‹ Prequel: Pieces of Truth
Sequel: Nuclear Family ›
Status: Finished March 12, 2013. Check out Nuclear Family!
Sick of Me
Sick of Me
For Billie's 30th birthday I had planned a huge surprise party at the house. With the help of Mike and Tre, we planned Billie's entire day from when he woke up to when he would pass out.
I let Billie sleep in that Sunday morning and when he got up around 9:30 I told him that Mike had called and wanted him to go into the studio. Billie looked at me expectantly so I appeased him by saying 'happy birthday' and kissing his cheek. Rita Mae, Jack, and I surprised Billie with breakfast when he finally made his way to the kitchen.
"Happy birthday Daddy!" The kids' bright smiles and big hugs made Billie laugh as he hugged them back.
"Thanks you guys! I gotta hurry up and get to the studio though…" Billie ate quickly then headed off and nearly twenty minutes after he left, a bunch of friends came over to help me set up.
[Billie Joe]
I
went to meet Mike and Tre at the studio, 880, and we had a major jam session.
"Dude, you're thirty fucking years old." Tre's stating the obvious made me roll my eyes.
"No fucking way you asshole."
"I remember when we were seventeen…" Mike shook his head in amazement.
"Yeah, and you guys still treat me like I'm that same teenager. I've grown up a lot since then… We all have."
Mike and Tre looked at me, then at each other.
"You have a point. We all need to respect each other as men and musicians." Tre agreed with Mike and I nodded. It seemed like we were all on the same page and I was a little surprised.
After we worked a little more on some music we opened up a case of beers and I started in on them without hesitation.
"Woah man, it isn't even noon!" Mike checked the clock and I shrugged, saying that I didn't really care anymore.
Another hour or so passed and Tre excused himself to take a call.
"What's going on with him? He's been checking his phone for like the last forty-five minutes."
Mike shrugged and said something about Frankito being sick. Tre returned and nodded to Mike not so discreetly, saying that it was time to go.
"So we're done?"
"Yeah. Are you good to drive? Actually, no. Tre and I came together. I'll drive you home and he'll follow in your car."
Was I really that tipsy? I only had like four bottles of Corona.
We walked out to Mike's car and I got in, rubbing my temples and groaning before putting on my sunglasses.
"Grace is gonna be pissed."
Tre asked why and I let out a deep breath.
"I've been saying that I'm not an alcoholic and all this shit but look at me. It's fucking noon and I'm buzzing."
"Bill, I'm not gonna get all nosey and shit but she loves you. Maybe if you didn't act so ungrateful.."
"Fuck you, man! I'm anything but ungrateful. That girl means more to me than words can ever say."
"Then act like it, you idiot. Worship the ground she walks on because you want to, not because you have to. Don't flip out on her for not having dinner on the table when you get home." Mike had always been my own kind of therapist. He knew how I worked after having to spend so long dealing with me over the years.
"I never did that.."
"I'm making a point, douche."
And he did just that, I realized. Grace did everything she could for me and I just took her for granted. I always assumed that she would always be there for me. But one of these days she might get fed up and say 'fuck it'. I wouldn't be able to live if anything like that ever happened.
We got to my house and all I noticed was Grace standing in the open garage with her arms folded over her chest and a 'you're in big trouble' look on her face. Even through my sunglasses I bet she could see the fear in my eyes.
I got out of the car and walked toward her with Mike and Tre following me closely.
"Hi Grace…"
"Don't say another word, Billie. Just get inside."
I nodded and opened the door, stepping into the house.
"Surprise! Happy Birthday!"
I nearly had a heart attack upon seeing half of the people in my Rolodex in my house with my family. I looked over to Grace, who had the hugest shit-eating grin on her face.
"I'm so getting you back for this."
[Grace]
Billie Joe seemed to be loving his party.. He was entertaining everyone like the social animal he is. Friends and family from far and wide came to help celebrate the big day and Billie seemed surprised that so many people had shown up.
"Grace, you're a genius for throwing this all together!" John Roecker spoke through a mouth full of burrito. I had decided to have the party catered by Billie's favorite Mexican restaurant.
"Thanks! I had a lot of help from Ollie, Tre, and Mike though!"
"So where's my present, Gray?" Billie came up to as, a green party hat strapped to his head to match his eyes.
"Oh don't worry Beej. I have a big present for you after the party."
"Looks like someone's getting some!" John's laughter filled the kitchen, even though people were having conversations around us.
[Billie Joe]
Once Grace told me that she had a big gift for me it was all I could think about. What could it possibly be? If it's big, how could she have hidden it? Then again, I'm pretty oblivious. I didn't even notice all the cars outside of the house.
"Isn't that right, Billie? Billie…" Jason White's voice snapped me back to reality and Jack laughed from his spot as I held him in my arms.
"Oh, yeah." I shook my head slightly, focusing on the things going on around me.
When the party was over around five thirty and everyone left, I began to pester Grace about my present. Sure some of my friends had brought gifts, but Grace's were always the best. She kept saying that I'd get it once the house was cleaned up, so, I cleaned as fast as I could. Then it was 'Oh, you'll get it when the kids are in bed'. So I gave the kids baths and put them to bed at 8:45.
At nine, Grace finally took my hand and led me up to her office.
"Oh, kinky! First RPM now the at-home office? I like it!"
Grace's laugh made her whole face light up as she shook her head.
"No, Billie Joe. It's not that kind of present…"
She pulled out a smaller, rectangular, wrapped box with a bow on it from her desk and handed it to me.
"This is it? I thought you said it was big. You lied to me!"
"Trust me, it's big alright."
I tore off the paper to find a cardboard box and inside there was a familiar, white stick with a plus sign on one end. I stared at it for a minute then looked up at Grace, who was watching for my reaction, then I looked back down and it all clicked.
"I- we're having a baby? Since when?"
She merely nodded with a slight smile on her face, saying she thought it had been since our night at RPM and I felt overwhelmed with excitement and nervousness as I pulled her into a possibly dangerous, bone-crushingly tight hug.
I let Billie sleep in that Sunday morning and when he got up around 9:30 I told him that Mike had called and wanted him to go into the studio. Billie looked at me expectantly so I appeased him by saying 'happy birthday' and kissing his cheek. Rita Mae, Jack, and I surprised Billie with breakfast when he finally made his way to the kitchen.
"Happy birthday Daddy!" The kids' bright smiles and big hugs made Billie laugh as he hugged them back.
"Thanks you guys! I gotta hurry up and get to the studio though…" Billie ate quickly then headed off and nearly twenty minutes after he left, a bunch of friends came over to help me set up.
[Billie Joe]
I
went to meet Mike and Tre at the studio, 880, and we had a major jam session.
"Dude, you're thirty fucking years old." Tre's stating the obvious made me roll my eyes.
"No fucking way you asshole."
"I remember when we were seventeen…" Mike shook his head in amazement.
"Yeah, and you guys still treat me like I'm that same teenager. I've grown up a lot since then… We all have."
Mike and Tre looked at me, then at each other.
"You have a point. We all need to respect each other as men and musicians." Tre agreed with Mike and I nodded. It seemed like we were all on the same page and I was a little surprised.
After we worked a little more on some music we opened up a case of beers and I started in on them without hesitation.
"Woah man, it isn't even noon!" Mike checked the clock and I shrugged, saying that I didn't really care anymore.
Another hour or so passed and Tre excused himself to take a call.
"What's going on with him? He's been checking his phone for like the last forty-five minutes."
Mike shrugged and said something about Frankito being sick. Tre returned and nodded to Mike not so discreetly, saying that it was time to go.
"So we're done?"
"Yeah. Are you good to drive? Actually, no. Tre and I came together. I'll drive you home and he'll follow in your car."
Was I really that tipsy? I only had like four bottles of Corona.
We walked out to Mike's car and I got in, rubbing my temples and groaning before putting on my sunglasses.
"Grace is gonna be pissed."
Tre asked why and I let out a deep breath.
"I've been saying that I'm not an alcoholic and all this shit but look at me. It's fucking noon and I'm buzzing."
"Bill, I'm not gonna get all nosey and shit but she loves you. Maybe if you didn't act so ungrateful.."
"Fuck you, man! I'm anything but ungrateful. That girl means more to me than words can ever say."
"Then act like it, you idiot. Worship the ground she walks on because you want to, not because you have to. Don't flip out on her for not having dinner on the table when you get home." Mike had always been my own kind of therapist. He knew how I worked after having to spend so long dealing with me over the years.
"I never did that.."
"I'm making a point, douche."
And he did just that, I realized. Grace did everything she could for me and I just took her for granted. I always assumed that she would always be there for me. But one of these days she might get fed up and say 'fuck it'. I wouldn't be able to live if anything like that ever happened.
We got to my house and all I noticed was Grace standing in the open garage with her arms folded over her chest and a 'you're in big trouble' look on her face. Even through my sunglasses I bet she could see the fear in my eyes.
I got out of the car and walked toward her with Mike and Tre following me closely.
"Hi Grace…"
"Don't say another word, Billie. Just get inside."
I nodded and opened the door, stepping into the house.
"Surprise! Happy Birthday!"
I nearly had a heart attack upon seeing half of the people in my Rolodex in my house with my family. I looked over to Grace, who had the hugest shit-eating grin on her face.
"I'm so getting you back for this."
[Grace]
Billie Joe seemed to be loving his party.. He was entertaining everyone like the social animal he is. Friends and family from far and wide came to help celebrate the big day and Billie seemed surprised that so many people had shown up.
"Grace, you're a genius for throwing this all together!" John Roecker spoke through a mouth full of burrito. I had decided to have the party catered by Billie's favorite Mexican restaurant.
"Thanks! I had a lot of help from Ollie, Tre, and Mike though!"
"So where's my present, Gray?" Billie came up to as, a green party hat strapped to his head to match his eyes.
"Oh don't worry Beej. I have a big present for you after the party."
"Looks like someone's getting some!" John's laughter filled the kitchen, even though people were having conversations around us.
[Billie Joe]
Once Grace told me that she had a big gift for me it was all I could think about. What could it possibly be? If it's big, how could she have hidden it? Then again, I'm pretty oblivious. I didn't even notice all the cars outside of the house.
"Isn't that right, Billie? Billie…" Jason White's voice snapped me back to reality and Jack laughed from his spot as I held him in my arms.
"Oh, yeah." I shook my head slightly, focusing on the things going on around me.
When the party was over around five thirty and everyone left, I began to pester Grace about my present. Sure some of my friends had brought gifts, but Grace's were always the best. She kept saying that I'd get it once the house was cleaned up, so, I cleaned as fast as I could. Then it was 'Oh, you'll get it when the kids are in bed'. So I gave the kids baths and put them to bed at 8:45.
At nine, Grace finally took my hand and led me up to her office.
"Oh, kinky! First RPM now the at-home office? I like it!"
Grace's laugh made her whole face light up as she shook her head.
"No, Billie Joe. It's not that kind of present…"
She pulled out a smaller, rectangular, wrapped box with a bow on it from her desk and handed it to me.
"This is it? I thought you said it was big. You lied to me!"
"Trust me, it's big alright."
I tore off the paper to find a cardboard box and inside there was a familiar, white stick with a plus sign on one end. I stared at it for a minute then looked up at Grace, who was watching for my reaction, then I looked back down and it all clicked.
"I- we're having a baby? Since when?"
She merely nodded with a slight smile on her face, saying she thought it had been since our night at RPM and I felt overwhelmed with excitement and nervousness as I pulled her into a possibly dangerous, bone-crushingly tight hug.