Pieces of Truth

After getting up and hitting Seattle at 7:30, we split up and commenced the search. Everyone involved with the tour was out; Laurie, the roadies, and even the bus driver helped.

We literally canvassed the entire metropolitan area and at 6 p.m., we met up at a park near a subway station.

Billie Joe and I sat on one of the benches, looking around hopefully as if Tre would pop out of nowhere.

"He'll find his way home," I said while I watched everyone else standing around together and figuring out what to do next.

"We're going to get something for dinner then get back to looking," Mike told us as he sat beside me on the bench.

"Grace and I are gonna take a walk, ok? Go without us," Billie said to Mike, who nodded.

"See you in a bit then."

Billie got up, taking my hand and leading me off through the large, grassy area.

We walked silently from the park to the busy streets, taking in the sights and sounds of the dreary city. Even though it was summer, it was still pretty gloomy.

"What if he's dead in a gutter somewhere?" Billie asked, finally vocalizing what was running through his mind.

"What if he's riding the subway as far as it will go and back? He could be in a million places. We just have to think like Frank."

I knew I had to be a rock for Billie and I was doing my best.

"Let's just find some place quiet where we can have dinner and then hit the city with a clear mind," I suggested and he nodded, pulling me into the next little hole in the wall restaurant we saw.

While spending a little over an hour eating, we devised a new search and rescue plan for Tre.

"You think someone should be staked out at the hotel in case he decides to just show up there?" I asked, Billie nodding in realization.

"We can walk back there now. Is that cool with you?" he said as he paid the check.

"Yeah, let's go."

Once we left the bistro, we began walking in the general direction of the hotel.

As we meandered, I heard a steady beat somewhere nearby.

"Do you hear that?" I mumbled to Billie, slowing my pace.

"Hear what?"

I stopped him completely, making him actually listen.

"That beat," he noticed, a huge smile crossing his lips.

"Sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it?" I asked as we took off toward the beat.

We finally found the source; a group of seven or eight twenty-something year olds playing trash cans, shopping carts and other unconventional items.

In the middle of this group stood Tre, banging away on a huge metal trash can with an old shoe. It wasn't Frank Wright, but Tre Cool.

"Hey guys!" He laughed as he waved, making Billie and I look at each other with grins.

When their little performance ended, Tre went over and told the group he had just played with something, then made his way to us.

"What's going on?" he asked in his usual, upbeat voice and I saw Billie resisting the urge to punch him.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Billie finally asked in a calm voice, much to my surprise.

"Uh, here. I woke up in the hotel and no one was there, so I went for a stroll and found these dudes!"

"Do you even remember what's gone on this past week?" Billie continued his questioning.

"No? We went to the park yesterday, and that's it."

"You fell and hit your head at the park a week ago. We got you to the hospital and you weren't you.. You were 'Frank Wright, uptight do-gooder'," I explained before Billie could.

"No way," Tre shook his head in disbelief.

"Explain the stitches in the back of your head then," the man beside me said smugly.

Tre put his hand on his head, his eyes widening at the feeling.

"Could Frank keep a beat at least?" Tre asked, curious about his other self.

"Not to save his life," I shook my head.

"Grace played a show in your place," Billie added.

"No way! I wish i had been there to see it!"

"You were, and you were bored out of your mind," I laughed.

"Lame. You'll have to do it again," Tre decided.

"I don't think so. It was a one time deal," I said, shooting him down.

"But you were gonna play the next three if Tre wasn't--" Billie began, and I smacked him across the back of the head.

"Ow, what the fuck was that for?"

"You were gonna play the next gigs if I still wasn't myself?!" Tre asked, his mind obviously racing, "Well.. I'm Frank Wright!"

"You really think I'll fall for that, Tre?" I laughed, rubbing Billie's arm apologetically.

"Duh. I'm a pretty good actor."

We somehow managed to reconvene with the group to let them see that we had found Tre. Everyone was relieved, but now we had to get to Portland to play a show tomorrow night.

On the bus, everybody asked Tre how it felt to be someone totally opposite of who he was.

"I don't even remember anything. I was on the monkey bars at the park then I woke up in a hotel. I wasn't trapped in my body watching someone else control me.. That woulda been cool!"

"Good thing you don't remember. Frank was a loser," the bus driver, Big Eddie, called back and made us all laugh.

"I have to agree with Big E. He may have been in your body, but Frank Wright was no Tre Cool," I said with a smile.

We were all glad to have Tre back, especially Billie.

The gig in Portland went on without a hitch, but the show in Redding was definitely one to remember.
Halfway through the set, Tre got up and stole the mic while Billie was at the amp tuning.

"Hey Grace, get your ass up here and show us what you're made of!" he challenged me.

I looked to the guy who was selling merch with me, and he nodded, telling me to go. I made my way to the stage, pushing through the crowd until someone lifted me up. I was passed along up to the front, and Billie pulled me onto the stage.

Tre made me play some drums for a few seconds, then Billie decided it was time for me to play Operation Ivy's Knowledge.

As he handed a guitar off to me, I leaned up and told him, "This better not be a regular thing."

He cut me off with a kiss, then introduced me to the crowd.

"Grace is gonna show you all how to rock!"

Billie grabbed another guitar to play a little backup as I strummed a few times.

"I know, things are getting tougher when you can't get the top off the bottom of the barrel." I sang the OPIV favourite, putting everything into this. I knew school was starting up again after Labor Day.

We finished the tour in Sacramento and once again, Billie made me play for everyone, but this time it was Eye of the Tiger.

Upon our return to the East Bay, I was dropped off at my Foxboro apartment to tell Kelsey about everything that had happened; the good, the bad and the drunk. She was actually disappointed that I didn't do all of those crazy things with her present, but I promised her that I'd go crazy in her presence sometime.

That night, Billie came over to just hang out, which he normally didn't do. He always had a motive.. Like going to his house to record or try and get me to screw around with him.

"Billie Joe, I just saw you like six hours ago!" I laughed.

"It's hard to go from spending every waking moment with you to being at my house alone," he defended himself, grabbing a juice box from the fridge.

"Are you guys like ten or something?" he asked, sticking the straw into the top.

"Hey you're the one who's drinking it!" Kelsey accused Billie of being a man-child.

"Don't be hatin!" he laughed, "Grace, let's go to San Fran and hit that music store. I need more strings."

"Okay, sounds like a plan," I nodded.

"Thanks for inviting me, guys!" Kelsey huffed in a sarcastic voice.

"No problem," Billie chuckled, grabbing my hand and pulling me out the door.

"See ya later, Kels! Don't have too much fun while we're out," I called as I closed the door behind us.