The Secret, chapter 6
"So Mike and Tré are coming over for dinner then?" asked Adie, getting up from bed and picking up her maternity clothes on trembly legs.
"Yeah," said Billie and rubbed his eyes. "God I feel so smashed..."
"Huh? When did you fall asleep?" asked Adie, stroking a lock of hair out of her eyes.
Billie stretched out his back, while answering:
"Well, I got up earlier than expected." He laughed. "About four AM."
"Four AM?!" panted his girlfriend. "What have you done for five hours?!"
"Haha, nothing actually... I glared at the wall and... Yeah that's all."
Adie grinned and looked up from the window to Billie.
"You glared at a wall?"
"Aha", answered Billie and put on his most charming smile, which made him look both stupid, sweet and cute.
They went down in the kitchen to get breakfast.
"Honey, we have to go shopping!" shouted Billie while rummaging in the fridge.
"I know", screamed Adie and two seconds later she stood in the kitchen.
They fixed their breakfast and settled down opposite each other at the big wooden table.
"What do you want to call the baby?" asked Adie.
Billie had never even thought of that before. He took a gulp of his coffee.
"What about... Billie Joe JR.? I don't know Adie, I have no idea."
Adie smiled.
"Me neither."
Silent.
"Forget about that", said Billie after a while. "Do you think I should sign for another record?"
Adie nearly spitted out all of her tea. She sputtered and waved her hands very fast. After she dried her pants, she could speak.
"Billie! When did you... How... Wh--"
"Easy, baby!" Billie leaned forward, over the table and carefully put his finger on Adie's lips. She got silent. "Adrienne Nesser, whoah! Easy now. Breathe." He waited a few seconds and then leaned backward again.
"Okay, sweetheart. Tré and I saw each other yesterday and he told me about it. He had a letter from Reprise Records. They had offered us a contract, but Mike and Tré wanted to keep that secret and make it a surprise for me."
"Oh my God", said Adie. "That's fantastic! Hang on... Is that why they are coming over today?"
Billie switched on his charming kiss-me-smile, you know, the one mentioned before.
Adie tittered.
"Bill! Stop that, you know I never kiss at request!" she laughed. "Hey, like you said -- easy. Okay? So, tell me if I'm right: Mike and Tré are coming over because they surprised you with a Reprise Records contract... And you haven't decided if you're going to sign it or not, right?"
"Yeah... Are you gonna be home when they are here?" answered BJ.
"I guess... Wait, we must shop too."
"Yeah. Shopping."
"Tré! Mike!" Adie beamed when the two guys entered their house, of course not using the door bell, as usual.
"Oh, good evening, Adie!" said Tré solemnly and bowed for her, taking off his cap.
Adie smiled and went to give them each a hug.
Billie came from the living room.
"Hey guys! What's up?"
"Nothing, said Mike, hanging his cap at the clothes hanger. "I'm hanging around your house. Yourself?"
"Oh, waiting for you to arrive. Anyway, come in!"
Green Day and one of their girlfriend settled down at the big kitchen table again. Adie and Billie had helped each other with a dainty lettuce.
"Yummy!" cried Tré and rubbed his hands.
"So, guys", said Billie plainly. "Are we gonna sign this or not?"
It was embarrassingly quiet. Everyone but Billie poked in their food, until Mike started out:
"Well... What would Laurie say?"
"What the fuck!" screamed Tré. "Laurie is a great guy, but we have to do whatever we want, we can't choose way influenced by him! It's our fucking life!"
"Tré!" yelled Billie and got rapidly up from the chair. "Calm down!"
Both Tré and Mike flew off their chairs with a both angry, weird, disappointed, surprised and stupid expression. Adie was the only one still sitting, watching the guys argue.
"I'm not upset!" shouted Tré and stomped involuntary.
"Yes, you are! Sit down now and talk about it!" Billie Joe replied.
"I won't if you're so damn perfect!"
Both Tré and Billie were all red in their faces.
"GUYS! Mike roared. His eyes looked really furious. "I don't wanna hear excuses now! Sit the fuck down and speak! I thought you were men!"
"I am a man", muttered Tré, and reluctant sat down again.
It got quiet again.
"This doesn't work any longer", said Mike silent. "This band doesn't work."
"What are you talking about?!" whined Billie, but deepest inside he knew. "We are... We're a perfect band! Mike, Tré, please listen--"
"Billie, you're lying to yourself!" declared Tré, still with a red face. "Mike's right. I know you feel it."
Billie stared at Tré. Tré stared at Billie.
"Uhm... I won't disturb", whispered Adie and left the room with soft steps.
Mike sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Billie... That's it, we must quit here."
Billie swallowed, and could already feel the tears slip in the eyes.
"Forever?" he asked.
"For a while," Mike decided.
"Yeah," said Billie and rubbed his eyes. "God I feel so smashed..."
"Huh? When did you fall asleep?" asked Adie, stroking a lock of hair out of her eyes.
Billie stretched out his back, while answering:
"Well, I got up earlier than expected." He laughed. "About four AM."
"Four AM?!" panted his girlfriend. "What have you done for five hours?!"
"Haha, nothing actually... I glared at the wall and... Yeah that's all."
Adie grinned and looked up from the window to Billie.
"You glared at a wall?"
"Aha", answered Billie and put on his most charming smile, which made him look both stupid, sweet and cute.
They went down in the kitchen to get breakfast.
"Honey, we have to go shopping!" shouted Billie while rummaging in the fridge.
"I know", screamed Adie and two seconds later she stood in the kitchen.
They fixed their breakfast and settled down opposite each other at the big wooden table.
"What do you want to call the baby?" asked Adie.
Billie had never even thought of that before. He took a gulp of his coffee.
"What about... Billie Joe JR.? I don't know Adie, I have no idea."
Adie smiled.
"Me neither."
Silent.
"Forget about that", said Billie after a while. "Do you think I should sign for another record?"
Adie nearly spitted out all of her tea. She sputtered and waved her hands very fast. After she dried her pants, she could speak.
"Billie! When did you... How... Wh--"
"Easy, baby!" Billie leaned forward, over the table and carefully put his finger on Adie's lips. She got silent. "Adrienne Nesser, whoah! Easy now. Breathe." He waited a few seconds and then leaned backward again.
"Okay, sweetheart. Tré and I saw each other yesterday and he told me about it. He had a letter from Reprise Records. They had offered us a contract, but Mike and Tré wanted to keep that secret and make it a surprise for me."
"Oh my God", said Adie. "That's fantastic! Hang on... Is that why they are coming over today?"
Billie switched on his charming kiss-me-smile, you know, the one mentioned before.
Adie tittered.
"Bill! Stop that, you know I never kiss at request!" she laughed. "Hey, like you said -- easy. Okay? So, tell me if I'm right: Mike and Tré are coming over because they surprised you with a Reprise Records contract... And you haven't decided if you're going to sign it or not, right?"
"Yeah... Are you gonna be home when they are here?" answered BJ.
"I guess... Wait, we must shop too."
"Yeah. Shopping."
"Tré! Mike!" Adie beamed when the two guys entered their house, of course not using the door bell, as usual.
"Oh, good evening, Adie!" said Tré solemnly and bowed for her, taking off his cap.
Adie smiled and went to give them each a hug.
Billie came from the living room.
"Hey guys! What's up?"
"Nothing, said Mike, hanging his cap at the clothes hanger. "I'm hanging around your house. Yourself?"
"Oh, waiting for you to arrive. Anyway, come in!"
Green Day and one of their girlfriend settled down at the big kitchen table again. Adie and Billie had helped each other with a dainty lettuce.
"Yummy!" cried Tré and rubbed his hands.
"So, guys", said Billie plainly. "Are we gonna sign this or not?"
It was embarrassingly quiet. Everyone but Billie poked in their food, until Mike started out:
"Well... What would Laurie say?"
"What the fuck!" screamed Tré. "Laurie is a great guy, but we have to do whatever we want, we can't choose way influenced by him! It's our fucking life!"
"Tré!" yelled Billie and got rapidly up from the chair. "Calm down!"
Both Tré and Mike flew off their chairs with a both angry, weird, disappointed, surprised and stupid expression. Adie was the only one still sitting, watching the guys argue.
"I'm not upset!" shouted Tré and stomped involuntary.
"Yes, you are! Sit down now and talk about it!" Billie Joe replied.
"I won't if you're so damn perfect!"
Both Tré and Billie were all red in their faces.
"GUYS! Mike roared. His eyes looked really furious. "I don't wanna hear excuses now! Sit the fuck down and speak! I thought you were men!"
"I am a man", muttered Tré, and reluctant sat down again.
It got quiet again.
"This doesn't work any longer", said Mike silent. "This band doesn't work."
"What are you talking about?!" whined Billie, but deepest inside he knew. "We are... We're a perfect band! Mike, Tré, please listen--"
"Billie, you're lying to yourself!" declared Tré, still with a red face. "Mike's right. I know you feel it."
Billie stared at Tré. Tré stared at Billie.
"Uhm... I won't disturb", whispered Adie and left the room with soft steps.
Mike sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Billie... That's it, we must quit here."
Billie swallowed, and could already feel the tears slip in the eyes.
"Forever?" he asked.
"For a while," Mike decided.
