Nuclear Family

Little did the Armstrong children know, their father had heard their entire conversation. Billie Joe had gone upstairs to try and talk to Rita about lightening the punishment he had dished out and telling her she could go to the show, but now he was livid. What gave her the right to speak so poorly of him?

Billie Joe wasn't manipulative; he was just trying to look out for his daughter. He knew how the world of music, especially punk music, could be brutal in and of itself, but for a teenage girl it could be absolutely horrific.

He was hurt that she thought this of him now. Rita Mae was such a daddy's girl had he had no idea what had changed her. When Grace got home he would definitely have to talk to her and see if she knew anything. It surprised him that his kids were close though; he was way younger than all of his siblings, so he never got along with them growing up.

He fought the urge to knock on the door and give his daughter a piece of his mind, knowing that wasn't the way to handle this now. He retreated to his bedroom, laying on the black comforter on his bed and deciding to wait for Grace.

---

When Jack left her room, Rita Mae grabbed her phone off of her desk and called Andrew, or Drew as he now chose to go by. They had remained best friends all throughout elementary and middle school, and were still going strong in their sophomore year of high school. Drew's parents eventually gave up on trying to convince their son that Rita was the spawn of Satan.

Drew was Rita's confidant and partner in crime, most of the time. They loved making music together and being in their band, which only made Billie Joe more nervous. Drew was actually one of the girl's few friends because of her father. It was tough for Rita to make real friends without knowing if they were using her or not.

The girl could be considered as an outcast, spending more of her time making music and reading rather than hanging out with kids from school.

A lot of the time, Rita Mae couldn't handle everybody at school because they were so fake and over the top that it usually made her anxious. Like Billie Joe, the girl had anxiety problems that usually ended up with panic attacks.

Rita and Drew were on the phone talking about something or another when she heard her mother's footsteps coming up the stairs. She knew that everything was going to hit the fan, so she asked Drew if he wanted to come hang out for a bit. His family had moved a bit closer, so he was only an AC Transit bus ride and a short walk away. Drew said that he would catch the bus in a bit and that they could go to the park or jam in her basement or something.

---

Grace came home from Adeline to a house full of tension. Jack was busy snacking on a peanut butter and banana sandwich in the kitchen, and when she asked where everyone else was, the boy shrugged and said that he was staying out of that disaster zone.

"What have they done now, Jacks?" Grace used one of his nicknames, then took a bite of his sandwich, waiting for an answer from her son.

"Dad flipped at Mae for playing a show last night. Now they're in their rooms cooling off." Jack shrugged, taking a swig of fruit punch.

"Again? I can't believe this. I leave the house for six hours and everything goes to hell." Grace heaved a sigh, rubbing Jack's back fondly before heading upstairs to her bedroom to find Billie Joe.

"What have you been doing while I was at Adeline?" She didn't even give him the chance to say hello.

"I was parenting. Why do you ask?" Billie Joe ran his hands over his face, looking up at Grace from his sprawled out position on the bed, watching as she sat on the edge of their king sized bed and took off her Converse.

"I heard a rumor that you and our daughter got in a bit of an argument earlier."

Billie said that he thought he had taught Jack not to spread dirty rumors, making Grace smile slightly.

"You're going to have to come to terms with the fact that Rita is your daughter, Billie. She's you to a T, and you know better than anyone else how she's feeling and what she's going through."

Grace was right. He saw how much of an outcast Rita Mae was at school, how she threw herself into her passions, and how defiant she was. It reminded him so much of himself that it scared him shitless.

"You need to talk to her. Let her know that you understand, and maybe she'll ease up on being such a hell raiser." Grace ran her fingers through her husband's shaggy, jet-black hair. She loved how soft and long it was now, and always told him this in hopes of him keeping it for more than three months.

"I guess you're right. How are you always right?"

"Moms know best, Beej. Go see what she's up to and ask if you can apologize. Telling her that she can't be in a band is only going to make her resent you. I go to as many of her shows as I can, but you just look the other way. Don't you think she's trying to get your attention?"

Billie Joe sat up, taking her wise words into consideration. With a swift nod, he got off of the bed, set his hands on both of Grace's cheeks, and kissed his wife before leaving the room and heading down the hall.

"Rita Mae, can I come in?" Billie knocked on the door, listening to the sounds of classical music filling the air in his daughter's room.

"Whatever."

Oh, how he had become accustomed to that word.

Billie Joe entered the room cautiously, taking note that Rita was laying on her bed in a position similar to the one he had been in earlier.

"Baby doll, I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have been so harsh."

The girl muttered out a 'you think,' which stung the man as he sat in the chair at her desk.

"I'll take you and Drew to Jack's Mannequin, if you'll let me." He stared down at his feet, unsure of how she was going to react.

"Thanks. Speaking of Drew, he's coming over soon." Rita watched her father as he sheepishly stared at the ground with growing interest.

"I just wanted to let you know that I know what you're going through." Billie knew he should have thought of a different way to word that, by the look that crossed over the girl's face. She sat up, staring Billie Joe on with a gleam of annoyance in those emerald eyes they shared.

"How do you know what's going on with me? You're a professional musician, Dad. People look up to you. No one taunts you or bullies you for who you are. You don't have to spend every day wondering if the people you call your friends are really just using you for your name."

It was clear that Rita Mae had been adversely affected by her father's status in pop culture, and for that, he was sorry.

"I wasn't always a rock star, Mae. You've seen pictures- you know how I was; how I am. I was the oops baby that was overlooked by everyone in my family. I was the kid that sold drugs, didn't care about anyone, and dropped out of school. People told me I wouldn't make it as a musician, but being the little shit I was, I proved them all wrong. Now, I have to watch my back constantly because of all the fake Hollywood bullshit! It's exactly like school. I know how it feels to be the loner, so don't you sit there and tell me that I don't know how you feel."

Rita Mae seemed to be at a loss for words so Billie Joe looked around her room, noticing all the pictures of the two of them that she had up on her walls. His favorite, by far, was a framed picture that sat on her dresser.

It was of the pair when Rita was 10, and they were sitting side by side at the piano in the basement, clearly focused on the music in front of them. Rita was glancing up at Billie Joe with a look of wonder, while he was looking at the keys of the black piano.

Little did he know, but this was Rita's favorite picture of them as well. She always longed to play piano with her father now, but he was always too busy or didn't want to.

"I love you, baby doll, no matter what. I just want what's best for you, and sometimes I think that doesn't involve that band you're in."

"Dad, I think you already know that I'm going to do what I want, which means I'm gonna keep playing shows. I really want you to come to our next one." Rita looked at him hopefully, desperately wanting his approval and encouragement more than he knew.

"Just let me know when and where, and I'll be in the front row." Billie Joe sent his daughter a smile before getting up and ruffling her hair.

"Dad!" The girl let out an annoyed groan, swatting his hand away, and perking up when she heard the doorbell ring.

---

Billie Joe sat in the living room with Jack, watching some VH1 reality show marathon, while Rita and Drew hung out in the basement. Grace was flitting around, trying to find something to keep herself occupied. She hated sitting around and watching TV, so she decided to try and clean up around the house.

"Grace, stop cleaning and get your ass over here!" Billie Joe laughed at his wife as she tried to clean the floor near the couch he was sitting on.

"What else am I supposed to do?" She leaned the Swiffer against the wall, facing Billie Joe and Jack, who was ignoring the exchange between his parents.

"Come spend time with me! I haven't even been home from touring for that long…"

Billie decided to pull a small guilt trip; he had been on tour from July to the end of August, which had been a relatively short time compared to other tours he had done. Grace gave him a look of disbelief, but she wasn't really surprised that he used that tactic on her. With a sigh, the woman sat beside Billie Joe, entangling her fingers with his as she glanced up at the television.

"This show is awful… It's pretty inappropriate for Jack." Grace saw half-naked women prancing across the large LCD screen, making out with any man or woman that moved.

"I'm almost thirteen, Mom." Jack rolled his eyes at his mother, who faked a sniffle and reminisced about when he was a baby. Watching Jack heave a sigh, Billie Joe laughed at his embarrassment.

"You were such a pain in the butt on tours, mister! Wandering off all the time and giving me a heart attack. I'm 38 years old, Jack. I don't need to be having a stroke!" Grace continued to give the kid a hard time, trying to get a rise out of him. It was all in good fun though, and he was a good sport about it.

---

Rita Mae and Drew hung around in the basement, talking about whatever came to mind, which just so happened to include the girl's rock star of a father.

"Mae, you can't have such an attitude about your dad. I'm practically the third kid around here, and I think Billie is just doing his best." Drew shot the girl a look from his place on the couch, strumming a random rhythm on a bass that he had basically claimed over the years. Rita was lying on the floor, glaring up at the dirty blond boy that was staring back at her with his bright blue eyes.

"You weren't here for our fight today. Oh sweet Jesus. He flipped out at me for playing a show, then I freaked out because he tried to tell me I wasn't going to Jack's Mannequin. Then, like an hour later, he comes and offers to take us to the concert, and goes the extra mile to say he'll be at our next gig. I don't get him."

"Well, I don't think he gets you either. It's funny though, because you two are just alike." Drew laughed as Rita rolled her eyes; he knew that she realized that she was just like Billie, she just hated admitting it.

About two hours after Drew had arrived, Billie Joe wandered down stairs with a proposition for the pair. He looked at his daughter as she stretched on the floor, a clear expression of annoyance at his presence across her face, and he frowned. Drew seemed more excited than Rita, because he greeted the man.

"Hey, Mr. A. How's it hanging?"

"Pretty good, Drew. I see you found the bass. I thought I hid it pretty good, huh?" He sent the kid a wink, making them both laugh. Billie Joe loved messing with the kid, so he always hid his favorite bass around the basement. This time, it was stowed under the couch.

"What brings you down here, Dad?" Rita asked begrudgingly, knowing that she had to talk to him sometime. She continued stretching, feeling tense and stiff as she lifted her legs one at a time and pointed her toes. Rita had picked up ballet a few years ago, but she put it on the back burner for music.

"I have a little idea for when I'm in New York I'll need you both, along with Matt and Logan, if it's gonna work."

"Oh? And what's this plan of yours?" Rita eyed her father carefully; Matt and Logan were the other two guys in her band.

"I want Milford Men to open for the Foxboro Hot Tubs. Does that sound okay to you?" He watched his daughter's emerald eyes light up for the first time in a while, a huge smile flashing across her face as she bolted up to give him an enormous hug.

"Are you serious, Billie?" Drew asked, wanting to make sure that they weren't being messed with. They had been playing club shows around the Bay area, but since Billie Joe hadn't exactly been supportive, they stayed pretty local.

"I'm totally serious, Drew. I gotta talk to the guys, but I think it'll work. You guys are gonna be playing a packed house, are you ready for that?" Billie smiled when the two teenagers nodded with so much enthusiasm that it made him excited too.

"This is what we've been working for, huh Mae?" Drew looked to the girl, who nodded.

A few years ago, Billie had sat her down to give her the 'Music isn't a family business' talk, which basically said that just because he was a musician by trade, didn't mean that she would be able to use his name to get onto bills or to get their band out there. Rita Mae completely understood, but she couldn't help the fact that the entire Green Day fan community decided to follow the progress of Milford Men and show their support.

When Drew went home a little while later, Rita took the opportunity to thank her father for the opportunity of a lifetime.

"Seriously, Dad. Thank you so much… I know you don't really like it, but I'm glad you're starting to come around."

"Baby doll, I would do anything for you, you know? Even if it takes me out of my comfort zone, I'll be right there to support you every step of the way."