, and her skin was getting paler. She panicked. "Mike. Help me."
Eleanor wished she had her camera with her but she was satisfied that she was able to be here. At the end of the concert, it was a success. The guys earned about 200 dollars including the sales of the self-made t-shirts. They went home and celebrated with cans after cans of beer. Now, Tre was on the floor, sleeping and smiling as he dreamt. Billie was on the couch with Adrienne at his side, they both hiccupped drunkenly, faces red. Mike swayed to his bedroom, closed the door and lied down on his bed. Eleanor took the blanket and covered him gently. She went back to the living room to find Billie and Adrienne missing and Tre was still on the floor. She got a blanket from the spared room and covered him.
She looked around; beer cans everywhere, peanut shells on the coffee table and floor-practically the room was a mess. She sighed and went to take a garbage bag and started cleaning the room.
**
Around ten in the morning, Mike woke up and yawned. He got out of his bed and stretched. "Damn! Another hangover," he said to himself. He opened the door and immediately a wave of hot coffee greeted him. He squinted at the kitchen; Eleanor was sitting at the dining table. "Morning, Mike," she greeted.
"Morning," he mumbled back and sat next to her.
"Hangover?"
"Yep, and this time it's nasty."
"Well, here's a cup of coffee for you then, Mr. Pritchard and some pancakes."
He smiled. "Thanks." Then Billie's door room opened and a tired, red-rimmed eyed Billie came out. He was in his shorts only and made his way to the table and sat down.
"Morning, Beej," Mike said and took a sip from his coffee. Billie grunted and grabbed a cup and poured some coffee for himself. "Busy night?" Mike teased.
"Shut up, Mike!" Billie said. As they enjoyed the coffee and pancakes, a series of bangs and swearing came from the living room and an angry looking Tre stumbled into the kitchen. "Fucking table," he mumbled and took the seat next to Billie. "My back is damn stiff," Tre complained and took a piece of pancake, stuffing it into his mouth. "Mmm... delicious. Who made 'em?"
Billie pointed at Mike. "How do you do it, Mike? Being drunk last night and probably a nasty hangover today, yet you managed to make pancakes and coffee. I really don't get you at times," Tre said as he took another pancake from the plate.
"Yeah, Mike," Billie joined in. Mike looked at Eleanor then his band mates and shrugged. Billie's bedroom door opened and a sleepy and messy hair Adrienne walked out. "Morning," she greeted and sat down next to Mike which nearly sat on Eleanor. Fortunately, Eleanor got up on the nick of time which nearly caused Mike to yell at Adrienne. "What's wrong with you Mike?" Billie asked. "It's only Adie."
"Oh... erm... nothing," Mike mumbled. Billie shook his head and continued on with his breakfast. "What's your plan for today, Billie?" Tre asked.
"Let's see, I got work at 2 until 7. Then, I probably slack around. Why?"
"Nothing, just asking."
An idea popped into Mike's head. "How about you Tre?"
"Me. I have to help my dad to fix the bookmobile then I got a date," Tre said, turning excited suddenly.
"I see," Mike said.
**
"Bye!" Mike said as Billie ran out of the house. Mike looked through the window to make sure that Billie is leaving. As the blue 67 Ford Fairlane drove off into the street, Mike turned around and smiled at Eleanor. "We got the whole house to ourselves until 7."
"Uh-huh." Eleanor sat on the lumpy couch. "What do you want to do?" she asked. He pretended to think for a while. "How about a movie?"
"Okay." He walked over to the video player and browsed through the videos that Billie rented from the shop. "Which one do you prefer, Austin Powers or Die Hard?"
"Erm... Austin Powers." He nodded and took out the tape and inserted it into the machine. He sat on the couch and for the next few hours the couple sat side by side, one movie after the other. They laughed, they cried, they felt scared but most of all it felt like it was back to the way it used to be.
After two movies, Mike switched off the television and went into the kitchen to find some food. "Doughnuts!" he said excitedly and took a bite. "Mmm... sugar." Eleanor walked in whilst yawning and shook her head at Mike's expression. "What?" he said.
They stared at each other for as long as they could. It was a game they used to play, whoever blinked first loses. Those ocean blues and the chocolate brown throwing daggers at one another, never moved, and never leaving each other a chance to flinch. Minutes passed, Mike's eyes were getting tired and stinging, he gave up and blinked.
"Woohoo, I win!" Eleanor cried in triumph, jumping up and down.
"That's not fair. There's a bug flying around me," Mike lied.
"No there wasn't."
"Yes, there was."
"Want a re-match?" she dared.
"Yes. Like I'm afraid." They walked toward each other and stopped at 2 inches apart. The game began. Mike looked directly into her eyes, as time ticked by, he saw something in it that he never saw before; sorrow, emptiness and fear, the dark brown fading away into a lighter brown. He blinked. "Yes! I win again!" Eleanor said, smiling happily. Mike frowned and took a seat in one of the chairs. His head covered by his hands. The smile disappeared and worried tool over Eleanor's face. "What's wrong, Mike?"
He looked up. "Eleanor, why are you leaving again?"
"Huh?" She was confused. She did not plan to leave. 'What was he saying?' she thought. "I don't understand. I didn't say I was leaving."
"But look at you. You are fading away," Mike said. Eleanor's heart raced. She glanced at her clothes, the black shirt was turning grey, the dark blue jean was turning to a shade of light blue, and her skin was getting paler. She panicked. "Mike. Help me."
