2028, chapter 10
Within minutes of arriving at the hospital, Mike saw Tre's car pull into a spot by some bushes and the drummer get out with none of his former glory. There was no bounce in his step, no glimmer in his eye, not a prank within ten years of him. He had seen him on TV of course, but he looked like any other aging celebrity, dyed hair with a passion for holding onto what they had once been. Whether they be gangsta, punk or preppy, all seemed to mesh into one dish, one label: yesterday. He saw it in everyone, Tommy Lee, Hillary Duff, Britney Spears, Mark Hoppus, you name it Mike knew them now.
That was the kind of man Mike had become, a man with connections, a man who people would say "Oh yeah, Michael Pritchard down the street, real talented musician. He played bass with that band... what were they called... Green something." He was the kind of person that just knew people, not because he was a gold digger but because he was friendly, approachable and sweet. Now however, he wasn't sure quite what was happening only that he had to find Adrienne Armstrong, make up with Tre Cool and pray to God that Billie Joe would live.
He watched as Tre walked in the door and looked around. His eyes lingered on Mike's and with a brave stroke of courage, he marched up to him slowly, looking up at the man, taller by a good five inches.
"We can't do this Mike," Tre said.
"Do what?" Mike asked, although he knew perfectly well what Tre was talking about.
"We can't be such assholes to each other anymore. If something happens like this and we're not talking, who the fuck knows what the in the name of shit's gonna happen?"
"You're right Tre," Mike said, sighing and looking at one black shoelace, "What were we fighting about anyways?"
"Mike, I don't fucking know, but that was ten years ago since you kicked me outta the band so just... let it go?" Tre suggested timidly.
"I... uh, yeah dude, let's do that," Mike nodded his head, not even attempting to smile during this time of confusion.
"Oh God! Thank God I found you!" a woman's voice shouted out. Adrienne Armstrong was walking towards the two, a thankful look on her face.
"How is he?" Mike asked, turning to look at her.
"I dunno," Adrienne sighed, her face pale and apathetic, "They're still in there."
"What happened?"
"As far as I know, he was going for a six AM joyride and some genius hit the damn car. Well, I shouldn't say that, he called the paramedics and stayed. He was actually very civil and reasonable about it, I'm just... oh God I don't know. I called Jake and Joey and I think they're coming. I just needed someone here, it was to hard to sit alone and wait."
"Billie hated hospitals," Mike muttered, sitting down on a chair, "Now I'm starting to see what he meant."
"Please Mike don't talk about the man as if he's dead!" Tre exclaimed, "And don't you live in LA?"
"I just happened to be up here, visiting Estelle... "
The doors burst open and in walked Jakob, a white face to clash with his dark hair, his Green Day shirt slightly askew as his jacket swung from side to side, left unbuttoned and hurriedly put on. He brushed his messy hair out with his fingers as he walked, almost tripping over a shoelace once when he passed a potted plant sitting on an ugly coffee table.
"Well?" he asked but the three just shrugged. He showed no surprise that Tre and Mike were sitting there looking like happy campers but if he was, he never showed it. Perhaps he was just to worried to do so. His mother's call had woken him up, since he had been out late the night before, promoting the girl band he managed at a huge party in SF and to be honest, his hangover was killing the day even more.
He had only just sat down when in walked the third branch of the Armstrong family so far, Ellie pulling on her shocked and distraught husband's arm and Katie tagging along, looking scared and worried. They too asked if anyone knew how he was and then sat down as Mike explained what had happened, while Adrienne attempted not to cry in the hands of both of her sons.
That was the kind of man Mike had become, a man with connections, a man who people would say "Oh yeah, Michael Pritchard down the street, real talented musician. He played bass with that band... what were they called... Green something." He was the kind of person that just knew people, not because he was a gold digger but because he was friendly, approachable and sweet. Now however, he wasn't sure quite what was happening only that he had to find Adrienne Armstrong, make up with Tre Cool and pray to God that Billie Joe would live.
He watched as Tre walked in the door and looked around. His eyes lingered on Mike's and with a brave stroke of courage, he marched up to him slowly, looking up at the man, taller by a good five inches.
"We can't do this Mike," Tre said.
"Do what?" Mike asked, although he knew perfectly well what Tre was talking about.
"We can't be such assholes to each other anymore. If something happens like this and we're not talking, who the fuck knows what the in the name of shit's gonna happen?"
"You're right Tre," Mike said, sighing and looking at one black shoelace, "What were we fighting about anyways?"
"Mike, I don't fucking know, but that was ten years ago since you kicked me outta the band so just... let it go?" Tre suggested timidly.
"I... uh, yeah dude, let's do that," Mike nodded his head, not even attempting to smile during this time of confusion.
"Oh God! Thank God I found you!" a woman's voice shouted out. Adrienne Armstrong was walking towards the two, a thankful look on her face.
"How is he?" Mike asked, turning to look at her.
"I dunno," Adrienne sighed, her face pale and apathetic, "They're still in there."
"What happened?"
"As far as I know, he was going for a six AM joyride and some genius hit the damn car. Well, I shouldn't say that, he called the paramedics and stayed. He was actually very civil and reasonable about it, I'm just... oh God I don't know. I called Jake and Joey and I think they're coming. I just needed someone here, it was to hard to sit alone and wait."
"Billie hated hospitals," Mike muttered, sitting down on a chair, "Now I'm starting to see what he meant."
"Please Mike don't talk about the man as if he's dead!" Tre exclaimed, "And don't you live in LA?"
"I just happened to be up here, visiting Estelle... "
The doors burst open and in walked Jakob, a white face to clash with his dark hair, his Green Day shirt slightly askew as his jacket swung from side to side, left unbuttoned and hurriedly put on. He brushed his messy hair out with his fingers as he walked, almost tripping over a shoelace once when he passed a potted plant sitting on an ugly coffee table.
"Well?" he asked but the three just shrugged. He showed no surprise that Tre and Mike were sitting there looking like happy campers but if he was, he never showed it. Perhaps he was just to worried to do so. His mother's call had woken him up, since he had been out late the night before, promoting the girl band he managed at a huge party in SF and to be honest, his hangover was killing the day even more.
He had only just sat down when in walked the third branch of the Armstrong family so far, Ellie pulling on her shocked and distraught husband's arm and Katie tagging along, looking scared and worried. They too asked if anyone knew how he was and then sat down as Mike explained what had happened, while Adrienne attempted not to cry in the hands of both of her sons.
