When I Woke Up This Morning..., chapter 2
I awoke to shuffling and banging. I was laying on my side, so I turned over to see Mike wrestling my things through the door way. "Why is he bringing my stuff in here?" I thought to myself.
"Mike? What...?" I began. He looked over and smiled.
"Good morning. I called Tom and he gave the okay for you to stay with me from now on," he managed to bring all my things in. "I don't have a guest room, so you can keep your things in here."
I was very confused. Stay with Mike Dirnt? I was uneasy about it. I mean, he's famous and everything and I've only just met him. Well, I guess I met him last night. Ugh. I was beginning to hate the words "last night."
"But, Mike, I couldn't really-"
"Don't worry. It won't be a problem and all your things are already here," Mike cut me off.
"But, really, I don't want to be a burden-" I began but Mike cut me off again.
"Valerie, it's okay. Really. It won't be a problem. Come on, why don't you get dressed and we can go get some breakfast?" Seeing that there was no way to talk him out of this, I agreed.
"Okay, I guess. I sort of am hungry," Mike put my backpack that I used as a suitcase down and opened it.
"Here, find something to wear and I'll get your bike out of my car."
"Your car? What was it doing in there?" I asked as I climbed out of the bed and started rummaging through my clothes. I thought I saw Mike staring at me for a second, but it could have just been my imagination.
"Well, you couldn't leave it at Harry's last night so we stuck it in the back of my car when we drove back here," Mike explained.
"Oh," I said trying not to imagine my bike being stuffed in the back of a car by two drunk people. One of them me. I tried to shake it off and concentrate on finding something to wear. Mike left the room to go get my bike out of his car. I pulled out a light brown T-shirt that had a guitar on it and the word "play" written underneath the guitar. I decided to wear a dark brown frilly skit with it. I put them on and walked over to the pile of clothes Mike had pointed to earlier. I sorted my clothes from his and stuffed them into the bag. I would wash them later, but I didn't want my underwear laying around in a rockstar's house.
In another pocket of my backpack, I pulled out my hairbrush and went into the bathroom to brush my hair. The sink was littered with hair dye. I didn't touch it and began to brush, looking at my reflection in the mirror. There were dark purple rings around my eyes from lack of sleep. My lips looked worn. I didn't want to know why. I continued to brush my dark brown, almost black, hair. It was long, almost at my waist and very straight. It parted on the left side of my head and swooped behind my ear. I liked to tuck my hair behind my ears to keep it out of my face.
I had two piercing in my left ear and one in my right. I hadn't worn earrings to the party. I was debating whether to put one in or not when Mike stepped in to the room.
"Oh, there you are," he said. "Sorry about the mess."
I turned to face him. "It's okay. I don't mind," Mike was smiling.
"Gosh, you look great," I blushed, not knowing what to say.
"Come on. Let's go get something to eat," Mike motioned out the door to his bedroom. I walked though it with him behind me.
"Hold on," I said, stopping at my backpack. I bent down to get something out if it. When I stood up again, there was a silver hoop earring in each of my ears and a little skull dangling from my left one. "Okay, let's go."
Mike led me out of his bedroom, down the hallway, and out the front door. He was really a gentleman to me. I felt flattered but didn't say anything. His car was parked in the driveway and my bike was leaning on the porch. We walked down the steps to the car. Mike opened the front seat door for me and I sat down inside. Mike walked around to the other side and got in. Soon we were on our way. 'But to where?' I wondered. Almost as if he realized I was wondering were we were going, Mike answered my unsaid question.
"I usually go to Starbucks for some coffee. Is that okay with you?"
"Sure, I don't really drink coffee, but I could do with some hot cocoa."
"What? No coffee?" Mike almost looked hurt. "I love coffee. Can't live without the stuff. Do you not like it or just don't drink it?"
I laughed. "I just don't like the taste and it keeps me up all night. Even if I have it in the morning."
Mike laughed, too. "That's too bad. Coffee's great," I was glad we were enjoying each other's company instead of feeling nervous and uneasy around each other.
I was beginning to feel like I could trust Mike.
"Mike, I don't know why I'm telling you this, but Green Day has really helped me," Mike turned to look at me as he stopped at a red light. He looked surprised. I continued. "If I hadn't listened to Green Day I probably wouldn't have found the courage to leave home. Man, I hate that place. Green Day gave me enough rebellious energy and kept me sane. I lived and breathed Green Day. I practically worshiped you three from below. I don't know if you can understand what I felt like when I woke this morning and..." I trailed off looking into his bright blue eyes for some connection of understanding. To my surprise, there was a strong bond in our gaze. He really seemed to understand. I saw the light change in corner of my eye. Mike didn't notice.
"Uh, the light's green," I reminded him. The connection broke and he put his foot on the gas pedal.
"Oh, right. Thanks," he said. None of us said anything for a while.
The car pulled into the parking lot next to a black car. I unbuckled my seatbelt and was about to open my door when Mike said something.
"Wait, don't get out. I'll get it for you."
He came around to my side and opened the door. I stepped out and smiled at him.
"Thanks."
Mike pointed at the black car next to us. He had a look on his face as if he knew something and I didn't. "You'll never guess whose car that is."
I didn't reply, but gave him a quizzical look. He chuckled and held his arm for me to take. I took a breath before I looped my arm with his and we walked up to the door.
"Mike? What...?" I began. He looked over and smiled.
"Good morning. I called Tom and he gave the okay for you to stay with me from now on," he managed to bring all my things in. "I don't have a guest room, so you can keep your things in here."
I was very confused. Stay with Mike Dirnt? I was uneasy about it. I mean, he's famous and everything and I've only just met him. Well, I guess I met him last night. Ugh. I was beginning to hate the words "last night."
"But, Mike, I couldn't really-"
"Don't worry. It won't be a problem and all your things are already here," Mike cut me off.
"But, really, I don't want to be a burden-" I began but Mike cut me off again.
"Valerie, it's okay. Really. It won't be a problem. Come on, why don't you get dressed and we can go get some breakfast?" Seeing that there was no way to talk him out of this, I agreed.
"Okay, I guess. I sort of am hungry," Mike put my backpack that I used as a suitcase down and opened it.
"Here, find something to wear and I'll get your bike out of my car."
"Your car? What was it doing in there?" I asked as I climbed out of the bed and started rummaging through my clothes. I thought I saw Mike staring at me for a second, but it could have just been my imagination.
"Well, you couldn't leave it at Harry's last night so we stuck it in the back of my car when we drove back here," Mike explained.
"Oh," I said trying not to imagine my bike being stuffed in the back of a car by two drunk people. One of them me. I tried to shake it off and concentrate on finding something to wear. Mike left the room to go get my bike out of his car. I pulled out a light brown T-shirt that had a guitar on it and the word "play" written underneath the guitar. I decided to wear a dark brown frilly skit with it. I put them on and walked over to the pile of clothes Mike had pointed to earlier. I sorted my clothes from his and stuffed them into the bag. I would wash them later, but I didn't want my underwear laying around in a rockstar's house.
In another pocket of my backpack, I pulled out my hairbrush and went into the bathroom to brush my hair. The sink was littered with hair dye. I didn't touch it and began to brush, looking at my reflection in the mirror. There were dark purple rings around my eyes from lack of sleep. My lips looked worn. I didn't want to know why. I continued to brush my dark brown, almost black, hair. It was long, almost at my waist and very straight. It parted on the left side of my head and swooped behind my ear. I liked to tuck my hair behind my ears to keep it out of my face.
I had two piercing in my left ear and one in my right. I hadn't worn earrings to the party. I was debating whether to put one in or not when Mike stepped in to the room.
"Oh, there you are," he said. "Sorry about the mess."
I turned to face him. "It's okay. I don't mind," Mike was smiling.
"Gosh, you look great," I blushed, not knowing what to say.
"Come on. Let's go get something to eat," Mike motioned out the door to his bedroom. I walked though it with him behind me.
"Hold on," I said, stopping at my backpack. I bent down to get something out if it. When I stood up again, there was a silver hoop earring in each of my ears and a little skull dangling from my left one. "Okay, let's go."
Mike led me out of his bedroom, down the hallway, and out the front door. He was really a gentleman to me. I felt flattered but didn't say anything. His car was parked in the driveway and my bike was leaning on the porch. We walked down the steps to the car. Mike opened the front seat door for me and I sat down inside. Mike walked around to the other side and got in. Soon we were on our way. 'But to where?' I wondered. Almost as if he realized I was wondering were we were going, Mike answered my unsaid question.
"I usually go to Starbucks for some coffee. Is that okay with you?"
"Sure, I don't really drink coffee, but I could do with some hot cocoa."
"What? No coffee?" Mike almost looked hurt. "I love coffee. Can't live without the stuff. Do you not like it or just don't drink it?"
I laughed. "I just don't like the taste and it keeps me up all night. Even if I have it in the morning."
Mike laughed, too. "That's too bad. Coffee's great," I was glad we were enjoying each other's company instead of feeling nervous and uneasy around each other.
I was beginning to feel like I could trust Mike.
"Mike, I don't know why I'm telling you this, but Green Day has really helped me," Mike turned to look at me as he stopped at a red light. He looked surprised. I continued. "If I hadn't listened to Green Day I probably wouldn't have found the courage to leave home. Man, I hate that place. Green Day gave me enough rebellious energy and kept me sane. I lived and breathed Green Day. I practically worshiped you three from below. I don't know if you can understand what I felt like when I woke this morning and..." I trailed off looking into his bright blue eyes for some connection of understanding. To my surprise, there was a strong bond in our gaze. He really seemed to understand. I saw the light change in corner of my eye. Mike didn't notice.
"Uh, the light's green," I reminded him. The connection broke and he put his foot on the gas pedal.
"Oh, right. Thanks," he said. None of us said anything for a while.
The car pulled into the parking lot next to a black car. I unbuckled my seatbelt and was about to open my door when Mike said something.
"Wait, don't get out. I'll get it for you."
He came around to my side and opened the door. I stepped out and smiled at him.
"Thanks."
Mike pointed at the black car next to us. He had a look on his face as if he knew something and I didn't. "You'll never guess whose car that is."
I didn't reply, but gave him a quizzical look. He chuckled and held his arm for me to take. I took a breath before I looped my arm with his and we walked up to the door.
