The New Daughter of the Family. (Sequel to An Angel's Voice.), chapter 16
"Hello? May I speak to Mr.-" he looked at the card. "Ugine Johnson." He couldn't help but smile at the first name. "Yeah, hi Mr. J. This is Billie Joe Armstrong."
"Hey, it's the rockstar!" Mr. Johnson belted on the other side. "Change your mind? Want your daughter to be a star?"
"Well, no. But I was just wondering why we're getting all these letters from all of these celebrities."
"Oh, I meant to tell you about that. Well, you remember yesturday at the concert?"
"Yes..."
"And she was checking your microphone?"
"Ok..."
"I kinda... recorded a tad bit of her performance and sent it to a few people I thought would be interested."
"Uh huh. I see. Well, last time I checked, playboy wasn't a music industry. I think they specialize in something else."
"Oh, yeah. About the playboy, well I took a couple shots of her and they think her body would be perfect for-"
"Ah, I don't think we need to get into further details. I just want the letters to stop. Got it?"
"You got it, rockstar," and he hung up. Billie hung up and shuddered.
"I hate that guy," he said.
"Well, there are some really good letters in this pile, Billie." Mike said, handing one to Billie. It was the one from Bono:
Dear Mr. Armstrong and family,
My friend Ugine Johnson sent me a recording yesturday. And I must say, I am blown away. Your daughter, Mr. A, is a very talented young woman. And it would be my honor if she would accompany me and my friends in recording our new album, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb." So think about it, give me a call. We'd love to hear from you.
Sincerely yours,
Bono and friends
"Wow," he said.
"Yeah. Wouldn't it be great if I could actually record an album with U2?" Sara said, looking at Billie. "If only dad would let me." Billie smiled sarcastically.
"Yeah, that would be great," Mike said.
"But it's not happening, so get used to it," Billie snorted. Mike and Sara sighed.
"Fine," she said. "I'm going to take a shower." She stood up and walked upstairs.
"Come on, BJ," Mike said. "Let her have some fun."
Billie sighed, "Mike, I already told you that I don't want her to be-"
"I know Billie. But this is BONO! The same Bono from U2! How many eighteen year old girls get an opportunity to sing with Bono?"
Billie thought about it. "Not many."
"If not, then none! Billie, this is a once in a lifetime chance for her! Come on, dude. It would mean so much to her."
"I guess you're right," Billie plopped down onto a stool. "I guess, I just-" He sighed again. "I just don't want her to get too wrapped up in this stuff. You know? Act like a star and all that shit."
"Billie," Mike said, laughing. "Is it like Sara to act like a star?"
"No, she's just a pain in the ass sometimes,"
Mike chuckled, "Well, I think you should give her a chance."
"I'll have to talk to Adrienne about it..."
"By all means."
Billie smiled at Mike and they continued reading the ocean of letters.
"Hey guys," Tre yawned, coming into the kitchen.
"Tre, it's 3:30!" Sara shrieked at him. "How could you just be getting up?"
"Late night last night," he said laying his head on the counter. Sara looked at Mike, he laughed and rolled his eyes.
"Hey, come here and read this one," Mike said, waving the letter back and forth. She stood up and sat beside Mike. The doobell wrang, and Billie looked at Tre.
"Will you be getting that?" Tre asked him.
"Fine," he got up and answered the door. He stood there at the door, looking dumbstruck.
"Hello," the visitor said. "Is this a bad time?" Billie managed to shake his head. "Great. Uh, are you alright?" Billie nodded. "Ok, good," the visitor stood there, giving Billie and odd look. "May I come in?" he asked. Billie nodded, but didn't move. "You're going to have to move, mate." Billie took one step over to allow the guest inside. The visitor gave Billie an unsure looking smile and walked into the house. He found his way into the kitchen, where everyone had their back turned. "Excuse meh" he said. Sara stood up and turned. She froze. "Ah," he said, pointing to her. "You must be Sarah" he held out his hand. "I'm Bono."
She absentmindedly shook his hand. "Uh, yes. I am."
Bono chuckled "I met your dad at the door, but he seems a little surprised."
"Him and me both," she said under her breath. "Well," she said, inviting him in and sitting him at the counter. "Coffee?"
"Yeah, thanks." She poured some and handed it to him. Mike and Tre just stared at him. "Are they alright?"
Sara laughed. "Yeah. They're just a little excited."
"Oh," Sara nudged Tre to make him stop staring. She kicked Mike.
"Mike," Sara said, looking down at him. He was rubbing his arm. "Will you go see if dad's ok?" Mike stood up and ran into the living room, where Billie was standing in the doorway, his eyes wide.
"Billie?" he said, waving a hand in front of his face.
"T-T-That was...."
"I know. You need to come in, dude."
Billie shook his head and snapped out of it. "Yeah. Let's go." They walked into the kitchen.
"Ah, there he is." Bono said, standing up. He shook hands with Billie.
"It's an honor, sir."
Bono smiled "Well, I suppose you already know why I'm here."
"Yeah, we do."
"So, what do you say?"
"Well," Sara said. "We're still discuss-"
"She'll do it," Billie said. Sara looked at him and smiled. Billie winked at her.
"Fantastic," Bono said. He looked at Sara. "Meet me at this recording studio at 5." He handed her a piece of paper with an adress on it. "See you then," he gave a polite nod and walked out the door.
"Oh my god," Sara whispered. "I'm recording and album with BONO!!" She jumped up and down, squealing. "I have to go get ready," and she happily ran upstairs.
-5 O'Clock-
"You turn here, dad," she said, pointing to the intersection.
"No, I turn here," Billie pointed the opposite way.
Sara sighed "First day recording with Bono, and we're already late. I knew I should have driven us." Finally, they were there. They ran into the studio and met Bono at the fron desk. "Sorry we're late."
He nodded politely. "It's perfectly fine. Shall we?" He held his arm out. She gladly took it, and he guided her to the recording room, followed by Billie, Mike and Tre. "Alright," he said, "The song's called 'Vertigo.' Here's the lyrics. Think you can handle it?" he said teasingly.
"I think so," she said.
"Alright. You stand here," he took her hands and led her to the mic. "Ready, boys?" The band nodded.
"Uno, dos, tres, catroce
Turn it up loud, Captain!
Lights go down, it's dark
The jungle is your head- can't rule your heart
A feeling so much stronger than a thought.
Your eyes are wide
And though your soul it can't be bought
Your mind can wonder
Hello, hello (Hola!)
I'm at a place called Vertigo (donde estas?)"
Bono motions the band to stop. He looked at Sara.
"What?" she asked nevously. "Bad?"
He laughed "Far from it! That was magnificent!" She gave a sigh of relief. "I think this album will be great."
"Hey, it's the rockstar!" Mr. Johnson belted on the other side. "Change your mind? Want your daughter to be a star?"
"Well, no. But I was just wondering why we're getting all these letters from all of these celebrities."
"Oh, I meant to tell you about that. Well, you remember yesturday at the concert?"
"Yes..."
"And she was checking your microphone?"
"Ok..."
"I kinda... recorded a tad bit of her performance and sent it to a few people I thought would be interested."
"Uh huh. I see. Well, last time I checked, playboy wasn't a music industry. I think they specialize in something else."
"Oh, yeah. About the playboy, well I took a couple shots of her and they think her body would be perfect for-"
"Ah, I don't think we need to get into further details. I just want the letters to stop. Got it?"
"You got it, rockstar," and he hung up. Billie hung up and shuddered.
"I hate that guy," he said.
"Well, there are some really good letters in this pile, Billie." Mike said, handing one to Billie. It was the one from Bono:
Dear Mr. Armstrong and family,
My friend Ugine Johnson sent me a recording yesturday. And I must say, I am blown away. Your daughter, Mr. A, is a very talented young woman. And it would be my honor if she would accompany me and my friends in recording our new album, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb." So think about it, give me a call. We'd love to hear from you.
Sincerely yours,
Bono and friends
"Wow," he said.
"Yeah. Wouldn't it be great if I could actually record an album with U2?" Sara said, looking at Billie. "If only dad would let me." Billie smiled sarcastically.
"Yeah, that would be great," Mike said.
"But it's not happening, so get used to it," Billie snorted. Mike and Sara sighed.
"Fine," she said. "I'm going to take a shower." She stood up and walked upstairs.
"Come on, BJ," Mike said. "Let her have some fun."
Billie sighed, "Mike, I already told you that I don't want her to be-"
"I know Billie. But this is BONO! The same Bono from U2! How many eighteen year old girls get an opportunity to sing with Bono?"
Billie thought about it. "Not many."
"If not, then none! Billie, this is a once in a lifetime chance for her! Come on, dude. It would mean so much to her."
"I guess you're right," Billie plopped down onto a stool. "I guess, I just-" He sighed again. "I just don't want her to get too wrapped up in this stuff. You know? Act like a star and all that shit."
"Billie," Mike said, laughing. "Is it like Sara to act like a star?"
"No, she's just a pain in the ass sometimes,"
Mike chuckled, "Well, I think you should give her a chance."
"I'll have to talk to Adrienne about it..."
"By all means."
Billie smiled at Mike and they continued reading the ocean of letters.
"Hey guys," Tre yawned, coming into the kitchen.
"Tre, it's 3:30!" Sara shrieked at him. "How could you just be getting up?"
"Late night last night," he said laying his head on the counter. Sara looked at Mike, he laughed and rolled his eyes.
"Hey, come here and read this one," Mike said, waving the letter back and forth. She stood up and sat beside Mike. The doobell wrang, and Billie looked at Tre.
"Will you be getting that?" Tre asked him.
"Fine," he got up and answered the door. He stood there at the door, looking dumbstruck.
"Hello," the visitor said. "Is this a bad time?" Billie managed to shake his head. "Great. Uh, are you alright?" Billie nodded. "Ok, good," the visitor stood there, giving Billie and odd look. "May I come in?" he asked. Billie nodded, but didn't move. "You're going to have to move, mate." Billie took one step over to allow the guest inside. The visitor gave Billie an unsure looking smile and walked into the house. He found his way into the kitchen, where everyone had their back turned. "Excuse meh" he said. Sara stood up and turned. She froze. "Ah," he said, pointing to her. "You must be Sarah" he held out his hand. "I'm Bono."
She absentmindedly shook his hand. "Uh, yes. I am."
Bono chuckled "I met your dad at the door, but he seems a little surprised."
"Him and me both," she said under her breath. "Well," she said, inviting him in and sitting him at the counter. "Coffee?"
"Yeah, thanks." She poured some and handed it to him. Mike and Tre just stared at him. "Are they alright?"
Sara laughed. "Yeah. They're just a little excited."
"Oh," Sara nudged Tre to make him stop staring. She kicked Mike.
"Mike," Sara said, looking down at him. He was rubbing his arm. "Will you go see if dad's ok?" Mike stood up and ran into the living room, where Billie was standing in the doorway, his eyes wide.
"Billie?" he said, waving a hand in front of his face.
"T-T-That was...."
"I know. You need to come in, dude."
Billie shook his head and snapped out of it. "Yeah. Let's go." They walked into the kitchen.
"Ah, there he is." Bono said, standing up. He shook hands with Billie.
"It's an honor, sir."
Bono smiled "Well, I suppose you already know why I'm here."
"Yeah, we do."
"So, what do you say?"
"Well," Sara said. "We're still discuss-"
"She'll do it," Billie said. Sara looked at him and smiled. Billie winked at her.
"Fantastic," Bono said. He looked at Sara. "Meet me at this recording studio at 5." He handed her a piece of paper with an adress on it. "See you then," he gave a polite nod and walked out the door.
"Oh my god," Sara whispered. "I'm recording and album with BONO!!" She jumped up and down, squealing. "I have to go get ready," and she happily ran upstairs.
-5 O'Clock-
"You turn here, dad," she said, pointing to the intersection.
"No, I turn here," Billie pointed the opposite way.
Sara sighed "First day recording with Bono, and we're already late. I knew I should have driven us." Finally, they were there. They ran into the studio and met Bono at the fron desk. "Sorry we're late."
He nodded politely. "It's perfectly fine. Shall we?" He held his arm out. She gladly took it, and he guided her to the recording room, followed by Billie, Mike and Tre. "Alright," he said, "The song's called 'Vertigo.' Here's the lyrics. Think you can handle it?" he said teasingly.
"I think so," she said.
"Alright. You stand here," he took her hands and led her to the mic. "Ready, boys?" The band nodded.
"Uno, dos, tres, catroce
Turn it up loud, Captain!
Lights go down, it's dark
The jungle is your head- can't rule your heart
A feeling so much stronger than a thought.
Your eyes are wide
And though your soul it can't be bought
Your mind can wonder
Hello, hello (Hola!)
I'm at a place called Vertigo (donde estas?)"
Bono motions the band to stop. He looked at Sara.
"What?" she asked nevously. "Bad?"
He laughed "Far from it! That was magnificent!" She gave a sigh of relief. "I think this album will be great."
