Untitled, chapter 2
Billie and Tammy were walking down by the high school. Tammy had been strangely quiet, not mouthing off like Billie was used to. He was confused and wanted to ask her what her problem was but, of course, he couldn't find an opportunity to. The two were talking casually, talking about the band's EP that was now going to be made. Tammy had many ideas for the band. Over the years, Billie, Mike and now Tre had learned of her creativeness and love for music.
"Hey, $2 Bill, what's happenin?" someone yelled from an alleyway by the school.
"Not too much. Got any cash yet?" Billie replied, not noticing Tammy walk fast past him and grit her teeth.
"Aww, not yet man, but I promise soon. Hook me up now? I'll just owe you double."
Billie shook his head. "Sorry, but I don't have any on me now."
"Alright, alright, it's cool. You're still my man."
Billie smiled and gave a little wave before discovering that Tammy had walked off. He had had a feeling this was coming, not sure of the trigger. He finally found her, about a block up, sucking hard on a cigarette. She frowned at him when he walked up, causing even more confusion on Billie's part.
"What the hell?! You just fucking walk away? You act strange to me all day and now you fucking walk away! What is your deal?" Billie yelled, trying to box her against the wall. Even though he was smaller than her, he was pissed off and wouldn't back down.
"You know how much it bothers me and you know its wrong," she replied quietly, staring into Billie's green eyes with her own brown.
"What?!"
"You need to get out of it Billie. I know you'll never give up doing it, though that would be the best idea. At least don't sell it...don't mess up someone else's life."
"Are we really gonna argue about this again? I've explained everything to you a hundred times! I know what I'm doing, okay? I'm not going to turn out like your fucking deadbeat old man!" he exclaimed, knowing right after he said it that it was wrong. With Tammy, you could toe the line with almost everything but once you crossed it, you would regret it.
"DON'T EVEN TALK ABOUT MY DAD BILLIE JOE! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED WITH HIM!" she screamed, backing Billie onto the opposite wall. "Let's see then...while we're on the subject of my dad, how about I tell you the news? I'm moving. Hear that, dumbass? I'm GOD DAMN MOVING! Isn't that awesome? Now I'll be out of your FUCKING, JOINT SMOKING HAIR!" She turned around quickly, whipping him in the face with her hair and ran off on the sidewalk. Billie ran after her, her news still buzzing around his head, refusing to sit down and sink in.
"Tammy! Come here! Don't run away! Please, just stop and we'll talk," he called, running after her. He ran after her for 4 blocks before she stopped, randomly sitting on the sidewalk and crying. He caught up to her and sat down, grabbing her in a tight hug. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? You didn't have to blow up like that."
"I don't know," she said between sobs. "I wanted to tell you but I couldn't figure out how."
"Where to?" he asked, scared to hear the answer.
Tammy had stopped crying by then and looked at him with her red, blotchy eyes. "Boston. He says its better for him to start over there."
Billie stared in disbelief. "All the way across the country? He's taking you to the East coast?! I can't believe him!"
"I plan on only going for two years. I'll be 18 next year so I can come on my own. It'll just take me a year to make enough money to come home."
The two sat, Billie looking protectively at her with a hand on her shoulder and Tammy looking at the ground. They both had known that this day would come, that they'd have to separate. They just didn't imagine it being so soon.
They eventually moved to a bench and started talking about the whole situation. After a half hour had passed, both had calmed down and were feeling more lighthearted about the situation.
"Hey Billie, you know since I'm leaving, we're screwed."
"Well, duh."
"No, no, I mean when you become hugely famous, I'll get lost in a sea of teenies!"
Billie snickered. "Us, get huge? I doubt it."
"No, seriously," she said, leaning into him. "One day, Green Day will be massively famous and I'll be stuck in Boston, the poor little rocker girl with no New England accent." Billie laughed, shaking his head.
"Well you're half right. You won't have an accent."
Tammy sighed. She was really serious about this, although Billie was not. Maybe she'd have to act casual and playful about it to get a straight answer. "Well just in case, why don't we figure something out."
"You could send me a letter...with code names!" he said, grin broadening.
"That's real mature Billie...but it just may work. What are the most random, yet relevant names you can think of?"
"Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum," he said without hesitation, wearing a straight face.
"What the hell?!"
"Tammy sounds kind of like Twiddle Dee...you know, both start with T and end with eeeee," he said, stressing the sound at the end. "I'm not bright, so Twiddle Dum is perfect for me."
She shook her head, wondering how he had come up with that. I'll miss that craziness, she though. "Right, well, that's really weird. But, hey, why not? Alright, when you're big and famous, I'll send you a letter from Twiddle Dee to Twiddle Dum. You have to know it's me."
"I will," he promised, grabbing her in a hug.
No need to explain moving day.Many tears and memories were shared. Tammy said goodbye to Billie Joe, Mike and Tre knowing more of their future than imaginable.
"Hey, $2 Bill, what's happenin?" someone yelled from an alleyway by the school.
"Not too much. Got any cash yet?" Billie replied, not noticing Tammy walk fast past him and grit her teeth.
"Aww, not yet man, but I promise soon. Hook me up now? I'll just owe you double."
Billie shook his head. "Sorry, but I don't have any on me now."
"Alright, alright, it's cool. You're still my man."
Billie smiled and gave a little wave before discovering that Tammy had walked off. He had had a feeling this was coming, not sure of the trigger. He finally found her, about a block up, sucking hard on a cigarette. She frowned at him when he walked up, causing even more confusion on Billie's part.
"What the hell?! You just fucking walk away? You act strange to me all day and now you fucking walk away! What is your deal?" Billie yelled, trying to box her against the wall. Even though he was smaller than her, he was pissed off and wouldn't back down.
"You know how much it bothers me and you know its wrong," she replied quietly, staring into Billie's green eyes with her own brown.
"What?!"
"You need to get out of it Billie. I know you'll never give up doing it, though that would be the best idea. At least don't sell it...don't mess up someone else's life."
"Are we really gonna argue about this again? I've explained everything to you a hundred times! I know what I'm doing, okay? I'm not going to turn out like your fucking deadbeat old man!" he exclaimed, knowing right after he said it that it was wrong. With Tammy, you could toe the line with almost everything but once you crossed it, you would regret it.
"DON'T EVEN TALK ABOUT MY DAD BILLIE JOE! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED WITH HIM!" she screamed, backing Billie onto the opposite wall. "Let's see then...while we're on the subject of my dad, how about I tell you the news? I'm moving. Hear that, dumbass? I'm GOD DAMN MOVING! Isn't that awesome? Now I'll be out of your FUCKING, JOINT SMOKING HAIR!" She turned around quickly, whipping him in the face with her hair and ran off on the sidewalk. Billie ran after her, her news still buzzing around his head, refusing to sit down and sink in.
"Tammy! Come here! Don't run away! Please, just stop and we'll talk," he called, running after her. He ran after her for 4 blocks before she stopped, randomly sitting on the sidewalk and crying. He caught up to her and sat down, grabbing her in a tight hug. "Why didn't you tell me earlier? You didn't have to blow up like that."
"I don't know," she said between sobs. "I wanted to tell you but I couldn't figure out how."
"Where to?" he asked, scared to hear the answer.
Tammy had stopped crying by then and looked at him with her red, blotchy eyes. "Boston. He says its better for him to start over there."
Billie stared in disbelief. "All the way across the country? He's taking you to the East coast?! I can't believe him!"
"I plan on only going for two years. I'll be 18 next year so I can come on my own. It'll just take me a year to make enough money to come home."
The two sat, Billie looking protectively at her with a hand on her shoulder and Tammy looking at the ground. They both had known that this day would come, that they'd have to separate. They just didn't imagine it being so soon.
They eventually moved to a bench and started talking about the whole situation. After a half hour had passed, both had calmed down and were feeling more lighthearted about the situation.
"Hey Billie, you know since I'm leaving, we're screwed."
"Well, duh."
"No, no, I mean when you become hugely famous, I'll get lost in a sea of teenies!"
Billie snickered. "Us, get huge? I doubt it."
"No, seriously," she said, leaning into him. "One day, Green Day will be massively famous and I'll be stuck in Boston, the poor little rocker girl with no New England accent." Billie laughed, shaking his head.
"Well you're half right. You won't have an accent."
Tammy sighed. She was really serious about this, although Billie was not. Maybe she'd have to act casual and playful about it to get a straight answer. "Well just in case, why don't we figure something out."
"You could send me a letter...with code names!" he said, grin broadening.
"That's real mature Billie...but it just may work. What are the most random, yet relevant names you can think of?"
"Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum," he said without hesitation, wearing a straight face.
"What the hell?!"
"Tammy sounds kind of like Twiddle Dee...you know, both start with T and end with eeeee," he said, stressing the sound at the end. "I'm not bright, so Twiddle Dum is perfect for me."
She shook her head, wondering how he had come up with that. I'll miss that craziness, she though. "Right, well, that's really weird. But, hey, why not? Alright, when you're big and famous, I'll send you a letter from Twiddle Dee to Twiddle Dum. You have to know it's me."
"I will," he promised, grabbing her in a hug.
No need to explain moving day.Many tears and memories were shared. Tammy said goodbye to Billie Joe, Mike and Tre knowing more of their future than imaginable.
