John's Revenge
Conversations
*Billie Joe’s POV*
I woke up early. I glanced out of the window and saw the sun rising between the houses. I gently moved Addy from my lap to the couch and covered her with a blanket, before getting a coffee. I must have fallen asleep last night.
After my coffee, I decided to put Addy back in her bed. Then, I got a bottle and went into Jakob’s room. He was yawning, then all of a sudden he opened his eyes. I picked him up as he stared at me, confused. I started singing again as I went to sit in the chair and feed him and again, he recognised me, or at least my voice.
At nine o’ clock, the twins were still asleep, and Jakob had drifted back off. I called Tré and asked him to come and baby sit, then I called Mike, who had got back from New York earlier that day and asked him round for a coffee. I needed to find Adrienne and talk to her, but first I needed to talk to Mike and Tré.
A few moments later, they arrived one after the other, Mike arriving before Tré as usual. I got them cups of coffee and we sat in the sitting room. The kids were still asleep, I’d checked.
“So, why are we here, Bill?” Mike asked sipping his coffee.
“Yeah, Jake’s OK, isn’t he?”
“Jake’s fine, but I need to talk to you about the band.”
Suddenly their worried looks became even more worried.
“Please, don’t interrupt, I need to say this.” I took a deep breath. “We’ve all sacrificed a Hell of a lot to keep this band going, some more than others, but I think it’s maybe time for us to take a break and think about what really matters.”
There was a long silence. Well, it seemed long but couldn’t have been more than a couple of seconds.
“Billie, to be honest, I think that’s unbelievable.”
“What?”
“You heard me,” said Mike. “I lost my wife and one of my children because of this fucking band, but I didn’t give up on us. I carried on. And now, you think you might loose Adrienne and you’re bailing on us. I’m not saying your wrong, I’m just saying that Reprise will fire us if we don’t start being more organised and committed. I spoke to them this morning, they want another album in production within the next six months or we’re finished. And another album means another tour. After that we can take a break, they’ve agreed that, but for now we have to do this.”
I turned to Tré, who looked a little embarrassed. “I kinda agree with Mike. No offence, and I know things have been incredibly difficult for you recently, but Mike’s sacrificed absolutely everything for us, and it’s not right. We have to do it.”
I pursed my lips. I knew I’d have to agree with them, they had made a majority ruling. I slowly nodded. “OK. But Tré, would you stay here and look after the kids? Or you Mike, I need to find Adie.”
*Adrienne’s POV*
I swung back and forth, my toes skimming the sand. I had come to the children’s park, which was practically deserted on this rainy September night. I was the only person there.
I started to swing higher, remembering how my father had always taken me to the park every Sunday. I always loved going there with him. I always wanted to do that with my children, but the thought of two hyperactive toddlers and only one adult didn’t exactly thrill me.
I stayed for a while, then walked back to the car. I wanted to go home. I wanted to see my children. I wanted to talk to Billie Joe.
Just as I was leaving, I saw Tré’s car pull up beside mine. Out of curiousity, I stopped. I saw Billie get out of the car. Terror flooded through my body. I jumped out of the car and ran to him.
“What’s wrong? Is it Jakob? Where are the kids? You didn’t leave them at home by themselves did you?”
Billie sighed, trying to stifle a smirk. “Yeah, I told them not to touch the electric plugs or the chainsaw, but the gin is their reward for being good.” He chuckled, probably at the look of abject horror on my face. “Nothing’s wrong, Jakob’s fine, they’re at home with Tré and Mike.”
“Then why are you here?” I tried to look angry and make my voice sound stern, I was still mad at him.
“Because I needed to talk to you.”
*Tré’s POV*
I walked upstairs at noon. I promptly came back downstairs. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a beer, then pulled up a chair next to Mike.
“This is unbelievable. How the Hell are they still asleep?”
Mike shrugged his shoulders. “I dunno.”
I heard the wails of a baby coming from upstairs. “Yes!”
I ran upstairs and picked up Jakob. When he saw that I wasn’t Billie or Adie, he started crying even harder. I walked into the twins’ room still holding him. His wails increased when he wasn’t given food. The twins rubbed their eyes and got up. My mission accomplished, I gave Jakob my finger to suck on until I could grab a bottle from the fridge.
“Uncle Tré! That was mean!” Addy scowled at me.
“What? You guys aren’t teenagers yet, so you have no excuse to stay in bed until lunch time!”
“Lunchtime?” Joey ran downstairs. Addy rolled her eyes and sighed.
“Are boys all stupid?”
“Of course not! Just look at me! Hang on … OK, maybe I do see your point.”
Addy giggled, put on her dressing gown and came downstairs with Jakob and I, who had started to cry a little bit again. I grabbed him a bottle and began to feed him as Mike made sandwiches for Joey and Addy, who were babbling on about starting school next year.
“I’m gonna get A’s, Mommy says so,” grinned Joey.
“No you’re not. Uncle Tré just told me all boys are stupid.”
Joey glared at me, and Mike stifled a smile.
“U-umm,” I panicked. “Who wants ice cream?”
I thrust Jake at Mike and rummaged around in the freezer for ice cream.
I heard the door open, and a few moments later Adie walked into the kitchen, causing the twins to run at her and hug her to pieces.
“Hey, we’re just giving the kids lunch,” Mike grinned, going to give her a hug. “You OK?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“OK,” I handed Jake to Adrienne as Billie walked in. Cautiously, he put his arm around Adie’s shoulders and looked down at Jake. “I’m afraid I have to go. I promised I’d clean up the house.”
“OK, thanks Tré,” Billie said, smiling anxiously.
“I should probably get going too, my Mom wants to see me,” Mike grinned. “Bye bye kids, be good.” He winked at Billie and Adie and we walked out together to our cars.
I woke up early. I glanced out of the window and saw the sun rising between the houses. I gently moved Addy from my lap to the couch and covered her with a blanket, before getting a coffee. I must have fallen asleep last night.
After my coffee, I decided to put Addy back in her bed. Then, I got a bottle and went into Jakob’s room. He was yawning, then all of a sudden he opened his eyes. I picked him up as he stared at me, confused. I started singing again as I went to sit in the chair and feed him and again, he recognised me, or at least my voice.
At nine o’ clock, the twins were still asleep, and Jakob had drifted back off. I called Tré and asked him to come and baby sit, then I called Mike, who had got back from New York earlier that day and asked him round for a coffee. I needed to find Adrienne and talk to her, but first I needed to talk to Mike and Tré.
A few moments later, they arrived one after the other, Mike arriving before Tré as usual. I got them cups of coffee and we sat in the sitting room. The kids were still asleep, I’d checked.
“So, why are we here, Bill?” Mike asked sipping his coffee.
“Yeah, Jake’s OK, isn’t he?”
“Jake’s fine, but I need to talk to you about the band.”
Suddenly their worried looks became even more worried.
“Please, don’t interrupt, I need to say this.” I took a deep breath. “We’ve all sacrificed a Hell of a lot to keep this band going, some more than others, but I think it’s maybe time for us to take a break and think about what really matters.”
There was a long silence. Well, it seemed long but couldn’t have been more than a couple of seconds.
“Billie, to be honest, I think that’s unbelievable.”
“What?”
“You heard me,” said Mike. “I lost my wife and one of my children because of this fucking band, but I didn’t give up on us. I carried on. And now, you think you might loose Adrienne and you’re bailing on us. I’m not saying your wrong, I’m just saying that Reprise will fire us if we don’t start being more organised and committed. I spoke to them this morning, they want another album in production within the next six months or we’re finished. And another album means another tour. After that we can take a break, they’ve agreed that, but for now we have to do this.”
I turned to Tré, who looked a little embarrassed. “I kinda agree with Mike. No offence, and I know things have been incredibly difficult for you recently, but Mike’s sacrificed absolutely everything for us, and it’s not right. We have to do it.”
I pursed my lips. I knew I’d have to agree with them, they had made a majority ruling. I slowly nodded. “OK. But Tré, would you stay here and look after the kids? Or you Mike, I need to find Adie.”
*Adrienne’s POV*
I swung back and forth, my toes skimming the sand. I had come to the children’s park, which was practically deserted on this rainy September night. I was the only person there.
I started to swing higher, remembering how my father had always taken me to the park every Sunday. I always loved going there with him. I always wanted to do that with my children, but the thought of two hyperactive toddlers and only one adult didn’t exactly thrill me.
I stayed for a while, then walked back to the car. I wanted to go home. I wanted to see my children. I wanted to talk to Billie Joe.
Just as I was leaving, I saw Tré’s car pull up beside mine. Out of curiousity, I stopped. I saw Billie get out of the car. Terror flooded through my body. I jumped out of the car and ran to him.
“What’s wrong? Is it Jakob? Where are the kids? You didn’t leave them at home by themselves did you?”
Billie sighed, trying to stifle a smirk. “Yeah, I told them not to touch the electric plugs or the chainsaw, but the gin is their reward for being good.” He chuckled, probably at the look of abject horror on my face. “Nothing’s wrong, Jakob’s fine, they’re at home with Tré and Mike.”
“Then why are you here?” I tried to look angry and make my voice sound stern, I was still mad at him.
“Because I needed to talk to you.”
*Tré’s POV*
I walked upstairs at noon. I promptly came back downstairs. I went into the kitchen and grabbed a beer, then pulled up a chair next to Mike.
“This is unbelievable. How the Hell are they still asleep?”
Mike shrugged his shoulders. “I dunno.”
I heard the wails of a baby coming from upstairs. “Yes!”
I ran upstairs and picked up Jakob. When he saw that I wasn’t Billie or Adie, he started crying even harder. I walked into the twins’ room still holding him. His wails increased when he wasn’t given food. The twins rubbed their eyes and got up. My mission accomplished, I gave Jakob my finger to suck on until I could grab a bottle from the fridge.
“Uncle Tré! That was mean!” Addy scowled at me.
“What? You guys aren’t teenagers yet, so you have no excuse to stay in bed until lunch time!”
“Lunchtime?” Joey ran downstairs. Addy rolled her eyes and sighed.
“Are boys all stupid?”
“Of course not! Just look at me! Hang on … OK, maybe I do see your point.”
Addy giggled, put on her dressing gown and came downstairs with Jakob and I, who had started to cry a little bit again. I grabbed him a bottle and began to feed him as Mike made sandwiches for Joey and Addy, who were babbling on about starting school next year.
“I’m gonna get A’s, Mommy says so,” grinned Joey.
“No you’re not. Uncle Tré just told me all boys are stupid.”
Joey glared at me, and Mike stifled a smile.
“U-umm,” I panicked. “Who wants ice cream?”
I thrust Jake at Mike and rummaged around in the freezer for ice cream.
I heard the door open, and a few moments later Adie walked into the kitchen, causing the twins to run at her and hug her to pieces.
“Hey, we’re just giving the kids lunch,” Mike grinned, going to give her a hug. “You OK?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
“OK,” I handed Jake to Adrienne as Billie walked in. Cautiously, he put his arm around Adie’s shoulders and looked down at Jake. “I’m afraid I have to go. I promised I’d clean up the house.”
“OK, thanks Tré,” Billie said, smiling anxiously.
“I should probably get going too, my Mom wants to see me,” Mike grinned. “Bye bye kids, be good.” He winked at Billie and Adie and we walked out together to our cars.