Worlds Apart, chapter 6
That week I could barely function because I was so excited. Especially because I knew the semester was over and after I came back from London I’d be going back to York. It felt like forever since I’d seen Mum, Dad and Ben. And when I got back it was my 21st birthday and Ben’s 18th in the same week so we were having a joint party on Ben’s birthday and getting bands to play. Since leaving Tom’s band, my friend Rob had recruited me for his ska band, and I’d jammed a couple of times with them. They wanted to play at the party, which was cool but a little nerve-wracking seeing as it meant my first gig with them would be in front of practically everyone I knew. Ben’s band was playing too. He’s a drummer like me, but he hasn’t been playing as long. I hadn’t told Ben I’d been in touch with Billie Joe. I just didn’t know how to explain it yet, or whether there was even anything to explain.
By the time we were at the station on Friday, Ellen was so excited I was getting worried about her.
“You have GOT to chill out� I told her, “Or you’re just going to pass out or something the moment you meet them. That’s not exactly playing it cool�
“ I know, I know� she said, lighting a cigarette to calm her nerves, “But I’ve liked them for so long…I just can’t believe I’m going to get to finally meet them�
Typically, the moment she took her first drag on her cigarette the train arrived. The journey seemed to last forever, probably because Ellen didn’t shut up all the way there and I spent the whole time having practice conversations with Billie Joe inside my head. When we got to King’s Cross Station, we dumped our bags on the platform. I had just realised I had no idea who I was meeting and where, when I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see one of the Green Day crew members I recognized from the gig.
“Hey Stoner� he smiled,
“Hi� I smiled back, relieved, “Jake, right?�
“Yep� he said, “Follow me. The car’s in the parking lot�
The hotel was amazing. I know this is weird but I’d never even stayed in a hotel before that night with Billie Joe. My parents are those annoying outdoors types who took us on camping holidays when we were kids, and all the travelling to different parts of the world I’d done with Tom the past few years involved scummy youth hostels that cost a fiver a night. Not that we ever cared. We threw our bags down in our huge suite and I mentally prepared myself for seeing Billie Joe again. But not enough. Because when he opened the door to his suite, and he was actually standing in front of me, I thought I was going to fall over. He was dressed all in black, his hair was hanging over his forehead and his green eyes were boring into mine. When his face broke into a grin I thought I was going to implode. I realised I had completely forgotten what he actually looked like. This was going to be harder than I thought.
“Hey� he smiled,
“Hi� I said.
He pulled me into a hug as Tre appeared beside him in the door.
“Hi Sophie… And friend! Hey, how’s it going, I’m Tre!�
“Hi� said Ellen, nervously as Billie Joe let go of me. I could still feel his shirt against my face even after he’d gone.
“This is Ellen� I said,
“Oh, hi� said Billie Joe, “Sophie told us about you�
“She did?� asked Tre, looking confused, “I don’t remember a fucking thing about that night. I’m surprised I even remember Sophie. I’d forgotten what you looked like though, you’re pretty hot�
“Thanks� I blushed.
Billie Joe rolled his eyes as we went into their room.
“Hey!� called Mike from the other side of the room. “Sorry, I can’t move, I’m right about to beat Tre’s score. “
He was sitting on the couch staring intently at the TV screen. His fingers were a blur on the Game Cube pad.
“We have been so Goddamn bored today� said Billie Joe, putting his hands behind his head and stretching. I looked away as his T shirt rose.
“It’s cool you guys came though� said Tre, who had reclaimed his position next to Mike on the couch, his eyes now also glued to the TV. “It might get less boring. You want a drink?�
“Yeah, cool� I said,
“I’ll get them� said Billie Joe, walking over to the kitchen area.
“Hey. Sit� said Tre, looking at Ellen and making room for her next to him on the couch, “So you go to college with Sophie right...�
While they were getting acquainted, I walked over to Billie and asked if he needed a hand.
“Uh…no, its ok. Thanks though�
“You’re not playing the game then?�
“Nah…I haven’t really felt like it. I’ve been kinda bummed the kids are gone, to be honest�
I felt bad for him.
“It’s ok though� he said, brightly, “We go home in just over a week. Besides the alcohol will help and you guys are here now so…we’ll have some fun�
“Definitely� I smiled, as he passed me a drink.
“It’s good to see you� he said, “I’m glad you came�
“Me too� I said awkwardly.
“You look…good. Different�
“Well, last time you saw me I’d pretty much just spent an hour and a half in a mosh pit�
He laughed,
“Yeah� he said, “I guess so�
Neither of us said anything for a moment and my panic levels were just starting to rise when Tre came up behind us and put an arm around each of our shoulders.
“Well, isn’t this awkward� he said, smiling, “Hey…why is that do you think?�
Mike started laughing, which set Ellen off.
“Fuck off Tre� said Billie Joe, lazily, as I started to blush.
“Ok, ok, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it was just too easy.� chuckled Tre, pulling me against him, “Aww, she’s so cute�
“Thanks� I said, wryly
“Did you bring any weed with you this time?� Mike asked, from the couch
“No� I said, “I wouldn’t risk taking it through train stations, even for you guys�
“Not that that’s why we asked you to come or anything� said Billie, smirking slightly.
“It’s cool. We’ll just have to get drunk instead� said Mike, “Billie, get the shot glasses out.�
“Way ahead of you� smiled Billie, who was coming out of the kitchen with a stack of shot glasses in one hand and a bottle of Jagermeister in the other.
“Ok, ladies and gentlemen� said Tre, unscrewing the top of the bottle and starting to pour, “A couple of rounds of these and then I’m making cocktails a’ la Cool. Let’s go�
By the time we were at the station on Friday, Ellen was so excited I was getting worried about her.
“You have GOT to chill out� I told her, “Or you’re just going to pass out or something the moment you meet them. That’s not exactly playing it cool�
“ I know, I know� she said, lighting a cigarette to calm her nerves, “But I’ve liked them for so long…I just can’t believe I’m going to get to finally meet them�
Typically, the moment she took her first drag on her cigarette the train arrived. The journey seemed to last forever, probably because Ellen didn’t shut up all the way there and I spent the whole time having practice conversations with Billie Joe inside my head. When we got to King’s Cross Station, we dumped our bags on the platform. I had just realised I had no idea who I was meeting and where, when I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see one of the Green Day crew members I recognized from the gig.
“Hey Stoner� he smiled,
“Hi� I smiled back, relieved, “Jake, right?�
“Yep� he said, “Follow me. The car’s in the parking lot�
The hotel was amazing. I know this is weird but I’d never even stayed in a hotel before that night with Billie Joe. My parents are those annoying outdoors types who took us on camping holidays when we were kids, and all the travelling to different parts of the world I’d done with Tom the past few years involved scummy youth hostels that cost a fiver a night. Not that we ever cared. We threw our bags down in our huge suite and I mentally prepared myself for seeing Billie Joe again. But not enough. Because when he opened the door to his suite, and he was actually standing in front of me, I thought I was going to fall over. He was dressed all in black, his hair was hanging over his forehead and his green eyes were boring into mine. When his face broke into a grin I thought I was going to implode. I realised I had completely forgotten what he actually looked like. This was going to be harder than I thought.
“Hey� he smiled,
“Hi� I said.
He pulled me into a hug as Tre appeared beside him in the door.
“Hi Sophie… And friend! Hey, how’s it going, I’m Tre!�
“Hi� said Ellen, nervously as Billie Joe let go of me. I could still feel his shirt against my face even after he’d gone.
“This is Ellen� I said,
“Oh, hi� said Billie Joe, “Sophie told us about you�
“She did?� asked Tre, looking confused, “I don’t remember a fucking thing about that night. I’m surprised I even remember Sophie. I’d forgotten what you looked like though, you’re pretty hot�
“Thanks� I blushed.
Billie Joe rolled his eyes as we went into their room.
“Hey!� called Mike from the other side of the room. “Sorry, I can’t move, I’m right about to beat Tre’s score. “
He was sitting on the couch staring intently at the TV screen. His fingers were a blur on the Game Cube pad.
“We have been so Goddamn bored today� said Billie Joe, putting his hands behind his head and stretching. I looked away as his T shirt rose.
“It’s cool you guys came though� said Tre, who had reclaimed his position next to Mike on the couch, his eyes now also glued to the TV. “It might get less boring. You want a drink?�
“Yeah, cool� I said,
“I’ll get them� said Billie Joe, walking over to the kitchen area.
“Hey. Sit� said Tre, looking at Ellen and making room for her next to him on the couch, “So you go to college with Sophie right...�
While they were getting acquainted, I walked over to Billie and asked if he needed a hand.
“Uh…no, its ok. Thanks though�
“You’re not playing the game then?�
“Nah…I haven’t really felt like it. I’ve been kinda bummed the kids are gone, to be honest�
I felt bad for him.
“It’s ok though� he said, brightly, “We go home in just over a week. Besides the alcohol will help and you guys are here now so…we’ll have some fun�
“Definitely� I smiled, as he passed me a drink.
“It’s good to see you� he said, “I’m glad you came�
“Me too� I said awkwardly.
“You look…good. Different�
“Well, last time you saw me I’d pretty much just spent an hour and a half in a mosh pit�
He laughed,
“Yeah� he said, “I guess so�
Neither of us said anything for a moment and my panic levels were just starting to rise when Tre came up behind us and put an arm around each of our shoulders.
“Well, isn’t this awkward� he said, smiling, “Hey…why is that do you think?�
Mike started laughing, which set Ellen off.
“Fuck off Tre� said Billie Joe, lazily, as I started to blush.
“Ok, ok, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, it was just too easy.� chuckled Tre, pulling me against him, “Aww, she’s so cute�
“Thanks� I said, wryly
“Did you bring any weed with you this time?� Mike asked, from the couch
“No� I said, “I wouldn’t risk taking it through train stations, even for you guys�
“Not that that’s why we asked you to come or anything� said Billie, smirking slightly.
“It’s cool. We’ll just have to get drunk instead� said Mike, “Billie, get the shot glasses out.�
“Way ahead of you� smiled Billie, who was coming out of the kitchen with a stack of shot glasses in one hand and a bottle of Jagermeister in the other.
“Ok, ladies and gentlemen� said Tre, unscrewing the top of the bottle and starting to pour, “A couple of rounds of these and then I’m making cocktails a’ la Cool. Let’s go�
