It All Started With An iPod Nano
80 Meets Zac
My "mom" forced me to go to school. Turns out I'm in grade five and not in grade seven anymore. I guess I'm somewhere in the states, since we had to use the imperial system instead of metric. The teacher thought I was getting smarter (which seemed like a surprise for her), but I actually already know all this stuff.
A kid was following me around at recess and asking if I was all right. "I heard about your dad, Billie," the kid said. His brown eyes showed sympathy.
Even though I had no idea who this kid was, I felt that he was okay. I even thought he looked familiar somehow. "Do I know you?" I asked gruffly. The kid seemed taken back, but I didn't mean to make it sound so stern.
"Are you okay? It's me, Mike," he brushed some of his brown hair away from his eyes. "Mike Dirnt," he added with a sly grin.
"I'm kidding, I know who you are. God, can't you take a hint?" I grinned pathetically. Mike Dirnt, which sounded familiar. Hasn't Edel mentioned it before?
"Okay then," Mike said uncertainly.
"Can I trust you with something?" I suddenly asked. Even though he probably wouldn't believe me, I wanted to get it off my chest.
"Sure," Mike replied slowly. I explained the whole thing. The iPod, Billie's room and who I think is Billie's mom.
"So, you're not Billie? Your some kid from Calgary who picked up an iPod Nano-whatever that is-and you suddenly ended up here? Isn't that physically impossible?" I could tell Mike still didn't get it.
"I'm not, I'm Zac Hartley. Who is Billie, anyway?" I asked.
"Billie Joe Armstrong," Mike replied.
That jogged my memory, Billie, as in the lead singer of Green Day. I'm so dumb, but why am I here, and in his body? This makes no sense. All I remember is choosing a song and ending up in Billie's room. And...isn't Billie, like, 30 years old?
"I was going to listen to Wake Me Up When September Ends, and as soon as I chose it, I ended up here," I said slowly. "The song is about Billie, and his dad dying on the September the 15th. Who knew the Green Day trivia Edel always shot at me would be useful?"
"Weird, today is September the 15th," Mike mumbled. "Who's Edel?"
"My friend who loves Green Day to hell," I replied.
"Wait, that means, me and Billie make it big?" Mike's voice raised in excitement.
"Yeah, everyone knows a Green Day song. They're one of the biggest bands in the world. Didn't you -"I stopped my self. This is before Green Day ever existed; I have to remember that.
"Just one more question. When or will Billie ever come back?" Mike frowned. "And doesn't that mean he's in your body?"
"I don't know--" I started to say, but my head started to throb with pain. Was it happening again? There was a flash of red. Yes, it's happening again.
"Zac? Are you--?" Mike got up to grab my arm. Mike's face disappeared from view, and I shut my eyes. Not now, not when I finally figured out what was happening.
I opened my eyes, half excepting to see the school field again. Didn't happen, I was back in Billie's room. The only thing that was different was that I felt a bit taller.
I eyed a battered notebook on the floor. While I'm here, might as snoop, for Edel, anyway. Picking it up, I flipped to the newest page. The same word was written all over it. Adrienne. Okay, creepy. I continued reading.
Great timing, mom and "dad" are out. Adrienne's coming tonight, 7:30 on the dot . . .
"Crap," I muttered. Why couldn't Billie have his date tomorrow? It's too late to cancel; it's almost 7 (it took me a long time to find the clock). "Screw you Billie and your girlfriend."
I searched the room for a phone and a phone directory. When in doubt, call one of Billie's best friends. I couldn't find the phone directory, but I found the phone. My fingers were trembling, and I accidentally pressed a button. The phone started to dial, crap, speed dial.
Sighing, I held the phone to my ear. Fortunately, I heard Mike's voice. "Hi Billie," Mike casually said.
"Mike, I want to go back home, back to 2006, and with people I actually know!" I blurted out. Wow, way to blow my cover.
"Zac? Is that you? It's been six years. No offense, but you're going to screw up Billie's date," Mike said.
"I know, that's just it. Help me get out of this," I pleaded.
"I can't Billie-Zac, you have to go through with this. You-Billie said your-their relationship was getting rocky. This date could mend things up. Besides, Adrienne's coming in about five minutes."
"What? It's only 7!"
"Billie's clock ran out of batteries about a month ago."
"I hate you so much right now. Just so you know, I'm hanging up, " I sighed.
Ding dong
"Please tell me it's not her," I prayed to myself silently as I walked down the hall. I cautiously opened the door. A girl, about 20 (I guess Billie's 20, so that means I'm 20), stood on the doorstep. Her black hair was tied into a ponytail. There was no smile on her face, just a plain stare. Creepy.
"Hi . . . Adrienne," I said slowly. I forgot her name already, I'm so screwed.
"What do you want, Billie?" she asked irritably as she walked in the house. She sat on the couch and stared straight ahead.
What do I say? What do I say? What the frickin' hell do I say? "I-I'm sorry," I finally said. I had no idea what I was saying. The words just kept on coming. " For what ever I did."
"So . . . does that mean you're not mad at me?"
"Mad at you?"Okay, I'm confused, big time. Why was Billie mad at her? "For what?"
"N-nothing," Adrienne said quickly. "Did you really mean that? Are you really sorry? 'Cause my arm hasn't been the same ever since."
"Your arm?" I raised an eyebrow. " What'd I do again?"
"Nothing," Adrienne mumbled. "Billie, I'm sorry too, for shouting at you," she said softly.
"It's Zac, dumb ass," I muttered under my breath. I raised my voice, "It's okay."
"For real? Great . . ." Adrienne smiled. She wrapped her arms around my neck. "Why are you so quiet all of a sudden? Whatever-don't answer. I like the quiet you better."
Really? Billie is going to be so screwed when he gets back.
"I think I like it too," I smiled. Okay, she can let go of me anytime now. Adrienne closed her eyes and leaned in. Maybe now would be a good time. She pressed her lips against mine. Let go of me you dumb fuck!
A kid was following me around at recess and asking if I was all right. "I heard about your dad, Billie," the kid said. His brown eyes showed sympathy.
Even though I had no idea who this kid was, I felt that he was okay. I even thought he looked familiar somehow. "Do I know you?" I asked gruffly. The kid seemed taken back, but I didn't mean to make it sound so stern.
"Are you okay? It's me, Mike," he brushed some of his brown hair away from his eyes. "Mike Dirnt," he added with a sly grin.
"I'm kidding, I know who you are. God, can't you take a hint?" I grinned pathetically. Mike Dirnt, which sounded familiar. Hasn't Edel mentioned it before?
"Okay then," Mike said uncertainly.
"Can I trust you with something?" I suddenly asked. Even though he probably wouldn't believe me, I wanted to get it off my chest.
"Sure," Mike replied slowly. I explained the whole thing. The iPod, Billie's room and who I think is Billie's mom.
"So, you're not Billie? Your some kid from Calgary who picked up an iPod Nano-whatever that is-and you suddenly ended up here? Isn't that physically impossible?" I could tell Mike still didn't get it.
"I'm not, I'm Zac Hartley. Who is Billie, anyway?" I asked.
"Billie Joe Armstrong," Mike replied.
That jogged my memory, Billie, as in the lead singer of Green Day. I'm so dumb, but why am I here, and in his body? This makes no sense. All I remember is choosing a song and ending up in Billie's room. And...isn't Billie, like, 30 years old?
"I was going to listen to Wake Me Up When September Ends, and as soon as I chose it, I ended up here," I said slowly. "The song is about Billie, and his dad dying on the September the 15th. Who knew the Green Day trivia Edel always shot at me would be useful?"
"Weird, today is September the 15th," Mike mumbled. "Who's Edel?"
"My friend who loves Green Day to hell," I replied.
"Wait, that means, me and Billie make it big?" Mike's voice raised in excitement.
"Yeah, everyone knows a Green Day song. They're one of the biggest bands in the world. Didn't you -"I stopped my self. This is before Green Day ever existed; I have to remember that.
"Just one more question. When or will Billie ever come back?" Mike frowned. "And doesn't that mean he's in your body?"
"I don't know--" I started to say, but my head started to throb with pain. Was it happening again? There was a flash of red. Yes, it's happening again.
"Zac? Are you--?" Mike got up to grab my arm. Mike's face disappeared from view, and I shut my eyes. Not now, not when I finally figured out what was happening.
I opened my eyes, half excepting to see the school field again. Didn't happen, I was back in Billie's room. The only thing that was different was that I felt a bit taller.
I eyed a battered notebook on the floor. While I'm here, might as snoop, for Edel, anyway. Picking it up, I flipped to the newest page. The same word was written all over it. Adrienne. Okay, creepy. I continued reading.
Great timing, mom and "dad" are out. Adrienne's coming tonight, 7:30 on the dot . . .
"Crap," I muttered. Why couldn't Billie have his date tomorrow? It's too late to cancel; it's almost 7 (it took me a long time to find the clock). "Screw you Billie and your girlfriend."
I searched the room for a phone and a phone directory. When in doubt, call one of Billie's best friends. I couldn't find the phone directory, but I found the phone. My fingers were trembling, and I accidentally pressed a button. The phone started to dial, crap, speed dial.
Sighing, I held the phone to my ear. Fortunately, I heard Mike's voice. "Hi Billie," Mike casually said.
"Mike, I want to go back home, back to 2006, and with people I actually know!" I blurted out. Wow, way to blow my cover.
"Zac? Is that you? It's been six years. No offense, but you're going to screw up Billie's date," Mike said.
"I know, that's just it. Help me get out of this," I pleaded.
"I can't Billie-Zac, you have to go through with this. You-Billie said your-their relationship was getting rocky. This date could mend things up. Besides, Adrienne's coming in about five minutes."
"What? It's only 7!"
"Billie's clock ran out of batteries about a month ago."
"I hate you so much right now. Just so you know, I'm hanging up, " I sighed.
Ding dong
"Please tell me it's not her," I prayed to myself silently as I walked down the hall. I cautiously opened the door. A girl, about 20 (I guess Billie's 20, so that means I'm 20), stood on the doorstep. Her black hair was tied into a ponytail. There was no smile on her face, just a plain stare. Creepy.
"Hi . . . Adrienne," I said slowly. I forgot her name already, I'm so screwed.
"What do you want, Billie?" she asked irritably as she walked in the house. She sat on the couch and stared straight ahead.
What do I say? What do I say? What the frickin' hell do I say? "I-I'm sorry," I finally said. I had no idea what I was saying. The words just kept on coming. " For what ever I did."
"So . . . does that mean you're not mad at me?"
"Mad at you?"Okay, I'm confused, big time. Why was Billie mad at her? "For what?"
"N-nothing," Adrienne said quickly. "Did you really mean that? Are you really sorry? 'Cause my arm hasn't been the same ever since."
"Your arm?" I raised an eyebrow. " What'd I do again?"
"Nothing," Adrienne mumbled. "Billie, I'm sorry too, for shouting at you," she said softly.
"It's Zac, dumb ass," I muttered under my breath. I raised my voice, "It's okay."
"For real? Great . . ." Adrienne smiled. She wrapped her arms around my neck. "Why are you so quiet all of a sudden? Whatever-don't answer. I like the quiet you better."
Really? Billie is going to be so screwed when he gets back.
"I think I like it too," I smiled. Okay, she can let go of me anytime now. Adrienne closed her eyes and leaned in. Maybe now would be a good time. She pressed her lips against mine. Let go of me you dumb fuck!