Don't Be in the Bath When Opportunity Knocks
Little Things Like Rent Money and PG&E
Circumstance beyond our control
The phone, TV and the news of the world
Got in the house like a pigeon from Hell
Threw sand in our eyes and descended like flies
***
Tre woke up to Audrey shaking him.
"Hey," she said. "Scoot over."
Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and answered her request. She plopped down next to him, grabbing the remote off the arm of the couch and turned on the TV.
"Hey, when did you get home?" he asked her groggily.
"About three-thirty. I only work from ten-thirty to three."
"Part time?" he said offering her part of his blanket.
"Uh, yeah, part time," she accepted the blanked and pushed next to him for warmth.
"Sorry it's so cold, but I use the heat as little as possible."
"It's okay." He noticed new scratches on her neck and collarbone.
"What happened?" he asked, pointing to her neck.
"Uh, nothing. Just a customer got a little out of hand."
"Customer? Where exactly do you work?" He eyed her.
"Around," she replied.
"Oh," Tre could tell that subject was off limits.
"So, you're in the Lookouts, huh?" she said trying to change the subject.
"Yeah, that's what I said."
"Well," she laughed at his attempt to be a hardass. "When 's your next gig?"
"I don't know really. I haven't talked to the guys yet. Plus one of them is in Los Angeles now doing stuff for his record label. So, I don't really know when. It all depends when he gets back."
"That's cool. I mean, no pay checks, but whatever. Time off to enjoy yourself," she got up from the couch and went into her room.
"I don't get paid very much. Like 20 bucks. When I do, I just blow it on useless shit."
"Livin' on your own, you're gonna have to get more than that to support yourself." she said returning with a hair brush. Brushing her hair, she said, "I certainly did."
"Yeah," Tre said. "I didn't really think of that."
Audrey laughed. "Yeah, that's the scary part of being on your own."
***
Audrey opened the door to the apartment and heard Tre yelling into the phone. She dropped her keys and bag on the couch next to him and went into her room to eavesdrop on his phone call. Two weeks had passed since she'd brought him home with her.
"Come on, man. I'm gonna need some money to live off of. We've got to play," Tre said sighing and plopping on the couch.
"I know you've got to deal with label stuff, but I need money."
"Really? Are they good?"
" You really think they'll let me play with them? I mean, I don't wanna-"
"Okay. If you think I should."
"Okay. Tuesday at seven. Yeah, I'll see them."
"Alright. Yeah. Bye."
Audrey walked out of her room when she heard him hang up.
"What was that?" she asked a visibly frustrated Tre.
"Larry says the band's gotta be on hold for a while. I don't know what his deal is. Apparently there are more important things to them than the band." he said sighing heavily.
"Well, they're older than you right?" she asked sympathetically.
"Yeah. A shitload older. Like 18 years or something like that." he said leaning his head back against the couch.
"Well, they've got grown-up things to deal with," She ruffled his hair. Over the past weeks she had begun to feel very maternal towards him, even though she knew he wanted to bang her every time he saw her, then and there.
"But I'm running out of money. I don't know. He wants me to go talk to this other band who are sans drummer right now."
"Oh yeah?" she asked leaning on the arm of the couch to get a better look at him.
"Yeah, they're playing the Gilman tonight and he wants me to go."
"It can't hurt, sweetie," she said getting up from the couch and going to the minifridge.
"Yeah," he watched her as she walked, eyes fixated on her ass the whole time. "You have to come with me though."
"Sure," she said, catching him staring at her. "I haven't been there in while."
Audrey's clunker of a car pulled into a parking spot across from the Gilman. There was a line out of the door. The show was supposed to start at seven, but it had taken Audrey a long time to get ready, so it was seven-thirty now.
When they got inside, it was packed. The band consisted of just a guitar and bass.
"I guess they are missing a drummer," Tre said into Audrey's ear.
"Yeah, really," she laughed. "But they're pretty good, with that in mind."
After about a half an hour, the band took a break and Tre followed them out the back. Once all the girls cleared out, he approached the curly-headed guitarist.
"Hey, I'm Tre Cool," he said sticking his hand out. "I drum with the Lookouts. Larry wanted me to talk to you."
"Oh, yeah," the guitarist said, taking a lit joint from the bassist. "He told me about you. Billie Joe." He shook Tre's hand. "And this is Mike."
"Hey," Mike waved.
"So you're out of a drummer, huh?" Tre asked.
"Yeah. He ditched us for higher education," Mike said, putting specific emphasis on 'education' as if it were a negative.
"Well, my band's taking a break, and I really need money right now, so..."
"You wanna play with us?" Billie Joe offered him the joint and he took it.
"Yeah, if that's okay. I'll try out if you want me to or something like that,' he said taking a hit.
"Uh, well, I've seen you play with the Lookouts," Mike said.
"Yeah, I have too, " Billie agreed. "I think you'd fit in with us pretty good. Plus," he laughed.
"We kinda blow without drums."
"Well, I am kind of biased," Tre laughed.
"Cool," Billie said. "Uh, here." He scribbled something on a piece of paper. "This is were we practice. You should drop by on Tuesday."
"Definitely, I will," Tre said shoving the paper in his pocket.
The phone, TV and the news of the world
Got in the house like a pigeon from Hell
Threw sand in our eyes and descended like flies
***
Tre woke up to Audrey shaking him.
"Hey," she said. "Scoot over."
Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and answered her request. She plopped down next to him, grabbing the remote off the arm of the couch and turned on the TV.
"Hey, when did you get home?" he asked her groggily.
"About three-thirty. I only work from ten-thirty to three."
"Part time?" he said offering her part of his blanket.
"Uh, yeah, part time," she accepted the blanked and pushed next to him for warmth.
"Sorry it's so cold, but I use the heat as little as possible."
"It's okay." He noticed new scratches on her neck and collarbone.
"What happened?" he asked, pointing to her neck.
"Uh, nothing. Just a customer got a little out of hand."
"Customer? Where exactly do you work?" He eyed her.
"Around," she replied.
"Oh," Tre could tell that subject was off limits.
"So, you're in the Lookouts, huh?" she said trying to change the subject.
"Yeah, that's what I said."
"Well," she laughed at his attempt to be a hardass. "When 's your next gig?"
"I don't know really. I haven't talked to the guys yet. Plus one of them is in Los Angeles now doing stuff for his record label. So, I don't really know when. It all depends when he gets back."
"That's cool. I mean, no pay checks, but whatever. Time off to enjoy yourself," she got up from the couch and went into her room.
"I don't get paid very much. Like 20 bucks. When I do, I just blow it on useless shit."
"Livin' on your own, you're gonna have to get more than that to support yourself." she said returning with a hair brush. Brushing her hair, she said, "I certainly did."
"Yeah," Tre said. "I didn't really think of that."
Audrey laughed. "Yeah, that's the scary part of being on your own."
***
Audrey opened the door to the apartment and heard Tre yelling into the phone. She dropped her keys and bag on the couch next to him and went into her room to eavesdrop on his phone call. Two weeks had passed since she'd brought him home with her.
"Come on, man. I'm gonna need some money to live off of. We've got to play," Tre said sighing and plopping on the couch.
"I know you've got to deal with label stuff, but I need money."
"Really? Are they good?"
" You really think they'll let me play with them? I mean, I don't wanna-"
"Okay. If you think I should."
"Okay. Tuesday at seven. Yeah, I'll see them."
"Alright. Yeah. Bye."
Audrey walked out of her room when she heard him hang up.
"What was that?" she asked a visibly frustrated Tre.
"Larry says the band's gotta be on hold for a while. I don't know what his deal is. Apparently there are more important things to them than the band." he said sighing heavily.
"Well, they're older than you right?" she asked sympathetically.
"Yeah. A shitload older. Like 18 years or something like that." he said leaning his head back against the couch.
"Well, they've got grown-up things to deal with," She ruffled his hair. Over the past weeks she had begun to feel very maternal towards him, even though she knew he wanted to bang her every time he saw her, then and there.
"But I'm running out of money. I don't know. He wants me to go talk to this other band who are sans drummer right now."
"Oh yeah?" she asked leaning on the arm of the couch to get a better look at him.
"Yeah, they're playing the Gilman tonight and he wants me to go."
"It can't hurt, sweetie," she said getting up from the couch and going to the minifridge.
"Yeah," he watched her as she walked, eyes fixated on her ass the whole time. "You have to come with me though."
"Sure," she said, catching him staring at her. "I haven't been there in while."
Audrey's clunker of a car pulled into a parking spot across from the Gilman. There was a line out of the door. The show was supposed to start at seven, but it had taken Audrey a long time to get ready, so it was seven-thirty now.
When they got inside, it was packed. The band consisted of just a guitar and bass.
"I guess they are missing a drummer," Tre said into Audrey's ear.
"Yeah, really," she laughed. "But they're pretty good, with that in mind."
After about a half an hour, the band took a break and Tre followed them out the back. Once all the girls cleared out, he approached the curly-headed guitarist.
"Hey, I'm Tre Cool," he said sticking his hand out. "I drum with the Lookouts. Larry wanted me to talk to you."
"Oh, yeah," the guitarist said, taking a lit joint from the bassist. "He told me about you. Billie Joe." He shook Tre's hand. "And this is Mike."
"Hey," Mike waved.
"So you're out of a drummer, huh?" Tre asked.
"Yeah. He ditched us for higher education," Mike said, putting specific emphasis on 'education' as if it were a negative.
"Well, my band's taking a break, and I really need money right now, so..."
"You wanna play with us?" Billie Joe offered him the joint and he took it.
"Yeah, if that's okay. I'll try out if you want me to or something like that,' he said taking a hit.
"Uh, well, I've seen you play with the Lookouts," Mike said.
"Yeah, I have too, " Billie agreed. "I think you'd fit in with us pretty good. Plus," he laughed.
"We kinda blow without drums."
"Well, I am kind of biased," Tre laughed.
"Cool," Billie said. "Uh, here." He scribbled something on a piece of paper. "This is were we practice. You should drop by on Tuesday."
"Definitely, I will," Tre said shoving the paper in his pocket.