Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song so We Wouldn't Get Sued, chapter 2
Al and Mike were standing at the bottom steps of the staircase as Billie Joe and I came down, avoiding each other immensely. They didn't seem to notice as they were too busy talking about the gig that night and who was going to be playing.
"Hey, happy birthday," Mike said, giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Al smiled at me and wrapped his arms around me delicately, also giving me a kiss. I smiled and thanked them.
"So who's playing tonight," I asked. "Well, besides you guys of course."
"The Lookouts, Operation Ivy, and some other shitty band," Mike said, shrugging. "I don't know their name, but I DO know they suck ass." I laughed and we went on our way, Al and Billie Joe falling behind us. "So...what's up with you and Billie Joe?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, looking up at him. I had to look a good five inches just to see him. This was weird, Mike was acting like we were really close friends instead of distant not so good friends.
"Well, when you guys came down the stairs, you were avoiding each other's eyes and shit," Mike said. "Did he make you mad or something or-"
"He kissed me," I muttered quietly, sneaking a peek over my shoulder. Billie Joe was staring at his ratty converse, his hands in his pockets, and his feet scuffing the ground beneath him. "And it was kind of awkward 'cause we've been friends for so long."
"Ah, I understand," Mike said, nodding. "He caught you off guard and you don't know what to say about it."
"Exactly and I-" I paused, suddenly realizing this was the first time in a long time that Mike and I had had a civilized conversation. "Why exactly are we talking like this? You've never done this before."
"Well, it was just bugging me," he said, looking at his feet. Men, they always look at their feet when they're nervous or something. "And it's your birthday today. I'm supposed to be nice to you."
"Right," I said suspiciously. "Billie Joe told you to be nice to me, didn't he?"
"Honestly? Yes," he said hesitantly. I nodded. It was good to be honest instead of lie to someone. I hated it when people just automatically lie to you for no reason. "Hey, we're here." I looked up and sure enough, there, about a hundred yards away was the punk scene we were about to enter. My eyes went wide and I was suddenly aware that this was a place where girls could get molested.
"Don't worry, Jess," Al said, walking up to me. "We'll protect you." He grabbed my hand reassuringly and we all walked into the club, me clinging to Al as punks pushed each other and partially me as we passed.
"Hey, Al, over here," I heard someone yell. I looked over, as well as Al, Mike, and Billie Joe, and saw a man around thirty gesturing us over. He looked kind of scary with his leather jacket and dirty jeans and the scowl on his face and I guess it was showing because Al leaned down to whisper in my ear.
"Don't worry, he's not as scary as he looks," Al said, grinning. "He's really a nice guy." I nodded, looking at the man sceptically, and we walked up to him. "Hey Larry."
"Who's the broad," Larry asked.
"Larry, this is Jessie, the girl I told you about," Al said. "Jessie, this is Lawrence Livermore, but we just call him Larry."
"Hey there," Larry said, his smile widening.
"H-hi," I stuttered, as I took his hand. He had a very tight grip, but his hands were soft.
"You a new girl here," Larry asked. I nodded.
"It's her birthday today," Al said. "She just turned fifteen."
"Really," Larry said, his eyebrows shooting up. "And you brought her here?"
"Well, Billie Joe really wanted her to see us play for some reason, so he decided to bring her here for her birthday," Al said. I nodded to clarify that and Larry smiled.
"Happy birthday," Larry said. Al looked behind us to talk to Mike and Billie Joe, but they had disappeared. He looked at his watch and his eyes bulged.
"Shit, I need to get going," Al said. I looked at him with wide eyes and he smiled. "Larry, do you mind watching Jessie while I go get ready for our spot?"
"No," I said, clinging to his arm.
"It's okay, Jess," Al said. "Larry will let you meet Tré. Tré will protect you..."
"Hey, happy birthday," Mike said, giving me a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Al smiled at me and wrapped his arms around me delicately, also giving me a kiss. I smiled and thanked them.
"So who's playing tonight," I asked. "Well, besides you guys of course."
"The Lookouts, Operation Ivy, and some other shitty band," Mike said, shrugging. "I don't know their name, but I DO know they suck ass." I laughed and we went on our way, Al and Billie Joe falling behind us. "So...what's up with you and Billie Joe?"
"What do you mean?" I asked, looking up at him. I had to look a good five inches just to see him. This was weird, Mike was acting like we were really close friends instead of distant not so good friends.
"Well, when you guys came down the stairs, you were avoiding each other's eyes and shit," Mike said. "Did he make you mad or something or-"
"He kissed me," I muttered quietly, sneaking a peek over my shoulder. Billie Joe was staring at his ratty converse, his hands in his pockets, and his feet scuffing the ground beneath him. "And it was kind of awkward 'cause we've been friends for so long."
"Ah, I understand," Mike said, nodding. "He caught you off guard and you don't know what to say about it."
"Exactly and I-" I paused, suddenly realizing this was the first time in a long time that Mike and I had had a civilized conversation. "Why exactly are we talking like this? You've never done this before."
"Well, it was just bugging me," he said, looking at his feet. Men, they always look at their feet when they're nervous or something. "And it's your birthday today. I'm supposed to be nice to you."
"Right," I said suspiciously. "Billie Joe told you to be nice to me, didn't he?"
"Honestly? Yes," he said hesitantly. I nodded. It was good to be honest instead of lie to someone. I hated it when people just automatically lie to you for no reason. "Hey, we're here." I looked up and sure enough, there, about a hundred yards away was the punk scene we were about to enter. My eyes went wide and I was suddenly aware that this was a place where girls could get molested.
"Don't worry, Jess," Al said, walking up to me. "We'll protect you." He grabbed my hand reassuringly and we all walked into the club, me clinging to Al as punks pushed each other and partially me as we passed.
"Hey, Al, over here," I heard someone yell. I looked over, as well as Al, Mike, and Billie Joe, and saw a man around thirty gesturing us over. He looked kind of scary with his leather jacket and dirty jeans and the scowl on his face and I guess it was showing because Al leaned down to whisper in my ear.
"Don't worry, he's not as scary as he looks," Al said, grinning. "He's really a nice guy." I nodded, looking at the man sceptically, and we walked up to him. "Hey Larry."
"Who's the broad," Larry asked.
"Larry, this is Jessie, the girl I told you about," Al said. "Jessie, this is Lawrence Livermore, but we just call him Larry."
"Hey there," Larry said, his smile widening.
"H-hi," I stuttered, as I took his hand. He had a very tight grip, but his hands were soft.
"You a new girl here," Larry asked. I nodded.
"It's her birthday today," Al said. "She just turned fifteen."
"Really," Larry said, his eyebrows shooting up. "And you brought her here?"
"Well, Billie Joe really wanted her to see us play for some reason, so he decided to bring her here for her birthday," Al said. I nodded to clarify that and Larry smiled.
"Happy birthday," Larry said. Al looked behind us to talk to Mike and Billie Joe, but they had disappeared. He looked at his watch and his eyes bulged.
"Shit, I need to get going," Al said. I looked at him with wide eyes and he smiled. "Larry, do you mind watching Jessie while I go get ready for our spot?"
"No," I said, clinging to his arm.
"It's okay, Jess," Al said. "Larry will let you meet Tré. Tré will protect you..."
