Adeline Street, chapter 1
II stood in front of his house, nerves sending chills up my spine even in the heat of the California sun. He popped the trunk and took out my suitcase.
"Hey!" He yelled beside me.
"What?"
"I said are you ok?" he smiled.
"Oh, yeah. It's just weird. Two months about I would have only dreamed of standing in front of your house."
"Whoa...creepy...but flattering." He said, slamming the trunk and handing me one of my suitcases. "Ready to meet the Armstrong family?" Billie Joe asked.
"Defiantly." I said, following him through the garage door.
***
"Come on, Kayla, you're on in five minutes!" called one of the stagehands.
"How many people are out there?" I asked my friend Julie.
"An ass load, trust me. But it's only a benefit concert, not Madison Square Garden!" she said, shaking my shoulders. "Plus, you're gonna do great!"
I nodded and looked out at the crowd through a slit in the curtain. There had to be at least 200 people in the auditorium of the Jackson high school, all waiting to hear something great. I sat down on one of the amps and stared at my guitar. I only dreamed of making it big someday. Just my guitar and I.
"Come on! Let's go!" the stagehand said, beckoning me with a rolled up program. I sighed, stood up and walked onto the stage.
"And now, local talent Kayla Stevens." our principal introduced me. Applause erupted through the building then died down.
"I just have to say this is by far the largest crowd I have ever been in front of. I feel naked here." I laughed nervously, making many people laugh as well.
"Well, I didn't really have but two days to come up with something to play so, it's gonna a little rough around the edges."
I placed my fingers in the right places and began to play. The words began to flow in with the music and suddenly I felt the attention of every person in that auditorium turn to me. In the back, a man with a cap on was whispering to the woman next to him and looking at me. I finished my song and received a standing ovation. The man was still whispering to the woman, who in turn would whisper back and nod. I walked back up to the mike.
"Thanks. Ok I only have time for one more song. This is a song by my favourite band. My best friend loves this song so I had to do it for her. This is by Green Day.
The man in the back looked straight up from talking to the woman, who I assumed was his wife. I placed my fingers in a G chord and began to play.
She's a rebel
She's a saint
She's the salt of the earth
And she's dangerous
She's a rebel
Vigilante
Missing link on the brink
Of Destruction
I played the rest of the song, my eyes stayed fixed on the man in the back, who still hadn't taken his eyes off of me. I finished the song and another standing ovation followed. The man in the back stopped the principal as he walked by and pointed up to me. The principal nodded and walked back the way he came. I thanked everyone for coming out and told them to remember the reason they were there--Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society.
I walked off the stage and Julie threw her arms around me.
"I told you you were going to kick ass!!" she said, screaming in my ear.
"Um...yeah...air!" she laughed and let me go. The principal came back and congratulated me. "Amazing. Best I have ever seen from a young person." I smiled.
"I was told to tell you there is a man who wishes to speak to you. I told him to go to my office and I'd send you."
"What was his name?" I asked, eagerly wanting to know whom the man was.
"I don't know, he didn't say. He looked a little familiar." He said, almost as though he were talking to himself.
I gave Julie my guitar and asked if she could put it in the case. I walked down the steps out of the auditorium and into the building. I rounded the corner and walked into the main office. The man was sitting in the principal's chair. He had removed his cap and was hanging his head over the back of the leather chair. He reminded me of a teenager about to be sent to detention.
"Um. Hi." I said. He looked up and I almost lost it. The man was Billie Joe Armstrong.
"Hi." He said, extending a hand. I took it. "I'm Billie Joe Armstrong, but I guess you already knew that. You did an amazing job on She's A Rebel. You are really unique."
I couldn't believe I was hearing those words from my hero. The man who helped me get off my ass and do something with my life.
"I was talking to my wife and she and I think you deserve a chance at a record deal."
I felt my body go numb. "Record deal?"
"Well, we'd have to do some sessions and let my friend John hear you, but he's gonna love you."
I still couldn't believe it. I just knew this was some fantasy or something.
"Are your parents here?" he asked me.
"My mom is here. William's at work." I said with slight disdain. I didn't like the guy but the least he could have done was try and get off of work, but I didn't say anything because if I did, I would never stop.
"I'd like to speak to her if she doesn't mind." he said, standing up. We walked out of the door and found my mom.
It all started from there...
***
"Joey! Jakob! Come down here a minute!" Billie called up the stairs.
I heard pounding coming down the stairs and two boys bickering back and forth about something. They stopped when they saw me and my bags.
"Joey, Jakob, this is Kayla Stevens. She's gonna stay with us for a while."
Joey smiled and asked, "Do you board?"
"He's obsessed." piped the little one. Joey glared at him.
I laughed and said, "Yeah. Any good parks around here."
"You kidding? This is California. They're everywhere." Joey laughed. I knew right away I was going to like this kid. Billie touched my shoulder. "Let me show you where you're gonna stay."
I nodded and we walked up the stairs past two doors to the third door on the right. It was a rather large guest room with a window view of the back yard.
"Yeah, Adie likes flowers, if you didn't notice." He said, indicating the borders along the ceiling and the trim along the bottom. And not to mention the bedspread and curtains.
"It's better than my mom and William's room. There's sailboats instead of flowers. It's hideous."
He laughed. "I never asked you why you call your dad William. He your step-dad or something?" He asked placing my bags on the bed.
"Yeah, but I don't claim him." I said, flopping down on the bed. "He's just not my real dad, even though he thinks he is. He adopted me, but that doesn't make him a dad in my eyes."
"Adopted you? What was your name before Stevens?" he flopped beside me.
"Amason." He cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, it's weird, I know. My dad's name was Jimmy. He committed suicide when I was 7, so I don't really remember much about him. My mom divorced him when I was only a year old."
"Wow. That sucks. I know how you feel. My dad died when I was ten. Cancer. That's why I flew all the way to Mississippi for that benefit concert."
I smiled. "And look what you came back with."
He laughed. A door slammed downstairs.
"I guess Adie's home. Come on down and meet her." he said and we hopped up and went down the stairs again. A short woman with blonde-black dread locks was unloading groceries from a couple of brown paper bags. Billie Joe hugged her and kissed her.
"Adie, this is Kayla. She got in about 20 minutes ago."
She gave me a hug. "How was your flight?"
"Exhausting and uneventful. I'm happy to be here. You guys have a great place."
Adie smiled and thanked me. "Are you hungry? I'm making lasagne."
"Yeah, that sounds great." I nodded.
A knock came from the front door. A tall man in a black dickie was looking into the house.
"Um, I think Mike's here." I said, pointing to the door.
Billie ran over and opened the door. "Hey, man. Put that shit out before coming in here, there's kids in the house." Billie plucked the joint out of Mike's hand and threw it down, but not before taking a long drag himself. I think I was the only one who saw this and smiled and shook my head.
"Hi. You must be Kayla," he said, putting out his hand. I shook it and nodded.
"I'm Mike," he said.
"Duh." Billie smirked. Mike looked up. "I was being friendly," he said.
"Is Tre' coming?" Adrienne asked. Billie nodded and started packing a new pack of cigarettes.
"I swear if that's not your last pack, I'm gonna kick your ass." Adie said, waving a wooden spoon at him.
"Ok, ok it's my last one! Damn." He said, plucking one out and putting in between his lips. He must have noticed me eying them because he asked me if I smoked.
"Yeah, but since my mom and sister quit I've been cut off." I sat down.
He tossed the pack to me. "As long as they don't find out about this, you can have as many as you want." I looked at Adie and she threw me an 'I give up' look. I pulled one out and lit it up. The first inhale was so soothing I could have almost smiled.
"Well since Billie tossed my joint, I'm bummin one too." Mike said, grabbing the pack. I laughed and took another drag. This was so weird- sitting in Billie's house, smoking with him and Mike, waiting on Tre' so we could eat dinner- everything was so surreal. I had a feeling I was going to like this.
"Hey!" He yelled beside me.
"What?"
"I said are you ok?" he smiled.
"Oh, yeah. It's just weird. Two months about I would have only dreamed of standing in front of your house."
"Whoa...creepy...but flattering." He said, slamming the trunk and handing me one of my suitcases. "Ready to meet the Armstrong family?" Billie Joe asked.
"Defiantly." I said, following him through the garage door.
***
"Come on, Kayla, you're on in five minutes!" called one of the stagehands.
"How many people are out there?" I asked my friend Julie.
"An ass load, trust me. But it's only a benefit concert, not Madison Square Garden!" she said, shaking my shoulders. "Plus, you're gonna do great!"
I nodded and looked out at the crowd through a slit in the curtain. There had to be at least 200 people in the auditorium of the Jackson high school, all waiting to hear something great. I sat down on one of the amps and stared at my guitar. I only dreamed of making it big someday. Just my guitar and I.
"Come on! Let's go!" the stagehand said, beckoning me with a rolled up program. I sighed, stood up and walked onto the stage.
"And now, local talent Kayla Stevens." our principal introduced me. Applause erupted through the building then died down.
"I just have to say this is by far the largest crowd I have ever been in front of. I feel naked here." I laughed nervously, making many people laugh as well.
"Well, I didn't really have but two days to come up with something to play so, it's gonna a little rough around the edges."
I placed my fingers in the right places and began to play. The words began to flow in with the music and suddenly I felt the attention of every person in that auditorium turn to me. In the back, a man with a cap on was whispering to the woman next to him and looking at me. I finished my song and received a standing ovation. The man was still whispering to the woman, who in turn would whisper back and nod. I walked back up to the mike.
"Thanks. Ok I only have time for one more song. This is a song by my favourite band. My best friend loves this song so I had to do it for her. This is by Green Day.
The man in the back looked straight up from talking to the woman, who I assumed was his wife. I placed my fingers in a G chord and began to play.
She's a rebel
She's a saint
She's the salt of the earth
And she's dangerous
She's a rebel
Vigilante
Missing link on the brink
Of Destruction
I played the rest of the song, my eyes stayed fixed on the man in the back, who still hadn't taken his eyes off of me. I finished the song and another standing ovation followed. The man in the back stopped the principal as he walked by and pointed up to me. The principal nodded and walked back the way he came. I thanked everyone for coming out and told them to remember the reason they were there--Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society.
I walked off the stage and Julie threw her arms around me.
"I told you you were going to kick ass!!" she said, screaming in my ear.
"Um...yeah...air!" she laughed and let me go. The principal came back and congratulated me. "Amazing. Best I have ever seen from a young person." I smiled.
"I was told to tell you there is a man who wishes to speak to you. I told him to go to my office and I'd send you."
"What was his name?" I asked, eagerly wanting to know whom the man was.
"I don't know, he didn't say. He looked a little familiar." He said, almost as though he were talking to himself.
I gave Julie my guitar and asked if she could put it in the case. I walked down the steps out of the auditorium and into the building. I rounded the corner and walked into the main office. The man was sitting in the principal's chair. He had removed his cap and was hanging his head over the back of the leather chair. He reminded me of a teenager about to be sent to detention.
"Um. Hi." I said. He looked up and I almost lost it. The man was Billie Joe Armstrong.
"Hi." He said, extending a hand. I took it. "I'm Billie Joe Armstrong, but I guess you already knew that. You did an amazing job on She's A Rebel. You are really unique."
I couldn't believe I was hearing those words from my hero. The man who helped me get off my ass and do something with my life.
"I was talking to my wife and she and I think you deserve a chance at a record deal."
I felt my body go numb. "Record deal?"
"Well, we'd have to do some sessions and let my friend John hear you, but he's gonna love you."
I still couldn't believe it. I just knew this was some fantasy or something.
"Are your parents here?" he asked me.
"My mom is here. William's at work." I said with slight disdain. I didn't like the guy but the least he could have done was try and get off of work, but I didn't say anything because if I did, I would never stop.
"I'd like to speak to her if she doesn't mind." he said, standing up. We walked out of the door and found my mom.
It all started from there...
***
"Joey! Jakob! Come down here a minute!" Billie called up the stairs.
I heard pounding coming down the stairs and two boys bickering back and forth about something. They stopped when they saw me and my bags.
"Joey, Jakob, this is Kayla Stevens. She's gonna stay with us for a while."
Joey smiled and asked, "Do you board?"
"He's obsessed." piped the little one. Joey glared at him.
I laughed and said, "Yeah. Any good parks around here."
"You kidding? This is California. They're everywhere." Joey laughed. I knew right away I was going to like this kid. Billie touched my shoulder. "Let me show you where you're gonna stay."
I nodded and we walked up the stairs past two doors to the third door on the right. It was a rather large guest room with a window view of the back yard.
"Yeah, Adie likes flowers, if you didn't notice." He said, indicating the borders along the ceiling and the trim along the bottom. And not to mention the bedspread and curtains.
"It's better than my mom and William's room. There's sailboats instead of flowers. It's hideous."
He laughed. "I never asked you why you call your dad William. He your step-dad or something?" He asked placing my bags on the bed.
"Yeah, but I don't claim him." I said, flopping down on the bed. "He's just not my real dad, even though he thinks he is. He adopted me, but that doesn't make him a dad in my eyes."
"Adopted you? What was your name before Stevens?" he flopped beside me.
"Amason." He cocked an eyebrow. "Yeah, it's weird, I know. My dad's name was Jimmy. He committed suicide when I was 7, so I don't really remember much about him. My mom divorced him when I was only a year old."
"Wow. That sucks. I know how you feel. My dad died when I was ten. Cancer. That's why I flew all the way to Mississippi for that benefit concert."
I smiled. "And look what you came back with."
He laughed. A door slammed downstairs.
"I guess Adie's home. Come on down and meet her." he said and we hopped up and went down the stairs again. A short woman with blonde-black dread locks was unloading groceries from a couple of brown paper bags. Billie Joe hugged her and kissed her.
"Adie, this is Kayla. She got in about 20 minutes ago."
She gave me a hug. "How was your flight?"
"Exhausting and uneventful. I'm happy to be here. You guys have a great place."
Adie smiled and thanked me. "Are you hungry? I'm making lasagne."
"Yeah, that sounds great." I nodded.
A knock came from the front door. A tall man in a black dickie was looking into the house.
"Um, I think Mike's here." I said, pointing to the door.
Billie ran over and opened the door. "Hey, man. Put that shit out before coming in here, there's kids in the house." Billie plucked the joint out of Mike's hand and threw it down, but not before taking a long drag himself. I think I was the only one who saw this and smiled and shook my head.
"Hi. You must be Kayla," he said, putting out his hand. I shook it and nodded.
"I'm Mike," he said.
"Duh." Billie smirked. Mike looked up. "I was being friendly," he said.
"Is Tre' coming?" Adrienne asked. Billie nodded and started packing a new pack of cigarettes.
"I swear if that's not your last pack, I'm gonna kick your ass." Adie said, waving a wooden spoon at him.
"Ok, ok it's my last one! Damn." He said, plucking one out and putting in between his lips. He must have noticed me eying them because he asked me if I smoked.
"Yeah, but since my mom and sister quit I've been cut off." I sat down.
He tossed the pack to me. "As long as they don't find out about this, you can have as many as you want." I looked at Adie and she threw me an 'I give up' look. I pulled one out and lit it up. The first inhale was so soothing I could have almost smiled.
"Well since Billie tossed my joint, I'm bummin one too." Mike said, grabbing the pack. I laughed and took another drag. This was so weird- sitting in Billie's house, smoking with him and Mike, waiting on Tre' so we could eat dinner- everything was so surreal. I had a feeling I was going to like this.
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