The Summer Of Our Lives, chapter 13
It's not like I didn't remember hanging out with Green Day, back in July the day of their concert, and the day after, too. But that didn't mean I ever expected to hear from them again. I mean, like, EVER. So of course the four of us were shocked beyond belief. Rob and Kevin just stared blankly. Liv's jaw dropped. I giggled nervously, remembering the Pop Tart thing from last time.
"Well?" Billie Joe asked. "Aren't you going to let us come in? Jesus, Cassie, you were a lot more polite last time we saw you guys," he joked.
I moved aside, dumbstruck. "Well," I said, regaining my voice at last, "we weren't exactly expecting you." Understatement. "But, uh, come in." They already had.
"So, how've you guys been?" I asked. "And, um, why are you here?"
"Well, we were gonna fly back to California from Boston, because that's where we were for our last show before the tour's over," Mike explained, following my friends and me into the living room. "But we had to change flights in New York. Then there was that huge storm back in Oakland, so they cancelled our flight. The next one straight to Oakland doesn't leave till tomorrow morning." He sat down in an armchair. "I hate changing planes."
"So you decided to drive into the suburbs, an hour away from the city, and show up once again on my front porch," I said disbelievingly.
Billie shrugged. "It worked the first time, didn't it? At least you're not crazed teenies who try to MURDER us."
I thought about my next-door neighbor who would have probably killed to be here. "You know, it's lucky you stopped here for directions and not there," I said, pointing in the direction of Gavin's house.
"Who knows what might have happened?" Liv said, with a trace of disgust in her voice. She had met Gavin on one occasion, and despite the fact that they both loved Green Day, they didn't exactly hit it off. I smirked at the memory of him calling Liv "that smart ass bitch." He probably still had the mark where she kicked him.
The weirdness of meeting Green Day wore off quicker this time, probably because it had happened before. All seven of us sat down in the living room. Billie joined Kevin and I on the couch, Mike slouched in the chair, Liv and Rob sat on the floor by his feet, and Tre promptly plunked himself down at Peter's drum set.
"Hey," I said. "We need more music." I got up and went over to the shelf I had found "Dookie" on. I felt around (it was too high for me to see) and came back with "International Superhits!" which I popped into the CD tray in the stereo. "Maria" immediately started playing. I flopped back down on the couch.
"Anybody want more drinks?" I asked.
Tre jumped up, drumsticks in hand. "Ooh, ooh, me, me!" he cried energetically. "I'll have a beer!"
"Tre!" Mike said sharply. "I told you before; you are not getting beer from four thirteen-year-olds."
"Aww," Tre pouted. "Fine. I'll just have a couple vodka shots, then." Now he was just joking. I hoped.
"No vodka, either."
"Tequila?"
"No."
"We have Coke, I think," I put in, breaking into Mike and Tre's fake argument with each other.
"Sure," every body said. I got up and took my friends' glasses with me. I went into the kitchen, refilled them, and returned.
My three friends and I sat with Green Day, discussing things like the meanings of all the songs and random stuff like that, for another half hour. It was pretty fun, all things considered.
It was around this time that Liv must have gotten bored (although it was a mystery why; they were HER favorite band in the first place), because she decided that we should play a game of Truth or Dare. I thought that was a stupid idea; it's not like we weren't having a great time as it was, but you don't argue with a girl who knows the Pythagorean Theorem like the lyrics to "Time of Your Life." So I leaned forward in my seat and listened as Liv asked me which I preferred, truth or dare.
"Truth," I answered automatically. I never did dare for some reason.
"Okay," Liv sighed. "Which of the guys here would you go out with if you had the choice?"
"Um," I said, in a tone indicating the answer was obvious, which it was. "Kevin. Duh."
Liv just rolled her eyes and said, "Besides Kevin."
Kevin just looked at me quizzically with his big brown eyes and shrugged as if to say, "Pick one."
I hesitated, and then did the only thing you can do in a situation like that. "Eenie, meenie, miney, mo," I counted, pointing to Billie, Mike, Tre and Rob each in turn. After a while, my finger landed on Billie.
"But he's married," I whined. "I want another try!"
"Yeah," Billie said, following my lead.
I lifted my hand, preparing to count again, but Liv smacked it back down. "Tough. Tre, your turn."
"Alright!" he said from the corner where the drums were. "Okay. You there. Kevin."
"Yeah," Kevin said.
"Truth or dare?"
Kevin looked at me then answered, "Dare."
"Okay," Tre said thoughtfully. "I dare you to go into that closet over there and make out with your girlfriend." He pointed to the closet under the stairs.
I stamped my foot. "I did not agree to this," I said. "I never agreed to be a part of this dare."
"But you don't mind, do you?" Tre said.
"No. But... that's not the point!"
"Well then it's settled," Billie and Mike both said, pulling Kevin and me towards the closet and shoving us inside.
Once they slammed the door and locked it (why do closets only lock from the outside, anyway?), Kevin kissed me. And it's not like we hadn't kissed before, but I still practically melted, even though I was the one who made such a big deal of it in the first place. We continued kissing for about five minutes.
I heard the lock on the other side of the door unlock, so I pushed the door open. There was a thunk so loud the wooden door vibrated.
"Ow, shit," Tre said from the floor, rubbing his head. He had pressed his ear against the crack at the bottom, hoping to hear something, but instead all he heard was six people laughing as he swore and massaged his sore head.
"Told you that was a bad idea," said Billie.
Eventually Tre, Kevin, and I sat back down. It was my turn.
"Truth or dare?" I asked Billie.
"Truth," he replied.
"Okay," I said, trying to think up a good one. "Give me the most random and stupid fact about yourself you can think of."
He thought for a moment. "I like to play air guitar in front of my bedroom mirror," he said.
"Me too!" I exclaimed, and high-fived him.
Then Mike said to me, "Are you a serious music fan, or are you just a crazy person?"
"Hey!" I said. "You didn't ask me if I wanted a dare!" I thought for a moment. "I've always loved music. ALL music. Even hip-hop and rap pop and stuff like that. I just like the sound of any music at all." I stopped but everyone was looking at me so I went on. "I also know the words to pretty much every song I've ever heard, and I always sing them. Even if I hate the song, I'll just sing without thinking. I'll walk in time to the music without thinking. I even chew my GUM in time without thinking!" I had never told anyone this before, but it was true. "But I'm also a crazy person. Just ask Kevin."
Kevin nodded. "Yup. I call her Mad."
The three guys in Green Day looked at him like HE was mad.
"Middle name's Madison," I explained.
"Lucky you," Tre said. "I had an even worse name challenge." Liv and Rob each hurled a sofa pillow at Frank Edwin Wright III.
"So, do you like singing a lot?" Billie asked me.
"Hell yeah!" I replied.
"And she's amazing," Liv said.
"And you know the words to any song?" Billie asked.
"Uh-huh."
"You want to sing with us?"
"Right now?" Okay, THIS was a dream come true.
"Okay," I said, "But I get to pick the song."
"Fine," Billie said, folding his arms across his chest.
I decided to pick the longest Green Day song I could think of. "Jesus of Suburbia!" (And yes, I know "Homecoming" is longer, I may not be Liv but I can count. "Jesus of Suburbia" just happens to be one of my many, many, many favorite songs, thank you very much.)
And just as the very best part of my adventure so far was about to happen, just as Billie said, "Alright!," just as Tre raised his drumsticks to tap out the rhythm of the song, I heard the horrible sound of the key scraping in the lock of the garage door. My mother walked into the house with a bag of groceries in her arms and Peter bounding in behind her, bouncing a rubber bouncy ball.
I was dead, I knew it.
"Well?" Billie Joe asked. "Aren't you going to let us come in? Jesus, Cassie, you were a lot more polite last time we saw you guys," he joked.
I moved aside, dumbstruck. "Well," I said, regaining my voice at last, "we weren't exactly expecting you." Understatement. "But, uh, come in." They already had.
"So, how've you guys been?" I asked. "And, um, why are you here?"
"Well, we were gonna fly back to California from Boston, because that's where we were for our last show before the tour's over," Mike explained, following my friends and me into the living room. "But we had to change flights in New York. Then there was that huge storm back in Oakland, so they cancelled our flight. The next one straight to Oakland doesn't leave till tomorrow morning." He sat down in an armchair. "I hate changing planes."
"So you decided to drive into the suburbs, an hour away from the city, and show up once again on my front porch," I said disbelievingly.
Billie shrugged. "It worked the first time, didn't it? At least you're not crazed teenies who try to MURDER us."
I thought about my next-door neighbor who would have probably killed to be here. "You know, it's lucky you stopped here for directions and not there," I said, pointing in the direction of Gavin's house.
"Who knows what might have happened?" Liv said, with a trace of disgust in her voice. She had met Gavin on one occasion, and despite the fact that they both loved Green Day, they didn't exactly hit it off. I smirked at the memory of him calling Liv "that smart ass bitch." He probably still had the mark where she kicked him.
The weirdness of meeting Green Day wore off quicker this time, probably because it had happened before. All seven of us sat down in the living room. Billie joined Kevin and I on the couch, Mike slouched in the chair, Liv and Rob sat on the floor by his feet, and Tre promptly plunked himself down at Peter's drum set.
"Hey," I said. "We need more music." I got up and went over to the shelf I had found "Dookie" on. I felt around (it was too high for me to see) and came back with "International Superhits!" which I popped into the CD tray in the stereo. "Maria" immediately started playing. I flopped back down on the couch.
"Anybody want more drinks?" I asked.
Tre jumped up, drumsticks in hand. "Ooh, ooh, me, me!" he cried energetically. "I'll have a beer!"
"Tre!" Mike said sharply. "I told you before; you are not getting beer from four thirteen-year-olds."
"Aww," Tre pouted. "Fine. I'll just have a couple vodka shots, then." Now he was just joking. I hoped.
"No vodka, either."
"Tequila?"
"No."
"We have Coke, I think," I put in, breaking into Mike and Tre's fake argument with each other.
"Sure," every body said. I got up and took my friends' glasses with me. I went into the kitchen, refilled them, and returned.
My three friends and I sat with Green Day, discussing things like the meanings of all the songs and random stuff like that, for another half hour. It was pretty fun, all things considered.
It was around this time that Liv must have gotten bored (although it was a mystery why; they were HER favorite band in the first place), because she decided that we should play a game of Truth or Dare. I thought that was a stupid idea; it's not like we weren't having a great time as it was, but you don't argue with a girl who knows the Pythagorean Theorem like the lyrics to "Time of Your Life." So I leaned forward in my seat and listened as Liv asked me which I preferred, truth or dare.
"Truth," I answered automatically. I never did dare for some reason.
"Okay," Liv sighed. "Which of the guys here would you go out with if you had the choice?"
"Um," I said, in a tone indicating the answer was obvious, which it was. "Kevin. Duh."
Liv just rolled her eyes and said, "Besides Kevin."
Kevin just looked at me quizzically with his big brown eyes and shrugged as if to say, "Pick one."
I hesitated, and then did the only thing you can do in a situation like that. "Eenie, meenie, miney, mo," I counted, pointing to Billie, Mike, Tre and Rob each in turn. After a while, my finger landed on Billie.
"But he's married," I whined. "I want another try!"
"Yeah," Billie said, following my lead.
I lifted my hand, preparing to count again, but Liv smacked it back down. "Tough. Tre, your turn."
"Alright!" he said from the corner where the drums were. "Okay. You there. Kevin."
"Yeah," Kevin said.
"Truth or dare?"
Kevin looked at me then answered, "Dare."
"Okay," Tre said thoughtfully. "I dare you to go into that closet over there and make out with your girlfriend." He pointed to the closet under the stairs.
I stamped my foot. "I did not agree to this," I said. "I never agreed to be a part of this dare."
"But you don't mind, do you?" Tre said.
"No. But... that's not the point!"
"Well then it's settled," Billie and Mike both said, pulling Kevin and me towards the closet and shoving us inside.
Once they slammed the door and locked it (why do closets only lock from the outside, anyway?), Kevin kissed me. And it's not like we hadn't kissed before, but I still practically melted, even though I was the one who made such a big deal of it in the first place. We continued kissing for about five minutes.
I heard the lock on the other side of the door unlock, so I pushed the door open. There was a thunk so loud the wooden door vibrated.
"Ow, shit," Tre said from the floor, rubbing his head. He had pressed his ear against the crack at the bottom, hoping to hear something, but instead all he heard was six people laughing as he swore and massaged his sore head.
"Told you that was a bad idea," said Billie.
Eventually Tre, Kevin, and I sat back down. It was my turn.
"Truth or dare?" I asked Billie.
"Truth," he replied.
"Okay," I said, trying to think up a good one. "Give me the most random and stupid fact about yourself you can think of."
He thought for a moment. "I like to play air guitar in front of my bedroom mirror," he said.
"Me too!" I exclaimed, and high-fived him.
Then Mike said to me, "Are you a serious music fan, or are you just a crazy person?"
"Hey!" I said. "You didn't ask me if I wanted a dare!" I thought for a moment. "I've always loved music. ALL music. Even hip-hop and rap pop and stuff like that. I just like the sound of any music at all." I stopped but everyone was looking at me so I went on. "I also know the words to pretty much every song I've ever heard, and I always sing them. Even if I hate the song, I'll just sing without thinking. I'll walk in time to the music without thinking. I even chew my GUM in time without thinking!" I had never told anyone this before, but it was true. "But I'm also a crazy person. Just ask Kevin."
Kevin nodded. "Yup. I call her Mad."
The three guys in Green Day looked at him like HE was mad.
"Middle name's Madison," I explained.
"Lucky you," Tre said. "I had an even worse name challenge." Liv and Rob each hurled a sofa pillow at Frank Edwin Wright III.
"So, do you like singing a lot?" Billie asked me.
"Hell yeah!" I replied.
"And she's amazing," Liv said.
"And you know the words to any song?" Billie asked.
"Uh-huh."
"You want to sing with us?"
"Right now?" Okay, THIS was a dream come true.
"Okay," I said, "But I get to pick the song."
"Fine," Billie said, folding his arms across his chest.
I decided to pick the longest Green Day song I could think of. "Jesus of Suburbia!" (And yes, I know "Homecoming" is longer, I may not be Liv but I can count. "Jesus of Suburbia" just happens to be one of my many, many, many favorite songs, thank you very much.)
And just as the very best part of my adventure so far was about to happen, just as Billie said, "Alright!," just as Tre raised his drumsticks to tap out the rhythm of the song, I heard the horrible sound of the key scraping in the lock of the garage door. My mother walked into the house with a bag of groceries in her arms and Peter bounding in behind her, bouncing a rubber bouncy ball.
I was dead, I knew it.
