Beautiful
Nothin' Better To Do
It had been a few weeks since the awards show and Blane's hospital scare.
The following morning, the whole crew, drummers, Green Day, directors, and all, had come to the hospital to keep Blane company.
It wasn't till the next day, when she was released, did she and Blake actually get to talk about things; and that they did. Their conversation lasted for hours, over Blane's insecurities and fears, Blake's misunderstandings and emotions. They reached an understanding between each other that only strengthened their bond as best friends, as is what they agreed to stay for the time being. This agreement lightened the situation greatly, making the whole mass of people whom now called themselves a band, more fun-loving than before.
This is why, weeks later they are out at an ungodly hour at some underground karaoke club in the middle of downtown Oklahoma City, where no one had ever even heard of Green Day, and where drunken cowboys line-danced to drunken cowgirls singing.
"... and then he says, 'but I wasn't in class that day.'"
Everyone howled with laughter.
Mr P had just told them about one of the kid's personal classroom nightmares.
Michael gave him a dirty look.
The drunk redneck onstage had just finished a song about, what else? Drinking, and the MC came back onstage, "Thank you, Bobby, for that wonderful rendition of 'Drinkin' Bone'. Everybody, lets give him a round of applause, whaddaya say, huh?"
The crowd filled with drunken laughter and spattered applause.
When it finally died down, the MC continued on, "Ok up next we have... Blane Richards? Is there a Blane Richards in the building?"
"Yeah, she's over here!" Tre stood up and yelled, pointing to Blane.
"Come on up here, Blane."
She shot Tre a glare as she moved her way towards the stage.
"Alright, now here's your mic, the words are on the screen, so just sing along," the MC told her.
The bluegrass-pop music started to play over the speakers, and she smiled as she recognized the song as something only Tre would pick for her.
"Huuuuuung my cotton dress on rusted wire
Up there on Pilahatchee Bridge
Just a crazy roughneck's daughter
Jumped head-first into the water
Baptized away my sins"
She sang deep and playful.
"Hiiiiiiiiiitched to town with Bobby Jo and Tommy
Couple of lookers, new best friends
We slipped in the back of Sunday service
Know them church ladies, they heard us
Bum smoke money from the offering"
She started bouncing to the beat of the music, smiling at the guys at the table in a "watch this" way.
"Mama said, "Idle hands are Devil's handywork"
Oh, the trouble you'll get into
You got nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do
You got nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do
Yea-aa-aa-ah!"
She had that crowd in the palm of her hand.
"Oh, yeah
Siiiiiiiiiign read: BAIT, CHIPS BEER and AMMUNITION
That Slim-Jim bag boy hadn't a prayer
Well I hiked my skirt and did the talkin'
While them boys were busy walkin'
Case of .5 out the back door"
She winked at Michael, remembering the times they had snuck beer from their parents together.
"Hiiiiiiiiiid deep in the Mississippi backwoods
We danced and played around 'til dark
Well I had them wrestlin' for my first kiss
Turned into a fight and they missed
Me speeding off in Tommy's car
Mama said, "Idle hands are Devil's handywork"
Oh, the trouble you'll get into
You got nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do
You got nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do
Yeah!"
By this time she was lost in the music, dancing and singing, watching her was like watching the woman herself.
"Nobody hurt, nobody harmed
Nobody's busines but my own
Mama said, "Idle hands are Devil's handwork
Oh, the trouble you'll get into!"
You got nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do
You got nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do
You got nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do
You got nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do
Yeaa-aaa-aah!
Oh, yeah
Got nothin' better to do, babe
Got nothin' better to do
You got nothin' better to do, babe
Ya got nothin' better to do, no no
Got nothin' better to do!
Ya got nothin' better to do, no no
Got nothin' better to do!
You got nothin' better to do, no no!"
She finished with a bang and a smile, and for many of the guys at the table, it was a shock. None of them had ever heard her sing. None of them even knew she could sing at all; and as far as performing, she had stage-fright even with the group. Where was this coming from?
"WOW! I think that was probably the best we've seen all night, lets give this young lady a round of applause, shall we?"
The little hic-town bar erupted into applause. It took a whole 5 minutes just for the MC to be able to get a word in. As he announced the next singer, Blane, smiling all the way, hopped down off the stage and made her way back through the crowd amongst the high fives and pats on the back she received.
"So what did you guys think?" she smiled at them.
No one said a word, they just stared at her.
Billie was the first to speak, it was an offer to sign a record deal, in which, she, of course, declined, because in her own personal opinion, she couldn't sing at all.
The rest of the night, other members of the band were called up for karaoke as Tre had made it a point to put everyone on the list, including himself.
He, amazingly enough, gave an explosive performance of "You Ain't Much Fun Since I Quit Drinkin."
The following morning, the whole crew, drummers, Green Day, directors, and all, had come to the hospital to keep Blane company.
It wasn't till the next day, when she was released, did she and Blake actually get to talk about things; and that they did. Their conversation lasted for hours, over Blane's insecurities and fears, Blake's misunderstandings and emotions. They reached an understanding between each other that only strengthened their bond as best friends, as is what they agreed to stay for the time being. This agreement lightened the situation greatly, making the whole mass of people whom now called themselves a band, more fun-loving than before.
This is why, weeks later they are out at an ungodly hour at some underground karaoke club in the middle of downtown Oklahoma City, where no one had ever even heard of Green Day, and where drunken cowboys line-danced to drunken cowgirls singing.
"... and then he says, 'but I wasn't in class that day.'"
Everyone howled with laughter.
Mr P had just told them about one of the kid's personal classroom nightmares.
Michael gave him a dirty look.
The drunk redneck onstage had just finished a song about, what else? Drinking, and the MC came back onstage, "Thank you, Bobby, for that wonderful rendition of 'Drinkin' Bone'. Everybody, lets give him a round of applause, whaddaya say, huh?"
The crowd filled with drunken laughter and spattered applause.
When it finally died down, the MC continued on, "Ok up next we have... Blane Richards? Is there a Blane Richards in the building?"
"Yeah, she's over here!" Tre stood up and yelled, pointing to Blane.
"Come on up here, Blane."
She shot Tre a glare as she moved her way towards the stage.
"Alright, now here's your mic, the words are on the screen, so just sing along," the MC told her.
The bluegrass-pop music started to play over the speakers, and she smiled as she recognized the song as something only Tre would pick for her.
"Huuuuuung my cotton dress on rusted wire
Up there on Pilahatchee Bridge
Just a crazy roughneck's daughter
Jumped head-first into the water
Baptized away my sins"
She sang deep and playful.
"Hiiiiiiiiiitched to town with Bobby Jo and Tommy
Couple of lookers, new best friends
We slipped in the back of Sunday service
Know them church ladies, they heard us
Bum smoke money from the offering"
She started bouncing to the beat of the music, smiling at the guys at the table in a "watch this" way.
"Mama said, "Idle hands are Devil's handywork"
Oh, the trouble you'll get into
You got nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do
You got nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do
Yea-aa-aa-ah!"
She had that crowd in the palm of her hand.
"Oh, yeah
Siiiiiiiiiign read: BAIT, CHIPS BEER and AMMUNITION
That Slim-Jim bag boy hadn't a prayer
Well I hiked my skirt and did the talkin'
While them boys were busy walkin'
Case of .5 out the back door"
She winked at Michael, remembering the times they had snuck beer from their parents together.
"Hiiiiiiiiiid deep in the Mississippi backwoods
We danced and played around 'til dark
Well I had them wrestlin' for my first kiss
Turned into a fight and they missed
Me speeding off in Tommy's car
Mama said, "Idle hands are Devil's handywork"
Oh, the trouble you'll get into
You got nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do
You got nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do
Yeah!"
By this time she was lost in the music, dancing and singing, watching her was like watching the woman herself.
"Nobody hurt, nobody harmed
Nobody's busines but my own
Mama said, "Idle hands are Devil's handwork
Oh, the trouble you'll get into!"
You got nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do
You got nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do
You got nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do
You got nothin' better to do, got nothin' better to do
Yeaa-aaa-aah!
Oh, yeah
Got nothin' better to do, babe
Got nothin' better to do
You got nothin' better to do, babe
Ya got nothin' better to do, no no
Got nothin' better to do!
Ya got nothin' better to do, no no
Got nothin' better to do!
You got nothin' better to do, no no!"
She finished with a bang and a smile, and for many of the guys at the table, it was a shock. None of them had ever heard her sing. None of them even knew she could sing at all; and as far as performing, she had stage-fright even with the group. Where was this coming from?
"WOW! I think that was probably the best we've seen all night, lets give this young lady a round of applause, shall we?"
The little hic-town bar erupted into applause. It took a whole 5 minutes just for the MC to be able to get a word in. As he announced the next singer, Blane, smiling all the way, hopped down off the stage and made her way back through the crowd amongst the high fives and pats on the back she received.
"So what did you guys think?" she smiled at them.
No one said a word, they just stared at her.
Billie was the first to speak, it was an offer to sign a record deal, in which, she, of course, declined, because in her own personal opinion, she couldn't sing at all.
The rest of the night, other members of the band were called up for karaoke as Tre had made it a point to put everyone on the list, including himself.
He, amazingly enough, gave an explosive performance of "You Ain't Much Fun Since I Quit Drinkin."