Butterflies and Steel, chapter 3
Over the course of the next few days I smartly skipped going to the park. It left me feeling a bit bereft, I admit, but I figured that it was a small sacrifice to avoid a lot of unnecessary pain. I couldn't help but look over to see if Joey was there, sitting by himself, writing in his little Ramones notebook with the lop-sided sticker. Then I would look away, remembering that I would never have one of my own, and I would try to forget about those dark thoughts.
One day, though, my heart got the better of me and I found myself parking my Neon in the park's parking lot. I had decided that I would walk around instead of watching, enjoying the Californian sun.
After a short ten minutes, I had already felt better, relaxing because I knew the chances of running into Joey and his celebrity dad were slim to none. Of course Billie wouldn't let his son come back to the park, not with strange people like me walking around. He probably thought I was some sort of pedophile or something-or worse, a kidnapper. I shook my head at the stupidity of avoiding the park in the first place, blaming my paranoid mind for all of it.
"Carrie!" I heard my name being called from behind. I knew that voice; it was Joey. All the tenseness came back to me all at once, all those feelings that I had banished. I wanted to pretend that I didn't hear... wanted to just turn the corner and make him go away. But I couldn't do that, he was only a child. I turned around to see him and his little brother walking between what looked to be his mother and Billie.
"Hi Joey!" I smiled. I stopped walking and they caught up with me. I chanced a glance at Billie, expecting to see the same scrutiny that was there when I first met him. I was extremely surprised to see that he only smiled, apparently having no problem with his son's newfound friend in me.
"This is my mom," Joey said, indicating the pretty woman that his dad was holding hands with. God, I wish I had her hair. She smiled at me and I gave a small smile in return.
"I'm Adrienne," she replied. I shook her hand.
"Carrie," I replied, even though she obviously knew my name.
"So I heard," she laughed. She looked off to where her sons were wrestling around. "Joey really likes you."
"Huh," I said, thinking that one over. How could Joey like me if he only knew me for such a short period of time? But then again, I liked him too, but that really had a lot to do with the fact that he was a kid. Adrienne seemed to read my mind in a way.
"He's great at reading people," she added, almost cutting to the point of my doubt. "Ever since he was a kid he's been like that. He's sees something good in you."
"Oh," I said, really not knowing what to say. I suddenly felt that I had been making a lot of inarticulate noises instead of actual responses lately. Again, I felt myself searching for words in order to not seem like a complete douche bag.
"So what do you do?" Billie asked suddenly, coming to my silent rescue. The man was good at sensing discomfort, I'll give him that. I let out a small laugh.
"I work at a tattoo shop," I replied, happy to get onto a subject that I knew well. Both Adrienne and Billie seemed taken aback a bit by this, and I was more that aware of why.
"What do you do there?" Billie asked, and I had to fight the urge to be rude and stare blankly. Instead I just gave him a smirk.
"I tattoo people," I answered, trying not to sound patronizing. I don't think it worked, because Adrienne seemed highly amused at that. Billie glanced over at her with a look that only she could understand, because I sure as hell didn't, but I'm guessing it had something to do with him getting her back in a very provocative way. True love at it's finest.
"I didn't know," Billie blurted with a laugh, more to Adrienne than myself. He looked back at me. "No offense, you just don't look like a tattooist."
"I get that a lot," I replied, so used to this conversation. Been there a million times before. "I just love the art."
"Have any of your own?"
"Nope," I answered, shaking my head. "Terrified of needles."
"And yet you're a tattoo artist?" Billie smiled. I just smiled and nodded. I looked over at a noise of distress behind me, and I laughed when I saw that Joey had Jakob in a headlock.
"Get over here!" Adrienne said in more of a 'you two are goofy' tone than a 'you're in trouble' tone. It was highly amusing, and at the same time, highly disturbing. They were a picture perfect family. Young parents, money, great kids... all things I never had. Or would have, in my mind.
I barely had time to think about this, though, because Joey walked up and stood beside me. I instantly felt more at ease, almost like his presence brought an instant calm over me. I looked down at him and smiled. He smiled back, and his face brightened as he looked up at his parents.
"Do you think Carrie can come over for dinner?" he asked. We all seemed a little shocked, but I recovered first.
"I can't," I said quickly, sounding as sorry as I could. Joey's face fell a little. He seemed a bit dejected. "I mean, I have things I need to do, and I wouldn't want to intrude or anything." Pathetic, but solid.
"You wouldn't be intruding," Adrienne said after a moment of studying her son. "I think it would be great to get to know you better. You wouldn't care, would you Billie?" Adrienne looked over at her husband. I could tell by his face that he did care. But his response didn't reflect his demeanor.
"No," he said. "You're more than welcome." And then all the decision came back on me. I shouldn't have felt any kind of obligation to agree, but when I looked down into those big brown eyes, half pleading, I couldn't say no.
"As long as it's completely okay," I said, hesitantly. I knew Billie minded, he minded A LOT, but it wasn't like I was doing it for him anyway. Plus, I was hungry. And when in doubt, go with your stomach. Adrienne proceeded to give me directions to their house, and I said bye to Joey and left.
Dinner at seven with Billie Joe Armstrong and family. And the funny thing was, I wasn't even there for him.
One day, though, my heart got the better of me and I found myself parking my Neon in the park's parking lot. I had decided that I would walk around instead of watching, enjoying the Californian sun.
After a short ten minutes, I had already felt better, relaxing because I knew the chances of running into Joey and his celebrity dad were slim to none. Of course Billie wouldn't let his son come back to the park, not with strange people like me walking around. He probably thought I was some sort of pedophile or something-or worse, a kidnapper. I shook my head at the stupidity of avoiding the park in the first place, blaming my paranoid mind for all of it.
"Carrie!" I heard my name being called from behind. I knew that voice; it was Joey. All the tenseness came back to me all at once, all those feelings that I had banished. I wanted to pretend that I didn't hear... wanted to just turn the corner and make him go away. But I couldn't do that, he was only a child. I turned around to see him and his little brother walking between what looked to be his mother and Billie.
"Hi Joey!" I smiled. I stopped walking and they caught up with me. I chanced a glance at Billie, expecting to see the same scrutiny that was there when I first met him. I was extremely surprised to see that he only smiled, apparently having no problem with his son's newfound friend in me.
"This is my mom," Joey said, indicating the pretty woman that his dad was holding hands with. God, I wish I had her hair. She smiled at me and I gave a small smile in return.
"I'm Adrienne," she replied. I shook her hand.
"Carrie," I replied, even though she obviously knew my name.
"So I heard," she laughed. She looked off to where her sons were wrestling around. "Joey really likes you."
"Huh," I said, thinking that one over. How could Joey like me if he only knew me for such a short period of time? But then again, I liked him too, but that really had a lot to do with the fact that he was a kid. Adrienne seemed to read my mind in a way.
"He's great at reading people," she added, almost cutting to the point of my doubt. "Ever since he was a kid he's been like that. He's sees something good in you."
"Oh," I said, really not knowing what to say. I suddenly felt that I had been making a lot of inarticulate noises instead of actual responses lately. Again, I felt myself searching for words in order to not seem like a complete douche bag.
"So what do you do?" Billie asked suddenly, coming to my silent rescue. The man was good at sensing discomfort, I'll give him that. I let out a small laugh.
"I work at a tattoo shop," I replied, happy to get onto a subject that I knew well. Both Adrienne and Billie seemed taken aback a bit by this, and I was more that aware of why.
"What do you do there?" Billie asked, and I had to fight the urge to be rude and stare blankly. Instead I just gave him a smirk.
"I tattoo people," I answered, trying not to sound patronizing. I don't think it worked, because Adrienne seemed highly amused at that. Billie glanced over at her with a look that only she could understand, because I sure as hell didn't, but I'm guessing it had something to do with him getting her back in a very provocative way. True love at it's finest.
"I didn't know," Billie blurted with a laugh, more to Adrienne than myself. He looked back at me. "No offense, you just don't look like a tattooist."
"I get that a lot," I replied, so used to this conversation. Been there a million times before. "I just love the art."
"Have any of your own?"
"Nope," I answered, shaking my head. "Terrified of needles."
"And yet you're a tattoo artist?" Billie smiled. I just smiled and nodded. I looked over at a noise of distress behind me, and I laughed when I saw that Joey had Jakob in a headlock.
"Get over here!" Adrienne said in more of a 'you two are goofy' tone than a 'you're in trouble' tone. It was highly amusing, and at the same time, highly disturbing. They were a picture perfect family. Young parents, money, great kids... all things I never had. Or would have, in my mind.
I barely had time to think about this, though, because Joey walked up and stood beside me. I instantly felt more at ease, almost like his presence brought an instant calm over me. I looked down at him and smiled. He smiled back, and his face brightened as he looked up at his parents.
"Do you think Carrie can come over for dinner?" he asked. We all seemed a little shocked, but I recovered first.
"I can't," I said quickly, sounding as sorry as I could. Joey's face fell a little. He seemed a bit dejected. "I mean, I have things I need to do, and I wouldn't want to intrude or anything." Pathetic, but solid.
"You wouldn't be intruding," Adrienne said after a moment of studying her son. "I think it would be great to get to know you better. You wouldn't care, would you Billie?" Adrienne looked over at her husband. I could tell by his face that he did care. But his response didn't reflect his demeanor.
"No," he said. "You're more than welcome." And then all the decision came back on me. I shouldn't have felt any kind of obligation to agree, but when I looked down into those big brown eyes, half pleading, I couldn't say no.
"As long as it's completely okay," I said, hesitantly. I knew Billie minded, he minded A LOT, but it wasn't like I was doing it for him anyway. Plus, I was hungry. And when in doubt, go with your stomach. Adrienne proceeded to give me directions to their house, and I said bye to Joey and left.
Dinner at seven with Billie Joe Armstrong and family. And the funny thing was, I wasn't even there for him.
