Tainted Love
Just A Charming Smile
The alarm rang right on cue at five am the following morning, much to the disgust of its owner. Tre slammed the snooze button down with a clumsy hand, groaning loudly and rolling over to face the window. Already a faint glow could be seen from the horizon, shining through the near-transparent curtains. It was like the cheerful birds softly chirping away outside the window were only there to mock him as he desperately tried to go back to sleep.
It was with the thought of Mike's reaction if he were late that Tre forced himself out of his warm cave and into fresh clothes. He could taste the gin from last night on his tongue - a painful reminder of his sudden pang of loneliness. Determined to make a better start to the day, the drummer quickly rinsed the taste away with mouthwash before heading outside and into his black SUV.
The streets of Oakland were eerily still as Tre drove through, a vast contrast to what it had been the previous afternoon. The odd café had owners tiredly opening up early, scraping signs and tables out onto the sidewalk. He knew it was an extreme long shot, if not impossible; but a tiny piece inside of him wondered if he could run into the mystery girl again.
Stop thinking that way. Tre indignantly scolded himself for being so impossible. The girl was gone. Just like his old wife. He was being an idiot. Besides, he had run into her on the street and had just happened to be captivated by her stunning beauty. It wasn't exactly a match made in heaven.
He shook his head, forcing himself to rid of such immature thoughts. After grabbing a coffee, he picked up his journey to the studio once again. Mike and Billie, too, had just arrived, and were setting everything up for the long day's slog ahead.
"Tre, grab that amp will you?" Billie's voice was strained as he struggled with the mass of cables and headphones that had somehow looped around his ankles. Tre obeyed, picking up the large amp from behind him and following his friend into the recording room.
The main recording room was large and cushily furnished. While several smaller rooms linked off it, the main room was home to the instruments and lots of space to practice. Yet at the moment, the room was a mess. Not only did instruments and cables lie everywhere, but various technicians milled around in a frenzied fashion.
"Tre! Come and test out the drums, we had to reset them..." Rob Cavallo stifled a yawn, waving his hands lazily in the direction of Tre's instrument. The band's producer turned back to where Billie was struggling to untangle the group of wires he had brought in.
As he made his way to the kit, Tre couldn't help but notice how the room was more crowded than usual. Rather than just the band and Rob this early in the morning, there were more people. More technicians, perhaps...
But as soon as he sat down upon the tiny stool and began to ferociously attack at the drums, he saw her. The mystery girl was just accross the room. The girl he had run into and spilt coffee all over, the one he had never thought he's see again - right there. Standing close by Bill Schneider, tightly clutching yet more cables. She was slightly unrecognisable with dry, volumous hair - but, sure enough, she had Tre captivated.
He bit his lip and tore his eyes away from the girl. Not only was it bound to be creepy, but it was bad enough that he'd found her. Now that she was in reach, all he had to do was grab her...
"Alright guys, I think its time for a rerun of Saint Jimmy..." Tre noticed how all of a sudden the technicians had begun to move away from the instruments and into the corner of the room. This was their usual cue. No recording until they got their versions together absolutely perfect.
Despite the lurking possiblity that he would be able to talk to the mystery girl, the fast paced beats and rhythms of one of Green Day's new songs was enough to keep himself focused. With every beat of the drum he could feel himself relaxing into a state of satisfaction - this was where he belonged: right behind his two best friends, making fast, angry music.
Yet once they had run through the lines of Saint Jimmy, Letterbomb and She's A Rebel, the band took a break and retired to the 'control' room, to discuss various concerns with their producer. The extra technicians had all left, convinced that they were no longer needed - but still, she was there. Quietly standing beside Bill Schneider, her body perfectly motionless while her dark-lined eyes swivelled around.
Thankfully, the quick discussion in the control room required little contribution from the drummer. Rob and Billie conversed in quick low tones, determined to work out the album's little kinks as quickly as possible.
This was his perfect chance; all he had to do was walk up to her, give a charming smile...
It was with the thought of Mike's reaction if he were late that Tre forced himself out of his warm cave and into fresh clothes. He could taste the gin from last night on his tongue - a painful reminder of his sudden pang of loneliness. Determined to make a better start to the day, the drummer quickly rinsed the taste away with mouthwash before heading outside and into his black SUV.
The streets of Oakland were eerily still as Tre drove through, a vast contrast to what it had been the previous afternoon. The odd café had owners tiredly opening up early, scraping signs and tables out onto the sidewalk. He knew it was an extreme long shot, if not impossible; but a tiny piece inside of him wondered if he could run into the mystery girl again.
Stop thinking that way. Tre indignantly scolded himself for being so impossible. The girl was gone. Just like his old wife. He was being an idiot. Besides, he had run into her on the street and had just happened to be captivated by her stunning beauty. It wasn't exactly a match made in heaven.
He shook his head, forcing himself to rid of such immature thoughts. After grabbing a coffee, he picked up his journey to the studio once again. Mike and Billie, too, had just arrived, and were setting everything up for the long day's slog ahead.
"Tre, grab that amp will you?" Billie's voice was strained as he struggled with the mass of cables and headphones that had somehow looped around his ankles. Tre obeyed, picking up the large amp from behind him and following his friend into the recording room.
The main recording room was large and cushily furnished. While several smaller rooms linked off it, the main room was home to the instruments and lots of space to practice. Yet at the moment, the room was a mess. Not only did instruments and cables lie everywhere, but various technicians milled around in a frenzied fashion.
"Tre! Come and test out the drums, we had to reset them..." Rob Cavallo stifled a yawn, waving his hands lazily in the direction of Tre's instrument. The band's producer turned back to where Billie was struggling to untangle the group of wires he had brought in.
As he made his way to the kit, Tre couldn't help but notice how the room was more crowded than usual. Rather than just the band and Rob this early in the morning, there were more people. More technicians, perhaps...
But as soon as he sat down upon the tiny stool and began to ferociously attack at the drums, he saw her. The mystery girl was just accross the room. The girl he had run into and spilt coffee all over, the one he had never thought he's see again - right there. Standing close by Bill Schneider, tightly clutching yet more cables. She was slightly unrecognisable with dry, volumous hair - but, sure enough, she had Tre captivated.
He bit his lip and tore his eyes away from the girl. Not only was it bound to be creepy, but it was bad enough that he'd found her. Now that she was in reach, all he had to do was grab her...
"Alright guys, I think its time for a rerun of Saint Jimmy..." Tre noticed how all of a sudden the technicians had begun to move away from the instruments and into the corner of the room. This was their usual cue. No recording until they got their versions together absolutely perfect.
Despite the lurking possiblity that he would be able to talk to the mystery girl, the fast paced beats and rhythms of one of Green Day's new songs was enough to keep himself focused. With every beat of the drum he could feel himself relaxing into a state of satisfaction - this was where he belonged: right behind his two best friends, making fast, angry music.
Yet once they had run through the lines of Saint Jimmy, Letterbomb and She's A Rebel, the band took a break and retired to the 'control' room, to discuss various concerns with their producer. The extra technicians had all left, convinced that they were no longer needed - but still, she was there. Quietly standing beside Bill Schneider, her body perfectly motionless while her dark-lined eyes swivelled around.
Thankfully, the quick discussion in the control room required little contribution from the drummer. Rob and Billie conversed in quick low tones, determined to work out the album's little kinks as quickly as possible.
This was his perfect chance; all he had to do was walk up to her, give a charming smile...