I Think The Rain Is Calling Murder (Sequel of We Will Run Away), chapter 13
Just then, Rebel raised her head to her husband before wringing her hands together a little more. Her stomach tensed, hoping that what she had to say wouldn't send Billie flying off the handle.
"Whatsername told me what was going to happen and when. She even knew that the security had been bribed to not do anything to stop it. I'm sorry, Billie."
Billie Joe reeled in Rebel's revelation for days, even after Rebel was called back to her duties with Tré. He had never known that the security essentially employed by himself, Mike, and Tré had been bribed. In Billie's mind, Rebel had now been killed at fault of the security's corruption.
During a visit Mike and Tré made to the prison, Billie stated his litigation for Rebel's murder case to be opened and reinvestigated. At first the two male friends and band mates of Billie Joe Armstrong thought that the idea was a stupid one. Then once Billie explained himself, the suggestion didn't seem so bad. Both Mike and Tré knew about Jimmy, really, subconsciously, everyone knew about Jimmy; no one wanted to admit it though. Girls didn't want to know that their idol, their god, had a massive imperfection that they couldn't fix. Some of them blamed Rebel's death for the appearance of Jimmy. Since Billie Joe was in solitary confinement, his visits had to be supervised. He was only in solitary confinement because of safety issues. Tré had told everyone in the outside world about the altercation with Matt in the visitors room on the lower level of the prison.
"Do you think someone would go down for this?" Tré asked.
Mike looked down at his hands. "Would there really be any point?" he asked, then looked up at Billie. "It won't bring her back, you know that don't you?"
Billie looked at Mike questionably. "'Course I know that. Mike, I just want some justice for my wife. Surely you can understand that."
After the visit, Billie was sat in his confinement, staring at the wall. He had asked for a tennis ball to entertain himself with. It was denied to him, just like everything else he asked for. Billie Joe ran his fingers through his dark auburn hair and looked up to the ceiling. He knew that he wouldn't see Rebel again until something drastic happened. Apparently Tré needed guidance from Rebel, on what Billie didn't know. Maybe it was for parenting options with his and Natalie's daughter Brody. Perhaps Brody would somehow be like Rebel. Billie's mine coasted to the children of Green Day. Now there would be seven in total: Joey, Jakob, Ramona, Frankito, Brody, Estelle and Dominic. Would any of them be feeling the backlash of the press? At least now Billie saw an upside to Rebel's inability to conceive a child.
As Billie thought of his children and his friends' families, his mind came to his own childhood. Everyone surely knows Billie's circumstantial home life. Life in Rodeo was simple. Then he left his family for Berkeley and Oakland, hardcore punk California. Billie Joe often thought about the day his father Andy died, the feelings he had inside, the words he wanted to express. Tears stung the green eyes of the Californian native at the memories that were no longer to be relived.
Then his mind came to his stepfather, coincidently named Brad. The physical and mental abuse that a teenage Armstrong was put through. Since Billie Joe's mom, Ollie, was working double shifts in Rod's Hickory Pit until 1988 when it was sold. Billie got a job there himself, trying to help get some income into the house. Billie dropped out of school, one of his only escapes from Brad. Now all he had was Sweet Children. What would have happened if Billie never met Mike; Sweet Children never existed? Would Billie Joe have been bound to work in the sugar refineries with his eldest brother, Allen? There were so many options that Billie could have taken, and even now he wasn't sure if he chose the right path.
The thirty-nine year old man looked down to his wrists and noticed some thin, silver lines through his tattoos. Some of them had a red tinge to them, but it wasn't that noticeable. Billie ran his fingers gently over the scars and could almost remember every ounce of pain he felt at the time he'd slit his wrists open. Every time he'd cut his wrists he would use a cut-throat razor. Self harm or mutilation never leaves a person, it'll always hang over them like a dark storm cloud, and when things get too hard to handle, it'll start all over again. Like substance abuse and alcoholism. Billie Joe tipped his head back to look at the ceiling, somehow searching for hope or some comfort.
"Why did you want him?" Billie asked as if talking to his mother. "Why did you want him?"
"Whatsername told me what was going to happen and when. She even knew that the security had been bribed to not do anything to stop it. I'm sorry, Billie."
Billie Joe reeled in Rebel's revelation for days, even after Rebel was called back to her duties with Tré. He had never known that the security essentially employed by himself, Mike, and Tré had been bribed. In Billie's mind, Rebel had now been killed at fault of the security's corruption.
During a visit Mike and Tré made to the prison, Billie stated his litigation for Rebel's murder case to be opened and reinvestigated. At first the two male friends and band mates of Billie Joe Armstrong thought that the idea was a stupid one. Then once Billie explained himself, the suggestion didn't seem so bad. Both Mike and Tré knew about Jimmy, really, subconsciously, everyone knew about Jimmy; no one wanted to admit it though. Girls didn't want to know that their idol, their god, had a massive imperfection that they couldn't fix. Some of them blamed Rebel's death for the appearance of Jimmy. Since Billie Joe was in solitary confinement, his visits had to be supervised. He was only in solitary confinement because of safety issues. Tré had told everyone in the outside world about the altercation with Matt in the visitors room on the lower level of the prison.
"Do you think someone would go down for this?" Tré asked.
Mike looked down at his hands. "Would there really be any point?" he asked, then looked up at Billie. "It won't bring her back, you know that don't you?"
Billie looked at Mike questionably. "'Course I know that. Mike, I just want some justice for my wife. Surely you can understand that."
After the visit, Billie was sat in his confinement, staring at the wall. He had asked for a tennis ball to entertain himself with. It was denied to him, just like everything else he asked for. Billie Joe ran his fingers through his dark auburn hair and looked up to the ceiling. He knew that he wouldn't see Rebel again until something drastic happened. Apparently Tré needed guidance from Rebel, on what Billie didn't know. Maybe it was for parenting options with his and Natalie's daughter Brody. Perhaps Brody would somehow be like Rebel. Billie's mine coasted to the children of Green Day. Now there would be seven in total: Joey, Jakob, Ramona, Frankito, Brody, Estelle and Dominic. Would any of them be feeling the backlash of the press? At least now Billie saw an upside to Rebel's inability to conceive a child.
As Billie thought of his children and his friends' families, his mind came to his own childhood. Everyone surely knows Billie's circumstantial home life. Life in Rodeo was simple. Then he left his family for Berkeley and Oakland, hardcore punk California. Billie Joe often thought about the day his father Andy died, the feelings he had inside, the words he wanted to express. Tears stung the green eyes of the Californian native at the memories that were no longer to be relived.
Then his mind came to his stepfather, coincidently named Brad. The physical and mental abuse that a teenage Armstrong was put through. Since Billie Joe's mom, Ollie, was working double shifts in Rod's Hickory Pit until 1988 when it was sold. Billie got a job there himself, trying to help get some income into the house. Billie dropped out of school, one of his only escapes from Brad. Now all he had was Sweet Children. What would have happened if Billie never met Mike; Sweet Children never existed? Would Billie Joe have been bound to work in the sugar refineries with his eldest brother, Allen? There were so many options that Billie could have taken, and even now he wasn't sure if he chose the right path.
The thirty-nine year old man looked down to his wrists and noticed some thin, silver lines through his tattoos. Some of them had a red tinge to them, but it wasn't that noticeable. Billie ran his fingers gently over the scars and could almost remember every ounce of pain he felt at the time he'd slit his wrists open. Every time he'd cut his wrists he would use a cut-throat razor. Self harm or mutilation never leaves a person, it'll always hang over them like a dark storm cloud, and when things get too hard to handle, it'll start all over again. Like substance abuse and alcoholism. Billie Joe tipped his head back to look at the ceiling, somehow searching for hope or some comfort.
"Why did you want him?" Billie asked as if talking to his mother. "Why did you want him?"
