Rudy Can't Fail
Like ripping off a band-aid
NB; Please note, in this chapter, everything in italics is what Nat is inwardly saying to herself.
I thought I’d invite Nat round to lunch, so see could see where I lived (she’d only ever been here in the dead of night and left before the sun rose.), properly, and get to know a bit more about me and my family.
Well she knew what most fans knew with added details (the fans knew some of those too, thanks to the picture of me ‘fiddling the flesh flute’ on the internet), but I wanted her to meet Frankito. You know, maybe try and take another step forward.
As it was a Sunday, Billie Joe and Mike would be stopping by; it was tradition for them to come and hang out in the evening.
“Hey Kiddo, what do you think about me having a friend join us for lunch today?” I look over at my boy. His eyes were furiously following the action on the cartoon he was watching.
“Sure Daddy.” Looking over his shoulder, he smiles at me and turns his head back to the t.v screen. “Who is it?”
“Well, her name is Nat, and she’s very special. So I wanted to have all my special people meet up. Sound good?” I say cautiously.
I wasn’t in the habit of having girlfriends over if they weren’t gonna be around for long. But then again, was Nat actually my girlfriend? We hadn’t really discussed it and every time I brought it up, she initiated sex. That’s cool, but I was getting pissed at her avoiding things all the time. I would ask her today and she wouldn’t distract me.
“Yuh huh.” the dark haired 6 year old answered. I could have said that Spiderman and Spongebob were in the kitchen, having coffee and I’d have got the same answer. He didn’t give a rat’s ass.
Messing up his hair, I walk to the hall and pull my cell out of my pocket. Eyeing the clock, I see that it’s 11. She should be awake, having her usual morning cigarette and cup of tea.
“Speak to me” A distracted Nat, answers.
“Hey babe, how are ya?”
“Just tickety-boo, hon. What’s up?”
“Well I was wondering what you were up to for a today…I thought maybe you might wanna come here…eat…hang out.” I say it slowly, as to give her time to absorb my proposition.
“Uh…I don’t know…me and the shop’s copier and I are having a fight- it’s kicking my ass, right now.” She says. I hear a bang and some electronic beeping. “The mother-fucking c**ting bastard!!!!”
I laugh into the phone. “Baby, did you just kick the copier?”
“Yeah.” Sounding a little pissed. “You know what? I will join you. What time do you want me?”
“I want you all the time, but today, can you be here around 1.30? Oh and babe…”
“Yes Tre?” Ignoring my suggestive tone of voice, she answers plainly.
“Frankito will be here and Billie Joe and Mike will be coming round a bit later. That ok? I figured you had to meet them all at some point, so why not now?” I ramble quickly. She takes a deep breath and exhales.
“…Frankito, Billie Joe and Mike in one day?…Kinda like the ’Band Aid Effect’. I’m down.”
“Sorry what? ’Band Aid‘…” I’m happy she’s coming but I don’t get it.
“You know- meeting them all at once so it’s not that painful. Like pulling off a band aid.”
“Oh. Yeah. Well…I’ll see you later.” Shaking my head, I stare at Frankito. He was laughing at the t.v and I couldn’t help but smile at him.
“Okay.”
I slide the phone shut and set about getting shit together. What was gonna be easy to make and didn’t involve fire, so I wouldn’t burn the house down?
“Frankito, what do you want for lunch?”
“Pizza?”
“Done deal, Buddy.”
***
I was going to Tre’s.
I, Nat Carrigan, am going to meet Green Day and the spawn of a drumming legend- Frankito Cool... no it's Wright...I think...
Shit.
I blame my grievance with the copier, the stupid thing. It if was working…if it hadn’t decided to break and pissed me off, I wouldn’t have agreed to go.
No going back now though.
I pace through my apartment, smoking and trying to think this through logically.
I mean, it's not like I'd never been there before. It's fine. There'd just be a couple more bodies. His young son...his best friends...and it's daylight...
No big deal...who are you trying to kid?
“OK, so I go there, eat, play with Frankito, meet Billie and Mike, then leave. Simple really.”
No.
My head hurts. Has been for a while; at least a couple of days. I rub my forehead and grimace.
Start again.
“Meet Frankito, eat, meet Billie and Mike, leave.”
Not much difference, idiot!.
Stupid fucking man. I mean…why? Why does he want me to meet everyone? We weren’t going out; we weren’t 'exclusive', so why did he want me to?
I throw myself onto the couch and rest my head on the back.
He had mentioned our situation before, but I kissed him or did other things to get out of having the conversation.
I loved him, but this was too much. He didn’t even know I loved him, for fucks sake! I doubted he loved me…But meeting his friends and family…what was he trying to tell me?
He likes me? Well we know that.
He really liked me? How old are we again?
I roll my eyes and slap myself in the face. “Fix up, you mad cow!” I say aloud.
Putting out my cigarette in the ashtray, I reach over and switch on the stereo. Turning it up real loud, allowing some electro pop shit to help me calm my nerves.
I thought I’d invite Nat round to lunch, so see could see where I lived (she’d only ever been here in the dead of night and left before the sun rose.), properly, and get to know a bit more about me and my family.
Well she knew what most fans knew with added details (the fans knew some of those too, thanks to the picture of me ‘fiddling the flesh flute’ on the internet), but I wanted her to meet Frankito. You know, maybe try and take another step forward.
As it was a Sunday, Billie Joe and Mike would be stopping by; it was tradition for them to come and hang out in the evening.
“Hey Kiddo, what do you think about me having a friend join us for lunch today?” I look over at my boy. His eyes were furiously following the action on the cartoon he was watching.
“Sure Daddy.” Looking over his shoulder, he smiles at me and turns his head back to the t.v screen. “Who is it?”
“Well, her name is Nat, and she’s very special. So I wanted to have all my special people meet up. Sound good?” I say cautiously.
I wasn’t in the habit of having girlfriends over if they weren’t gonna be around for long. But then again, was Nat actually my girlfriend? We hadn’t really discussed it and every time I brought it up, she initiated sex. That’s cool, but I was getting pissed at her avoiding things all the time. I would ask her today and she wouldn’t distract me.
“Yuh huh.” the dark haired 6 year old answered. I could have said that Spiderman and Spongebob were in the kitchen, having coffee and I’d have got the same answer. He didn’t give a rat’s ass.
Messing up his hair, I walk to the hall and pull my cell out of my pocket. Eyeing the clock, I see that it’s 11. She should be awake, having her usual morning cigarette and cup of tea.
“Speak to me” A distracted Nat, answers.
“Hey babe, how are ya?”
“Just tickety-boo, hon. What’s up?”
“Well I was wondering what you were up to for a today…I thought maybe you might wanna come here…eat…hang out.” I say it slowly, as to give her time to absorb my proposition.
“Uh…I don’t know…me and the shop’s copier and I are having a fight- it’s kicking my ass, right now.” She says. I hear a bang and some electronic beeping. “The mother-fucking c**ting bastard!!!!”
I laugh into the phone. “Baby, did you just kick the copier?”
“Yeah.” Sounding a little pissed. “You know what? I will join you. What time do you want me?”
“I want you all the time, but today, can you be here around 1.30? Oh and babe…”
“Yes Tre?” Ignoring my suggestive tone of voice, she answers plainly.
“Frankito will be here and Billie Joe and Mike will be coming round a bit later. That ok? I figured you had to meet them all at some point, so why not now?” I ramble quickly. She takes a deep breath and exhales.
“…Frankito, Billie Joe and Mike in one day?…Kinda like the ’Band Aid Effect’. I’m down.”
“Sorry what? ’Band Aid‘…” I’m happy she’s coming but I don’t get it.
“You know- meeting them all at once so it’s not that painful. Like pulling off a band aid.”
“Oh. Yeah. Well…I’ll see you later.” Shaking my head, I stare at Frankito. He was laughing at the t.v and I couldn’t help but smile at him.
“Okay.”
I slide the phone shut and set about getting shit together. What was gonna be easy to make and didn’t involve fire, so I wouldn’t burn the house down?
“Frankito, what do you want for lunch?”
“Pizza?”
“Done deal, Buddy.”
***
I was going to Tre’s.
I, Nat Carrigan, am going to meet Green Day and the spawn of a drumming legend- Frankito Cool... no it's Wright...I think...
Shit.
I blame my grievance with the copier, the stupid thing. It if was working…if it hadn’t decided to break and pissed me off, I wouldn’t have agreed to go.
No going back now though.
I pace through my apartment, smoking and trying to think this through logically.
I mean, it's not like I'd never been there before. It's fine. There'd just be a couple more bodies. His young son...his best friends...and it's daylight...
No big deal...who are you trying to kid?
“OK, so I go there, eat, play with Frankito, meet Billie and Mike, then leave. Simple really.”
No.
My head hurts. Has been for a while; at least a couple of days. I rub my forehead and grimace.
Start again.
“Meet Frankito, eat, meet Billie and Mike, leave.”
Not much difference, idiot!.
Stupid fucking man. I mean…why? Why does he want me to meet everyone? We weren’t going out; we weren’t 'exclusive', so why did he want me to?
I throw myself onto the couch and rest my head on the back.
He had mentioned our situation before, but I kissed him or did other things to get out of having the conversation.
I loved him, but this was too much. He didn’t even know I loved him, for fucks sake! I doubted he loved me…But meeting his friends and family…what was he trying to tell me?
He likes me? Well we know that.
He really liked me? How old are we again?
I roll my eyes and slap myself in the face. “Fix up, you mad cow!” I say aloud.
Putting out my cigarette in the ashtray, I reach over and switch on the stereo. Turning it up real loud, allowing some electro pop shit to help me calm my nerves.