‹ Prequel: Hospital
Tragedy Strikes
Tragedy Strikes (sequel to Hospital)
"Hey guys." I say at the beginning of band practice. I'm sitting on Kimmy's (the drummer) bed since I'm still having trouble standing for long periods of time.
"Yeah." Chicklet says as she mutes her bass.
"Look at this and tell me what you think." I hold out the business card Bill friend gave me.
"Holy fuck, how the fuck did you get that!" Kimmy demands.
"Well when I was in the hospital my roommate-"
"You're expecting me to believe your roommate was Billie Joe Armstrong." Chicklet retorts.
"NO! It was Tre Cool." I look at them, not sure if they should believe me.
"Okay." Kimmy says slowly.
"Well I started playing guitar and he heard me, then Bill fri-Billie Joe came to visit and Tre told him about me, next thing I know I'm playing a few of our songs then he said to call him if my band was as good as I was."
"Holy fuck!" Kimmy says as she paces back and forth, "Holy fuck, I'm not believing this."
"I know, mind bottling isn't it." I say as drum my fingers against my guitar strings. I look over at Chicklet who's just staring at the card in her hands in awe.
"We should practice then." Chicklet says quietly. "Let's just practice something." I nod and start playing the intro for one of our favorite, self-written songs.
"I know we have what it takes." I say as the song comes to an end. "We belong on stage, you guys know that. We were born to play."
"Yeah, yeah, you're right." Kimmy says calmly, "call him." I pick Kimmy's phone off her bad and dial the number.
"Armstrong." The person answers.
"Hey Bill friend."
"Hey, Sadie, I was wondering when I'd be hearing from you." he says happily, "How's it going?"
"Not bad, I'm calling about your offer."
"Yeah, so you talked to your band?"
"Yup. They didn't believe me at first." Billie laughs, "But they're more than up for it."
"Okay, well first off you'll have to record a demo."
"A demo." I repeat, Chicklet and Kimmy's face start to glow with excitement.
"Do you have the equipment to record a demo?"
"Umm no, he have a web cam with a microphone but-"
"Alright, since I like you I'll let you kids record the demo using my stuff."
"Really? No kidding?" I ask in disbelief.
"Yeah, either mine or Tre's since I heard about you and Franky. And Tre's is better for recording drums."
"Alright, that sounds awesome."
"Yeah, I'll talk to Tre and people then I'll call you back with details, okay?"
"Yeah sounds good." I say smoothly.
"Alright, buh-bye." He says casually.
"Bye." I hang up the phone.
I look up at Kimmy and Chicklet who have the other house phone. Kimmy's hand is over the mouth piece and the ear piece is squeezed between their heads.
"Eaves dropping?"
"Sorry, we couldn't help it." Chicklet says as they put down the phone, "I mean Billie Joe Armstrong!"
"Chill."
"By the way, who's Franky?" Kimmy asks as she goes back behind her drum set.
"Well, he's, he's."
"He's a he, we get that much." Kimmy says as she tightens a bolt on her drum set.
"He's Tre's son." Chicklet just glares at me, "He asked me for my number, I gave it to him." the glares continue, "He's a real hotty."
"WHOA!" Chicklet says her eyes bulging. "Damn! I'm going to get my appendix removed..... again." Kimmy and I burst out laughing.
"We're going to need to record a demo, so let's practice." I say as I adjust the mike stand in front of me and start playing another song. We all play perfectly in tune. We then decide to select which songs we want to put on the demo and practice those several times. It all seems so surreal, a couple of weeks ago, we were dying to find a gig. It's sort of hard to play at most places if you're under eighteen. And now we're going to record a demo, for Adeline no less!
"Yeah." Chicklet says as she mutes her bass.
"Look at this and tell me what you think." I hold out the business card Bill friend gave me.
"Holy fuck, how the fuck did you get that!" Kimmy demands.
"Well when I was in the hospital my roommate-"
"You're expecting me to believe your roommate was Billie Joe Armstrong." Chicklet retorts.
"NO! It was Tre Cool." I look at them, not sure if they should believe me.
"Okay." Kimmy says slowly.
"Well I started playing guitar and he heard me, then Bill fri-Billie Joe came to visit and Tre told him about me, next thing I know I'm playing a few of our songs then he said to call him if my band was as good as I was."
"Holy fuck!" Kimmy says as she paces back and forth, "Holy fuck, I'm not believing this."
"I know, mind bottling isn't it." I say as drum my fingers against my guitar strings. I look over at Chicklet who's just staring at the card in her hands in awe.
"We should practice then." Chicklet says quietly. "Let's just practice something." I nod and start playing the intro for one of our favorite, self-written songs.
"I know we have what it takes." I say as the song comes to an end. "We belong on stage, you guys know that. We were born to play."
"Yeah, yeah, you're right." Kimmy says calmly, "call him." I pick Kimmy's phone off her bad and dial the number.
"Armstrong." The person answers.
"Hey Bill friend."
"Hey, Sadie, I was wondering when I'd be hearing from you." he says happily, "How's it going?"
"Not bad, I'm calling about your offer."
"Yeah, so you talked to your band?"
"Yup. They didn't believe me at first." Billie laughs, "But they're more than up for it."
"Okay, well first off you'll have to record a demo."
"A demo." I repeat, Chicklet and Kimmy's face start to glow with excitement.
"Do you have the equipment to record a demo?"
"Umm no, he have a web cam with a microphone but-"
"Alright, since I like you I'll let you kids record the demo using my stuff."
"Really? No kidding?" I ask in disbelief.
"Yeah, either mine or Tre's since I heard about you and Franky. And Tre's is better for recording drums."
"Alright, that sounds awesome."
"Yeah, I'll talk to Tre and people then I'll call you back with details, okay?"
"Yeah sounds good." I say smoothly.
"Alright, buh-bye." He says casually.
"Bye." I hang up the phone.
I look up at Kimmy and Chicklet who have the other house phone. Kimmy's hand is over the mouth piece and the ear piece is squeezed between their heads.
"Eaves dropping?"
"Sorry, we couldn't help it." Chicklet says as they put down the phone, "I mean Billie Joe Armstrong!"
"Chill."
"By the way, who's Franky?" Kimmy asks as she goes back behind her drum set.
"Well, he's, he's."
"He's a he, we get that much." Kimmy says as she tightens a bolt on her drum set.
"He's Tre's son." Chicklet just glares at me, "He asked me for my number, I gave it to him." the glares continue, "He's a real hotty."
"WHOA!" Chicklet says her eyes bulging. "Damn! I'm going to get my appendix removed..... again." Kimmy and I burst out laughing.
"We're going to need to record a demo, so let's practice." I say as I adjust the mike stand in front of me and start playing another song. We all play perfectly in tune. We then decide to select which songs we want to put on the demo and practice those several times. It all seems so surreal, a couple of weeks ago, we were dying to find a gig. It's sort of hard to play at most places if you're under eighteen. And now we're going to record a demo, for Adeline no less!