A Journal Never Lies, chapter 4
When she got to her room, she packed anything she thought would be important in future times. It only took ten minutes, since she did a 'speed pack'. She decided to go through the window so her parents wouldn't hear her. They probaly wouldn't hear her if she walked down and out the front door, but she wanted to make sure they wouldn't hear. Luckily, she has something next to her window to climb down on, or else she would have had to jump down. Her heart raced, she wondered if she was doing the right thing. But then she remembered all the horrible shit she's had to go through. She wanted to live a normal life. Forget her parents, forget school, forget this crappy town. She was leaving and never looking back.
She wondered where her brother was. She couldn't remember where he said he was gonig to be. Maybe they're at Billie's house, she thought to herself. She decided to walk over to his house, that was actually just his mom's house now, and see if they were there. When she got to the Armstrong household, she ran up to the door and knocked. A few minutes later, Mrs. Armstrong came to the door, looking as cheery as she always has.
"Alex!" she said happily, "How are you dear? Come in, come in!"
"Hi Mrs. Armstrong. I was wondering if..."
"Now now now Alex," she said, "You know I hate it when people all me 'Mrs. Armstrong'. Call me Ollie."
"Oh yeah, sorry. Well, I was just wondering if my brother is here."
"Actually, he's in the garage with Billie. You can go down there if you want."
She smiled, "Thanks Ollie. Bye!" She headed over to the garage and heard a familiar drummer. She also could hear the ending of a guitar being played. It felt so relaxing to her to hear it. It reminded her of a few years back when she used to go and listen to their band practices. They were always so fun to listen to. But what she loved about her brother and their band was that they seemed to have fun with it too. Not just playing to try and become famous, they played whatever was at the top of their minds and made something out of that.
She opened the garage door and saw her brother. She also saw Billie Joe sitting on his amp.
"Alex!" Billie Joe yelled, "My god I haven't seen you for a few months! How are you?" He walked over to her and gave her a hug. She hugged back and inhaled his normal scent. The smell of shampoo and a little bit of smoke. Even though that may not sound appealing to some people, she loved it. She loved that he never smelled different, it just reminded her of all the times she spent with Billie and her brother in the basement smoking and enjoying each other company.
Frank involved her in everything he did. He liked having her around. She wasn't an annoying little sister, she was laid back and was always up for anything. He tried to teach her how to play the drums, but it didn't work out too good. But she did get into writing. She saw Billie Joe writing a song one day and asked what he was doing. He told her he was writing a song because he needed to say something. She asked him why he didn't just say it out loud, and all he did was laugh. His only response to it was, "There are just some things you just can't say in a sentence." Ever since then, she's been writing everything.
Buying that journal kept all her thoughts in one place instead of scattered everywhere. Before that journal, she would write on any scrap of paper she could find. But threw it out the second she was finished writing, incase her parents discovered her thoughts on those pieces of paper.
"Hey Billie," she said suddenly.
"Hmmm?"
"Remember that one day when you told me "There are just some things you just can't say in a sentence."? That time when you were writing a song and I asked what you were doing?"
"Yeah. What about it?" he began curious of where this conversation was going. But lightly strumming his blue Stratocaster to a random song.
"Well, what exactly did you mean by that?"
He stopped strumming and looked up. It seemed like he was looking for the words to explain what he meant. "Well. There are just some things that are too extreme to just tell someone in person. Some things you may not want to say in a random conversation. But, if you write it in a song, in a way, it's different. It's like, a musical statement of your problems. It helps some people more to express your feelings through your music, other than just telling someone over the phone."
"Oh. OK." She began to walk out the door.
"Alex wait!" Frank called. "Why are you leaving? Did you want something?"
"Oh! I almost forgot! Wait one second." she ran to the front porch and grabbed her belongings. She came back, smiling. "I brought my bags!"
Frank smiled, "Does this mean you're coming with us? Or is this some trick like you're staying for a second? 'Cause you've done that before."
She laughed, "Nope. This time I'm staying for good."
May 8, 1989
I'm sorry I haven't wrote in here for a few days. It's been so hetic around now. Me, Frank, Billie Joe, and Mike all went to Rodeo, California so I could see their place. It isn't too shabby, it's a roomy home with a few rooms. There is actually not too much filth around here. I would have thought these three guys would have this place look like a tornado hit it! I'm actually glad it dosen't.
I wonder if mom and dad noticed I wasn't home. I'm afraid to go back there, afraid to see what they will do if they saw me. But I couldn't take it any longed there. They were horrible parents and sometimes I think they didn't actually want me as a child. Sometimes, I think I was one of those 'accident' children, like she wasn't expecting to have me. And they didn't want to get rid of me, but let me live in my own little hell. One day, they're going to pay for putting me through all that misery.
But now, I'm going to live in my own little paradise with the three best people in the whole world. Mike looks different out of all of them. His hair, which I've always seen dark, was blonde. It turns out that blonde is his natural hair color. The blonde actually looks better on him. He also got taller. It's like you have to look up to him to see him! But, his personality will never change, and I love that.
Well journal, I think I'm going to try and have Frank teach me the drums again. I have an interest of learning the drums again. Maybe one day, I'll try and get Billie Joe to teach me how to play guitar or Mike teach me how to play bass. But that's just another day. Right now, I think I'm going to listen to Frank and the rest of his band play. I even get to go to their recording sessions for their new album. They're thinking of calling it 1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours. I think the title is too long, but if that is what they want, it's fine by me!
She wondered where her brother was. She couldn't remember where he said he was gonig to be. Maybe they're at Billie's house, she thought to herself. She decided to walk over to his house, that was actually just his mom's house now, and see if they were there. When she got to the Armstrong household, she ran up to the door and knocked. A few minutes later, Mrs. Armstrong came to the door, looking as cheery as she always has.
"Alex!" she said happily, "How are you dear? Come in, come in!"
"Hi Mrs. Armstrong. I was wondering if..."
"Now now now Alex," she said, "You know I hate it when people all me 'Mrs. Armstrong'. Call me Ollie."
"Oh yeah, sorry. Well, I was just wondering if my brother is here."
"Actually, he's in the garage with Billie. You can go down there if you want."
She smiled, "Thanks Ollie. Bye!" She headed over to the garage and heard a familiar drummer. She also could hear the ending of a guitar being played. It felt so relaxing to her to hear it. It reminded her of a few years back when she used to go and listen to their band practices. They were always so fun to listen to. But what she loved about her brother and their band was that they seemed to have fun with it too. Not just playing to try and become famous, they played whatever was at the top of their minds and made something out of that.
She opened the garage door and saw her brother. She also saw Billie Joe sitting on his amp.
"Alex!" Billie Joe yelled, "My god I haven't seen you for a few months! How are you?" He walked over to her and gave her a hug. She hugged back and inhaled his normal scent. The smell of shampoo and a little bit of smoke. Even though that may not sound appealing to some people, she loved it. She loved that he never smelled different, it just reminded her of all the times she spent with Billie and her brother in the basement smoking and enjoying each other company.
Frank involved her in everything he did. He liked having her around. She wasn't an annoying little sister, she was laid back and was always up for anything. He tried to teach her how to play the drums, but it didn't work out too good. But she did get into writing. She saw Billie Joe writing a song one day and asked what he was doing. He told her he was writing a song because he needed to say something. She asked him why he didn't just say it out loud, and all he did was laugh. His only response to it was, "There are just some things you just can't say in a sentence." Ever since then, she's been writing everything.
Buying that journal kept all her thoughts in one place instead of scattered everywhere. Before that journal, she would write on any scrap of paper she could find. But threw it out the second she was finished writing, incase her parents discovered her thoughts on those pieces of paper.
"Hey Billie," she said suddenly.
"Hmmm?"
"Remember that one day when you told me "There are just some things you just can't say in a sentence."? That time when you were writing a song and I asked what you were doing?"
"Yeah. What about it?" he began curious of where this conversation was going. But lightly strumming his blue Stratocaster to a random song.
"Well, what exactly did you mean by that?"
He stopped strumming and looked up. It seemed like he was looking for the words to explain what he meant. "Well. There are just some things that are too extreme to just tell someone in person. Some things you may not want to say in a random conversation. But, if you write it in a song, in a way, it's different. It's like, a musical statement of your problems. It helps some people more to express your feelings through your music, other than just telling someone over the phone."
"Oh. OK." She began to walk out the door.
"Alex wait!" Frank called. "Why are you leaving? Did you want something?"
"Oh! I almost forgot! Wait one second." she ran to the front porch and grabbed her belongings. She came back, smiling. "I brought my bags!"
Frank smiled, "Does this mean you're coming with us? Or is this some trick like you're staying for a second? 'Cause you've done that before."
She laughed, "Nope. This time I'm staying for good."
May 8, 1989
I'm sorry I haven't wrote in here for a few days. It's been so hetic around now. Me, Frank, Billie Joe, and Mike all went to Rodeo, California so I could see their place. It isn't too shabby, it's a roomy home with a few rooms. There is actually not too much filth around here. I would have thought these three guys would have this place look like a tornado hit it! I'm actually glad it dosen't.
I wonder if mom and dad noticed I wasn't home. I'm afraid to go back there, afraid to see what they will do if they saw me. But I couldn't take it any longed there. They were horrible parents and sometimes I think they didn't actually want me as a child. Sometimes, I think I was one of those 'accident' children, like she wasn't expecting to have me. And they didn't want to get rid of me, but let me live in my own little hell. One day, they're going to pay for putting me through all that misery.
But now, I'm going to live in my own little paradise with the three best people in the whole world. Mike looks different out of all of them. His hair, which I've always seen dark, was blonde. It turns out that blonde is his natural hair color. The blonde actually looks better on him. He also got taller. It's like you have to look up to him to see him! But, his personality will never change, and I love that.
Well journal, I think I'm going to try and have Frank teach me the drums again. I have an interest of learning the drums again. Maybe one day, I'll try and get Billie Joe to teach me how to play guitar or Mike teach me how to play bass. But that's just another day. Right now, I think I'm going to listen to Frank and the rest of his band play. I even get to go to their recording sessions for their new album. They're thinking of calling it 1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours. I think the title is too long, but if that is what they want, it's fine by me!
