It Seems I'm Too Far Gone

About a month passed and flowers were fully bloomed and the days grew even more impossibly hot. Also, a new prospect for Green Day had come up- a real life tour. Tre had booked some venues and there were plenty more they could hit on the way. He decided to tell the guys after Mike had gotten out of school. The three of them sat on swings at the park. They were empty now for maybe a half hour more until the grade school let out. The guys would usually light up a joint and get out there, always joking about the idea of all of the little kids getting high after they'd left. However, when Adie came, Billie Joe played the "good boyfriend" and told the guys to wait until later if they wanted to light up- Adie was actually interested in an intelligent conversation. So when Mike got the paper out, Tre was actually the one to stop him, much to the other two guys' surprise.
"I actually have important information to tell you guys," Tre started. Mike snorted and looked at Billie.
"He finally got laid," he said and Billie Joe laughed. Tre grinned sarcastically.
"Yes, Mike. And make sure and tell your sister I've got her money," he said, which conjured more laughter from Billie Joe, while Mike merely frowned.
"The news, Tre?" Mike said, impatient.
"I was talking to some of my friends yesterday, they just got here from Washington for the summer. They said they've got a good bunch of venues up there to play at, and they knew some people who knew some people and- BAM we're booked in like six states as of right now!" Tre said, smiling. The guys didn't respond for a moment. Tre just crossed his arms and grinned. "I know, I know. I'm awesome."
"Whoa, Tre- six states?" Billie Joe asked, hopping out of his swing. "How? When? What states? How the fuck..."
"Right now it's Washington, of course, and then Michigan, Illinois, Colorado, New Jersey, and um... well I don't remember the sixth one right now, but I've got it all written down somewhere. And see, the cool people in Washington set this all up for us. Like, they're not real venues, not all of them. Most are just at people's houses, but it's recognition man! And I figure, as we go, we can book more. We've just got to figure out some dates," he said like it was as simple as eating breakfast, which, to them, it really could be.
"Is this after school gets out or what, Tre?" Mike asked him, concerned. Billie Joe rolled his eyes and smirked.
"What, Mike, you really thinking about graduating?" he said, jokingly.
"Hey, I've pulled my grades up.... some of them. Enough to graduate!" he said defensively. "I just... you know... want to. For my family and stuff. It's real important to my mom..."
"Well, you can probably make it to the last day of school, but we've got to leave right after. Like, the day after," Tre said. Mike nodded, and couldn't help but smile. This was finally happening.
"Wait-" he said, looking up sharply. "What about transportation?" he asked, as he realized they were a band and would need their own form of transportation- and something big at that.
"All taken care of," Tre replied, casually. "My dad arranged for us to use this old Book Mobile. It's lame, but it's a big van."
"Damn, Tre, you are awesome," Mike said smiling and pushing his long brown hair out of his face.
"I already told you, I know! Now break out the fucking pot, we've still got time before the little kiddies arrive!"

***

Sitting with his arm around his girlfriend, on a couch across from Adrienne was not at all how Billie Joe envisioned spending his evening. Sure, Adie was there, but not with him. And everyone else was, which included Baily. For some reason Billie Joe seemed to keep forgetting he had a girlfriend, and he couldn't possibly imagine why.
When he grabbed his phone to call Adrienne that night, something in his gut told him to put it down. So, instead, he followed this horrible, nagging, pesky voice that reminded him of his sweet, innocent Baily. The girl he fell head over heels for about a year ago. The girl that supported him, kissed him, held him, and asked for very little in return. The girl he was playing with- toying with. And all of a sudden, the huge high he'd been riding that day- literally and figuratively- collapsed and was replaced by guilt. So, of course, he called her, told her the news, and wanted nothing more than to see her. So, when Adrienne arrived, things were weird for both parties.
Adie knew she couldn't automatically hate her- it just wasn't fair to her. But it was so hard not to. She'd come to realize that Baily was just as infatuated with Billie Joe as she was- though she liked to admit he had very little hold on her. The problem was, Baily was so clueless, that she was actually being nice to Adie. And that was just too much for Adrienne's brain to handle.
"So you're the rich kid from New Jersey?" she asked, once Adie had shown up, quite surprised at seeing Billie Joe wrapped around Baily on the sofa. She'd almost forgotten about her, and let loose on the random girl with her "boyfriend." Then she remembered that Billie Joe didn't belong to anyone- but if he did, it would be Baily.
"Bee, c'mon, she's the coolest rich kid we know. Leave her alone," Billie said, in attempt to break the ice a little smoother. Baily threw up her hands in innocence.
"Hey, I didn't say anything was wrong with that. Fuck, I wish it were me. But that is you, right?" she asked again, with genuine curiosity and kindness.
Adie nodded.
"Yeah, and it's ok, Billie Joe. She's right- yah... we're pretty... well off..." she said a bit timidly.
"Yah, I remember seeing you at the Gilman a couple of times. You were always jumping around though, never really got the chance to talk to you," she said, laughing a bit.
"Yeah... that's me..." she said, rubbing her arm, afraid to make eye contact with Baily. Here she was trying as best she could to contain the secrets her brain was shouting inside, and she was making it completely obvious how uncomfortable she was.
"ADRIENNE I LOVE YOU!" Tre shouted, bounding into the air and slamming into Adie for the biggest hug of her life. Leave it to Tre to make put everyone at ease... sort of. Once Adie had gotten the wind back into her, she stood for a moment and looked down at Tre whose face was planted onto her chest. Adie rolled her eyes.
"What are you doing Tre?" she asked casually.
"NEVER FORGET ME WHEN I'M GONE! PROMISE!" he shouted, a bit muffled as he still hadn't raised his head. Adrienne scrunched up her nose in confusion.
"Get- get off!" she said, managing to break free of Tre's grasp. "What are you talking about?"
"We've booked a tour!" he shouted, then put his hand in the air for a high five. When Adie didn't react as she was trying to process this thought, he simply turned around to Mike, who offered his hand willingly so Tre would sit down and shut up.
For a moment Adie didn't know how to respond. This was all so random and in her face.
"Thanks, Tre," Billie Joe frowned in his direction. Then he turned his attention back to Adie. "Yeah, 80, we're going on tour," he said, before realizing his mistake.
"What'd you call her?" Baily asked, confused. Billie could have kicked himself, but reminded himself that nicknames didn't have to mean anything was going on. Just breathe normally...
"Oh, yah, I called her 80. We figured out that's what her name sounds like when you say it really fast," Billie Joe said, nonchalantly. Baily concentrated for a moment and then looked over at Billie Joe, smiling, but looking confused.
"No it doesn't, loser," she flirted offhandedly.
"Well, it did then," he said, grinning back. Adie's stomach knotted up and for a second she thought she might have to make a get away to the bathroom. It was nauseating.
"So," she started again, "When do you guys leave?"
"Well, we don't know yet. Basically, they're waiting for me to graduate, then we're booking it out. Probably be gone a month or so, but that's a rough estimate," Mike said, as Billie Joe was obviously distracted, and Mike could tell that it was making the entire room uncomfortable.
"Awe," Adie said, bending down to pinch Mike's cheeks, "My little Mikey's gonna gwaduate and make us all pwoud," she said, cooing over him. He jerked away.
"Ha-ha," he said, but grinning all the same. Adie giggled. She and Mike were friends, sure, but she'd never considered flirting with him until just this second. It wasn't even a decision she had control over, but merely a subconscious reaction to the situation at hand. But even though she didn't have control over starting it, she did have the control to end it. But she wasn't.
"Scoot your big butt, Mike. I want to sit," she said, pushing his knees away from her. He made room and she sat next to him, cramped, but probably not as much as she made it seem. Out of the corner of her eye, she could tell Billie had noticed. And for a moment she felt guilty, but it was as if there was some voice inside of her, telling her that this is what she had to do. It was necessary.
"Yah, so, we're getting everything ready now, and we'll be leaving sometime around the end of this month. Whenever the last day of school is basically," Baily said, like it was nothing. Only, Adrienne frowned, and she could even notice that Mike's facade froze up as well. There was something Adie was missing.
"Wait- we? So... you're going too?" Adrienne asked, trying to keep her voice level and without shaking. Baily tossed her dark hair out of her eyes.
"Yeah, but only for about half of the tour. I'll come up north with them, and then they'll head down back here for a show at the Gilman a few weeks later. When they head out east I'll hang back here. I don't really want to spend my whole summer in a book-mobile with three sweaty guys. But, Billie invited me and was so excited today that I couldn't say no. Nothing much better to do, right?" she joked, and giggled a bit. Adie was late on smiling, but she caught herself in time so Baily wasn't suspicious.
"Heh... yah, right. Well that's... that's nice," she said, calmly, maintaining her eye contact with Baily, save for one brief moment, barely the span of a heartbeat, when she flashed them to Billie Joe, and then back again, the silent pain and anger seen only by him.