Reject, chapter 1
It was a Friday night and not all was quiet in the Armstrong household. It was Jakob's seventh birthday and he had invited some of his friends over to celebrate with him. It seemed like just a normal party, his mom was ordering pizza, his older brother, Joey, was sleeping over a friend's house to avoid all the little kids, and Jakob and his friends were watching a movie.
His friends seemed to be having a blast, why wouldn't they be? Free food, the chance to stay up as late as they wanted and endless bottles of caffeine. But Jakob was not really having the time of his life, and that was because something was missing. His father. Jakob's father, Billie Joe Armstrong, was away touring with his band Green Day like always. Lately, it seemed like Billie Joe was never home and Jakob missed him terribly.
Though, Jakob was not the only one who missed Billie Joe. Adrienne, Jakob's mother, missed him as well. She always seemed to be in a sort of daze when her husband was away. Joey missed his father too, but you'd never believe it; Joey wasn't one to cry or actually express his feelings. Joey kept his emotions to himself and behind his bedroom door.
Jakob sat staring at the television screen with a blank expression while his friends gasped and watched the movie wide-eyed. By looking at Jakob's face you'd never think the boys were watching a horror film. Suddenly, he heard the telephone ring and his heart skipped a beat, could it be him? Jakob remained seated, he didn't want to get his hopes up if it wasn't his dad. But then he heard his mother call his name sweetly; he bounded off the sofa and out of the room headed for the kitchen. When he reached his destination he saw his mother smiling into the phone and twisting the cord with her finger. Jakob was aware that his mother missed his father but it was his birthday. He showed his mother the puppy-dog eye trick his father had taught him and almost immediately Adrienne told the person on the other side that the birthday boy wanted a word with them. She giggled and then handed the phone to her son.
"Dad?" he asked into the phone. His heart began to race, it had been two whole weeks since the last time he spoke to his dad. Jakob's heart stopped when he heard a familiar but unexpected voice.
"Hey Jakey! Happy Birthday!" he heard Tre Cool's voice blast into his ear. Tre Cool was the drummer of Green Day and Jakob and Joey's godfather. Jakob liked Tre, he was a funny, crazy and cool guy, but he didn't want to speak with Tre; he wanted to speak with his father.
"Hi Uncle Tre," Jakob said disappointedly into the phone. This earned him a disapproving glance from his mother and a whine from Tre.
"You don't like me, you don't miss me!" Tre cried. Jakob heard Tre making fake sobs and he couldn't help but giggle.
"Sure I miss you Uncle Tre, and I like you lots. So, is my dad there?" Jakob blurted out. There was a complete silence on the opposite side of the phone. Jakob thought that Tre had hung up on him, but then to his surprise another voice rang in his ear.
"Hey birthday boy!" Mike, the bass player of Green Day, said excitedly. Again Jakob was disappointed, where was his father?
"Hey," Jakob said with a hint of sadness in his voice. Mike knew Jakob was dying to talk to Billie Joe.
"Well buddy, I'll see you soon, alright?" Mike spoke. Jakob knew Mike was lying when he said soon; Jakob remembered last time he heard Mike say they'd be home soon and they came home a month later. Soon was a long time off, and Green Day were just beginning their tour for American Idiot.
"Bye Uncle Mike and tell Uncle Tre I said good-bye too," Jakob said realizing he sort of blew Tre off.
"I will Jake, and don't worry; me and Tre know who you want to talk to. We completely understand and don't take it personally" Mike replied.
"Thanks Uncle Mike," Jakob said. And with that the other side went completely silent once again. Jakob feared the next voices he would hear on the phone were going to be either Jason White or Jason Freeze. Jakob was only really familiar with Jason W. ; he had only met Jason F. Once and was quite afraid of him. Jason F. Seemed like a nice guy but Jakob didn't know him well.
Tears formed in Jakob's eyes; maybe his dad was too busy to talk to him on his birthday. He looked to his mother who was smiling at him; Jakob knew she could tell he was a little upset. The phone had been silent for quite sometime now, maybe Billie Joe had better things to do. Jakob pressed the off button on the phone. His heart sank and he was fighting with all his might to keep the tears in his eyes from falling.
Adrienne got up from where she had been sitting while flipping through a magazine and went over to comfort her young son. She thought about how stupid her husband could be at times, how Billie Joe went to far with his little pranks.
"Sh.. Baby, daddy will call back. He will honey," she cooed to calm Jakob. "He'll call." Jakob wanted to believe her but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't want to get up his hopes once again just to be shot down.
Suddenly, the phone rang again causing both Jakob and Adrienne to jump. Jakob stared at the phone in his hand and then looked up at his mother. It had to be him? Right? Adrienne smiled and nodded at her son to pick it up. Jakob pressed the talk button and put the phone to his ear.
"Hello?" Jakob said tearfully.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday Jakob Danger, happy birthday to you!" the voice sang into the phone. Jakob's face lit up with an ear-to-ear smile causing his mother to giggle.
"Dad?!" Jakob asked excitedly into the phone.
"Yup buddy! How you doing? Look little man, I'm sorry; me and the guys were just trying to have some fun with ya. You okay? Is mom mad?" Billie Joe asked all at once. Jakob giggled.
"I'm okay, I mean, I miss you and all. Mom's not mad, are you mom?" Jakob asked his mother. Adrienne shook her head, rolled her eyes and smiled at her son's silliness. "No, mom said she's not mad at you." Billie Joe smiled and giggled at his son's giddy behavior.
"Well that's a good thing. So, how's the party? Doing anything fun?" Billie Joe asked.
"Watching movies, eating pizza, drinking lots of soda, but nothing great like strippers or anything?" Jakob said innocently. Adrienne who was listening to Jakob talk to his father choked on her iced tea that she had been drinking. She looked at her son wide-eyed too shocked to say anything.
Billie Joe on the other hand couldn't hold in his laughter and started cracking up at his son's response. Jakob had said it so innocently; Billie Joe was sure Jakob had no idea what strippers were. Billie had an idea of who had told Jakob about strippers, the one and only, mischievous Tre Cool.
"No, I bet you don't have any of them," Billie Joe said with a little laugh after calming down a bit.
"Dad, what is a stripper?" Jakob asked filled with curiosity. Billie Joe stayed silent, how could he tell his son about this not-so-innocent topic?
"Um.. Well, that is something I'll tell you on your next birthday," Billie replied. Jakob didn't argue or moan, he knew he would have to get off the phone with his father soon so he wanted to make the best of the time he had left.
"Dad, when are you coming home?" Jakob asked Billie who knew this question would come up in the conversation sooner or later. He hated this question; he wanted to tell his son soon, but it wouldn't be soon.
"Just a while longer man," Billie Joe said. He heard Jakob sigh in disappointment; Billie Joe felt a horrible guilt wash over his body.
"Wish you were here," Jakob said.
"I know buddy, I wish I was there too."
His friends seemed to be having a blast, why wouldn't they be? Free food, the chance to stay up as late as they wanted and endless bottles of caffeine. But Jakob was not really having the time of his life, and that was because something was missing. His father. Jakob's father, Billie Joe Armstrong, was away touring with his band Green Day like always. Lately, it seemed like Billie Joe was never home and Jakob missed him terribly.
Though, Jakob was not the only one who missed Billie Joe. Adrienne, Jakob's mother, missed him as well. She always seemed to be in a sort of daze when her husband was away. Joey missed his father too, but you'd never believe it; Joey wasn't one to cry or actually express his feelings. Joey kept his emotions to himself and behind his bedroom door.
Jakob sat staring at the television screen with a blank expression while his friends gasped and watched the movie wide-eyed. By looking at Jakob's face you'd never think the boys were watching a horror film. Suddenly, he heard the telephone ring and his heart skipped a beat, could it be him? Jakob remained seated, he didn't want to get his hopes up if it wasn't his dad. But then he heard his mother call his name sweetly; he bounded off the sofa and out of the room headed for the kitchen. When he reached his destination he saw his mother smiling into the phone and twisting the cord with her finger. Jakob was aware that his mother missed his father but it was his birthday. He showed his mother the puppy-dog eye trick his father had taught him and almost immediately Adrienne told the person on the other side that the birthday boy wanted a word with them. She giggled and then handed the phone to her son.
"Dad?" he asked into the phone. His heart began to race, it had been two whole weeks since the last time he spoke to his dad. Jakob's heart stopped when he heard a familiar but unexpected voice.
"Hey Jakey! Happy Birthday!" he heard Tre Cool's voice blast into his ear. Tre Cool was the drummer of Green Day and Jakob and Joey's godfather. Jakob liked Tre, he was a funny, crazy and cool guy, but he didn't want to speak with Tre; he wanted to speak with his father.
"Hi Uncle Tre," Jakob said disappointedly into the phone. This earned him a disapproving glance from his mother and a whine from Tre.
"You don't like me, you don't miss me!" Tre cried. Jakob heard Tre making fake sobs and he couldn't help but giggle.
"Sure I miss you Uncle Tre, and I like you lots. So, is my dad there?" Jakob blurted out. There was a complete silence on the opposite side of the phone. Jakob thought that Tre had hung up on him, but then to his surprise another voice rang in his ear.
"Hey birthday boy!" Mike, the bass player of Green Day, said excitedly. Again Jakob was disappointed, where was his father?
"Hey," Jakob said with a hint of sadness in his voice. Mike knew Jakob was dying to talk to Billie Joe.
"Well buddy, I'll see you soon, alright?" Mike spoke. Jakob knew Mike was lying when he said soon; Jakob remembered last time he heard Mike say they'd be home soon and they came home a month later. Soon was a long time off, and Green Day were just beginning their tour for American Idiot.
"Bye Uncle Mike and tell Uncle Tre I said good-bye too," Jakob said realizing he sort of blew Tre off.
"I will Jake, and don't worry; me and Tre know who you want to talk to. We completely understand and don't take it personally" Mike replied.
"Thanks Uncle Mike," Jakob said. And with that the other side went completely silent once again. Jakob feared the next voices he would hear on the phone were going to be either Jason White or Jason Freeze. Jakob was only really familiar with Jason W. ; he had only met Jason F. Once and was quite afraid of him. Jason F. Seemed like a nice guy but Jakob didn't know him well.
Tears formed in Jakob's eyes; maybe his dad was too busy to talk to him on his birthday. He looked to his mother who was smiling at him; Jakob knew she could tell he was a little upset. The phone had been silent for quite sometime now, maybe Billie Joe had better things to do. Jakob pressed the off button on the phone. His heart sank and he was fighting with all his might to keep the tears in his eyes from falling.
Adrienne got up from where she had been sitting while flipping through a magazine and went over to comfort her young son. She thought about how stupid her husband could be at times, how Billie Joe went to far with his little pranks.
"Sh.. Baby, daddy will call back. He will honey," she cooed to calm Jakob. "He'll call." Jakob wanted to believe her but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He didn't want to get up his hopes once again just to be shot down.
Suddenly, the phone rang again causing both Jakob and Adrienne to jump. Jakob stared at the phone in his hand and then looked up at his mother. It had to be him? Right? Adrienne smiled and nodded at her son to pick it up. Jakob pressed the talk button and put the phone to his ear.
"Hello?" Jakob said tearfully.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday Jakob Danger, happy birthday to you!" the voice sang into the phone. Jakob's face lit up with an ear-to-ear smile causing his mother to giggle.
"Dad?!" Jakob asked excitedly into the phone.
"Yup buddy! How you doing? Look little man, I'm sorry; me and the guys were just trying to have some fun with ya. You okay? Is mom mad?" Billie Joe asked all at once. Jakob giggled.
"I'm okay, I mean, I miss you and all. Mom's not mad, are you mom?" Jakob asked his mother. Adrienne shook her head, rolled her eyes and smiled at her son's silliness. "No, mom said she's not mad at you." Billie Joe smiled and giggled at his son's giddy behavior.
"Well that's a good thing. So, how's the party? Doing anything fun?" Billie Joe asked.
"Watching movies, eating pizza, drinking lots of soda, but nothing great like strippers or anything?" Jakob said innocently. Adrienne who was listening to Jakob talk to his father choked on her iced tea that she had been drinking. She looked at her son wide-eyed too shocked to say anything.
Billie Joe on the other hand couldn't hold in his laughter and started cracking up at his son's response. Jakob had said it so innocently; Billie Joe was sure Jakob had no idea what strippers were. Billie had an idea of who had told Jakob about strippers, the one and only, mischievous Tre Cool.
"No, I bet you don't have any of them," Billie Joe said with a little laugh after calming down a bit.
"Dad, what is a stripper?" Jakob asked filled with curiosity. Billie Joe stayed silent, how could he tell his son about this not-so-innocent topic?
"Um.. Well, that is something I'll tell you on your next birthday," Billie replied. Jakob didn't argue or moan, he knew he would have to get off the phone with his father soon so he wanted to make the best of the time he had left.
"Dad, when are you coming home?" Jakob asked Billie who knew this question would come up in the conversation sooner or later. He hated this question; he wanted to tell his son soon, but it wouldn't be soon.
"Just a while longer man," Billie Joe said. He heard Jakob sigh in disappointment; Billie Joe felt a horrible guilt wash over his body.
"Wish you were here," Jakob said.
"I know buddy, I wish I was there too."
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