Two Twins, Their Idol, And A Green Day Competition, chapter 17
*23rd December.*
"Come on everyone, it's 6.30, we should've been at the school half an hour ago!" Adrienne shouted up the stairs.
"Hold on, where's my eyeliner?" Billie Joe shouted down.
"You and your bloody eyeliner, try the dresser." Adrienne replied shaking her head.
*10 minutes later*
"How do I look?" Billie asked as he walked down the stairs.
"Like you always do, handsome as ever." Adrienne replied and kissed him, it got longer and longer. Joey cleared his throat,
"Excuse me, we have somewhere to go." Billie Joe and Adrienne broke apart.
"Oh yeah, come on then." Billie said.
We all got in his BMW, surprisingly we didn't all fit so Jakob had to sit on my lap. He was singing along to his CD, Joey was going through his lines and me and Hannah was talking about how cool Christmas was going to be.
We arrived at the school, Joey and Jakob went around the back and we went into the hall.
"Shit, no seats." Billie cursed scanning the room.
"Oh hold on, there's two." I noticed. We rushed over. Billie Joe and I sat in the seats, with Adrienne on Billie's lap and Hannah on mine.
It started,
"Now may I present to you the first graders with a scene from the traditional nativity." The Principal announced. All the little kids came out and a star lowered over them.
"Look, it's Jakob!" Hannah whispered. Adrienne took pictures.
About half way through Joey came up and did his bit and we watched the whole pageant, right up to the 6 graders.
We went and had pizza after the pageant then we went back home. It was getting late so the kids went to bed. Hannah and I lay there in our beds.
"Two days 'til Christmas." Hannah reminded me.
"Yeah, I hope everyone likes the presents we got them." I said turning over.
"Yeah I think they will, night." She replied.
"Night."
Hannah's voice woke me. She was already dressed and it was 11.30. I got up, showered and got dressed. Billie was sat on the stool strumming away as I walked downstairs.
"Oh hi, lunch? You're a little late for breakfast, no?" he smiled.
"Yeah ok, just toast will do for me thanks." Hannah replied.
"I'll just have half a piece of hers thanks." I replied.
"Are you sure? You two don't eat very much do you?" he said cocking his eyebrow again.
"I used to but just lately I get full quicker, or don't get hungry as much." I said.
"Okay, just don't go to extremes." He replied looking at us.
"Oh we wont. We may be stupid, but we aren't that stupid." Hannah assured him.
"So what do you want to do today?" Billie asked changing the subject.
"I don't know. Where you planning on doing anything?" Hannah asked.
"No not really, Joey's out with his girlfriend, Jakob's on a play date and Adrienne's out with some friends." He said. He started to play 'Good Riddance'. Hannah started to sing along with him. This is our song; it has a lot of background and means a lot between us. We can listen t it for hours on end. They sing well together. Billie Joe stopped.
"You have a good voice Hannah." He commented.
"No I don't." she insisted.
"Billie Joe. Can you teach me how to play guitar please?" I asked him feeling real nervous for some reason.
"Sure, why not? We don't have anything else to do today." He replied as he led us to a room.
"This is where we practise sometimes." He informed us.
There were tons of guitars along the back wall; there was a drum kit, a few basses, microphones and a number of guitar stands.
"Billie?" Hannah asked.
"Yeah?"
"Can you ya know if ya want, teach me to play drums. Please?"
"Of course." Billie laughed. He handed me a guitar and showed me the basics. He then showed Hannah a few ''techniques' of playing the drums real fast.
"Ok, let's try 'Wake Me Up When September Ends'. That's pretty easy." He suggested as he scribbled down a few tabs onto a piece of paper for me. He then stood behind Hannah.
"Right Vic, start." He ordered, so I did. I got a few bits wrong but I was enjoying it, then Billie told Hannah when to come in with the bit she had learnt.
"It sounds great." Billie commented. "Just go over it a few times." He said. We went over it another 4 times. Billie grabbed his cell.
"Hey Mike how ya doing? You wouldn't mind coming over for the rest of the day would you? I've got some keen musicians here... yeah, bring your bass." He said and put the phone down.
"We're gonna all play together and I'm gonna sing." Billie announced.
"O... kay" I said.
"Is that why Mike's coming over?" Hannah asked.
"Yeah, to play bass." Billie smiled. "Let's practise again before Mike gets here." Billie counted us in and we played.
Soon Mike and Jason walked in,
"Hi everyone!" Mike shouted happily. He went over and gave Billie a hug, then Hannah.
"Ok, let's get this started!" he shouted.
"What's the song?" Jason asked.
"'Wake Me Up When September Ends'" Hannah replied looking very proud of herself.
"Fine then! Don't give me a hug!" I pouted.
"Sorry I thought I gave you one." Mike said sarcastically, he grinned and walked over to me and hugged me.
"There, happy now?" he asked sarcastically.
"Thank you." I said sticking my tongue out at him.
"And quit with the pouting!" Mike said.
"Why? Billie Joe does it!" I complained.
"Yes but I can hit him when he does it, I cant hit you." He said.
"True." Billie's voice said from nowhere.
"I don't care, you can, you know tap me across the head." I said. "What am I going to do? Call 911? 'Oh help me, help me! Mike Dirnt from Green Day is harassing me!'" I said imitating a woman in distress. "They'd never buy that!" I said returning to my normal voice. Billie and Hannah were laughing at what I just did.
"Mm-hmm, ok." Mike said and hit me over the head.
"Thanks." I said rolling my eyes.
"Ok, lets get going." Mike said walking up to the space to take his position. We joined him. Billie counted us in and we started to play. When we finished Mike walked over to Hannah.
"Did you play drums before Billie taught you this?" he asked her.
"Yeah, but only really basic shit." Hannah replied.
"Hmm. Billie you got your camcorder around here?" Mike asked. Billie disappeared up the stairs.
"What do you want that for Mike?" Hannah asked.
"I'm gonna start recording and we're gonna play. I'll make you a copy, then I'll make Tré a copy, I want him to see your drumming." Mike smiled.
"What? Why?" Hannah stammered.
"Because you're a talented drummer." He said grinning.
"No I'm not. Am I Billie?" she asked him as he appeared at the door way fiddling with the camera.
"Yeah... sure of course." He said not really listening, he was too busy fiddling.
"Billie, we were just saying that Hannah is pretty talented with a pair of drumsticks." I said to him.
"Yeah, she is, I think Tré would like to hear it." He said placing the camera on the stand. Hannah rolled her eyes.
"Right, that's set so it can see us all. We can jump up and down but u cant move around though Mike." Billie said walking over to the microphone.
"When the red light turns on we start playing." Mike stated.
"When's the light gonna turn on then?" Hannah asked just as it turned on.
"Now!" Billie shouted. We started to play. When we finished Billie Joe walked up to the camcorder and turned it off recording. He took it off the stand and sat on the edge of the mini platform thingy. Mike and Jason sat on either side of him and Hannah and I kneeled behind them.
Billie Joe rewound the tape and played it back.
"Ha, look at the concentration on my face!" I said laughing. "How do you two still play the right notes and crap, but can still be able to jump up and down?" I asked them.
"We're talented," Mike simply replied. I laughed.
"Can we learn something else now please?" I asked.
"Sure but what?" Billie asked. He started to think. "How about 'Basket Case'?" he suggested.
"Uh, yeah ok." I agreed.
"Han, the drumming is a little faster in this one." Mike said.
"That's okay, just teach it to me and I'll catch on." She said getting up off the stool so Billie could sit at the drum kit. She handed him the sticks. He played it a few times then sat Hannah down, she played it a few times then got it. She grinned. Billie taught me my bit, we played it loads of times before we recorded it.
We learned a few more songs including parts from 'Minority', 'Extraordinary Girl', some of 'Jesus Of Suburbia' and 'Misery'.
"Can you teach me 'Good Riddance' please Billie? Its our favourite." Hannah asked as she looked at her feet.
"Sure, go and pick an acoustic then." Billie said pointing over towards his guitars. He picked his one up from beside him, sat down and waited for Hannah.
She emerged with a guitar with stickers on it. One had 1987 on it.
"God, this one's older than me!" she said surprised.
"Yeah, that one and this one I have here are my favourites." He said stroking the one he had in his hands.
"That's the one you played on the Good Riddance video, isn't it Billie?" Hannah asked.
"Sure is, I play this one on tour as well." He said strumming it.
Hannah sat on the stool next to Billie Joe.
"So hold it how you feel comfortable, I hold it like this." Billie said placing his guitar on his knee. Hannah copied him,
"Yeah, that's comfortable." Hannah replied smiling at Billie Joe.
"So this is... " Billie continued to talk to Hannah.
"Let's go for a walk." Mike said nudging me.
"Uh... yeah okay." I said walking out of the room with Mike.
"Come on everyone, it's 6.30, we should've been at the school half an hour ago!" Adrienne shouted up the stairs.
"Hold on, where's my eyeliner?" Billie Joe shouted down.
"You and your bloody eyeliner, try the dresser." Adrienne replied shaking her head.
*10 minutes later*
"How do I look?" Billie asked as he walked down the stairs.
"Like you always do, handsome as ever." Adrienne replied and kissed him, it got longer and longer. Joey cleared his throat,
"Excuse me, we have somewhere to go." Billie Joe and Adrienne broke apart.
"Oh yeah, come on then." Billie said.
We all got in his BMW, surprisingly we didn't all fit so Jakob had to sit on my lap. He was singing along to his CD, Joey was going through his lines and me and Hannah was talking about how cool Christmas was going to be.
We arrived at the school, Joey and Jakob went around the back and we went into the hall.
"Shit, no seats." Billie cursed scanning the room.
"Oh hold on, there's two." I noticed. We rushed over. Billie Joe and I sat in the seats, with Adrienne on Billie's lap and Hannah on mine.
It started,
"Now may I present to you the first graders with a scene from the traditional nativity." The Principal announced. All the little kids came out and a star lowered over them.
"Look, it's Jakob!" Hannah whispered. Adrienne took pictures.
About half way through Joey came up and did his bit and we watched the whole pageant, right up to the 6 graders.
We went and had pizza after the pageant then we went back home. It was getting late so the kids went to bed. Hannah and I lay there in our beds.
"Two days 'til Christmas." Hannah reminded me.
"Yeah, I hope everyone likes the presents we got them." I said turning over.
"Yeah I think they will, night." She replied.
"Night."
Hannah's voice woke me. She was already dressed and it was 11.30. I got up, showered and got dressed. Billie was sat on the stool strumming away as I walked downstairs.
"Oh hi, lunch? You're a little late for breakfast, no?" he smiled.
"Yeah ok, just toast will do for me thanks." Hannah replied.
"I'll just have half a piece of hers thanks." I replied.
"Are you sure? You two don't eat very much do you?" he said cocking his eyebrow again.
"I used to but just lately I get full quicker, or don't get hungry as much." I said.
"Okay, just don't go to extremes." He replied looking at us.
"Oh we wont. We may be stupid, but we aren't that stupid." Hannah assured him.
"So what do you want to do today?" Billie asked changing the subject.
"I don't know. Where you planning on doing anything?" Hannah asked.
"No not really, Joey's out with his girlfriend, Jakob's on a play date and Adrienne's out with some friends." He said. He started to play 'Good Riddance'. Hannah started to sing along with him. This is our song; it has a lot of background and means a lot between us. We can listen t it for hours on end. They sing well together. Billie Joe stopped.
"You have a good voice Hannah." He commented.
"No I don't." she insisted.
"Billie Joe. Can you teach me how to play guitar please?" I asked him feeling real nervous for some reason.
"Sure, why not? We don't have anything else to do today." He replied as he led us to a room.
"This is where we practise sometimes." He informed us.
There were tons of guitars along the back wall; there was a drum kit, a few basses, microphones and a number of guitar stands.
"Billie?" Hannah asked.
"Yeah?"
"Can you ya know if ya want, teach me to play drums. Please?"
"Of course." Billie laughed. He handed me a guitar and showed me the basics. He then showed Hannah a few ''techniques' of playing the drums real fast.
"Ok, let's try 'Wake Me Up When September Ends'. That's pretty easy." He suggested as he scribbled down a few tabs onto a piece of paper for me. He then stood behind Hannah.
"Right Vic, start." He ordered, so I did. I got a few bits wrong but I was enjoying it, then Billie told Hannah when to come in with the bit she had learnt.
"It sounds great." Billie commented. "Just go over it a few times." He said. We went over it another 4 times. Billie grabbed his cell.
"Hey Mike how ya doing? You wouldn't mind coming over for the rest of the day would you? I've got some keen musicians here... yeah, bring your bass." He said and put the phone down.
"We're gonna all play together and I'm gonna sing." Billie announced.
"O... kay" I said.
"Is that why Mike's coming over?" Hannah asked.
"Yeah, to play bass." Billie smiled. "Let's practise again before Mike gets here." Billie counted us in and we played.
Soon Mike and Jason walked in,
"Hi everyone!" Mike shouted happily. He went over and gave Billie a hug, then Hannah.
"Ok, let's get this started!" he shouted.
"What's the song?" Jason asked.
"'Wake Me Up When September Ends'" Hannah replied looking very proud of herself.
"Fine then! Don't give me a hug!" I pouted.
"Sorry I thought I gave you one." Mike said sarcastically, he grinned and walked over to me and hugged me.
"There, happy now?" he asked sarcastically.
"Thank you." I said sticking my tongue out at him.
"And quit with the pouting!" Mike said.
"Why? Billie Joe does it!" I complained.
"Yes but I can hit him when he does it, I cant hit you." He said.
"True." Billie's voice said from nowhere.
"I don't care, you can, you know tap me across the head." I said. "What am I going to do? Call 911? 'Oh help me, help me! Mike Dirnt from Green Day is harassing me!'" I said imitating a woman in distress. "They'd never buy that!" I said returning to my normal voice. Billie and Hannah were laughing at what I just did.
"Mm-hmm, ok." Mike said and hit me over the head.
"Thanks." I said rolling my eyes.
"Ok, lets get going." Mike said walking up to the space to take his position. We joined him. Billie counted us in and we started to play. When we finished Mike walked over to Hannah.
"Did you play drums before Billie taught you this?" he asked her.
"Yeah, but only really basic shit." Hannah replied.
"Hmm. Billie you got your camcorder around here?" Mike asked. Billie disappeared up the stairs.
"What do you want that for Mike?" Hannah asked.
"I'm gonna start recording and we're gonna play. I'll make you a copy, then I'll make Tré a copy, I want him to see your drumming." Mike smiled.
"What? Why?" Hannah stammered.
"Because you're a talented drummer." He said grinning.
"No I'm not. Am I Billie?" she asked him as he appeared at the door way fiddling with the camera.
"Yeah... sure of course." He said not really listening, he was too busy fiddling.
"Billie, we were just saying that Hannah is pretty talented with a pair of drumsticks." I said to him.
"Yeah, she is, I think Tré would like to hear it." He said placing the camera on the stand. Hannah rolled her eyes.
"Right, that's set so it can see us all. We can jump up and down but u cant move around though Mike." Billie said walking over to the microphone.
"When the red light turns on we start playing." Mike stated.
"When's the light gonna turn on then?" Hannah asked just as it turned on.
"Now!" Billie shouted. We started to play. When we finished Billie Joe walked up to the camcorder and turned it off recording. He took it off the stand and sat on the edge of the mini platform thingy. Mike and Jason sat on either side of him and Hannah and I kneeled behind them.
Billie Joe rewound the tape and played it back.
"Ha, look at the concentration on my face!" I said laughing. "How do you two still play the right notes and crap, but can still be able to jump up and down?" I asked them.
"We're talented," Mike simply replied. I laughed.
"Can we learn something else now please?" I asked.
"Sure but what?" Billie asked. He started to think. "How about 'Basket Case'?" he suggested.
"Uh, yeah ok." I agreed.
"Han, the drumming is a little faster in this one." Mike said.
"That's okay, just teach it to me and I'll catch on." She said getting up off the stool so Billie could sit at the drum kit. She handed him the sticks. He played it a few times then sat Hannah down, she played it a few times then got it. She grinned. Billie taught me my bit, we played it loads of times before we recorded it.
We learned a few more songs including parts from 'Minority', 'Extraordinary Girl', some of 'Jesus Of Suburbia' and 'Misery'.
"Can you teach me 'Good Riddance' please Billie? Its our favourite." Hannah asked as she looked at her feet.
"Sure, go and pick an acoustic then." Billie said pointing over towards his guitars. He picked his one up from beside him, sat down and waited for Hannah.
She emerged with a guitar with stickers on it. One had 1987 on it.
"God, this one's older than me!" she said surprised.
"Yeah, that one and this one I have here are my favourites." He said stroking the one he had in his hands.
"That's the one you played on the Good Riddance video, isn't it Billie?" Hannah asked.
"Sure is, I play this one on tour as well." He said strumming it.
Hannah sat on the stool next to Billie Joe.
"So hold it how you feel comfortable, I hold it like this." Billie said placing his guitar on his knee. Hannah copied him,
"Yeah, that's comfortable." Hannah replied smiling at Billie Joe.
"So this is... " Billie continued to talk to Hannah.
"Let's go for a walk." Mike said nudging me.
"Uh... yeah okay." I said walking out of the room with Mike.
