2010 (sequel/prequel to 2028), chapter 5

Sadly this would not be the last time that an argument in the Armstrong house ended this way. Many of the following years in that house would be haunted by ghosts of laughter as Joey became more physical with each argument, never touching his mother or brother but only his father. But Joey didn't know that yet, and as he stormed off down the street, he paid no attention to his surroundings and by the time his paced slowed, he found himself easily three blocks away on the crest of a hill with houses surrounding them. As he now meandered down the street, he heard a familiar laugh and a flash of pink and purple striped blond hair alerted him to the presence of the ever-happy Estelle Pritchard, or Stella Dirnt as she was known in most circles. As he rounded the corner he saw that it was indeed her, surrounded by three girls only one of which he recognized.

"Whoa! Hello," Stella smiled, as she stopped in her tracks, "Um...what are you doing?"

"Stella I live three blocks away, aren't I allowed to walk around my own neighborhood anymore?" Joey grumbled, aggravated.

"Well sor-ry," Stella said, "We're going to the park, wanna come?"

"I guess..." Joey muttered and began to walk with them.

"Oh, by the way, these are my friends," Stella smiled and pointed to a redhead with freckles and eyeliner, "That's Lila."

Lila smiled and waved but Stella was hardly done.

"That's Buggy, she's got a real name but everyone calls her Buggy," Stella announced pointing to a brown haired girl with even more eyeliner that Lila. Joey decided he liked her shirt, which proclaimed 'Can you bang like a drummer can?" in bold, black, hand-written letters.

Buggy grinned and struck a pose, "That's me!"

"Yeah...and you know Ellie," Stella pointed to the only other girl who was the only one Joey recognized. Ellie was pretty, with black hair and intense gold eyes. As Joey and Ellie locked eyes, they both found it impossible to look away and the two felt a connection, a bond that some could call love at first sight but was more of an understanding, an agreement, a pact.

"Joey...?" Stella poked her friend and he immediately snapped out of his semi-coma, as did Ellie who attempted to cover up the incident as quickly as possible.

"Yeah, sorry I was god knows where right there," he said, shaking his head to clear it.

"Why are you out here?" Buggy asked.

"Oh... just, just 'cause."

"Hmm," she pondered, "Jake comes with us sometimes and he says you never come out of your room. What do you do in there?"

"What do I do in my room..." Joey muttered, "You know not much. I sit around, play guitar, sit around some more, go on the Web, play more guitar, go on the Web a bit more... and you really don't want to know the rest."

Buggy scrunched her face up as Ellie whispered something to Lila.

"You know," Joey realized, looking at Ellie, "I don't think I've ever heard you talk." It was true, also. In all the times he had seen her with his brother or Stella, she had been silent. But Ellie merely raised her eyebrows at his comment and smiled.

"Yeah, Ellie doesn't talk," Lila announced, "Usually Buggy and Stella do all the talking."

"Oh? Hey what grade are you guys in?"

"Eighth," Lila, Buggy and Stella chorused as Ellie nodded.

"Now she's just being stupid," Buggy pointed out, talking about Ellie. She pushed her friend but Ellie nearly smiled before pushing Buggy back.

"Yeah, I agree," Stella announced, "She likes to displease people. You'll probably never hear her talk now."

"Is that so?" Joey raised an eyebrow as the reached the park. Suddenly he whirled around and screamed in Ellie's face.

"AHHH!" she shrieked, "Omigod, omigod, omigod!"

"Great now she's talking," Stella grumbled.

"She'll never shut up now," Buggy added.

"Got you to talk!" Joey shouted and pointed at Ellie who laughed.

"Yeah well you cheated. Scaring people is mean," Ellie said. Joey liked her voice, it was
light but it had a serious undertone that one only gained when they had seen things that were not necessarily appropriate for girls of her age.

As the evening went on, Ellie did talk a bit and Joey as well. In the end, Joey ended up sitting all alone on a swing just watching the girls play around with each other. He didn't notice that one had been missing until he saw someone sit down on the swing next to him.

"Why aren't you playing?" he asked Ellie as she swung back and forth.

"I dunno," she said, "I just don't really feel like it."

"Oh. So'd you like the new Behind the Music?" Joey asked, talking about a new edition of the show that had recently been made about Green Day.

"Yeah it was cool...did you like it?"

"Uh...well," Joey stuttered, not wanting to seem ungrateful, "Not really."

"Oh, yeah Jake says that you're not getting along with the rest of the family. I think that sucks."

"Whatever...do you guys come here every night?"

"No just every Saturday when it's not raining. But I like to come on Wednesdays if I have the bus fare for it."

"What about your parents?"

Ellie gave him a look, "My mom works in the morning at a diner as a waitress and at night... at a...a club."

"And your dad?"

"Not in the picture."

"Oh that sucks," Joey said, relating to her problems, his dad had been gone for over half of his life anyways.

"Yeah it's okay. Me and Mom we manage usually. We don't really fight, it's just hard sometimes. Money's not that loose, if you get my drift."

"Yeah I do."

"No you don't, you're Joey Armstrong, your Dad's in Green Day. You've got at least thirty-mil in the bank."

"Hey," Joey defended himself, holding up his hands, "I didn't mean that. I just meant I understood what you said. Sorry!"

"S'okay," Ellie tried to smile, "Don't worry about it."