A Fan, A Friend., chapter 2
"What's all the fuss about, Nick?!" Zack called out, wheeling his way to the front door. Billie Joe tilted his head in Zack's direction, trying to get a better view of him. Tre had already made himself at home, relaxing on the sofa in the foyer.
He raised a hand and smiled.
"Hey there, Zack. We heard you weren't feeling well," Tre spoke casually.
Zack's mouth was hanging open, his eyes wide in amazement.
"Um, Nick?" Mike muttered to me.
"What is it, Mike?" I replied, excited just to be talking to them.
"Zack can talk, right? He looks like a mute."
"No, he's just one of your biggest fans. He's pretty excited to see you all," I replied.
"Zack? Are you alright?" Billie Joe waved his hand in front of Zack's still-shocked face.
Zack shook his head, coming back to his senses.
"It's really you...It's really you! Green Day are in my house!" Zack exclaimed, beaming at the thought.
"Now that you're back to your senses, how about we start our day by signing some autographs? Nick can get some things signed, too," Billie suggested.
"You really mean it?!" Zack and I exclaimed in unison.
"Sure he does. Maybe I'll tell you what Bullwinkie is, Zack," Tre offered.
Zack stared at Tre.
"Um...no thanks, Tre. I'm pretty sure I have a good idea of what it is already..."
I led Billie, Tre, and Mike up to Zack's room. Mike and Tre lifted Zack out of his wheelchair and up the stairs to his room and set him on his bed.
They looked around the room, noticing the several posters, guitars and other things.
"How many of our CDs do you have?" Mike asked Zack.
"All of them, except the singles and the EPs. You're going to sign them?" Zack inquired.
"Well, of course we are! What else would we want them for?" Billie replied.
"Nick, get my CDs, please. You know where they are."
I nodded. I stood by the door and felt around on the gray carpet.
A small, metal drawer handle stood straight up out of the floor, blending in with the gray carpet. I lifted the handle, a large square of carpet removed.
About three feet into the floor was a wooden hollow, full of CDs. I grabbed all of the Green Day ones and handed them to Billie Joe.
I placed the top back on the hole.
Billie, Tre, and Mike all whipped out black Sharpies and signed each CD,
I ran into my room to get the Green Day Cds I had-Dookie, Kerplunk, Nimrod, and American Idiot. They gladly signed those as well.
Zack and I stared at our now autographed Green Day Cds in joy.
"Th-thank you..." Zack stammered.
The posters that hung in Zack's room had been marked as well.
"Now, Zack, I understand you play guitar and sing for a band. Nick writes for the band, right?" Billie asked Zack. He nodded.
"Wanna play a few songs with us?"
Zack's eyes grew wider than ever.
"Do you really mean it?!"
The three of them nodded. Zack grabbed the nearest pick and guitar he could find.
We made our way to the garage, where the amplifiers were.
Zack, Mike, and Billie hooked up their instruments to the amps and started to strum for a few minutes.
"Zack? What's your favorite song by us?" Billie asked Zack. Zack stared at the ground for a minute, thinking.
"Macy's Day Parade," he replied.
"Have you played it before?" Zack nodded in response.
"Get ready to play it!" Billie Joe smiled.
Zack and Billie started the beat to Macy's Day Parade, Tre lightly tapping the drums.
Zack started singing in a marvelous voice, "Today's the Macy's Day Parade. The night of the living dead is on its way."
"With a credit report for duty call..." Billie continued.
They played several songs, many covers, and we all had a great time.
I had never seen Zack so happy in all of my life.
Before Billie Joe, Mike and Tre left, Zack searched around his room for his digital camera. I took a few photos of him sitting next to the three, and he took a few of them and me.
"Zack, I really hope you survive through this. You seem like a really great kid," Billie assured, placing a hand on Zack's shoulder.
"Thank you, Billie. It's always been my dream to see you guys. Thank you," Zack replied.
Mike and Tre shook hands with us, walking out the door.
"Goodbye, Zack. Goodbye, Nick. I hope you get better, Zack!" Billie Joe called out to Zack, making his way to the large, blue "Make a Wish" truck.
They filed their equipment into the back of the truck and drove off.
I helped Zack up the stairs to his room. We talked for about an hour about today, amazed by who we had met.
As soon as I had left Zack's room, I could hear him shuffling through his room.
I opened the door to my own room, evening sunlight fading pouring through my window.
I sat down on my bed and thought about Zack. Billie Joe's words kept playing through my head.
I really hope you get through this, Zack. I hope you survive.
He raised a hand and smiled.
"Hey there, Zack. We heard you weren't feeling well," Tre spoke casually.
Zack's mouth was hanging open, his eyes wide in amazement.
"Um, Nick?" Mike muttered to me.
"What is it, Mike?" I replied, excited just to be talking to them.
"Zack can talk, right? He looks like a mute."
"No, he's just one of your biggest fans. He's pretty excited to see you all," I replied.
"Zack? Are you alright?" Billie Joe waved his hand in front of Zack's still-shocked face.
Zack shook his head, coming back to his senses.
"It's really you...It's really you! Green Day are in my house!" Zack exclaimed, beaming at the thought.
"Now that you're back to your senses, how about we start our day by signing some autographs? Nick can get some things signed, too," Billie suggested.
"You really mean it?!" Zack and I exclaimed in unison.
"Sure he does. Maybe I'll tell you what Bullwinkie is, Zack," Tre offered.
Zack stared at Tre.
"Um...no thanks, Tre. I'm pretty sure I have a good idea of what it is already..."
I led Billie, Tre, and Mike up to Zack's room. Mike and Tre lifted Zack out of his wheelchair and up the stairs to his room and set him on his bed.
They looked around the room, noticing the several posters, guitars and other things.
"How many of our CDs do you have?" Mike asked Zack.
"All of them, except the singles and the EPs. You're going to sign them?" Zack inquired.
"Well, of course we are! What else would we want them for?" Billie replied.
"Nick, get my CDs, please. You know where they are."
I nodded. I stood by the door and felt around on the gray carpet.
A small, metal drawer handle stood straight up out of the floor, blending in with the gray carpet. I lifted the handle, a large square of carpet removed.
About three feet into the floor was a wooden hollow, full of CDs. I grabbed all of the Green Day ones and handed them to Billie Joe.
I placed the top back on the hole.
Billie, Tre, and Mike all whipped out black Sharpies and signed each CD,
I ran into my room to get the Green Day Cds I had-Dookie, Kerplunk, Nimrod, and American Idiot. They gladly signed those as well.
Zack and I stared at our now autographed Green Day Cds in joy.
"Th-thank you..." Zack stammered.
The posters that hung in Zack's room had been marked as well.
"Now, Zack, I understand you play guitar and sing for a band. Nick writes for the band, right?" Billie asked Zack. He nodded.
"Wanna play a few songs with us?"
Zack's eyes grew wider than ever.
"Do you really mean it?!"
The three of them nodded. Zack grabbed the nearest pick and guitar he could find.
We made our way to the garage, where the amplifiers were.
Zack, Mike, and Billie hooked up their instruments to the amps and started to strum for a few minutes.
"Zack? What's your favorite song by us?" Billie asked Zack. Zack stared at the ground for a minute, thinking.
"Macy's Day Parade," he replied.
"Have you played it before?" Zack nodded in response.
"Get ready to play it!" Billie Joe smiled.
Zack and Billie started the beat to Macy's Day Parade, Tre lightly tapping the drums.
Zack started singing in a marvelous voice, "Today's the Macy's Day Parade. The night of the living dead is on its way."
"With a credit report for duty call..." Billie continued.
They played several songs, many covers, and we all had a great time.
I had never seen Zack so happy in all of my life.
Before Billie Joe, Mike and Tre left, Zack searched around his room for his digital camera. I took a few photos of him sitting next to the three, and he took a few of them and me.
"Zack, I really hope you survive through this. You seem like a really great kid," Billie assured, placing a hand on Zack's shoulder.
"Thank you, Billie. It's always been my dream to see you guys. Thank you," Zack replied.
Mike and Tre shook hands with us, walking out the door.
"Goodbye, Zack. Goodbye, Nick. I hope you get better, Zack!" Billie Joe called out to Zack, making his way to the large, blue "Make a Wish" truck.
They filed their equipment into the back of the truck and drove off.
I helped Zack up the stairs to his room. We talked for about an hour about today, amazed by who we had met.
As soon as I had left Zack's room, I could hear him shuffling through his room.
I opened the door to my own room, evening sunlight fading pouring through my window.
I sat down on my bed and thought about Zack. Billie Joe's words kept playing through my head.
I really hope you get through this, Zack. I hope you survive.
