Pothead Poltergeists
Do Da Da
The very second the show ended, Jake took off up the stairs to play like a little elephant again. Joey got up, “I’m gonna finish homework.” He really is a good kid.
There was that feeling that the story on the television was over, and now I was forced to get back to real life. It’s points like this that you realized how much the story can pull you in, and you’re able to ignore everything else around you no matter what is going on outside. It’s sort of relaxing. But here I was thrust back into my strange little world.
“Ok, thanks man,” Billie looked proud that he didn’t have to tell his son to do it. “Jake!” he called up the stairs, “Get dressed for bed!”
And we heard an, “OK!” come down in an echo and Joey headed up too.
Then Billie Joe looked back to me cautiously. “Well, I can still see you,” he said quietly. “I must not be on something I forgot about so either I am still fucking crazy or …I don’t know.”
“Or maybe I’m real?”
“Or maybe I’m schizophrenic.”
“So, what should we do?”
“You stay here tonight.” He got up, “There’s some blankets over there and you can have the couch,” he yawned and talked as if I were just another guest. “Or do you even need blankets?” He scratched his long ruffled died hair. I sort of did the same and pulled my hand over the top of my head through my hair and evened it out after lying on the couch.
“I don’t feel much if I don’t want to, but thanks.”
He smiled, “Ok, well, wait until Adie comes home and goes upstairs because she’ll come in and put the blanket away if she sees it out. Habit I guess.”
“Ok, sure.”
Billie drifted over into the kitchen and threw away the used pizza paper plates into the trash compactor. “Do you want any?” he asked opening the pizza box.
“Sure.” He handed me a piece of cheese. Pizza My Heart is the best pizza in the world. At least around here it is. Sometime later, I must have fallen asleep.
~~~
I opened my eyes once again to the morning sun, but the room was cold. I pulled the wide red blanket farther up over me. Then I looked over to the clock. Shit, it was already 10 am. I hope no one noticed the blanket. Joey and Jake would have been up early to go to school.
I walk around the corner into the kitchen to find Billie Joe alone at the counter sipping coffee. He had on a white and purple Misfits shirt and black pants. Simple, but ready for work I guess. He didn’t need much for a day at the studio. I knocked on the side of the doorway and he turned to face my direction.
“Hey, you’re up,” he smiled.
“Yeah, sorry I slept a long time.”
“Oh no, I get up this time anyway except on days I take the boys to school.”
“Did anyone notice me?”
“No, they all kept walking past the living room, but no one said a thing,” he sighed. “So…want to come with me to the studio?” He felt like he was just humoring himself. He’d been hoping I would go away during the night or something while he slept, but had found me back on the couch. So much for that. It’s nothing against me I think; it’s just a little crazy of an idea.
“Sure, I’d love to!” I really was excited. It was so much fun the time before.
We found Mike in the same place we had left him the first time. They played some new things, some things from the day before and covers of course. I might have gone over and banged on Tre’s symbols a few times to the point I might have scared him a little, but ignore that. Come on, I have to have a little fun as a ghost. And Billie wasn’t looking anyway.
Then I might have tried to play the first notes of Chopsticks on the piano in the back while Mike walked by, and I think I might have confused him too. But that one was not my fault. I was trying to be quiet that time. Oh, well. I had a hell of a lot of fun.
And I am sort of getting used to this ghost business. There, see, I will say it. I am a ghost now. I don’t think I’m dead yet, but close enough. I wonder if I ever really have to go back. This life is so much better. I feel so much more…what’s the word? Alive.
There was that feeling that the story on the television was over, and now I was forced to get back to real life. It’s points like this that you realized how much the story can pull you in, and you’re able to ignore everything else around you no matter what is going on outside. It’s sort of relaxing. But here I was thrust back into my strange little world.
“Ok, thanks man,” Billie looked proud that he didn’t have to tell his son to do it. “Jake!” he called up the stairs, “Get dressed for bed!”
And we heard an, “OK!” come down in an echo and Joey headed up too.
Then Billie Joe looked back to me cautiously. “Well, I can still see you,” he said quietly. “I must not be on something I forgot about so either I am still fucking crazy or …I don’t know.”
“Or maybe I’m real?”
“Or maybe I’m schizophrenic.”
“So, what should we do?”
“You stay here tonight.” He got up, “There’s some blankets over there and you can have the couch,” he yawned and talked as if I were just another guest. “Or do you even need blankets?” He scratched his long ruffled died hair. I sort of did the same and pulled my hand over the top of my head through my hair and evened it out after lying on the couch.
“I don’t feel much if I don’t want to, but thanks.”
He smiled, “Ok, well, wait until Adie comes home and goes upstairs because she’ll come in and put the blanket away if she sees it out. Habit I guess.”
“Ok, sure.”
Billie drifted over into the kitchen and threw away the used pizza paper plates into the trash compactor. “Do you want any?” he asked opening the pizza box.
“Sure.” He handed me a piece of cheese. Pizza My Heart is the best pizza in the world. At least around here it is. Sometime later, I must have fallen asleep.
~~~
I opened my eyes once again to the morning sun, but the room was cold. I pulled the wide red blanket farther up over me. Then I looked over to the clock. Shit, it was already 10 am. I hope no one noticed the blanket. Joey and Jake would have been up early to go to school.
I walk around the corner into the kitchen to find Billie Joe alone at the counter sipping coffee. He had on a white and purple Misfits shirt and black pants. Simple, but ready for work I guess. He didn’t need much for a day at the studio. I knocked on the side of the doorway and he turned to face my direction.
“Hey, you’re up,” he smiled.
“Yeah, sorry I slept a long time.”
“Oh no, I get up this time anyway except on days I take the boys to school.”
“Did anyone notice me?”
“No, they all kept walking past the living room, but no one said a thing,” he sighed. “So…want to come with me to the studio?” He felt like he was just humoring himself. He’d been hoping I would go away during the night or something while he slept, but had found me back on the couch. So much for that. It’s nothing against me I think; it’s just a little crazy of an idea.
“Sure, I’d love to!” I really was excited. It was so much fun the time before.
We found Mike in the same place we had left him the first time. They played some new things, some things from the day before and covers of course. I might have gone over and banged on Tre’s symbols a few times to the point I might have scared him a little, but ignore that. Come on, I have to have a little fun as a ghost. And Billie wasn’t looking anyway.
Then I might have tried to play the first notes of Chopsticks on the piano in the back while Mike walked by, and I think I might have confused him too. But that one was not my fault. I was trying to be quiet that time. Oh, well. I had a hell of a lot of fun.
And I am sort of getting used to this ghost business. There, see, I will say it. I am a ghost now. I don’t think I’m dead yet, but close enough. I wonder if I ever really have to go back. This life is so much better. I feel so much more…what’s the word? Alive.