Fever Dreams and Secrets
Lucky You
Billie was woken later on by a strange noise coming from…somewhere. Blinking the sleep away from his eyes, the guitarist stretched and looked around for what had disturbed his nap. Green eyes landed on Mike and Billie Joe moved to the bed, noticing that his friend was shaking.
“Hey Mike,” Billie said softly, shaking Mike gently “come on man! This isn’t funny you know…”
Mike stirred and slowly his eyes opened, unfocused.
“Beej? Where are we?”
“We’re on the bus, remember?” Billie Joe asked, breathing a sigh of relief, but giving an intake of breath as he wondered whether his friend was lucid or not.
“Bus?”
“Yeah, the tour bus.”
“Tour bus. Billie, have you been smoking again?”
Nope. Not lucid.
“Yeah. Don’t you remember Mike? We’re on tour for American Idiot.”
Billie said trying to find out how far out of it his friend was. It really wasn’t that hard though; all he had to do was look at Mike’s eyes. The pupils were dilated and his eyes were confused and unfocused.
“American idiot? Dude, you’ve been hitting the bong again, haven’t you? We just finished Slappy. American idiot would be a great name for a song though.”
Yup. Mike was way out of it. Hallucinating, just like the old days behind the dumpster when they were cutting class or trying to come up with an idea. But unlike then, Mike was remembering the past, not dreaming of far away worlds and impossible thoughts.
“Yeah, it would be wouldn’t it?” Billie said finally deciding to play along.
Mike nodded weakly and cleared his throat looking at Billie Joe with those hazy eyes that were looking at something that wasn’t there.
“Where’s your mom BJ?”
“Ollie?”
“Won’t she get pissed that you’re smoking in her house again?”
So that’s where Mike was.
“She might. But all she’ll do is ground me and tell me to do it outside.”
“Lucky you.”
It was so unlike Mike to be sad that Billie looked at him like he’d grown an extra eye or something. It was unmistakable to Billie that when his friend had spoken those two words, there was a bitter sadness to them that was unnerving.
Maybe, I’m hallucinating too.
Mike’s eyes closed and he seemed to be falling asleep again. Billie was getting comfortable enough to doze off again when Mike suddenly cried out. His breathing was coming in ragged, uneven gasps and Billie Joe was on his feet in an instant.
“Mike! Mike, you okay?”
Of course he isn’t you idiot! Can’t you see him tossing?
Mike was now tossing around, and Billie worried over what hallucinated memory would stress Mike out so much to the point that he was on the verge of a panic attack.
“‘M sorry,” Mike mumbled, a tinge of fear lacing his voice “I didn’t mean to!”
And just like that, Mike stopped his tossing and fell quiet. Billie was on the edge now. He was shaking from the unusual and unprecedented experience, eyes wide with a strange mixture of wariness and curiosity. What could Mike have been sorry about? And why was he so afraid of the person (or persons) that he had been talking to? Billie was honestly getting confused with the tenses of words. Where had Mike been? And how old was he at the time of whatever he was remembering? Or was it remembering? Could it just have been a nightmare?
But, a little voice in Billie’s head pondered, nightmares are based on some truth right?
“Hey Mike,” Billie said softly, shaking Mike gently “come on man! This isn’t funny you know…”
Mike stirred and slowly his eyes opened, unfocused.
“Beej? Where are we?”
“We’re on the bus, remember?” Billie Joe asked, breathing a sigh of relief, but giving an intake of breath as he wondered whether his friend was lucid or not.
“Bus?”
“Yeah, the tour bus.”
“Tour bus. Billie, have you been smoking again?”
Nope. Not lucid.
“Yeah. Don’t you remember Mike? We’re on tour for American Idiot.”
Billie said trying to find out how far out of it his friend was. It really wasn’t that hard though; all he had to do was look at Mike’s eyes. The pupils were dilated and his eyes were confused and unfocused.
“American idiot? Dude, you’ve been hitting the bong again, haven’t you? We just finished Slappy. American idiot would be a great name for a song though.”
Yup. Mike was way out of it. Hallucinating, just like the old days behind the dumpster when they were cutting class or trying to come up with an idea. But unlike then, Mike was remembering the past, not dreaming of far away worlds and impossible thoughts.
“Yeah, it would be wouldn’t it?” Billie said finally deciding to play along.
Mike nodded weakly and cleared his throat looking at Billie Joe with those hazy eyes that were looking at something that wasn’t there.
“Where’s your mom BJ?”
“Ollie?”
“Won’t she get pissed that you’re smoking in her house again?”
So that’s where Mike was.
“She might. But all she’ll do is ground me and tell me to do it outside.”
“Lucky you.”
It was so unlike Mike to be sad that Billie looked at him like he’d grown an extra eye or something. It was unmistakable to Billie that when his friend had spoken those two words, there was a bitter sadness to them that was unnerving.
Maybe, I’m hallucinating too.
Mike’s eyes closed and he seemed to be falling asleep again. Billie was getting comfortable enough to doze off again when Mike suddenly cried out. His breathing was coming in ragged, uneven gasps and Billie Joe was on his feet in an instant.
“Mike! Mike, you okay?”
Of course he isn’t you idiot! Can’t you see him tossing?
Mike was now tossing around, and Billie worried over what hallucinated memory would stress Mike out so much to the point that he was on the verge of a panic attack.
“‘M sorry,” Mike mumbled, a tinge of fear lacing his voice “I didn’t mean to!”
And just like that, Mike stopped his tossing and fell quiet. Billie was on the edge now. He was shaking from the unusual and unprecedented experience, eyes wide with a strange mixture of wariness and curiosity. What could Mike have been sorry about? And why was he so afraid of the person (or persons) that he had been talking to? Billie was honestly getting confused with the tenses of words. Where had Mike been? And how old was he at the time of whatever he was remembering? Or was it remembering? Could it just have been a nightmare?
But, a little voice in Billie’s head pondered, nightmares are based on some truth right?