Frankie

The next day she got up around 11:30, feeling completely refreshed and in a great mood. She went downstairs and got some coffee and then decided to sit by the pool and enjoy the warmth of the morning sun. She finished off her coffee and went upstairs so get sorted out before Adie and Tre arrived. She had a shower then got out her Dead Kennedy's t-shirt, a pair of ripped knee length shorts and some green and black striped socks. She got dressed and pulled on her black converse and then walked over to her mirror and applied a thick layer of eyeliner. She then dried and styled her hair like usual and headed downstairs to wait. She had just sat on the sofa when the doorbell rang. She knew that it would be Tre and Adie so she grabbed her jacket and keys and answered the door.

"Hi Frankie," said Adie.

"Hi guys," answered Frankie as she locked the door.

"Hey cool top," Tre complimented as they set off down the street.

"Thanks, I like your top," said Frankie as she eyed The Lookouts t-shirt Tre was wearing. "Who are The Lookouts?"

"It was the band I used to be in before I joined the guys," answered Tre.

"Cool. So who's playing at Gilman tonight then?" asked Frankie.

"I'm not really sure, I know Operation Ivy are playing, and I think Chrimpshrine are to, but that's all I know," explained Adie.

"Cool, so I'll finally get to hear Operation Ivy play. I'm guessing they're good 'cause Billie never shuts up about them."

"Yeah they're awesome," answered Tre.

They went around to Billie's place and hung out for a while then at about 4:30 they went to Gilman.

"You'll love it here Frankie, it's great," Billie said as they walked in through the doors.

"Yeah there's no beer or anything like that but its still an awesome place to hang out at," agreed Mike.

They went in and Frankie looked around in amazement. The walls were decorated with graffiti and the odd picture. There was the stage at the far end of the room and a band was just setting up. There was a bar to the left of her with a few bar stools placed around it. She guessed they sold sodas seeing as it was an all ages place and they didn't allow alcohol. Billie, Mike and Tre went and stood at the stage and had a conversation with the band setting up, while Frankie and Adie sat at the bar.

"So I'm guessing they know the band," Frankie said as she looked over at the guys.

"Yeah, that's Operation Ivy, the guy with the guitar is Tim Armstrong, no relation to Billie, the guy with the bass is Matt Freeman, the drummer is Dave Mello and the singer is Jesse Michaels," explained Adie.

"Cool, so that's Operation Ivy then, the band Billie thinks is god," Frankie grinned.

"Yep, that would be them," replied Adie.

The guys came back and sat with Frankie and Adie while Op. Ivy finished setting up. They sat around talking and watching the place fill up until the music started. They were all moshing around and just enjoying the music. Frankie was having a great time, she had never had friends like these or somewhere so cool to hang out and be who she wanted without getting insults thrown at her. Op. Ivy finished their set and the place calmed down for a while.

"That was fucking awesome. They're a great band," Frankie shouted over the sounds in the room.

"I told you they were good," Billie said happily grinning away to himself.

"GUYS...GUESS WHAT?" shouted Tre as he came running from the direction of the stage.

"You used the girl's toilets again and got caught pissing in the sink by some hot chick," said Mike making Billie, Frankie and Adie laugh.

"No...and you know I only did that 'cause I couldn't get in the boy's toilets and the stalls in the girls toilets were occupied."

"What then?" asked Adie.

"The Phenomenauts are up next," answered Tre with a huge smile on his face.

"Is that all I thought it was gonna be something really fascinating with the way you said guess what," said Mike looking slightly disappointed.

"Mike this is Tre...you know he overreacts with almost everything, especially when it's something to do with him," Adie said grinning.

"I'm guessing The Phenomenauts are your favourite band then Tre?" asked Frankie.

"Yeah, they're awesome, but you'll find that out for yourself when they start playing," answered Tre, still smiling.

The Phenomenauts set up and started playing their set. Once again everyone was jumping around and going crazy. Frankie was having so much fun that she didn't notice she had ended up in the middle of everyone where the moshing was more extreme. Someone ploughed into her knocking her onto the floor.

Ok well this is just brilliant...I've finally got some cool friends to hang out with and I'm gonna get crushed to death by extreme moshing, she thought to herself as she tried to get up.

Just as she stood up someone else bumped unto her and she fell back down. Luckily the guy that had bumped into her noticed and helped her up and led her back to the bar.

"Thanks...I thought I was never gonna get out of that," Frankie said as she sat on a bar stool.

"Hey no problem, I used to get caught in them all the time, now I'm usually part of it. Once you know how to handle them they're ok, but you still gotta watch out 'cause you always get some idiot who will knock you down and leave you there," the guy explained.

"I noticed. That's what happened to me. I was just getting back up as you bumped into me."

"Oh yeah, sorry about that. You ok, you're not hurt or anything are you?"

"No I'm fine, someone stood on my finger but it feels alright."

"I'm Jack Benson by the way."

"Frankie Simmons."

"So, I haven't seen you here before."

"Probably because this is the first time I've been here."

"Yep, that would be why."

"I moved to Berkeley a week ago from England, I was glad to get out of the god damn country. I love it here everyone seems so much nicer. I think its because people are used to punks and people like us. You see back in England no one liked me. They thought I was a freak because of the way I dressed and acted. I was the only punk in my school so I had no friends and got treated like shit. Here I've made friends already and I felt like I fitted in straight away. The only thing about moving here is that I won't finish school till I'm 18 which is a bummer coz I was just about to do my G.C.S.Es, they're the exams we take at the end of school before we go college."

"Cool, nice to know you like it here. So you here with your friends?"

Frankie and Jack continued to talk for a while longer. After about half an hour The Phenomenauts had finished their set and Adie, Billie, Mike and Tre all met up back at the bar. They spotted Frankie talking to someone so they went over to say hello.

"Hi Frankie," said Adie as she stopped next to her.

"Oh hi guys, this is Jack. Jack these are my friends Adie, Billie, Tre and Mike." She said as she pointed to each of them.

"Hi," they all said in unison.

"Nice to meet you," said Adie.

"Yeah, likewise," Jack replied as he shook each of their hands.

"Don't I know you, you look really familiar?" asked Tre as they shook hands.

"I don't think so. Sorry, what was your name again?" Jack asked.

"Tre. Tre cool. I'm sure I know you from somewhere." Tre questioned again.

"Well unless you used to live up in Willits, in the Mendocino's, then no you don't." Jack answered with a sly grin plastered on his face.

Tre looked at him for a second with a look of concentration on his face, then it hit him this was the bastard that had purposefully knocked him of his quad bike and left him lying unconscious in a puddle of mud when he was 12. He never even found out why he did it, he just assumed that he enjoyed attacking people for no reason.

Tre just looked at Jack as though he was about to punch him in the nose but he stopped himself and just stormed off.

"What the hell was all that about?" asked Mike.

"I have no idea," Billie answered. "What about you Jack, you must know you used to live near him."

Jack sat and Thought for a second then he remembered what had happened and grinned slightly.

"Nope, I have no idea either," answered Jack, obviously lying.

"I'll go find Tre see if he's alright," said Frankie getting off the stool she was sat on.

"Check outside. He usually goes and sits on the wall around the corner if he gets pissed off or something," Billie explained.

"Ok thanks," shouted Frankie as she made her way to the door.

She went through the door and round the corner and sure enough there he was sat on the wall. She went over and sat next to him.

"Billie said I'd find you here. You alright?" she asked.

"I think so. He used to live near me up in the mountains. He was such a dick," explained Tre.

"Why, what did he do?"

"It doesn't really matter now. It's just that when I remembered who he was I really wanted to hit him, I almost did, that's why I stormed off like that. I don't usually start fights, I just join them if someone I know needs help or something."