Are you leaving home?, chapter 3
*My P.O.V.*
Oh my god. Billie Joe Armstrong is standing right in front of me and I am in complete shock. In fact, no, I'm not in shock, and although I am excited, that isn't the feeling that's worrying me either. I was nervous. I was frightened of him. Not in the way I was frightened of my mother or frightened of bad things happening, it was more of the fact I didn't want to do anything wrong. It was the thought that he could spend the rest of the day laughing about how bad I looked, or how unintelligent I was.
I mean, don't get me wrong I knew this was highly unlikely, especially if he's anything like the Billie Joe I've heard about, it's just that I've spent most of my life being put down and I have begun to expect these things from people.
It's so hard to explain how I feel especially to people who have never felt how I do. It's like, I come from one world and he comes from another. All of a sudden, though, the two worlds have come together and it's the strangest feeling.
For a moment I lost track of everything. My mind stopped thinking and I was hoping I hadn't been standing here doing nothing for as long as it felt like, Ok, first things first I thought to myself, I had to stop shaking his hand. He seemed pleased that I'd stopped. It was still quiet though. Say something I thought to myself, but I couldn't think of one sensible thing to say to him. Luckily Billie came to my rescue. It felt so weird hearing his voice without it coming through my television or my computer speakers.
"Hi," he said.
Ok, so he wanted me to say something. Trouble was I couldn't. I mean, there were loads of things I would love to say to him but I really just couldn't.
"Hiya, so did you enjoy the show?"
Shit, damn and fuck. Why did I always have to pick the shittiest thing to say? Who could actually have enjoyed the show? Well apart from kids of course.
"Well, umm, I guess it was... interesting?" he replied. Well what else could he say after being asked whether he enjoyed the worst version of the 'Sound of Music,' ever?
"I thought it was fun," one of the boys said, who I guessed must have been Jakob.
Just then Adrienne appeared, and I must admit she looks so much prettier in real life than in her photographs... if that is even possible. She handed Jakob a T-shirt she had just bought for him.
"Seriously, are you really going to let him walk around in that?" Billie asked her.
"Well, if it's what he wants... " she answered. "And who's this then?"
I guessed she was referring to me, but before I could say anything, Joey spoke for me.
"This is the lady who showed us where the ice-creams were, Mum."
"Oh, nice to meet you," she said letting me shake her hand too.
It was so strange. Something so surreal that I felt it wasn't even happening. I felt like I was just watching another video of them on the internet and the girl on there just happened to look pretty similar to me. I was so confused and in a daze, and it went silent again.
"Well, Mike and Tré will be wondering where we've got to, we'd better be getting back," she informed Billie.
I knew they had to go but I didn't want them to. I had to say something.
"Umm, this is slightly embarrassing, but could I have your autograph?" Oh my mother fucking God. It was official. I was a complete asshole. There was nothing I could do now but hope he didn't laugh.
"Sure," he answered. He was used to it I suppose. I handed him a pen and he signed my program and then he started to walk out of my life.
"Wait," he called. "I didn't catch you name"
Wow, the lead singer of Green Day was asking for my name. For a second I couldn't remember it myself.
"Kayleigh," I told him. "And you're Billie Joe, right?" I asked.
Please someone, shoot me now, I thought to myself. I heard him chuckle to himself as he walked away. It began to dawn on me that that was it. My life ambition. And it was all over and I would never see him again, but I didn't care because I had done it. I had met him.
All of a sudden I didn't care how much of a fool I had just made out of myself or if I wasn't ever going to see him again. I couldn't get his face off my mind. All of a sudden I wasn't hungry or cold and didn't care that I was on my own in the middle of nowhere. I kept replaying that conversation in my mind until I fell asleep.
***
Next morning...
*Billie's P.O.V*
It's weird being in London. We were only meant to be here for a few days but Adie said she wanted to stay for another week. It's not like we're spending any time together though. At the moment it's just me and Mike. Adie took the kids out earlier to look at museums and shit. Tré went out last night and never came back.
It's quite strange about Tré. I mean it's obviously not the first time he's done this but I have this feeling in the back of my mind that something's not right. We're in the middle of London and he's probably drunk and doesn't have a clue where he is.
I don't know why I'm that bothered but I am. I went to ask Mike what he thought. Trouble was I couldn't think of anything more interesting to do than look for Tré.
"Mike?"
"What's up?"
"How are you?" I asked
"Umm, fed up, why? he replied.
"Good," I said and before he knew it we were in the cab I'd called.
"Where are we going?"
"Nowhere," I answered.
"Well, what have you lost?"
"Tré."
"Shit, man. He's all grown up, remember; he'll come back when he remembers who he is."
"That's the point, Mike. What if he doesn't?" I said
"What? Come back or remember who he is?"
I don't know why I cared it's just Tré isn't really that responsible and he could be anywhere. We were being pointlessly being driven around London looking for a man who could be anywhere.
"Dude, he'll probably be at the hotel when we get back. Don't worry about him," Mike said.
So I gave in and the cab turned round and started driving back to the hotel. I was mindlessly staring out of the window, sulking I suppose, when I saw a familiar face.
"Wait! Stop!" I told the driver and I got out the car. That's when I remembered who it was.
"Kayleigh?" I asked her.
"Oh my word, Billie Joe? Thank God you're here I don't know what to do. I think there's something you should see," she told me.
I couldn't work it out. She was still here in almost the same place in the same clothes as yesterday. My mind tried to work it out but before I could even think I heard a familiar voice.
"And... I... I... I really wanted the big red bike" I heard sobbing. This wasn't good. "And... It had big... big shiny handlebars... and I wanted it... but I couldn't have it... .and... I WANT MY RED BIKE!!" Oh My God not the red bike again.. I don't know what or how much he'd had but it was obviously a lot.
"Tré?" I asked just to make sure.
Kayleigh nodded and just at that second he threw up all over the pavement
Oh my god. Billie Joe Armstrong is standing right in front of me and I am in complete shock. In fact, no, I'm not in shock, and although I am excited, that isn't the feeling that's worrying me either. I was nervous. I was frightened of him. Not in the way I was frightened of my mother or frightened of bad things happening, it was more of the fact I didn't want to do anything wrong. It was the thought that he could spend the rest of the day laughing about how bad I looked, or how unintelligent I was.
I mean, don't get me wrong I knew this was highly unlikely, especially if he's anything like the Billie Joe I've heard about, it's just that I've spent most of my life being put down and I have begun to expect these things from people.
It's so hard to explain how I feel especially to people who have never felt how I do. It's like, I come from one world and he comes from another. All of a sudden, though, the two worlds have come together and it's the strangest feeling.
For a moment I lost track of everything. My mind stopped thinking and I was hoping I hadn't been standing here doing nothing for as long as it felt like, Ok, first things first I thought to myself, I had to stop shaking his hand. He seemed pleased that I'd stopped. It was still quiet though. Say something I thought to myself, but I couldn't think of one sensible thing to say to him. Luckily Billie came to my rescue. It felt so weird hearing his voice without it coming through my television or my computer speakers.
"Hi," he said.
Ok, so he wanted me to say something. Trouble was I couldn't. I mean, there were loads of things I would love to say to him but I really just couldn't.
"Hiya, so did you enjoy the show?"
Shit, damn and fuck. Why did I always have to pick the shittiest thing to say? Who could actually have enjoyed the show? Well apart from kids of course.
"Well, umm, I guess it was... interesting?" he replied. Well what else could he say after being asked whether he enjoyed the worst version of the 'Sound of Music,' ever?
"I thought it was fun," one of the boys said, who I guessed must have been Jakob.
Just then Adrienne appeared, and I must admit she looks so much prettier in real life than in her photographs... if that is even possible. She handed Jakob a T-shirt she had just bought for him.
"Seriously, are you really going to let him walk around in that?" Billie asked her.
"Well, if it's what he wants... " she answered. "And who's this then?"
I guessed she was referring to me, but before I could say anything, Joey spoke for me.
"This is the lady who showed us where the ice-creams were, Mum."
"Oh, nice to meet you," she said letting me shake her hand too.
It was so strange. Something so surreal that I felt it wasn't even happening. I felt like I was just watching another video of them on the internet and the girl on there just happened to look pretty similar to me. I was so confused and in a daze, and it went silent again.
"Well, Mike and Tré will be wondering where we've got to, we'd better be getting back," she informed Billie.
I knew they had to go but I didn't want them to. I had to say something.
"Umm, this is slightly embarrassing, but could I have your autograph?" Oh my mother fucking God. It was official. I was a complete asshole. There was nothing I could do now but hope he didn't laugh.
"Sure," he answered. He was used to it I suppose. I handed him a pen and he signed my program and then he started to walk out of my life.
"Wait," he called. "I didn't catch you name"
Wow, the lead singer of Green Day was asking for my name. For a second I couldn't remember it myself.
"Kayleigh," I told him. "And you're Billie Joe, right?" I asked.
Please someone, shoot me now, I thought to myself. I heard him chuckle to himself as he walked away. It began to dawn on me that that was it. My life ambition. And it was all over and I would never see him again, but I didn't care because I had done it. I had met him.
All of a sudden I didn't care how much of a fool I had just made out of myself or if I wasn't ever going to see him again. I couldn't get his face off my mind. All of a sudden I wasn't hungry or cold and didn't care that I was on my own in the middle of nowhere. I kept replaying that conversation in my mind until I fell asleep.
***
Next morning...
*Billie's P.O.V*
It's weird being in London. We were only meant to be here for a few days but Adie said she wanted to stay for another week. It's not like we're spending any time together though. At the moment it's just me and Mike. Adie took the kids out earlier to look at museums and shit. Tré went out last night and never came back.
It's quite strange about Tré. I mean it's obviously not the first time he's done this but I have this feeling in the back of my mind that something's not right. We're in the middle of London and he's probably drunk and doesn't have a clue where he is.
I don't know why I'm that bothered but I am. I went to ask Mike what he thought. Trouble was I couldn't think of anything more interesting to do than look for Tré.
"Mike?"
"What's up?"
"How are you?" I asked
"Umm, fed up, why? he replied.
"Good," I said and before he knew it we were in the cab I'd called.
"Where are we going?"
"Nowhere," I answered.
"Well, what have you lost?"
"Tré."
"Shit, man. He's all grown up, remember; he'll come back when he remembers who he is."
"That's the point, Mike. What if he doesn't?" I said
"What? Come back or remember who he is?"
I don't know why I cared it's just Tré isn't really that responsible and he could be anywhere. We were being pointlessly being driven around London looking for a man who could be anywhere.
"Dude, he'll probably be at the hotel when we get back. Don't worry about him," Mike said.
So I gave in and the cab turned round and started driving back to the hotel. I was mindlessly staring out of the window, sulking I suppose, when I saw a familiar face.
"Wait! Stop!" I told the driver and I got out the car. That's when I remembered who it was.
"Kayleigh?" I asked her.
"Oh my word, Billie Joe? Thank God you're here I don't know what to do. I think there's something you should see," she told me.
I couldn't work it out. She was still here in almost the same place in the same clothes as yesterday. My mind tried to work it out but before I could even think I heard a familiar voice.
"And... I... I... I really wanted the big red bike" I heard sobbing. This wasn't good. "And... It had big... big shiny handlebars... and I wanted it... but I couldn't have it... .and... I WANT MY RED BIKE!!" Oh My God not the red bike again.. I don't know what or how much he'd had but it was obviously a lot.
"Tré?" I asked just to make sure.
Kayleigh nodded and just at that second he threw up all over the pavement
