What Did I Ever Do To You?, chapter 7
*Holly's POV*
That day, Jack's father, Larry Livermore, decided to show us this drummer, who was pretty good and had played for the Lookouts since he was 12.
"His real name's Frank, but ever since I nicknamed him Tre Cool, he now goes by that name instead," Larry whispered to me and Jack, who were the only one's there.
"Alright," I said.
Larry led us into this one room, where a short guy (he must've been only 2 or 3 inches taller than me) was standing with two drumsticks in his hands. When the door opened he looked up. He smiled.
"Tre, this is my son, Jack, and his girlfriend, Holly," Larry said, and then left.
"So, you play the drums?" I said as I approached Tre. He just smiled wider.
"Yeah. Do you play any instruments?" he asked me, still smiling. The truth was, I played a lot of instruments, including the drums, but I didn't want to sound like a show-off. So I replied modestly, if not honestly.
"No," I said, smiling back.
"Alright, back off, she's my girlfriend," Jack said, coming up to me.
"So, have you played with any other bands besides the Lookouts?" Jack asked Tre, putting a hand around my waist.
"No, they were my one and only," Tre said.
"Well, I suggest that you come to Gilman with us. You might just get a band with people around your age," Jack said, and turned around, trying to leave.
"Come on, Tre, he doesn't bite," I said, smiling at him. "Well, he won't bite you, anyways." Tre just followed us.
***
We got to Gilman at 7:15. Jack, Greg, and Chris had to immediately go backstage to set up, so I wandered over to the bar and ordered myself a small drink. I didn't want to get drunk, at least not before I heard Sweet Children again. I downed the shot, and thought about how I would sit in Billie's garage and listen to him, Mike, and their drummer, Al, just jam. It was relaxing. All the instruments, I could pick out each instrument if I focused hard enough, and just listen to that one, blocking out all other sound. The drums were the easiest. Then came Billie's guitar. Mike's bass was the hardest to listen to, because it blended in so well, but that's what I liked, challenges, so I listened to the bass the most.
I jumped into the mosh pit and somehow found my way to the front, right before the stage, just as a group got off the stage. Then Jack came running out from backstage, Chris coming from the other side of the stage, and Greg doing cartwheels over to his drumset. I saw Tre, just offstage, watching Leakage play, then he disappeared.
I sang along with the lyrics, since I knew them all, and moshed around with everyone around me. I heard someone call my name from behind me, and I looked around to see Tre fighting his was toward me. I reached out my hand, he grabbed it, and I pulled him up to the front.
We stood there and moshed until Leakage's set was up, and Jack kept winking at me in between each song. I decided to go back up to the bar and get another shot. Tre got a full glass of beer.
"Trying to get drunk, Tre?" I asked him.
"Well, nobody back there wanted a drummer," he said sulking. Then he downed half of his beer.
"If you get drunk, I'm not helping you out of here," I said, looking over at him. He just laughed.
"Hey, baby," said a man behind me and he snaked his arms around my waist.
"Hi, Jack," I said, leaning up and kissing his cheek.
"Let's go get a booth, huh? Chris and Greg are off with some girls," Jack said, kissing my ear.
"Alright, Tre, are you gonna come?" I asked him. He just picked up his beer and walked with us.
"Why did you have to invite him?" Jack asked, apparently upset with me.
"Well, for one, I don't want him getting drunk and getting into some stupid bar fight over there. And two, we just had sex yesterday! If you wanted this to be a make-out session, then we should've stayed home!" I stormed at him, and got up from the booth and went to the bar.
I just sat there, I didn't get anything to drink, although the bartender kept asking me every 10 minutes. I checked my watch. It was 9 o'clock now. I decided I had better head into the mosh pit, which was filling up quickly, so I could secure a spot before Sweet Children came on.
I blocked out the band that was on in the 9-9:30 time slot, just moshing around in the middle of the pit and forcing my way forward. I got so close to the stage, then I was pulled back.
"What the-?" I started but Jack talked over me.
"We have to go," he said, trying to force me to the door. I pulled away from him.
"Why? I want to see all the bands!" I said indignantly. He didn't need to know that I knew the people from Sweet Children, that was my business.
"Because you can't see the next band," Jack said, trying to grab my arm again.
"Why not?" I said, fully aware that Sweet Children was the next band. I chanced a look back at the stage and saw that it was empty for the time being.
"Because," Jack said, still trying to grab any part of me now.
"That's not good enough," I said, walking back to the mosh pit. I got in the middle of it just as Billie stormed on stage, and everyone around me screamed. I screamed as well.
Mike came around the corner and then Al came up and sat down on his drum set, immediately playing a song. I moshed and screamed. I didn't dare sing the lyrics, for fear of Jack breaking up with me. When Sweet Children was done and walked offstage, I looked back to the booth Jack, Tre and I sat at. I saw Tre, looking like he was disgusted at what he saw sitting across from him, which was out of view from where I was standing. I moved my way out of the mosh pit and walked over to him. I was halfway to the booth when Tre came bounding out and ran up to me.
"You don't want to go there," Tre said, and taking my arm, led me over to the bar.
"Yes I do!" I said, and tried to get out of his grip, but he held on tighter
"No you don't!" Tre said.
"Why not?" I asked again. But Tre stayed silent.
"Why doesn't anyone give me damn reasons anymore!" I screamed and walked off toward the booth.
"Jack, I-" I said, but when I saw what was going on, I stopped dead.
***
*Billie's POV*
"That was awesome!" I exclaimed as I carried my electric guitar backstage.
"Yeah, one of our best shows so far," Mike said behind me.
"Guys?" Al said when he came backstage. "I need to talk to you."
Mike and I were startled, but we followed him to a couch.
"Well, I know you guys want to keep going with the band, but I don't see it going anywhere, so I'm dropping out and going to college," Al said, and then stood up. I stood up across from him.
"What do you mean your dropping out? You can't fucking do that!" I screamed.
"Yes I can, Billie Joe Armstrong, and I'm doing it right now," Al said, and then stormed off out of Gilman.
"Did he just quit?" I asked, dumbstruck, to Mike.
"I think so," Mike said quietly. The band meant as much to Mike as it did me.
"Wasn't there that guy who said he's a really good drummer and he was looking for a band that came around before the show?" Mike asked after a couple of seconds.
"Yeah, I forget his name. But we'll probably find him at the bar. Come on, I need a drink," I said, and walked over to the bar.
When we got there, sure enough, I saw the guy who was apparently a good drummer.
"Hey, you said you were looking for a band right?" I asked him. He jumped about 3 feet in the air and looked at me.
"Yeah, but can this wait? I need to get over to my friend," he said, and then took off toward a booth, where there was some definite yelling, and it didn't sound too good.
*Holly's POV*
"How dare you do this to me!" I screamed at Jack, and a girl half naked looked up from on top of him.
"Well, you didn't want to leave, and go watch those stupid -" Jack started, but I cut him off.
"What does me watching some old friends of mine have to do with you cheating on me?!?" I asked. I realized a second too late that I said too much. I was shocked at myself, for finally messing up a lie, and ran away to the bar, almost knocking over Tre, who was almost straight behind me.
"Need this?" Tre held out a beer for me. I gratefully accepted and took a swig of it, downing almost half.
"You get back here, what do you mean they were old friends of yours? We're having a band war with them!" Jack screamed at me, turning me around. I almost spilled some of my drink.
"Get away from me you-" I started to say, but someone pulled me back, and I saw Jack being punched to the ground.
***
*Mike's POV*
I watched the drummer dude go up to the girl who was obviously yelling at her boyfriend for cheating on her. Then she turned around and walked straight into him, and he held out a beer for her. She downed half of it in one swig.
"Whoa!" Billie exclaimed. "She can drink!" But I noticed something familiar, her red hair, her brown eyes, her figure....
"Billie!" I said, excited. "That's Holly!" We had both thought about her at least once every day for the past two years, whether or not we told each other. We would become silent at times, just thinking about her. And now she was here, no doubt she saw us perform.
"You're right!" Billie said, but then apparently Holly's boyfriend came up behind her and turned her around.
"It's Jack!" I said and took off running, ready to give him what was coming to him for a long time. I could hear Billie running not far behind me.
"-We're having a band war with them!" Jack said, obviously talking about Sweet Children. Was he mad at Holly for watching us perform? That was one of the stupidest things I had ever heard!
"Get away from me you-" Holly started, but Billie pulled her back and I punched Jack. Then Billie kicked Jack after he was on the floor.
I turned back to Holly, who hadn't noticed who we were yet, and said, "How could you have him as a boyfriend?"
That day, Jack's father, Larry Livermore, decided to show us this drummer, who was pretty good and had played for the Lookouts since he was 12.
"His real name's Frank, but ever since I nicknamed him Tre Cool, he now goes by that name instead," Larry whispered to me and Jack, who were the only one's there.
"Alright," I said.
Larry led us into this one room, where a short guy (he must've been only 2 or 3 inches taller than me) was standing with two drumsticks in his hands. When the door opened he looked up. He smiled.
"Tre, this is my son, Jack, and his girlfriend, Holly," Larry said, and then left.
"So, you play the drums?" I said as I approached Tre. He just smiled wider.
"Yeah. Do you play any instruments?" he asked me, still smiling. The truth was, I played a lot of instruments, including the drums, but I didn't want to sound like a show-off. So I replied modestly, if not honestly.
"No," I said, smiling back.
"Alright, back off, she's my girlfriend," Jack said, coming up to me.
"So, have you played with any other bands besides the Lookouts?" Jack asked Tre, putting a hand around my waist.
"No, they were my one and only," Tre said.
"Well, I suggest that you come to Gilman with us. You might just get a band with people around your age," Jack said, and turned around, trying to leave.
"Come on, Tre, he doesn't bite," I said, smiling at him. "Well, he won't bite you, anyways." Tre just followed us.
***
We got to Gilman at 7:15. Jack, Greg, and Chris had to immediately go backstage to set up, so I wandered over to the bar and ordered myself a small drink. I didn't want to get drunk, at least not before I heard Sweet Children again. I downed the shot, and thought about how I would sit in Billie's garage and listen to him, Mike, and their drummer, Al, just jam. It was relaxing. All the instruments, I could pick out each instrument if I focused hard enough, and just listen to that one, blocking out all other sound. The drums were the easiest. Then came Billie's guitar. Mike's bass was the hardest to listen to, because it blended in so well, but that's what I liked, challenges, so I listened to the bass the most.
I jumped into the mosh pit and somehow found my way to the front, right before the stage, just as a group got off the stage. Then Jack came running out from backstage, Chris coming from the other side of the stage, and Greg doing cartwheels over to his drumset. I saw Tre, just offstage, watching Leakage play, then he disappeared.
I sang along with the lyrics, since I knew them all, and moshed around with everyone around me. I heard someone call my name from behind me, and I looked around to see Tre fighting his was toward me. I reached out my hand, he grabbed it, and I pulled him up to the front.
We stood there and moshed until Leakage's set was up, and Jack kept winking at me in between each song. I decided to go back up to the bar and get another shot. Tre got a full glass of beer.
"Trying to get drunk, Tre?" I asked him.
"Well, nobody back there wanted a drummer," he said sulking. Then he downed half of his beer.
"If you get drunk, I'm not helping you out of here," I said, looking over at him. He just laughed.
"Hey, baby," said a man behind me and he snaked his arms around my waist.
"Hi, Jack," I said, leaning up and kissing his cheek.
"Let's go get a booth, huh? Chris and Greg are off with some girls," Jack said, kissing my ear.
"Alright, Tre, are you gonna come?" I asked him. He just picked up his beer and walked with us.
"Why did you have to invite him?" Jack asked, apparently upset with me.
"Well, for one, I don't want him getting drunk and getting into some stupid bar fight over there. And two, we just had sex yesterday! If you wanted this to be a make-out session, then we should've stayed home!" I stormed at him, and got up from the booth and went to the bar.
I just sat there, I didn't get anything to drink, although the bartender kept asking me every 10 minutes. I checked my watch. It was 9 o'clock now. I decided I had better head into the mosh pit, which was filling up quickly, so I could secure a spot before Sweet Children came on.
I blocked out the band that was on in the 9-9:30 time slot, just moshing around in the middle of the pit and forcing my way forward. I got so close to the stage, then I was pulled back.
"What the-?" I started but Jack talked over me.
"We have to go," he said, trying to force me to the door. I pulled away from him.
"Why? I want to see all the bands!" I said indignantly. He didn't need to know that I knew the people from Sweet Children, that was my business.
"Because you can't see the next band," Jack said, trying to grab my arm again.
"Why not?" I said, fully aware that Sweet Children was the next band. I chanced a look back at the stage and saw that it was empty for the time being.
"Because," Jack said, still trying to grab any part of me now.
"That's not good enough," I said, walking back to the mosh pit. I got in the middle of it just as Billie stormed on stage, and everyone around me screamed. I screamed as well.
Mike came around the corner and then Al came up and sat down on his drum set, immediately playing a song. I moshed and screamed. I didn't dare sing the lyrics, for fear of Jack breaking up with me. When Sweet Children was done and walked offstage, I looked back to the booth Jack, Tre and I sat at. I saw Tre, looking like he was disgusted at what he saw sitting across from him, which was out of view from where I was standing. I moved my way out of the mosh pit and walked over to him. I was halfway to the booth when Tre came bounding out and ran up to me.
"You don't want to go there," Tre said, and taking my arm, led me over to the bar.
"Yes I do!" I said, and tried to get out of his grip, but he held on tighter
"No you don't!" Tre said.
"Why not?" I asked again. But Tre stayed silent.
"Why doesn't anyone give me damn reasons anymore!" I screamed and walked off toward the booth.
"Jack, I-" I said, but when I saw what was going on, I stopped dead.
***
*Billie's POV*
"That was awesome!" I exclaimed as I carried my electric guitar backstage.
"Yeah, one of our best shows so far," Mike said behind me.
"Guys?" Al said when he came backstage. "I need to talk to you."
Mike and I were startled, but we followed him to a couch.
"Well, I know you guys want to keep going with the band, but I don't see it going anywhere, so I'm dropping out and going to college," Al said, and then stood up. I stood up across from him.
"What do you mean your dropping out? You can't fucking do that!" I screamed.
"Yes I can, Billie Joe Armstrong, and I'm doing it right now," Al said, and then stormed off out of Gilman.
"Did he just quit?" I asked, dumbstruck, to Mike.
"I think so," Mike said quietly. The band meant as much to Mike as it did me.
"Wasn't there that guy who said he's a really good drummer and he was looking for a band that came around before the show?" Mike asked after a couple of seconds.
"Yeah, I forget his name. But we'll probably find him at the bar. Come on, I need a drink," I said, and walked over to the bar.
When we got there, sure enough, I saw the guy who was apparently a good drummer.
"Hey, you said you were looking for a band right?" I asked him. He jumped about 3 feet in the air and looked at me.
"Yeah, but can this wait? I need to get over to my friend," he said, and then took off toward a booth, where there was some definite yelling, and it didn't sound too good.
*Holly's POV*
"How dare you do this to me!" I screamed at Jack, and a girl half naked looked up from on top of him.
"Well, you didn't want to leave, and go watch those stupid -" Jack started, but I cut him off.
"What does me watching some old friends of mine have to do with you cheating on me?!?" I asked. I realized a second too late that I said too much. I was shocked at myself, for finally messing up a lie, and ran away to the bar, almost knocking over Tre, who was almost straight behind me.
"Need this?" Tre held out a beer for me. I gratefully accepted and took a swig of it, downing almost half.
"You get back here, what do you mean they were old friends of yours? We're having a band war with them!" Jack screamed at me, turning me around. I almost spilled some of my drink.
"Get away from me you-" I started to say, but someone pulled me back, and I saw Jack being punched to the ground.
***
*Mike's POV*
I watched the drummer dude go up to the girl who was obviously yelling at her boyfriend for cheating on her. Then she turned around and walked straight into him, and he held out a beer for her. She downed half of it in one swig.
"Whoa!" Billie exclaimed. "She can drink!" But I noticed something familiar, her red hair, her brown eyes, her figure....
"Billie!" I said, excited. "That's Holly!" We had both thought about her at least once every day for the past two years, whether or not we told each other. We would become silent at times, just thinking about her. And now she was here, no doubt she saw us perform.
"You're right!" Billie said, but then apparently Holly's boyfriend came up behind her and turned her around.
"It's Jack!" I said and took off running, ready to give him what was coming to him for a long time. I could hear Billie running not far behind me.
"-We're having a band war with them!" Jack said, obviously talking about Sweet Children. Was he mad at Holly for watching us perform? That was one of the stupidest things I had ever heard!
"Get away from me you-" Holly started, but Billie pulled her back and I punched Jack. Then Billie kicked Jack after he was on the floor.
I turned back to Holly, who hadn't noticed who we were yet, and said, "How could you have him as a boyfriend?"
