It Began With A Gunshot
Vice President Armstrong
*Billie Joe’s POV*
“W… What the fuck are you on, man?” I gasped. “Are you stoned? What person in their right mind would make me Vice President of the USA? I mean, you can’t even do that?”
“Sure I can,” Frank smiled benignly, “Vice President Adams just died, and I am the President. I can appoint whomsoever I wish as my Deputy.” He grinned broadly putting on a Texan accent.
“Sir,” stammered Mike. “As Billie Joe said, are you stoned or something?”
“Honestly, gentlemen, how could you insinuate such a thing? I never have been stoned, apart from about… ooh, a million times in my teenage years. And didn’t your mother ever teach you manners? What happened to saying thank you?”
“I… I am grateful, it’s just… I’ve been working at McDonalds since I dropped out of High School, that’s about seven years, I can’t be the Vice President.”
“You can and you will. I’m not taking no for an answer. Welcome to politics, Vice President Armstrong.” Frank leaned over the table and shook my hand.
Well, I thought. You only live once!
“I’d be delighted to be your Vice President,” I smiled.
* * *
I walked through the door later that night. Adrienne was sitting up watching TV.
“Whoa, Adrienne,” I said, sitting next to her. “What are you doing up?”
She smiled at me, tiredly. “I couldn’t sleep. Too much going on in my head.”
“Well, you can talk to me, you know that.”
“Thanks, Billie. Oh! How was your dinner with the President? Why are you grinning like that? What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing’s wrong!” I smiled. “He… he offered me a job.”
“Really? That’s fantastic! What job?”
She stared at me, expectantly, her beautiful chestnut coloured eyes sparkling.
“Uh,” I gulped nervously.
Boy, is she pretty.
“He offered me the position of Vice President of the United States of America!”
Her jaw dropped. She stared at me for a couple of minutes. She began to giggle nervously.
“You’re kidding, right?” She stopped and her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh my God you’re not kidding!”
“No, I’m not.”
“Oh God! Congratulations! That’s fantastic!”
“I know! I get 400 grand a year! Four hundred grand!”
“Holy crap! That’s more than I’ve earned in forever!”
“I know! And,” I gulped. “Also, I get… I get a house.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, some place, Number One Observatory Circle, or something like that.”
“Oh. Good for you.”
“And, um, I only rent this apartment.”
“Oh.”
“I was…” I took a deep breath. “I was… um… wondering if you wanted to… I was wondering if you wanted to come live with me,” I gabbled.
“R-really?” She stammered. “Are you sure?”
“Well, I know you haven’t been here long, but… I know I’d miss you, and Jessie.”
She smiled and looked down. “I’d love to live with you.”
*Frank’s POV*
“Hello, Billie Joe… yeah, it’s Frank… ok, I’m still helping you move today, aren’t I? OK… I’ll see you there! Bye!” I hung up and went to get Lily dressed.
“Hey sweetie, today we’re helping Daddy’s friend move house. Aw, did you sleep well? You look cranky! Well, in the car you can have a nice, long nap.” I lifted her off the changing table and took her out to the car.
Adam was sitting in the driver’s seat. I got in the back and strapped Lily into her baby seat. Adam started to drive and Lily fell asleep. In no time at all, we were there. I gently lifted the baby seat out of the car and placed it in the hallway of the house.
Billie Joe wasn’t there yet, but some boxes were. I moved them into the rooms according to their labels.
I heard the door behind me open. I turned.
“Hi Billie,” I hugged him and then turned to the woman and child behind him.
“Oh! Yeah, um,” Billie gently pushed the woman forwards. “This is Adrienne, my, um, friend, and this is her daughter, Jessica.”
“Well, it’s lovely to meet you both. Hello Jessica, how old are you?”
“I’m five,” she grinned, holding out five fingers. “Why is there a baby downstairs?”
“That’s my little girl, Lily,” I said.
“She’s really cute, can I go down and look after her?”
I hesitated. “Um, sure, just be careful OK?”
“OK.” She skipped out and downstairs.
“I put boxes in the rooms they were labelled and stuff, I assume you were shown around and chose which room was which?”
Billie looked confused. “No, this is the first time I’ve ever been here.”
“OK, then. Let’s put the boxes out of the way, then you can choose what you want to use the rooms for.”
We moved the boxes into the second garage and came back inside.
“So, this is the kitchen,” I said, leading them through. Billie gasped.
“This is bigger than my whole apartment!”
“We have a room there,” I pointed through the door on the left past the AGA cooker. “Which could be either a sitting room or a dining room, it’s up to you. Then, through the door there,” I pointed to the door past the fridge-freezer. “the room could be a sitting room or a dining room. Or an office or something.”
Half an hour later, we had decided which room was which and moved all the boxes into the right rooms.
“OK,” Billie sighed. “Now, unpacking!”
The doorbell rang, so Billie and I went downstairs.
“Hi Billie, I knew you were moving and I thought you could maybe do with some help?” Mike said.
“Sure, thanks. Hi Mike,” Billie replied.
“I had to bring my son, Louie, is that OK?”
“Yeah, my friend’s daughter, Jessica is around here somewhere, we can leave them to play with each other or something,” Billie led them in as Jessica hurtled downstairs.
“Wow! Billie Joe! Thank you so much, my room is huge! I mean, have you seen it! Whoa!” she giggled.
“I’m glad you like it,” he ruffled her hair.
“Who are they?” She pointed to Mike and Louie.
“Jessica, don’t point it’s rude!” Adrienne came downstairs, tying her hair up.
“Sorry Mom.”
“I’m Mike, and this is my son, Louie,” Mike said.
“Hi Louie,” Jessica bounded up to him. “Wanna go outside and play?”
“Yeah!” They ran outside together.
“Is it safe?” Mike asked, anxiously.
“Absolutely,” I smiled. “Now, let’s get going!”
* * *
Ten hours later, we sat down in the dining room.
“I never want to see another box!” Adrienne gasped.
“I know!” We agreed.
“I’m going to get a bottle of wine,” Billie got up.
“No way! In the limo, I have a bottle of champagne to celebrate!” I grinned, running out and getting it.
We drank our champagne with my driver, Adam, who had been napping in the car. He walked off to go to the bathroom. He came back looking confused.
“You guys are celebrating unpacking all the boxes, right?”
“Yes…” Billie Joe said.
“Oh. How come there are loads in the room next to the bathroom?”
“Aw crap!” Billie let his head fall to the table. He pretended to sob. “I can’t take it anymore, I can’t, I can’t!”
“Calm down, Billie,” Adrienne sighed rolling her eyes. “Let’s just unpack the boxes. You can go home if you want,” she turned to Mike, Adam and I.
“I’ll stay. Lily’s asleep upstairs, it’s ok.”
“Yeah, Louie and Jessie are asleep, I can help too.”
“I’ll be in the limo,” Adam stepped outside.
We walked through into the room.
“OK, box number 1. Billie Joe’s Memorabilia.” Adrienne lifted a box off a pile.
We tore it open. Billie lifted out an old cassette.
“Whoa! The Lookouts! Now, they were fucking great!”
I felt a lump in my throat. “Really? You liked them?”
“Are you kidding me?” Billie smiled. “They were awesome!”
Adrienne took the tape from him.
“Lawrence Livermore, Kane Kong, Tré Cool?” She frowned. “What unusual names.”
“They’re stage names.” Mike said, getting a bin liner ready.
“Frank? Are you OK?” Billie asked me as Adrienne handed me the tape. I felt a small smile on my face as I looked at a picture of me, Lawrence and Kane.
“Yeah, it’s just, I was in The Lookouts! I am Tré Cool.”
“W… What the fuck are you on, man?” I gasped. “Are you stoned? What person in their right mind would make me Vice President of the USA? I mean, you can’t even do that?”
“Sure I can,” Frank smiled benignly, “Vice President Adams just died, and I am the President. I can appoint whomsoever I wish as my Deputy.” He grinned broadly putting on a Texan accent.
“Sir,” stammered Mike. “As Billie Joe said, are you stoned or something?”
“Honestly, gentlemen, how could you insinuate such a thing? I never have been stoned, apart from about… ooh, a million times in my teenage years. And didn’t your mother ever teach you manners? What happened to saying thank you?”
“I… I am grateful, it’s just… I’ve been working at McDonalds since I dropped out of High School, that’s about seven years, I can’t be the Vice President.”
“You can and you will. I’m not taking no for an answer. Welcome to politics, Vice President Armstrong.” Frank leaned over the table and shook my hand.
Well, I thought. You only live once!
“I’d be delighted to be your Vice President,” I smiled.
* * *
I walked through the door later that night. Adrienne was sitting up watching TV.
“Whoa, Adrienne,” I said, sitting next to her. “What are you doing up?”
She smiled at me, tiredly. “I couldn’t sleep. Too much going on in my head.”
“Well, you can talk to me, you know that.”
“Thanks, Billie. Oh! How was your dinner with the President? Why are you grinning like that? What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing’s wrong!” I smiled. “He… he offered me a job.”
“Really? That’s fantastic! What job?”
She stared at me, expectantly, her beautiful chestnut coloured eyes sparkling.
“Uh,” I gulped nervously.
Boy, is she pretty.
“He offered me the position of Vice President of the United States of America!”
Her jaw dropped. She stared at me for a couple of minutes. She began to giggle nervously.
“You’re kidding, right?” She stopped and her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh my God you’re not kidding!”
“No, I’m not.”
“Oh God! Congratulations! That’s fantastic!”
“I know! I get 400 grand a year! Four hundred grand!”
“Holy crap! That’s more than I’ve earned in forever!”
“I know! And,” I gulped. “Also, I get… I get a house.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, some place, Number One Observatory Circle, or something like that.”
“Oh. Good for you.”
“And, um, I only rent this apartment.”
“Oh.”
“I was…” I took a deep breath. “I was… um… wondering if you wanted to… I was wondering if you wanted to come live with me,” I gabbled.
“R-really?” She stammered. “Are you sure?”
“Well, I know you haven’t been here long, but… I know I’d miss you, and Jessie.”
She smiled and looked down. “I’d love to live with you.”
*Frank’s POV*
“Hello, Billie Joe… yeah, it’s Frank… ok, I’m still helping you move today, aren’t I? OK… I’ll see you there! Bye!” I hung up and went to get Lily dressed.
“Hey sweetie, today we’re helping Daddy’s friend move house. Aw, did you sleep well? You look cranky! Well, in the car you can have a nice, long nap.” I lifted her off the changing table and took her out to the car.
Adam was sitting in the driver’s seat. I got in the back and strapped Lily into her baby seat. Adam started to drive and Lily fell asleep. In no time at all, we were there. I gently lifted the baby seat out of the car and placed it in the hallway of the house.
Billie Joe wasn’t there yet, but some boxes were. I moved them into the rooms according to their labels.
I heard the door behind me open. I turned.
“Hi Billie,” I hugged him and then turned to the woman and child behind him.
“Oh! Yeah, um,” Billie gently pushed the woman forwards. “This is Adrienne, my, um, friend, and this is her daughter, Jessica.”
“Well, it’s lovely to meet you both. Hello Jessica, how old are you?”
“I’m five,” she grinned, holding out five fingers. “Why is there a baby downstairs?”
“That’s my little girl, Lily,” I said.
“She’s really cute, can I go down and look after her?”
I hesitated. “Um, sure, just be careful OK?”
“OK.” She skipped out and downstairs.
“I put boxes in the rooms they were labelled and stuff, I assume you were shown around and chose which room was which?”
Billie looked confused. “No, this is the first time I’ve ever been here.”
“OK, then. Let’s put the boxes out of the way, then you can choose what you want to use the rooms for.”
We moved the boxes into the second garage and came back inside.
“So, this is the kitchen,” I said, leading them through. Billie gasped.
“This is bigger than my whole apartment!”
“We have a room there,” I pointed through the door on the left past the AGA cooker. “Which could be either a sitting room or a dining room, it’s up to you. Then, through the door there,” I pointed to the door past the fridge-freezer. “the room could be a sitting room or a dining room. Or an office or something.”
Half an hour later, we had decided which room was which and moved all the boxes into the right rooms.
“OK,” Billie sighed. “Now, unpacking!”
The doorbell rang, so Billie and I went downstairs.
“Hi Billie, I knew you were moving and I thought you could maybe do with some help?” Mike said.
“Sure, thanks. Hi Mike,” Billie replied.
“I had to bring my son, Louie, is that OK?”
“Yeah, my friend’s daughter, Jessica is around here somewhere, we can leave them to play with each other or something,” Billie led them in as Jessica hurtled downstairs.
“Wow! Billie Joe! Thank you so much, my room is huge! I mean, have you seen it! Whoa!” she giggled.
“I’m glad you like it,” he ruffled her hair.
“Who are they?” She pointed to Mike and Louie.
“Jessica, don’t point it’s rude!” Adrienne came downstairs, tying her hair up.
“Sorry Mom.”
“I’m Mike, and this is my son, Louie,” Mike said.
“Hi Louie,” Jessica bounded up to him. “Wanna go outside and play?”
“Yeah!” They ran outside together.
“Is it safe?” Mike asked, anxiously.
“Absolutely,” I smiled. “Now, let’s get going!”
* * *
Ten hours later, we sat down in the dining room.
“I never want to see another box!” Adrienne gasped.
“I know!” We agreed.
“I’m going to get a bottle of wine,” Billie got up.
“No way! In the limo, I have a bottle of champagne to celebrate!” I grinned, running out and getting it.
We drank our champagne with my driver, Adam, who had been napping in the car. He walked off to go to the bathroom. He came back looking confused.
“You guys are celebrating unpacking all the boxes, right?”
“Yes…” Billie Joe said.
“Oh. How come there are loads in the room next to the bathroom?”
“Aw crap!” Billie let his head fall to the table. He pretended to sob. “I can’t take it anymore, I can’t, I can’t!”
“Calm down, Billie,” Adrienne sighed rolling her eyes. “Let’s just unpack the boxes. You can go home if you want,” she turned to Mike, Adam and I.
“I’ll stay. Lily’s asleep upstairs, it’s ok.”
“Yeah, Louie and Jessie are asleep, I can help too.”
“I’ll be in the limo,” Adam stepped outside.
We walked through into the room.
“OK, box number 1. Billie Joe’s Memorabilia.” Adrienne lifted a box off a pile.
We tore it open. Billie lifted out an old cassette.
“Whoa! The Lookouts! Now, they were fucking great!”
I felt a lump in my throat. “Really? You liked them?”
“Are you kidding me?” Billie smiled. “They were awesome!”
Adrienne took the tape from him.
“Lawrence Livermore, Kane Kong, Tré Cool?” She frowned. “What unusual names.”
“They’re stage names.” Mike said, getting a bin liner ready.
“Frank? Are you OK?” Billie asked me as Adrienne handed me the tape. I felt a small smile on my face as I looked at a picture of me, Lawrence and Kane.
“Yeah, it’s just, I was in The Lookouts! I am Tré Cool.”