Sequel: Making the Album ›
Changes
Flashback.
Billie didn't have the heart to put the lights on. So he lay motionless on his bed, watching his room grow steadily darker.
He clung to his guitar as though it were a life raft, but he wasn't compelled to play it.
And in the back of his head, he kept replaying that moment, over and over.
~~~
Adrienne had told him to lie down. She'd said she would drive the boys to school. She'd said he'd worked hard enough at the gig last night.
And like an idiot, he'd let her.
And he hadn't even gone into the bedroom to lay down. He'd puttered around the kitchen, watching television with the sound turned up and an old Ramones album turned up.
Then he'd found Adrienne's wallet, next to Joseph's lunch...or maybe it was Jakob's lunch, he hadn't read the name on the paper bag.
He'd called her.
She'd been laughing.
Everything was fine.
Then there was a scream and a squeel of rubber on pavement.
She'd whispered his name into the phone as though he would appear and stop the accident from happening.
That little gasp, the breathy plea, it played over and over in his head like a scratched c.d.
There was a crash, and the line went dead.
He'd screamed her name into the phone, staggered into the carport, then tripped. He couldn't move.
He'd paniced. He'd frozen. He'd given up.
Maybe if'd he'd just gotten his ass out the door, he could have been there, could've saved her.
Could've kept her from dying.
~~~
In a sudden, fluid motion, Billie Joe flung his guitar across the room. It clanged against the wall and flopped to the floor, amazingly undamaged. But before he could stop himself, Billie had a horrible image of Adrienne's body flopping down on the pavement, blood pooling.
Billie dropped to his knees. He felt tears streak down his cheeks and he grabbed the offending guitar.
Before he could think of the stupidity of his actions, or tell himself to stop, he began to beat the guitar against the wall.
It was almost as though the guitar refused to shatter. Maybe it was a sign from some god, but Billie was determined to ignore it.
Still sobbing, Billie kept bashing his guitar against the wall.
~~~
Mike had just poured himself another cup of black coffee, and Tre was in the middle of chugging his second beer.
And then the amiable silence was destroyed by an extremely loud, extremely devastating bang from upstairs. From Billie's room. Tre choked on his beer and spat it out all over the floor. There came a second, louder bang.
Mike and Tre looked at each other.
"Oh shit." Mike said. Tre quickly flung his beer bottle out the window, then cursed.
"FUCK! THERE WAS STILL BEER IN THERE!"
Mike started laughing, tried and failed to stop. Then another bang echoed down the stairs.
Still cursing, Tre followed Mike up the stairs.
~~~
"Billie! Billie, just calm down!"
Mike gently took the guitar from Billie's hands and laid it on ground. Then he encircled Billie with his arms and held his friend as he sobbed.
For some reason, Tre hung back, flicking on the lights, fiddling with the guitar. Then, when Billie's sobs had slowed and he sat back, Tre tackled both of them into the hall.
Which sparked a wrestling match that moved into the bathroom. Where Mike smacked mousse onto Billie's hair while Tre forced lipstick onto his lips. Which was all very funny until Billie turned around and squirted toothpaste into Tre's hair and then attacked Mike with the lipstick.
Which inspired Tre to grab a full bottle of toothpaste and chase Billie and Mike around the house. Until he tripped over the couch and 'accidentally' mooned Mike and Billy.
Which ended the fight rather abruptly.
~~~
Sitting at the kitchen table, nursing beers and dripping toothpaste, Mike turned to Billie.
"You gonna be okay?"
Billie smiled sadly.
"I hope so."
He clung to his guitar as though it were a life raft, but he wasn't compelled to play it.
And in the back of his head, he kept replaying that moment, over and over.
~~~
Adrienne had told him to lie down. She'd said she would drive the boys to school. She'd said he'd worked hard enough at the gig last night.
And like an idiot, he'd let her.
And he hadn't even gone into the bedroom to lay down. He'd puttered around the kitchen, watching television with the sound turned up and an old Ramones album turned up.
Then he'd found Adrienne's wallet, next to Joseph's lunch...or maybe it was Jakob's lunch, he hadn't read the name on the paper bag.
He'd called her.
She'd been laughing.
Everything was fine.
Then there was a scream and a squeel of rubber on pavement.
She'd whispered his name into the phone as though he would appear and stop the accident from happening.
That little gasp, the breathy plea, it played over and over in his head like a scratched c.d.
There was a crash, and the line went dead.
He'd screamed her name into the phone, staggered into the carport, then tripped. He couldn't move.
He'd paniced. He'd frozen. He'd given up.
Maybe if'd he'd just gotten his ass out the door, he could have been there, could've saved her.
Could've kept her from dying.
~~~
In a sudden, fluid motion, Billie Joe flung his guitar across the room. It clanged against the wall and flopped to the floor, amazingly undamaged. But before he could stop himself, Billie had a horrible image of Adrienne's body flopping down on the pavement, blood pooling.
Billie dropped to his knees. He felt tears streak down his cheeks and he grabbed the offending guitar.
Before he could think of the stupidity of his actions, or tell himself to stop, he began to beat the guitar against the wall.
It was almost as though the guitar refused to shatter. Maybe it was a sign from some god, but Billie was determined to ignore it.
Still sobbing, Billie kept bashing his guitar against the wall.
~~~
Mike had just poured himself another cup of black coffee, and Tre was in the middle of chugging his second beer.
And then the amiable silence was destroyed by an extremely loud, extremely devastating bang from upstairs. From Billie's room. Tre choked on his beer and spat it out all over the floor. There came a second, louder bang.
Mike and Tre looked at each other.
"Oh shit." Mike said. Tre quickly flung his beer bottle out the window, then cursed.
"FUCK! THERE WAS STILL BEER IN THERE!"
Mike started laughing, tried and failed to stop. Then another bang echoed down the stairs.
Still cursing, Tre followed Mike up the stairs.
~~~
"Billie! Billie, just calm down!"
Mike gently took the guitar from Billie's hands and laid it on ground. Then he encircled Billie with his arms and held his friend as he sobbed.
For some reason, Tre hung back, flicking on the lights, fiddling with the guitar. Then, when Billie's sobs had slowed and he sat back, Tre tackled both of them into the hall.
Which sparked a wrestling match that moved into the bathroom. Where Mike smacked mousse onto Billie's hair while Tre forced lipstick onto his lips. Which was all very funny until Billie turned around and squirted toothpaste into Tre's hair and then attacked Mike with the lipstick.
Which inspired Tre to grab a full bottle of toothpaste and chase Billie and Mike around the house. Until he tripped over the couch and 'accidentally' mooned Mike and Billy.
Which ended the fight rather abruptly.
~~~
Sitting at the kitchen table, nursing beers and dripping toothpaste, Mike turned to Billie.
"You gonna be okay?"
Billie smiled sadly.
"I hope so."