Changes

"Get away..." Tony moaned, rolling over onto her stomach. Andy laughed.
"I love how you say that like I'd listen."
"Get off me, or I'll vomit on you."

Andy cursed and stood up.

"You know, you've changed." He sounded almost confused. Tony laughed bitterly.
"Tell me something I don't know."

She curled into a ball, cuddling the empty pit in her stomach. The place where she knew Billie should be.

~~~

"This is the place." Jay spread his arms wide, and Billie was reminded of Tre, presenting the tour bus that day, weeks and weeks ago.
"This, this is it?"
"Bloody stink hole, isn't it?"

Jay looked at Billie.

"You sure you're going in there?"

Billie sighed and nodded.

"I've gotta." Jay slapped him on the back.
"Then let's go."

~~~

"What's that?" Andy cocked an ear. Tony threw the freshly emptied needle against the wall.

She remembered this feeling. She was gone, she was out of her head. Whatever sanity she'd possessed, it had been kidnapped by the drugs and reality began to blend. Tony began to laugh.

"Shut up! Shut up, you stupid bitch!" Andy hissed urgently.

But she couldn't and then everything turned dark and she began to scream.

She screamed like a rock star. She screamed like Ozzy Osbourne, like Steven Tyler, like Joe Elliot, like a rock god made human. It was a wordless, souless scream that ripped through walls, searching, demanding to be heard.

And Billie heard it.

~~~

"Sweet Jesus! Tony's alive!" Jay bellowed. But Billie had shot ahead, dashing up the rickey stairs.

Jay dashed after him, arriving in time to see Billie pounding against the door. Jay rolled his eyes and tapped the smaller man on the shoulder.

"No. No. THIS is how it's done."

Billie stepped aside. Jay cracked his knuckles and ran at the door. And no one was more surprised than Jay when the door splintered and the force of the charge sent Jay hurtling into the room.

When Billie stepped through the wreckage, he found Jay sprawled on the floor, what he assumed to be Andy rummaging through the dresser.

And then there Tony.

She was lying on what he assumed was the bed. Her hair was a mess, something reminiscent of Jay's, only with less poof. Her skin, in the space of a few short days, had paled. She was missing her gloves, and the scars on her arms were vibrant. Billie thought he saw a few new ones.

Her clothes were ripped, and her eye and cheek sported spectacular bruises. But her eyes, her eyes were hollow and dead, staring blankly at him with the barest recognition.

She reached out and punched Jay, who was attempting to stand back up.

"Jay. That's Billie Joe Armstrong, that is...he's in a band...he's made it big. Big like Marty talked about..."

Jay turned to Billie Joe.

"Excuse me." He walked over, grabbed Andy and lifted him off the ground.

"Whatever you've got in that hand, drop it. Or I'll break your neck."

A knife clunked to the ground.

"Now. Just wait right here. And then I'll kill you, alright?" Jay told him cheerfully. Then he looked at Billie.

"What are you gonna do with her?" Billie sighed.
"Try and talk her out of it...I suppose."
"No way you'll talk her down. Want me to make it easy?"
"What are you gonna do?"
"Billie, we need to get out of here. Fast. I'll knock her out and she'll be none the worse. You can talk to her in the bloody car."
"Let me...let me try first."
"Fine. But hurry, please."

Andy squirmed and Jay slammed him back against the wall.

"And you. You just be patient. I'll deal with you."

Billie walked over to the bed and looked into Tony's eyes. Something in them sparked, and she put down the joint. Jay quickly stamped it out, cursing at the waist of a good joint.

"Tony..." He whispered. Suddenly, something in her stirred.
"You have...the most amazing green eyes...d'you know that?"
"I know. A very pretty girl once told me that."

She reached out her arms to him.

"Sing to me, Billie." She whispered. Billie picked her up and began to sing. He wasn't quite sure what he was singing, but it quieted her and she put her arms round his neck.

"You coming with me?"
"Depends. Where are you going?"
"Home."
"Haven't seen one of those in a long while. Suppose I'll come."
"Well, move."
"You go on ahead and wait for me in the cab. I've got something to take care of."

Billie knew he was going to kill him. He knew, Jay knew, maybe even Tony knew. But still, Billie dashed down the stairs and into the car that Jay had said was his, but Billie strongly suspected that it was stolen.

~~~

"You're done hurting me, Andy. You're done hurting people, period."
"And how would you know when I'm done?"

Jay smiled evilly and picked up the needle from the nightstand. It was filled, with what, Jay wasn't sure, but filled with something potentially lethal. How did Jay know that? Because the second he touched it, Andy stiffened.

"That's twice the dosage. You'll die."
"Who said I'll be taking it?"

Jay slammed Andy onto the bed, jammed the needle into his arm and injected the fluids into his vein.

Then he smiled and shook Andy's now trembling hand.

"Been lovely seeing you. Save me a seat in hell."

And he jogged down the stairs, listening to Andy's scream.

~~~

"What'd you do?" Billie demanded. Jay held up a hand, doubled over and vomited onto the sidewalk. Tears dripped down his face and for the first time since he'd met him, Billie saw his make-up smeared and running down his face.

"I killed him." gasped Jay quietly.
"It's alright." Billie whispered.
"Liar." Jay replied, then wiped his mouth.

"We'd better get going." Billie said quietly.
"Yeah...yeah." Jay got into the driver's seat and pressed down the gas.

In a matter of seconds, they were gone.

~~~

Andy lay gasping, alone in the darkness. He was shaking and feverish. And muttering under his breath, the same words over and over.

"Tell her I'm sorry. Tell her I'm sorry. Tell her I'm sorry. Tell her I'm sorry."

And then his breath quickened and the words came in gasps. And then he slipped away.

"Tell...her..."