“Who Would've Thought Getting Knocked Down Would End So Well?”, chapter 27
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The sun streamed through the Venetian blinds in the bedroom. I looked over at Billie Joe who was still asleep. With a quiet sigh I sat up in the bed as my feet landed on the soft, fluffy carpet. Padding across the room to the adjoining bathroom, I closed the door quietly. Flipping the light switch, the room was suddenly flooded with artificial illumination. Pulling off what little clothing I bore, I dropped the items onto the floor and turned on the shower. Stepping inside and feeling the hot water pelt my skin, I closed my eyes, reveling in the sensation.
I was startled when a pair of arms wrapped around my bare body. I leaned into Billie Joe as he kissed my neck and shoulders.
"Good morning, Amelia."
I could only moan in reply. The feel of a steamy shower in addition to the sensation of Billie Joe pressed against me was just what I needed. I turned to face him and we engaged in a long, passionate kiss that progressed to much more.
Thirty minutes later, Billie Joe and I had just stepped out of the shower, smirking. I was drying myself off when I glanced at the bathroom clock.
"It's so late already! I'd better get going."
Billie Joe looked at me, confused, as we walked back into the bedroom. "Where are you off to, babe? Why don't you stay home, we can have some fun." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at me as he continued to dry himself off with his towel.
Picking a pair of jeans out of the closet, I turned to look at Billie Joe. "I'm going to the hospital for a bit to see Tre. How about we have some fun later?" I heard Billie Joe sigh and mumble incoherently while he pulled on a pair of black boxers. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked into his emerald eyes. He continued to dress in silence.
"What's wrong, BJ?"
"It's nothing, Amelia. I'm going to make some coffee." He left the room and closed the door behind him. I stared at the spot where he stood a moment ago. I could not figure out why his mood had changed so suddenly but I was determined to find out.
After quickly slipping into my clothing, I left the bedroom and walked downstairs to the kitchen. I could see Billie Joe moving around the room, preparing breakfast. He caught me staring at him and looked away. Now I was sure that something was wrong. I stepped into the kitchen.
"Billie Joe, what's going on? I have the impression that you're upset with me but I have no idea why. Did I do something?"
Billie Joe continued pacing around the kitchen, avoiding eye contact with me. "It's fine, Amelia. Just go and be with Tre, I know that's where you want to be." He walked toward the percolator to tend to his coffee.
threw you the obvious and you flew
with it on your back, a name in your recollection,
thrown down among a million same.
My eyes bulged as though I had been slapped. Billie Joe was jealous. I was angry. "What, exactly, do you mean by that? I'm visiting my friend, Billie Joe, who needs me. What else am I supposed to do?" I was trying to keep my voice steady and low, but it was not working. I was beginning to raise my voice in frustration ... and anger.
"It's like you care about Tre more than you care about me! Even the media realize it and they're idiots!"
"How can you say that?!" I started, "You're the one I love!" I could not believe what I was hearing.
difficult not to feel a little bit disappointed
and passed over
when I've looked right through
to see you naked and oblivious
He paced back and forth in the kitchen, incapable of standing still. Walking towards the small table located at the corner of the room, Billie Joe grabbed a magazine from its shiny wooden surface and practically threw it at me. Not quite understanding Billie Joe's actions yet sensing he would not explain himself, I scanned the table of contents of the magazine and found the article I assumed he wanted me to read. Flipping the pages until I reached the publication, I could feel Billie Joe's eyes fixed upon me as I began to read.
Green Day on Hiatus?
TRUE DEDICATION. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find that special someone, the one who will remain by your side through thick and thin. It is especially challenging when you find yourself in the public eye. Tre Cool of Green Day seems to have finally found that special someone.
Frank Edwin Wright III, better known as Tre Cool, had been unlucky in love. Twice divorced, the sometimes goofy punk rocker seemed destined for bachelorhood. Even a relationship with Donna C of The Donnas had failed. When it seemed like all hope was lost, he finally found his match.
Recently, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool, members of the infamous punk trio Green Day, found themselves trapped in a dangerous situation; while shopping at a department store, three masked men attempted to rob the establishment. Mike was trampled and rendered unconscious while Tre was shot in an attempt to escape. Billie Joe Armstrong, frontman for the band, was elsewhere during the incident. Dirnt and Cool, along with twenty others, were rushed to Highland General Hospital. Mike, the "lucky" of the two did not suffer extensive injuries; he suffered a few broken bones and bruises. Doctors, however, were not sure Tre would even survive the night. But the rocker pulled through! Due to the massive amount of shock to his body as a result of his injury, however, Tre Cool has slipped into a coma. It is not clear when he will wake up, if at all.
Sources reveal that the punk trio were in the process of creating the follow-up album to their multi-platinum hit American Idiot. This project will have to be put on hold indefinitely.
Every day, without fail, Tre Cool has been visited by a special someone. Thanks to our sources, we now know the identity of this person. Amelia Othello has been spotted with the members of Green Day on numerous occasions, however, it had been unclear whether she was romantically linked to any of them. . . until now! Day in and day out, Amelia has been visiting her lover, usually spending her entire day at the hospital. It looks as though Cool may have finally found the one.
Tre Cool, however, remains in a coma, so our thoughts and prayers remain with him and his loved ones.
My mouth dropped in shock. I could not believe that the paparazzi were so desperate for a story that they would distort the truth so greatly. Besides, Claudia visited Tre as much as I did and they actually had a past together.
I was mostly angry, however, with Billie Joe. For a person who said that he never read his own press, he sure found this article easily. The fact that he was upset by such an unreliable source enraged me as I stood in front of him, trying to make him understand my point of view. Lifting my eyes from the magazine, I looked into Billie Joe's eyes and was annoyed with what I saw. His eyes gloated silently. He obviously thought that because such an article was written, it meant that he was right and I spent too much time at the hospital. I felt as though he did not trust me or understand where I was coming from.
"We all love Tre, Amelia. And we're all there to support him and his family. But I need you too. We just moved in together but I see you less than when you lived with Drew! Most of the time we spend together is when we're asleep or when you manage to fit a quickie into your busy schedule!" He paused to take a breath while I stared at him, stunned into silence. I was so upset I could not have formed coherent sentences if I had wanted to. I was exasperated by the emotional drain of visiting an unresponsive Tre, of the near-breakdown I'd experienced in my car last week, and by the mounting tension that had just erupted. Billie Joe took a breath and began again.
"The paparazzi follow us around all the time, and they don't even speculate that we're together! Doesn't that bother you? Because it kills me!" His eyes were sad. I just did not know why he could not understand my viewpoint and why he was so angry with me.
"Why do you care about that stupid article anyway, we both know it's not true!" I paused to collect my thoughts.
"I care" he spat back. I shook my head in disbelief.
"Don't you get it, Billie Joe?! If I hadn't moved in with you, none of this would have happened. Mike and Tre would still be ok. Every morning I wake up and Tre's still in a coma and Mike is still injured I feel guilty. It's my fault!"
As soon as the words left my mouth I instantly regretted them. I immediately raised my hands to my mouth as though the gesture could somehow mute the words that had already escaped from my lips. Billie Joe winced as though I had slapped him. He tried to hide the hurt he was obviously feeling, but it was no use.
"So . . ." he began, "you regret moving in with me?"
"Of course not. I just . . ." Billie Joe raised a hand to stop me from talking.
"Let's just stop arguing before one of us really says something we can't take back." Billie Joe looked down and sighed.
here I am expecting just a little bit
too much from the wounded.
"I'm going to the studio to work on a few songs."
but I see
see through it all
see through
and see you
He was already walking past me, his head pointed downwards. "I'll see you when I'm done. I'll visit Tre later."
And with that, Billie Joe walked out of the house, pulling the front door firmly behind him. Moments later I could hear his car pulling out of the driveway and onto the street. The house fell into an eerie silence as I stood in the middle of the living room, confused and frustrated by what had just happened.
you don't see me.
you don't see me at all.
* * * * * * * *
I sat on the chair beside Tre's hospital bed, a chair I knew all too well. I shifted, trying to get as comfortable as possible on the unbearably hard, unyielding seat. Reaching for Tre's lifeless hand, I squeezed it gently.
"Hey Tre, it's me again."
I leaned back in the uncomfortable plastic chair, reveling in the stillness of the room. It was an almost pleasant change compared to the mounting stress in my home. The relationship between Billie Joe and I had been strained and we were not spending much time alone together since the accident; I was frequently at the hospital and he had spent a lot of his time in the basement studio. I sighed deeply, thinking about the events of the past two weeks and the tension that had been building, culminating in this morning's scene.
I still could not believe the argument that had erupted between Billie Joe and I. Trying to push the thought to the back of my mind for a little while, I focused on Tre. I squeezed his hand again.
A few minutes had passed when I heard the door to Tre's room open slowly. I turned my head and spotted Ramona peeking in. I gestured for her to come in and she entered the room quietly. She was such a pretty girl. Her blonde hair flowed past her shoulders and I could see Tre in both her physical attributes and her personality, especially when she smiled, although that was a rarity nowadays. She grabbed a chair and pulled it close to mine. She sat down.
"Hey Mona, how are you doing today?"
Ramona just shrugged. "I'm ok. I'll be better when my dad wakes up."
I felt bad for her. Putting my free arm around her shoulder, I pulled her in for a lopsided hug. A few moments of silence passed between us when I felt Ramona's eyes on me. I turned my head, looking straight into her piercing blue eyes.
"Amelia, do you think my dad is going to wake up?" The sadness in her eyes was almost too much to bear. I smiled weakly at her. It was not fair that she had been burdened by such a terrible situation so early in her life. It was bad enough that she lived across the country from her father and that he was always on tour.
I nodded. "Yes, Ramona, I do think your dad will wake up. He is one of the strongest people I know." She looked down and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. Tears began to sail down her rosy cheeks.
"Amelia, I don't want him to die."
I was unable to hold back the sobs that shook through my body, threatening to consume me, consume us both. Letting go of Tre's hand, I turned towards Ramona and pulled her into a tight hug.
"Me neither, Mona. Me neither."
I closed my eyes. Taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm down, I could feel Ramona's tears soaking my shirt as I held her tighter. I had to be strong for her, because right now in this room, I was all she had. I turned my head to gaze upon Tre, willing him to wake up. I did a double take when I realized that something had changed. Wiping a stray tear from my eye with the back of my hand, I released Ramona from our hug. Ramona, too, looked at her father. Her blue eyes opened wide.
"Oh my God."
I was startled when a pair of arms wrapped around my bare body. I leaned into Billie Joe as he kissed my neck and shoulders.
"Good morning, Amelia."
I could only moan in reply. The feel of a steamy shower in addition to the sensation of Billie Joe pressed against me was just what I needed. I turned to face him and we engaged in a long, passionate kiss that progressed to much more.
Thirty minutes later, Billie Joe and I had just stepped out of the shower, smirking. I was drying myself off when I glanced at the bathroom clock.
"It's so late already! I'd better get going."
Billie Joe looked at me, confused, as we walked back into the bedroom. "Where are you off to, babe? Why don't you stay home, we can have some fun." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at me as he continued to dry himself off with his towel.
Picking a pair of jeans out of the closet, I turned to look at Billie Joe. "I'm going to the hospital for a bit to see Tre. How about we have some fun later?" I heard Billie Joe sigh and mumble incoherently while he pulled on a pair of black boxers. I furrowed my eyebrows and looked into his emerald eyes. He continued to dress in silence.
"What's wrong, BJ?"
"It's nothing, Amelia. I'm going to make some coffee." He left the room and closed the door behind him. I stared at the spot where he stood a moment ago. I could not figure out why his mood had changed so suddenly but I was determined to find out.
After quickly slipping into my clothing, I left the bedroom and walked downstairs to the kitchen. I could see Billie Joe moving around the room, preparing breakfast. He caught me staring at him and looked away. Now I was sure that something was wrong. I stepped into the kitchen.
"Billie Joe, what's going on? I have the impression that you're upset with me but I have no idea why. Did I do something?"
Billie Joe continued pacing around the kitchen, avoiding eye contact with me. "It's fine, Amelia. Just go and be with Tre, I know that's where you want to be." He walked toward the percolator to tend to his coffee.
threw you the obvious and you flew
with it on your back, a name in your recollection,
thrown down among a million same.
My eyes bulged as though I had been slapped. Billie Joe was jealous. I was angry. "What, exactly, do you mean by that? I'm visiting my friend, Billie Joe, who needs me. What else am I supposed to do?" I was trying to keep my voice steady and low, but it was not working. I was beginning to raise my voice in frustration ... and anger.
"It's like you care about Tre more than you care about me! Even the media realize it and they're idiots!"
"How can you say that?!" I started, "You're the one I love!" I could not believe what I was hearing.
difficult not to feel a little bit disappointed
and passed over
when I've looked right through
to see you naked and oblivious
He paced back and forth in the kitchen, incapable of standing still. Walking towards the small table located at the corner of the room, Billie Joe grabbed a magazine from its shiny wooden surface and practically threw it at me. Not quite understanding Billie Joe's actions yet sensing he would not explain himself, I scanned the table of contents of the magazine and found the article I assumed he wanted me to read. Flipping the pages until I reached the publication, I could feel Billie Joe's eyes fixed upon me as I began to read.
Green Day on Hiatus?
TRUE DEDICATION. It is becoming increasingly difficult to find that special someone, the one who will remain by your side through thick and thin. It is especially challenging when you find yourself in the public eye. Tre Cool of Green Day seems to have finally found that special someone.
Frank Edwin Wright III, better known as Tre Cool, had been unlucky in love. Twice divorced, the sometimes goofy punk rocker seemed destined for bachelorhood. Even a relationship with Donna C of The Donnas had failed. When it seemed like all hope was lost, he finally found his match.
Recently, Mike Dirnt and Tre Cool, members of the infamous punk trio Green Day, found themselves trapped in a dangerous situation; while shopping at a department store, three masked men attempted to rob the establishment. Mike was trampled and rendered unconscious while Tre was shot in an attempt to escape. Billie Joe Armstrong, frontman for the band, was elsewhere during the incident. Dirnt and Cool, along with twenty others, were rushed to Highland General Hospital. Mike, the "lucky" of the two did not suffer extensive injuries; he suffered a few broken bones and bruises. Doctors, however, were not sure Tre would even survive the night. But the rocker pulled through! Due to the massive amount of shock to his body as a result of his injury, however, Tre Cool has slipped into a coma. It is not clear when he will wake up, if at all.
Sources reveal that the punk trio were in the process of creating the follow-up album to their multi-platinum hit American Idiot. This project will have to be put on hold indefinitely.
Every day, without fail, Tre Cool has been visited by a special someone. Thanks to our sources, we now know the identity of this person. Amelia Othello has been spotted with the members of Green Day on numerous occasions, however, it had been unclear whether she was romantically linked to any of them. . . until now! Day in and day out, Amelia has been visiting her lover, usually spending her entire day at the hospital. It looks as though Cool may have finally found the one.
Tre Cool, however, remains in a coma, so our thoughts and prayers remain with him and his loved ones.
My mouth dropped in shock. I could not believe that the paparazzi were so desperate for a story that they would distort the truth so greatly. Besides, Claudia visited Tre as much as I did and they actually had a past together.
I was mostly angry, however, with Billie Joe. For a person who said that he never read his own press, he sure found this article easily. The fact that he was upset by such an unreliable source enraged me as I stood in front of him, trying to make him understand my point of view. Lifting my eyes from the magazine, I looked into Billie Joe's eyes and was annoyed with what I saw. His eyes gloated silently. He obviously thought that because such an article was written, it meant that he was right and I spent too much time at the hospital. I felt as though he did not trust me or understand where I was coming from.
"We all love Tre, Amelia. And we're all there to support him and his family. But I need you too. We just moved in together but I see you less than when you lived with Drew! Most of the time we spend together is when we're asleep or when you manage to fit a quickie into your busy schedule!" He paused to take a breath while I stared at him, stunned into silence. I was so upset I could not have formed coherent sentences if I had wanted to. I was exasperated by the emotional drain of visiting an unresponsive Tre, of the near-breakdown I'd experienced in my car last week, and by the mounting tension that had just erupted. Billie Joe took a breath and began again.
"The paparazzi follow us around all the time, and they don't even speculate that we're together! Doesn't that bother you? Because it kills me!" His eyes were sad. I just did not know why he could not understand my viewpoint and why he was so angry with me.
"Why do you care about that stupid article anyway, we both know it's not true!" I paused to collect my thoughts.
"I care" he spat back. I shook my head in disbelief.
"Don't you get it, Billie Joe?! If I hadn't moved in with you, none of this would have happened. Mike and Tre would still be ok. Every morning I wake up and Tre's still in a coma and Mike is still injured I feel guilty. It's my fault!"
As soon as the words left my mouth I instantly regretted them. I immediately raised my hands to my mouth as though the gesture could somehow mute the words that had already escaped from my lips. Billie Joe winced as though I had slapped him. He tried to hide the hurt he was obviously feeling, but it was no use.
"So . . ." he began, "you regret moving in with me?"
"Of course not. I just . . ." Billie Joe raised a hand to stop me from talking.
"Let's just stop arguing before one of us really says something we can't take back." Billie Joe looked down and sighed.
here I am expecting just a little bit
too much from the wounded.
"I'm going to the studio to work on a few songs."
but I see
see through it all
see through
and see you
He was already walking past me, his head pointed downwards. "I'll see you when I'm done. I'll visit Tre later."
And with that, Billie Joe walked out of the house, pulling the front door firmly behind him. Moments later I could hear his car pulling out of the driveway and onto the street. The house fell into an eerie silence as I stood in the middle of the living room, confused and frustrated by what had just happened.
you don't see me.
you don't see me at all.
* * * * * * * *
I sat on the chair beside Tre's hospital bed, a chair I knew all too well. I shifted, trying to get as comfortable as possible on the unbearably hard, unyielding seat. Reaching for Tre's lifeless hand, I squeezed it gently.
"Hey Tre, it's me again."
I leaned back in the uncomfortable plastic chair, reveling in the stillness of the room. It was an almost pleasant change compared to the mounting stress in my home. The relationship between Billie Joe and I had been strained and we were not spending much time alone together since the accident; I was frequently at the hospital and he had spent a lot of his time in the basement studio. I sighed deeply, thinking about the events of the past two weeks and the tension that had been building, culminating in this morning's scene.
I still could not believe the argument that had erupted between Billie Joe and I. Trying to push the thought to the back of my mind for a little while, I focused on Tre. I squeezed his hand again.
A few minutes had passed when I heard the door to Tre's room open slowly. I turned my head and spotted Ramona peeking in. I gestured for her to come in and she entered the room quietly. She was such a pretty girl. Her blonde hair flowed past her shoulders and I could see Tre in both her physical attributes and her personality, especially when she smiled, although that was a rarity nowadays. She grabbed a chair and pulled it close to mine. She sat down.
"Hey Mona, how are you doing today?"
Ramona just shrugged. "I'm ok. I'll be better when my dad wakes up."
I felt bad for her. Putting my free arm around her shoulder, I pulled her in for a lopsided hug. A few moments of silence passed between us when I felt Ramona's eyes on me. I turned my head, looking straight into her piercing blue eyes.
"Amelia, do you think my dad is going to wake up?" The sadness in her eyes was almost too much to bear. I smiled weakly at her. It was not fair that she had been burdened by such a terrible situation so early in her life. It was bad enough that she lived across the country from her father and that he was always on tour.
I nodded. "Yes, Ramona, I do think your dad will wake up. He is one of the strongest people I know." She looked down and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. Tears began to sail down her rosy cheeks.
"Amelia, I don't want him to die."
I was unable to hold back the sobs that shook through my body, threatening to consume me, consume us both. Letting go of Tre's hand, I turned towards Ramona and pulled her into a tight hug.
"Me neither, Mona. Me neither."
I closed my eyes. Taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm down, I could feel Ramona's tears soaking my shirt as I held her tighter. I had to be strong for her, because right now in this room, I was all she had. I turned my head to gaze upon Tre, willing him to wake up. I did a double take when I realized that something had changed. Wiping a stray tear from my eye with the back of my hand, I released Ramona from our hug. Ramona, too, looked at her father. Her blue eyes opened wide.
"Oh my God."
