Photographs And Still Frames In Your Mind, chapter 2
They strolled into registration five minutes late, despite being at school for at least half an hour. Some how they could never manage to arrive on time. They began to wander over to where their desk had been last year, right at the back, without even a sorry to Miss Williams. She'd known them long enough to know what to expect. However they soon slowed to a halt. Someone was sitting in Billie's chair.
"I hope you don't mind," said Miss Williams casually. "But I guessed that you wouldn't be gracing us with your presence for a day or two, like last year, so I gave Kate your seat." Kate looked up at his suppressed expression and smiled apologetically. "Mike there is still room for you, and Billie, there's a space next to James. And might I suggest that you turn up on time tomorrow, though I know you're not going to."
Mike took his seat next to Kate as Billie walked over to the other side of the classroom and took a seat next to James, right at the front. James was a quiet boy who had never gotten so much as one detention in his life and spent every registration with his nose in a book. Great, he thought to himself. It wasn't that Billie disliked him, but Mike was his best mate and one hundred times more fun.
Miss Williams started the register, "Billie Joe Armstrong?"
"You just saw me come in, Miss!" He said indignantly and smiled. A few of his class mates sniggered. He hated being the first one on the list. Miss Williams just ignored him and continued. He looked around and saw that Kate had been among them. His smile quickly shifted into a grin. He reached into his trouser pocket, pulled out a black plec and started to pick at the paint on the desk with it. James looked up from his book and gave him a look which, without a doubt, said "haven't you got something more worth while you could be doing." Yeah, of course he did. However right now he was stuck in a stuffy classroom and there wasn't an amp in sight. Mike had definitely hit his head getting out of bed that morning. How could school ever be "more eventful"?
He slouched lower in his chair and tilted his head back. That was when he first heard it. "Blue!" followed by giggles from the girls behind him. He frowned. Blue? What the fuck were they on about and why was it so funny? What had the bitches found to amuse themselves now?
He was sat in front of a gang of four girls, probably the bitchiest in the school. Yet another reason to hate this seat. He acted like he was suddenly very interested in the graphite under the paint on the desk, but now all his concentration was on the whispered conversation behind him. Well, he had nothing else to do.
"Yeah, I know!" One of them said in a hushed voice. "Is she colour blind? Or maybe it went wrong." They all giggled again. Now Billie was really interested, he knew exactly who they were talking about. It had to be Kate.
"Who'd actually want to do that?" said another.
"I know. It's unnatural." Well duh! Dyeing your hair any colour, even blond like most of them, was unnatural. What was their problem? He glanced around at Kate. She was totally oblivious to what was being said. She and Mike were talking. Well at least he has someone to talk to.
He decided that he didn't want to listen to any more bitching, so he folded his arms on the desk, put his head down and closed his eyes, thinking about how best to end a song he'd been writing.
When the bell finally announced the end of registration Billie was the first to dash out of the classroom. He waited just outside the door, in the corridor, for Mike, who was closely followed by Kate.
"Look, I'm sorry I sat in your seat," she said. "I didn't know. I'll sit next to James tomorrow. I don't mind."
"No, it's fine. You didn't know. Have my place. It's better than sitting next to 'book boy'." The truth was that he didn't want her to find out what the bitches thought of her. She seemed really nice. "Besides, you and Mike seem to be getting on OK."
"Maybe you're right," agreed Mike. Billie looked surprised. "You really do need to catch up on your beauty sleep." He said and legged it down the corridor, round the corner and out of sight, with Billie in close pursuit who shouted "See you," over his shoulder. Kate was left laughing in the corridor wondering which way it was to the art department.
***
School was the same as it always had been; one continuous cycle of lessons, detentions and wasting time.
"What was all that about?" Mike whispered to Billie as their English teacher asked a member of the class to hand out paper.
"All what?" asked Billie, not having the faintest idea what his friend was on about.
"'Have my place'," imitated Mike in a high voice.
"Oh, sorry, you don't mind do you?" He replied avoiding having to answer. He didn't want everyone to know what people had been saying about Kate. He thought the best thing to do was to keep it to himself.
"No I guess not. She's OK, but why? She didn't mind moving places. Don't you want to sit next to me any more?" asked Mike, putting on a sad face.
"It's just... " What should he say?
"Just what?"
"Well it's not like she has any friends is it?" he finally said lamely.
"Aw, Billie. You're going soft."
"Give over!"
"Have you two got something you wish to share with the class?" their English teacher asked. They both fell silent
"No sir," said Billie and Mike together.
"Good to hear it. Now if you'll turn to page 5 in your books... "
And so the morning progressed. They did just enough to get by and discussed some new songs. Soon Billie had quite forgotten what had been said about Kate and it was just another day of school.
"I hope you don't mind," said Miss Williams casually. "But I guessed that you wouldn't be gracing us with your presence for a day or two, like last year, so I gave Kate your seat." Kate looked up at his suppressed expression and smiled apologetically. "Mike there is still room for you, and Billie, there's a space next to James. And might I suggest that you turn up on time tomorrow, though I know you're not going to."
Mike took his seat next to Kate as Billie walked over to the other side of the classroom and took a seat next to James, right at the front. James was a quiet boy who had never gotten so much as one detention in his life and spent every registration with his nose in a book. Great, he thought to himself. It wasn't that Billie disliked him, but Mike was his best mate and one hundred times more fun.
Miss Williams started the register, "Billie Joe Armstrong?"
"You just saw me come in, Miss!" He said indignantly and smiled. A few of his class mates sniggered. He hated being the first one on the list. Miss Williams just ignored him and continued. He looked around and saw that Kate had been among them. His smile quickly shifted into a grin. He reached into his trouser pocket, pulled out a black plec and started to pick at the paint on the desk with it. James looked up from his book and gave him a look which, without a doubt, said "haven't you got something more worth while you could be doing." Yeah, of course he did. However right now he was stuck in a stuffy classroom and there wasn't an amp in sight. Mike had definitely hit his head getting out of bed that morning. How could school ever be "more eventful"?
He slouched lower in his chair and tilted his head back. That was when he first heard it. "Blue!" followed by giggles from the girls behind him. He frowned. Blue? What the fuck were they on about and why was it so funny? What had the bitches found to amuse themselves now?
He was sat in front of a gang of four girls, probably the bitchiest in the school. Yet another reason to hate this seat. He acted like he was suddenly very interested in the graphite under the paint on the desk, but now all his concentration was on the whispered conversation behind him. Well, he had nothing else to do.
"Yeah, I know!" One of them said in a hushed voice. "Is she colour blind? Or maybe it went wrong." They all giggled again. Now Billie was really interested, he knew exactly who they were talking about. It had to be Kate.
"Who'd actually want to do that?" said another.
"I know. It's unnatural." Well duh! Dyeing your hair any colour, even blond like most of them, was unnatural. What was their problem? He glanced around at Kate. She was totally oblivious to what was being said. She and Mike were talking. Well at least he has someone to talk to.
He decided that he didn't want to listen to any more bitching, so he folded his arms on the desk, put his head down and closed his eyes, thinking about how best to end a song he'd been writing.
When the bell finally announced the end of registration Billie was the first to dash out of the classroom. He waited just outside the door, in the corridor, for Mike, who was closely followed by Kate.
"Look, I'm sorry I sat in your seat," she said. "I didn't know. I'll sit next to James tomorrow. I don't mind."
"No, it's fine. You didn't know. Have my place. It's better than sitting next to 'book boy'." The truth was that he didn't want her to find out what the bitches thought of her. She seemed really nice. "Besides, you and Mike seem to be getting on OK."
"Maybe you're right," agreed Mike. Billie looked surprised. "You really do need to catch up on your beauty sleep." He said and legged it down the corridor, round the corner and out of sight, with Billie in close pursuit who shouted "See you," over his shoulder. Kate was left laughing in the corridor wondering which way it was to the art department.
***
School was the same as it always had been; one continuous cycle of lessons, detentions and wasting time.
"What was all that about?" Mike whispered to Billie as their English teacher asked a member of the class to hand out paper.
"All what?" asked Billie, not having the faintest idea what his friend was on about.
"'Have my place'," imitated Mike in a high voice.
"Oh, sorry, you don't mind do you?" He replied avoiding having to answer. He didn't want everyone to know what people had been saying about Kate. He thought the best thing to do was to keep it to himself.
"No I guess not. She's OK, but why? She didn't mind moving places. Don't you want to sit next to me any more?" asked Mike, putting on a sad face.
"It's just... " What should he say?
"Just what?"
"Well it's not like she has any friends is it?" he finally said lamely.
"Aw, Billie. You're going soft."
"Give over!"
"Have you two got something you wish to share with the class?" their English teacher asked. They both fell silent
"No sir," said Billie and Mike together.
"Good to hear it. Now if you'll turn to page 5 in your books... "
And so the morning progressed. They did just enough to get by and discussed some new songs. Soon Billie had quite forgotten what had been said about Kate and it was just another day of school.
