Good Man

What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
- William Shakespeare, 'Romeo & Juliet'



Caroline wasn't paying much attention to what Butch was doing as he sat at the soundboard, fiddling with this knob here and that button there. She was too busy messing with her camera, showing Tre video of the twins crawling side by side in her kitchen, as if they were racing each other to see who would reach the other side of the room first. However, Caroline was aware that the song they had just wrapped working on was being played back because she could hear her voice wafting in the air just above Tre laughing at a spot where Lakota crawled into the kitchen island and bumped his head.

Billie Joe was sitting on the floor with his back up against the couch to the left of Tre's legs, texting someone as his head rocked from side to side ever so slightly at the music.

"What's this song called again?" Butch asked as he pulled out a black sharpie to jot the title down.

Caroline peered up from her camera and looked over at their co-producer. "To Be Continued," she replied as she decided to pass the camera off to Tre to finish watching the video footage. Standing up, she grabbed the back of Butch's chair and leaned forward, watching him simply write the letters 'TBC.' "Oh, you're so lazy," she joked, standing up more straight.

"Well, I don't have enough room to write the whole thing out."

"So, write smaller," she jested.

"Blow me," Butch retaliated with a grin.

"What'd he write down?" came Billie Joe, semi-distracted with his phone.

"TBC. The acronym for 'to be continued,'" Caroline informed the guitarist.

Tre suddenly looked up and over at Caroline, turning off her camera and setting it next to him on the leather couch. "Those are our initials."

"Huh?"

"Our initials. The three of us," the drummer spoke, gesturing amongst themselves. "TBC. Tre, Billie, Caroline."

Looking up at his friend, Billie Joe offered somewhat of a retarded smile of realization. "Oh, yeah."

The three of them looked around at one another at that moment, letting the initials sink in. Slowly but surely smiles spread to their lips as if they were suddenly all on the same wavelength.

"It's kind of fitting," Caroline commented, one hand on the back of Butch's chair as she turned her body to look at her two bandmates. "I mean, think of it. We're continuing on with our lives without lost loved ones and as a band, we don't know what's gonna happen next and it's our initials." Narrowing her eyes upon Billie Joe for the moment, she added, "Is it possible we have a name in this?"

Setting down his cell phone, the green-eyed man considered and began to nod his head a little. "I think so," he answered quietly. "It's kinda like Bachman Turner Overdrive and how they're mostly known as BTO." Looking to Tre, then over to Caroline, "Why not TBC?"

Tre smirked, sitting back against the couch. "It's kinda punk if you think about it; not giving in to actually naming ourselves, defining who or what we are. We just...are."

There was a moment of silence that washed over them as they let the name sink in, only for the moment to be ended by Caroline literally throwing herself at Tre and pulling him to the ground on top of Billie Joe so that the three of them became a sort of six-legged, six-armed and three-headed glob.

"...the fuck?" came Billie Joe as he tried to breathe under the weight of Caroline and Tre.

"We got a band name!" Caroline squealed, wrapping her arms around the two men and hugging them.

Giving in, Billie Joe just laid back against the floor, hugging back as Tre followed suit.

"Yay, we're no longer The-Band-That-Lacks-A-Name!" Tre shouted in their ears like a five year old.

Butch swiveled in his chair and shook his head. "Had I known ahead of time that you three were gonna have a ménage à trois, I would've brought a camera crew around to film this shit..."

"You can use Caroline's," Billie Joe offered up with a laugh.



Later in that week, on the 7th of November, Reprise was informed of the band deciding on a name and a press release was sent out, basically letting the media and public know as well.

The general reception was mixed. Most thought the name was stupid, but others thought it was perfect. After all, what could they possibly name themselves after coming from two awesome groups? It didn't really matter what they were called, just that they were a band that would be undoubtedly awesome.

Plus, it's not like they really cared what anyone thought anyway. It was their name, no one else's.

And then the invitations began to roll in for major events all over; probably something instigated by the record label to get the band's name and faces out there to get the buzz really going about the trio and the album they were working on.

Plus they had their official website being worked on and Tre had suggested that there be a feature available to people who pay for a year subscription, kind of like when Green Day had the Idiot Club, that they can view weekly video blogs from one or more of the band, giving updates on how the recording process is going, what's up with their lives; that sorta thing.

But while that was being all taken care of, TBC hopped a plane down to Los Angeles and as soon as they touched down to LAX in just under an hour after taking off from Oakland International, they hopped into an awaiting limo after grabbing their luggage.

TMZ happened to be there and two paparazzi were trying to get the attention of a twenty-year-old Dakota Fanning, asking her questions about how France was where she had apparently been filming a movie. But when they noticed Billie Joe, Caroline and Tre all together and heading outside, the cameramen parted into two 'tag teams.'

They sidled up to the threesome as they passed off their luggage to the limo driver to place into the trunk, while smiling politely at the paparazzo who asked them questions about what they were doing in LA, how recording was going, if Caroline or Tre were starting to get back into the dating scene. They each gave noncommittal answers and slipped quickly into the limo and sighed heavily as the door was shut and the driver pulled away from the curb and LAX altogether.

Eventually they arrived to Chateau Marmont and checked into a three-bedroom poolside bungalow, which had all been booked under Tre's real name to keep any possible paparazzi away. They made it to the bungalow they were sharing and settled in for a while, making phone calls to whoever to let them know they arrived okay, then showered and got ready to head out to a late dinner at Spago. Afterward they hit up the town and went to a few clubs and got their drink on before coming back to the hotel and more or less crashing for the night.

The rest of the weekend was spent heading to a charity event for the Make A Wish foundation, relaxing by the hotel's pool, visiting with The Sinners at Ocean Way to see how they were doing, and hitting up the town again.

It was a much needed time away for the threesome. Being holed up at 880, recording, or constantly being with their family grated on them a little. They needed this mini break to get in touch with themselves as a band and friends and test the waters of being a band in the public eye.

That Monday evening, the 10th, they were in a limo once again, but dressed in leather jackets for the guys and a white blouse of sorts for Caroline. They were on their way to the LA premiere at Mann's Chinese Theatre for the new Universal Pictures film, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road; a movie about a guy and a girl back in the 1970s who leave their small town behind to follow Elton John's tour around the US.

As soon as their limo pulled up to the red carpet, the door was opened and Billie Joe stepped out first, followed by Caroline and then Tre. Each smiled at the barrage of flashing lights, fans across the street screaming for their favorite stars and paparazzi shouting to the trio, calling their names to get their attention for questions and just to pose for their cameras.

"This is such a circus," Billie Joe quipped, leaning into Caroline to speak in her ear.

She nodded. "I know, it's crazy. And you know they're all only here to see Justin Timberlake arrive, and he only has a cameo in the movie as Elton John."

"But he's the main name, hence the circus," Tre added.

"Billie Joe! Billie Joe! Do you three have a song on the soundtrack for this movie?" a pap asked.

The 42-year-old looked in whatever direction the question came from and shook his head, smiled and waved. "No, just here for a free movie and publicity," he joked.

Caroline smiled as they moved along and then stopped to pose for more photographers, standing close together and looking in all directions at once, since the camera flashes came from all directions.

"Caroline, how are you and your twins doing?"

Wow. That came out of left field.

"We're all doing fine," was her simplistic answer.

"Billie Joe! When can we expect your new album together?"

"Tre! Why TBC? What's the significance?"

The questions kept rolling out until finally the threesome made their way into the theater and were able to sigh a bit of relief. Billie Joe was itching his eye and blinking incessantly.

"Got an eye booger?" Caroline quipped as they made their way into the theater set aside for the viewing of the movie.

He shook his head. "No, I got spots in my eyes from all those cameras."

Caroline mock pouted at him and patted him on the upper back. "Aw, poor baby."

Scowling slightly, Billie Joe quipped in return, "Blow me."

However, once the words were out there in the open both Billie Joe and Caroline looked at each other and just smirked shyly at each other.

Okay, still to soon to joke like that between them.

Tre didn't seem to notice, or if he did he didn't bother to make a reaction as they found seats and sat down.

Once everyone that was anyone who had arrived for the premiere showed up and sat down inside the theater, the director came out and stood on the stage to say a few words about the film and the process of making it, how he wanted to thank the unbelievable talent who worked alongside him on and off camera.

Billie Joe tipped his head back and yawned. "Shut up already, dude," he muttered in a hushed voice.

Tre who was sitting two seats down on Caroline's right leaned forward and looked at his friend with a grin. "We could just leave," he suggested. "Half the celebrities that show up for these things leave out back entrances and only arrive to be photographed before they enter."

"Meh," Billie Joe moaned lightly. "We're already sitting..."

Tre shrugged and sat back up just as the director stepped off the stage and the lights dimmed, the curtains to the screen opened and the opening credits began to play...



Two weeks later, TBC was back in Los Angeles.

It was Sunday, the 23rd of November, just a few days before Thanksgiving and they were en route from the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood to the Nokia Theatre in downtown LA for the 41st American Music Awards.

They limo pulled up and out came Caroline first, then Tre, and then Billie Joe with Adrienne on his arm.

They all looked amazing, dressed more chic than they had for the movie premiere.

Billie Joe wore his black Dickies as usual, but with a black dress shirt under a gray vest, under a black dress jacket. It was thrown together rather simply but he looked like he was worth a million.

Which, okay, yeah...he kinda is worth a million. And then some. Literally.

Tre with a green dress suit and a black dress shirt, along with a nice tie and a pair of shades.

The women looked the best, as usual.

Adrienne went with a more demure look, wearing a black, vintage dress from the 1940s she had found at a vintage shop in Las Vegas a few years before and had fallen in love with. Her shoes were a simple pair of Mary Jane pumps which made her slightly taller than her husband. Something of which they had all already joked about back at the hotel.

Caroline, on the other hand sexed it up a bit. Like Adrienne, however, she chose a dress she'd had for some time now but had never worn it for a public event such as this. She'd last worn it two and a half years prior when her and Mike had come down to LA for a week to celebrate their third wedding anniversary, just two months before he died. It was the red, black and gray halter dress that offered plenty of cleavage, had a matching black and light gray sash that wrapped around the waist, and the hem only came to her knees. She wore black Jimmy Choo heels, her hair was down and slightly tousled and she looked ready to take the red carpet by storm alongside her bandmates.

After making small talk on camera with talking heads like Melissa Rivers, Ryan Seacrest, CBS correspondents, or E! reporters, as well as stopping to pose for photographs and answer paparazzi questions once more, they slowly but surely made their way into the theater and were shown to their seats by an usher.

Soon, the awards show began and they watched particular country stars, pop singers, rock bands and rappers perform as well as awards being presented to whoever was winning them. Then it came time for Tre, Billie Joe and Caroline to leave their seats during a commercial break and be led backstage to get ready for their own presenting duty.

Even though they had each been out of the spotlight like this for some time, it felt like old hat. Like getting on a bike and riding it.

Caroline held the envelope in her hands for whoever the winner was, and rocked on her heels slightly, listening to the tail end of Coldplay performing on stage. Billie Joe was craning his neck to see if he could catch a glimpse of where Adrienne was in the audience without actually popping his head out, but was unable to spot her from the angle he was standing at. Then there was Tre who was standing off to the left and slightly behind Caroline, and was suddenly wide-eyed when he looked downward.

To prevent her from suffering any embarrassment, he moved closer and whispered in her ear. "Care, you're falling out of your dress."

Turning her head toward Tre, she followed his gaze to the left side of her halter dress where her left breast was hanging halfway out. "Omigod," she blurted, bringing her hands up to finagle herself back into her dress. "Thank you. That could've been horrible if I'd gone out there with one of the girls escaping."

Billie Joe caught the tail end and laughed over at Caroline. "Well, it's not like you can help it. You need a lot more material than what that dress offers to keep your girls in check."

Throwing him a withering look, Caroline shook her head, just as the curtain dropped down in front of Coldplay as they finished playing and a booming voice announced the next presenters.

"Coming off a twenty-five year career as America's most popular punk rock band and formerly of rock group The Sinners, and now together as the new band TBC: Tre Cool, Billie Joe Armstrong and Caroline Pritchard!"

The crowd cheered and that was the trio's cue to walk out onstage together.

But right before they did so, Caroline was the one who initiated taking both Tre and Billie Joe's hands, signifying their new bond together to the rest of the world watching.

When they reached the microphone, Tre raised the hand Caroline was holding, and out the corner of his eye, Billie Joe noticed and did the same thing. All three smiled at the audience and dropped their hands so Caroline could speak up first into the microphone and read the TelePrompTer.

They each took turns reading something and finally it came back to Caroline.

"The award for Favorite Band, Duo or Group in Pop/Rock Music goes to..." she looked down to open the envelope. She leaned back slightly so the other two could see who it was and then let Billie Joe announce.

"Coldplay!"

Chris Martin and his band members returned to the stage from backstage where they'd retreated to after their performance and were all smiles as the award was brought out and passed from Tre to Chris.

TBC stepped back and let the winners express their thanks and acknowledgments and they each looked at one another with the same thought in their head.

Perhaps this will be us, winning this award, next year...