Charisma

Tre parked the Bookmobile in the back of the building where they would be unloading their equipment.

"Just walk around the building and go right inside, you should be fine." Billie tried to soothe the strange anxiety that had begun to creep up on me.

"What do I do once I get inside?" Mike turned around in the passenger seat and smiled at me.

"We want you to be front and center, if you can. We have a surprise for you." Mike winked at Billie before hoping out of the truck.

"All right. I can do that."

"I know it's your first time here, and you haven't even been in California that long, but you really will be fine." Billie kissed me before getting out of the truck as well.

* * *

Before going inside I decided to smoke a cigarette, they usually help calm my nerves. I was leaning against the brick wall next to the door and many people passed by me without a second glance.

"Billie Joe, that fucking jerk, broke up with me this morning!" I looked to my right and saw Melissa approaching with another person.

"Green Day aren't even that good to begin with." Her friend said, trying to look like a bad ass.

"Then why the hell are you here?" I asked as I inhaled my cigarette. Melissa turned and I knew she recognized me right away.

"Who the hell are you?" She stopped in front of me. She put her hands on her hips; I could see right through this girl. I let my smoke blow in her face before answering.

"The girl Billie Joe, you know, the guy in the shitty band," I looked at her friend. "dumped you for."

I titled my head back and held the cigarette in my right hand, bringing it back up to my lips.

"Oh, right, the girl I pushed. Want me to finish what you had coming to you?" Her friend smiled excitedly; I wanted to laugh.

"I'm not scared of you, sweetie, and I'm sure I could do a number on you but--"

"Did I just hear a threat?"

"Would you like to?" I smirked, finishing off the rest of my cigarette.

Before either of us could react, I was pulled to the right and whirled around to meet eyes I never thought I'd see. My cigarette dropped from my hand and I gazed up in shock.

"Tim." I breathed.

"Now, as much as I'd like to see you kick that girls ass, I don't think your father would want to see you cause any trouble." He said the last few words sternly which caused me to look at the ground.

"With Billie my ass!" Melissa hissed.

I threw my left arm around Tim's shoulders and turned back toward them.

"This, you ignorant bitch," I pointed toward Tim, "is Lint of Operation Ivy."

Melissa huffed and walked passed us in anger and headed inside. Her friend staggered back a little, in shock to see Tim Armstrong up close and personal. I laughed and turned back to Tim, who was already looking at me. We silently walked into Gilman's, my arm was still thrown around his shoulder.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I know the guy who sings in the band who is playing tonight. I helped him get into a show a years back because he was underage, so I figured I'd drop by and see what's going on."

"Very nice. I know Billie Joe as well, we're sort of...a thing. But not officially yet." Tim looked down at me and smiled, he poked my side playfully.

"Really? Glad to see America is treating you well." I laughed at his statement.

"Yeah, alcohol poisoning is a real treat."

"What?"

"I had alcohol poisoning about two days ago."

"Are you all right?" He was like a protective older brother.

I pulled away from him and spun in a circle, as if modeling myself.

"Perfect." I realized then what Tim and I must look like to other people. A couple. I felt uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"What's wrong?" He asked, stepping closer to me.

"I just fear what we must look like to other people. I'm here with Billie, and it must look like I'm here with you." He laughed and poked me in the shoulder.

"Charisma, you can go if you need to. I just thought I'd save that girl an ass kicking and say hello."

"It was nice to see you. I mean it."

"Yeah, tell your dad I say hi."

He walked away then, leaving me by the entrance of the club. I walked toward the stage and made my way through the crowd of people. I made it safely to the center and smiled to myself as I thought about Billie.

"We have a surprise for you." From knowing them I was a little more frightened than excited to see what the surprise was.

* * *

When they came onto the stage an eruption of applause and screaming came from the crowd. Billie smiled at me when he saw me in crowd right where I was supposed to be. I waved and he winked as he approached the microphone stand.

"All right, you fuckers, lets get right into this! This one is called Road To Acceptance!" Screams of approval were heard from random parts of the audience. He played the intro chords and begun to sing before Tre or Mike joined in.

I always waste my time just wondering
What the next man thinks of me
I'll never do exactly what I want
And I'll sculpt my life for your acceptance

This song caused me to wonder if this was written about Billie's feeling specifically.

The three of them were amazing to watch on stage. Mike moved around the stage with his bass just like Paul Simonon did. Mike was obviously telling his bass who the hell was boss. Tre, on the other hand, devoured himself into his drums. He didn't have to move like Billie and Mike did, you could tell his heart was into it just by watching him.

Throughout the show Billie never seemed to stay in one spot for more than five seconds. The way he was on stage was natural charisma and he was able to connect with the audience in a way I hadn't seen in anybody ever before.

"All right, fuckers, nice jumping around tonight! We've got one more for you but we're going to go about this a little differently! We have a friend in the crowd and we want her to join us on stage! C'mon, Charisma, don't be shy!" He smiled down at me and slung his guitar around and bent down to offer me his hands.

I felt random hands pushing on my back as I put my left foot on the stage and held onto Billie's hands as he pulled me up with ease. I was still in shock as Billie pulled me by my wrist back to the stand.

"My girl, Charisma, here is a talented fucking singer and we're going to share her voice with you tonight! We're going to be covering Joan Jett's 'I Love Rock And Roll' and we want you to scream for her! Let me hear you scream!" The crowd screamed and some even cat-called as I replaced Billie behind the microphone.

"Let me see all you people out there clapping your motherfucking hands, you hear me?" I yelled, pulling the microphone off the stand and walking to the far right of the stage.

I saw him dancin' there by the record machine
I knew he must 'a been about seventeen

I winked and pointed to the back where a guy was swaying to the music.

The beat was going strong
Playin' my favorite song
An' I could tell it wouldn't be long
Till he was with me, yeah me

My voice matched perfectly. It were as if Joan was here herself singing.

An' I could tell it wouldn't be long
Till he was with me, yeah me singin'
I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come an' take your time an' dance with me

Mike and Billie sung backup vocals into the same microphone.

OW..
He smiled so I got up an' asked for his name
That don't matter, he said,
'Cause it's all the same

Said can I take you home
where we can be alone

An' next we were movin' on
He was with me, yeah me
Next we were movin' on
He was with me, yeah me, singin'

I pointed the microphone out into the audience and let them sing the next chorus.

I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come an' take your time an' dance with me
Ow..

I screamed into the microphone and jumped onto one of the amps.

Said can I take you home
where we can be alone
Next we'll be movin' on
He was with me, yeah me
An we'll be movin' on
An' singin' that same old song
Yeah with me, singin'

I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come an' take your time an' dance with me

"Clap your fucking hands!" I yelled into the mic.

I love rock n' roll
So put another dime in the jukebox, baby
I love rock n' roll
So come an' take your time an' dance with me.

Billie strummed the last chord and I bent forward and the crowd cheered acceptably.

"Thank you!" I yelled into the microphone and placed it back into the stand. Different music came on now, through speakers that were placed randomly around the building. Billie came up from behind and hugged me.

"You were amazing. It was like I was playing guitar for a band that you were lead singer of." I turned and smiled at him.

"You were amazing as well! You really know how to control a crowd. And your music...wow. I may be a groupie!" I threw my arms around his neck and we hugged for a few minutes while the crowd dispersed to different areas of the club.

"I'm going to go held load up, but go find us a table and we'll join you in a few, okay?" He pulled away from me slightly and kissed my forehead.

I jumped off the stage and made eye-contact with Tim, who waved me over to a table that he was occupying.

Well, that was easy.