East 12th Street
East 12th Sreet
(few days later)
I padded down the carpeted stairs, ready for my community service. Just as I reached the bottom of the staircase I heard a knocking on the door.
I was greeted by Mike's face.
"Hey Billie," he said happily. "Ready to go to the recording studio?"
Shit. I had completely forgot.
I let him inside, closing the door behind him. "I can't. Community service," I grunted, annoyed. Oh well. Anything to get out of writing songs. It was as if I was suffering from writer's block.
Mike's face fell. "What? Why the hell are you doing service?"
"C'mon, you had to have seen it all in the frigging magazines. I got done for DUI."
"Yeah I know...but today? God dammit. Tre can't come either. He's meeting with lawyers today." Mike looked annoyed.
"For the divorce with Claudia?" I asked quietly. Things really weren't going well here at all.
"Yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "What the fuck am I supposed to do Billie? We can't just keep calling this off. Maybe its time to - "
Great. He was thinking the same thing. But I didn't want to split up either. Apart from the kids and Adrienne, music was all I had. How could I give it up like that? Green Day had started all those years ago when me and Mike were only 14, trying to find a drummer and then trying to get into the Gilman.
There was an awkward silence for a minute, before Adrienne came in, conveniently interrupting our conversation.
"Oh hey Mike!" Adrienne kissed Mike on the cheek in greeting. "How have you been?"
"Yeah I've been alright," said Mike, giving a smile. "Just going to the studio - alone."
"I've got an idea. Why don't you write a song?" It sounded kinda of saracastic - I didn't mean it to sound that way.
Mike smiled. I thought he'd just laugh it off, telling me to stop being stupid.
"I will. Well, i'd better be off. See you guys later." Mike left.
"Why isn't Tre going to be at the studio?" Adrienne asked, her face curious.
"Divorce," I said shortly. "Well, I'd better be off to go register for community service." I gave her a kiss. "I'll be back soon."
"Have fun," Adrienne said as I headed out the front door. "And no scaring the homeless!"
I laughed, giving a final wave before getting into my BMW. I started it up and drove into town and to the police station. It began to lightly snow outside. I turned the heating up full blast, smiling in pure pleasure. It was so nice sitting in a warm car while it was minus seven degrees celsius outside.
I parked my car and got out, feeling a shiver down my spine. I headed inside the the front desk. There was an unfriendly looking twenty year old chewing gum while she stared into space, looking bored out of her mind.
"Uh - yeah hi...I'm here to register for community service," I said, my voice low. I didn't need anyone here to recognise who I was, what with all the stories circulating about my DUI.
She handed me a clipboard, not looking at me.
"Uh - can I have a pen?"
She rolled her eyes, getting a pen and handing it to me. She froze mid-chew, her eyes wide.
"Wait - you're - "
"Yes, I'm perfectly aware who I am," I said impatiently, not looking up from where I was filling out the forms. She fell silent and continued to chew, though I could see out of the corner of my eye she continued to look at me intently.
"Done," I said, handing back the clipboard. She took it, holding it close as though she was scrutinising my handwriting.
I cleared my throat, feeling incresingly impatient.
"Uh - right," she said, going red. "You'll be signing up to help at the local orphanage."
"Orphanage?" I repeated. I had never even known there was an orphanage in the Bay Area.
"Yes, an orphanage. Its on East 12th Street." She gave me directions.
"Thanks." I left, getting into my car again and savouring the warmth. What kind of weird kids were I going to meet here?
I pulled into the street and outside a brick building painted white and covered in growing vines. I let out a long low whistle. This place was really nice for an orphanage. The surrounding buildings were mainly shops or apartment buildings.
I knocked on the front door hesitantly, feeling a little bit apprehensive.
The door was answered by a short, stout woman. She looked like a very motherly person.
"Uh - hi, I'm here for community service. My name's - "
"Billie Joe Armstrong?" she enquired.
"Yes."
"Come right on in." She stood beside the door, letting me inside. It was warm inside, and there was that sweet musty smell lingering in the air.
"Now, we'd like you to meet all of the children," she said proudly. She was really nice. A small tiny badge on her shirt read: 'Mrs Marcs'.
She pulled a bell from beside the door and rung it. I looked up the staircase to see a group of about ten children coming down. They were all dressed in second hand clothes, presumably from St Vinnies, or donated from other rich people. They lined up in front of me, standing tall. I felt a little embarrassed at how orderly they were.
"Now children, we have a new volunteer here," Mrs Marcs said loudly, gesturing towards me. "His name is Billie Joe Armstrong."
The kids exchanged pondered looks. I breathed a sigh of relief. They had no idea who I was...which was good. At least I wouldn't get the groupies attacking me here like a pack of vultures.
"Hi...everyone," I said, giving an awkward wave. "Uh...how are you all?"
There was a wave of indiscernible mutterings.
"Uh...thats good," I said, rubbing the back of my head in an attempt to look like I was doing something. "So, um, I'd like to get to know you all a bit better, and - yeah."
"OK - now off to play children," Mrs Marcs said, scooting them off. She looked at them run off proudly.
"Do you run this place on your own?" I asked incredulously.
"Well, the government does provide some funding," she explained. "It keeps me busy - my husband died about a decade ago."
"Oh I'm sorry," I said quietly.
"Not to worry," she said, leading me into the kitchen. "We must get some lunch ready."
"Sure - but I'm not much of a cook," I said, smiling sheepishly.
"Thats OK. How about you go upstairs and get to know the children a little better?" she asked.
"Um...ok." I left her in the kitchen and headed upstairs. I saw a room at the end of the hallway. On the door were various signs saying 'Keep Out' 'Top Secret' and 'Warning: Beware of the Dogs.'
This sounded like a nice person to meet.
I padded down the carpeted stairs, ready for my community service. Just as I reached the bottom of the staircase I heard a knocking on the door.
I was greeted by Mike's face.
"Hey Billie," he said happily. "Ready to go to the recording studio?"
Shit. I had completely forgot.
I let him inside, closing the door behind him. "I can't. Community service," I grunted, annoyed. Oh well. Anything to get out of writing songs. It was as if I was suffering from writer's block.
Mike's face fell. "What? Why the hell are you doing service?"
"C'mon, you had to have seen it all in the frigging magazines. I got done for DUI."
"Yeah I know...but today? God dammit. Tre can't come either. He's meeting with lawyers today." Mike looked annoyed.
"For the divorce with Claudia?" I asked quietly. Things really weren't going well here at all.
"Yeah," he said, rubbing the back of his head. "What the fuck am I supposed to do Billie? We can't just keep calling this off. Maybe its time to - "
Great. He was thinking the same thing. But I didn't want to split up either. Apart from the kids and Adrienne, music was all I had. How could I give it up like that? Green Day had started all those years ago when me and Mike were only 14, trying to find a drummer and then trying to get into the Gilman.
There was an awkward silence for a minute, before Adrienne came in, conveniently interrupting our conversation.
"Oh hey Mike!" Adrienne kissed Mike on the cheek in greeting. "How have you been?"
"Yeah I've been alright," said Mike, giving a smile. "Just going to the studio - alone."
"I've got an idea. Why don't you write a song?" It sounded kinda of saracastic - I didn't mean it to sound that way.
Mike smiled. I thought he'd just laugh it off, telling me to stop being stupid.
"I will. Well, i'd better be off. See you guys later." Mike left.
"Why isn't Tre going to be at the studio?" Adrienne asked, her face curious.
"Divorce," I said shortly. "Well, I'd better be off to go register for community service." I gave her a kiss. "I'll be back soon."
"Have fun," Adrienne said as I headed out the front door. "And no scaring the homeless!"
I laughed, giving a final wave before getting into my BMW. I started it up and drove into town and to the police station. It began to lightly snow outside. I turned the heating up full blast, smiling in pure pleasure. It was so nice sitting in a warm car while it was minus seven degrees celsius outside.
I parked my car and got out, feeling a shiver down my spine. I headed inside the the front desk. There was an unfriendly looking twenty year old chewing gum while she stared into space, looking bored out of her mind.
"Uh - yeah hi...I'm here to register for community service," I said, my voice low. I didn't need anyone here to recognise who I was, what with all the stories circulating about my DUI.
She handed me a clipboard, not looking at me.
"Uh - can I have a pen?"
She rolled her eyes, getting a pen and handing it to me. She froze mid-chew, her eyes wide.
"Wait - you're - "
"Yes, I'm perfectly aware who I am," I said impatiently, not looking up from where I was filling out the forms. She fell silent and continued to chew, though I could see out of the corner of my eye she continued to look at me intently.
"Done," I said, handing back the clipboard. She took it, holding it close as though she was scrutinising my handwriting.
I cleared my throat, feeling incresingly impatient.
"Uh - right," she said, going red. "You'll be signing up to help at the local orphanage."
"Orphanage?" I repeated. I had never even known there was an orphanage in the Bay Area.
"Yes, an orphanage. Its on East 12th Street." She gave me directions.
"Thanks." I left, getting into my car again and savouring the warmth. What kind of weird kids were I going to meet here?
I pulled into the street and outside a brick building painted white and covered in growing vines. I let out a long low whistle. This place was really nice for an orphanage. The surrounding buildings were mainly shops or apartment buildings.
I knocked on the front door hesitantly, feeling a little bit apprehensive.
The door was answered by a short, stout woman. She looked like a very motherly person.
"Uh - hi, I'm here for community service. My name's - "
"Billie Joe Armstrong?" she enquired.
"Yes."
"Come right on in." She stood beside the door, letting me inside. It was warm inside, and there was that sweet musty smell lingering in the air.
"Now, we'd like you to meet all of the children," she said proudly. She was really nice. A small tiny badge on her shirt read: 'Mrs Marcs'.
She pulled a bell from beside the door and rung it. I looked up the staircase to see a group of about ten children coming down. They were all dressed in second hand clothes, presumably from St Vinnies, or donated from other rich people. They lined up in front of me, standing tall. I felt a little embarrassed at how orderly they were.
"Now children, we have a new volunteer here," Mrs Marcs said loudly, gesturing towards me. "His name is Billie Joe Armstrong."
The kids exchanged pondered looks. I breathed a sigh of relief. They had no idea who I was...which was good. At least I wouldn't get the groupies attacking me here like a pack of vultures.
"Hi...everyone," I said, giving an awkward wave. "Uh...how are you all?"
There was a wave of indiscernible mutterings.
"Uh...thats good," I said, rubbing the back of my head in an attempt to look like I was doing something. "So, um, I'd like to get to know you all a bit better, and - yeah."
"OK - now off to play children," Mrs Marcs said, scooting them off. She looked at them run off proudly.
"Do you run this place on your own?" I asked incredulously.
"Well, the government does provide some funding," she explained. "It keeps me busy - my husband died about a decade ago."
"Oh I'm sorry," I said quietly.
"Not to worry," she said, leading me into the kitchen. "We must get some lunch ready."
"Sure - but I'm not much of a cook," I said, smiling sheepishly.
"Thats OK. How about you go upstairs and get to know the children a little better?" she asked.
"Um...ok." I left her in the kitchen and headed upstairs. I saw a room at the end of the hallway. On the door were various signs saying 'Keep Out' 'Top Secret' and 'Warning: Beware of the Dogs.'
This sounded like a nice person to meet.