Are You Afraid Of The Dark?, chapter 5
"Hey, wake up." Jane was being shaken awake gently. She opened her eyes. It was pitch black. She turned around to see a pair of eyes glinting in the dark. Jane looked at her watch. The metallic hands reflect what little light there was for a second. That was enough time to realise that it was quarter to three.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Be careful ok?" Billie Joe said before he started chewing on his lip.
"Of what? What do I need to be careful of?"
"Your sister. She came in here today. Just be careful ok?"
"I... what did she say? Besides I've lived with her all my life... well she's lived with me. Fucking mooching off me for the last seven years... "
"Just, be careful. Don't say anything that'll give her the impression that you know."
"What did she say to you?" Jane persisted. Billie Joe opened and closed his mouth a few times as if he were trying to say something but couldn't get it out. If Jane hadn't have been so worried she would have thought he was doing a rather accurate impression of a fish. "Tell me."
"Just... watch yourself ok? Don't come down here unless she's out of the house."
"What did she say?" Jane asked more firmly.
"Nothing... she said nothing. Go back to sleep... " Jane turned over onto her side and stared at the wall. Moments later she felt an arm drape over her waist and pull her close. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
"Fuck!" Jane jumped up after opening her eyes and looking at her watch. She needed to be at work right now. She dashed to the phone that was sitting on the counter and called her boss. "Hey yeah, sorry, I only just woke up. I didn't sleep in my bedroom last night so I didn't have my alarm go off. Yeah I'll be in as soon as I can. Ok see you in a bit." She disconnected the call and her shoulders slumped. "Shit... " she ran upstairs, had a quick wash and pulled on some jeans and a t shirt. "Where are my shoes?" she almost screamed. She tripped over something that was poking out from underneath her bed. Oh right. There they are." She shoved them on her feet lacing them up quickly. She was about to run out of the house when she remembered. Green Day. Downstairs. Sleeping. Not tied up. She cursed and ran down to the basement. "Wake up guys, please!" She shook them all awake and they looked at her curiously. Quick, please, I'm late for work, shit fuck shit fuck!" Tré bit his lip to stop himself from laughing. "It's not funny! I'm supposed to be interviewing Travis Barker in an hour!"
"Sorry, come on, tie us up Mistress," Mike said grinning slightly. Jane rolled her eyes and tied them up quickly putting on their gags.
"Sorry, I'll get you some food when I get in, I'm so sorry." She was about to go upstairs when she saw the sleeping bags. "Fuck... "
Jane finally left the house at seven thirty. She could rush to the office and print off her notes but she'd be late for the interview; something that makes musicians very pissy indeed. Or she could bypass the office, be early for the interview and be without her notes. She dialled a number into her phone and waited anxiously for someone to pick up on the other end. "Steven! Thank god! Can you send me my notes for the interview with Barker? I don't wanna be late or he'll get pissy. Thank you! I love you! Ok not in that way. I have to go, thank you so much! See ya!" She disconnected the call and applied more pressure to the gas pedal. If she hurried she could get a breakfast from McDonald's...
"Hey Travis! My name's Jane Aspen, I work for Rolling Stone." Jane smiled at the rocker who returned the smile genuinely.
"Hey, I guess you already know who I am so introductions are over really. Shall we just get on with the questions? That way it's over and done with and we can talk 'til I have to go."
"Yeah, sounds like a great idea."
"Hey did you hear about that Green Day kidnapping?" he asked suddenly.
"Yeah," Jane replied, "yeah I did... "
Jane drove back to the office, the tapes from her interview with Travis sitting on the passenger seat. It had gone well. Travis was the down to earth type and quite chatty once he'd settled down. They'd talked about The Transplants, briefly brushed over the topic of Blink's split, touring, and a number of other things going on in the drummer's life. It should make a good article. They'd got some good pictures of him, not front cover pictures though; drummers never make it to the front cover of Rolling Stone when they're on their own. The only exception was Dave Grohl, but he was on there because of the Foo Fighters, meaning only front men get the front cover.
"Jay, you can go now, leave the rest of that for tomorrow," Jane's boss said to her.
"No it's ok, I'm almost finished," Jane replied.
"Jay, that is a four page article. You cannot do that in one afternoon! You're working too hard! Go home; I'm sure you've got people there that want to see you." Jane's head spun around to look at her boss.
"What d'you mean?" Did her boss know something? Did she suspect something?
"Your sister probably wants to see you for once. You spend more time here than you do at home!" Jane looked at her watch. Six thirty. She'd been working for eleven hours. Sarah wouldn't be home until ten, maybe even eleven.
"Yeah, I'll go home... I've got some stuff to sort out there as well... "
"Ok, I'll see you on Monday then," Jane's boss said to her. Jane smiled, shut down her computer and left the office.
"Fuck you guys must be hungry, and thirsty, and probably busting for the loo." They laughed. "Ok why are you laughing? You're tied up, in a basement, no food or water since last night and you're laughing?" Jane removed their gags and waited for an answer.
"It's the English words. They're funny. We love the English," Billie said while giggling slightly.
"Yeah, Billie really loves the English. He has a thing for English girls as it goes," Mike said. Billie shot a glare at him. "Well it's true isn't it? You do have a thing for English girls." Billie Joe sent another glare his away before turning back to Jane.
"How was your day?" he asked.
"Yeah, it was ok; Travis Barker's a pretty cool guy."
"You interviewed Travis?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, I did. I take it you're hungry, I'll go make some dinner."
"Could you maybe, actually, no, don't worry about it." Tré started.
"What?"
"No, it doesn't matter," he replied.
"Let me be the judge of that," Jane said.
"Could you maybe untie us so we can stretch a bit; I've got the worst fucking cramp."
"I... " Jane didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure if she trusted them not to run away.
"Tré, that's unfair, don't worry Jay, we can stretch our legs another time," Billie Joe said.
"Well... I guess I do trust you not to run... I dunno though... I guess, yeah." She made up her mind and untied them. "I'll go make something to eat... do you like fish?" she asked.
"Yeah, fish is great," Billie smiled and watched her go up the stairs.
"So it's Jay now is it?" Mike said as soon as she was out of earshot.
"I'm going to the bathroom," Tré said, and dashed up the stairs. Billie and Mike heard him tell Jane where he was going and continued their conversation.
"You're reading into things too much Mike."
"I'm not! It's so obvious you like her! 'How was your day?'" he mimicked Billie Joe's voice and Billie Joe's face turned sour.
"I'm being friendly for fuck's sake! D'you know how much pressure she's under? She feels fucking guilty for asking us to stay here until she can think of something! She thinks she's being selfish by making sure she's ok! The least I can do is make her feel a bit happier by showing interest in what she's done today! I just wanna make sure she's ok? This isn't just about us Mike!"
"I never said it was. All I'm saying is it's not everyday you start flirting with your kidnapper's sister is it?"
"I'm not fucking flirting!" Billie Joe was starting to get angry.
"I don't know why you're angry... " Mike said. Billie Joe huffed and stomped upstairs to see if Jane needed any help. Mike smirked triumphantly. Denial. He definitely liked her.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Be careful ok?" Billie Joe said before he started chewing on his lip.
"Of what? What do I need to be careful of?"
"Your sister. She came in here today. Just be careful ok?"
"I... what did she say? Besides I've lived with her all my life... well she's lived with me. Fucking mooching off me for the last seven years... "
"Just, be careful. Don't say anything that'll give her the impression that you know."
"What did she say to you?" Jane persisted. Billie Joe opened and closed his mouth a few times as if he were trying to say something but couldn't get it out. If Jane hadn't have been so worried she would have thought he was doing a rather accurate impression of a fish. "Tell me."
"Just... watch yourself ok? Don't come down here unless she's out of the house."
"What did she say?" Jane asked more firmly.
"Nothing... she said nothing. Go back to sleep... " Jane turned over onto her side and stared at the wall. Moments later she felt an arm drape over her waist and pull her close. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
"Fuck!" Jane jumped up after opening her eyes and looking at her watch. She needed to be at work right now. She dashed to the phone that was sitting on the counter and called her boss. "Hey yeah, sorry, I only just woke up. I didn't sleep in my bedroom last night so I didn't have my alarm go off. Yeah I'll be in as soon as I can. Ok see you in a bit." She disconnected the call and her shoulders slumped. "Shit... " she ran upstairs, had a quick wash and pulled on some jeans and a t shirt. "Where are my shoes?" she almost screamed. She tripped over something that was poking out from underneath her bed. Oh right. There they are." She shoved them on her feet lacing them up quickly. She was about to run out of the house when she remembered. Green Day. Downstairs. Sleeping. Not tied up. She cursed and ran down to the basement. "Wake up guys, please!" She shook them all awake and they looked at her curiously. Quick, please, I'm late for work, shit fuck shit fuck!" Tré bit his lip to stop himself from laughing. "It's not funny! I'm supposed to be interviewing Travis Barker in an hour!"
"Sorry, come on, tie us up Mistress," Mike said grinning slightly. Jane rolled her eyes and tied them up quickly putting on their gags.
"Sorry, I'll get you some food when I get in, I'm so sorry." She was about to go upstairs when she saw the sleeping bags. "Fuck... "
Jane finally left the house at seven thirty. She could rush to the office and print off her notes but she'd be late for the interview; something that makes musicians very pissy indeed. Or she could bypass the office, be early for the interview and be without her notes. She dialled a number into her phone and waited anxiously for someone to pick up on the other end. "Steven! Thank god! Can you send me my notes for the interview with Barker? I don't wanna be late or he'll get pissy. Thank you! I love you! Ok not in that way. I have to go, thank you so much! See ya!" She disconnected the call and applied more pressure to the gas pedal. If she hurried she could get a breakfast from McDonald's...
"Hey Travis! My name's Jane Aspen, I work for Rolling Stone." Jane smiled at the rocker who returned the smile genuinely.
"Hey, I guess you already know who I am so introductions are over really. Shall we just get on with the questions? That way it's over and done with and we can talk 'til I have to go."
"Yeah, sounds like a great idea."
"Hey did you hear about that Green Day kidnapping?" he asked suddenly.
"Yeah," Jane replied, "yeah I did... "
Jane drove back to the office, the tapes from her interview with Travis sitting on the passenger seat. It had gone well. Travis was the down to earth type and quite chatty once he'd settled down. They'd talked about The Transplants, briefly brushed over the topic of Blink's split, touring, and a number of other things going on in the drummer's life. It should make a good article. They'd got some good pictures of him, not front cover pictures though; drummers never make it to the front cover of Rolling Stone when they're on their own. The only exception was Dave Grohl, but he was on there because of the Foo Fighters, meaning only front men get the front cover.
"Jay, you can go now, leave the rest of that for tomorrow," Jane's boss said to her.
"No it's ok, I'm almost finished," Jane replied.
"Jay, that is a four page article. You cannot do that in one afternoon! You're working too hard! Go home; I'm sure you've got people there that want to see you." Jane's head spun around to look at her boss.
"What d'you mean?" Did her boss know something? Did she suspect something?
"Your sister probably wants to see you for once. You spend more time here than you do at home!" Jane looked at her watch. Six thirty. She'd been working for eleven hours. Sarah wouldn't be home until ten, maybe even eleven.
"Yeah, I'll go home... I've got some stuff to sort out there as well... "
"Ok, I'll see you on Monday then," Jane's boss said to her. Jane smiled, shut down her computer and left the office.
"Fuck you guys must be hungry, and thirsty, and probably busting for the loo." They laughed. "Ok why are you laughing? You're tied up, in a basement, no food or water since last night and you're laughing?" Jane removed their gags and waited for an answer.
"It's the English words. They're funny. We love the English," Billie said while giggling slightly.
"Yeah, Billie really loves the English. He has a thing for English girls as it goes," Mike said. Billie shot a glare at him. "Well it's true isn't it? You do have a thing for English girls." Billie Joe sent another glare his away before turning back to Jane.
"How was your day?" he asked.
"Yeah, it was ok; Travis Barker's a pretty cool guy."
"You interviewed Travis?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, I did. I take it you're hungry, I'll go make some dinner."
"Could you maybe, actually, no, don't worry about it." Tré started.
"What?"
"No, it doesn't matter," he replied.
"Let me be the judge of that," Jane said.
"Could you maybe untie us so we can stretch a bit; I've got the worst fucking cramp."
"I... " Jane didn't know what to say. She wasn't sure if she trusted them not to run away.
"Tré, that's unfair, don't worry Jay, we can stretch our legs another time," Billie Joe said.
"Well... I guess I do trust you not to run... I dunno though... I guess, yeah." She made up her mind and untied them. "I'll go make something to eat... do you like fish?" she asked.
"Yeah, fish is great," Billie smiled and watched her go up the stairs.
"So it's Jay now is it?" Mike said as soon as she was out of earshot.
"I'm going to the bathroom," Tré said, and dashed up the stairs. Billie and Mike heard him tell Jane where he was going and continued their conversation.
"You're reading into things too much Mike."
"I'm not! It's so obvious you like her! 'How was your day?'" he mimicked Billie Joe's voice and Billie Joe's face turned sour.
"I'm being friendly for fuck's sake! D'you know how much pressure she's under? She feels fucking guilty for asking us to stay here until she can think of something! She thinks she's being selfish by making sure she's ok! The least I can do is make her feel a bit happier by showing interest in what she's done today! I just wanna make sure she's ok? This isn't just about us Mike!"
"I never said it was. All I'm saying is it's not everyday you start flirting with your kidnapper's sister is it?"
"I'm not fucking flirting!" Billie Joe was starting to get angry.
"I don't know why you're angry... " Mike said. Billie Joe huffed and stomped upstairs to see if Jane needed any help. Mike smirked triumphantly. Denial. He definitely liked her.
