No Particular Reason

The day of the hearing was a dreary California January day. Jakob had been released from the hospital into the outpatient program and sat in his assigned seat in the courtroom nervously. Billie Joe, Adrienne and their team of lawyers sat with them while Joey and Amy were seated behind them.

Frankito was handcuffed and seated across the way. Jakob hadn’t seen him since that night and even the mere sight of him gave Jakob chill bumps and an outrageous sense of paranoia. Tre’ was sitting with his son and he and Billie Joe had yet to exchange words.

The back doors opened and Mike came into the courtroom with a desperate look of uncertainty on his face. He first crossed to Tre’ and gave him a hug and exchanged a few words with his friend before going to the other side where the Armstrongs were.

“Hey.” He hugged Billie Joe and Adrienne and kissed Adrienne on the cheek. “How’s it going?” Mike asked cautiously.

Billie Joe shrugged as his eyes flittered over to where Tre’ was. “I don’t know. Thanks for coming.”

Mike simply nodded.

Frankito shifted in his seat and Jakob couldn’t help but cringe in the direction opposite of him. He did not like Frankito being this close to him.

“I know this has put you in a difficult position Mike and we’re sorry.” Adrienne commented as Frankito began to tap rapidly on the wooden table top with a pencil. It was, oddly enough, going in direct time with Jakob’s heartbeat.

Mike returned her words with a half grin. “It’s okay. I still love you guys. Um, Billie,” He turned back to his oldest friend. “Remember that mandatory creative meeting next month. . . do you want to cancel it or. . .”

“No.” Billie Joe said sharply in a strange tone. “I’ll be there.”

Jakob looked up sharply, he knew that tone and meaning behind the words. He was tempted to ask but Adrienne shot him a look that told him not to.

“All rise for the honorable Judge Manning.”

Mike quickly went to find a seat as the hearing began in all its tedious fashion.

After about two hours, the judge rapped with his gavel. “Silence in my court room. I have made my decision. Will the defendant, Frankito Wright, please stand.”

Frankito stood along with his lawyer and Tre’. His expression was blank until he slid his eyes over to where Jakob was. Jakob met his blue eyes and couldn’t help but shrink away. Those were the eyes that taunted him in his nightmares.

“I find the defendant guilty of all charges. The restraining order of at least 500 feet of plaintiff, Jakob Armstrong, is put into effect as well.” Judge Manning looked at Frankito over his square rimmed glasses. “Since this is your first offense, we tend to go easy on you, but with the magnitude of this I have decided this. You are to spend the next year in an intense detention program with weekly therapy. You are to have no contact with the Armstrongs and limited contact with your family. We will meet in one year to evaluate your progress and further decisions. You will begin your time as of today. Court adjourned.” He rapped the gavel again, declaring the hearing over.

Adrienne gave a great sigh of relief next to Jakob as Frankito was led out of the room in handcuffs. Tre’ was still in his seat, dumbfounded. He chanced a glance at Billie Joe, who had a smile of accomplish on his face, and a tear managed to escape from Tre’s eye.

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The next few months were an intense whirl of therapy and surgeries for Jakob. His nose had been fixed and many of his bruises and cuts were gone. His ribs had healed but he was still rather delicate in that area of his body. His arm was slowly healing and he had recently freed his jaw and was able to talk once again.

“Congratulations Joey!”

Today was the day of Joey’s graduation from Hillcrest. To say it was a relief was an understatement. Joey had been anxious to leave that academy more since the first semester when Jakob was admitted to the hospital.

Frankito was still in the detention center and they haven’t heard much from Tre’ other than sour grapes were sown between him and Billie Joe. He did, however, send Joey a nice graduation card equipt with money and note of congratulations and best wishes for the future.

The pool was full of recently graduated high school seniors from both Joey and Amy’s school and those two were in the thick of it. Jakob was sitting in one of the chairs beside the pool talking with some people. He was still to self-conscious about the scars that laced his body to let everyone see them.

Billie Joe was in the kitchen pulling a beer out for himself. He rolled his eyes when he noticed that it was the last one. “Dammit.” He muttered under his breath.

“Hey Billie.” Mike came in the door, knocking as he went. “I brought Stella over to hang out with everyone.”

“Mike, come on in. We’ll split a beer.” Billie Joe pulled two chilled glasses from the freezer and equally divided the beer between the two of them. “To the first one out.” He toasted with Mike.

“Along with Ramona.” Mike pointed out. Tre’s oldest daughter Ramona had graduated a few days before at her school in New York.

“Mmm.” Billie Joe nodded as he took a sip. “Yes, yes. Ramona too. She sent us some pictures and stuff. She’s going to the performing arts school for music, did you know that?”

Mike nodded. “Yeah, Tre’ told me.” His eyes widened when he realized what he had said but Billie Joe seemed to ignore the fact that Tre’ had been mentioned in his presence.

Billie Joe set his beer down. “Mike, I’m really glad you’re here. I need to talk to you about something, in private.”

Mike nodded his head and followed Billie Joe downstairs into the basement where Green Day memorabilia and pictures of the band members and their families graced the walls. Billie Joe and Mike sat down on the worn leather couch and Billie Joe took a deep breath.

“A lot has happened in the past few months and a lot has changed.” Billie Joe could feel his heartbeat quicken and he wished for another beer or two; or something stronger. “And our meeting in March really made what I’m about to say a lot easier.” He met Mike in the eyes, green to blue, this was harder to say than he thought.

“I’m leaving the band. I need to be with my family right now and this whole deal with Tre’,” Billie Joe sighed. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to get past it. I hope we will, but I don’t see it anytime soon. I don’t want Jakob to live in fear and look over his shoulder all the time and especially next year when Frankito gets out. So,”

“You’re leaving California.” Mike guessed, his tone dull.

“Yeah.” Billie Joe nodded. “Not for forever, but enough time to get away and heal and lets things pass. I don’t want to leave and Adrienne and the kids don’t even know about it yet, but we need to get away. Jakob’s been a basketcase for the past six months and I can’t take it anymore. I really hope you understand.”

Mike didn’t say anything for a moment and his silence scared Billie Joe. Billie Joe would have been happier with a rant or a punch to the face, but not silence. Billie Joe began to bob his leg in nerves waiting for Mike to say something, anything.

After what seemed like forever, Mike sighed. “Stay in touch Billie. Don’t just black out everyone here in hopes that everything bad will go away.” He hugged his longtime friend. “I understand, I kinda figured it was coming. How’re you telling Tre’?”

“Through the network of people.” Billie Joe muttered. “I just can’t bring myself to talk to him yet. I can’t. It’s too soon and everything is too raw.”

Mike nodded in understanding. “When are you leaving?”

“The end of the summer.”

“And nothing will change your mind?”

Billie Joe shook his head. “No.”