The Ghost Of You, chapter 6
The Green Day show went great, as usual. Brie watched from backstage in awe, and Tré, Mike, and Billie had fun leaving the rest of the crowd in astonished admiration. After it ended, the four of them managed to bypass the crowds of swarming, pleading fans and make it back to the bus.
The guys all showered and got dressed, then went outside to see the fans. Brie followed Mike off the bus, eager to watch the band interact with their fans. But Tré held Billie back. They waited until the door shut, signaling Mike and Brie were far enough away from the bus to hear, then Billie asked, "What do you want, Tré?"
Tré took a deep breath. "Billie, I... I'm going to propose to her tonight. At the restaurant."
Billie froze. He was in stunned silence. Seconds passed, though they seemed more like hours to Tré. Finally, Billie managed to stammer out, "W-what?"
"You heard me. I said I'm going to propose to Brie tonight at the restaurant," Tré repeated, sounding a little colder than he had intended.
Billie continued to stare at Tré. "Why?"
"What do you mean, 'why'? Because I love her! She's the best thing to happen to me since... I dunno...you guys. And I've decided that I want to spend the rest of my life with her," Tré said confidently.
Billie seemed to snap out of his trance now. "But, Tré, you've only been with her - known her - for four months."
Tré shrugged. "So? We fell in love the first week."
"What - no, that's not - Tré, I think you're getting in over your head. You're diving into this way too fast," Billie stammered.
Tré shook his head confidently. "No, I'm not, Bill. Even Mike agrees that we have something really special. It's like what you and Adie have."
"No, it's not, Tré. It's much different," Billie insisted. "Besides, I mean, look at your last two marriages. You thought you had something special both of those times, and now all you have is two kids and two broken families. You need to give it more time. See if she's ready to settle down with one guy for the rest of her life, too."
Tré felt his anger slowly rising with his frustration. "God dammit, Billie, stop treating me like a fucking child! I KNOW I've made mistakes, okay? Big mistakes. But this feels right, and I want to go through with it."
"And what if it doesn't work out?"
Tré stood still. He looked at Billie. "Would you divorce Adie just because it's 'not working out'?"
"Well, of course not! But -"
"Exactly! That's what marriage is about. You have to work things out, even when they're not working out."
"But what me and Adie have is different, Tré!"
"No, it's not! You love each other more than fucking ANYTHING! All you want to do is spend time with each other, and you've dedicated your lives to each other. That's how it is with me and Brie!" Tré cried angrily.
Billie stood back silently, seeming unaffected by Tré's anger. He slowly muttered, "Fine."
Tré stood back, calm now. Billie walked around him and left the bus. A few moments later, a hesitant Tré followed.
Billie, Mike, Tré, and Brie went to the restaurant a couple of hours later, after they finally peeled the fans away. It was a very nice, expensive restaurant where they wouldn't be bothered and could celebrate the end of the tour together. On the way to the restaurant, Brie felt a bit unwelcome. She tried to ignore the feeling, but couldn't any longer and finally decided to talk to Tré in private.
"Are you sure you want me to come to the restaurant with you guys? I mean, you three are the band. I'm just the drummer's girlfriend. You guys should be celebrating together as three best friends, not three best friends and some chick," Brie said hesitantly.
"No! It's totally cool, babe. They like you and they seriously want you to celebrate with us," Tré assured her.
She still looked weary. "But Billie doesn't seem like he wants me coming with you. I'll understand if he doesn't, I know how having an unwanted person at a celebration can ruin it."
"No, really, Brie, it's fine. Billie's just being a cranky bitch. He's tired from the show and he misses Adie and the kids and he just wants to eat and go home. It has nothing to do with you," Tré insisted.
Brie sighed. "Okay, whatever."
So, they headed into the restaurant, Brie being exceptionally more nervous than the other three. Only a couple of fans stopped the guys on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant for pictures and autographs. None of them minded, though. Brie even took a picture of one of the girl fans with Tré for her. After that, they hurried into the restaurant and got seated by the maitre'd.
The four of them sat and had a nice, quiet meal. They weren't bothered and just ate and talked about the tour and about future plans for when they got home. Brie noticed, though, the looks Billie was giving her and Tré. Nervous, angry looks, shooting back and forth between the two constantly. Once, her eyes had met with his. He quickly looked away, though, pretending it had never happened. She wondered if Tré noticed what the singer was doing.
He did.
While they were waiting for their dessert to be served, Brie excused herself to go to the restroom. When she disappeared inside the ladies' room, Tré turned to Billie seriously.
"Billie, what the fuck?" he whispered harshly.
"What?" Billie asked, acting clueless.
"What do you mean, 'what'?" Mike chimed in. "He's talking about the looks you've been giving him and Brie. What's your deal, man?"
Billie shrugged. "I dunno."
"Stop being such a fucking dumbass," Tré hissed, kicking Billie in the leg under the table.
"Ow!" Billie cried out, grabbing his leg in pain and gritting his teeth angrily.
"You're probably scarin' the shit outta the poor girl. This is supposed to be a big surprise for her, a huge night," Mike whispered. "Don't fuck it up."
"I just... I can't help it. I can't get used to the idea of you being with her," Billie whispered, disgust lining his voice.
"Well, you're gonna have to," Tré whispered. "'Cause this is how it's gonna be from now on."
"If she says yes, that is," Billie whispered lowly, looking back down at the table and occupying himself with fiddling with a fork.
Tré's eyes widened, and he glanced over at Mike, who was looking at him with about the same expression. Neither of them said anything, because they knew Billie was right... there was always that possibility.
The guys all showered and got dressed, then went outside to see the fans. Brie followed Mike off the bus, eager to watch the band interact with their fans. But Tré held Billie back. They waited until the door shut, signaling Mike and Brie were far enough away from the bus to hear, then Billie asked, "What do you want, Tré?"
Tré took a deep breath. "Billie, I... I'm going to propose to her tonight. At the restaurant."
Billie froze. He was in stunned silence. Seconds passed, though they seemed more like hours to Tré. Finally, Billie managed to stammer out, "W-what?"
"You heard me. I said I'm going to propose to Brie tonight at the restaurant," Tré repeated, sounding a little colder than he had intended.
Billie continued to stare at Tré. "Why?"
"What do you mean, 'why'? Because I love her! She's the best thing to happen to me since... I dunno...you guys. And I've decided that I want to spend the rest of my life with her," Tré said confidently.
Billie seemed to snap out of his trance now. "But, Tré, you've only been with her - known her - for four months."
Tré shrugged. "So? We fell in love the first week."
"What - no, that's not - Tré, I think you're getting in over your head. You're diving into this way too fast," Billie stammered.
Tré shook his head confidently. "No, I'm not, Bill. Even Mike agrees that we have something really special. It's like what you and Adie have."
"No, it's not, Tré. It's much different," Billie insisted. "Besides, I mean, look at your last two marriages. You thought you had something special both of those times, and now all you have is two kids and two broken families. You need to give it more time. See if she's ready to settle down with one guy for the rest of her life, too."
Tré felt his anger slowly rising with his frustration. "God dammit, Billie, stop treating me like a fucking child! I KNOW I've made mistakes, okay? Big mistakes. But this feels right, and I want to go through with it."
"And what if it doesn't work out?"
Tré stood still. He looked at Billie. "Would you divorce Adie just because it's 'not working out'?"
"Well, of course not! But -"
"Exactly! That's what marriage is about. You have to work things out, even when they're not working out."
"But what me and Adie have is different, Tré!"
"No, it's not! You love each other more than fucking ANYTHING! All you want to do is spend time with each other, and you've dedicated your lives to each other. That's how it is with me and Brie!" Tré cried angrily.
Billie stood back silently, seeming unaffected by Tré's anger. He slowly muttered, "Fine."
Tré stood back, calm now. Billie walked around him and left the bus. A few moments later, a hesitant Tré followed.
Billie, Mike, Tré, and Brie went to the restaurant a couple of hours later, after they finally peeled the fans away. It was a very nice, expensive restaurant where they wouldn't be bothered and could celebrate the end of the tour together. On the way to the restaurant, Brie felt a bit unwelcome. She tried to ignore the feeling, but couldn't any longer and finally decided to talk to Tré in private.
"Are you sure you want me to come to the restaurant with you guys? I mean, you three are the band. I'm just the drummer's girlfriend. You guys should be celebrating together as three best friends, not three best friends and some chick," Brie said hesitantly.
"No! It's totally cool, babe. They like you and they seriously want you to celebrate with us," Tré assured her.
She still looked weary. "But Billie doesn't seem like he wants me coming with you. I'll understand if he doesn't, I know how having an unwanted person at a celebration can ruin it."
"No, really, Brie, it's fine. Billie's just being a cranky bitch. He's tired from the show and he misses Adie and the kids and he just wants to eat and go home. It has nothing to do with you," Tré insisted.
Brie sighed. "Okay, whatever."
So, they headed into the restaurant, Brie being exceptionally more nervous than the other three. Only a couple of fans stopped the guys on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant for pictures and autographs. None of them minded, though. Brie even took a picture of one of the girl fans with Tré for her. After that, they hurried into the restaurant and got seated by the maitre'd.
The four of them sat and had a nice, quiet meal. They weren't bothered and just ate and talked about the tour and about future plans for when they got home. Brie noticed, though, the looks Billie was giving her and Tré. Nervous, angry looks, shooting back and forth between the two constantly. Once, her eyes had met with his. He quickly looked away, though, pretending it had never happened. She wondered if Tré noticed what the singer was doing.
He did.
While they were waiting for their dessert to be served, Brie excused herself to go to the restroom. When she disappeared inside the ladies' room, Tré turned to Billie seriously.
"Billie, what the fuck?" he whispered harshly.
"What?" Billie asked, acting clueless.
"What do you mean, 'what'?" Mike chimed in. "He's talking about the looks you've been giving him and Brie. What's your deal, man?"
Billie shrugged. "I dunno."
"Stop being such a fucking dumbass," Tré hissed, kicking Billie in the leg under the table.
"Ow!" Billie cried out, grabbing his leg in pain and gritting his teeth angrily.
"You're probably scarin' the shit outta the poor girl. This is supposed to be a big surprise for her, a huge night," Mike whispered. "Don't fuck it up."
"I just... I can't help it. I can't get used to the idea of you being with her," Billie whispered, disgust lining his voice.
"Well, you're gonna have to," Tré whispered. "'Cause this is how it's gonna be from now on."
"If she says yes, that is," Billie whispered lowly, looking back down at the table and occupying himself with fiddling with a fork.
Tré's eyes widened, and he glanced over at Mike, who was looking at him with about the same expression. Neither of them said anything, because they knew Billie was right... there was always that possibility.
