When I Woke Up This Morning..., chapter 5
I drifted in and out of sleep for a while and sat listening when suddenly someone blew in my ear. I spun around, sending water flying with my hair.
"Tre!" I shouted as he scampered away giggling. Mike was laughing, too. I stood up and water dripped from my bikini. I looked at my wrinkly hands, they weren't shaking anymore. The hot tub had done the trick. I stepped out and shivered. It was a warm day, but after getting out of the water, it seemed freezing. I hugged my arms and walked barefoot over to where Mike was still sitting in a chair on the porch. He had a towel there. When he saw me, he threw it at me.
I caught it with a laugh and draped it around my shoulders. I wrapped it around myself for warmth.
"You any better now?" Mike asked with a smile. Someone was in a good mood.
"Yeah, thanks," I replied.
"See?! There she goes again, 'thanks!'" Tre commented from another chair. I sat down in an empty one, flipping my wet hair out of my face.
"So?" I retorted.
"SO?" Tre said unbelievingly. "Almost every other sentence ends with a 'thanks,'" This time I was sure. He was teasing me.
I glared and his mouth broke into a childish grin. I couldn't help but smile, too. "Okay, if you really don't believe me, every time you say 'thanks' I'll say 'fudge pudding,'" Tre suggested.
"Fudge pudding?" Mike and I both said at the same time.
"Why fudge pudding?" I said.
"Well, why the hell not?" Tre said innocently. "I like fudge pudding. It there anything wrong with that? It's tasty."
I laughed at that, so did Mike. Tre was a funny guy and I laugh easy.
"Okay, fine," I said and turned to where Billie was playing with Joey and Jakob. Trust Tre to be obnoxious about something insignificant. I shivered in the slight breeze. I was still cold. My wet hair didn't help either. All I felt like doing was taking a nice warm shower.
I watched Billie maneuver the soccer ball around his kids as they mobbed him, trying to kick the ball away. I laughed out loud. Mike turned to look at me.
"Is it really that funny?" he asked.
"No, it's just almost anything is funny to me. A lot of things make me laugh."
"Really!?" Tre yelled happily. "Then this should be easy."
"What?" I replied, but started laughing instead because Tre made a funny face. He made several more, and had me holding my sides.
"Jeez, I'm not even that funny...." he murmured. "What about jokes? Do they make you laugh?"
I just nodded, still laughing too hard to talk.
"Okay, then. What does a gay cow eat?"
"What?" asked Mike.
"Heeyyy!" Tre said in a gay voice and waved. This had both Mike and I laughing up a storm. Billie, noticing all the fun we were having, walked over with Joey and Jakob following. Jakob was carrying the soccer ball triumphantly.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
I couldn't answer. I was laughing too hard.
"She just cracked up. All I did was make one little joke...and a bunch of faces," he added. After a few minutes I calmed down.
"Hey..." Joey said suddenly.
"Yes?" I managed.
"You have a very pretty laugh."
"Awww, how sweet! Does someone have a crush?" Tre said, sounding like his mom.
"Shut up, Uncle Tre," Joey hissed and punched Tre's arm lightly.
I wasn't sure what to say. This was Billie Joe's son after all.
"Uh, well, thanks, Joey," I began but Tre's screaming stopped me.
"FUDGE PUDDING!!!"
"Jeez! Do you have to yell when I'm sitting with here?!" Mike scolded, covering his ears with his hands.
At that I cracked up again. Billie looked confused. So did Joey and Jakob. The rest of the afternoon continued in this fashion with Tre yelling "fudge pudding" ever few minutes. I had a really great time. I still couldn't believe I was actually hanging out with Green Day. Joey was really nice to me the whole time. I had to admit, he was cute like his dad.
After we had spent hours playing Joey and Jakob's video games, Mike sighed and said, "Well, I guess we should head back now." I didn't really want to leave, but then again, I was still in my swimming suit.
"Oh, alright," I replied.
"It was great meeting you, Valerie," Tre said as he embraced me in a hug and pecked my cheek. I broke away stunned that Tre Cool had just hugged me. Billie did the same, without the kiss.
"Thanks so much for everything," I replied as Tre went "FUDGE PUDDING!!" right on cue. I laughed and Mike lead me to the door. We got in his car and I waved goodbye to the single person standing in the doorway, looking heartbroken. It was Joey.
"Tre!" I shouted as he scampered away giggling. Mike was laughing, too. I stood up and water dripped from my bikini. I looked at my wrinkly hands, they weren't shaking anymore. The hot tub had done the trick. I stepped out and shivered. It was a warm day, but after getting out of the water, it seemed freezing. I hugged my arms and walked barefoot over to where Mike was still sitting in a chair on the porch. He had a towel there. When he saw me, he threw it at me.
I caught it with a laugh and draped it around my shoulders. I wrapped it around myself for warmth.
"You any better now?" Mike asked with a smile. Someone was in a good mood.
"Yeah, thanks," I replied.
"See?! There she goes again, 'thanks!'" Tre commented from another chair. I sat down in an empty one, flipping my wet hair out of my face.
"So?" I retorted.
"SO?" Tre said unbelievingly. "Almost every other sentence ends with a 'thanks,'" This time I was sure. He was teasing me.
I glared and his mouth broke into a childish grin. I couldn't help but smile, too. "Okay, if you really don't believe me, every time you say 'thanks' I'll say 'fudge pudding,'" Tre suggested.
"Fudge pudding?" Mike and I both said at the same time.
"Why fudge pudding?" I said.
"Well, why the hell not?" Tre said innocently. "I like fudge pudding. It there anything wrong with that? It's tasty."
I laughed at that, so did Mike. Tre was a funny guy and I laugh easy.
"Okay, fine," I said and turned to where Billie was playing with Joey and Jakob. Trust Tre to be obnoxious about something insignificant. I shivered in the slight breeze. I was still cold. My wet hair didn't help either. All I felt like doing was taking a nice warm shower.
I watched Billie maneuver the soccer ball around his kids as they mobbed him, trying to kick the ball away. I laughed out loud. Mike turned to look at me.
"Is it really that funny?" he asked.
"No, it's just almost anything is funny to me. A lot of things make me laugh."
"Really!?" Tre yelled happily. "Then this should be easy."
"What?" I replied, but started laughing instead because Tre made a funny face. He made several more, and had me holding my sides.
"Jeez, I'm not even that funny...." he murmured. "What about jokes? Do they make you laugh?"
I just nodded, still laughing too hard to talk.
"Okay, then. What does a gay cow eat?"
"What?" asked Mike.
"Heeyyy!" Tre said in a gay voice and waved. This had both Mike and I laughing up a storm. Billie, noticing all the fun we were having, walked over with Joey and Jakob following. Jakob was carrying the soccer ball triumphantly.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
I couldn't answer. I was laughing too hard.
"She just cracked up. All I did was make one little joke...and a bunch of faces," he added. After a few minutes I calmed down.
"Hey..." Joey said suddenly.
"Yes?" I managed.
"You have a very pretty laugh."
"Awww, how sweet! Does someone have a crush?" Tre said, sounding like his mom.
"Shut up, Uncle Tre," Joey hissed and punched Tre's arm lightly.
I wasn't sure what to say. This was Billie Joe's son after all.
"Uh, well, thanks, Joey," I began but Tre's screaming stopped me.
"FUDGE PUDDING!!!"
"Jeez! Do you have to yell when I'm sitting with here?!" Mike scolded, covering his ears with his hands.
At that I cracked up again. Billie looked confused. So did Joey and Jakob. The rest of the afternoon continued in this fashion with Tre yelling "fudge pudding" ever few minutes. I had a really great time. I still couldn't believe I was actually hanging out with Green Day. Joey was really nice to me the whole time. I had to admit, he was cute like his dad.
After we had spent hours playing Joey and Jakob's video games, Mike sighed and said, "Well, I guess we should head back now." I didn't really want to leave, but then again, I was still in my swimming suit.
"Oh, alright," I replied.
"It was great meeting you, Valerie," Tre said as he embraced me in a hug and pecked my cheek. I broke away stunned that Tre Cool had just hugged me. Billie did the same, without the kiss.
"Thanks so much for everything," I replied as Tre went "FUDGE PUDDING!!" right on cue. I laughed and Mike lead me to the door. We got in his car and I waved goodbye to the single person standing in the doorway, looking heartbroken. It was Joey.
