Status: Hiatus
I Can't Believe This
It's Nice To Meet You
“Ok, lets see, apartment number 36,” I said to myself as I walked up the many flights of stairs. “God, has it ever occurred to these people to put in an elevator?” I continued to walk up the stairs, then I finally got to the 5th floor and found apartment number 36. “Finally here it is!” I knocked on the door and there was no answer, “She better be here.” I knocked again and I heard Rhianna mumble something, “Rhianna open the damn door, I just came up 5 flights of stairs and I’m starting to lose my grip on my bags, and personally I don’t feel like tumbling back down the 5 flights on my head.” Finally the door swung open “Jeez, took you long enough.” I said.
Rhianna immediately grabbed some of my bags and led me into the apartment. “I can’t believe you’re finally here! This is going to be so great, I mean, it’s always been our dream to live in California, and now…we are.”
I just laughed at her hyperness and said, “I know, this is going to be awesome.”
“So how did you get here?” She asked. “I know finding a cab in this town can be really hard.
“Yea I know, I figured that out the hard way,” I said as I looked down at my still damp clothing. “But I managed. Actually a really nice guy gave me a ride.” I said and smiled as I thought of how I had actually been in a car with my idol of so many years.
“Really? And did this really nice man happen to have a name?”
Rhianna always had been the curios type, “As a matter of fact he did.” Was all I said. I could see the look in her eyes, it’s the same look she always gets when people mess with her mind. That look that says, “you can hold out as long as you want, but sooner or later I’m going to find out.”
“So…?”
“Alright fine, I’ll tell you, but you have to promise not to freak out and scream into my ear about how amazing it is…deal?”
“Deal.”
“Ok, I got a ride from….Billie Joe Armstrong.” I said and smiled
“No you didn’t!”
“Uh, yea I did.”
"No way!"
"Yes I did."
“NO!”
“Yes!”
Suddenly she jumped up onto the couch and started screaming. I knew she would do that.
“Oh my God!! I can’t believe that you got a ride with Billie Joe Armstrong! That’s so unfair! I’ve lived here for almost a year and I’ve never even caught a glimpse of him!” She finally sat again and asked, “So what did you two talk about? Are you going to see each other again? Did you give him your phone number? Did he give you his? Come on! I need details!”
“Whoa, slow down, all he did was give me a ride. No, I didn’t give him my number and we aren’t seeing each other again.”
“Did he…”
“No, he didn’t give me his number either. And besides, it’s not like I’m ever going to see him again.” Rhianna started laughing at this and I was very confused. “Why are you laughing?”
“Because…because, you’re….you’re going to…see him sooner than…..you….you think.” She eventually stopped laughing and I just sat there dumbfounded, staring at her. “It just so happens that there is a Green Day concert tonight at the Pavilion and guess who bought tickets and backstage passes to it?” I started to answer when she cut me off. “That’s right! I did, just as a welcome to Oakland type of thing.:”
“Are you serious? I mean, we really have tickets and backstage passes…this isn’t just some trick you’re playing on me?” I asked skeptically.
“No, this isn’t a joke, I just thought it would be cool to go to your favorite band’s concert on your first night here.”
Now it was my turn to scream…
***
It’s an hour before the concert and I still haven’t found anything to wear. I went to my closet and tried on a few more tops I have. I tried on a black tank top, a green one, a dark blue one, and a red one. Finally I decided on my black skinny jeans, my red tank top and my black tie. I put on my black converse and some eyeliner and went to Rhianna’s room to see how she was doing. As it turns out, she had been ready to go for awhile. “Ok, I’m ready now, we can go.”
She laughed and said, “Well, it’s about time, if you had taken any longer I would’ve gone into your room and dragged you out myself.”
I know, she has a strange sense of humor, but, what can ya do? So we got into the car and drove to the Pavilion. I had a feeling this was going to be a night I would never forget…
***
“Wow…this place is awesome,” I said as I stared at the vaulted ceiling and beautiful lights overhead. “This concert is gonna rock.”
Rhianna was just as mesmerized as I was by the Pavilion and just murmured a small, “uh huh.”
We got to the concert area and we were some of the only people here so far. Soon enough though, tons of people were crowded in behind us. I was surprised at the seats we had, I mean, we are really close to the stage, only like, 5 feet away…this is so cool! Soon the beginning riff to American Idiot started to play and the energy in the room seemed to double. I couldn’t help but stare at Billie, thinking about the events that happened earlier today, I still couldn’t believe it. Green Day played a bunch more songs like, Longview, Hitchin’ A Ride, and Minority. They even played Christie Road, which really surprised me.
The end of the concert started to approach and soon, there was just one spotlight on the stage as Billie Joe came out and started to play Good Riddance. As he was playing he looked down into the audience, right at me, and we locked eyes for a second, although it seemed like and eternity. I couldn’t look away from the piercing emerald eyes that seemed to stare straight into my soul. As we continued to stare at each other, my heart began to race wildly and then everyone in the room disappeared,. It was only us. And as fast as that feeling had come, it vanished and everyone else was back, and the concert went on.
Billie Joe played the last note of Good Riddance and people were starting to file out of the Pavilion.
Rhianna and I then headed backstage to meet our idols…
Rhianna immediately grabbed some of my bags and led me into the apartment. “I can’t believe you’re finally here! This is going to be so great, I mean, it’s always been our dream to live in California, and now…we are.”
I just laughed at her hyperness and said, “I know, this is going to be awesome.”
“So how did you get here?” She asked. “I know finding a cab in this town can be really hard.
“Yea I know, I figured that out the hard way,” I said as I looked down at my still damp clothing. “But I managed. Actually a really nice guy gave me a ride.” I said and smiled as I thought of how I had actually been in a car with my idol of so many years.
“Really? And did this really nice man happen to have a name?”
Rhianna always had been the curios type, “As a matter of fact he did.” Was all I said. I could see the look in her eyes, it’s the same look she always gets when people mess with her mind. That look that says, “you can hold out as long as you want, but sooner or later I’m going to find out.”
“So…?”
“Alright fine, I’ll tell you, but you have to promise not to freak out and scream into my ear about how amazing it is…deal?”
“Deal.”
“Ok, I got a ride from….Billie Joe Armstrong.” I said and smiled
“No you didn’t!”
“Uh, yea I did.”
"No way!"
"Yes I did."
“NO!”
“Yes!”
Suddenly she jumped up onto the couch and started screaming. I knew she would do that.
“Oh my God!! I can’t believe that you got a ride with Billie Joe Armstrong! That’s so unfair! I’ve lived here for almost a year and I’ve never even caught a glimpse of him!” She finally sat again and asked, “So what did you two talk about? Are you going to see each other again? Did you give him your phone number? Did he give you his? Come on! I need details!”
“Whoa, slow down, all he did was give me a ride. No, I didn’t give him my number and we aren’t seeing each other again.”
“Did he…”
“No, he didn’t give me his number either. And besides, it’s not like I’m ever going to see him again.” Rhianna started laughing at this and I was very confused. “Why are you laughing?”
“Because…because, you’re….you’re going to…see him sooner than…..you….you think.” She eventually stopped laughing and I just sat there dumbfounded, staring at her. “It just so happens that there is a Green Day concert tonight at the Pavilion and guess who bought tickets and backstage passes to it?” I started to answer when she cut me off. “That’s right! I did, just as a welcome to Oakland type of thing.:”
“Are you serious? I mean, we really have tickets and backstage passes…this isn’t just some trick you’re playing on me?” I asked skeptically.
“No, this isn’t a joke, I just thought it would be cool to go to your favorite band’s concert on your first night here.”
Now it was my turn to scream…
***
It’s an hour before the concert and I still haven’t found anything to wear. I went to my closet and tried on a few more tops I have. I tried on a black tank top, a green one, a dark blue one, and a red one. Finally I decided on my black skinny jeans, my red tank top and my black tie. I put on my black converse and some eyeliner and went to Rhianna’s room to see how she was doing. As it turns out, she had been ready to go for awhile. “Ok, I’m ready now, we can go.”
She laughed and said, “Well, it’s about time, if you had taken any longer I would’ve gone into your room and dragged you out myself.”
I know, she has a strange sense of humor, but, what can ya do? So we got into the car and drove to the Pavilion. I had a feeling this was going to be a night I would never forget…
***
“Wow…this place is awesome,” I said as I stared at the vaulted ceiling and beautiful lights overhead. “This concert is gonna rock.”
Rhianna was just as mesmerized as I was by the Pavilion and just murmured a small, “uh huh.”
We got to the concert area and we were some of the only people here so far. Soon enough though, tons of people were crowded in behind us. I was surprised at the seats we had, I mean, we are really close to the stage, only like, 5 feet away…this is so cool! Soon the beginning riff to American Idiot started to play and the energy in the room seemed to double. I couldn’t help but stare at Billie, thinking about the events that happened earlier today, I still couldn’t believe it. Green Day played a bunch more songs like, Longview, Hitchin’ A Ride, and Minority. They even played Christie Road, which really surprised me.
The end of the concert started to approach and soon, there was just one spotlight on the stage as Billie Joe came out and started to play Good Riddance. As he was playing he looked down into the audience, right at me, and we locked eyes for a second, although it seemed like and eternity. I couldn’t look away from the piercing emerald eyes that seemed to stare straight into my soul. As we continued to stare at each other, my heart began to race wildly and then everyone in the room disappeared,. It was only us. And as fast as that feeling had come, it vanished and everyone else was back, and the concert went on.
Billie Joe played the last note of Good Riddance and people were starting to file out of the Pavilion.
Rhianna and I then headed backstage to meet our idols…