‹ Prequel: From green day to Green Day
Sequel: Inbetween ›
Shock Factor
In The Sun
Nickey walked through the crowded shopping centre, towards HMV. Most of the people were walking in any direction that meant she had to walk around them. It was 3 o’clock in the afternoon, and she only half an hour before she had to be at her friend’s house.
She stopped at the door to HMV, and smiled. There was a whole rack of the CD she was looking for, complete with the latest promo picture of Green Day. She picked up their new album and headed to the till.
She stood in the queue, remembering three years previously, and her one night with Tré. The niggling thought in the back of her head still made her wonder. She shook her head, as if to tell herself no. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be.
She paid her £15.99 and walked to the car park, fishing her keys out of her bag. Her car sat, as if waiting for her. Not quite a DeLorian, but she couldn’t really have had one. Not now, anyway. It wasn’t practical.
On the drive to her friend’s house, she wondered what the album would sound like. She’d heard the first single, a title track called In The Sun. It was just as amazing as everyone kept saying.
After American Idiot, they’d released another album, and it had been so fantastic. She couldn’t wait to hear this one; they’d said it would be even better than the last.
On the way, she stopped off home to put the CD on her table. She had time. Parking the car less than half a block away, she walked to the front door, and went into her house. The Closed sign hung in the shop door.
The shop was closed most Saturdays, as Nickey had things to do, tee-shirts to design, jeans to make. Stix Store was open 9 till 5, Monday to Friday, though. Since running away with Dookie, she’d opened a clothes shop.
Running away with Dookie. That had been great at first. She hadn’t told him what happened that night. She’d let him think she slept on the sofa, or that Tré had, like it said on the note. They’d been good together. It had worked.
Shaking her head, she stopped thinking about when it had gone wrong and went back to her car. She drove round to her friend’s house, thinking about designs instead.
As she turned the corner, a block away from her destination, her phone began to sing. It was her phone alarm, telling her she had to be at her friend’s house in a minute. At least she wouldn’t be late. She let the phone sing on, she liked the song. She sang along, only turning it off as she got to her destination.
I wanna be your dominated love slave
I wanna be the one who takes the pain
You can spank me when I do not behave
Mack me in the forehead with a chain
She got out of the car, smiling at the decorations on the house. Three balloons were tied to the door, and, because the door was open, she could see the mess of streamers all over the floor. She walked into the house.
As she turned the corner, she could see all the birthday cards. A pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey was pinned up. Three small children sat amongst the shreds of happy birthday wrapping paper. One jumped up on seeing Nickey.
After hugging her, she turned to the birthday girl. She sat in the middle, a big blue party hat on her head, and a gigantic lollypop in her lap. She put it with the rest of the presents. Nickey had already given her her present, a outfit from her shop.
“Aunty Nickey!” she yelled, jumping up and hugging her, “I’m three now! And I got all presents and I’m a big girl now, aren’t I?”
“Wow, Erin, so many presents!” Nickey swung the girl round, “Of course you're a big girl now, your three! You’ll start pre-school with Zekkia now, wont you?”
She turned to the first girl she’d hugged, Zekkia. She was picking bits of wrapping paper out of her gingery hair. Nickey picked up her coat and took her hand and walked her to the car, saying their goodbyes.
“Lets get you home, Zee-Zee!” Nickey laughed, “We don’t want to be late! Guess what I did today, honey?”
The girl stopped hyperventilating over her best friends’ birthday party, and looked at Nickey, her big eyes looking so hopeful.
“What did you do, Mummy?”
She stopped at the door to HMV, and smiled. There was a whole rack of the CD she was looking for, complete with the latest promo picture of Green Day. She picked up their new album and headed to the till.
She stood in the queue, remembering three years previously, and her one night with Tré. The niggling thought in the back of her head still made her wonder. She shook her head, as if to tell herself no. It wasn’t true. It couldn’t be.
She paid her £15.99 and walked to the car park, fishing her keys out of her bag. Her car sat, as if waiting for her. Not quite a DeLorian, but she couldn’t really have had one. Not now, anyway. It wasn’t practical.
On the drive to her friend’s house, she wondered what the album would sound like. She’d heard the first single, a title track called In The Sun. It was just as amazing as everyone kept saying.
After American Idiot, they’d released another album, and it had been so fantastic. She couldn’t wait to hear this one; they’d said it would be even better than the last.
On the way, she stopped off home to put the CD on her table. She had time. Parking the car less than half a block away, she walked to the front door, and went into her house. The Closed sign hung in the shop door.
The shop was closed most Saturdays, as Nickey had things to do, tee-shirts to design, jeans to make. Stix Store was open 9 till 5, Monday to Friday, though. Since running away with Dookie, she’d opened a clothes shop.
Running away with Dookie. That had been great at first. She hadn’t told him what happened that night. She’d let him think she slept on the sofa, or that Tré had, like it said on the note. They’d been good together. It had worked.
Shaking her head, she stopped thinking about when it had gone wrong and went back to her car. She drove round to her friend’s house, thinking about designs instead.
As she turned the corner, a block away from her destination, her phone began to sing. It was her phone alarm, telling her she had to be at her friend’s house in a minute. At least she wouldn’t be late. She let the phone sing on, she liked the song. She sang along, only turning it off as she got to her destination.
I wanna be your dominated love slave
I wanna be the one who takes the pain
You can spank me when I do not behave
Mack me in the forehead with a chain
She got out of the car, smiling at the decorations on the house. Three balloons were tied to the door, and, because the door was open, she could see the mess of streamers all over the floor. She walked into the house.
As she turned the corner, she could see all the birthday cards. A pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey was pinned up. Three small children sat amongst the shreds of happy birthday wrapping paper. One jumped up on seeing Nickey.
After hugging her, she turned to the birthday girl. She sat in the middle, a big blue party hat on her head, and a gigantic lollypop in her lap. She put it with the rest of the presents. Nickey had already given her her present, a outfit from her shop.
“Aunty Nickey!” she yelled, jumping up and hugging her, “I’m three now! And I got all presents and I’m a big girl now, aren’t I?”
“Wow, Erin, so many presents!” Nickey swung the girl round, “Of course you're a big girl now, your three! You’ll start pre-school with Zekkia now, wont you?”
She turned to the first girl she’d hugged, Zekkia. She was picking bits of wrapping paper out of her gingery hair. Nickey picked up her coat and took her hand and walked her to the car, saying their goodbyes.
“Lets get you home, Zee-Zee!” Nickey laughed, “We don’t want to be late! Guess what I did today, honey?”
The girl stopped hyperventilating over her best friends’ birthday party, and looked at Nickey, her big eyes looking so hopeful.
“What did you do, Mummy?”