Uptight, chapter 5
I woke up the next morning with the hot sun blazing in my face. I must have forgotten to close the blinds last night. I sat up and rubbed my eyes.
"Damn it was only a dream." I laid back down and covered my face with my pillow. "Why does everything good that happens to me have to be in a dream!?"
"Uhh..... Caitlyn..?"
"What!?" I spun around to look at a very frightened Jack.
"Is this a bad time..?"
"No just... Nothing... What do you want!?"
"Erin said that if I didn't come and ask you for some advil she'd smash my bass."
"Why the hell does Erin need Advil? All we did yesterday was move into this lousy house."
"Yeahhhh and then at night we went and preformed at the night club. Erin and Tre decided to stay a bit longer and play shots. When I woke up I found her passed out on the driveway. I have no fucking clue how she got there but yeah now she wants Advil."
"So it wasn't a dream!?"
"I guess not..."
I was so excited I jumped out of bed; realizing I was still in the same clothes as the night before. I gave Jack a big bear hug until he turned blue.
"Fuck off Cait!" yelled an annoyed Jack
"Jack why the hell are you taking so lo-.... Am I inturupting something?" asked a very comfused Erin.
"All I did was ask for some Advil. I swear!" exclaimed Jack not wanting to get in any trouble.
"WELL... Can I have some Advil?" asked Erin impatiently.
I reached into my guitar case and pulled out a bottle of Advil and handed it over to Erin. She grabbed it and quickly choked down two pills.
"Fuck I was invited to go for dinner with Billie but I didn't get his number."
"Oh! Here Billie didn't want to wake you up so he asked me to give you this and asked me if you could call him." Jack handed me a crumpled up piece of paper. I grabbed it out of his hands and opened it. On it there was the words home and cell with the numbers written beside each. Cell had been stared.
"Oh and he said it might be better if you called him on his cell." Said Jack.
I quickly ran downstairs to find the phone. I dialed the number marked cell on it. The phone reang 3 times before I heard Billie's voice answer it.
"Hello?"
"Hey Billie this is Caitlyn."
"Oh hey. So how are you doing?"
"Pretty good."
"So yeah I had realized I forgot to ask what your number was."
I gave Billie my phone number having to repeat it a few times.
"Okay thanks! So I'll meet you at the same club as last night at seven?"
"Sure sounds great!"
"Okay great. When you get to the door ask for Armstrong."
"Sure I will."
"So see you later."
Yup bye."
"Bye."
I waited until I heard the click of Billie's phone before hanging up.
"So what's up?" asked Jack as he walked into the kitchen.
"Nothing really... Going out for dinner with Billie, nothing really." I said trying to hide the biggest grin ever. Jack gave me a sly grin.
"What!?"
"Oh nothing...."
"What!?" I demanded again. "If you don't tell me I'll beat you with your bass!"
"Well first it's supper and then you're invited back to his bouts and all the sudden you find yourselves in the same bed."
"Jack it's supper and some dancing." I argued half hoping he was right.
"Say what you want... " said Jack as he walked off with two strawberry jam filled doughnuts. Was Jack right? I had no time to think; I still had to run over the performance again so I don't forget and work on our next album. Fuck why we can't have a day to rest. I walked out of the kitchen into the cramped living room. In it was two small couches and 15 inch black and white TV crammed all in the same room. On one side of the room was our front door and a very large window which currently had the blind pulled down on it. On the other side there was a small stair case leading up to where there was one bathroom and all three of our bedrooms. Aross from the kitchen was a small room that we used as our band room. There was a back door in the kitchen which leads to the driveway. We barely had any yard since there was a huge oak tree that took up half of the front. I jumped over the couch and made my way to the band room where all of our instruments were kept. I slipped into the room and walked over to the guitar stand. I picked it up and ran my fingers down its smooth neck. It was like coming home; the only thing I own that I have known ever since I can remember. It went and still comes with me everywhere I go. I loved my parents but they never had faith in my choice to be a musician; they always wanted me to have a high ambition such as a lawyer. Sure a lawyer would be fun since you get to argue all the time but music has always been my best interest. My parents thought they were teaching me a lesson by making me go out in the world and living off my own money. It was hard at first, I had even thought about giving in and just going to law school. But then my best friend Erin came and moved into a small apartment in a shitty part of town. We split the bills in half and took turns paying for the groceries. At this time Jack was still living at home with his parents and brother. After a few failed attempts we finally got our music out and started making money. We traveled all over the city to different places to perform and eventually all across Canada. Then we started getting gigs in the states where we ended up making more money. So we decided to put all of our money together and buy a place that we'd all share and that's how we ended up in this shitty house in Oakland. We have two albums out now so we get some income from them but they were cheaply produced since we couldn't afford to get a good producer. The person who runs the club gave us a deal stating that we perform there every Friday night for $10 000 a month. We also look for any other possible gig anywhere else where we can make some money. I know it's not much but at least we don't have to sleep outside.
"So ready to make up some shit for an hour?" asked Erin as she walked over to her drums.
"Oh, huh? Wha? Yeah I'm ready." Fuck I hate it when I zone out which happens to me very often.
Erin started off with the drums as Jack came stumbling into the room picking up his bass. We went through all of the songs we were planning on performing on the next Friday. Once we were all done Erin and Jack left to play Final Fantasy on gamecube leaving me alone in the cramped room once again. I walked over and sat behind Erin's drums and propped my paper up on Erin's snare drum. I squeezed my eyes closed trying to find inspiration to write a song. I couldn't concentrate on anything; all I could think of was what might happen that night.
"No Caitlyn focus! Whatever happens tonight will happen soon enough. Right now we need to make another album so we have money." I thought to myself "I wonder what we will do after dinner... Maybe we'll go to his house and fuck around with the guitars.... I'm sure he has really nice ones too... And then we could watch a movie.... And then.... Stay focused Caitlyn! The fucking album won't write itself! Okay let's see what we have... " I looked blankly down at my paper to see nothing but a bunch of random drawings on it. "Fuck why can't you just stay focused for once!" I hadn't been able to write a single song for two whole weeks now and we really needed the money. I was so frustrated I threw my fist down as hard as I could at Erin's floor tomb and broke the skin. "Fuck now Erin's gonna kill me and I'll have to buy her another skin but we don't have the money to afford a good one because I can't write a single fucking song!" I sat down on the ground brining my knees up to my ears and hiding my face. "If I don't calm down I'm going to kill myself and if I do that then I'll never see Billie." I sat curled up on the floor for a very long time. I must have fallen asleep somehow because when I looked up the room was dark. I looked at my watch and it said 6 pm. Fuck I only had an hour to get ready and get myself to the club. I sprang up from where I was sitting and stumbled up through the maze of couches and TV up the stairs to my room. I quickly had a cold shower to wake myself up. I grabbed my green skirt, my black Burton shirt, and what I call my "Billie belt" and put them on. Then I grabbed my hair brush and drier and dried my hair. I put my straight brown hair in two pigtails and crammed my black hat with a red maple leaf on it on the top of my head. Next I pulled out my black mascara and eyeliner and put it around my eyes. I looked at my watch and it said 6:30. Fuck I only have half an hour to get there. I grabbed my olive green purse and ran down the stairs.
"Jack I'm taking your car." I yelled up the stairs..
I quickly grabbed the keys and ran out the door as fast as I could so I didn't have to listen to any objections. I stuffed the keys into Jack's old 1991 white dodge caravan.
"Fuck why now!" the old piece of shit wouldn't start.
I jumped out and ran back into the house and called the taxi. By the time the taxi got to our house it was already 7:05.
"Fuck I hope Billie doesn't think I stood him up or anything."
By the time I finally arrived and paid the taxi cab driver it was already 7:30. I ran into the club.
"ID please." Said the threatening doorman.
I reached into my purse; my fingers scanning for my ID card. I couldn't find it so I stuffed my hands into my pockets.
"Fuck I forgot it in my guitar case back at home."
It didn't help either that I looked much younger than I was.
"Sure that's what they all say. Now get outta here kid."
"No! I'm 20 I swear. Come on you must recognize me I was just performing here last night."
"Hmmm... You do look familiar.... Either way I can't let you in."
"Fuck come on I'm already half and hour late. Look I'm here with Billie Joe Armstrong... He said to ask for Armstrong at the door"
"Yeah and I'm married to Michael Jackson." At this the large man picked me up and carried me to the curb where he dropped me.
"If you come again I'm calling the cops."
"Fuck what am I going to do now?" I sat on the curb with my head in my hands. I had ruined everything. Billie will think I stood him up and will never want to see me again. I know that for a fact because I have been stood up more than I'd like to admit. Jack says it's because I scare everyone I meet.
"Caitlyn?"
I jumped and turned around to see Billie looking at me with questioning eyes.
"What are you doing?"
"I ran a little late and then I forgot my ID at home. I'm really sorry Billie I didn't mean to I promise."
"No that's fine. Come on I'll buy you a drink."
Billie helped me up and brought me inside. We sat at a quiet booth that was hidden from view of anyone else. We both sat at the back corner of it sitting close to each other.
"So are you okay? Did the doorman hurt you?" asked Billie looking very upset.
"Yeah don't worry I'm fine." I answered reassuringly.
"Can I take your order?" Asked the waiter walking up to our table.
We quickly ordered our meals and drinks and sat back in the booth. We sat there in silence listening to the music for a while.
"So what have you been up to today?" Said Billie breaking the silence.
"Uhhh... Nothing really... Just attempted making some new songs and we practiced our show for Friday."
"Did you have any success?"
"I only had success on sleeping."
Billie laughed and smiled at me.
"So was Tre as stoned as Erin was last night?" I asked trying to make conversation.
"Fuck he broke through my front window and then started yelling at me for being in his house."
"What did you do with him?"
"I told him he was having a sleepover at Mike's house and then I brought Tre home. How was Erin?"
"She's okay now anyway. Jack said he had found her passed out on the driveway in the morning and she had a really bad hang over but that's pretty much it."
The waiter brought us our food and drinks. We talked about our bands and all of the weird things that have happened to us. Then we exchanged stories on Erin and Tre and realized that they are exactly alike from the stupid and annoying things they do to the same goofy smile they give you when they know you're mad at them.
"And when they smile at you like that you can't help but not be mad anymore. It's like some sort of puppy eyes.!" I said.
"I know and you feel bad about yelling at them." Added Billie.
"Hey do you want to go dance?" I asked.
"Sure sounds great."
We both got up from the table and walked over to the dance floor. I wraped my arms around Billie feeling his hands wrap around my waist. I looked up into his magnificent green eyes and he stared down into mine. I let myself melt into Billie; smoothly flowing with every move Billie made. This was a night to remember forever.
"Damn it was only a dream." I laid back down and covered my face with my pillow. "Why does everything good that happens to me have to be in a dream!?"
"Uhh..... Caitlyn..?"
"What!?" I spun around to look at a very frightened Jack.
"Is this a bad time..?"
"No just... Nothing... What do you want!?"
"Erin said that if I didn't come and ask you for some advil she'd smash my bass."
"Why the hell does Erin need Advil? All we did yesterday was move into this lousy house."
"Yeahhhh and then at night we went and preformed at the night club. Erin and Tre decided to stay a bit longer and play shots. When I woke up I found her passed out on the driveway. I have no fucking clue how she got there but yeah now she wants Advil."
"So it wasn't a dream!?"
"I guess not..."
I was so excited I jumped out of bed; realizing I was still in the same clothes as the night before. I gave Jack a big bear hug until he turned blue.
"Fuck off Cait!" yelled an annoyed Jack
"Jack why the hell are you taking so lo-.... Am I inturupting something?" asked a very comfused Erin.
"All I did was ask for some Advil. I swear!" exclaimed Jack not wanting to get in any trouble.
"WELL... Can I have some Advil?" asked Erin impatiently.
I reached into my guitar case and pulled out a bottle of Advil and handed it over to Erin. She grabbed it and quickly choked down two pills.
"Fuck I was invited to go for dinner with Billie but I didn't get his number."
"Oh! Here Billie didn't want to wake you up so he asked me to give you this and asked me if you could call him." Jack handed me a crumpled up piece of paper. I grabbed it out of his hands and opened it. On it there was the words home and cell with the numbers written beside each. Cell had been stared.
"Oh and he said it might be better if you called him on his cell." Said Jack.
I quickly ran downstairs to find the phone. I dialed the number marked cell on it. The phone reang 3 times before I heard Billie's voice answer it.
"Hello?"
"Hey Billie this is Caitlyn."
"Oh hey. So how are you doing?"
"Pretty good."
"So yeah I had realized I forgot to ask what your number was."
I gave Billie my phone number having to repeat it a few times.
"Okay thanks! So I'll meet you at the same club as last night at seven?"
"Sure sounds great!"
"Okay great. When you get to the door ask for Armstrong."
"Sure I will."
"So see you later."
Yup bye."
"Bye."
I waited until I heard the click of Billie's phone before hanging up.
"So what's up?" asked Jack as he walked into the kitchen.
"Nothing really... Going out for dinner with Billie, nothing really." I said trying to hide the biggest grin ever. Jack gave me a sly grin.
"What!?"
"Oh nothing...."
"What!?" I demanded again. "If you don't tell me I'll beat you with your bass!"
"Well first it's supper and then you're invited back to his bouts and all the sudden you find yourselves in the same bed."
"Jack it's supper and some dancing." I argued half hoping he was right.
"Say what you want... " said Jack as he walked off with two strawberry jam filled doughnuts. Was Jack right? I had no time to think; I still had to run over the performance again so I don't forget and work on our next album. Fuck why we can't have a day to rest. I walked out of the kitchen into the cramped living room. In it was two small couches and 15 inch black and white TV crammed all in the same room. On one side of the room was our front door and a very large window which currently had the blind pulled down on it. On the other side there was a small stair case leading up to where there was one bathroom and all three of our bedrooms. Aross from the kitchen was a small room that we used as our band room. There was a back door in the kitchen which leads to the driveway. We barely had any yard since there was a huge oak tree that took up half of the front. I jumped over the couch and made my way to the band room where all of our instruments were kept. I slipped into the room and walked over to the guitar stand. I picked it up and ran my fingers down its smooth neck. It was like coming home; the only thing I own that I have known ever since I can remember. It went and still comes with me everywhere I go. I loved my parents but they never had faith in my choice to be a musician; they always wanted me to have a high ambition such as a lawyer. Sure a lawyer would be fun since you get to argue all the time but music has always been my best interest. My parents thought they were teaching me a lesson by making me go out in the world and living off my own money. It was hard at first, I had even thought about giving in and just going to law school. But then my best friend Erin came and moved into a small apartment in a shitty part of town. We split the bills in half and took turns paying for the groceries. At this time Jack was still living at home with his parents and brother. After a few failed attempts we finally got our music out and started making money. We traveled all over the city to different places to perform and eventually all across Canada. Then we started getting gigs in the states where we ended up making more money. So we decided to put all of our money together and buy a place that we'd all share and that's how we ended up in this shitty house in Oakland. We have two albums out now so we get some income from them but they were cheaply produced since we couldn't afford to get a good producer. The person who runs the club gave us a deal stating that we perform there every Friday night for $10 000 a month. We also look for any other possible gig anywhere else where we can make some money. I know it's not much but at least we don't have to sleep outside.
"So ready to make up some shit for an hour?" asked Erin as she walked over to her drums.
"Oh, huh? Wha? Yeah I'm ready." Fuck I hate it when I zone out which happens to me very often.
Erin started off with the drums as Jack came stumbling into the room picking up his bass. We went through all of the songs we were planning on performing on the next Friday. Once we were all done Erin and Jack left to play Final Fantasy on gamecube leaving me alone in the cramped room once again. I walked over and sat behind Erin's drums and propped my paper up on Erin's snare drum. I squeezed my eyes closed trying to find inspiration to write a song. I couldn't concentrate on anything; all I could think of was what might happen that night.
"No Caitlyn focus! Whatever happens tonight will happen soon enough. Right now we need to make another album so we have money." I thought to myself "I wonder what we will do after dinner... Maybe we'll go to his house and fuck around with the guitars.... I'm sure he has really nice ones too... And then we could watch a movie.... And then.... Stay focused Caitlyn! The fucking album won't write itself! Okay let's see what we have... " I looked blankly down at my paper to see nothing but a bunch of random drawings on it. "Fuck why can't you just stay focused for once!" I hadn't been able to write a single song for two whole weeks now and we really needed the money. I was so frustrated I threw my fist down as hard as I could at Erin's floor tomb and broke the skin. "Fuck now Erin's gonna kill me and I'll have to buy her another skin but we don't have the money to afford a good one because I can't write a single fucking song!" I sat down on the ground brining my knees up to my ears and hiding my face. "If I don't calm down I'm going to kill myself and if I do that then I'll never see Billie." I sat curled up on the floor for a very long time. I must have fallen asleep somehow because when I looked up the room was dark. I looked at my watch and it said 6 pm. Fuck I only had an hour to get ready and get myself to the club. I sprang up from where I was sitting and stumbled up through the maze of couches and TV up the stairs to my room. I quickly had a cold shower to wake myself up. I grabbed my green skirt, my black Burton shirt, and what I call my "Billie belt" and put them on. Then I grabbed my hair brush and drier and dried my hair. I put my straight brown hair in two pigtails and crammed my black hat with a red maple leaf on it on the top of my head. Next I pulled out my black mascara and eyeliner and put it around my eyes. I looked at my watch and it said 6:30. Fuck I only have half an hour to get there. I grabbed my olive green purse and ran down the stairs.
"Jack I'm taking your car." I yelled up the stairs..
I quickly grabbed the keys and ran out the door as fast as I could so I didn't have to listen to any objections. I stuffed the keys into Jack's old 1991 white dodge caravan.
"Fuck why now!" the old piece of shit wouldn't start.
I jumped out and ran back into the house and called the taxi. By the time the taxi got to our house it was already 7:05.
"Fuck I hope Billie doesn't think I stood him up or anything."
By the time I finally arrived and paid the taxi cab driver it was already 7:30. I ran into the club.
"ID please." Said the threatening doorman.
I reached into my purse; my fingers scanning for my ID card. I couldn't find it so I stuffed my hands into my pockets.
"Fuck I forgot it in my guitar case back at home."
It didn't help either that I looked much younger than I was.
"Sure that's what they all say. Now get outta here kid."
"No! I'm 20 I swear. Come on you must recognize me I was just performing here last night."
"Hmmm... You do look familiar.... Either way I can't let you in."
"Fuck come on I'm already half and hour late. Look I'm here with Billie Joe Armstrong... He said to ask for Armstrong at the door"
"Yeah and I'm married to Michael Jackson." At this the large man picked me up and carried me to the curb where he dropped me.
"If you come again I'm calling the cops."
"Fuck what am I going to do now?" I sat on the curb with my head in my hands. I had ruined everything. Billie will think I stood him up and will never want to see me again. I know that for a fact because I have been stood up more than I'd like to admit. Jack says it's because I scare everyone I meet.
"Caitlyn?"
I jumped and turned around to see Billie looking at me with questioning eyes.
"What are you doing?"
"I ran a little late and then I forgot my ID at home. I'm really sorry Billie I didn't mean to I promise."
"No that's fine. Come on I'll buy you a drink."
Billie helped me up and brought me inside. We sat at a quiet booth that was hidden from view of anyone else. We both sat at the back corner of it sitting close to each other.
"So are you okay? Did the doorman hurt you?" asked Billie looking very upset.
"Yeah don't worry I'm fine." I answered reassuringly.
"Can I take your order?" Asked the waiter walking up to our table.
We quickly ordered our meals and drinks and sat back in the booth. We sat there in silence listening to the music for a while.
"So what have you been up to today?" Said Billie breaking the silence.
"Uhhh... Nothing really... Just attempted making some new songs and we practiced our show for Friday."
"Did you have any success?"
"I only had success on sleeping."
Billie laughed and smiled at me.
"So was Tre as stoned as Erin was last night?" I asked trying to make conversation.
"Fuck he broke through my front window and then started yelling at me for being in his house."
"What did you do with him?"
"I told him he was having a sleepover at Mike's house and then I brought Tre home. How was Erin?"
"She's okay now anyway. Jack said he had found her passed out on the driveway in the morning and she had a really bad hang over but that's pretty much it."
The waiter brought us our food and drinks. We talked about our bands and all of the weird things that have happened to us. Then we exchanged stories on Erin and Tre and realized that they are exactly alike from the stupid and annoying things they do to the same goofy smile they give you when they know you're mad at them.
"And when they smile at you like that you can't help but not be mad anymore. It's like some sort of puppy eyes.!" I said.
"I know and you feel bad about yelling at them." Added Billie.
"Hey do you want to go dance?" I asked.
"Sure sounds great."
We both got up from the table and walked over to the dance floor. I wraped my arms around Billie feeling his hands wrap around my waist. I looked up into his magnificent green eyes and he stared down into mine. I let myself melt into Billie; smoothly flowing with every move Billie made. This was a night to remember forever.
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