His Little Drummer Girl, chapter 7
Tre was fiddling around with his stix.
It was just him and Mike in the room after all the goings on. Billie and Adrienne had taken the little boy to the games room and Phil (who secretly fancied Billie) had made an excuse to go off too. Probably just to ogle Billie somehow. None of the guys were really sure about Phil and how he came to be involved in their business.
"Hey how cool is that seeing Sammi again?" Mike said to Tre picking up his bass and strumming.
"I just cant believe it," said Tre.
Tre was unusually quiet.
"Hell what's the matter?" said Mike. "I thought you'd be pleased to see her after all this time. You can catch up on all those lost years. Remember all the troubles we went to, to try and find her when you'd lost contact. Unbelievable! You had us calling up all those schools to see if she worked there, you even knocked on the door of that house they had rented but they'd all long gone. The woman who owned it thought you were nuts. You had green hair then."
"Shut up Mike, I'm not in the mood," said Tre.
Mike put down his bass and went over to the drum kit where Tre was sitting just fiddling. He put his arms round his old friend's shoulders.
"You still have feelings for her don't ya?" said Mike.
"Not sure," said Tre sighing. "Jeez I could really do without this at the moment. We've got the biggest two gigs of our lives over the next couple of days and now this," Tre said shaking his head.
"For fuck sake Tre pull yourself together. What's got into you. Everyone seems to have a face like shit today and I'm sick of looking at everyone. We've come here to really try and enjoy ourselves and get in the mood for Milton Keynes. We're being filmed for our DVD and everything, man. Lighten up will you!"
"Sorry," said Tre. "It just shocked me seeing her. "She hasn't changed much. I'd forgotten how lovely she is."
"I think you need to speak to her. Just the two of you somewhere quiet away from her kid and us. Why don't you go along now while they are all in the games room? If you don't talk about it its gonna eat away at you and we could do without you moping around for the whole weekend. I wanna enjoy this gig so please for everyone's sake sort this fucking thing that's going round in your head out!"
Tre had never seen Mike so angry and he knew that what he was saying was true. He had to speak to Sammi and explain his side of the story about why he couldn't contact her. He also had to find out about why she didn't contact him and he desperately wanted to find out what she had been up to over the past 13 ½ years. The Charlie kid said she was single and had never married. Poor Sammi having to bring a kid up alone. Wonder what that story is. May be the guy died. May be he left her alone with Francesca. Bastard - how could you do that.
Tres mind was travelling too fast and he needed answers. Yep he had to see Sammi and it had to be soon.
The door opened and in came Billie Joe, Francesca and Charlie.
"I hope you whipped his ass" said Tre as they all came into the room.
Francesca laughed.
"Yes, good and proper - he's rubbish at pool. Are you any better? Give you a game later." She couldn't believe she'd said that to Tre Cool of all people.
"It's a date," said Tre coming across. "Now didn't a little birdie tell me that you could play the drums or were they only kidding?"
"Well I can play a little," said Francesca being slightly coy.
"Well here are the stix," he said flinging them over. "Lets see what you're made of" said Tre.
"Cool" said Charlie. "You wanna hear her play, shes brilliant".
"Shut up Charlie you're embarrassing yourself and me," said Francesca heading over to the drums.
For such a little person Francesca could certainly make a lot of noise. She played for five minutes and everyone was gobsmacked. The three band members just stood there in awe when she'd finished and Charlie was clapping his hands like mad.
"See - she's brilliant isn't she?" Charlie said.
"Fuck me" said Tre "shes gonna take my job! He fell to his knees pretending to be devastated. The guys wont need me to play for them anymore he sobbed. What the fuck shall I do? Why did you send this kid to us. He fell on his back with his arms outstretched. I'm gonna get the sack!"
Everyone was laughing. Billie Joe jumped on top of Tre and started play fighting and then Mike joined in. Charlie and Francesca were in hysterics. They certainly were a real lovely bunch of guys and seemed to have so much fun together. Francesca loved being here with them. They were so warm and friendly. Billie Joe had been so kind to them while they were in the games room. He made them laugh and pretended to lose. I'm going to enjoy this weekend she thought.
Everyone was hungry so Mike said he'd go and get some food for everyone. Charlie asked if he could go with him. "Of course dude, let's go". Billie said he'd better go and find Adrienne and Sammi to see if they wanted to eat and so it was Francesca and Tre alone in the room.
"So blue eyes" asked Tre in a weird voice and holding out a pretend microphone. "When did you start playing the drums and who inspired you?"
"Well" said Francesca also putting on a mock voice "I was around about 8 years old and saw someone playing on the TV. I love instruments and can also play the guitar and piano"
"Ooooh loooookey youuuu," said Tre who was quite impressed.
"Oh and I'm inspired by someone called Tre Cool. He's in this band called Green Day and he is ace" she said, going red.
Tre laughed.
"Looking forward to tomorrow?" asked Tre in more of a serious voice.
"So much. I just can't wait. Everyone at school is just so jealous" said Francesca looking away.
"Tre?" she said after a little while.
"Yep blue eyes" he said throwing his drum sticks up and down and swinging round in his chair like a kid.
"Can I ask you something?" she almost whispered it.
"Depends what it is. You want to marry me and take all my money like my other ex wives?" he chuckled.
"No stupid" she said not believing that she called Tre Cool stupid.
"I was just wondering. How come you know my mum?"
It was just him and Mike in the room after all the goings on. Billie and Adrienne had taken the little boy to the games room and Phil (who secretly fancied Billie) had made an excuse to go off too. Probably just to ogle Billie somehow. None of the guys were really sure about Phil and how he came to be involved in their business.
"Hey how cool is that seeing Sammi again?" Mike said to Tre picking up his bass and strumming.
"I just cant believe it," said Tre.
Tre was unusually quiet.
"Hell what's the matter?" said Mike. "I thought you'd be pleased to see her after all this time. You can catch up on all those lost years. Remember all the troubles we went to, to try and find her when you'd lost contact. Unbelievable! You had us calling up all those schools to see if she worked there, you even knocked on the door of that house they had rented but they'd all long gone. The woman who owned it thought you were nuts. You had green hair then."
"Shut up Mike, I'm not in the mood," said Tre.
Mike put down his bass and went over to the drum kit where Tre was sitting just fiddling. He put his arms round his old friend's shoulders.
"You still have feelings for her don't ya?" said Mike.
"Not sure," said Tre sighing. "Jeez I could really do without this at the moment. We've got the biggest two gigs of our lives over the next couple of days and now this," Tre said shaking his head.
"For fuck sake Tre pull yourself together. What's got into you. Everyone seems to have a face like shit today and I'm sick of looking at everyone. We've come here to really try and enjoy ourselves and get in the mood for Milton Keynes. We're being filmed for our DVD and everything, man. Lighten up will you!"
"Sorry," said Tre. "It just shocked me seeing her. "She hasn't changed much. I'd forgotten how lovely she is."
"I think you need to speak to her. Just the two of you somewhere quiet away from her kid and us. Why don't you go along now while they are all in the games room? If you don't talk about it its gonna eat away at you and we could do without you moping around for the whole weekend. I wanna enjoy this gig so please for everyone's sake sort this fucking thing that's going round in your head out!"
Tre had never seen Mike so angry and he knew that what he was saying was true. He had to speak to Sammi and explain his side of the story about why he couldn't contact her. He also had to find out about why she didn't contact him and he desperately wanted to find out what she had been up to over the past 13 ½ years. The Charlie kid said she was single and had never married. Poor Sammi having to bring a kid up alone. Wonder what that story is. May be the guy died. May be he left her alone with Francesca. Bastard - how could you do that.
Tres mind was travelling too fast and he needed answers. Yep he had to see Sammi and it had to be soon.
The door opened and in came Billie Joe, Francesca and Charlie.
"I hope you whipped his ass" said Tre as they all came into the room.
Francesca laughed.
"Yes, good and proper - he's rubbish at pool. Are you any better? Give you a game later." She couldn't believe she'd said that to Tre Cool of all people.
"It's a date," said Tre coming across. "Now didn't a little birdie tell me that you could play the drums or were they only kidding?"
"Well I can play a little," said Francesca being slightly coy.
"Well here are the stix," he said flinging them over. "Lets see what you're made of" said Tre.
"Cool" said Charlie. "You wanna hear her play, shes brilliant".
"Shut up Charlie you're embarrassing yourself and me," said Francesca heading over to the drums.
For such a little person Francesca could certainly make a lot of noise. She played for five minutes and everyone was gobsmacked. The three band members just stood there in awe when she'd finished and Charlie was clapping his hands like mad.
"See - she's brilliant isn't she?" Charlie said.
"Fuck me" said Tre "shes gonna take my job! He fell to his knees pretending to be devastated. The guys wont need me to play for them anymore he sobbed. What the fuck shall I do? Why did you send this kid to us. He fell on his back with his arms outstretched. I'm gonna get the sack!"
Everyone was laughing. Billie Joe jumped on top of Tre and started play fighting and then Mike joined in. Charlie and Francesca were in hysterics. They certainly were a real lovely bunch of guys and seemed to have so much fun together. Francesca loved being here with them. They were so warm and friendly. Billie Joe had been so kind to them while they were in the games room. He made them laugh and pretended to lose. I'm going to enjoy this weekend she thought.
Everyone was hungry so Mike said he'd go and get some food for everyone. Charlie asked if he could go with him. "Of course dude, let's go". Billie said he'd better go and find Adrienne and Sammi to see if they wanted to eat and so it was Francesca and Tre alone in the room.
"So blue eyes" asked Tre in a weird voice and holding out a pretend microphone. "When did you start playing the drums and who inspired you?"
"Well" said Francesca also putting on a mock voice "I was around about 8 years old and saw someone playing on the TV. I love instruments and can also play the guitar and piano"
"Ooooh loooookey youuuu," said Tre who was quite impressed.
"Oh and I'm inspired by someone called Tre Cool. He's in this band called Green Day and he is ace" she said, going red.
Tre laughed.
"Looking forward to tomorrow?" asked Tre in more of a serious voice.
"So much. I just can't wait. Everyone at school is just so jealous" said Francesca looking away.
"Tre?" she said after a little while.
"Yep blue eyes" he said throwing his drum sticks up and down and swinging round in his chair like a kid.
"Can I ask you something?" she almost whispered it.
"Depends what it is. You want to marry me and take all my money like my other ex wives?" he chuckled.
"No stupid" she said not believing that she called Tre Cool stupid.
"I was just wondering. How come you know my mum?"
