Are You Afraid Of The Dark?, chapter 13
"Now if you just sign this you can go!" the receptionist said with a fake smile slapped on her face. Jane smiled weakly in return and scrawled her signature quickly on the form.
Jane walked out of the hospital, a hand held to her tender side and hailed a cab. "Belmont Avenue please," the taxi driver nodded and she got in.
When she opened the door to her house she dumped her bag on the floor and rushed to the basement. She started rummaging through drawers searching for
something. "Where is it?" she asked herself. She turned around and felt her stomach lurch. There was a huge stain on the beige carpet. A huge dark red stain. It definitely wasn't red wine.
She turned away and continued searching for it. It had to be somewhere. She found it and grinned. Her ticket to the Irving Plaza. For that night. She'd bought it as soon as they'd come on sale, thank God she'd woken up in time. Now was the time to make an effort. For the first time in her life she'd pick her outfit
extremely carefully. She had no idea if being in the centre of a moshpit was a good idea after she'd been shot in the stomach but she was prepared to take the risk.
"D'you think she's awake yet?" Billie Joe asked as they walked through the terminal at JFK international airport.
"I don't know Bill," Mike said, "I don't know."
"Can we go see her now?" Billie Joe asked hopefully.
"Billie, I'm sorry man but there's no time. We have to get to the hotel, then we have an hour before sound check. After that we're gonna need a fucking nap because we haven't slept in three days. And then we've got the show. You can see her tomorrow Billie. I promise."
"I don't need a nap, I'm fine, I'm not tired." Mike raised an eyebrow as they were chivvied into the awaiting car.
"Not tired eh?" Mike commented five minutes later after looking over to Billie who was emitting quiet snores from the back seat. Tré grinned at Mike.
"He's a kid at heart... " Tré said.
"Yeah, and he's a fucking love sick puppy." Mike turned around again and pressed his forehead against the cold window.
Jane had emptied her wardrobe and all of her drawers trying to find the denim skirt that she had bought last year. She waded through the huge piles of clothes littering the floor and tripped over something. "Ah, why hello Mr Belt, I've been expecting you... oh God why am I talking to myself?" She picked up the belt and slung it onto her bed before continuing her search for the skirt.
"Why you little... " Jane had given up searching in her room and decided to look elsewhere in the house. Namely Sarah's room. The skirt was hanging neatly in her wardrobe, concealed behind numerous other garments (many of which also belonged to Jane). Jane grabbed the skirt and returned to her room to get dressed.
"Ready?" Billie Joe asked the other three men standing with him. They nodded and strolled out onto the stage with a certain air of cockiness about them. Jane grinned from the audience. Billie Joe Armstrong had to be one of the biggest fucking show offs she'd ever met. But she loved him anyway.
The chords to American Idiot started up and Jane smiled as the crowd went wild.
As the show progressed Jane was somehow pushed to the front. She caught Billie Joe's eye near the end of St Jimmy and he stared for a few seconds forgetting to sing the words. Jane smiled slightly as he shook his head disbelievingly.
"Oh great now I'm seeing her everywhere... " Billie Joe muttered to Mike in between songs. Mike smiled and they continued playing.
Jane's side hurt from being crushed against the barrier but she didn't care. "Ok, thanks for coming out tonight guys, and you know what? New York fucking rocks!" The crowd screamed with delight. "Now this song is a cover, and it might not be to your taste and if it isn't, what a shame, but you know, it's a dedication so you can do fuck all about it. I'm not an asshole really, honest." Tré let out a derisory laugh and Billie shot a playful glare his way. "So yeah, this is for Jane," he started playing, as he had done for every show that tour, She Will Be Loved. The crowd started swaying and lighters were being held in the air.
Halfway through the song Jane's eyes locked with Billie's. he shook his head and continued singing. Jane bit her lip and smiled. He thought she was still in hospital. When the song finished, Billie Joe walked over to Mike and grabbed his arm to stop him before he started playing When I Come Around. Billie Joe pointed in Jane's direction and Mike's face lit up. He nodded and Billie took his guitar off. "Jay?" he asked quietly into the microphone. She nodded. "Shouldn't you be in hospital?" She shook her head.
Billie Joe jumped off the stage, barged his way past the security (who were at least twice his size) and pulled Jane into a tight hug, fans reaching out to touch him. He lifted her over the barrier and took a step back looking at her. "What?" she asked, "I know I look awful, I've been in a moshpit for about three hours." He grinned.
"No, you look beautiful." Jane bit her lip and smiled. "You wanna watch from the side? We can talk after the show." Jane nodded and he pulled her up on stage and walked her over to the wings. "Jason! Over here! Quick!"
Jason looked up from the spot where he was leaning against the wall flicking through a magazine. How he could concentrate on reading with all the noise from the gig, Jane had no idea. "Jay! So great to meet you when you're awake!" Jane smiled as he pulled her into a hug.
"Thanks for the flowers; that was really sweet." Billie Joe rolled his eyes while Jason grinned.
"Come on Billie we know you're in love with her but you'll be talking to her in five minutes!" Tré yelled into his microphone. Billie froze and Jay's eyes widened. Was Tré telling the truth? Was Billie Joe actually in love with her?
"I'll see you in a little while," he said as he looked at the floor so Jane couldn't see the slight blush rising in his cheeks. As he walked back onstage he shot an angry glare at Tré.
When Mike and Tré came off a few minutes later, leaving Billie Joe to play Time of Your Life, they both hugged Jane tightly before standing and watching Billie Joe with a slight smile on their faces.
"Can I talk to you? Outside?" Billie Joe asked Jane when they were sitting in the dressing room half an hour later drinking cold beers.
"Yeah, sure." Billie Joe took her hand and led her outside to the back of the building.
"See the thing is... " Billie Joe started when they were sitting comfortably on the metal staircase. "Thing is... what Tré said was true. I'm in love with you and you probably don't feel the same but I thought I should tell you in case there's that small chance that you could ever love me more than a friend and-" Jane put finger to his lips silencing him. "You did that first time we met," Billie Joe said smiling slightly. Jane returned the smile and removed her finger.
"I do love you... " she whispered quietly in his ear. "I really do... " Billie Joe turned his head slowly so their faces were inches apart and kissed Jane with all the desire which had been building up inside him for the last three weeks.
"My place or yours?" Jane asked breathily when they broke apart.
"Yours," Billie Joe said before grabbing her hand and pulling her outside into the street so they could hail the nearest cab.
Jane walked out of the hospital, a hand held to her tender side and hailed a cab. "Belmont Avenue please," the taxi driver nodded and she got in.
When she opened the door to her house she dumped her bag on the floor and rushed to the basement. She started rummaging through drawers searching for
something. "Where is it?" she asked herself. She turned around and felt her stomach lurch. There was a huge stain on the beige carpet. A huge dark red stain. It definitely wasn't red wine.
She turned away and continued searching for it. It had to be somewhere. She found it and grinned. Her ticket to the Irving Plaza. For that night. She'd bought it as soon as they'd come on sale, thank God she'd woken up in time. Now was the time to make an effort. For the first time in her life she'd pick her outfit
extremely carefully. She had no idea if being in the centre of a moshpit was a good idea after she'd been shot in the stomach but she was prepared to take the risk.
"D'you think she's awake yet?" Billie Joe asked as they walked through the terminal at JFK international airport.
"I don't know Bill," Mike said, "I don't know."
"Can we go see her now?" Billie Joe asked hopefully.
"Billie, I'm sorry man but there's no time. We have to get to the hotel, then we have an hour before sound check. After that we're gonna need a fucking nap because we haven't slept in three days. And then we've got the show. You can see her tomorrow Billie. I promise."
"I don't need a nap, I'm fine, I'm not tired." Mike raised an eyebrow as they were chivvied into the awaiting car.
"Not tired eh?" Mike commented five minutes later after looking over to Billie who was emitting quiet snores from the back seat. Tré grinned at Mike.
"He's a kid at heart... " Tré said.
"Yeah, and he's a fucking love sick puppy." Mike turned around again and pressed his forehead against the cold window.
Jane had emptied her wardrobe and all of her drawers trying to find the denim skirt that she had bought last year. She waded through the huge piles of clothes littering the floor and tripped over something. "Ah, why hello Mr Belt, I've been expecting you... oh God why am I talking to myself?" She picked up the belt and slung it onto her bed before continuing her search for the skirt.
"Why you little... " Jane had given up searching in her room and decided to look elsewhere in the house. Namely Sarah's room. The skirt was hanging neatly in her wardrobe, concealed behind numerous other garments (many of which also belonged to Jane). Jane grabbed the skirt and returned to her room to get dressed.
"Ready?" Billie Joe asked the other three men standing with him. They nodded and strolled out onto the stage with a certain air of cockiness about them. Jane grinned from the audience. Billie Joe Armstrong had to be one of the biggest fucking show offs she'd ever met. But she loved him anyway.
The chords to American Idiot started up and Jane smiled as the crowd went wild.
As the show progressed Jane was somehow pushed to the front. She caught Billie Joe's eye near the end of St Jimmy and he stared for a few seconds forgetting to sing the words. Jane smiled slightly as he shook his head disbelievingly.
"Oh great now I'm seeing her everywhere... " Billie Joe muttered to Mike in between songs. Mike smiled and they continued playing.
Jane's side hurt from being crushed against the barrier but she didn't care. "Ok, thanks for coming out tonight guys, and you know what? New York fucking rocks!" The crowd screamed with delight. "Now this song is a cover, and it might not be to your taste and if it isn't, what a shame, but you know, it's a dedication so you can do fuck all about it. I'm not an asshole really, honest." Tré let out a derisory laugh and Billie shot a playful glare his way. "So yeah, this is for Jane," he started playing, as he had done for every show that tour, She Will Be Loved. The crowd started swaying and lighters were being held in the air.
Halfway through the song Jane's eyes locked with Billie's. he shook his head and continued singing. Jane bit her lip and smiled. He thought she was still in hospital. When the song finished, Billie Joe walked over to Mike and grabbed his arm to stop him before he started playing When I Come Around. Billie Joe pointed in Jane's direction and Mike's face lit up. He nodded and Billie took his guitar off. "Jay?" he asked quietly into the microphone. She nodded. "Shouldn't you be in hospital?" She shook her head.
Billie Joe jumped off the stage, barged his way past the security (who were at least twice his size) and pulled Jane into a tight hug, fans reaching out to touch him. He lifted her over the barrier and took a step back looking at her. "What?" she asked, "I know I look awful, I've been in a moshpit for about three hours." He grinned.
"No, you look beautiful." Jane bit her lip and smiled. "You wanna watch from the side? We can talk after the show." Jane nodded and he pulled her up on stage and walked her over to the wings. "Jason! Over here! Quick!"
Jason looked up from the spot where he was leaning against the wall flicking through a magazine. How he could concentrate on reading with all the noise from the gig, Jane had no idea. "Jay! So great to meet you when you're awake!" Jane smiled as he pulled her into a hug.
"Thanks for the flowers; that was really sweet." Billie Joe rolled his eyes while Jason grinned.
"Come on Billie we know you're in love with her but you'll be talking to her in five minutes!" Tré yelled into his microphone. Billie froze and Jay's eyes widened. Was Tré telling the truth? Was Billie Joe actually in love with her?
"I'll see you in a little while," he said as he looked at the floor so Jane couldn't see the slight blush rising in his cheeks. As he walked back onstage he shot an angry glare at Tré.
When Mike and Tré came off a few minutes later, leaving Billie Joe to play Time of Your Life, they both hugged Jane tightly before standing and watching Billie Joe with a slight smile on their faces.
"Can I talk to you? Outside?" Billie Joe asked Jane when they were sitting in the dressing room half an hour later drinking cold beers.
"Yeah, sure." Billie Joe took her hand and led her outside to the back of the building.
"See the thing is... " Billie Joe started when they were sitting comfortably on the metal staircase. "Thing is... what Tré said was true. I'm in love with you and you probably don't feel the same but I thought I should tell you in case there's that small chance that you could ever love me more than a friend and-" Jane put finger to his lips silencing him. "You did that first time we met," Billie Joe said smiling slightly. Jane returned the smile and removed her finger.
"I do love you... " she whispered quietly in his ear. "I really do... " Billie Joe turned his head slowly so their faces were inches apart and kissed Jane with all the desire which had been building up inside him for the last three weeks.
"My place or yours?" Jane asked breathily when they broke apart.
"Yours," Billie Joe said before grabbing her hand and pulling her outside into the street so they could hail the nearest cab.
