The Waiting UnKnown, chapter 7
"When are you guys getting back on the road?" Bonnie asked, flipping a grilled cheese sandwich on the griddle. It was a month or so after Jakob's diagnosis, and Bonnie and Janine had invited both Armstrong boys over to play with Tara. Billie Joe was dropping off his sons and going to hang out with Tre and Mike, but first he had stopped to make small talk with the Morgan women.
"I honestly don't know. Tre and Mike are enjoying the time off, hanging out with their kids... " Billie Joe was interrupted by Janine, who was stirring up Spaghetti-O's.
"You ought to have had them bring their kids over."
"Maybe sometime. But, back to the touring thing... I just don't know. I mean, Jakob is getting better... but you know, it's never certain. I'd just hate to be, you know, 1000 miles away, and get a call that Jakob is getting worse." Billie ran his hands through his black hair and leaned on the counter.
"When he goes in to remission, why don't you consider touring for charity?" Bonnie suggested, cutting the sandwich with the spatula and putting it on a plate.
"Maybe." Billie's green eyes lit up with the thought, as he moved toward the door. He called for his boys to remember their manners, and was out the door.
Janine called for the kids and Bonnie finished setting out the food and pouring drinks. Joey was first in the kitchen, and he looked slightly out of place, he was so healthy, with his brother, whose dark locks were now gone and a simple black head scarf took their place, and Tara, whose face was more gaunt than normal. They all sat down and small talk flowed freely. If she hadn't known that kids their age didn't think of the opposite sex as anything but friends, Janine could have sworn she saw the tiniest hint of flirtation between Joey and Tara. Almost as quickly as they had rushed in, the trio was done and out to Tara's room, to play video games and listen to music.
Bonnie took a look around the room. "What do you say we leave the dishes, and go curl up on the couch and watch TV?" She asked, stifling a yawn. She worked as a front desk clerk at a rather classy hotel, right now just on call, and had pulled an over night shift the night before.
"How 'bout I take care of the kitchen, you go catch a quick nap, and then we take them all to the playground for a little bit?" Janine asked.
"Sounds like a plan. Wake me up in two hours?"
"Deal. Now go, get some sleep." Janine shooed her wife out of the kitchen with a wet washcloth.
***
"They all oughta sleep good tonight." Bonnie commented watching as the Armstrong boys and Tara dashed across the playground. They'd been there a couple of hours and the sun was starting to set.
"Yeah. We probably should get going though." Janine said. Corralling the children proved no easy task. Finally, the whole group was gathered in Bonnie's Maxima, heading back to the townhouse. By the time they got back, having stopped for ice-cream on the way back, it was nearing 8:45. Billie Joe had said he'd be back some time between 9 and 9:30. Just enough time to clean up Jakob, who had become a sticky mess of ice cream and chocolate. Small boys and triple scoop sundaes are never a good combination. EVER! As Bonnie wiped down the youngest Armstrong boy's face, the small boy looked up at her.
"Ms. Bonnie? If I tell you something, will you keep it secret?" Jakob asked.
"I'll try." Bonnie said, sitting down on the edge of the tub.
"I know my mom and dad want me to get better again, and I don't really like being sick, but sometimes, just sometimes, I wish I wouldn't get better. My dad is home more, and it's quiet. The men with the cameras aren't following us everywhere, trying to take our pictures when we just go out to dinner. I know that's a bad wish, but I can't help it." Jakob looked half relieved at getting the wish out, and half ashamed of the wish itself.
"Well, I kinda understand. It must be nice to have your dad home, and it is okay. Your secret is safe with me. Maybe you should tell your dad sometime how you feel about having him home. Maybe he will try to work around it so he'd be home more even if you got better. Then both your wishes would come true. How's that sound?" Bonnie asked. Her truest passion was kids.
"I'd like that." Jakob smiled.
"Now, go out there with Ms. Janine, Tara, and your brother, and watch Spongebob until your dad comes to get you." Bonnie said, ruffling the boy's hair.
***
When Billie arrived to pick up his kids, he pulled Bonnie aside.
"Hey, uh, I was wondering, Mike and Tre and I are getting together later on, and we were wondering if you two 'poke smot'?"
Bonnie hardly batted an eye-lash. She pulled Billie into the laundry room, were there was a tub labeled Cat Nip. "And, uh, we don't have a cat, nor have we ever." She said, opening up the tub. Billie Joe took a whiff.
"Damn, that smells really good. How much did this much cost you?"
"I don't remember... it's not all one kind, it's a mix of stuff we've been storing. That's probably a years worth of storing, a little more, little less. All in all, I'd say, total invested, 200 bucks or so. It's not really strong but it does the job."
"So, do you wanna come tonight? My house and you can bring Tara, and crash there. I don't want either of you driving around as fucked up as we intend to get."
"Sure." Bonnie said. In the month or so she'd known Billie Joe and the rest, she had developed a façade of being cool and collected around any member of Green Day, while her insides still got all twisted and fan-girly. "What time?"
"Why don't you just come with me? Tre and Mike will be over by like 11. It's a little after 9 now?"
"Try about quarter-to-ten." Bonnie interrupted.
"So what do you say?" Billie asked, as he worked his way out of the miniscule laundry room. "Come with me. Our kids hit it off, and Adie will probably join."
"Deal." Bonnie said, sliding elegantly past and after a quick conference with Janine, and grabbing clothing for the next day, the Morgan family piled in Billie's car, and were on their way.
***
Joey and Jakob were tucked cozily into their beds, and Tara was in her own guest room, well, the pull out sofa in the den. She was just happy because that meant she'd have a TV in her room. Not that she stayed up longer then one show, but it was the principle of the thing. Once it was certain the kids were safely asleep and would stay asleep for a while, the group of 6 retreated down the stairs to the rec-room. Mike was carrying two bottles of Vodka, Tre had the beers, and Billie Joe had the regular glass and the shot glasses, along with a pretty good sized bottle of Jack Daniels. Janine was carrying "bitch beers"... wine coolers and the like. Adrienne followed with stuff to mix the hard liquor with, and chase shots. Bonnie was last with her tub of weed and she also carried her bowl and lighter, Tre had handed her his Bong.
As he sat down, Mike raised the shot of Vodka he had poured. "Sex"
"Drugs" chimed in Tre, already packing the bong.
"And Rock N' Roll!" Billie Joe toasted, holding up a shot of Jack Daniels.
"Weed." Janine chimed in, as she opened her wine cooler.
"Speed." Bonnie said, leaning against the couch as she packed her bowl.
"And Birth Control" Adie said, opening a Bud Light.
"Life's a bitch until you die. So fuck the world and lets get high." The six chorused, each flipping the bird to the sky. The bong and bowl were passed around, and drinks were poured. And the tiny party officially began, and lasted until 2 when Bonnie dragged a reluctant Janine up to the guest room they were staying in.
As they snuggled close together, Janine turned to Bonnie. "I can't believe it. We got fucked up with Green Day."
"Yeah. That was cool. Good Night baby, I love you."
"You too." Janine murmured three-quarters asleep already. Bonnie kissed her on the cheek, and fell asleep thinking of how nice it was to escape from everything for a little bit. And to smoke pot with Green Day. The fan girl in her had yet to go away.
"I honestly don't know. Tre and Mike are enjoying the time off, hanging out with their kids... " Billie Joe was interrupted by Janine, who was stirring up Spaghetti-O's.
"You ought to have had them bring their kids over."
"Maybe sometime. But, back to the touring thing... I just don't know. I mean, Jakob is getting better... but you know, it's never certain. I'd just hate to be, you know, 1000 miles away, and get a call that Jakob is getting worse." Billie ran his hands through his black hair and leaned on the counter.
"When he goes in to remission, why don't you consider touring for charity?" Bonnie suggested, cutting the sandwich with the spatula and putting it on a plate.
"Maybe." Billie's green eyes lit up with the thought, as he moved toward the door. He called for his boys to remember their manners, and was out the door.
Janine called for the kids and Bonnie finished setting out the food and pouring drinks. Joey was first in the kitchen, and he looked slightly out of place, he was so healthy, with his brother, whose dark locks were now gone and a simple black head scarf took their place, and Tara, whose face was more gaunt than normal. They all sat down and small talk flowed freely. If she hadn't known that kids their age didn't think of the opposite sex as anything but friends, Janine could have sworn she saw the tiniest hint of flirtation between Joey and Tara. Almost as quickly as they had rushed in, the trio was done and out to Tara's room, to play video games and listen to music.
Bonnie took a look around the room. "What do you say we leave the dishes, and go curl up on the couch and watch TV?" She asked, stifling a yawn. She worked as a front desk clerk at a rather classy hotel, right now just on call, and had pulled an over night shift the night before.
"How 'bout I take care of the kitchen, you go catch a quick nap, and then we take them all to the playground for a little bit?" Janine asked.
"Sounds like a plan. Wake me up in two hours?"
"Deal. Now go, get some sleep." Janine shooed her wife out of the kitchen with a wet washcloth.
***
"They all oughta sleep good tonight." Bonnie commented watching as the Armstrong boys and Tara dashed across the playground. They'd been there a couple of hours and the sun was starting to set.
"Yeah. We probably should get going though." Janine said. Corralling the children proved no easy task. Finally, the whole group was gathered in Bonnie's Maxima, heading back to the townhouse. By the time they got back, having stopped for ice-cream on the way back, it was nearing 8:45. Billie Joe had said he'd be back some time between 9 and 9:30. Just enough time to clean up Jakob, who had become a sticky mess of ice cream and chocolate. Small boys and triple scoop sundaes are never a good combination. EVER! As Bonnie wiped down the youngest Armstrong boy's face, the small boy looked up at her.
"Ms. Bonnie? If I tell you something, will you keep it secret?" Jakob asked.
"I'll try." Bonnie said, sitting down on the edge of the tub.
"I know my mom and dad want me to get better again, and I don't really like being sick, but sometimes, just sometimes, I wish I wouldn't get better. My dad is home more, and it's quiet. The men with the cameras aren't following us everywhere, trying to take our pictures when we just go out to dinner. I know that's a bad wish, but I can't help it." Jakob looked half relieved at getting the wish out, and half ashamed of the wish itself.
"Well, I kinda understand. It must be nice to have your dad home, and it is okay. Your secret is safe with me. Maybe you should tell your dad sometime how you feel about having him home. Maybe he will try to work around it so he'd be home more even if you got better. Then both your wishes would come true. How's that sound?" Bonnie asked. Her truest passion was kids.
"I'd like that." Jakob smiled.
"Now, go out there with Ms. Janine, Tara, and your brother, and watch Spongebob until your dad comes to get you." Bonnie said, ruffling the boy's hair.
***
When Billie arrived to pick up his kids, he pulled Bonnie aside.
"Hey, uh, I was wondering, Mike and Tre and I are getting together later on, and we were wondering if you two 'poke smot'?"
Bonnie hardly batted an eye-lash. She pulled Billie into the laundry room, were there was a tub labeled Cat Nip. "And, uh, we don't have a cat, nor have we ever." She said, opening up the tub. Billie Joe took a whiff.
"Damn, that smells really good. How much did this much cost you?"
"I don't remember... it's not all one kind, it's a mix of stuff we've been storing. That's probably a years worth of storing, a little more, little less. All in all, I'd say, total invested, 200 bucks or so. It's not really strong but it does the job."
"So, do you wanna come tonight? My house and you can bring Tara, and crash there. I don't want either of you driving around as fucked up as we intend to get."
"Sure." Bonnie said. In the month or so she'd known Billie Joe and the rest, she had developed a façade of being cool and collected around any member of Green Day, while her insides still got all twisted and fan-girly. "What time?"
"Why don't you just come with me? Tre and Mike will be over by like 11. It's a little after 9 now?"
"Try about quarter-to-ten." Bonnie interrupted.
"So what do you say?" Billie asked, as he worked his way out of the miniscule laundry room. "Come with me. Our kids hit it off, and Adie will probably join."
"Deal." Bonnie said, sliding elegantly past and after a quick conference with Janine, and grabbing clothing for the next day, the Morgan family piled in Billie's car, and were on their way.
***
Joey and Jakob were tucked cozily into their beds, and Tara was in her own guest room, well, the pull out sofa in the den. She was just happy because that meant she'd have a TV in her room. Not that she stayed up longer then one show, but it was the principle of the thing. Once it was certain the kids were safely asleep and would stay asleep for a while, the group of 6 retreated down the stairs to the rec-room. Mike was carrying two bottles of Vodka, Tre had the beers, and Billie Joe had the regular glass and the shot glasses, along with a pretty good sized bottle of Jack Daniels. Janine was carrying "bitch beers"... wine coolers and the like. Adrienne followed with stuff to mix the hard liquor with, and chase shots. Bonnie was last with her tub of weed and she also carried her bowl and lighter, Tre had handed her his Bong.
As he sat down, Mike raised the shot of Vodka he had poured. "Sex"
"Drugs" chimed in Tre, already packing the bong.
"And Rock N' Roll!" Billie Joe toasted, holding up a shot of Jack Daniels.
"Weed." Janine chimed in, as she opened her wine cooler.
"Speed." Bonnie said, leaning against the couch as she packed her bowl.
"And Birth Control" Adie said, opening a Bud Light.
"Life's a bitch until you die. So fuck the world and lets get high." The six chorused, each flipping the bird to the sky. The bong and bowl were passed around, and drinks were poured. And the tiny party officially began, and lasted until 2 when Bonnie dragged a reluctant Janine up to the guest room they were staying in.
As they snuggled close together, Janine turned to Bonnie. "I can't believe it. We got fucked up with Green Day."
"Yeah. That was cool. Good Night baby, I love you."
"You too." Janine murmured three-quarters asleep already. Bonnie kissed her on the cheek, and fell asleep thinking of how nice it was to escape from everything for a little bit. And to smoke pot with Green Day. The fan girl in her had yet to go away.
