Adeline Street, chapter 2
"Billie, hurry up! We gotta be at Fuse in 2 hours!" I said, standing outside the bathroom. I had been there for almost 2 months now and had learned everyone's daily routine. When it's a busy day, everyone's routines run together.
Billie walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair with his towel, stark naked.
"Holy shit, Billie!" I said, looking away quickly.
"What! Damn you act like you've never seen a dick before!" he laughed and gave me a hug.
"You're a sick man!" I laughed and shoved him away. I finally got a shower and got dressed. I went downstairs when I was ready and took a cigarette from the pack sitting on the counter. I had pretty much become comfortable with the house and really was made to feel like I was apart of the Armstrong family. After many sessions and pre-recordings, the album was starting to get under way. Today I was on my way to Steven's Untitled Rock Show for an interview. The surreal haze hadn't quite settled yet, but now it felt like a completely ordinary thing.
Joey came barreling down the stairs, hardly looking up from his Nintendo DS. "Morning, Joey." I said, smiling at him. He waved and grunted a hello without even glancing away. He plopped down on the couch.
"Ready to go?" Billie asked, calling from the top of the stairs.
"Yeah, where are Mike and Tre'?" I asked.
"Meeting us there. Go ahead and get in the car. The heater needs to turn on for a few minutes it's freezing outside."
I grabbed Billie's cigarettes and the keys to his BMW and headed out the door. He wasn't kidding. It had to be below freezing.
I hopped into the car and started the engine. Billie came out a few minutes later with Adrienne right behind him. She poked her head into the car after Billie got in.
"Are you nervous?" she asked. I nodded half-heartedly. I was ok, but this wasn't an every day thing for me.
"You'll do fine. Good luck." She smiled at me and kissed Billie on the lips before crossing her arms in front of her chest against the cold and ran back into the house.
We reached the studio some time later to find Mike and Tre sitting in Mike's car.
"Shit, Bill, took you long enough!" Tre said, stepping out of the car. "It's fucking freezing!"
"Yeah, man. Your gel is gonna freeze. We could flake the hair off your head!" Mike laughed, tussling Billie's hair. Billie batted him away and recommended we go in before I was late.
I walked in to see Steven sitting on the couch, talking to the AD. He walked up and smiled. "Hi! So you're Kayla Stevens? Man, the media is buzzing about you."
I smiled. I wasn't quite sure quite what I was supposed to do yet.
"Time to go, Steven." The director said, adjusting his headset. Steven nodded and gave me a thumbs up. He really was as cool as he is on TV.
They opened the show and played a video by HIM before the director came over to me.
"You ready?" he asked. I nodded and looked up at Billie, who winked and smiled.
"And today on the show we have a very special guest who, until just recently, was playing in her high school and benefit shows. Now she's working with Adeline Records. Her name is Kayla Stevens."
I came out and shook hands with Steven and sat on the couch. We did the interview and talked about the album and genre of music I was doing, which he was quite interested in.
"So what would you call it? I've never heard of it."
"Well, being from central Mississippi it's kinda hard to escape the country-bluegrassy-jazzy thing so it's sort of a punk/alternative/soul type. I really love singers like Johnny Cash, Otis Redding, Billy Joel and James Taylor so I kinda wanted to put all of those types of music in with the more punk alternative sorta vibe and it's not a bad mix."
"Well, we hope nothing but the best for you in your upcoming career." He turned to the camera. "To learn more about Kayla and the new album you can go to www. Fuse. Tv for her bio and album information. Time is almost up. Kayla, thank you for coming and we can't wait to start playing your videos on here." I smiled and nodded. They closed out the show, called a cut, and Steven shook my hand. "I can't wait till this album comes out. I'll be one of the first in line." He said. I laughed and thanked him for having me. I walked backstage and Mike messed with my hair while Billie hugged me.
"You did great!" Tre said, slapping me on the shoulder.
"Yeah but I'm glad it's over! I'm starving!" I laughed.
We left and studio and headed to McDonald's. We finally got home where Adie and the boys greeted me.
"You did awesome!" She said, hugging me. Joey and Jakob high-fived me.
The phone rang and Billie ran over to get it. Me and Joey and Jakob sat at the table talking about the new record. I looked over at Billie. The smile had faded from his face and his eyes were slightly rimmed with tears. He nodded and said "Ok. I'll tell her. Bye, Mrs. Stevens." He hung up the phone and sighed.
"Billie, what's wrong?" I asked. He looked up. "Your grandfather just died."
My body went numb. I had just talked to him that morning before I went to shower. He sounded fine, well, considering the fact he had lung cancer and had a paralyzed left vocal cord. Billie came over and hugged me. I wanted to just completely break down, but suddenly I wanted my guitar. I told him I needed to be alone for a while and went up to my room. I sat down on the bed, thinking of the first time we found out he had it.
The doctor told him he could either take treatment and live 6 months or skip the treatment and live about 1 month. 31 days or 25 weeks. Making that decision must have been the worst thing he ever had to do. But he did make it. He started chemo, but it got the best of him so he stopped. That was right before I left. He was only supposed to live for about 2 weeks after stopping treatment. He lived for 2 months.
A song suddenly formed in my head and I began strumming chords absent mindedly. Then the words came.
31 Days, 25 weeks
What kind of choice is that?
What would you do?
Who would you see?
When will you say goodbye?
It's not so bad
So don't be sad
He moves along
Life goes on
But please
Remember him
31 days, 25 weeks
How do you kill the time?
Would you look to the skys
With a smile in your eyes and cry
"Lord, I'm coming home."?
It's not so bad
So don't be sad
He moves along
Life goes on
But please
Remember him
31 days, 25 weeks
Sure didn't last that long
But now we can rest
Remember him at his best
And know he's safe at home
It's not so bad
So don't be sad
He moves along
Life goes on
But please
Remember him
I stopped playing, tears streaming down my face. I layed my head on my guitar and wept uncontrollably for a long time before I felt an arm close around my shoulder. I leaned against Billie's chest and cried myself weak.
"I called your mom back. There's a plane heading out at 9 in the morning. Visitation is tomorrow night at 6."
I nodded. "I want you to come with me." I said. "You, Mike and Tre."
Billie was hesitant, but sighed and said, "Ok."
We sat there for about another 10 minutes before Adie came up and asked if she wanted me to let her start packing some clothes.
"I'll only be there a couple of days, it shouldn't be much. I'll do it later." I said, letting go of Billie and rubbing my eyes.
"She wants me, Mike and Tre to go with her. You mind?" Billie asked Adie.
"Of course I don't, baby. You might wanna call them first though." She smiled softly. I couldn't help but smile. Adie had a contagious smile.
Billie went down stairs to call the guys. Adrienne came over and brushed a stray strand of hair out of my eyes. "You gonna be ok?" she asked. I nodded and she hugged me. She left me and I lay down on my bed. No sooner than I lay my head on my pillow, I was fast asleep.
Billie walked out of the bathroom, drying his hair with his towel, stark naked.
"Holy shit, Billie!" I said, looking away quickly.
"What! Damn you act like you've never seen a dick before!" he laughed and gave me a hug.
"You're a sick man!" I laughed and shoved him away. I finally got a shower and got dressed. I went downstairs when I was ready and took a cigarette from the pack sitting on the counter. I had pretty much become comfortable with the house and really was made to feel like I was apart of the Armstrong family. After many sessions and pre-recordings, the album was starting to get under way. Today I was on my way to Steven's Untitled Rock Show for an interview. The surreal haze hadn't quite settled yet, but now it felt like a completely ordinary thing.
Joey came barreling down the stairs, hardly looking up from his Nintendo DS. "Morning, Joey." I said, smiling at him. He waved and grunted a hello without even glancing away. He plopped down on the couch.
"Ready to go?" Billie asked, calling from the top of the stairs.
"Yeah, where are Mike and Tre'?" I asked.
"Meeting us there. Go ahead and get in the car. The heater needs to turn on for a few minutes it's freezing outside."
I grabbed Billie's cigarettes and the keys to his BMW and headed out the door. He wasn't kidding. It had to be below freezing.
I hopped into the car and started the engine. Billie came out a few minutes later with Adrienne right behind him. She poked her head into the car after Billie got in.
"Are you nervous?" she asked. I nodded half-heartedly. I was ok, but this wasn't an every day thing for me.
"You'll do fine. Good luck." She smiled at me and kissed Billie on the lips before crossing her arms in front of her chest against the cold and ran back into the house.
We reached the studio some time later to find Mike and Tre sitting in Mike's car.
"Shit, Bill, took you long enough!" Tre said, stepping out of the car. "It's fucking freezing!"
"Yeah, man. Your gel is gonna freeze. We could flake the hair off your head!" Mike laughed, tussling Billie's hair. Billie batted him away and recommended we go in before I was late.
I walked in to see Steven sitting on the couch, talking to the AD. He walked up and smiled. "Hi! So you're Kayla Stevens? Man, the media is buzzing about you."
I smiled. I wasn't quite sure quite what I was supposed to do yet.
"Time to go, Steven." The director said, adjusting his headset. Steven nodded and gave me a thumbs up. He really was as cool as he is on TV.
They opened the show and played a video by HIM before the director came over to me.
"You ready?" he asked. I nodded and looked up at Billie, who winked and smiled.
"And today on the show we have a very special guest who, until just recently, was playing in her high school and benefit shows. Now she's working with Adeline Records. Her name is Kayla Stevens."
I came out and shook hands with Steven and sat on the couch. We did the interview and talked about the album and genre of music I was doing, which he was quite interested in.
"So what would you call it? I've never heard of it."
"Well, being from central Mississippi it's kinda hard to escape the country-bluegrassy-jazzy thing so it's sort of a punk/alternative/soul type. I really love singers like Johnny Cash, Otis Redding, Billy Joel and James Taylor so I kinda wanted to put all of those types of music in with the more punk alternative sorta vibe and it's not a bad mix."
"Well, we hope nothing but the best for you in your upcoming career." He turned to the camera. "To learn more about Kayla and the new album you can go to www. Fuse. Tv for her bio and album information. Time is almost up. Kayla, thank you for coming and we can't wait to start playing your videos on here." I smiled and nodded. They closed out the show, called a cut, and Steven shook my hand. "I can't wait till this album comes out. I'll be one of the first in line." He said. I laughed and thanked him for having me. I walked backstage and Mike messed with my hair while Billie hugged me.
"You did great!" Tre said, slapping me on the shoulder.
"Yeah but I'm glad it's over! I'm starving!" I laughed.
We left and studio and headed to McDonald's. We finally got home where Adie and the boys greeted me.
"You did awesome!" She said, hugging me. Joey and Jakob high-fived me.
The phone rang and Billie ran over to get it. Me and Joey and Jakob sat at the table talking about the new record. I looked over at Billie. The smile had faded from his face and his eyes were slightly rimmed with tears. He nodded and said "Ok. I'll tell her. Bye, Mrs. Stevens." He hung up the phone and sighed.
"Billie, what's wrong?" I asked. He looked up. "Your grandfather just died."
My body went numb. I had just talked to him that morning before I went to shower. He sounded fine, well, considering the fact he had lung cancer and had a paralyzed left vocal cord. Billie came over and hugged me. I wanted to just completely break down, but suddenly I wanted my guitar. I told him I needed to be alone for a while and went up to my room. I sat down on the bed, thinking of the first time we found out he had it.
The doctor told him he could either take treatment and live 6 months or skip the treatment and live about 1 month. 31 days or 25 weeks. Making that decision must have been the worst thing he ever had to do. But he did make it. He started chemo, but it got the best of him so he stopped. That was right before I left. He was only supposed to live for about 2 weeks after stopping treatment. He lived for 2 months.
A song suddenly formed in my head and I began strumming chords absent mindedly. Then the words came.
31 Days, 25 weeks
What kind of choice is that?
What would you do?
Who would you see?
When will you say goodbye?
It's not so bad
So don't be sad
He moves along
Life goes on
But please
Remember him
31 days, 25 weeks
How do you kill the time?
Would you look to the skys
With a smile in your eyes and cry
"Lord, I'm coming home."?
It's not so bad
So don't be sad
He moves along
Life goes on
But please
Remember him
31 days, 25 weeks
Sure didn't last that long
But now we can rest
Remember him at his best
And know he's safe at home
It's not so bad
So don't be sad
He moves along
Life goes on
But please
Remember him
I stopped playing, tears streaming down my face. I layed my head on my guitar and wept uncontrollably for a long time before I felt an arm close around my shoulder. I leaned against Billie's chest and cried myself weak.
"I called your mom back. There's a plane heading out at 9 in the morning. Visitation is tomorrow night at 6."
I nodded. "I want you to come with me." I said. "You, Mike and Tre."
Billie was hesitant, but sighed and said, "Ok."
We sat there for about another 10 minutes before Adie came up and asked if she wanted me to let her start packing some clothes.
"I'll only be there a couple of days, it shouldn't be much. I'll do it later." I said, letting go of Billie and rubbing my eyes.
"She wants me, Mike and Tre to go with her. You mind?" Billie asked Adie.
"Of course I don't, baby. You might wanna call them first though." She smiled softly. I couldn't help but smile. Adie had a contagious smile.
Billie went down stairs to call the guys. Adrienne came over and brushed a stray strand of hair out of my eyes. "You gonna be ok?" she asked. I nodded and she hugged me. She left me and I lay down on my bed. No sooner than I lay my head on my pillow, I was fast asleep.
