Pizza and Wine

Chapter 2.

July 8th, 2008

They were now into the 3rd day of their tour. Both bands had spent the first two days at the starting venue, playing a few shows. The tour had set out to a fantastic start. Both bands had decided it was only fitting that they shared the same bus to save space.

“Toilet stop!” Mikey bellowed through the bus from where he stood by the bus door as they pulled up into a truck stop.

“I need a smoke.” Gerard muttered, pulling himself off the couch where he sat playing games on their playstation with Bob, Ray, Mike and Tre where they had been playing the latest version of singstar. You know, the one which featured “Helena.” Gerard had been so proud. Billie Joe and his wife were snuggling on the black couches on the bus.

“Jamie, Frank. Get up you lazy fuckers.” Gerard called out to them on his way to Mikey. Jamie and Frank had fallen asleep in his bunk when the bus jerked and the engine was switched off.

“Mmmmphh.” Frank mumbled into his pillow, his arms draped over Jamie.

“Come on Frank.” She urged him, climbing out from the bunk and pulling a thick woollen jumper over her chest while Frank made no attempt to move. Jamie nudged him in the side a few times and with no luck was forced to leave the bus alone.

Walking down the steps and onto the hard tar road, the wind whipping at her brown locks, making them fly into her face. Jamie examined her surroundings of the shifty looking truck stop. There was a small gas station with a small shack, which doubled as a store and behind, that were some very unclean looking toilets. She’d rather wait for the next stop. Her brothers, Ray and Bob were leaning on the side of the bus in deep conversation about their Singstar scores and who was in the lead. Tré was already jumping around., going to look everywhere and anywhere he could. He was a very curious man, and had a very short attention span. So it was very annoying to try and have a conversation with him. Mike finished doing his business, and then went to go sit down on a bench outside the truck stop.

Jamie decided that he would be the most interesting person to talk too, after all Frank was clearly not going anywhere anytime soon and Singstar wasn’t exactly her cup of tea. Mikey and Gerard had inherited the musician skills in her family.

“Hey” Jamie mumbled, walking over and sitting next to Mike.

“Hey.” He replied and shifted awkwardly in his seat. He really felt uncomfortable talking to her, since he knew she was engaged to Frank. And anyways, why would she be talking to him? Why wasn't she with Frank?

"Those toilets sure are something, eh?" Jamie asked, and laughed a little.

"Yeah. It feels like something's gonna eat you if you step into the stall," Mike answered.

"Yeah," Jamie said.

They just sat there in silence for a little bit, until Tré came over and sat down with them.

"Howdy!" he said.

"Hey," Mike replied.

Everyone finished doing their stuff, and got back into the bus. It was a pretty big bus, considering it had to fit ten people.

Billie Joe looked at his watch, and noticed that it was 1:00. He was supposed to call Joey and Jakob.

He pulled out his cell phone, and dialled his mother's number. After a couple of rings, she answered.

"Hello," Ollie said.

"Hi Mom," The guitarist replied.

"Well hello, Billie Joe. How's everything going?" The woman asked.

"Good," he answered.

"Good. Well, I was just about to start the dishes. I'll let you talk to the boys," she said.

"OK, bye," the younger one of the two said.

You could hear a muffled "Boys! Telephone!"

A couple of seconds later, Billie Joe heard the speakerphone button being pressed.

"Hello," Joey said.

"Hey Joe. Hey Jakob," His father replied.

"Daddy!" Jakob exclaimed.

"Hey Dad," his oldest son said.

"How are you guys?" Billie asked.

"Good," both of the kids replied.

"That's good. Well, I'll let you talk to Mommy. I love you guys," the green-eyed man said.

"Bye," the boys said.

Billie handed the phone over to his wife, and went to sit down with the rest of the guys and Jamie.

“It sounds like you really love your kids?” Frank asked Billie, he was now wide awake and sitting with his arm wrapped over Jamie’s shoulders.

“Yeah I do. Those kids mean the world to me.” Billie replied. Frank smiled smugly and glanced at his fiancé, pulling her closer towards him.

“I hope we have a family one day.” Frank finally said, everyone in the bus looked shocked as Jamie plastered a fake smile across her face, not adding anything to the conversation.

The room fell into silence as everyone tried to take in the words Frank had just said. Mike glanced around the room trying to avoid eye contact with Jamie who continued to hold her fake smile, she didn’t seem too pleased.

“Bye boys.” Adie’s voice filled the silence as she hung up Billie’s cell phone and handed it back to her rock star husband. The quiet continued and Adie could tell there was something up.

“Well…” She muttered, clapping her hands together and then let them fall back to her side.

“I’m tired. I’m going to bed.” Mike piped up, not being able to bear the awkward silence between the ten people on the bus any longer. Standing up he made his way through to the bunks and buried his head under his woollen blankets as muffled voices began to speak between each other again in the main part of the bus as they continued driving towards there next venue.

It wouldn’t be long now.