Goodbye Harry?
Electric Shock
He was lying awake, staring at the ceiling. Nice one Armstrong, he thought bitterly. Fucking fantastic. The night had been disastrous. After his “tantrum”, he instead went to the toilets to blow off some steam. He had been furious with himself for shouting like that and staring in to the mirror he tried to figure out what to do next. Apologise? Pretend it never happened?
Mike had come in at that point and seeing Billie there had decided to drag him to go and talk to some of his long lost friends. He hadn’t really been paying attention to anything they were saying and kept looking around distractedly to see if Harry was nearby. An hour later, Tre jumped up behind him, with Harry behind him. He had pretended to be interested in what he was being told but he was more interested in trying to get Harry’s attention, who was looking anywhere but him. One of Mike’s friend’s girlfriend then took her to get a drink and he never saw her after that until she told them (Tre and Mike that is) that they were also taking her home. He had watched as she had kissed Tre and said goodbye to Mike before leaving. No-one had noticed that she had totally ignored him the whole night.
He had to speak to her. He was surprised she hadn’t said anything to Tre but then again, what would she have said? What would Tre have done? Even Billie, who had known Tre for so long, didn’t know what his friend would do in that situation. Still, he thought, she was probably just hurt and upset. He just had to explain to her that he’d been upset recently, what with Adrienne being away and stress from the new album and that he didn’t mean to take it out on her. Yes, that was it. She’d understand. He sighed and turned over. Hopefully.
***
A shrill ringing in his ears woke him up from an uneasy sleep. He blinked a few times before he realised it was his phone and he quickly fumbled for it on the bedside table.
He got a glance at the alarm clock; 2:04pm.
“Hello?” He answered not bothering to see who it was and lay back down rubbing his eyes.
“Just woken up then Sleeping Beauty?” It was Mike.
“No,” Billie yawned. “I’ve been awake for ages.”
“Then you’d know you should have been here about an hour ago,” Mike sounded amused.
“Shit.” Billie sat upright. “Dammit, I totally forgot.”
“Well get you ass here in half an hour, k?”
“Yeah, course.” He put the phone down.
Within 20 minutes he’d showered, dressed and grabbed his guitar and was in the car. Five minutes later he reached the studio and ran in.
“Sorry.” He walked in to some sarcastic applause.
“Wow, you almost beat Tre’s record!” Billie looked around to see Jason White.
“Jason! What’re you doing here?”
“Yeah, I missed you to Billie Joe!” He said sarcastically. “I’m only here for today. I’ve got to be outta here by four. Thought you might want to go over some of the songs with me here.”
By seven o’clock, and with Jason long gone, they decided to call it a day. Billie had always found that music had made him feel better and got his mind off things he’d rather not think about and once again it hadn’t failed. Playing “Wake Me Up When September Ends” had got all his emotions out with out him realising it, leaving him feeling much calmer.
“Hurry up Billie,” Tre moaned as Billie packed up his guitar.
“What’s the rush?”
“We, my friend, are going out.” Tre grinned.
“Where?”
“Don’t expect to get an answer,” Mike replied, walking in after putting his case in the trunk.
“Follow me in your car, alright Billie?” Tre told him. “Make sure you don’t get lost – we all know what an crap driver you are.”
Just as Billie opened his mouth to answer, Mike interrupted him. “Yeah, whatever Tre, get in the damn car first.” He laughed at them both.
Billie followed Tre in the car for what seemed like ages. He was beginning to think that this was one of Tre’s “amusing” jokes when they pulled up to a well-known gig venue, “The Demy”.
“Why we here for? We going to the Demy?” Asked Billie, coming out of the car he’d parked next to Tre’s.
“Well done,” Tre smiled. “Now let’s go in.”
Walking in, Billie saw that it was pretty full for quite a small place. He caught the name of the band on the “upcoming shows” list: “The Electrics”.
“The Electrics?” He turned to the other two guys, confused. “Who are they?”
Mike shrugged as Tre smiled towards the stage.
The band had already started to play as they pushed their way towards the front. The strong male voice was backed by some impressive punk. From what he could make out over the heads of those in front, there were three in the band. They were about 3 rows from the front when Billie caught sight of the drummer. He turned to Tre, his jaw wide open, who was grinning.
Mike laughed, pushing Tre in to Billie. “Harry’s almost as good as you, Tre.”
Mike had come in at that point and seeing Billie there had decided to drag him to go and talk to some of his long lost friends. He hadn’t really been paying attention to anything they were saying and kept looking around distractedly to see if Harry was nearby. An hour later, Tre jumped up behind him, with Harry behind him. He had pretended to be interested in what he was being told but he was more interested in trying to get Harry’s attention, who was looking anywhere but him. One of Mike’s friend’s girlfriend then took her to get a drink and he never saw her after that until she told them (Tre and Mike that is) that they were also taking her home. He had watched as she had kissed Tre and said goodbye to Mike before leaving. No-one had noticed that she had totally ignored him the whole night.
He had to speak to her. He was surprised she hadn’t said anything to Tre but then again, what would she have said? What would Tre have done? Even Billie, who had known Tre for so long, didn’t know what his friend would do in that situation. Still, he thought, she was probably just hurt and upset. He just had to explain to her that he’d been upset recently, what with Adrienne being away and stress from the new album and that he didn’t mean to take it out on her. Yes, that was it. She’d understand. He sighed and turned over. Hopefully.
***
A shrill ringing in his ears woke him up from an uneasy sleep. He blinked a few times before he realised it was his phone and he quickly fumbled for it on the bedside table.
He got a glance at the alarm clock; 2:04pm.
“Hello?” He answered not bothering to see who it was and lay back down rubbing his eyes.
“Just woken up then Sleeping Beauty?” It was Mike.
“No,” Billie yawned. “I’ve been awake for ages.”
“Then you’d know you should have been here about an hour ago,” Mike sounded amused.
“Shit.” Billie sat upright. “Dammit, I totally forgot.”
“Well get you ass here in half an hour, k?”
“Yeah, course.” He put the phone down.
Within 20 minutes he’d showered, dressed and grabbed his guitar and was in the car. Five minutes later he reached the studio and ran in.
“Sorry.” He walked in to some sarcastic applause.
“Wow, you almost beat Tre’s record!” Billie looked around to see Jason White.
“Jason! What’re you doing here?”
“Yeah, I missed you to Billie Joe!” He said sarcastically. “I’m only here for today. I’ve got to be outta here by four. Thought you might want to go over some of the songs with me here.”
By seven o’clock, and with Jason long gone, they decided to call it a day. Billie had always found that music had made him feel better and got his mind off things he’d rather not think about and once again it hadn’t failed. Playing “Wake Me Up When September Ends” had got all his emotions out with out him realising it, leaving him feeling much calmer.
“Hurry up Billie,” Tre moaned as Billie packed up his guitar.
“What’s the rush?”
“We, my friend, are going out.” Tre grinned.
“Where?”
“Don’t expect to get an answer,” Mike replied, walking in after putting his case in the trunk.
“Follow me in your car, alright Billie?” Tre told him. “Make sure you don’t get lost – we all know what an crap driver you are.”
Just as Billie opened his mouth to answer, Mike interrupted him. “Yeah, whatever Tre, get in the damn car first.” He laughed at them both.
Billie followed Tre in the car for what seemed like ages. He was beginning to think that this was one of Tre’s “amusing” jokes when they pulled up to a well-known gig venue, “The Demy”.
“Why we here for? We going to the Demy?” Asked Billie, coming out of the car he’d parked next to Tre’s.
“Well done,” Tre smiled. “Now let’s go in.”
Walking in, Billie saw that it was pretty full for quite a small place. He caught the name of the band on the “upcoming shows” list: “The Electrics”.
“The Electrics?” He turned to the other two guys, confused. “Who are they?”
Mike shrugged as Tre smiled towards the stage.
The band had already started to play as they pushed their way towards the front. The strong male voice was backed by some impressive punk. From what he could make out over the heads of those in front, there were three in the band. They were about 3 rows from the front when Billie caught sight of the drummer. He turned to Tre, his jaw wide open, who was grinning.
Mike laughed, pushing Tre in to Billie. “Harry’s almost as good as you, Tre.”