Sick of Me

The next morning, Billie Joe and I were rudely awoken by a pounding on the door of our hotel room. When I finally got out of the bed and put on a bathrobe, I found John standing outside in his underwear.

"Turn on MTV! Hurry, hurry!" He came inside, grabbing the remote and quickly turning the television on to MTV. I sat on the bed next to the now yawning Billie as John stood so he could see the TV.

"The Green Day/Network feud seemed to kick into high gear last night in Los Angeles at the Key Club. The Network performed for a small crowd, including Grace Armstrong, the wife of Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong. She was seen watching the band from the side of the stage, and sources can confirm that she left the venue with the band to go to an after party."

A few images from the night before were flashed across the screen, ones of Billie Joe leading me out of the bar by the hand, then a few of us inside drinking together.

"Grace is known throughout the Bay Area and the music industry as a co-owner of Adeline Records, owner of the RPM Record store, and as the front woman of the band Long Summer Nights. Neither member of the Armstrong power couple was available for comment."

I looked to Billie Joe, staring at him with my mouth open.

"That's why you wanted me to dress the way I did! You made me out to be a whore! I can't believe this." Glaring at Billie, I had half a mind to call up MTV myself and set things straight.

"It's all a part of the plan to keep stirring things up between The Network and Green Day! You have to see the big picture."

"Yeah, Grace. Trust us!" John echoed Billie's words from last night and I heaved a sigh. I didn't want to be made out as something I'm not. I couldn't believe that they did this without my consent.

"You guys. I'm the owner of a record store. I play a significant part in Adeline. I don't need to be in the middle of some sort of fake scandal so you can get hype for your band!"

Billie tried to tell me that it was for the greater good and that no harm would come to my reputation, but I was having a tough time believing him. News like this always traveled fast in the music world and I was beyond annoyed at these two for plotting this.

"Whatever. If anything goes wrong, I reserve the right to kick both of you in the balls."

Exchanging a look, John and Billie Joe nodded in agreement, saying that everything would be fine.

---

Our flight back to Oakland was in a few hours, so I packed my overnight bag after I changed into a pair of jeans and an Adeline shirt. Stupidly, I didn't pack a different pair of shoes, so I had to wear the stilettos. Billie seemed to enjoy my mistake though.

"How come you never wear these heels anymore?" He sat on the edge of the bed, drying his damp hair with a towel after just getting out of the shower.

"Well, they're six inches tall and I'm not used to walking in them anymore."

"I think they need to make some more appearances around the house. I really like them."

I let out a laugh, asking if he wanted to try them on for himself.

"You've seen me walk in heels! I don't think I could handle a pair that tall." Billie pulled me into his lap, running his fingers along my sides, trying to get me to join him in bed for another round before we had to go to the airport.

"We're gonna miss our flight if you keep this up!"

"That's the plan, baby!" He sent me a crooked smile that I simply adored, and as much as I wanted to stay and have our fun, we had to get home to the kids.

Billie Joe had dressed up in his Fink outfit, knowing that for his plan to work, he couldn't just leave as his normal self. He had to put on this show for a little bit longer, or at least until he got to the airport. We were leaving out of the Orange County airport rather than LAX, simply to avoid the paparazzi that were waiting outside of the hotel for us.

"Grace, what are you doing down in LA?" A man with graying hair asked me as I attempted to walk to the car Billie had called earlier.

"I'm here to check on my husband's investment and make sure they are performing up to standard that we like to keep at Adeline Records." My calm answer seemed to stun the people taking pictures of us.

"Back off, you vultures!" Billie Joe used a rough voice, keeping them from closing in and blocking us from the car as we got in and were driven off.

"Way to play it cool!" He beamed at me, knowing that I usually avoided the limelight. That's why I wasn't in my band full time. I couldn't deal with all of that attention all the time.

---

When we got home, there were a bunch of calls on Billie's cell phone from his manager and from a rep at Adeline, wondering just what in the hell was going on.

He stayed home and returned the calls while I went and picked up the kids. I got Rita from her friend's house, then I picked Jack up from Ollie's.

I got home and found Billie Joe sitting on the couch, watching MTV like it was his job. The kids were more than excited to see both of us, knowing that we had gone away for a business trip. I rarely went away on trips compared to Billie Joe, so they weren't as over zealous when I picked either of them up.

"Daddy! How was your trip?"

"Did you have fun?" Jack pulled himself up so he was sitting in Billie's lap, staring up at him with those huge, emerald eyes and smiling. Billie Joe smiled back, saying that he had a blast.

"Mom and I had so much fun in Los Angeles, but we missed you two like crazy, so we had to come home."

Rita Mae looked from me to Billie, saying that she didn't think business was fun.

"You know what I do for work, babydoll. Of course it's fun! I'm sorry you thought otherwise." Billie apologized, trying to keep her mind from racing but I could see that it was still going.

"Hey, Rita. Why don't you come help me make something for lunch? Let's let the guys do whatever it is that guys do." I wanted a little time to talk to her alone, but she didn't seem to realize that.

"But…"

"Rita Mae. Come on." My tone was gentle yet firm, and she quickly nodded, following me into the kitchen.

"Why did you go on the trip with Daddy if he was playing a concert with Mike and Tre?" Rita began to pull out some sandwich fillings from the pantry and fridge so I could make everybody their favorite sandwich, while I got out a knife and plates.

"I went for Adeline. We have to make sure the artists we sign are doing their jobs, your dad included." I asked if she had fun at Natalie's, and she began to spout off all of the things they had done at their sleepover, quickly forgetting what we had just been talking about.

"Where's our lunch, women?" Billie Joe waltzed into the kitchen with Jack in his arms, a playfully demanding look on his face as he told the boy to follow his lead.

"Yeah, women!" He glanced at Billie for approval and received a nod and a smile.

"Oh you boys. Aren't you supposed to be out working or hunting or something?" I shot Billie an equally sportive grin.

Billie sat Jack up on the counter top of the island, tickling his sides and making the boy giggle with delight.

"Daddy… S-stop! I-i-it tickles!!" Jack thrashed in Billie's firm grasp, trying to escape. Billie Joe merely laughed, while Rita and I watched as we put the plated sandwiches and drinks on the table.

"Quit fooling around, you two! Lunch is ready." I could only smile at their interaction.

Billie had been spending more and more of his time with the kids and it was good for all of them. With the exception of the show last night, Billie had only gone on a few weekend gig-trips rather than major tours that lasted months.

"We'll get him back later, Jack." I sent my son a mischievous smile after I sat down beside him at the table, giggling at the huge smile that had spread over his face.

[Billie Joe]

A couple of weeks past and it was the second week of December. Things had gone perfectly with the Network show in LA; our record sales had gone up and Green Day was getting more exposure than we had gotten in a while. Mike, Tre, and I had been in the studio working on our rock opera, but today I had the afternoon to spend with my kids.

Grace was at RPM, overseeing a show being played there to promote the local band's new album, which was a part of the store's new thing to get more business.

Rita Mae had begged me to teach her to skateboard, so being the huge softie I was, I grabbed a few boards and took her and Jack out to the driveway.

"Okay, here's the rules you two. No going into the street, no wandering off, no leaving the driveway. Got it kiddos?" I stood in front of the kids, my hands on my hips, watching them as they nodded in response.

"Alright! Let's skateboard!"

We had been out there for probably an hour before Rita started getting the hang of it. Jack had given up a while ago, and was now doing his own thing as I helped his sister. He had been trying to roll around on a board by himself, but I had gotten on to him about it, saying that it wasn't safe.

"When you feel yourself starting to slow down, remember to push!" I smiled at Rita Mae, giving her shoulder a squeeze before she nodded and gave a thumbs up, pushing off with her plant foot and
going on her own for the first time.

"Daddy, I'm doing it!" Rita shrieked excitedly, and I watched with a proud look on my face as she rolled down the driveway, wobbling a little before she banked into the grass, laughing the entire time, saying that she couldn't believe she did it.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a flash of the blue shirt Jack was wearing, then I heard the most sickening crack I had ever heard in my entire life. I whirled around and saw Jack laying against the concrete of our driveway, scrapes all over, and his right arm bent in an awkward position.

His face was bright red, and he seemed more shocked than anything because he was barely making a sound. The second skateboard I had brought out was a few feet away from him, flipped upside down, the wheels still spinning slowly.

It took me a minute to actually process what had happened before I ran over to Jack, scooping him up in my arms.

"Are you okay, bud? What happened? Do you hurt anywhere?" The questions poured out of my mouth and Jack stared up at me with wide, petrified eyes. Rita had come up to me, tugging on my shirt and holding onto the house phone.

"It's momma! She wants to talk to you."

What? I hadn't even heard the phone ring.

Somehow I managed to hold the phone to my ear while cradling Jack in my arms, and I greeted Grace.

"Hey, babe. I was just calling to see if you wanted me to bring something home for dinner… I'll probably be home around seven."

"Oh, no, you don't have to. I'll make something." I was trying to hurry up our conversation; I could hear music and talking going on in the background on her end, and I saw that Jack was ready to cry any second.

"Grace, I gotta go. Someone's on the other line." I quickly said an I love you before hanging up and tossing the phone to Rita.

"Jack. You need to tell me, are you alright?"

The little boy seemed to be in complete shock, glancing from his arm to my face before his eyes began to well up with tears. And like a dam breaking, the shock wore off and the screaming commenced.