Welcome To Paradise: SCHOOL, chapter 1
The bell rang for the end of class. There was a swarm of students in the hall, & Lesley couldn't get ahead. Arriving in the dreaded classroom of Mr. Walsh 5 minutes later, (short-cuts evidently didn't work anymore) she found the only seat left *don don don* was the one up the front. The VERY front; the seat of doom. Faces of pity stared at her (except for the townies in the corner, who were having a great smirking session) as she took the seat in front of her friend, Kellie. She turned to face her, asking would she be kind enough to shoot her now. A moment later the man himself trudged into the room, history book in hand, greasy hair, smelling of stale smoke. Mr. Pick 'n' Flick, to most of the students in the school, the main reason people wished 'the front row' didn't exist.
Only a few minutes into rambling on about Christopher Colombus, Lesley was sure she'd seen a finger-flicking movement, & didn't dare look at her shoe. "40 minutes, that's all, just 40 minutes..." she thought to herself. But anyone who has ever been in Mr. Walsh's class knows 40 minutes is like 40 years. She kept her head in her book, in-case of eye-contact, which is just too scary.
10 minutes (or 10 years) into the class, there was a knock on the door. In this class, any knock gets all attention, even those in deep conversation about what skirt to wear to the disco on friday. The door opened slowly. No-one appeared, just a voice; "Is there a Lesley in this class?" Mr. Walsh looked around the classroom. After two years of teaching the class he hadn't the slightest idea what any of their names were. Lesley's eyes were glued to the door. That voice.... it was so familiar, yet certainly not native to this country.
Then someone did appear. Her eyes went from the shoes up, to eventually meet the face. The face, belonged to Tré Cool. To herself, Lesley seemed to be frowning with confusion & disbelief, & smiling with excitment all at the same time. He walked towards her, everyone holding their breath. Even Suzy, the loudest teenager you would probably ever meet, was silent. He picked Lesley up from the chair of doom, & carried her out like a fireman. The door closed behind them. Her classmates turned to eachother for information, while Mr. Walsh said nothing (which I suppose isn't unusual).
Outside in the corridor Tré put her down. Billie Joe & Mike stood up from leaning against the wall. After a few seconds of silence, Lesley (to her surprise) broke it with: "I don't remember entering any competitions......"
Mike laughed. "Might not of been a competition, but you sure entered somethin'...."
"What?!"
"My mind", Billie Joe finished.
"See, we were in the studio", Tré began.
"...And Billie Joe started complaining of voices in his head", added Mike. Lesley nodded, not in understanding, just checking she wasn't paralysed with shock.
"I know it sounds weird, but i kept hearing this girl's voice...'40 minutes...please someone...get me OUT OF HERE'...." Billie Joe explained.
"Yeah.... that was me..." Lesley said.
"But then...then Billie started.... well... fading..." said Tré. "Me & Mike grabbed hold of him & then suddenly we were.... um... here."
"Where exactly IS here?" asked Billie Joe.
"Ireland."
"Oh...."
"Wait, are you saying you heard my voice, & then the three of you... teleported here?" Lesley questioned.
"Cool", said Tré, & Mike rolled his eyes.
Lesley noticed their instruments were behind them. She grinned. A thought flooded her brain; flashing images of Green Day playing in the school hall. Billie Joe started to grin too.
"Man, you can read my thoughts!", Lesley said to him.
"Well, where is this hall?", he asked.
Her grin changed to a massive smile as she watched him pick up his guitar & in turn, Mike pick up his bass. She lead them around the corner into the hall.
"It's... em... kinda small...."
"Doesn't matter", Billie Joe answered. And after a short scan of the place, he went back out to the corridor to help Tré with his drum kit. Within half an hour the tiny stage was set.
"All we need now is the audience..." said Mike.
"Say no more", Lesley answered. She went around the whole school gathering friends & fellow Green Day fans. She didn't tell them anything until they reached the hall, & then their eyes told them everything. Lesley watched in amusement the expressions on their faces.
And then it began. For over an hour & a half they wasted away their energy jumping & singing to old & new Green Day, while the townies were locked outside. When 'welcome to paradise' was played, Lesley thought to herself; "Paradise? Hell yeah!" and Billie Joe looked down from the stage & laughed.
Afterwards, when everything was packed up, they said their goodbyes.
"You know where we are if you want us..." said Mike.
"Well, I don't... but I'll just start talking to myself & I'm sure I'll get hold of you..."
They laughed, & she hugged each one of them before they disappeared. "WOAH", she said to herself.
A couple of weeks later Billie Joe was having his morning coffee when he heard something;
"Lesley to Billie Joe.... Lesley to Billie Joe..... Pick 'n' Flick strikes again......."
Only a few minutes into rambling on about Christopher Colombus, Lesley was sure she'd seen a finger-flicking movement, & didn't dare look at her shoe. "40 minutes, that's all, just 40 minutes..." she thought to herself. But anyone who has ever been in Mr. Walsh's class knows 40 minutes is like 40 years. She kept her head in her book, in-case of eye-contact, which is just too scary.
10 minutes (or 10 years) into the class, there was a knock on the door. In this class, any knock gets all attention, even those in deep conversation about what skirt to wear to the disco on friday. The door opened slowly. No-one appeared, just a voice; "Is there a Lesley in this class?" Mr. Walsh looked around the classroom. After two years of teaching the class he hadn't the slightest idea what any of their names were. Lesley's eyes were glued to the door. That voice.... it was so familiar, yet certainly not native to this country.
Then someone did appear. Her eyes went from the shoes up, to eventually meet the face. The face, belonged to Tré Cool. To herself, Lesley seemed to be frowning with confusion & disbelief, & smiling with excitment all at the same time. He walked towards her, everyone holding their breath. Even Suzy, the loudest teenager you would probably ever meet, was silent. He picked Lesley up from the chair of doom, & carried her out like a fireman. The door closed behind them. Her classmates turned to eachother for information, while Mr. Walsh said nothing (which I suppose isn't unusual).
Outside in the corridor Tré put her down. Billie Joe & Mike stood up from leaning against the wall. After a few seconds of silence, Lesley (to her surprise) broke it with: "I don't remember entering any competitions......"
Mike laughed. "Might not of been a competition, but you sure entered somethin'...."
"What?!"
"My mind", Billie Joe finished.
"See, we were in the studio", Tré began.
"...And Billie Joe started complaining of voices in his head", added Mike. Lesley nodded, not in understanding, just checking she wasn't paralysed with shock.
"I know it sounds weird, but i kept hearing this girl's voice...'40 minutes...please someone...get me OUT OF HERE'...." Billie Joe explained.
"Yeah.... that was me..." Lesley said.
"But then...then Billie started.... well... fading..." said Tré. "Me & Mike grabbed hold of him & then suddenly we were.... um... here."
"Where exactly IS here?" asked Billie Joe.
"Ireland."
"Oh...."
"Wait, are you saying you heard my voice, & then the three of you... teleported here?" Lesley questioned.
"Cool", said Tré, & Mike rolled his eyes.
Lesley noticed their instruments were behind them. She grinned. A thought flooded her brain; flashing images of Green Day playing in the school hall. Billie Joe started to grin too.
"Man, you can read my thoughts!", Lesley said to him.
"Well, where is this hall?", he asked.
Her grin changed to a massive smile as she watched him pick up his guitar & in turn, Mike pick up his bass. She lead them around the corner into the hall.
"It's... em... kinda small...."
"Doesn't matter", Billie Joe answered. And after a short scan of the place, he went back out to the corridor to help Tré with his drum kit. Within half an hour the tiny stage was set.
"All we need now is the audience..." said Mike.
"Say no more", Lesley answered. She went around the whole school gathering friends & fellow Green Day fans. She didn't tell them anything until they reached the hall, & then their eyes told them everything. Lesley watched in amusement the expressions on their faces.
And then it began. For over an hour & a half they wasted away their energy jumping & singing to old & new Green Day, while the townies were locked outside. When 'welcome to paradise' was played, Lesley thought to herself; "Paradise? Hell yeah!" and Billie Joe looked down from the stage & laughed.
Afterwards, when everything was packed up, they said their goodbyes.
"You know where we are if you want us..." said Mike.
"Well, I don't... but I'll just start talking to myself & I'm sure I'll get hold of you..."
They laughed, & she hugged each one of them before they disappeared. "WOAH", she said to herself.
A couple of weeks later Billie Joe was having his morning coffee when he heard something;
"Lesley to Billie Joe.... Lesley to Billie Joe..... Pick 'n' Flick strikes again......."
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