My Only Refuge: The Life I Have and the Life I Want. Well, Here It Is!, chapter 2
Mara ignored her mom and skated as fast as she could down the street. She finally got to her favorite place, and sat down. She was sitting on the edge of the railroad tracks. She used to always come here when she was thrown out or stormed out of the house. Mara had never known her father and for as long as she could remember she had been abused by her alcoholic mother. Mara breathed slowly and deeply and looked around. She hadn't been here for so long. She looked at the rusting train tracks and the blocks of shabby houses that surrounded the area. This place had always felt more like home to Mara. Its shabbiness seemed so modest and comforting.
The sky began to get dark so Mara decided it was time she found a place to sleep. She thought about hanging at the Gilman for a bit then maybe spending the night at the bus shelter. She skated down the streets of Berkeley and felt utterly alone. She took a detour down some residential streets and heard punk rock music coming from a garage. She sat down on the curb in front of the house and listened. The band was playing Operation Ivy. Mara started to sing out loud to the music. Then it stopped abruptly, so Mara found herself singing an unexpected solo. She stopped and was about to run away when the garage door opened.
"Mara?" said a voice.
"Billie Joe?" Billie Joe was standing in the garage door holding his guitar. 'What are you doing here?"
"I... I ran away from home and I heard your music and stopped to listen. You didn't tell me you were in a band!"
"Oh, yeah, we're called the Sweet Children. Mike plays bass and this is our drummer, John," another guy came out of the garage and said hi to Mara.
"So, do you need a place to stay tonight?" asked Billie Joe.
"Yeah, thanks!" said Mara and Billie gestured for her to come inside.
"I guess we're done practicing for tonight, you guys want a beer?" asked Mike.
They said yes and Mike gave them all a beer.
"Hey, I think I remember seeing the Sweet Children play at the Gilman once!" said Mara.
"Yeah," said Billie Joe, "We play there all the time. It's like my home away from home!"
"Yeah, same," said Mara, "I worship Operation Ivy!"
**
The next day on the school bus Billie Joe confronted Mike and Mara with an idea.
"Guys, check it out! I got some spray paint from some kid, so I was thinking we make some genuine artwork around the school... "
"Yes!" said Mara with excitement "how about we spray on the gym wall; PRINCIPAL COCKHEAD WAS HERE," they all laughed. Surely, if your name was Mockhead you would change it before becoming a principal.
"Yeah," said Mike, "or JESUS WAS HERE, 150 BC,"
Mara was almost wetting herself with laughter.
"Mike, I do believe you mean JEBUS," said Billie Joe between fits of laughter. The three friends fell out of their seats laughing.
Mara, Billie Joe and Mike wagged third period and snuck out to the gym. They checked to make sure no one was around Billie Joe displayed excellent can control in spray painting "PRINCIPAL COCKHEAD SAYS THE SWEET CHILDREN ROCK" in huge letters on the gymnasium wall. They all laughed and turned around to run away. Then they stopped laughing. They were standing face to face with the one and only, principal Mockhead.
***
"WHO DO YOU KIDS THINK YOU ARE?!?!?!!?" screamed principal Mockhead. Billie Joe, Mara and mike were standing in his office and were in serious trouble.
"WIPE THAT SMIRK OFF YOUR FACE, BOY!" he shouted at Mike. "AND YOU TOO!" principal Mockhead screamed in Billie Joe's face, spit flying everywhere. He didn't seem to notice that Mara was close to exploding into laughter.
Billie Joe looked disgusted. He hated it when people called him 'boy.' "Yes MAN," he back-chatted.
Principal Cockhead's face had turned purple. "Right. You two... " he said, pointing to Billie and Mike. "I will let you get away with a warning and a month of detentions. And I want every last speck of paint scrubbed from that wall. BUT I am only letting you off lightly because you are new to the school."
Mara wondered why she was even there. He didn't even notice her, so she walked out of the open door and sat in the hallway. She couldn't take it any more: she started rolling on the floor screaming with laughter. Finally, when her stomach began to hurt from laughing two hysterical boys came running out of the principal's office. They all had a good laugh and when they were done they went off to class.
The sky began to get dark so Mara decided it was time she found a place to sleep. She thought about hanging at the Gilman for a bit then maybe spending the night at the bus shelter. She skated down the streets of Berkeley and felt utterly alone. She took a detour down some residential streets and heard punk rock music coming from a garage. She sat down on the curb in front of the house and listened. The band was playing Operation Ivy. Mara started to sing out loud to the music. Then it stopped abruptly, so Mara found herself singing an unexpected solo. She stopped and was about to run away when the garage door opened.
"Mara?" said a voice.
"Billie Joe?" Billie Joe was standing in the garage door holding his guitar. 'What are you doing here?"
"I... I ran away from home and I heard your music and stopped to listen. You didn't tell me you were in a band!"
"Oh, yeah, we're called the Sweet Children. Mike plays bass and this is our drummer, John," another guy came out of the garage and said hi to Mara.
"So, do you need a place to stay tonight?" asked Billie Joe.
"Yeah, thanks!" said Mara and Billie gestured for her to come inside.
"I guess we're done practicing for tonight, you guys want a beer?" asked Mike.
They said yes and Mike gave them all a beer.
"Hey, I think I remember seeing the Sweet Children play at the Gilman once!" said Mara.
"Yeah," said Billie Joe, "We play there all the time. It's like my home away from home!"
"Yeah, same," said Mara, "I worship Operation Ivy!"
**
The next day on the school bus Billie Joe confronted Mike and Mara with an idea.
"Guys, check it out! I got some spray paint from some kid, so I was thinking we make some genuine artwork around the school... "
"Yes!" said Mara with excitement "how about we spray on the gym wall; PRINCIPAL COCKHEAD WAS HERE," they all laughed. Surely, if your name was Mockhead you would change it before becoming a principal.
"Yeah," said Mike, "or JESUS WAS HERE, 150 BC,"
Mara was almost wetting herself with laughter.
"Mike, I do believe you mean JEBUS," said Billie Joe between fits of laughter. The three friends fell out of their seats laughing.
Mara, Billie Joe and Mike wagged third period and snuck out to the gym. They checked to make sure no one was around Billie Joe displayed excellent can control in spray painting "PRINCIPAL COCKHEAD SAYS THE SWEET CHILDREN ROCK" in huge letters on the gymnasium wall. They all laughed and turned around to run away. Then they stopped laughing. They were standing face to face with the one and only, principal Mockhead.
***
"WHO DO YOU KIDS THINK YOU ARE?!?!?!!?" screamed principal Mockhead. Billie Joe, Mara and mike were standing in his office and were in serious trouble.
"WIPE THAT SMIRK OFF YOUR FACE, BOY!" he shouted at Mike. "AND YOU TOO!" principal Mockhead screamed in Billie Joe's face, spit flying everywhere. He didn't seem to notice that Mara was close to exploding into laughter.
Billie Joe looked disgusted. He hated it when people called him 'boy.' "Yes MAN," he back-chatted.
Principal Cockhead's face had turned purple. "Right. You two... " he said, pointing to Billie and Mike. "I will let you get away with a warning and a month of detentions. And I want every last speck of paint scrubbed from that wall. BUT I am only letting you off lightly because you are new to the school."
Mara wondered why she was even there. He didn't even notice her, so she walked out of the open door and sat in the hallway. She couldn't take it any more: she started rolling on the floor screaming with laughter. Finally, when her stomach began to hurt from laughing two hysterical boys came running out of the principal's office. They all had a good laugh and when they were done they went off to class.
