Billie Joe's Third Son

"Mum, I need the migraine table..." I was cut off by everyone staring at me. I didn't get the time to stare back, 'cause Mum suddenly jumped up, and placed herself in front of me, so I could see nobody. She looked furious, scared and nervous at the same time. All of this made me slightly confused and dumbfounded.

"Mum..? Oh, right," I said, remembering what I'd forgotten. I went outside again, closed the door, rang the doorbell and thread in.

"Happy now?" I sarcastically said. She still looked the same, and still wouldn't move. It didn't really matter anyway. It was her I was here for anyway, not anyone else. The worst was, my headache was getting worse, and all those people could do was staring at Mum's back. And Mum.. Looking more stupid than ever.

"Just come in here like you own the place, why don't you," Mum yelled. "It's one thing when you're entering the Johnson's house without foreboding, but here lives people I've just met, and it's stopping right here! Go back to Amanda's house with yourself, I will be home as soon as possible, and I expect to see you in your room. Then Billie Joe Armstrong, then, not before or after, we'll sort out the migraine tablets, now move!"

Her breath slowed down. She was done exploding. I rolled my eyes. I hated the way she always used my real name when she was pissed off with me. She didn't even turn around to say she was sorry like she always did when I ran inside the Johnson's house without foreboding. She was acting pretty weird, I'd say.

"Hey, hold on a second," said a male voice somewhere behind Mum. "Where exactly do I fit in?"Mum first rolled her eyes, then shut them wide open. She then looked like she was gonna die there and then. Something was in the air, that was obvious. I hated the tension. I wanted to know what was going on.

"Sorry, I must have confused your names," Mum exused herself with a nervous laugh, without even turning around looking at the guy.

"Hey guys, what's taking your t..." another male voice suddenly spoke, but was cut off by the situation. Hold on a second, this wasn't any male voice. This voice, however, belonged do Mick Dirt, or whatever his name was, in Green Day. What was he doing here? Mum didn't seem to notice him, but went all sugar sweet on me instead.

"Joey.. Why don't I and you go over to Amanda's house, and get the migraine tablets, huh? You look so awefully ill sweetie, come on," she said. I glanced at her. First she'd had a go at me, then she suddenly didn't care anymore. She was getting weirder by the minute. Something wasn't right. Something..

"Joey? Regina?" the Mick one asked, in a shaky voice, sort of. Wait, how did he know my name? And Mum's? I felt a sting in my head. The headache was slightly, but sure getting worse by the minute. I decided not to ask myself no more questions. I needed the tablets, weird situation or not.

"Alright Mum, come on. My headache is getting worse by the minute," I said. Mum then smiled the biggest, happiest, pleased smiled I'd seen her smile in a very, very long time. I actually didn't recall the last time, so this might just have been the first time I'd seen her smile like that.

"Alright honey, let's go. You need your medici.."

"Actually, that's not necessary Regina," Amanda's voice said from somewhere behind Mum. "I felt pretty bad before we left, when you were getting ready, so I brought the migraine tablets here in case it would get worse. If you go over to my house, you won't find anything. I have the tablets in my bag." Mum looked like she was gonna fall to pieces and die. The expression she had on her face, was undescribeable.

I decided to go for it, seeing as though I needed the tablets more and more by the minute. I made my way past Mum by pushing her aside, and walked over to Amanda. The woman next to her looked like she was going to die of shock. Wait, this wasn't any woman. This was.. This was..

"Come on, you don't look well at all sweetheart," Amanda said, cutting off my thoughts. "We'll just borrow your kitchen for a minute Adie."

She grabbed my arm, and lead me away from the livingroom, into their gorgerous kitchen.

Them people must be rich..

Amanda grabbed a glas, and filled it with water while I was busy admiring the kitchen. She then searched her bag for the migraine tablets, found them, and handed both glas and tablet to me.

"Be a good little boy, and drink it all up now. I suppose you know all about swallowing pills, so it should be fine I guess.."

"Oh, so you think I do it all for attention now, do you?" I asked, giving her an ugly look. "That's what you think, isn't it? Then what about your brother, hah? He must have been on some serious stuff to abuse "a good little boy," wouldn't you say? Oh, and anyway.. I don't need doing nothing to get attention. People recognize me on the street for some strange reason."

I put the tablet on the back of my tounge, and swallowed it. Amanda opened her mouth to reply, but just shook her head instead. I rolled my eyes, left her alone with the glas, and walked back into the livingroom. There sat Mum on the couch with wet eyes, having this woman, which I recognized from somewhere, with dreadlocks all over her. On the other side of her, sat two men. I recognized them both straight away. One of them was Mick Dirt, the other one was the guy who'd passed me his lighter the day we were in town. Wait, did they know eachother? And by the door.. And by the door..

"Joey, sit with me for a moment," Mum whispered. Even though she was whispering, I could hear her just as if she had yelled at me again. I tried walking over to her. I really tried, but couldn't. Couldn't move. Couldn't talk. Couldn't.. Look.

I noticed him staring at me. The guy from the airport. He was still standing by the door. I glanced at him. I then realised something. He wasn't just any guy. He was the one Antonia kissed on her posters, the one who sang out of her loudspeakers, the one she always watched on television, whenever he was on..

He was the guy from the airport. But not only that. He was also the young guy who'd held me in his arms on that old photo Antonia'd found in one of Mum's old diaries. He wasn't just the frontman of Green Day, but also my father. My father. My father Billie Joe Armstrong. I had to give myself credit for being so smart.

"May be it's best if we.. I mean, not all of us, me, you Regina and Amanda get dressed and go over to her place. Mike and Tré.. Just disappear," the dreadlocked one said.

Mike and Tré. So it is not Mick and Lighter afterall.

Suddenly the entire room was filled by people, getting dressed. I didn't know what to do, I couldn't just stand there. Even though I thought I shouldn't, I still did it. Like a dead apple. Thinking this, made me realise everyone was gone. Everyone, discounting me and Billie. He was still staring at me. Still staring at me with his diamond green eyes. I didn't want him to stare. I wanted him to go with them. I wanted to dig a hole, and disappear. But this was what I had been waiting for all my life, wasn't it?

Wasn't it?

"You wanna sit?" Billie suddenly said, cutting off my thoughts. I didn't know what to do, but like I had already figured, I couldn't just stand there, not doing anything. I nodded as reply, and walked over to the couch, sitting down. He sat down beside me.

"So you're.. Fifteen by now?" he asked, trying to make me look at him. Never if he was gonna succee. I couldn't look at him. It is hard to explain, but I just.. Couldn't. I nodded again.

"I've missed you," he tried again. It then suddenly hit me I was all alone in the entire house, with this stranger. This Billie Joe. This.. Father of mine. If I said I hadn't missed him, he might not handle it like I wanted him to. May be he'd force me down, and.. May be he'd.. May be he was just like Glen. The thought scared the living piss out of me. I could almost feel sweat running down my forehead.

Have I missed him? Have I deep down known about him all the time?

"I.. I better go," I mumbled, trying not to sound nervous or scared, but failed on both. In the corner of my eye, I could see him smile. He nodded towards the door. I couldn't believe he was actually letting me go. If it had been Glen..

Stop it Joey, Billie is not Glen.

"I can take a hint," he said, still smiling. He sounded very calm, nice and caring. But that's what I had thought about Glen as well, before he opened to me the monster he really was. I'd take no chances.

I forced myself to smile, and got up. He walked me to the door. When I was just about to leave the spot, he did something I didn't expected. He pulled me into a hug.

"Take care of yourself," he whispered before letting me go. I mumbled a little 'yes,' then vanished through the door. I figured I'd make my way to Amanda's house a lot shorter, by taking the way through Billie's garden, as I decided I would.

I entered her house about five minutes later, seeing everyone still being there. It looked like it was everyone's birthday, 'cause they were all laughing, talking and smiling. Mick, Lighter, Dreadlock, Mum, Amanda, Antonia, Michael.. They all stopped smiling, talking and all of that when they saw me. Just another proof I wasn't really welcome anywhere else than in Glen's pants.

I un tied my shoes, mumbled something to Mum, and ran upstairs. It had been a long day, may be even too long.

I went to my room, without bothering to brush my teeth, or remove the eyeliner, stripped to my boxers and laid down on the bed. I closed my eyes, and tried to sleep.

Take me away to paradise..