Faded Memories on the Wall

December 1990

“Evie,” my Mum’s voice floated up the stairs. “Those friends of yours are here; the one with the blue hair and the tall hippie looking one and that drummer boy.”

“Do you mean Billie Joe and Mike and John, mother?” I rolled my eyes, putting the finishing touches on my appearance before picking up Tré’s birthday gift from where it sat on my bed. She knew their names perfectly well, having met them twice in the past week, and she had known that they were coming to get me.

“Yes them,” she called back. “Hurry up, you’re keeping them waiting.”

I quickly rushed down the stairs, placing a kiss on Mum’s cheek as I headed out the door.

“Hello, hello, hello,” I said cheerfully as I slid into the back seat next to John.

It had only been a month or so since that fateful day when I had met Tré in the record store, but since then I had become fast friends with the crazy drummer as well as several of his friends, including the boys of Green Day. It had seemed strange at first, to become so close to these people in such a short amount of time, but somehow it had happened. It was nice to finally have a group of friends that I felt comfortable around; I had had a reasonable sized group of friends at high school, and so far we had stayed in contact since beginning college. To be honest though, my connection to the group had really died when my best friend Ruby had moved away to Connecticut just after graduation.

“So, do you guys know what Tré is planning for this thing?” I asked cautiously as cruised along in the direction of Tré’s house, where he was throwing a big bash to celebrate his birthday; having turned 18 the week before. “I’ve never been to a party with him before, and knowing that boy, I’m kind of frightened.”

The guys laughed, Mike turning from where his place in the passenger’s seat to give me a grin. “Oh you should be.”

Mr Mike Dirnt was not mistaken; while there weren’t many people there when we arrived, it picked up pretty quickly and by 8:00 the house was packed. It was not the actual party atmosphere that worried me – I wasn’t a complete shut in – I was more so concerned of what Tré would be like under the influence of alcohol. And the other guys for that matter. They were a force to be reckoned with.

After an hour or so of general socialising and chitchat, I found myself standing in the kitchen, having just thrown away an empty bottle, when Mike approached me, two beers in hand.

“Care for a drop?” he joked, offering me one.

“Oh thanks Mike,” I said, taking the already open beverage, quickly enjoying the first sip.

“You are most welcome,” he came to stand beside me, leaning against the bench behind him. “Are you having a good time?”

“I am,” I responded, before pausing to watch a guy I didn’t recognise stroll casually through the room, dressed as superman; the party was not a costume event. “It’s been interesting,” I laughed.

“What the hell?” Mike chuckles, eyes trailing after superman.

I reached around my companion to grab a handful of potato chips from a bowl nearby.

“The birthday boy has selected a strange variety of foods,” I said, surveying the plates in front of me.

“I wouldn’t say that too loudly if I were you,” Mike cautioned mysteriously.

“Why not?”

“Just you wait and see,” he had this mischievous glint in his eyes that almost frightened me.

It was just my luck that Tré chose that moment to appear in the kitchen. Mike winked at me before turning to the green haired boy. “Evie here doesn’t approve of your choice in party snacks Tré.”

“What?” Tré’s head snapped up, shooting me a scandalous look. “You said what?”

“I didn’t say I didn’t approve! I just said it was strange.”

“Oh really?” Tré asked, eyebrows rising as he took a step closer to a bowl of jello. “Maybe you won’t think its strange when you’re wearing it.”

Before I could even think of a response, the drummer had stuck his hand in the jello and flung a heap of the goo at me, instantly staining my pale coloured shirt.

The look of glee on his face was matched in intensity only by the murderous glare on my own.

“You did not just do that,” I gasped, turning to Mike for support only to be met with his hysterical laughter. “And you! Stop encouraging him!”

“I think it suits you, green really is your colour, it matches your eyes.”

“Oh you boys are dead,” I exclaimed, reaching for whatever was closest and ditching the unknown substance at both other occupants of the kitchen.

Having mysterious foods coating his clothes and hair didn’t seem to faze Tré for a second as he squealed with laughter before bellowing “FOOD FIGHT!” thereby starting a brutal free-for-all involving anyone within earshot, which appeared to be most of the parties attendees.

It was completely chaotic, food flying in every direction, usually with screams and shouts of success or disgust to accompany it. Feeling the need to get out of there, I began to sneak passed the others, hoping I wouldn’t be noticed.

“Mike!” I heard Billie Joe yelling, “Stop Evie!”

I am definitely going to kick his ass, I thought as a strong pair of arms wrapped around my middle, lifting me in the air and preventing me from escaping the havoc.

“Mike, if you don’t put me down I am going to kill you slowly and painfully while you sleep,” I warned to the laughing body behind me, despite the giddy feeling I felt inside at the realisation of how nice it felt to be pressed against him.

“Brilliant,” Tré’s voice cause me to lift my head up in fear. “The perfect target!” he then set off a fresh onslaught of various foods, scooping much of the goo off the front of his own shirt to throw at me.

The cry that escaped my lips was strangled as I was unable to stop my own laughter. I continued to squirm and kick until I think Mike eventually felt sorry for me and my hopeless situation. He somehow managed to bring the whole fight to a halt, although the grin on his face showed that he found the whole thing completely hilarious.

Looking around at the damage that had been done – food on the floor, windows, walls, in hair, stained clothes; everywhere – it was clear that I was worse off than anybody else. Needless to say I was not pleased.

“I have the best idea,” Tré exclaimed and he hurried from the room, returning moments later with his camera.
“We definitely need to capture this moment, I don’t know about you guys, but I don’t think I’ve ever looked this attractive.”

“What?” I, admittedly, shrieked. “I am not being in this photo Tré, I look like crap, I am covered in…God knows what; look at me!”

“Come on dear, you look just like you normally do,” he seemed to immediately regret that statement as was seen by the look on his face and his already trying to back-pedal. “Beautiful! Is what I mean. You normally look beautiful and right now you look…just as…beautiful…Just get in the damn photo woman.”

I rolled my eyes and sighed, a typical movement from a teenager really, and moved to stand in amongst him and the others. “Fine,” I muttered. “But only because it’s your birthday and I feel like I have to be nice to you.”

Mike chuckled from where he was getting ready to pose next to me.
“Shush you,” I scolded. “I still haven’t forgiven you for this,” I gestured to the mess that I was coated in. “Any of you.”

Tré swatted me on the arm, before turning to face the person holding the camera and yelling, “Oh shut your face and smile!”

***

December 1997

An odd feeling filled my chest at the sight of the photo in my hands. It had been taken at Tré’s 18th birthday party, not long after I had become friends with the group. The second I had pulled the picture from the box, the memories came flooding back, as clear as day. It felt strange to be reliving these moments again, remembering all of the laughter, the happiness I felt to just be around those people and their crazy antics.

I smiled at the grin that was plastered across my face in the image, I really had been happy, it was a feeling that I had only truly felt a few times since I had left behind that life. On either side of my laughing frame were Mike and Tré, the people that for those couple of years became the most important figures in my life. Around them stood Billie Joe and a couple of other people whose faces and names had faded from my memory over time.

I found that I couldn’t seem to take my eyes away from one particular person, the way his eyes sparkled, and his teeth gleamed as he pulled a goofy smile, his armed draped over my shoulders. And once again, I found the young Mike Dirnt taking my breath away. Who would have thought that after all that we had been through, the life that I had started away from all of that, that a simple photo of his teenage self could still have that affect on me.

A sharp cry from Drake’s room shook me roughly from my thoughts. It took several moments to completely detach myself from the feeling that had settled over me and realize where I was. Standing unsteadily I placed the photograph down onto the coffee table in front of me, still moving slowly, as though too caught up in the memories to function properly.

Fucking snap out of it! I thought to myself, physically shaking my head and quickly making my way to my son.

“Hey little man,” I cooed, rushing to his bed side when I saw his tearstained cheeks.

“I…I..had…I…” He gulped and coughed, unable to get his mouth around the words.

“It’s okay Drakey,” I pulled him from his sheets, holding him against my chest, eager to take away his pain, most likely caused by a simple nightmare.

“Sleep with you?” he eventually managed to splutter.

“Of course you can,” I said, stroking his hair. “Which teddy do you want to bring?”

As I lay in bed facing my once again calm and sleeping son some ten minutes later, his small chubby fist tightly gripping his little stuffed dinosaur, my mind once again returned to the photo now lying on the table in the living room and all the thoughts and feelings it had evoked. I needed to stop this, it had only been a couple of days and I was already becoming completely wrapped up in the past. Nothing good could come from dwelling on the contents of those boxes and what they meant.

I needed to forget all about it and move on with my life.